Best Compression Methods for 'Specific' Games. Q&A

[kj911]

Originally Posted by kj911

Noob questions from compression via LOLZ: Compression rate better than TTA (FreeArc) methods use LOLZ compressing *.WAV files??

Or use double compression from WAV files?

My favorized methods (from MSTS or any older(?) games): The *.WAV files compressed to --> Archive.arc (with TTA comp.) this archive compressed again to --> Archive2.arc (with REP) method. Fast and good ratio. Second compression process replacing REP to RAZOR or MSC or/and any ones?

Some testing its best rate. Size reduction lower than 35-40% via original size.

Example: Compressed 5001 WAV files. Size: 2.09GB --> 923MB--> 632MB

Please testing and find better methods.

Any tests:

Test1

Compressing WAV files used UltraARC 2.9.0.0R6. Its programs created 4 dataX.arc files.

Methods=SREP+LOLZ
Total size: 811672kB

Test2

Methods=MSC+LZMA2
Total size: 736416kB (187533+199572+282870+66441kB's)
Compression time its badly long. (TAK compressor issue.)

Test3

A test: Its will compress 923MB's ARC file (compressed WAV files with TTA methods) with RAZOR 1.03.7 compressor use 256MB dictionary size.

Its results: 646908kB

B test: Its will compress 923MB's ARC file (compressed WAV files with TTA methods) with LOLZ x64 compressors.

Methods: dt:dtb1:dtw1:dtm1:dto1:dtd1:mtt1:mt4:d64m:fba4096: f1023
Its results: 647626kB

Its use MMC switches?

And any big test results with UltraARC2.9.0.0R6 it will compress the full games via 40+ hours process times. (with splitted arc files.)

Generated archive files list:

data1a.arc: 1047552kB
data1b.arc: 604611kB
data2a.arc: 443966kB
data2b.arc: 1048576kB
data2c.arc: 243390kB
data3a.arc: 805187kB
data3b.arc: 309900kB
data4.arc: 703894kB
----------------------
Total: 5207076kB = ~4.966GB. Hmm. Tiny Compressor v1.4 results will better than UARC versions. Smaller than ~1.08GB file size.

[kj911]

Any times recompress again the MSTS game Data1.arc package. (46 724 *.ACE files) use Tiny Compressor v1.4

First compression:
Use original settings.
SREP v3.93b, m3f
LOLZ: dt:dtb1:dtw1:dtm1:dto1:dtd1:mtt1:mt4:d64m:fba4096: f1023
Results: 2 743 249kB

Second compression:
SREP replaced to v3.92b versions
One LOLZ switch changed to via d64m to d128m
Results: 2 719 422kB

Third compression:
SREP default switch replaced to: m5f:a0
LOLZ switches changed to via d64m to d128m and added tt8 switch
Results: 2 715 396kB

Note: Don't use tt256 switch! Compression speed hell slowly (and probably minimally better ratio), average ~2 to few kB/s!! tt8 doubled to tt16 or any higher ones, min. 100-200+ percentage extra compression times.

4nd compression, its final:
SREP default switch replaced to: m3f:a0
LOLZ switches changed to via d64m to d128m and added tt8 switch
Results: 2 711 752kB

C:\TinyGamePack>arc lt "I:\Data1.arc"
FreeArc 0.67 (March 15 2014) listing archive: I:\Data1.arc

Archive type: FreeArc
Total bytes: 10,109,289,936
Compressed bytes: 2,776,518,258
Ratio: 27.47%

Directory blocks: 1
Directory, bytes: 1,389,514
Directory, compressed: 315,314
Solid blocks: 1
Avg. blocksize: 9 gb

Compression memory: 4096 mb
Decompression memory: 4096 mb
Dictionary: -
....

              Pos            Size      Compressed   Files Method
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
               31  10,109,289,936   2,776,518,258  46,724 xZLib+srep:m3f:a0+lolz
:dt:dtb1:dtw1:dtm1:dto1:dtd1:mtt1:mt4:d128m:fba4096:tt8:mc1023
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
46,724 files, 10,109,289,936 bytes, 2,776,518,258 compressed
All OK

This Data2.arc set its recompressed again.
SREP its default settings.
LOLZ: Use d128m switches.
3nd recompress test in coming soon in last night.
2nd results: 625 893kB (First: 628 021kB)

3nd results: 624 127kB (with Data1.arc 4nd compression settings and remove unneccessary one *.lnk and *.log files before compression.) Finalized.
Next step for optimize Binaries data set. (few MB's) and write NSIS based installer.
Sounds packages its finished. Results: 634 861kB (MSC+SREP)
Note: Replaced TAK 2.3.0 to 2.3.1 its minimally better results: 634 836kB. Decompression its works.

[KaktoR]

Why not use MSC for WAV?

[kj911]

KaktoR: Yes! Not use MSC. Simple FreeArc compression schemes.

Partially tested "Archive.arc" file compressing, use MSC with FROG=9 parameters. (Size: 945602kB)

UPD: Test finished. Results, not good. Small reduction. Results: 906MB (928156kB)

Get the arc file use private testing?? Please via send pm.

Any info: SREP compressed: 632MB, REP compressed: 633MB. small differences.

[Dragonis40]

Good morning, I'm trying to compress "Assassin's Creed Director's Cut" using UltraArc v2.9.0.0 R9. Since the most part of files is .forge files, I've tried to compress only .forge files using the following:

MASK=afr:a2+srep:m3f+xLolz

Regardless if ultraarc works in admin mode or not, Windows 10 (real pc) or windows 7 (virtual machine), trading to compress 18 files or only one, the risult is "failed". As long as I know, Afr is the suitable compression for .forge file, but why "Failed"? Can anyone help me? Thanks a lot!

[KaktoR]

Check in config files if the right afr version is uncommented (remove ; from the line and add ; infront of the wrong afr version to not use both).

[Dragonis40]

Thank you for your reply! I've tried AFR_x86 and AFR_x64 in "019" folder and AFR_x64 in "020" folder and both options FAILED!
I want to say I modified nothing in UltraARC folder.

[KaktoR]

I think you have to remove -a2 parameter for old forge engine games with v0.19.

[Dragonis40]

Already tried, i've tried with "018" version of AFR also, nothing! The result is rhe same!

[Masquerade]

Dragonis40

plzo (ztool)?

[Dragonis40]

Where is this option?

[Dragonis40]

Originally Posted by KaktoR

I think you have to remove -a2 parameter for old forge engine games with v0.19.

You were right, once I've removed -a2 option, everything was OK! Thank you!

[KaktoR]

Why not use diskspan_gui instead? It's actually the same as Ultraarc (with masking options) but with more/updated settings and tools.

[mr_gnar]

I am having issues with zstdrec. I tried compressing Resident Evil 2 with one of the methods here (zstdrec+xzlib+srep+lolz) and it compresses just fine, however trying to install it brings up issues. When trying to test it out by installing it, it brings up a "zstdrec.exe has stopped working" error, then a -11 error, which doesn't make sense because it is properly defined in ASIS by default, along with having the files needed. Did I miss an extra step or something?

[L33THAK0R]

Could anyone give me some advice on how to go about compressing "Batman Arkham Asylum (GOTY Edition)"? I'm currently using uelr + srep + lzma but no matter what I do or what combinations uelr does not seem to want to decompress (using ASIS v7.2.0 for setup), always a -1 error code, never getting past 0%. As far as I can tell its just the files in the "cookedpc" folder that are refusing to work with me. any help would be greatly appreciated.