Starship Titanic/Unused Strings
 | To do:
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This is a sub-page of Starship Titanic.
This is the home for any unused strings found in the game and directly associated software. It is not intended for unused strings relating directly to dialogue or verb lists.
Contents
Game Setup Program
Files found in and around the installer on Disc 1 of the retail game.
Unused Render
The _user1.cab cabinet contains a render of the central well which is unused by the installer or game, however it is readily available as a wallpaper on the game's website, so it hasn't been uploaded here.
Unused Key
| PRODUCT_KEY=LifeBoat.exe |
Part of the value.shl text file found inside the _user1.cab InstallShield cabinet. LifeBoat was the name of the engine designed for Starship Titanic, but all retail and beta builds known ship with the executable name ST.exe, even the one in the installers data1.cab cabinet. Weirdly, an identical duplicate ST.exe is also found in that cabinets ReadMe directory.
Anti-Piracy Message
| licence.txt |
| We all know that you are trying to steal this program. |
Found in the _user1.cab InstallShield cabinet file, in the same directory as the installers parrot sound and background bitmap.
Main Game Strings
Below are unused strings found in the main executable, memory, save games, and other related game files. Many of these strings would have presumably displayed on the PET, either in the normal text parser chat log in Chat-O-Matic mode, or at the lower left in other modes.
Beta strings
| Starship Titanic is getting ready to sail. |
| Please Wait... |
| Visit the Starship Titanic web site at www.starshiptitanic.com |
| Beta Release, Build |
These lines were used during beta in place of the launch splash screen and would contain the build date appended to "Build".
Unknown message
| To do: Test original game on the Bridge to ensure this isn't used for Starmap |
| Please supply Galactic reference material. |
Due to its location, possibly related to the main menu. If so, it could be part of a scrapped physical DRM system. However, it may have also been intended for the Starmap puzzle at the end of the game, in which you insert a nice picture of the sky above your house in order to provide reference to where earth either temporarily or once again is located. Thanks, dolphins.
Hose Pipe
| Reference | String |
|---|---|
| unknown | Connection refused by remote hose |
| unknown | That doesn't seem to do anything. |
| DOESNT_WANT_THIS | It doesn't seem to want this. |
The first is a rather clever joke referencing an in-game item (a carriable hose) that sadly goes unused. All of these strings are specifically for "The other end of a hose" item, which is an awkward UI kludge to allow the player to attach both ends of the hose. Presumably, this message would have had to be used in the Parrot Lobby\Ballroom, because this is the only area you can attach the hose and thus gain the "other end of a hose" item.
The second and third strings seem likewise un-triggerable, though both hose items have them.
| Succ-U-Bus auxiliary hose attachment incompatible with sliding glass cover. |
Not only does this message not appear, but the Succ-U-Bus in the Parrot Lobby doesn't actually have a glass cover. It's visibly leaning against the adjacent wall as the room is, lore-wise, unfinished.
This string is intended for the main hose item, not the other end of a hose item as above.
Succ-U-Bus
| The Succ-U-Bus is a Single Entity Delivery Device. |
Doesn't seem to display if you try shoving multiple items in. Weirdly, this string appears a second time near the canal entrance denial messages, of all things.
SGT Class Floors & Related
| This glass is totally and utterly unbreakable. |
Related to the long stick dispenser, but doesn't display, opting for a more handwavy reminder as to the purposeful and unexpected sudden architectural redesign the purpose of which to discourage passengers from the unseemly hoarding of multiple long sticks.
| The Chicken is already quite clean enough, thank you. |
Doesn't display if you repeatedly use the napkin on the hot or cold very plain chicken.
| Reference | String |
|---|---|
| FOODSTUFF_ALREADY_GARNISHED | This foodstuff is already sufficiently garnished. |
Doesn't seem to display if you try to apply sauce to a chicken already pre-garnished in Ketchup, Mustard, or Starling Purée.
Class Mismatch
| To do: Is the sound effect also unused, then? |
| Reference | String |
|---|---|
| CLASS_NOT_PERMITTED_IN_AREA | Passengers of your class are not permitted to enter this area. |
While this line is actually used for the first class grand canal if you are SGT or Second Class, this particular instance is displayed if you attempt to open the door of a Second class cabin as SGT Class. This can only be done with hacking, because Nobby will refuse to take you to a floor above your current class. Clicking on a door will also produce a sound effect.
| Reference | String |
|---|---|
| ROOM_RESERVED_FOR_FIRST_CLASS | This room is reserved for the exclusive use of first class passengers. That does not currently include you. |
Appears if you attempt to access a First Class cabin while in Second Class. You cannot do this without hacking as the LiftBot will refuse to take you to a room above your current class. Unlike the above instance, no sound effect is played when you click the door.
| Reference | String |
|---|---|
| NO_LOSERS | No losers. |
Appears if you attempt to access a First Class cabin while in SGT Class. Again, you can't do this without hacking. No sound effect is played. If you should somehow find yourself inside a First Class cabin while your class is Second or SGT, you will be trapped inside forever as you cannot use the door even from the inside.
At least it's incredibly comfy in there.
| Only First Class passengers are allowed to use the Gondoliers. |
Doesn't appear even if you hack your way to the Gondoliers in a mismatched class.
| no class |
You can't, or shouldn't be able to, have a room assigned without being at least third class, so this string isn't ever displayed. It's intended for the section of the PET that reads out your room code, and would show in place of the "SGT class\2nd class\1st class" portion of the fully assembled string if you have a room code but no class.
