ModdingWiki - User contributions [en-gb]

Jill of the Jungle

2025-02-20T01:42:06Z

Dark:

{{Game Infobox
| Levels = Edit
| Tiles = No
| Sprites = No
| Fullscreen = None
| Sound = No
| Music = Edit
| Text = No
| Story = Edit
| Interface = No
}}

'''Jill of the Jungle''' was one of the earliest games developed by Tim Sweeney and published by his company Epic Megagames. Jill supports CGA, EGA and VGA graphics by way of "colour maps", which dictate the CGA and EGA colours to be used to display each of the possible 256-colours of a given image. This way only a single 256-colour image is supplied, rather than a different image for each display.

In the early days of Epic Megagames, Tim shared parts of the code used for Jill of the Jungle with [https://museumofzzt.com/static/articles/2021/epic-mega-haul/pdf/05-1991_12_09_Letter.pdf development teams working on other games for Epic]. A notable example of this collaboration is the game [[Xargon]] that has many code and gameplay similarities with Jill.

Jill is also unique in that it is one of a very small number of games that include a level editor, albeit an undocumented one. See the [[Using the official Jill of the Jungle level editor|tutorial]] for more details.

== Tools ==

{{BeginFileFormatTools|Type=game}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [[Using the official Jill of the Jungle level editor|Built-in editor]]
| Platform = DOS
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = No
| mus = No
| sfx = No
| txt = No
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [[Camoto]]
| Platform = Linux/Windows
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = Read
| mus = Edit
| sfx = No
| txt = No
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [http://ftp.funet.fi/pub/msdos/games/editors/jilledit.zip JillEdit] [http://www.stuntsillusion.com/download/jilledit.zip (mirror)]
| Platform = DOS
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = No
| mus = No
| sfx = No
| txt = No
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [https://k1n9duk3.shikadi.net/jmod.html jMod]
| Platform = Windows
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = No
| mus = No
| sfx = No
| txt = Edit
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{EndFileFormatTools}}

{{BeginGameFileList}}
{{GameFile
| Name = *.cfg
| Format = [[CFG Format (Jill of the Jungle)]]
| KnownFormat = Yes
| Desc = Game configuration
}}
{{GameFile
| Name = *.ddt
| Format = [[CMF Format]]
| KnownFormat = Yes
| Desc = Background music
}}
{{GameFile
| Name = jill,dma
| Format = [[DMA Format]]
| KnownFormat = Yes
| Desc = Tile information
}}
{{GameFile
| Name = *.jn[123]
| Format = [[Jill of the Jungle Map Format]]
| KnownFormat = Yes
| Desc = Game levels
}}
{{GameFile
| Name = *.mac
| Format = [[MAC Format (Jill of the Jungle)]]
| KnownFormat = Yes
| Desc = Demo macros
}}
{{GameFile
| Name = *.sha
| Format = [[SHA Format]]
| KnownFormat = Yes
| Desc = Shapes (images/tiles)
}}
{{GameFile
| Name = *.vcl
| Format = [[VCL Format]]
| KnownFormat = Yes
| Desc = Sound and text assets
}}
{{GameFile
| Name = jn[123]save.[0-9]
| Format = [[Jill of the Jungle Map Format]]
| KnownFormat = Yes
| Desc = Saved games - just dumps of the entire level in its current state
}}
{{EndGameFileList}}

== Palette ==
[[Image:Jill of the Jungle palette.png|thumb|right|128px|Jill of the Jungle palette]]
The VGA palette can be found inside the .EXE file. The palette is the same in all episodes and versions.

