Firestaff Wiki
Status reviewed 2026-10-27 (main
d18445cc). Firestaff has five active game targets. DM1 PC 3.4 V1 has a playable source-owned route; CSB and DM2 have bounded native real-media routes, Theron reaches a loaded JP dungeon with native ticks and rendered frames, and Firestaff renders five admitted Nexus MAPD title planes in a bounded sequence. That does not reproduce Saturn’s complete title/menu. Ymir reaches the Japanese retail and English-version Nexus menus, with a pixel-exact English screenshot replay, but this is reference evidence and Firestaff still does not start Nexus as a playable game. See Project status, preservation status and the documentation index for the canonical matrix.
Firestaff reimplements five classic Dungeon Master game engines with source-locked, native original-data routes. Each platform remains separately scoped: a verified parser or startup route is not described as visual or full campaign parity until that platform has the required original runtime evidence. It is a pure C application targeting macOS, Linux, Windows, iOS (AltStore Classic sideload), and Android, rendering via SDL3.
Reading status correctly
The project uses deliberately narrow status labels. Playable requires an end-to-end original-data route; verified route proves a bounded real-media route; data path proves admission or decoding only. Neither a parser, a source-locked unit test nor a startup screenshot establishes complete visual, audio, input, save or campaign parity. The canonical matrix is Platform status.
Firestaff uses only the original game media selected by the player at runtime. It does not bundle or require a BIOS, firmware, System Card, external emulator or data from another edition. Game containers stay intact and are read in memory; private research artefacts are not part of the repository or wiki.
Supported Games
| Game | Platform | Reference Source | Wiki Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dungeon Master (DM1) | PC DOS 3.4, Atari ST, Amiga and FM Towns data paths | ReDMCSB | Technical Reference, PC34 Internals, FM Towns guide, RE Documentation |
| Chaos Strikes Back (CSB) | Bounded native Atari ST, Amiga and FM Towns routes; Amiga F0107 uses source MEDIA720 scales and authentic C696 anchors. Matched-frame, palette/light, inscription and trapdoor parity remain open; native intro timing/audio is unverified. No original DOS/PC route. | ReDMCSB and CSBWin | Technical Reference, FM Towns guide, DSA and Save Internals, RE Documentation |
| Dungeon Master II (DM2) | Bounded DOS, Amiga (including native CHARSHEET), FM Towns and Macintosh real-media routes | skproject, DMWeb and disassembly | Technical Reference, FM Towns guide, GDAT Internals, RE Documentation |
| Theron’s Quest | PC Engine CD | PC Engine disassembly and CD analysis | Technical Reference, Track 02 Internals, RE Documentation |
| DM Nexus | Sega Saturn | Saturn SH-2 disassembly and retail media analysis | Technical Reference, DGN/PRS3 Internals, SAL/MAP Internals, RE Documentation |
Platform Guides
- macOS — DMG/ZIP install, Homebrew build, Gatekeeper notes
- Windows — installer/portable ZIP, MSYS2 build
- Linux — deb/rpm, Steam Deck (pacman/AppImage), build from source
- iOS — AltStore Classic sideloading, SideStore, game data via Files app
- Android — APK sideloading, game data transfer
By audience
- Players: start with the repository README, game-data setup and project status.
- Developers: read architecture, building and installing, the active per-game TODO files, completed per-game DONE ledgers and missing functions by game.
- Reverse-engineering researchers: use the reverse-engineering index, source-lock pages and parity evidence.
- Preservation researchers: start with preservation and provenance, verified hashes and game-data setup.
Reverse Engineering
- Reverse Engineering Index — overview of all RE documentation, cross-game formats, parity evidence
- DM1 RE — 1388 F-numbered functions, DUNGEON.DAT format, creature types, ReDMCSB file map
- CSB RE — IMG1 graphics format, DSA scripting system, 357 CSB modules
- DM2 RE — 56 skproject files, GDAT format, symbol audit, hex-offset modules
- Theron RE — PC Engine CD layout, Track 02 format, champion/item system
- Nexus RE — Saturn disc structure, DGN geometry, BPK/PRS3 archive, MNS materials
Project Pages
- Building and Installing — build from source, install release packages, sideload on iOS/Android
- Architecture Overview — layer model, module layout, data ownership
- Release Process — versioning, CI/CD, release artifacts
- Parity Evidence — how source-lock documents work
- Preservation — provenance, evidence levels, captures and data boundaries
- Game Data — what original data files are needed and where to place them
- Game-data Formats — verified containers, records and save boundaries
- Native Platform Verification — actual CLI/start-menu evidence by original platform
- Tsugaru Development and Capture Reference — FM Towns emulator architecture, reproducible original captures and strict runtime boundary
- Documentation Index — complete cross-game status and page map
Documentation policy
Documentation Index explains which pages are current status, technical evidence or historical context. Use that order when an older plan or release note conflicts with this wiki.