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

[Masquerade]

Step 1: Decrypt the game files:

1. Download the decryption tool from the attachment below (credits to atom0s & Gabriel Dehan). This EXE is specific to game version v1.1.5.5.
2. Drop the EXE into the game's root folder.
3. Open CMD prompt here.
4. Run the following command:
   

   for /r %f in (*.pak) do Pak_Decrypt "%f" "%~df%~pf%~nf.zip"

5. Once the above command completes, run the next command:
   

   for /r %f in (*.zip) do del "%~df%~pf%~nf.pak"

6. Once the above command completes, run the next command:
   

   for /r %f in (*.zip) do ren "%f" "%~nf.pak"

Now you have a fully decrypted game.

Step 2: Compression

• Make 2 archives.
• Archive 2 will contain "Sounds_MISC.pak" and "Sounds_WEM.pak".
• Archive 1 will contain everything else.

Start Size: 33.6GB

Method for archive 1:

xzlib+srep+lolz

Method for archive 2:

srep+lz4:l12

Final Compressed Size: 13.6GB

[Rainiu]

Couldn't find the answer through search. What compression method do I use for pdf files?
I think if we have a sticky thread about a general compression method for specific types of files, it would greatly help newbies like us.

[KaktoR]

png, pdf = reflate

[Masquerade]

Use precomp on pdf.

[KaktoR]

F.E.A.R
latest version, incl all DLC

 17:36:13 - Selected ARC/DS method for Data1a-01.bin was: msc_tak+srep_new+4x4:lzma
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 18:26:20 - Overall input size: 14.33 GB
 18:26:20 - Overall output size: 2.43 GB (Ratio 16.95%)
 18:26:20 - Overall conversion time: 00:50:06

 19:39:54 - Overall decompression time: 00:08:14
 19:39:54 - All files have been successfully extracted!

[KaktoR]

F.E.A.R 2
latest version, incl all DLC

 20:49:39 - Selected ARC/DS method for Data1a-01.bin was: bpk+xtool:mzlib+srep_new+4x4:lzma
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 21:27:24 - Overall input size: 14.64 GB
 21:27:24 - Overall output size: 5.74 GB (Ratio 39.17%)
 21:27:24 - Overall conversion time: 00:37:43

 22:02:08 - Overall decompression time: 00:06:53
 22:02:08 - All files have been successfully extracted!

[KaktoR]

F.E.A.R. 3
latest version, incl all DLC

 22:41:45 - Selected ARC/DS method for Data1a-01.bin was: bpk+msc_tak+srep_new+4x4:b64mb:lzma:ultra:64m:bt4:fb273:lc8:mc1000000
 22:41:45 - Selected ARC/DS method for Data1b-01.bin was: mpz_mtx
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 22:56:25 - » Installation folder size: 4.58 GB
 22:56:25 - » Data1a-01.bin file size: 2.53 GB
 22:56:25 - » Data1b-01.bin file size: 757.65 MB
 22:56:25 - » Compressed game size: 3.27 GB (Ratio 71.27%)

 23:00:29 - Overall decompression time: 00:03:57
 23:00:29 - All files have been successfully extracted!

[:( Sad8669]

Method : srep:m3f:l512+lolz:normal/$criwarevideo=srep:m3f:l512+bcm
Compression Time : 8 Hours
Decompression Time : 1.5 Hours (4T)
Initial Size : 38.9 GB
Final Size : 27.8 GB.

$criwarevideo
*.usm

Note : You can use BCM with mtx to gain speed.

[kj911]

This BMF compressor not repleceable using the BIM compressor usage the MSC/FreeArc? Newest or patched/fixed versions, from fix freezing DDS compression its available? (Win7 x64) Found BMP only fixed v2.01 copy from FreeArc usages. (v1.1 its very old.) This v2.0 its totally lost from net?

This BIM v0.03 version, support only 24bit BMP, TGA and PNM/PPM images. (No available more info this compression rate difference than BMF.)

[Masquerade]

MotoGP 22

xzlib+srep+lolz/$mp4=srep+lz4:l12

29.2GB ---> 16.6GB

I have stopped using zstd for videos and prefer lz4 instead because it is faster.

CLS-LZ4 library used by Shegorat.

[kj911]

Masquerade: Some code's contains ...lz4:l12 switches. This FreeArc 0.67 internal switches from lz4 algo?? Tested in Arc.exe with -mlz4:l12 don't work. Pure lz4 or lz4:h32m or lz4:h32m:b8m its ok.

[Masquerade]

Originally Posted by kj911

Masquerade: Some code's contains ...lz4:l12 switches. This FreeArc 0.67 internal switches from lz4 algo?? Tested in Arc.exe with -mlz4:l12 don't work. Pure lz4 or lz4:h32m or lz4:h32m:b8m its ok.

I am using cls-lz4 plugin by Shegorat. I have amended my post to reflect this.

[L33THAK0R]

Anyone given the ZenStudio's "Pinball FX" series a shot? Can't seem to find any information about the engine or the archives it uses. It (as well as all other ZenStudio titles) use a "*.pxp" archive format (File signature of 50 58 1A CD, decodes to "PX.Í"), and using the zlib codec under xtool picks up ~3 streams but crashes with a general decompression error after trying to parse them. Attached is a sample if anyone wants to have a look. Only mention I can find of this series/engine is this post, but cant find anything else online. There seems to be a QuickBMS script for decompressing these archives but unfortunately it doesn't seem to support the current iteration of ZenStudio's archive-type, introduced archives pertaining to more recent DLC.

[:( Sad8669]

https://forum.xentax.com/viewtopic.php?t=10182
https://forum.xentax.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=10654

There is a decompression tool by Ekey, but i think you need to be a member to download it.

[L33THAK0R]

I didn't include Ekey's unpacking tool as it serves the same purpose as the QuickBMS script, however its a tad more outdated and is less compatible with the more current iterations of the ".pxp" archive. For anyone interested I've attached the aforementioned tool, as well as the source code for Ekey's decompression library.