==== Episode 1: Jill of the Jungle ====
{|class="wikitable"
!Version!!CRC32!!Date!!Size!!Palette Offset
|-
|1.0||7899CC28||1992-06-01||216 804 bytes||0x1ED84
|-
|1.2||9540714E||1992-07-12||204 784 bytes||0x1F884
|-
|1.2(a)||51ADAE83||1992-07-30||206 963 bytes||0x1FD54
|-
|1.2(b)||171E9EC0||1992-08-21||206 712 bytes||0x1FC34
|-
|1.2(c)||C52CA6D9||1993-02-17||206 636 bytes||0x1FC04
|-
|1.2(d)||0E7C596F||1993-12-27||219 216 bytes||0x24A64
|}

==== Episode 2: Jill Goes Underground ====
{|class="wikitable"
!Version!!CRC32!!Date!!Size!!Palette Offset
|-
|1.0||6064EA0A||1992-06-17||65 166* bytes||0x1F0B4†
|-
|1.2(a)||?||1992-07-30||?||?
|-
|1.2(b)||17477A49||1992-08-21||204 158 bytes||0x1F6E4
|-
|1.2(c)||75176ED7||1993-02-17||204 096 bytes||0x1F6B4
|-
|1.2(d)||0FDB489E||1993-12-27||218 338 bytes||0x26A64
|}

==== Episode 3: Jill Saves the Prince ====
{|class="wikitable"
!Version!!CRC32!!Date!!Size!!Palette Offset
|-
|1.0||3B4D8C3B||1992-07-07||201 616 bytes||0x1F1F4
|-
|1.2(a)||B4EA288C||1992-07-30||204 425 bytes||0x1F804
|-
|1.2(b)||D5345AFB||1992-08-21||204 174 bytes||0x1F6E4
|-
|1.2(c)||3FFF0F6C||1993-02-17||204 112 bytes||0x1F6B4
|-
|1.2(d)||E27D4300||1993-12-27||218 370 bytes||0x26A64
|}

*This version has been packed using [[LZEXE|LZEXE91]]. 
†Data taken from version after uncompressing using [[UNLZEXE]].

The palette is in [[VGA Palette|classic VGA format]] (6-bit RGB.) Note that the [[SHA Format]] can override this palette.

== Episode selection screen ==

Some versions of Jill come bundled with an episode loader executable which displays an interactive screen that allows the player to select from three episodes (if present) and ordering info. The executable contains large amounts (About 90%) of raw data used to display the screen itself and the ordering info if selected. The selection screen uses a single image but various areas of it are faded in in sequence when the executable runs.

The ordering info uses the [[Crunched Screen Image]] format.

{|class="wikitable"
!Data!!Location!!Size
|-
|Screen||04E7||64'000 bytes
|-
|Screen palette||FEE7||768 bytes
|-
|Order info||12AF2||23'630 bytes
|}

== Notes ==
* Since the level files are used for a lot of different things, you can e.g. swap <tt>INTRO.JN1</tt> and <tt>1.JN1</tt> and then when you load the first level you'll be playing the intro screen. The demo and help screens can be accessed in the same way.
* You can also press Ctrl+P on the main menu to play the intro level, and Ctrl+E to enter the [[Using the official Jill of the Jungle level editor|level editor]].

== External links ==
* [http://jillofthejungle.110mb.com/home.html Unofficial Jill of the Jungle page] ([http://members.tripod.com/classic_roach/id14.html Older version], and [http://jill-of-the-jungle.tripod.com/jillsite/index.html alternate version])
* [http://ftp.funet.fi/pub/msdos/games/editors/jilledit.zip JillEdit] [http://www.stuntsillusion.com/download/jilledit.zip (mirror)] - a level editor for Jill of the Jungle created by Rory L. Fisher.
* [http://www.vgmaps.com/Atlas/PC/index.htm#JillOfTheJungle vgmaps.com] - all Jill maps as image files
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_88gJZoLpyc "Funky" remix] by Nick Stubblefield
* [http://www.openjill.org/ OpenJill] - open-source clone of Jill written in Java ([https://github.com/bubulemaster/openjill Github])

[[Category:Epic Megagames]]
[[Category:Sidescroller]]

Xargon

2025-02-20T01:22:42Z

Dark:

{{Game Infobox
| Levels = Edit
| Tiles = No
| Sprites = No
| Fullscreen = No
| Sound = Edit
| Music = Edit
| Text = Edit
| Story = Edit
| Interface = No
}}

'''Xargon''' is a game that has several code and game play similarities to [[Jill of the Jungle]], with support for CGA and EGA removed, and a few minor additions such as palette animation. The two games share many other features, such as the file formats for game levels and graphics.

