https://www.reddit.com/r/REGames/comments/qmqq3g/systematic_method_to_reverse_engineer_and_rewrite/
We could do something similar with a dosbox backend, istead of reversing all in a dos environment its possible to replace parts of the code with full 32/64bit c code, until the point everything is ported
Some successful port-outs of DOS I know, just to share:
DXX Rebirth (Descent I and II) - https://www.dxx-rebirth.com/ (https://www.dxx-rebirth.com/)
Open XCOM (X-COM: Enemy Unknown and Terror from the Deep) - https://openxcom.org/ (https://openxcom.org/)
eDuke32 (Duke Nukem 3D) - https://www.eduke32.com/ (https://www.eduke32.com/)
Open TTD (Transport Tycoon Deluxe) - https://www.openttd.org/ (https://www.openttd.org/)
The latter is special: it no longer requires anything from the original game, so it's fully free, but the four projects are really amazing! I've had some difficulties with eDuke32, though, but well, it does work.
These games are easier, but Dune is equaly hard to reverse like Stunts due to 16 Bit base
Descent is a source port, the source was released to the public years ago
Duke nukem is also a source port, also original source available
Transport Tycoon Delux is originally Win95/TNT Dos Extender, 32bit assembler based, much easier to port due to flat 32bit mode (stunts would have been ported to run under win/linux (no need for C port just a little patching to prevent hardware access, dos apis) years ago in some weeks if stunts was original 32bit dos code and in some days if the original source code were available)
Open xcom is a clone, not reverse engineered (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=7059.0)
Yes, you're right. Most of these games belong to the flat 32bit era. X-Com does not, so I already guessed that it was a completely new engine. Anyway, these are nice DOS jewels that can be played multi-platform today. X-Com makes me think that this is the best way to go: a new engine. My view is still that this would be the most stable and workable solution. But well, a some good things can be done on this source nonetheless.