MKW-SP

MKW-SP

Author:	Stebler
Type:	Riivolution
Version:	v0.1.2
Release:	2022-02-27
Latest update:	2022-02-27
Website:	mkw-sp.com
Download:	GitHub
Source Code:	GitHub
Discord Server:	MKW-SP

Overview

Mario Kart Wii - Service Pack (abbreviated MKW-SP) is an open source mod created by stebler. It features up to 6 different licenses, viewing up to 11 ghosts at a time, a custom speedometer, SD ghost saving, and more.

A quote from the author:

MKW-SP is fully open-source and the code (including the whole history) and the issue tracker are available on Github, and so is my Ghidra repository. That means that anyone is free (and welcome) to implement new features. Feedback is also very appreciated and will be listened to.

Credits

• CLF78, for his help with the initial release.
• Lami, Riidefi, Seeky and StarMKWii for contributing on Github.
• All developers in the table below for creating code used in the mod.

Media

Feature Showcase

Version History

Version	Date of release	Information
v0.1	2022-02-27	First release
v0.1.1	2022-02-27	File management The 12 character limit for ghost files has been removed. [stebler] On console, CTGP ghosts will be listed automatically. [stebler] Differential patching (_Dif files) is now supported for every szs archive. [stebler] The game no longer crashes when using _Dif files on top of certain archives. [stebler] Translations Translations for MKW-SP-specific strings have been added. [MK Translation Project, see here for the list of authors] Dutch has been added (for both the base game and MKW-SP-specific). [MK Translation Project] All languages are now supported on all versions of the game. For now only Korean uses the Korean font. [stebler] The speedometer label graphic has been translated into 4 languages. [Syara] Multi-ghost The character animations are now correctly applied (and unlike in live view, also for the non-spectated ghost). [stebler] The camera no longer wrongly follows the player when falling out-of-bounds or in cannons. [stebler] A bug where the UI overlay was shown when a non-spectated ghost was falling out-of-bounds has been fixed. [stebler, riidefi] An option to remove leading zeros from ghost tags when using the finish time has been added. [riidefi] Several crashes and freezes when going back to the menu have been fixed. [stebler, Seeky] The first 4 ghosts no longer desync due to the cones on Daisy Circuit. A fix is in the works to extend that limit. [stebler] Lakitu now follows the spectated ghost. [stebler] Sound is now configured in multi-ghost, with a new rule to choose between enabling sound for all ghosts, spectated only or none. [stebler] Menus An license setting for instant menu transitions has been added. [riidefi] A button to change the license settings in the middle of a race or a replay has been added. [riidefi] A button to change the ghost selection has been added. [stebler] It is now possible to restart in more gamemodes, and also during the countdown. [stebler] Various improvements to the pause menus have been added. [stebler] It is now possible to access time trials even if savegame initialization failed. [stebler] The VS engine class shown has been corrected to handle 200cc. [stebler] A bug where the “About” button on the license selection UI wasn’t selectable has been fixed. [stebler] HUD An input display has been implemented. It supports split-screen and 200cc. [riidefi] The speedometer now shows the correct speed in cannons, and applies the hard speed limit of 120/180 otherwise. [stebler] The Mii heads on minimap option has been disabled in split-screen (was previously showing random Miis). [stebler] Miscellaneous GitHub Actions have been configured, which means that a build is generated on every proposed change, making life easier for both developers and testers. [Lami] Courses can now load faster on Dolphin if the host CPU and storage are fast enough. [riidefi] Colored minimaps are now supported for race tracks. [riidefi] Support for USB keyboard has been added to perform certain actions via commands. For now this only works on Dolphin on Windows. [riidefi] The gecko code check has been improved to work on console and the warning has been clarified. Note that support will only get worse when memory protection is implemented. [Star, stebler] The shroom strategy is now saved in the MKW-SP ghost header. [stebler] The project has been renamed to “Service Pack”, which as some of you have guessed is inspired by Microsoft Windows and was the intent since the start (Support Packages also exist in computing but are not quite the same thing). [stebler, Zach]
v0.1.2	2022-02-27	Robustness and security A critical corruption bug in YAZ1 compression used when saving ghost files has been fixed. For a ghost to be affected by it, the size of the compressed inputs has to be at least 4096 bytes. [stebler] Protection of most of the read-only parts of the main.dol and StaticR.rel has been implemented. This uses the MI interface which can prevent writes not only from the CPU but also from some external devices. This only works on console and will break Gecko codes even more. [Star] Because of its incompatibility with memory protection, the copy filter patch which could increase image sharpness on console has been temporarily removed. A rewrite is planned. [stebler] The exception handler has been revamped. It will now be displayed on the screen on console and show MKW-SP specific information. [riidefi, Star] A custom screen that will show up on some common crashes in custom tracks and display suggested fixes has been added. [riidefi] A crash occurring during the demo sequence on the title screen has been fixed. [stebler] Miscellaneous Japanese, Korean and Dutch translations for MKW-SP strings have been updated. [MK Translation Project] Menu transitions will fade to black again. [riidefi]

