MechWarrior 3 files overview

Installer

The MW3 installer is quite flexible, allowing selection of only some features to save hard drive space. The components and sub-components listed for a custom installation are:

  • Program files
    • Codec Files
  • AVI files
  • Software Render Files
    • Low Detail
    • Medium Detail
    • Best Detail
  • 3D Accelerator Files
    • 2 MB Card
    • 4 MB Card
    • 8 MB Card+
  • Sound
    • High Fidelity
    • Low Fidelity

Some files not directly installed that are discussed are ambient tracks and save games.

Please note that while many files have the ending .zbd, this does not mean they are in any way similar. Different .zbd files need to be parsed differently (they aren't even all archive files). It's possible .zbd stands for Zipper Binary Data.

Ambient tracks

The ambient tracks are never installed, and always streamed from the CD.

AVI files

If the AVI/video files are not installed, they will be read from the CD. These are the game intro, and cut scenes/mission briefings.

Sound

The high fidelity and low fidelity options installed soundsH.zbd and soundsL.zbd to the zbd directory, respectively. These are both sound archives. The demo only ships with medium fidelity sounds (soundsM.zbd). Additionally, the 1.2 patch installs some loose .wav files into the zbd directory.

Software render files

The software render files component installs textures for the software rendering to the zbd directory. They are largely campaign-specific.

For low detail c1\texture1.zbd, c2\texture1.zbd, c3\texture1.zbd, c4\texture1.zbd, c4b\texture1.zbd, and t1\texture1.zbd are installed.

For medium detail c1\texture2.zbd, c2\texture2.zbd, c3\texture2.zbd, c4\texture2.zbd, c4b\texture2.zbd, and t1\texture2.zbd are installed.

For best detail c1\texture.zbd, c2\texture.zbd, c3\texture.zbd, c4\texture.zbd, c4b\texture.zbd, and t1\texture.zbd are installed.

In each case, the 'mech textures rmechtexs.zbd are also installed.

All of these files are texture packages. The textures for software rendering are largely palette-based.

3D accelerator files

The 3d accelerator files component installs textures for the hardware rendering to the zbd directory. They are largely campaign-specific.

For 2 MB cards c1\rtexture2.zbd, c2\rtexture2.zbd, c3\rtexture2.zbd, c4\rtexture2.zbd, c4b\rtexture2.zbd, and t1\rtexture2.zbd are installed.

For 4 MB cards c1\rtexture3.zbd, c2\rtexture3.zbd, c3\rtexture3.zbd, c4\rtexture3.zbd, c4b\rtexture3.zbd, and t1\rtexture3.zbd are installed.

For 8 MB+ cards c1\rtexture.zbd, c2\rtexture.zbd, c3\rtexture.zbd, c4\rtexture.zbd, c4b\rtexture.zbd, and t1\rtexture.zbd are installed.

In the 2 MB case, the 'mech textures rmechtex16.zbd are also installed; otherwise, the 'mech textures rmechtex.zbd are also installed.

All of these files are texture packages. The textures for 3d accelerator rendering are not palette-based, but do have a reduced bit depth.

Program files

The program files component installs the following files to the specified install location:

  • force_eff.ifr: Probably force-feedback effects. I think this was a technology developed by the Immersion Corporation. The file extension .ifr stands for "Immersion Force Resource", which are pre-built effects authored in a tool called Immersion Studio. It's not clear how the game engine used these, and they deserve more investigation.
  • Mech3.exe: The main game engine executable. Not further discussed.
  • Mech3.icd: Only present for the German version, probably related to the SafeDisc DRM. Discussed tangentially in the introduction; otherwise not further discussed.
  • Mech3Msg.dll: A resource dynamic link library (DLL), which contains localised messages. Discussed in message table/translations.
  • MSN Gaming Zone.url: A Windows Internet Shortcut file, presumably to the MSN Gaming Zone, now known as MSN Games. Not further discussed.
  • ReadMe.doc or readme.doc, ReadMe.txt or readme.txt: The READMEs for the game in both Microsoft Word (.doc) and plain text (.txt) format. Not further discussed.
  • Uninstl.ddl and Uninstall.isu: Support files for the InstallShield uninstaller. Not further discussed.

These files are also installed on the system:

  • arial.ttf, impact.ttf, and lucon.ttf: Font files the game engine needs.
  • IFORCE2.dll: Probably force-feedback effects, see force_eff.ifr.
  • MSVCRT.DLL, msvcirt.dll, MSVCRT40.DLL, and MSVCP50.DLL: Support the Microsoft Visual C/C++ Runtime. These could be used to determine which MSVC version was used. Not further discussed.
  • MFC40.DLL and MFC42.DLL: Microsoft Foundation Class Library (MFC) dependencies. Not further discussed.

