In preparation for writing a fanfiction (or possibly a quest in the SpaceBattles or [censored] sense) about my c0da/headcanon/what-have-you on the plot of Arena, I was looking through some game files. There was one set of files that included just about every major block of text in the game, but it has a lot of custom C-like string format parameters. Allow me to explain what this means for the benefit of non-programmers.

In C, you can write a printf statement, which will print whatever you have inside the parentheses to the terminal or other source of standard output. For example:

printf("Hello World");

will print the famous Hello World. However, printf's real versatility is in the letter "f" at the end, meaning format. You can input certain parameters to print out values in the format of a string. %s will print a string, %d will print an integer in decimal, %x will print an integer in hexidecimal format, etc. For example:

int foo = 10;

printf("Test %s %d %x %d", "this", foo, foo, 5);

will print

Test this 10 a 5

This allows for easy insertion of variables into strings without constantly closing and opening the string.

Now that the introduction is out of the way:

Looking through TEMPLATE.DAT in the Arena directory, I see many custom versions of these parameters. There are no comments or documentation anywhere of what each one means, as far as I can see, nor can I find where it draws the values for each variable from. From context, I am able to infer the meaning of most of them, but not all of them. Let's see if we can figure this out together. First I'll write which ones I've figured out, then which ones I haven't along with some context as to their use.

What we know:

%t - Ruler type (i.e. King, Queen, Lord, Lady, etc. May also just mean character type, might depend on context)

%rf - Ruler name

%cn - City name

%st - State of relations, used in context of relations between cities, i.e. war or peace

%cn2 - Name of other city in such a context

%ct - City type (village, town, city)

%di - compass direction (i.e. of the other city)

%g - Gendered subject pronoun of a referenced character i.e. he/she

%ra - pc race

%pcn - pc name

%nt - tavern name

%tem - Temple name

%en - Equipment shop name

%mi - Item name in the context of delivery quests

%tg - target guild/group? i.e. Organization to deliver something to a representative of. Haven't quite figured out what groups this involves. Might also mean individuals. On further examination, this may just mean quest target as an individual

%tc - Target city for a quest

%du - Number of days (i.e. to get to a city, to protect a person, etc.)

%a - amount (i.e. of gold to be received for completing the quest)

%tl - Target location (i.e. tavern, shop, etc.)

%da - Day (i.e. Target day to complete the quest)

%o - Opposition/enemy organization. Includes multiple groups, such as the Thieves Guild, the Dark Brotherhood, the Mage's Guild, The Blades, the Necromancers, and The Wharf Rats (literally who?), at least according to the manual. Additionally, it includes the Underking, who apparently has an organization of undead. Why Zurin Arctus would send his minions after you to stop you from delivering a Jewel or something from a guy to his friend, I'll never know, but I guess that's what happens during the time before the devs fleshed these things out.

%r - Quest target's relation to quest giver (i.e. if you're going to protect someone for someone, for example their son, %r would mean son)

%ne - Name of such an individual

%g2 - Gendered object pronoun of a referenced character, i.e. him/her

%nc - Name of individual in a capture quest

%tt - Type of such an individual (class? race?)

%tan - Target dungeon?

%g3 - Gendered possessive pronoun of a referenced character, i.e. his/her

%mn - Monster name (i.e. for a hunting quest)

%mt - Monster type (i.e. werewolf, also for a hunting quest)

%de - Day number

%ta - edited reward (higher)

%ba - added reward (take some more)

%qc - quest city for guard job

%omq - (Contraband) item for a discrete delivery quest, etc.

%n - Name of random townsperson you talk to on greeting

%oc - Occupation of such a person

%doc - Some long string where they explain what they do

%jok - Joke

%fn - First name (i.e. for wizards or priests, or even other random NPCs after you talk to them again)

%lp - Current province

%pcf - pc first name

%nh - Holiday name

%nhd - Holiday date

%hod - Holiday (Holiday what?)

What we don't know

%hc

Let all in %hc know that we in %cn welcome all travellers wishing to do business in our %ct. We are even giving in to demands to build a new hall for guild meetings. I hope you have a very restful stay here, %pcn. You may leave me now.

%qt - quest type? Might just literally translate to the word "work"

I welcome %pcn to my %ct. Your arrival is fortuitous, for I have a favor to ask. If you would %qt for me, I would be happy to reward you in gold. Would you be interested in hearing more?

Good summertide to you, %pcn, I bid you welcome to %cn. Your reputation precedes you, and I have need for your talents. I am looking for an outsider to %qt for me. Of course, I promise ample payment if you are successful. Are you interested in hearing more?

I am grateful you picked such a cold winter's day to visit %cn, %pcn. As you can see, I have many concerns right now, but I need your help desperately to %qt. May I tell you more about the situation?

%oth (Different from %o?) Exclamation?

%oth! What in the emperor's name are you doing back in %cn? I sent you to %tc with my %r and I understand %g never arrived, you idiotic %ra. I must hire someone else to find %g2. Leave my sight before I do something violent.

I am %n, and, you won't believe this, I'm a firebreather. %oth, I know that must come as a surprise to you... so what do you want?

%nr - name of a person in a rescue quest?

When I saw my %r walk out of the wilderness and through the city gates, I ran to ask where you were, you who had rescued %nr. Imagine my surprise when %g said %g had never seen you at all, let alone been rescued by you. That constitutes mission failure, young %ra, and that means no reward. Goodbye.

%nr thanks you for your assistance and leaves you, figuring %g has a better chance making it to the %tq alone.

%fq - quest giver?

%t %fq's palace guards prepare for combat like true professionals, sharpening their sabres and polearms, sparring with one another. Veterans show old battle wounds to the neophytes who wish for glorious tales of their own. Known battle tactics of %o are discussed and anolysed at length before each soldier, including you, is sent to a different location to prepare to repel enemy troops. You wait, blood pounding in your head. Then, on day %de, your vigilance is rewarded...

You know that all you can do is wait for the siege on the palace of %fq, %t of %cn to begin. Impatiently, you scour every inch of your assigned position and fill your mind with thoughts of blood. The waiting is almost getting to be too much to bear when, on day %de, you hear a cry...

%tq - possibly alternative %t

A troop of guards bearing the colors of %tq %fq take %nc prisoner and bear him off to face the %tq. It is essential that I not be late. Do you think you can get me to %tq %fq by tomorrow?

%ds - Secretive quest giver in a tavern who wants to keep things discrete, not sure of exactly what the variable represents

Before you reach the bar, a %ds signals to you and speaks in a conspiratorial whisper:&

A %ds nervously draws you aside as you approach the bar.

You are about to go to the bar when a %ds calls you to a table.

Okay, that's possibly not everything, but I can't read through any more of that file for now. Let's see what we can figure out.