Chill Manor - Development Spreadsheet

Located on the root directory of Chill Manor's disc is a file called STRETCH.DIF that dates to February 22nd, 1996. Its contents indicate that it was a logging file generated when an earlier version of the game's executable (CHILL.EXE, dated July 17th, 1996) was being built, but was never deleted for whatever reason. STRETCH.DIF contains the paths of various files from the source code as well as almost every coding function involved in creating the game's executable.

The file's contents are way too long to post in its entirety here, even if it was reduced to only its functions like what I did with TFoE and TWoG. So, I've decided to split the most interesting aspects of the spreadsheet into three sections:

Spreadsheet Layout -- Source Code Layout Reconstruction -- Other Discoveries

Spreadsheet Layout

STRETCH.DIF contains five columns in total, each covering a different aspect of the compiling process. Using some guesswork, I've tried to decipher what the purpose of each column is:

A: Image. The path of the file that is being built. In every single row, this column reads C:\CHILL\BIN\chill.exe.
B: Module. The name of the source code module associated with the current row.
C: File. The path of the module named in column B. Some rows read ***Unknown_File instead, and this can include entire modules. Typically, though, the more important files have proper paths at the end of their function groups.
D: Routine. The name of the function being called/referenced/used/whatever the proper terminology is.
E: Count. A decimal value that counts... something. Function repeats, maybe? It's almost always zero, but has a few outliers that range from 1 to 379.

The name of the worksheet itself is "WProf". This is the command used for the Execution Profiler that comes with Watcom C/C++.

Source Code Layout Reconstruction

Using the abundance of file paths in STRETCH.DIF, the layout of Chill Manor's source code can be reconstructed to an extent. This does NOT mean that every file is listed here, or that it reflects what the source code looked like when the final executable was built. The layout is as so:

C:\CHILL\SRC\

eng\

a_anim.cpp
a_chrque.c
a_coord.cpp
a_crdort.cpp
a_decl1.cpp
a_main.cpp
a_map.cpp
a_moucsr.cpp
a_mouse.cpp
a_optio.cpp
a_ortex.cpp
a_pcx.cpp
a_save.cpp
a_tools.cpp
a_vb_hrd.cpp
a_vgetc.cpp
a_vio.cpp
a_vr.cpp
a_wc_vio.asm
a_weapon.cpp
blitbuf.asm
blitscr.asm
d_anim.h
d_anim.hpp
d_extdefs.h
d_init.h
d_list.hpp
mc_tools.hpp
s_interf.hpp

inc\

mc_aplay.hpp
mc_cmp.hpp
mc_image.hpp
mc_key.hpp

a_image.h
a_rs.h

MCLIBSCR\

mc_anim.cpp
mc_anim.hpp
mc_aplay.cpp
mc_cmp.cpp
mc_cmp.hpp
mc_file.cpp
mc_file.hpp
mc_font.cpp
mc_image.cpp
mc_image.hpp
mc_key.cpp
mc_key.hpp
mc_mouse.cpp
mc_mouse.hpp
mc_pal.cpp
mc_pal.hpp
mc_queue.hpp
mc_rgb.hpp
mc_strm.cpp
mc_vfram.cpp

part2\

a_h1.asm
d_2near.cpp
d_2near.hpp
d_actor.cpp
d_anim.cpp
d_flats.cpp
d_flats.hpp
d_grenad.cpp
d_grenade.hpp
d_height.cpp
d_height.hpp
d_init.cpp
d_joined.cpp
d_key.cpp
d_key.hpp
d_load.cpp
d_m2near.cpp
d_m2near.hpp
d_main.cpp
d_manim.hpp
d_mactor.cpp
d_mem.cpp
d_myfoun.cpp
d_object.cpp
d_object.hpp
d_objects.hpp
d_player.cpp
d_player.hpp
d_save.cpp
d_search.cpp
d_spells.cpp
d_test.cpp
d_test1.cpp
d_test1.hpp
d_wcanim.cpp
d_wcanim.hpp
draw_sky.asm
ds_mummy.cpp
ds_mummy.hpp
ds_nymho.cpp
ds_nymho.hpp
fastline.c
fill_scr.asm
m_c_cpp.cpp
m_timer.c
mc_cvars.c
mc_faces.cpp
mc_fc.cpp
mc_input.cpp
mc_optio.cpp
mc_sound.cpp
mc_start.cpp
mc_tools.cpp
profile.cpp
profile.hpp
put_win.asm
screen.asm
shakescr.asm
stretch.asm
vr_anim.cpp
vr_floor.cpp
vr_getnu.cpp
vr_input.cpp
vr_main.cpp
vr_pcx.cpp
vr_puz_s.cpp
vr_puz_w.cpp
vr_raytr.cpp
vr_rnd_2.cpp
vr_rnd_3.cpp
vr_rnd_4.cpp
vr_sprit.cpp
vr_view.cpp

SNDLIB\

a_res.cpp
s_base.cpp
s_base.hpp
s_driver.cpp
s_interf.cpp
s_midi.cpp
s_midi.hpp
s_middrv.cpp
s_middrv.hpp
s_reader.cpp
s_snddrv.cpp
s_snddrv.hpp
s_voice.cpp
s_voice.hpp

aila.asm
ailssa.asm
mc_spr.asm
mc_tfrm.asm

C:\MICHAEL\AIL\

ailxmidi.c

C:\WC\H\

iomanip.h
iostream.h

Now you can pretend to be a programmer working for Capitol Multimedia! A couple of relevant notes:

The data in STRETCH.DIF confirms that Chill Manor (as well as I. M. Meen by proxy) were coded using a mixture of Watcom C/C++ and ASM. This tracks, given that Pyramid Adventures has leftover text suggesting that it was (at least partially) programmed using C.
The placement of a couple of functions (Rows 3388/7936 in the following section) suggest that the eng/ folder consists of code originating from I. M. Meen, and that part2/ consists of Chill Manor's new code.
The "Michael" namedropped in one of the folders is most likely Mikhail Tchekmarev, one of the game's software engineers.

Other Discoveries

Rows 701 and 702 refer to functions named load_CDI_palette and save_CDI_palette. These appear to be the only (confirmed) pieces of code that survived Animation Magic's CD-i development days, and it appears that they were superseded by load_MS_palette and save_MS_palette.

Rows 3388 and 7936 concerns functions named PlayGnorrisAnimation and Reset_Explode_O_Fruit, respectively, and are exclusive to files residing in the eng/ folder. However, I can't think of a single instance where Chill Manor plays a cutscene in the middle of playing a level like what Gnorris does, apart from the game over cutscene. Maybe this feature was scrapped?

Rows 8071 and 8072 mention functions called SaveIgor and RestoreIgor. Rather strange naming choices for save-related functions, don't you think?

There are a few oddly-worded functions related to weapons; these include Bullet, ShortGun, Grenade, Dagger, and Spell_Azatoth. These appear to correspond with the various weapon types used within the Action Learning titles, but they feel like something meant for a more "mature" game, especially that Lovecraft deity reference. Incidentally, the TEST.SCN file believed to be involved with John Dark: Psychic Eye lists a character named "derlet". This appears to be short for "Derleth"... August Derleth was Lovecraft's literary executor and a contributor to the Cthulhu Mythos. Could it be...?

On a related note, there are a couple of functions near the end of the list that reference enemies named Nymhotek and Shredax. These could belong to either Chill Manor or John Dark: Psychic Eye, to be honest...

Return to top

Last updated: December 8th, 2024.