Allen Pilgrim the programmer for Xargon mentions the following regarding the similarities:

"Note: I did not use the "Jill of the Jungle" engine to create Xargon. Tim helped me learn C programming when I wrote Kiloblaster and was a great help when working on Xargon. He provided support routines like sound and graphics. I wrote my own code. When I wrote Xargon, I did copy and paste some routines because I was using the same support code. I wrote the bulk of the code for Kiloblaster and Xargon. I did all of the Game Design for both games. -Allen Pilgrim

I, Allen Pilgrim, the Game Designer and Programmer for Xargon, released the "Xargon Level Editor" on April 1st, 2024, with substantial documentation. It can be downloaded from the [https://www.classicdosgames.com/game/Xargon.html#Xargon RGB Classic Games] archive."

Xargon is now open source, and the released code has also been useful in reverse engineering Jill of the Jungle.

== Tools ==

{{BeginFileFormatTools|Type=game}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [[Camoto]]
| Platform = Linux/Windows
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = Read
| mus = Edit
| sfx = No
| txt = No
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [http://github.com/Malvineous/xargon Xargon open source]
| Platform = SDL (Linux/Mac/Win)
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = No
| mus = No
| sfx = No
| txt = No
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [http://www.zerker.ca/zzone/category/maps/xargon/ Xargon Mapper and Resource Extractor]
| Platform = Python
| grp = N/A
| map = View
| gfx = View
| mus = No
| sfx = No
| txt = No
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [https://k1n9duk3.shikadi.net/xmod.html xMod]
| Platform = Windows
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = View
| mus = No
| sfx = Edit
| txt = Edit
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [https://moddingwiki.shikadi.net/wiki/Using_the_official_Jill_of_the_Jungle_level_editor Built-in editor] (April 2024 version only)
| Platform = DOS
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = No
| mus = No
| sfx = No
| txt = Edit
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{EndFileFormatTools}}

 

== File formats ==

This section lists the major file formats used in the game. The file extensions <tt>.xr[0123]</tt> refer to a specific episode - this will be <tt>.xr1</tt> to <tt>.xr3</tt>, and <tt>.xr0</tt> for a "global" file that is used by all episodes.

{|class="wikitable"
! File name !! Description
|-
| <tt>config.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Configuration file in [[CFG Format (Jill of the Jungle)]]
|-
| <tt>song_*.xr[0123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Music in [[CMF Format]]
|-
| <tt>tiles.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Tile information in [[DMA Format]]
|-
| <tt>board_*.xr[123] map.xr[123] demo?.xr[123] intro.xr[123] story.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Game levels in [[Jill of the Jungle Map Format]]. map.* are the overhead maps, demo* are the demo levels, intro.* are the main menu backgrounds and story.* are the backgrounds behind the in-game story screens. The overhead map is saved into <tt>board_t.xr[123]</tt> when entering a level, so that it can be restored when the level is complete (so this file is regularly overwritten by the game.)
|-
| <tt>*_mac.xr[0123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Input macros for demos in [[MAC Format (Jill of the Jungle)]]
|-
| <tt>graphics.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Shapes (images) in [[SHA Format]]
|-
| <tt>audio.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Digitised sound and PC speaker effects in [[VCL Format]]
|-
| <tt>save_[0-9].xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Saved games - just dumps of the entire level in its current state (same format as [[Jill of the Jungle Map Format|actual levels]])
|-
| <tt>screen_[12].xr0</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Images used for episode selection menu, in [[PCX Format]]
|-
| <tt>screen_3.xr0</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | [[B800 Text]] screen shown after quitting the episode selection menu
|}