Puzzle Skip (Starmap)
| Let Titania figure out where Earth is (skip puzzle) |
Apparently the game would have finally granted you mercy for the final puzzle of the game, after throwing televisions down wells and coating chickens in mustard...
Would have. That functionality and the displaying of this string obviously didn't make it into the final, so tough.
Now used in the ScummVM version, still unused in the original version.
Unused Character Strings (ChatterBot)
| Reference | String |
|---|---|
| CHATTERBOT_NAME | a ChatterBot. |
Bundled with the "Talking to" strings, e.g. "Talking to the DoorBot" where "Talking to" and "the DoorBot" are separate strings. In this case, the PET would have read "Talking to a ChatterBot". This seems to be a removed character. The PET still appears to have code to be capable of displaying this message, presumably assuming you could enter a conversation with them.
The Parrot has an unused line referencing the ChatterBot as probably being a bot with the ability of free movement throughout the ship, potentially similar to Fentible and Krage, rather then a bot confined to one room like Fortilian or Marsinta. This strings reference seems to be between the Barbot and the Bellbot.
There is a portrait and related sketch for an unused bot nearer the top of the page, and the prototype lends evidence that directly links these two things, the name and the portraits, as being the same character.
| 3PetSmlChatterbot |
| sm_chatter.tga |
Bundled alongside the names of most of the other game's characters and in the same text formatting as them (3PetSml). The Maitre'D is not present in this batch of names.
As for the TGA filename, the filename can be found in one of the pet graphic blocks of the default save file, and is related to ChatterBot. Should link to this unused graphic, but the final game uses obfuscated filenames, while this reference is using the original filename as found in the prototype's FileMap.
Indeed, a PET graphic filename for the BellBot found directly above this one in the same file is "z#720.tga", the first letter referring to the archive in which the numbered file, be it a jpeg, a TGA, a WAV or MP3 that the save file is trying to find can be located. This could imply ChatterBot to have been scrapped very early, even before the game's prototype, as his portrait file name didn't get updated along with this new naming convention.
ChatterBot has not had any functionality discovered left over in the final game at this time.
Miscellaneous (Debug, Animation names, Function names, Unsorted, etc)
A selection of strings that certainly don't show in-game to a player and presumably don't have a use, but don't really fit a category.
| EmbBellbotTrigger.olde |
| DeskbotRightPlaceholder |
| DeskLeftPlaceholder |
| ReprogramPETInHand |
The animation where Marsinta literally reprograms your PET in her hands.
| MoreRudeness |
| .BellBot.m.d.bo..HandsOverEdge |
| MAYBE_POSSESSIVE (placeholder... don't choose) |
| MTRANS (mental transfer, eg: see, hear) |
| To do: Add link once I figure out where the PlugIn documentation is going. |
| udden return to matterside |
Partially missing string related to MatterSide. Possibly related to the PlugIn item.
| b.CFruit |
| NotWorking |
| Working |
| YepItsASlot |
| Random |
Presumably debug text relating to Titania's slot puzzle. Seems to be connected to dropping an item on an object and then stopping a playing movie\setting it's frame.
The other strings seem to be used to set various flags for Titania. They are otherwise not displayed in-game. Specifically, they seem related to her sense slot configuration flags.
| ReadWaveFile: Not a PCM file. I can only load them |
| To do: Want to research this more. |
| An unexpected error has occured. Please consult your manual for information. |
No known state to cause this. Game is very robust to crashing. Invalid room states tend to just warp you back to the Players house.
| moth |
Probably referring to the unused Moth seen\heard in other unused content.
| ferret |
What? Why? Where? There doesn't seem to be any other context relating to a ferret in this game.
| maintredbot |
| pouchthrong |
| To do: Very likely? Why didn't I confirm or deny this the first time I added it? Find out for sure. |
| You have not assigned a room to go to. |
The reference name this string is associated with is very likely: "NO_ROOM_ASSIGNED".
Appears in your PET if you try to use the Remote Thingummy to get an elevator to take you to your stateroom but haven't been assigned a room by Marsinta. Impossible without hacking, because you can't leave the Embarkation Lobby without talking with Marsinta.
| Reference | String |
|---|---|
| CANAL_CLOSED_FOR_WINTER | Sadly, the Grand Canal transport system is closed for the winter. |
This message does actually display when getting into a boat from the top of the well, but it's impossible to get there during winter under normal circumstances because the working Pellerator is frozen shut and the boat is frozen inside of an ice burg. This game sounds sort of strange out of context, doesn't it?
| Reference | String |
|---|---|
| STUCK_TO_BRANCH | You can't pick this up on account of it being stuck to the branch |
| Sadly, this is out of your reach. |
| NO TEXT INCLUDED!!! |
| The bed will not currently support your weight. We are working on this problem but are unlikely to be able to fix it. |
| This is your stateroom. It is for sleeping. If you desire entertainment or relaxation, please visit your local leisure lounge. |
While these lines are actually displayed in-game, they get cut off due to the unchangeable screen resolution. The parts in bold are normally offscreen.
| UNKNOWN_NAME. |
This is a string REFERENCE name, and it's not known what, if any, string is associated with it at this time. This is very confusing, I know.
Seems its string would have displayed if the name of the character you are talking to is not found.
| UNKNOWN_ROOM |
This is a string REFERENCE name, and it's not known what, if any, string is associated with it at this time. This is very confusing, I know.
As above, its string would likely have displayed if the name of the room you are in cannot be found.
