#Sneak King

[martianmanmilker]

Beat Sneak King

[skyboxeye]

Capturing the ambience of Sneak King

This tasty title challenges players with stealthily handing out burgers across crowded rural, suburban, and urban environments.

(Not) Extracting Xbox sounds

The Sneak King ISO runs on both the original Xbox and the Xbox 360. This was achieved by including two sets of files on disc, each targeting a respective version: XBP archives and XEN archives respectively.

I didn't make any progress in extracting the contents of a XBP. EkszBox-ABX claims to recognize them as WMA containers as of v1.6, but ultimately extraction and playback didn't work in v2.10-Beta. I will say that while this program is powerful, I have found it a bit buggy/unintuitive in the past. It's also unclear the XBP format I read about is applied here, or if it's just a coincidental use of the same file extension.

I moved on from EkszBox-ABX, and tried unpackers and Winamp plugins on aluigi's site. Finally I tried DragonUnpacker and Game Extractor to no avail. I also tried the XEN QuickBMS script (see below), suspecting that the archive formats might be identical. but it failed.

I suspected that the XBP archives I was interested in were used to contain either WMA or Xbox ADPCM sound assets. I tried simply renaming to WMA; standard media programs still couldn't play them afterwards. I couldn't importing the WMA into Audacity as the format isn't supported there. Finally, I tried using vgmstream to interpret the file with the XBOX codec, but couldn't get usable output.

There is supposedly a home media center project for the original Xbox which may or may not support these files called XBMC4Xbox. This Wiki page has a bunch of info but I personally only found dead-ends.

Extracting Xbox 360 sounds

It's tempting to look further into the XBPs, since they boast bigger file sizes than the corresponding XENs in some cases. However I was reaching the limits of my skills. And besides, I've found little correlation b/t original Xbox audio file sizes and quality in the past - for example, with Riddick Butcher Bay.

We can use a QuickBMS script to extract King's ambient XEN archives and get the WAV(s) inside. This script was posted on the now-defunct XeNTaX forum, now accessible through the Wayback Machine.

This WAV file is in WMA1 or WMA2 format, decodable with vgmstream:

codec = WMA1 interleave = 0x0 channels = 2 sample_rate = 44100 start_offset = 0x00 num_samples = data_size

If you're interested in the sound effects found in each level's XEN archive, use this:

codec = XMA1 interleave = 0x0 channels = 1 sample_rate = 44100 start_offset = 0x00 num_samples = data_size

Some of these sound effects are seemingly ambient sounds, like birds and dogs in the Cul-de-Sac or distant chainsaws on Saw Mill. That said, I've never actually heard them play in-game.

Capturing footage

The Xbox 360 version offers the best visuals and should be used for capturing footage.

(Not) Hiding the HUD

We can try to hide the HUD (read on) or simply crop it out of our captures.

It should be possible to extract the XEN archives relevant to the HUD, modify or remove any relevant textures, and then repackage the archive using the BMS script above. However I couldn't get this working, due to the implementation details of the script - the QuickBMS error message suggests its something about MEMORY_FILE.

Regardless, I couldn't determine what format the textures are in. I was able to get signal using raw pixel viewers that suggests they are probably mipmapped. They are likely in some 360-specific texture format that requires its own toolchain (i.e. not Photoshop) to edit. Unlike some emulators, Xenia doesn't offer its own texture modding capabilities.

There are apparently developer commands in the Burger King games to hide the HUD, but these are disabled in retail.

Hiding the King

To avoid capturing the player-character you can hide the King somewhere that borders an obstacle or the level's edge, and then swing the camera such that the King isn't rendered. First-person mode unfortunately adds its own UI overlay so we don't want to use that (unless we can figure out replacing textures - see above).

Loading screens

In addition to each area's background tracks, there are short (~5 second) ambient loops that play over loading screens for Saw Mill (logging_am_loop_01) and Cul-de-Sac (suburb_am_loop_01). Loading assets seemingly exist for the other levels (const_amb_loop_01 and urban_am_loop_01) but I never heard them in-game.

