Cannot extract audio from Return of the Kind PC (.SCW)

[fudge]

Afternoon,

I am trying desperately to extract the audio from the Return of the King on PC. Game extractor can open the games .scw files but the files are a scrambled mess of .sono and .shoc files. Running MFAudio on the .scw files allows me to hear the grunts of the characters perfectly clear, but actual dialogue and music is so hideously compressed that you can only just about make it out.

If anybody has any advice on how I can go about getting the audio out of this game I would be very appreciative! As it stands a similar thread on VGR has yielded no real advice so you're my last hope!

I have included a link to one .scw file (for the Black gate) for reference - https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArXMmzOtC8DfiVHuuJD_hs4uMemb

Cheers,
Fudge

[fudge]

I'll name my first child after anybody who can assist me.

[fudge]

What about a nice picture of a goose? That sway anybody?

[fudge]

Maybe a hug will convince somebody?

[fudge]

A short poem depicting their heroic nature in helping me decode this?

There are also some .cbx files if those are easier for anyone.

[Pingu]

Just noticed this, if you're still around, can you re-upload the sample?

[fudge]

Just noticed this, if you're still around, can you re-upload the sample?

Hello! Thank you for attempting to help me with this thing. I have re-uploaded one of the scw files here - https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArXMmzOtC8Dfij3vSOq ... d?e=OrgCN3

I cannot seem to find anything on these weird files.

Cheers,
Fudge

[fudge]

Captain's log. Almost a year has passed. Still no contact from the people who can solve this audio problem. My assumption is my petty rewards are not significant enough. I am searching for a suitable gift..I have settled on either a ripe melon or a slightly wonky pebble.

[fudge]

Today I awoke from a crazed dream where somebody had solved this weird file problem. In my dazed weariness I was reminded of my futility of my quest.

Therefore I have upgraded the reward further to a rather nice compliment either from myself or from whomever I can pull in off the sreet.

[Imthefuture]

of .sono and .shoc files. Running MFAudio on the .scw files

Hi
.scw file most likely it is a structure in which large files are fragmented at 8 kb. But MFAdion reproduces some fragments quite well on the settings - frequency 22100, channel 1, RAW uncompressed. A few observations about scw - each block starts with a .PADD file in which information about fragments.

PS the entire scw file went through at a frequency of 22100 channel 1, offset 0 - at the very beginning after the hissing sounds appeared

Good luck

[DKDave]

I've been messing with this format for a while and I've almost cracked it. It's very covoluted the way the data is organised, but there is a method to the madness of it.

The sound effects are 16 bit PCM, which are the easiest to extract. The other sounds - music etc. - is a bit more tricky as that seems to be in a different format.

[fudge]

I've been messing with this format for a while and I've almost cracked it. It's very covoluted the way the data is organised, but there is a method to the madness of it.

The sound effects are 16 bit PCM, which are the easiest to extract. The other sounds - music etc. - is a bit more tricky as that seems to be in a different format.

Whoa people replied! I'mg going to have to start on getting these rewards under way.

In all seriousness this is unbelievable. I've asked everywhere to try and find somebody who could help us extract the audio from this game. Its for a mod we work on for the BFME series - https://www.moddb.com/mods/the-horse-lo ... n-for-bfme.

If either of you manage to actually crack this it would be incredible. We'll take anything, ideally though we'd love to get the dialogue out of the game?

Kind regards,
Fudge

[DKDave]

Here's what I've got so far.

Once the files are extracted from the .scw file, the file "initial_load" contains the audio info.

The "initial_load" file is based around chunks. The audio info is stored in the "ONOS" chunks. There are 2 types of blocks - header and data. There are also 2 types of data blocks - file table info and sample data.

You have to join together all of the file table blocks and all of the sample data blocks. This will give you a complete file table and an "internal" sample data block. This internal sample data is for sound effects and seems to be all standard 16-bit PCM. The "external" audio data, for cutscenes, etc. is stored at the end of the file after all of the various chunks. This audio seems to be EA ADPCM.

In the file table, there seem to be separate tables for internal and external audio, so it's just a case of working out the full format of these. The table for the "internal" sound effects is fairly straightforward, but the other is a bit trickier.

So at the moment I'm trying to work out the format to get the dialogue/cutscene audio. It's a bit tricky as the entries for these seem to be variable length. At least it's a start ...

[fudge]

Hi,


Well it certainly seems like a rather complicated process? I'm fully rooting for you though! It'd be the first time since the game came out in 2004 that anybody has solved it. The fact you've got some sound effects out is really impressive. I can't say I fully understand what all of that means, but I appreciate you taking the time to explain it.

You'll certainly be in my good books for a very long time!

Cheers,
Fudge

[DKDave]

Just thought you might like a progress update.

I've sorted out the format of most of the sound tables and can extract the data for the dialogue and cutscene audio. It's in some sort of 4-bit IMA format, not sure yet exactly which (possibly some EA ADPCM). Here's an example as standard IMA converted to a playable mp3, which you can hear isn't exactly right, but at least you can hear what it's meant to be!