The codec sub-component also installs Ir50_32.dll. This video codec is relevant for the AVI files.

The program files component also installs all the necessary game files to the zbd directory in the specified install location. These are called database files, and have their own section below.

Database files

Database files are installed by the program files component. There are a lot of data files, and can be grouped into various categories. In general, database files are either:

  • global, in the root zbd directory
  • operation or chapter specific. The sub-directories c1, c2, c3, c4, c4b, and t1 seem to correspond to the operations of the campaign. t1 for the training operation, and c1 to c4 for the main campaign's operations/chapters. One oddity is c4b, which is possibly split off because the third and fourth operations (c3/c4) had 6 missions each (instead of four), and there was some kind of game engine limitation
  • mission specific. Multiplayer or instant action scenarios are also "missions" associated with a specific operation/chapter. These are identified by the file name's suffix, e.g. m1 for mission 1, mp1 for multiplayer map 1, and ia1 for instant action scenario 1.

Texture packages

The rimage.zbd provides globally-used images, such as UI elements, menu backgrounds, and more. This file is a texture package, and can be read in the same way software render files and 3D accelerator files are read.

Reader archives

Reader archives contain game configuration. They can be global (reader.zbd), campaign-specific (c1\reader.zbd, c2\reader.zbd, c3\reader.zbd, c4\reader.zbd, c4b\reader.zbd, t1\reader.zbd), mission-specific (<chapter directory>\readerm*.zbd), multiplayer maps (<chapter directory>\readermp*.zbd), or instant action scenarios (<chapter directory\readeria*.zbd). This is the full list:

  • reader.zbd
  • c1\reader.zbd
  • c2\reader.zbd
  • c3\reader.zbd
  • c4\reader.zbd
  • c4b\reader.zbd
  • t1\reader.zbd
  • c1\readeria1.zbd
  • c1\readeria2.zbd
  • c1\readeria3.zbd
  • c1\readerm1.zbd
  • c1\readerm2.zbd
  • c1\readerm3.zbd
  • c1\readerm4.zbd
  • c1\readermp1.zbd
  • c1\readermp2.zbd
  • c2\readeria1.zbd
  • c2\readeria2.zbd
  • c2\readeria3.zbd
  • c2\readerm1.zbd
  • c2\readerm2.zbd
  • c2\readerm3.zbd
  • c2\readerm4.zbd
  • c2\readermp1.zbd
  • c2\readermp2.zbd
  • c3\readeria1.zbd
  • c3\readeria2.zbd
  • c3\readeria3.zbd
  • c3\readerm1.zbd
  • c3\readerm2.zbd
  • c3\readerm3.zbd
  • c3\readerm4.zbd
  • c3\readerm5.zbd
  • c3\readerm6.zbd
  • c3\readermp1.zbd
  • c3\readermp2.zbd
  • c4\readeria1.zbd
  • c4\readeria2.zbd
  • c4\readeria3.zbd
  • c4\readerm1.zbd
  • c4\readerm2.zbd
  • c4\readerm3.zbd
  • c4\readermp1.zbd
  • c4\readermp2.zbd
  • c4b\readerm4.zbd
  • c4b\readerm5.zbd
  • c4b\readerm6.zbd
  • t1\readeria1.zbd
  • t1\readerm1.zbd
  • t1\readerm2.zbd
  • t1\readerm3.zbd
  • t1\readerm4.zbd
  • t1\readermp1.zbd

Two more multiplayer maps are provided by the 1.2 patch: c3\readermp3.zbd and c3\readermp4.zbd.

Interpreter scripts

The interpreter scripts (interp.zbd) drive how the game engine loads the game data/worlds.

Mechlib archive

A single mechlib archive is installed, mechlib.zbd. This contains 'mech and mechlib model data.

Motion archive

A single motion archive is installed, motion.zbd. This contains the animation data for 'mech motion (e.g. walking).

Game world data

The game world data is called gamez.zbd, and so also known as GameZ files. Each operation/chapter has its own game world data in the sub-directory:

  • c1\gamez.zbd
  • c2\gamez.zbd
  • c3\gamez.zbd
  • c4\gamez.zbd
  • c4b\gamez.zbd
  • t1\gamez.zbd

Animation definition archives

While animation definitions are provided in some reader archives, they are also present in a compiled form in animation definition files, called anim.zbd. These correspond to each game world:

  • c1\anim.zbd
  • c2\anim.zbd
  • c3\anim.zbd
  • c4\anim.zbd
  • c4b\anim.zbd
  • t1\anim.zbd

Save games

TODO