A palette is also located at offset 0x26b32 in each episode's .exe file (i.e. <tt>xrfile0[123].exe</tt>.) The offset is the same for each episode, and there is only one known version of each file. The palette is 768 bytes long in [[VGA Palette|6-bit VGA format]]. This palette however, does not appear to be used, and is likely a leftover from [[Jill of the Jungle]]. The game's main palette is stored in [[SHA Format|graphics.xr[123]]] as tile #0 in tileset #5. (There is also another palette in tileset #53, tile #0, but its purpose is currently unknown.)

== Notes ==

* The text image shown during init (when detecting and configuring hardware) is stored inside the .exe in "TheDraw Crunched Screen Image" format. At first glance this appears to be a relatively simple RLE-based format. It appears to be the only type of compression used throughout the entire game, so reverse engineering it is perhaps not so important. (The decompression code was not included in the source release.)

== Further information ==

Allen Pilgrim released Xargon as freeware on 4 August 2008, and included the source code in the release. It can be downloaded from the [http://www.classicdosgames.com/genre/platform.html#Xargon Classic DOS Games] archive.

Allen Pilgrim released a version of Xargon that contains the original built-in level editor used to make the game's levels on April 1, 2024. The release includes detailed instructions for using the level editor as well as two new levels. It can be downloaded from the [https://www.classicdosgames.com/game/Xargon.html#Xargon Classic DOS Games] archive. This release also restores the ability to record a [https://moddingwiki.shikadi.net/wiki/Xargon/Cheats demo macro].

K1n9_Duk3 released [https://k1n9duk3.shikadi.net/xmod.html xMod] in August 2024, a modern GUI-based tool for Windows that simplifies the process of editing many aspects of Xargon, including levels, game text, and sound effects. Some users may find this tool easier to use for editing the game's content than the original built-in level editor. A similar tool, [https://k1n9duk3.shikadi.net/jmod.html jMod], exists for editing Jill of the Jungle.

The code is [http://www.classicdosgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?uid=1049&f=3&t=971 currently being ported to SDL] so it will run natively on modern platforms (latest code is at https://github.com/Malvineous/xargon)

== See also ==

* [[Jill of the Jungle]] - the forerunner to Xargon (which shares many similarities and file formats)

[[Category:Epic Megagames]]
[[Category:Sidescroller]]

Using the official Jill of the Jungle level editor

2025-02-19T22:21:22Z

Dark:

[[Jill of the Jungle]] has an undocumented built in level editor which can be used to create custom levels.

A highly similar built in level editor also exists in [[Xargon]] (The key sequence to enter the editor was removed from the original retail release of [[Xargon]], although the code is still there, and [https://www.classicdosgames.com/game/Xargon.html a new version of that game] released in April 2024 restored the level editor functionality in Episode 1. For more information about the similar Xargon level editor, see this [https://www.classicdosgames.com/tutorials/xargon_level_editor.html link])

This tutorial will briefly explain how to use the editor.

== Activating the editor ==

The activation sequence is quite simple - press Ctrl+E on the main menu.

== Using the editor ==

The following keys are used while working in the editor:

