An open source clone of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 built by decompiling the original game one bit at a time.
- Screenshot 1, cheat windows
- Screenshot 2, large land tool area (up to 64 squares at once)
- Screenshot 3, high resolution
- Screenshot 4, resizable window
- 1 - Introduction
- 1.1 - Background
- 1.2 - Decompiling the game
- 1.3 - Progress
- 1.4 - Aim
- 2 - Downloading the game / Building the source code
- 2.1 - Prerequisites
- 2.2 - Compiling and running
- 3 - Contributing
- 4 - Licence
OpenRCT2 is an attempt to decompile RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 into C. RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 was originally written in MASM and Visual C++ where functions related to interfacing with the operating system were written in C (supposedly 1%), with the rest of the game being written in pure x86 assembly. For an example of this method, OpenTTD was formed through a similar procedure; the original game, Transport Tycoon Deluxe, was decompiled into C which allowed for the addition of thousands of features to the game. RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 uses the third version of Chris Sawyer's engine, which shares some code with Transport Tycoon. This is reflected in the usage of OpenTTD 0.1 code such as the windowing system and graphics rendering. While the version of the engine used in Chris Sawyer's Locomotion is newer, OpenRCT2 is currently targeting the RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 engine to ease the decompilation process.
In order to decompile the game gradually without introducing new bugs, each procedure in RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 is to be re-written in C on an individual basis. To test the accuracy of the re-written procedures, the decompiled C procedures are compiled into a DLL (openrct2.dll) which exports an entry procedure mimicking the WinMain function in RollerCoaster Tycoon 2. The original executable rct2.exe has been patched so that openrct2.dll and WinMain are in the DLL import table and the WinMain export procedure in openrct2.dll is called at the start of the WinMain procedure in rct2.exe before returning. With this system implemented, starting rct2.exe calls the new DLL as part of its initialization; the DLL can then run all the decompiled code whilst still being able to read / write to the rct2.exe memory model and run rct2.exe procedures.
The project therefore acts as a patch to RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, allowing each procedure to be gradually implemented while simultaneously adding new features where possible. Until all procedures of the original game are re-written in C, the project must remain a DLL which is called from the patched rct2.exe.
Currently, the windowing system, graphics rendering and basic game loop are being decompiled. Decompiling all of the game's procedures is a convenient way of identifying the game's memory structure. SDL2 has been used as a replacement for the operating system calls, allowing for cross-platform support after the dependency on the original game's executable has been removed.
As of 16th August 2014, various UI improvements have already been made, settings are now stored in a local INI file. More drawing functions have now been decompiled but still remain cryptic C, much of the game management have been decompiled (e.g. peep generation, awards, cash out) and almost half of the windows. A rough estimate based on number of functions in the original game and number of functions now in C tells us that the project is approximately 25% complete of its target goal of having the game run on 100% C code. More information can be found in changes to original game and window progress.
The aim is to completely decompile RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 into C so that cross-platform support, new features, and new gameplay can be added in a similar fashion to OpenTTD. With the addition of SDL2, the game can already be run in a resizeable window (which was not possible originally). Once the game has been fully decompiled, additional gameplay features, gameplay tweaks, and improvements can be introduced. The following is only a brief, non-exhaustive list of the possibilities - there is much more possible:
- Improved peep path-finding
- Increased window / ride / object / map / construction limits
- More sandbox-friendly gameplay
- Editing available objects
- Improved title sequence
- Re-introduction of RollerCoaster Tycoon 1 mechanics
- Shuttle Loop compatibility
- Have Fun! objective
- Finish building five coasters objective
- Using the mountain tool during the game
A third-party offers downloadable precompiled builds. However, building the project is always recommended.
- Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8
- RollerCoaster Tycoon 2
- Visual Studio 2013 (paid) / Visual Studio Express 2013 (free)
- SDL2 development library for Visual C++.
- Homebrew
- RollerCoaster Tycoon 2
- Check out the repository. This can be done using GitHub Windows or other tools.
- Download the SDL2 development library for Visual C++ and copy it to a new directory called "sdl" in the repository. This directory should contain "include". The path should resemble
\OpenRCT2\lib\sdl\include\. - Open the solution in the projects directory (openrct2.sln) with Visual Studio.
- Select the 'Release' configuration and click Build -> Rebuild Solution. The dropdown menu to enable the 'release' configuration is towards the top of the VS Express window, near the "TEST" menu.
- Start debugging. Press the "Local Windows Debugger" button with a green "play" icon next to it. If Visual Studio shows a warning about openrct2.exe not having debug information, press Continue.
- When OpenRCT2 is run for the first time, it creates a settings file in
My Documents/OpenRCT2. If it can't find the original installation of RCT2, you will need to editconfig.iniin that folder and change the value ofgame_pathto where RCT2 is installed. - If the game crashes, you may need to press the red, square Stop button along the top of VS Express to stop the program.
Providing Homebrew is installed, OpenRCT2's dependencies and Wine can be installed automatically through install.sh.
bash install.sh
bash build.sh
wine openrct2.exe
As the easiest approach depends on your distribution, please take a look at the wiki.
Experience with reverse engineering and x86 assembly is necessary to decompile the original game. IDA 5.0 is currently being used to disassemble and analyze the game. You are welcome to contribute to the process by taking an undecompiled procedure, disassembling it, and rewriting it in C. For more information and the latest IDA database, contact IntelOrca.
During the development phase, many variables and procedures are referenced by their memory address in OpenRCT2. This is a result of ongoing reverse engineering efforts; the functionality and use of these values has yet to be determined. To help with identification, there are multiple methods you can use. For variables:
- Modify the variable and see how the game is affected
- Reverse-engineer RCT2 and find where the variable is used or modified
For procedures:
- Remove the call to the procedure in OpenRCT2 and observe the effects
- Reverse-engineer RCT2 and find where the procedure is called
As the source code is formed from decompilation, it is unorganized and undocumented. Efforts towards cleaning up and documenting code are appreciated; for example, blocks of code can be moved into their own functions, and macros can be created for operations that occur frequently. However, be aware that the overall structure of the code should remain the same to ensure that OpenRCT2 is kept in sync with the original game to ease the integration of additional decompiled code.
In general, small changes that improve code quality and make it easier to reason about the logic are appreciated. More significant changes, such as changing the game's architecture, are to be avoided during the ongoing decompilation of the original game.
While decompilation is an ongoing process, this does not prohibit changes being made to the game. New features or bugfixes can be added, with caution, if the underlying code has been decompiled. When implementing these changes, ensure that comments are added to clearly identify where code has been intentionally changed so that it functions differently to the original game; this is essential to ensuring all research from reverse-engineering can still be applied.
OpenRCT2 is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3.