Features

MKW-SP Features

Feature	Author	Information
Custom Save System	stebler	The rksys.dat format is replaced with a custom system that can support more than 4 licenses (for now the UI can handle up to 6) and additional settings. Ghosts are moved to separate files and everything is always unlocked. Riivolution’s redirect feature is used to store all files to the SD card (or equivalent) instead of the NAND.
11-Way Multi-Ghost	stebler	It is possible to race against or watch up to 11 ghosts at once. One can switch between ghosts during a replay (similar to live view). The ghost selection UI has been accordingly remade from scratch.
Tag Limit Increase	stebler	Up to 12 tags can be shown at once (from 3 in the vanilla game).
Speedometer	stebler, Syara	The speed of the player is shown in the HUD, including moving road and moving water. Split-screen is supported. The “SPEED” label has been translated into 4 languages.
Additional Ghost Metadata	stebler, Chadderz, MrBean35000vr, CLF78	The sha-1 of the track, whether 200cc was enabled, more precise finish times and detected glitches are saved at the end of the ghost file. The first two properties are used to only show ghosts for the correct track and engine class. The equivalent fields can be read from CTGP ghosts for the same purpose. The sha-1 computation doesn’t take _Dif files into account, allowing for e.g. custom textures.
Pause Menu Improvements	stebler, Riidefi	Additional buttons have been added to the pause menus, notably one to change the settings and another to go back directly to the ghost selection.
Translations	stebler, MK Translation Project	All languages (plus Dutch) are supported in all versions of the game. Some of the MKW-SP-specific strings are also translated.
My Stuff Folder	N.A.	Allows for file replacements such as custom tracks, custom music and so on. For tracks and UI files, it is possible to replace only certain U8 subfiles by adding the _Dif suffix to the archive name (e.g. koopa_course_Dif.szs or MenuSingle_E_Dif.szs).
Automatic BRSAR Patching	Elias_	The revo_kart.brsar file is automatically patched to prevent music from cutting off mid-race.
Rear View In Replay	stebler	In ghost replay mode, cinematic view is replaced by rear view.
Hide HUD Labels	stebler	License setting. The TIME, LAP and SPEED HUD labels are hidden.
4:3 FOV in 16:9	Brandondorf9999]	License setting. The wider 4:3 field-of-view is used in 16:9 mode
Mii Heads On Minimap	stebler	License setting. For local players and ghosts, the Mii replaces the character as minimap icon.
Instant Menu Transitions	Riidefi	License setting. This allows for much faster navigation.
Input Display	Riidefi	License setting. The controller inputs are shown in the HUD. Split-screen and 200cc are supported.
200cc	MrBean35000vr	VS and time trial rule. A speed class with a 1.5x speed multiplier, brake drifting and fast falling.
Ghost Sorting	stebler	Time trial rule. In the selection UI and in race ghosts can be sorted by finish time or by creation date.
Ghost Tag Visibility	stebler	Time trial rule. Ghost tags can be shown for all, focused only or no ghost.
Ghost Tag Content	stebler	Time trial rule. Ghost tags can be either the Mii name, finish time or creation date.
Solid Ghosts	stebler	Time trial rule. Transparency can be disabled for all, focused only or no ghost.
Ghost Sound	stebler	Time trial rule. Sound can be enabled for all, focused only or no ghost

Limitations and known bugs

• Ghost solidity is off by one frame when switching. See issue 44.
• VS and battle settings aren’t saved. See issue 50.
• Most gecko codes won’t work because of the different memory map. A warning is shown on the title screen if they are enabled. When memory protection is implemented, support will be dropped altogether.