Notes and curiosities

The game has four named ambient tracks: sawmill, construction, urban, and suburban. Of these, only urban plays on the expected level (Downtown). Meanwhile construction plays on Saw Mill, sawmill plays on Cul-de-Sac, and suburban plays on Construction Site.

[devileaterjaek]

[meleemario720]

I made so many YouTube Poops using footage of it, but I never actually owned a copy of Sneak King until now.

[thatorigamiguy]

Dagoth Ur reviews the greatest stealth game of all time.

[theeldergamer]

This one is still in the bunker for being truly weird.

[norseblaze]

Drop it like it’s hot. 🥵🔥

[terribletv]

Was going through my research on Sneak King again and found this from the same time.

[idliketobeatree]

dead boy detectives + text posts part 1/?

+ bonus

[feyres-divorce-lawyer]

Avatar: The Last Airbender High Fashion by Wisdom Kaye

[emacrow]

Alfred's new ward making sure everyone is having great day during their day off from crime whether they want to or not.

Previous original post

Damian knew from day one of meeting alfred's new ward that he was going to be trouble..

He may have been stalking the kid doing alfred's work while alfred sat down in a comfy couch with a plate of fresh jasmine tea, his prescription medince bottle at ready and a raspberry strudel to nibble on.

He ain't going to replace his favorite Butler, not now, not ever. So Damian got Tim and Dick to help sabotage this heathen from taking over...Not knowing this kid was expecting their over the top sabotages. They tried scaring him with Titus but the little traitor lay there on his back getting belly rubs like it was heaven itself.

Changing the plumbing in his shower to freezing cold, but he walk out there refreshed. Tim trying to look of anything to blackmail him only for the batcomputer to go off the frizz with a virus.

Alfred did make sure to have his work sort out alphabetical because he is the Glue that keep these Wayne Manor going and everyone living in it not because caveman style creatures of the night.

Danny made sure Bruce didn't escape to his batcave on his supposed day off after 96 hours without sleep and spite driven nature, and don't even come with Justice never sleep excuses is going to run by him. He got Alfred's speical Bruce's tranquilizer gun at ready and he is not hesitating to shot you Bruce.

He does kept Tim from overdoing with the coffee addiction, giving him a better offer of coffee as long as he goes to sleep. Dick will still talk about Saturday night when Tim tries to sneak out to do some more investigating in the batcave only to see Danny dragged a unconscious Tim back to his room, a two tranquilizers to the back and one of his arm, though he didn't mention the Danny's glowing cat light green eyes that shine in the dark.

Danny's funny puns neon ghost stickers made dick's days, every morning as he goes to get his lunch, and he really want to know where he get them from.

Danny did actually helped a lot with the Wayne Manor as it never been cleaner before, Jason visited one time even mentioned that the chandelier never feel so clean to hang on from, not a speck of dust on it.

Damian getting a new animals book/documentaries, a new knifes for the collection or art supplies that match his demands in a way that keep his stabby nature at sate and bay for now.

Barb, Cass and Duke are amused by the fact that Bruce, Tim and Damian are having a little mid crisis that danny making them have day off on certain days such as holidays.

All this free time actually had alfred's going back to old hobbies that were nearly long forgotten such as conversations with old dear friends, practicing his old shooting skills, and having well deserved rest. Once his arm was healed, he stil did his duty along side with Danny as it was much quicker to do together as two people at hand.

What they will probably find out later on in the future that danny is actually Bruce's great grand uncle from his older sister side, and that he had disappeared when he was 20 years old in a old spooky town that vanished and still on today uneXplained series after his great grandmother moved to gotham. (But that another story for next post)

[martianmanmilker]

Tonight’s special

[bluerosefox]

Beloved Beyond Time

A DeadSerious Prompt where a young Damian follows his mother's advice about finding his future 'Beloved' and is smitten with a TimeTraveling Ghost King (Prince) Danny when his grandfather summoned the eldritch being.

Damian, despite being young, will want no other to be by his side once he takes over the League. Especially since the King was able to strike fear in his grandfather for even just for a moment.

