Unused asset files

[emoose]

Seen a few assets in the game files go unused, probably a good idea to keep track of those, maybe can be added to TCRF page once more is figured out about them.

• MISC/ - has data for 16 separate demos, game itself only tries to play 5 of them, some of the unused ones are duplicates of other demos, most can be played with game mods (albeit with errors, likely meant for earlier game build): video by IWILLCRAFT
• ANIM/HB_M****.ANM - contains different anims for Harry for each of the game maps (eg HB_M7S02.ANM), but there's also HB_MTS00.ANM & HB_MXS00.ANM files included, probably for the empty MAPT_S00/MAPX_S00 - data seems unique to these files. (also of interest, some of the protos have a HB_M7S04.ANM file, but MAP7_S04 hasn't been seen in any release)
• TEST/RMT0000.IPD - game doesn't have RMT defined in g_MapTypes, file is also followed by ROOM_TES.TIM, assumed thats what RMT means.
• TEST/BTT_****.IPD - 4 separate IPD files, no BTT defined in g_MapTypes (these are very small compared to other IPD files)
• BG/ERU_COP2.TIM - the only ERU file in game assets, our g_MapTypes also only has ER defined, no ERU, other maps with U in the name seem to mean alternate/"ura" version. This does get used by ERFD01.IPD, but maybe indicates there was a U version of this map at some point.
• BG/HP_SAFE1.BIN / BG/S__SAFE2.BIN - Copy protection/anti-modchip overlays, using safechk.obj v1.0.0.0 to display error message, encrypted and then "compressed", used in JP 1.0, unused (but loaded) in US 1.1.
• TIM/TIPS_E13.TIM has a minor typo in the USA release, which was fixed for EUR. Interestingly JPN versions also include this english tip image despite never displaying them, JPN0/JPN1 included the typo version while the JPN2 update includes the fixed one, could show that they used a single codebase for all regions rather than separate ones.

[Sparagas]

This is one of the unused maps. I suspect it was a test room or Gillespie's house.
When we exported the maps, we also exported these models.

[emoose]

Ah yeah I meant to ask you about those IPDs, surprised it's not mentioned on TCRF anywhere, think I did see some video showing that room before..

IIRC there's also an early town model too? I thought TCRF page used to mention that but it's not there anymore, odd.

[Sparagas]

Yeah, some popular YouTube channel used my cropped screenshot, but I can't remember who 😅
Yes, there is also a test town (very primitive), but it is in PSX common .TMD file format in TOWN.TMD, and it uses TOWMN1.TIM texture.

(This viewer mistakenly shows black as transparent)

[IWILLCRAFT-M0d]

• VIN/MAP1_S04.BIN
• VIN/MAP2_S03.BIN
• VIN/MAP4_S00.BIN
• VIN/MAP4_S06.BIN
• VIN/MAP6_S05.BIN

All this overlays are unused in the retail game, trying to load them causes the game to crash.

This files are present in early builds of the game and there they can be loaded without causing a crash. At the moment only tried to load them by brute force in the OPM, Nov 24, 98 Preview and the Jan 17 demo.

• VIN/MAP1_S04.BIN
  In Jan 17 demo and the preview build it spawn Harry in the middle of the void with a text saying NO STAGE! and in case of pressing the action button the game will start a cutscene mode impossible to leave.
  
  
  However in the OPM it loads Harry just in front of the body jumpscare at the school.
  
  

Sadly the rest of overlays can only be found in the Preview build and likely the behaviour will not change much or at all in builds made after this.

• VIN/MAP2_S03.BIN

• VIN/MAP4_S00.BIN

• VIN/MAP4_S06.BIN
  Forcing the load of any of this overlays will spawn Harry in middle of central Silent Hill and the music that plays at the beginning of the game will sound. In the first two a string will appear in the screen saying NO STAGE! pressing the action button will do nothing as the message will pop up instantly again, only in the last overlay this string doesn't appear and allows the player to roam freely, however, literally nothing can be found, no objects nor enemies will appear and triggers will not work.

• VIN/MAP6_S05.BIN
  This spawn Harry in Lakeside Amusement Park with the same behaviour as before, with the difference that even Harry's footsteps won't play.

Lastly, I want to comment over a thing @emoose pointed out in Discord: they expeculated that the first unused overlay was mixed with another overlay and they are right as the functionallity of that room can be found in VIN/MAP1_S03.BIN which covers the entire second floor of the school otherworld version of the school and I think this kind of happen too in retail as MAP7_S01 and MAP7_S02 seems to have been intended to be just one as many of the strings are shared among them excepting the Alessa struggling against Dahlia cutscene. Considering that I can also expeculate this for VIN/MAP6_S05.BIN which could have been originally meant to cover the cutscene where Dahlia kidnap Alessa that ended being merged in VIN/MAP6_S04.BIN alongside Cybil's boss fight.