{|class="wikitable"
! Key !! Purpose
|-
| Arrow keys || Move the cursor around (hold shift to move half a screen at a time)
|-
| Space || Place the selected tile at the current cursor location
|-
| K || Select the tile under the cursor
|-
| Tab || Continuous draw mode (as if Space was held while the cursor moves around)
|-
| Enter || Load a tile by name (prompts for name; names are stored in <tt>jill.dma</tt>, e.g. "PLATREDL")
|-
| O || Object edit mode (see below)
|-
| L || Load a map by filename (prompts for a name, e.g. "map.jn1")
|-
| S || Save the map to a new file (prompts for filename)
|-
| H || Horizontal flood fill (all tiles on the current row matching the one under the cursor are set to the selected tile)
|-
| Y || Disalign Y (place newly inserted objects this many pixels below each grid boundary)
|-
| U || Update object sizes (probably good to do this before saving)
|-
| V || Something to do with the inventory (adding the 'hero' to it?)
|-
| Z || Clear map
|-
| N || New board (seems to do the same as 'clear map')
|-
| I || Add an entry to the high scores with 100 points (why??)
|-
| C || [Xargon only] Set colour (enter a number 0-10 inclusive)
|-
| F4 || [Xargon only?] Cycle colours (palette animation?)
|}

A notable difference between the Jill editor and the Xargon editor is that the Xargon editor allows for copying blocks of tiles by pressing F1 at the top-left corner then F2 at the bottom right corner of the block or group of blocks that are to be copied. F3 then pastes the copied block(s) at the current cursor position. Allen Pilgrim, the programmer for Xargon has confirmed that this functionality was added during the development of Xargon to make the editor easier and more efficient to use.

=== Object edit mode ===

Pressing O to brings up the object management menu. The currently selected object is the one under the cursor when the O key is pressed (be sure to have the cursor exactly over the object, taking into account any X/Y disalignment.) A menu will be displayed. Press a key to choose:

* A - add an object. Type the name (e.g. "gem", see list below) and if the other values are left at zero the object will be inserted at the current cursor position.
* D - delete the object under the cursor (type is set to 'killme')
* K - select object under cursor.
* P - paste a copy of the selected object here.
* O - move previously selected object (with 'K') to the current cursor position.
* M - modify object under cursor. Similar to A for add.

==== Object names ====

These object names were taken from the Jill of the Jungle episode 1 .exe file. These are the names used when adding or modifying objects. Note that not all objects are valid.

<table cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">
PLAYER 
APPLE 
KNIFE 
KILLME 
BIGANT 
MACROTRIG 
DEMON 
BUNNY 
INCHWORM 
ZAPPER 
</td><td style="vertical-align: top;">
BOBSLUG 
CHECKPT 
PAUL 
WISEMAN 
FATSO 
FIREBALL 
CLOUD 
TEXT6 
TEXT8 
FROG 
</td><td style="vertical-align: top;">
TINY 
DOOR 
FALLDOOR 
BRIDGER 
SCORE 
TOKEN 
PHOENIX 
FIRE 
SWITCH 
TXTMSG 
</td><td style="vertical-align: top;">
BOULDER 
EXPL1 
EXPL2 
STALAG 
SNAKE 
SEAROCK 
BOLL 
MEGA 
KNIGHT 
BEENEST 
</td><td style="vertical-align: top;">
BEESWARM 
CRAB 
CROC 
EPIC 
SPINBLAD 
SKULL 
BUTTON 
JILLFISH 
JILLSPIDER 
JILLBIRD 
</td><td style="vertical-align: top;">
JILLFROG 
BUBBLE 
JELLYFISH 
BADFISH 
ELEV 
FIREBULLET 
FISHBULLET 
VINECLIMB 
FLAG 
MAPDEMO 
ROMAN 
</td>
</tr>
</table>

== Notes ==

* To insert powerups, add an object of type TOKEN. Set the "CNT" number to different values to get different powerups.

== Credits ==

The level editor was discovered by [[User:Malvineous|Malvineous]]. It was first announced on the [http://www.classicdosgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=1050 RGB Classic Games forum].

[[Category:Tutorials]]
[[Category:Jill of the Jungle]]

Xargon

2025-02-19T22:19:11Z

Dark: /* Tools */

{{Game Infobox
| Levels = Edit
| Tiles = No
| Sprites = No
| Fullscreen = No
| Sound = Edit
| Music = Edit
| Text = Edit
| Story = Edit
| Interface = No
}}

'''Xargon''' is a game that has several code and game play similarities to [[Jill of the Jungle]], with support for CGA and EGA removed, and a few minor additions such as palette animation. The two games share many other features, such as the file formats for game levels and graphics.

