RP2 File Format Information

A: RP2 (from RetroPlatform Player, the technology used in Amiga Forever and C64 Forever) is a packaging format largely compliant with the format endorsed by the W3C for web applications.

In its simplest form, an RP2 file is a ZIP archive (.zip renamed to .rp2) containing one or more disk image files (e.g. ADF, D64, etc.) and an XML manifest (rp2-manifest.xml). The file allows for one-click download and playback of applications such as Amiga or C64 games and demoscene productions.

Benefits of RP2 include:

• All required media images are packed in a single file
• Natively compressed format (additional ZIP is not necessary)
• Is recognizable as its own content type when downloading and opening (unlike the generic ZIP)
• Preserves and respects original image files and names (original files can be extracted back from RP2)
• May includes visual preview image and help texts

The MIME type of RP2 files is application/vnd.cloanto.rp2.

For the initial Amiga implementation, the preferred formats for disk images stored in RP2 files are ADF and HDF, for which disk change undo and save state is supported. These features are also supported for ADZ and HDZ, however these carry an additional compression overhead which is redundant (RP2 is already compressed). All other formats supported by the player (IPF, DMS, etc.) may also be used, however undo and save state functionality may vary.

Within the context of the RetroPlatform Player architecture, the main goal of RP2 is to introduce unity between "retro application" and "file" (i.e. one application = one file) and to simplify the download and organization of such applications without having to deal with ZIP archives or multiple files. RP2 files contain applications (e.g. disk images) and optional application identifiers, but not system configuration data. Delegating the media recognition and system (emulation) configuration to the player helps make RP2 files stable in the long term. If that were not the case, RP2 files would have to be modified and re-issued whenever for example an emulation configuration improvement is applied.

RP2 files do not require installation, and are independent of file name and location. We want users to be free to organize, rename and play RP2 files just like they do with MP3 music. And, why not, even peek inside the archives.

As of September 2008, the Amiga Forever team is working both on tools to convert existing disk image collections to RP2, and on a compatible implementation of the previously-announced cataloging effort. RP2 playback was introduced in Amiga Forever 2008.0.12.0, a free update to previous 2008 versions. This version of Amiga Forever still uses heuristic autoconfiguration, while integration with the more detailed configuration catalog to make RP2 files more reliably "one click to play, no configuration required" is in the works.

Here are some sample game files, ready for playback (automatic configuration in Amiga Forever 2008.0.12.0 and higher)*:

• Death Trap (Anco Software, 1990, Amiga).rp2
• After the War (Dinamic, 1989, Amiga).rp2
• Breathless (Fields of Vision, 1995, Amiga).rp2
• The Persian Gulf Inferno (Innerprise Software, 1989, Amiga).rp2
• Super Scramble Simulator (Magnetic Fields, 1989, Amiga).rp2
• Wrangler (Magnetic Fields, 1989, Amiga).rp2
• Aquanaut (Phil Ruston, 1995, Amiga).rp2
• Giddy II (Phil Ruston, 1994, Amiga).rp2
• Metal Warrior (Phil Ruston, 2004, Amiga).rp2
• Operation Firestorm (Phil Ruston, 1993, Amiga).rp2

If you are interested in offering RP2 files for download from your site, please contact us. Given the simplicity of RP2 you could be up and running in less than a day, at no cost. We mainly need to assign site-unique manifest data to you, and understand whether you require special support, for example by the Express Edition of Amiga Forever.

* After the War is Copyright © 1989 Dinamic SA, distributed under license. Aquanaut is Copyright © 1995 Phil Ruston, distributed under license. Breathless is Copyright © 1995 Fields of Vision, distributed under license. Death Trap is Copyright © 1990 Anco Software Ltd., distributed under license. Giddy II: Hero in an Egg Shell is Copyright © 1994 Phil Ruston, distributed under license. Metal Warrior is Copyright © 1993-2004 Covert BitOps, distributed under license. Operation Firestorm is Copyright © 1993 Phil Ruston, distributed under license. Super Scramble Simulator is Copyright © 1989 Magnetic Fields, distributed under license. The Persian Gulf Inferno is Copyright © 1989 Innerprise Software, Inc., distributed under license. Wrangler is Copyright © 1989 Magnetic Fields, distributed under license.