The F-15 Strike Eagle 2 source code reconstruction project aims to recreate the source code for the MS-DOS version of the game, F-15 Strike Eagle 2 v451.03, which includes the definitive 1991 Desert Storm expansion disk version. The original game, developed by Microprose, was written in a mixture of C and assembly and compiled with the Microsoft C compiler v5.1. This endeavor aims to be faithful to the original, ensuring that the C routines yield code identical to the original CPU instruction level when compiled with the same compiler and flags. The purpose of this reconstruction is to allow for historical preservation and research.
Here’s an overview of what this project entails:
Origins and Scope: The original game shares many components with F-19 and F-117, indicating possible future support for these games. This project, however, focuses solely on reconstructing the source code for F-15 SE2.
No Game Assets: This repository contains no game assets, executables, or other copyrighted materials. It’s a clean rewrite based on analysis of original game binaries obtained from original floppy disks.
Development Journal: For ongoing updates and rationale behind some of the decisions, contributors can refer to the development journal.
Executable Targets: The game consists of multiple executables with some being the target of source code reconstruction, while others are ignored; rationale for these choices is provided in the development journal.
Status: The reconstruction is still in its early stages with many variables and routines retaining generic names due to incomplete understanding. Further analysis and experimentation are required.
Building Prerequisites: Interested contributors should clone the project and run make, which will handle the downloading and building of the mzretools and UASM repositories.
Verification Process: The Makefile includes a verification target to compare the reconstruction with the original using the mzdiff tool, ensuring no divergence from the original code. Consistency is a key objective.
The iconic F-15 Strike Eagle 2 game being reconstructed for historical preservation and research
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Remember these 3 key ideas for your startup:
Faithful Reconstruction: Employing faithful reconstruction means creating systems or products that stay true to their original designs. This can be particularly important in historical preservation or when maintaining the reliability of legacy systems. For startups, this signifies the importance of keeping the integrity of original ideas while making improvements.
Collaboration and Documentation: Clear documentation and collaborative platforms are crucial. Tools like development journals can aid in maintaining transparency and rationale behind decisions, which is essential whether you're working on software reconstruction or a brand-new project. Consider tools like Microsoft Teams or Edworking for seamless collaboration.
Verification Mechanisms: Implementing robust verification mechanisms ensures that modifications and improvements do not deviate from the original intentions. This is vital for quality assurance, especially in tech startups where maintaining the consistency of the product is crucial for user satisfaction. Learn more about this in our Quick Creative Team Management Guide.
For more details, see the original source.