Allen Pilgrim the programmer for Xargon mentions the following regarding the similarities:

"Note: I did not use the "Jill of the Jungle" engine to create Xargon. Tim helped me learn C programming when I wrote Kiloblaster and was a great help when working on Xargon. He provided support routines like sound and graphics. I wrote my own code. When I wrote Xargon, I did copy and paste some routines because I was using the same support code. I wrote the bulk of the code for Kiloblaster and Xargon. I did all of the Game Design for both games. -Allen Pilgrim

I, Allen Pilgrim, the Game Designer and Programmer for Xargon, released the "Xargon Level Editor" on April 1st, 2024, with substantial documentation. It can be downloaded from the [https://www.classicdosgames.com/game/Xargon.html#Xargon RGB Classic Games] archive."

Xargon is now open source, and the released code has also been useful in reverse engineering Jill of the Jungle.

== Tools ==

{{BeginFileFormatTools|Type=game}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [[Camoto]]
| Platform = Linux/Windows
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = Read
| mus = Edit
| sfx = No
| txt = No
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [http://github.com/Malvineous/xargon Xargon open source]
| Platform = SDL (Linux/Mac/Win)
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = No
| mus = No
| sfx = No
| txt = No
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [http://www.zerker.ca/zzone/category/maps/xargon/ Xargon Mapper and Resource Extractor]
| Platform = Python
| grp = N/A
| map = View
| gfx = View
| mus = No
| sfx = No
| txt = No
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [https://k1n9duk3.shikadi.net/xmod.html xMod]
| Platform = Windows
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = View
| mus = No
| sfx = Edit
| txt = Edit
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [https://moddingwiki.shikadi.net/wiki/Using_the_official_Jill_of_the_Jungle_level_editor Built-in editor] (April 2024 version only)
| Platform = DOS
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = No
| mus = No
| sfx = No
| txt = Edit
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{EndFileFormatTools}}

 

== File formats ==

This section lists the major file formats used in the game. The file extensions <tt>.xr[0123]</tt> refer to a specific episode - this will be <tt>.xr1</tt> to <tt>.xr3</tt>, and <tt>.xr0</tt> for a "global" file that is used by all episodes.

{|class="wikitable"
! File name !! Description
|-
| <tt>config.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Configuration file in [[CFG Format (Jill of the Jungle)]]
|-
| <tt>song_*.xr[0123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Music in [[CMF Format]]
|-
| <tt>tiles.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Tile information in [[DMA Format]]
|-
| <tt>board_*.xr[123] map.xr[123] demo?.xr[123] intro.xr[123] story.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Game levels in [[Jill of the Jungle Map Format]]. map.* are the overhead maps, demo* are the demo levels, intro.* are the main menu backgrounds and story.* are the backgrounds behind the in-game story screens. The overhead map is saved into <tt>board_t.xr[123]</tt> when entering a level, so that it can be restored when the level is complete (so this file is regularly overwritten by the game.)
|-
| <tt>*_mac.xr[0123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Input macros for demos in [[MAC Format (Jill of the Jungle)]]
|-
| <tt>graphics.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Shapes (images) in [[SHA Format]]
|-
| <tt>audio.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Digitised sound and PC speaker effects in [[VCL Format]]
|-
| <tt>save_[0-9].xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Saved games - just dumps of the entire level in its current state (same format as [[Jill of the Jungle Map Format|actual levels]])
|-
| <tt>screen_[12].xr0</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Images used for episode selection menu, in [[PCX Format]]
|-
| <tt>screen_3.xr0</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | [[B800 Text]] screen shown after quitting the episode selection menu
|}

A palette is also located at offset 0x26b32 in each episode's .exe file (i.e. <tt>xrfile0[123].exe</tt>.) The offset is the same for each episode, and there is only one known version of each file. The palette is 768 bytes long in [[VGA Palette|6-bit VGA format]]. This palette however, does not appear to be used, and is likely a leftover from [[Jill of the Jungle]]. The game's main palette is stored in [[SHA Format|graphics.xr[123]]] as tile #0 in tileset #5. (There is also another palette in tileset #53, tile #0, but its purpose is currently unknown.)

