Ritchie has just forwarded translated Blocks 000 and 001 and requested Block 008 and the monster/boss list. If we have that second item dumped, it will have to be in the misc file system, I believe. Otherwise, it could indeed be one of the 69 blocks, and I will have to start opening them until I find it!
Here are Ritchie's almost verbatim descriptions of the first eight blocks he has translated:
block 000 - the ending for all 8 heroes after they (each of them) have defeated the final boss. World Map part 3. blook 001 - the Nagha and Mevious' senerio/Ryu and Rouga's scenario. World map part 1. block 002 - the Raira and Shen's scenario/Gao and Shokora's scenario. World map part 1. block 003 - the Ryu and Rouga's scenario/Nagha and Mevious' senerio. World map part 1. block 004 - the Raira and Shen's scenario/Gao and Shokora's scenario. World map part 1. block 005 - the Gao and Shokora's scenario. World map part 1. block 006 - the Raira and Shen's scenario/Gao and Shokora's scenario. World map part 1. block 007 - the Ryu and Rouga's scenario/Nagha and Mevious' senerio. World map part 1.
When I get these formatted, Bongo`, I will send them to you, Recca, and hey, Deltaflame. I will be happy to keep you updated with early block copies, as well, as these files flow in and I do initial processing.
By sheer numbers, this puts us at about 12% of dialogue translation. The raw dumps range from 1.5 to 50 kb in size. The largest one translated so far is 003 at 34 kb. The smallest is 004 at 14 kb, so none of the small files have come up yet in the numerical sequence. 25 of the 69 blocks are under 8 kb, so that leaves 44 blocks between 11 and 50 kb in size, with 8 of those already translated.
Any way we organize the data, this is a HUGE job, and we appreciate Ritchie's steady pace with it. I will continue to process partially formatted blocks into the working ROM in their straight numerical sequences. I see no point in trying to target the blocks out of order, in an attempt to track a specific scenario, but little-by-little, the eight scenarios will "unlock", and we will arrive closer to the promised land!
Fellows, this is exactly how the analytical side of the intelligence profession works. We start with an identified need and define a goal and and approaches we might employ to reach and satisfy it. Then, we identify the technical collectors of information and agents in the field to gather data and specific components of the problem. As bits and pieces of information and items flow into our management shop, we evaluate the data and organize it into a matrix that enables it to take shape, as we continue to identify and process additional details of the problem. In time, through validation, re-validation, and brainstorming, we put together a picture of something that starts to make make sense. Through trial and error and further analysis of existing and missing details, we gradually fill in the gaps logically, sometimes through a process of extrapolation. Finally, as the whole effort nears completion, we polish and shine it, then send it off to the end user, customer, and/or policymaker!
In time, I could take the whole trained lot of us to a tent in a war zone somewhere and help some field marshal win a war with your talents!! As civilians, however, the rest of you - if captured I'm afraid - would be shot as spies! I, on the other hand, since an officer holds his commission for life, would simply invoke my Geneva Convention rights, hee-hee...
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