So yeah, that'll be our build environment - just plain batch files calling the
Borland command-line assembler, linker, and eventually C compiler. These are
the exact tools that ZUN used as well. There certainly are other assemblers,
compilers and linkers that could compile this code into 16-bit DOS
executables; Open Watcom is the only free one I know, and the master.lib
manual also mentions C compilers by Microsoft and Symantec. However, I favor
having one clear build path for a single toolchain that will, with the correct
command-line switches for each game, create builds that are bit-perfect to
ZUN's original ones over the possibility of cross-platform builds and the
maintenance nightmare they add.
So, Borland-only it is.
(Also, no Makefile, due to our messy build setup. I think I still prefer this
solution though, as we can have these really nice error messages that double
as build instructions without any dependencies on installed software.)
> randomly google "PC-98 ライブラリ"
> 3rd hit: http://www.vector.co.jp/soft/dos/prog/se037608.html
> Oh look, it's the mystery code at the beginning of the TH01 executables!
This library also has dedicated support for transparency, which is used in the
Konngara fight (BOSS8_D*.GRP) and which we couldn't edit during the
development of the static English patches.
But of course, ZUN just had to change the format magic in order to make it
seem unique.
This is the raw output of IDA's initial analysis of the original OP.EXE,
touched up in order to compile to an executable identical to the original
build.
nmlgc