Static-only (no emulator, no pad input). Three findings, each with its own
evidence:
- The disc holds exactly 29 StageResource records in three families --
S01-S16 story, S18-S23 tutorial (all bg=Original), S24-S29 challenge, plus
Test. That is 16 + 6 + 6 + 1, matching weapon.tbl's stage01..16 /
tutorial01..06 / challenge01..06 key set exactly. S17 does not exist.
GP_CHALLENGE.pak has 0 IDXD objects -- it is the menu screen; challenge
missions reuse GP_MAIN_GAME_E.pak's records.
- The GamePart id table is at 0x820A1630 (29 ids). Indices are confirmed by
the image's own RegisterToFactory<N, class silph::GamePart_*> text, not by
position: GP_CHALLENGE = 26, GP_TUTORIAL = 25, GP_BUNK = 10.
- The stage loader selects its config section from a mission-KIND field at
object+144: 3 -> EXTRA, 5|6 -> CHALLENGE, else FILE (two independent sites,
0x82184df0 and 0x82185ed0; two more classify {3,5,6} as one group). The
constructor sets it to 0 and every write inside the class only clears it,
and no immediate 3/5/6 store to it exists image-wide -- so the kind is
supplied by the launching GamePart, never derived from the stage number.
That last point is a mechanism (unproven) for why patching the save's stage
field to 27 kills the load: the record is a challenge stage but the kind stays
FILE. Names an untried, zero-cost discriminator -- try stage 18-23.
Also flagged, not resolved: roster_target says S10 (a STORY stage) still
fields an unharvested unit, which contradicts the "story campaign complete"
claim by one unit.