Danny, whose just started taking up his soon to be Kingly title and duties, at first freaked out when a kid who just got out of toddlerhood is offering marriage. Who wouldn't. And well while he didn't fully encourage it, he found it a little adorable and tried to nudge the kid away from said... err crush feelings?

He was a little sad to have to say goodbye to the kid when his month long stay with the al Ghul's (mostly to see if they're worthy to keep the Pits) he was pretty for sure he'd never run into the kid again and if he did who knows how old they'd actually be because again.. time travel.

So Danny now at the age of 16 really wasn't expecting to be basically be cornered on his first day at his new school at Gotham Academy by a 17 year old Damian Wayne who is leaning over him and says "Hello Beloved. Time has been kind to you it seems."

Danny's poor half-alive heart is currently dying from being cornered by an older Damian.

Let this crazy train wreck begin.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

Hi!! Your Cherik is so good and gorgeous 🤩🤩 If you don't mind wanna try to draw some Fall of X Cherik please?

thank you so much !!

i have a couple of ideas relating to the fall of x period specifically since theres. A Lot i wanna play with, so i hope this lil thing may be a satisfactory start :]]

and the obligatory bonus:

[pedulum-chronometry]

So far I don’t think I’ve seen anyone talking about this…. But Niko is implied to be Sedna come onto land for a mortal life or maybe some sort of physical incarnation of her.

Like at first I thought it was just a narrative parallel, you know, both the young girls with recently dead fathers but that igloo scene at the very end just smashed me over the head. She isn’t like her; she is her.

I went back to rewatch some scenes for reasons and guess who is inexplicably afraid of the stormy weather? Guess who avoids the father murdering his daughter case after learning he likely chopped them to pieces? Guess who observes Mick the walrus looking for sea glass after easily finding the red glass needed to find the washerwoman? Guess who spend the entire series wearing fingerless fucking gloves?

Even the story of Sedna- told through monochrome!? like a certain other monochromatic character- shows a dark haired girl become a white haired goddess. I just….

And her mom also might be the 002 boss woman we see give the boys an exception at the end?? She has such a reaction to her name, she can’t NOT know Niko. And at the end we see the dandelion sprites in the igloo no longer needing a jar to contain them. We see FULL gloves on the monochromatically dressed igloo occupant holding the good luck charm that Niko dies with? Like if she isn’t Sedna then she sure as shit won her favor somehow

TLDR me RN:

[mikami1992]

The situation is becoming more and more chaotic…

Over the past month, a series of kidnappings of politicians and businessmen have taken place throughout the country.

The latest victim?

Lex Luthor was the 10th victim and it occurred during a press conference in front of the Lex Corp building… The modus operandi was the same as the previous ones, a group of people with helmets and white motorcycle suits, along with green lacer weapons assaulted the tycoon and proceeded to take him away under the newly discovered Anti-Ecto law, once again there was a confrontation between the "Hunters" and the security group of the place, again nothing could be done and several of the guards were taken away under the charge of terrorism according to the guidelines of the previous law…..

o

The teenagers of Amity Park decided to make an unconventional protest to publicize and accelerate the repeal of the Anti-Ecto Laws, said proposal consists of kidnapping the politicians who approved the law (knowing about it) as well as the businessmen with more questionable practices.

The idea ended up emerging when, noticing how the GIW began to check humans for ecto-contamination, they decided to make a "Jewel" with the sole purpose of fooling the government's sensors.

Once they had it ready, the Phantom team had to explain to the rest of the town's teenagers how and why they had to use the device…

And amidst all the chaos of the situation, the crazy group of teenagers decided that they had to do something to stop the laws, so they made the following plan…

Reverse the jewels so that they create a false ectoplasmic signature.

Implant it in politicians, businessmen or any questionable person so that they are "ecto entities"

Use a scanner "approved" by the GIW, that is, by the government, and identify them as ecto entities

Proceed to kidnap them in the most public way possible while shouting anti-ecto acts.

Wait for the chaos in the government and the repeal of the laws.