MSG File Format

MSG files are files with indexed (numbered) text, containing in-game messages and characters' lines, and are located in the text\english\game\ and text\english\dialog folders, respectively.

The main provisions:

* Each indexed text line has the format: "{}{}{}". * The first set of curly braces "{}" indicate the line index (number) in decimal format. * The second set of braces can (optionally) indicate the name of an ACM-file sound. * The third set of braces contain the text. * The length of the lines between the braces cannot exceed 1024 characters. * Linebreaks inside the braces are allowed. But a trailing portion of the string should contain at least one non-space character before the last brace. Otherwise game will crash. * At the end of the file there is a blank line (with no characters in it). * The game only looks for text within braces, which allows leaving comments in between the indexed lines. Comments are usually preceded by a "#".

Sound files are only used in dialog with 'talking heads'.

Example: {100}{}{Before you stands Hakunin, the village shaman. He appraises you with his crazy eyes from somewhere in the world only he inhabits.} {101}{}{You see Hakunin lying on the ground. He's badly wounded.} {102}{}{You see Hakunin. He's very near death.} {103}{}{Hakunin is badly burned. He smells like roast chicken, looks like burnt meatloaf, and you don't know how he's managed to stay alive this long.} {104}{hak001}{Greetings, Chosen. Why does the earth before me warm to the touch of your passing?} {105}{}{Uh?}
 * 1) Commentary: the following line of text plays a sound (the sound file is hak001.acm)

Original document at teamx.ru (in russian)