Shadow.DAT Question

[4DPlayer]

Why does killing guards created with Shadow.DAT crash the game? Is there any explanation for that?
Also, I understand that Shadow’s graphics aren’t changed with the Shadow.DAT file. He will just be a black/transparent version of KID.DAT.

So, what purpose does the Shadow.DAT file have?

[David]

Also, I understand that Shadow’s graphics aren’t changed with the Shadow.DAT file. He will just be a black/transparent version of KID.DAT.

So, what purpose does the Shadow.DAT file have?

The game uses SHADOW.DAT when the shadow is holding the sword.
For example, copy GUARD.DAT over SHADOW.DAT.
This will be the result:

shadow_guard.png (4.18 KiB) Viewed 1105 times

Why does killing guards created with Shadow.DAT crash the game? Is there any explanation for that?

Interestingly, the game doesn't crash on pressing K if I overwrite SHADOW.DAT with GUARD.DAT (as I did above), FAT.DAT, or VIZIER.DAT.
But it crashes if I overwrite it with SKEL.DAT and press K.
So my guess is that the game crashes because SHADOW.DAT doesn't have death frames.

If I press K on shadow guards in SDLPoP (debug build), it writes this into the console:

Code: Select all

Tried to use image 32 of chtab 5, not in 0..31
Tried to use image 33 of chtab 5, not in 0..31

This means that SHADOW.DAT doesn't have certain frames that would appear when a guard dies.
(PR calls these frames res783 and res784.)


It should be possible to add the missing images with PR, but you need to edit resources.xml for that.

[4DPlayer]

Ok. Thanks for the explanation.
I did notice in my mod that when I set Level 12 to Guard Type: GUARD, Shadow fought as a guard like the one above with yellow lives.

[atrueprincefanfrom18]

But it crashes if I overwrite it with SKEL.DAT and press K.

It evens crashes if you try to kill SKEL.DAT guards with K in cheat mode. Can this be fixed? Because my computer had to be forced rebooted in DOSBox!