You can download this Utility in the Downloads section.

1. Overview

   This utility allows you to view the maps of the game 'Seven Cities of Gold'.

   It's based on a disassembled dump of the Atari version. The ATR file used is included in the archive (CRC32 0x1BC0F944 and 0x63A26DB9).

   The second disk contains:

   • The starting map of the world.
   • The map of the saved game (if the player have already saved a game).

   The utility can read both maps and the datas shown will depend on this. Some datas will be generated when the player chooses to begin a new game. The starting map is stored to allow the player to start a new game with the same map (beside the generated datas when a new game is started).

2. Presentation

   The window is splitted in four parts:

   • a menu on the top.
   • a toolbox under the menu.
   • a left panel showing the strategic world map.
   • a right panel showing the tactical local map, the score and informations on focused items.

   

   

3. The menu

   • Original Starting Map: Loads the original starting map of America.
   • Load Starting Map: Loads a starting map stored on the user selected ATR.
   • Load Saved Game: Loads a save game stored on the user selected ATR.
   • Save Left Map to PNG: Saves the strategic world map in PNG format (without the latitude and location indicator).
   • Save Right Map to PNG: Saves the tactical world map in PNG format (be aware, the size of the file is around 1.2 MB).

   

4. The toolbox

   • Zoom: Increases and decreases the size of the strategic world map.
   • Fog: Only enabled for saved game, it shows according to the state of the checkbox:
     • Checked: the 'fog of war' of a saved game and hides unknowns entities.
     • Intermediate: a transparent 'fog of war' but shows all entities.
     • Unchecked: no 'fog of war' and shows all entities.
   • Hints: When checked, shows boxes around knowns entities on both map to help locating them.
   • Enhancements: When checked, enhances the rendering of both maps in showing:
     • Strategic map: depth of water and swamps.
     • Tactical map: depth of water.
   • Natives: Lights up cities of selected natives.

   

5. The maps

   • The strategic map shows the world map and latitudes on both sides.
   • The tactical map shows a local area of the world map.
   • The split bar can be moved to resize both panels.
   • A click on the strategic map move the location in the tactical map.
   • A 'Drag & Move' on both maps scroll them.
   • When the mouse is moved on entities, some informations are shown in the bottom right.
   • The coast border is not drawn because it's computed on the fly in the game.
   • When 'Hints' is checked, the meaning of the colored rectangles are:
     • Yellow: The visible part of the tactical map.
     • White: Cities of the selected 'Natives'.
     • Gray: Other cities.
     • Blue: Rivers.
     • Pink: Mines.
     • Red: Specials.
     • Green: Ships, forts and missions.

6. Prerequisite

   This utility is written in C# and needs the Microsoft Framework .NET 2.0. It won't run without it and will crash as soon as you'll launch it. You only need the 'Redistributable Package' not the SDK (Software Development Kit).

   You can download the '.NET Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package' at:

   • http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/downloads/updates/default.aspx

7. Contact

   If you have some questions, want to leave me a word or simply discuss, you can contact me by email or through the forum at my Game Reverse Engineering website:

   • Kroah's Game Reverse Engineering Page

8. History

   • v1.01

     • Added: The 'Fog' checkbox is now a three states checkbox.

   • v1.00

     • Initial release.