== Notes ==

* The text image shown during init (when detecting and configuring hardware) is stored inside the .exe in "TheDraw Crunched Screen Image" format. At first glance this appears to be a relatively simple RLE-based format. It appears to be the only type of compression used throughout the entire game, so reverse engineering it is perhaps not so important. (The decompression code was not included in the source release.)

== Further information ==

Allen Pilgrim released Xargon as freeware on 4 August 2008, and included the source code in the release. It can be downloaded from the [http://www.classicdosgames.com/genre/platform.html#Xargon Classic DOS Games] archive.

Allen Pilgrim released a version of Xargon that contains the original built-in level editor used to make the game's levels on April 1, 2024. The release includes detailed instructions for using the level editor as well as two new levels. It can be downloaded from the [https://www.classicdosgames.com/game/Xargon.html#Xargon Classic DOS Games] archive. This release also restores the ability to record a [https://moddingwiki.shikadi.net/wiki/Xargon/Cheats demo macro].

K1n9_Duk3 released [https://archive.org/details/xmod_1000/ xMod] in August 2024, a modern GUI-based tool for Windows that simplifies the process of editing many aspects of Xargon, including levels, game text, and sound effects. Some users may find this tool easier to use for editing the game's content than the original built-in level editor. A similar tool, [https://k1n9duk3.shikadi.net/jmod.html jMod], exists for editing Jill of the Jungle.

The code is [http://www.classicdosgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?uid=1049&f=3&t=971 currently being ported to SDL] so it will run natively on modern platforms (latest code is at https://github.com/Malvineous/xargon)

== See also ==

* [[Jill of the Jungle]] - the forerunner to Xargon (which shares many similarities and file formats)

[[Category:Epic Megagames]]
[[Category:Sidescroller]]

2025-02-19T17:27:25Z

Dark: /* Tools */

{{Game Infobox
| Levels = Edit
| Tiles = No
| Sprites = No
| Fullscreen = No
| Sound = No
| Music = Edit
| Text = No
| Story = Edit
| Interface = No
}}

'''Xargon''' is based on the [[Jill of the Jungle]] engine, with support for CGA and EGA removed, and a few minor additions such as palette animation. The two games share many features, such as the file formats for game levels and graphics. Note: I did not use the "Jill of the Jungle" engine to create Xargon. Tim helped me learn C programming when I wrote Kiloblaster and was a great help when working on Xargon. He provided support routines like sound and graphics. I wrote my own code. When I wrote Xargon, I did copy and paste some routines because I was using the same support code. I wrote the bulk of the code for Kiloblaster and Xargon. I did all of the Game Design for both games. -Allen Pilgrim

I, Allen Pilgrim, the Game Designer and Programmer for Xargon, released the "Xargon Level Editor" on April 1st, 2024, with substantial documentation. It can be downloaded from the [https://www.classicdosgames.com/game/Xargon.html#Xargon RGB Classic Games] archive.

Xargon is now open source, and the released code has also been useful in reverse engineering Jill of the Jungle.

