DAT File Information
 
These file's regulate many things such as start options ( different nations, army of peasants, location of towers, cannons, troops, etc...)
NRES.DAT
 
Particulary interesting file. It controls many things:
  • Resources and their reference name
  • Different types of weapons
  • Unitkinds
  • Media
  • Units/Farm ( how much population a house can provide for)
  • Res/Unit ( how much resource's units consume)
  • Icon positions
  • Sounds
 
RES.DAT
 
Another interesting file if you want to change the resource start options.
 
It lists the mineral options ( lean- medium-rich) and how much of each mine it will generate on the maps ( gold-iron-coal)
Eg.
3 1
RA_Lean   3 2 2
RA_Medium 4 3 3
RA_Rich  6 5 5
The first number is how many options, the 1 is a constant. Then we see the entry ( RA_Lean) and how much mine's ( 3 gold, 2 iron, 2 coal)
 
It also list how much start resource's players will receive.
Eg.
4 0
RA_Normal   6 1000    1000    1000    1000    1000    1000
RA_Rich 6 4000    4000    4000    4000    4000    4000
RA_Thousands  6 5000 5000 5000 5000 5000 5000
RA_Millions 6 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000
Again the first number the amount of options, the 0 a constant. Then we see the entry (RA_Normal), the amount of resource type's (6) and the actual amount ( wood-food-stone-gold-iron-coal)
 
Further it define's which start terrain pieces and .msp package are to be used on generation. So a random map is not so random after all. Players who played a lot of game's will already have noticed that certain map parts frequently return. This is why.
 
 
AI.DAT
 
Defines the nations for the AI and which peasants (.md NAME) they use.
eg.
20 20
BAVARIA    Bavaria       Kreposnoi_pruss(BA) 9 1 1 - -
DENMARK    Denmark       Kreposnoi_pruss(DA) 9 1 1 - -
 
 Again the 20 refers to how many line's the engine will look for. Then the NAME of the nations, name to appear in the drop down list and which peasants to be used. I presume the numbers are constants.
 
 
Other .dat files:
 
  • Terrain+cost.dat:  numbers refer to resources or start options in txt?
  • Terrain +Terrlist.dat : refers to .Terr files. 1: normal? 2:big? 3/huge? X, X2, X4
  • Terrain+Hills.dat: has layers, texamount, etc…
  • AI_Parameter.dat : has some numbers, no idea what they refer to
  • AI+DF.dat: has numbers 3000 2048 512 256
  • DATA+CRC1.DAT : looks like bad decrypted; has text ZZur? Re-extract using scheme one?     ( LlCD) ?
  • DATA+KEYBOARD: obviously, controls the shortkeys ( quick-keys)
  • DATA+Softarea.dat: use scheme one? Lots of 6 ‘es?
  • DATA+TERRHI : more funky numbers ( algorithms?)
  • DATA+TERRMAP: what do the letters refer to? S , Y? wood, plain, mines?hills?sea?disable automatic loopback and it looks like a map and yet no
  • DATA+TexSET? Numbers which define the text size?
  • DATA+unitsList.dat: list of units ( is this the same as in main directory? Why is it redefined here? As a check ?)
  • DATA+UPGList= upgrade list for all nations, extensive entry
  • Internet+alternative.dat: for game results? 
  • TMPREC.DAT: cant open(cant read) refers to autosave RNO’s?
  • UNICODE.dat: refers to interface data Isymb & signs01
  • UnitsList.dat :( looks similar to data+UnitsList.Dat but its smaller file, only nations +originals, merchantry? And newboats ( for 1.35)
  • UPGList, cant decrypt : Zzur or Llcd
  • Wave: some kind of algorithm