Zombieville (1997)/Unused Text

This is a sub-page of Zombieville (1997).

Oh dear, I do believe I have the vapors. This page contains content that is not safe for work or other locations with the potential for personal embarrassment. Such as: Offensive Language

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes. Notes: Need to finish reading all CNV files and place texts of interest here.

To do: Can someone open the cnv files to see everything, instead of text strings and garbled text?

Unused Subtitles in CNV files?

The CNV files appear to be compressed and/or compiled, which contain garbled texts.

Fortunately, most of the CNV files contain readable texts, which include speech options, character animations, object references, and dialogue texts.

It is unknown if Zombieville originally intended to have subtitles, as the texts are translated in multiple languages but wasn't implemented before the final release.

Note: To comfortably view readable text inside .CNV files, use Filext.com website, upload file, and then select the "Show All bytes of this Binary file" button.

ARMRY.CNV

Inside this conversation contains a developer note:

The idea of the armoury.cnv file is to notify the engine that the player has visited the armoury. We should be able to attach the .cnv to a weapon of some sort and have the conversation start automatically on the player entering the armoury. If this does not work we will have to modify the .cnv, attached to a gook hidden within the level, the two have a 'silent' conversation and then the gook attacks.

This developer note explains on how the zombies that are trapped inside the Bedlam's Base Armory suddenly react when Matt Black enters said room instead of opening the room's door.

Which weapon would the conversation file be originally attached to is unknown...

Note: This ARMOURY.CNV file is actually translated to multiple languages.

PUMP_S.CNV

If you install Zombieville in any other language that is not English, the CONV folder will add a (CNV file) conversation to the Pumphouse location.

This is unusual for the following reasons:

• There's no English CNV file, but there is for German, Italian, French, and Spanish.
• There are no characters meant to have a conversation inside the pumphouse, as there's just zombies ready to attack Matt.
• This particular conversation goes unused in all languages as there's no corresponding .YKF file with the CD's.

Inside the PUMP_S.CNV, there's the following text strings:

LIEUTENANT ¨Los marines somos novios de la muerte? FIRETEAM ­Señor, sí señor! CLARK Sargento, reparta las raciones especiales de campaña. SGT Síseñor. PRIVATE ­Demonios! ¨***IMAGE CONTEXT REQUIRED (Translator's Note)***Why do I always get the bit with the boot in it? SGT ¨De qu‚ te quejas, hijo? ¨Todavía tienes el pie dentro, no?

It is possible that either:

• There was a conversation meant to take place in the pumphouse, but it was not finished before release.
• This conversation was a remnant of the beta version of Zombieville.

Spanish to English Translation of this CNV File:

LIEUTENANT: We marines are grooms of death?* FIRETEAM : Sir Yes Sir! CLARK: Sargent, hand out the special campaign rations. SGT: Yes Sir! PRIVATE: The hell? Why do I always get the bit with the boot in it? SGT: What are you complaining about, son? You still have your foot inside, right?

• Grooms of death* is potentially a reference to actual Spanish Legion as their nickname is Grooms of Death in English.
  • See reference here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Legion#Anthems_and_marches_of_the_legion

The other PUMP_X.CNV files do not have the reference to Grooms of Death. The conversation starts differently to where it says "We are dead soldiers/marines?".

DIARY_S.CNV

This conversation file also shares the same fate as PUMP_S.CNV, where there's no English file, but there is for the other languages.

It is believed that at one point, it was planned to be able to read Trickett's diary (the pregnant zombie girl) if Matt guns her down. The diary text basically would provide more to the Zombieville lore.

• The Diary item can be seen here.

Inside the DIARY_S.CNV, the following text can be seen:

con certeza desde hace cu nto tiempo la Plaga abominable se ha abatido sobre nosotros. Nadie est m s cerca de la Muerte que la hija de la Viuda, Ruth. He concluido que ella no es sino una Antorcha arrancada a la Llama. Hoy la llevar‚ a la Iglesia, que el pasado a¤o terminamos de construir en Piedra, para que en ella habite nuestro Se¤or. Antes no era sino una choza o caba¤a de madera que orden‚ erigir con los rboles del bosque de Heathenish, donde moraban los salvajes, en el mismo lugar en que ellos adoraban a su demon¡aca deidad. Estoy determinado a llevar a Ruth Trickett a este campo santo y all¡ luchar con el Maligno, como Jacob en la Biblia hiciera con el ngel, ­quiera el Alt¡simo otorgarme una victoria tan grande como la de ese Hombre de Dios!

Which the rough translation would be:

Certainly for how long the abominable Scourge has befallen us. No one is closer to Death than the Widow's daughter, Ruth. I have concluded that she is but a Torch plucked from the Flame. Today I will take it to the Church, which last year we finished building in stone, so that our Lord may dwell there. Before it was nothing more than a hut or wooden hut that he ordered to erect with the trees of the Heathenish forest, where the savages dwelt, in the same place where they worshiped their demonic deity. I am determined to bring Ruth Trickett to this holy field and there to fight with the Evil One, as Jacob in the Bible did with the angel, may the Most High grant me a victory as great as that of that Man of God!

It is unknown as to:

• Who(m) would voice this conversation as there's no .YKF file associated with any of the the Diary_X.CNV files.
• Why the English installation of Zombieville doesn't contain English text for the Diary Item.

However, it is believed that perhaps the reason why the diary texts for all languages go unused is that there's no inventory menu, let alone use an item outside of the dialogue system.