== Tools ==

{{BeginFileFormatTools|Type=game}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [[Camoto]]
| Platform = Linux/Windows
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = Read
| mus = Edit
| sfx = No
| txt = No
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [http://github.com/Malvineous/xargon Xargon open source]
| Platform = SDL (Linux/Mac/Win)
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = No
| mus = No
| sfx = No
| txt = No
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [http://www.zerker.ca/zzone/category/maps/xargon/ Xargon Mapper and Resource Extractor]
| Platform = Python
| grp = N/A
| map = View
| gfx = View
| mus = No
| sfx = No
| txt = No
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{FileFormatTool
| Name = [https://archive.org/details/xmod_1000/ xMod]
| Platform = Windows
| grp = N/A
| map = Edit
| gfx = View
| mus = No
| sfx = Yes
| txt = Yes
| sav = No
| exe = No
}}
{{EndFileFormatTools}}

 

== File formats ==

This section lists the major file formats used in the game. The file extensions <tt>.xr[0123]</tt> refer to a specific episode - this will be <tt>.xr1</tt> to <tt>.xr3</tt>, and <tt>.xr0</tt> for a "global" file that is used by all episodes.

{|class="wikitable"
! File name !! Description
|-
| <tt>config.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Configuration file in [[CFG Format (Jill of the Jungle)]]
|-
| <tt>song_*.xr[0123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Music in [[CMF Format]]
|-
| <tt>tiles.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Tile information in [[DMA Format]]
|-
| <tt>board_*.xr[123] map.xr[123] demo?.xr[123] intro.xr[123] story.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Game levels in [[Jill of the Jungle Map Format]]. map.* are the overhead maps, demo* are the demo levels, intro.* are the main menu backgrounds and story.* are the backgrounds behind the in-game story screens. The overhead map is saved into <tt>board_t.xr[123]</tt> when entering a level, so that it can be restored when the level is complete (so this file is regularly overwritten by the game.)
|-
| <tt>*_mac.xr[0123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Input macros for demos in [[MAC Format (Jill of the Jungle)]]
|-
| <tt>graphics.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Shapes (images) in [[SHA Format]]
|-
| <tt>audio.xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Digitised sound and PC speaker effects in [[VCL Format]]
|-
| <tt>save_[0-9].xr[123]</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Saved games - just dumps of the entire level in its current state (same format as [[Jill of the Jungle Map Format|actual levels]])
|-
| <tt>screen_[12].xr0</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | Images used for episode selection menu, in [[PCX Format]]
|-
| <tt>screen_3.xr0</tt>
| style="background: #CCFFCC;" | [[B800 Text]] screen shown after quitting the episode selection menu
|}

A palette is also located at offset 0x26b32 in each episode's .exe file (i.e. <tt>xrfile0[123].exe</tt>.) The offset is the same for each episode, and there is only one known version of each file. The palette is 768 bytes long in [[VGA Palette|6-bit VGA format]]. This palette however, does not appear to be used, and is likely a leftover from [[Jill of the Jungle]]. The game's main palette is stored in [[SHA Format|graphics.xr[123]]] as tile #0 in tileset #5. (There is also another palette in tileset #53, tile #0, but its purpose is currently unknown.)

== Notes ==

* The text image shown during init (when detecting and configuring hardware) is stored inside the .exe in "TheDraw Crunched Screen Image" format. At first glance this appears to be a relatively simple RLE-based format. It appears to be the only type of compression used throughout the entire game, so reverse engineering it is perhaps not so important. (The decompression code was not included in the source release.)

== Further information ==

Allen Pilgrim released Xargon as freeware on 4 August 2008, and included the source code in the release. It can be downloaded from the [http://www.classicdosgames.com/genre/platform.html#Xargon Classic DOS Games] archive.
Allen Pilgrim released the Xargon Level Editor with Documentation and a new level on 1 April 2024. It can be downloaded from the [https://www.classicdosgames.com/game/Xargon.html#Xargon Classic DOS Games] archive.
The code is [http://www.classicdosgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?uid=1049&f=3&t=971 currently being ported to SDL] so it will run natively on modern platforms (latest code is at https://github.com/Malvineous/xargon)

== See also ==

* [[Jill of the Jungle]] - the forerunner to Xargon (which shares many similarities and file formats)

[[Category:Epic Megagames]]
[[Category:Sidescroller]]