42251 22JUN88-0024 Utilities & Applications
ROMPAKS
From: BRICKCITY To: ALL
I am trying to find out if there is anyway to transfer programs fromompaks to
disk. I am trying to eliminate the need of unplugging the disk control so
often. Unfortunat, I can’t afford
n. Any assistance from anyon will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
42262 22JUN88-0542 Utilities & Applications
RE: ROMPAKS (Re: Msg 42251)
From: MARTYGOODMAN To: BRICKCITY
Of the four CoCo 3 ROM paks that I know to be out, I know
(and have posted here) how to transfer two of them
(Shanghai and Thexder). Some of those coming out
may well be UNTRANSFERRABLE.
Each Coco 3 ROM pak as it comes out has to be evaluated
by someone competent to disassemble them and figure
out what is needed to be changed, then you must add
the appropriate loader. It is a tedious business,
and must be done individually for each one as it
comes out.
MOST CoCo 2 ROM paks can be transferred to disk using
one or another commercial ROM-crack type program.
I believe Microcom may sell one such, along with
POKES to fix most of the Coco II type ROM paks.
—marty
42269 22JUN88-2010 Utilities & Applications
RE: ROMPAKS (Re: Msg 42262)
From: ZACKS To: BRICKCITY
There are also instructions posted in the Games Library on how to
put Springster on disk. They were done by Mike Ward and uploaded
by me.
42275 22JUN88-2219 Utilities & Applications
RE: ROMPAKS (Re: Msg 42269)
From: MARTYGOODMAN To: ZACKS
A long while back I looked at Springster, and was able to get it to
RUN off a disk file, BUT the version I had would boot up in
an unplayably hard level. It SEEMED as if some sort of added
“protection” was at work. Does your “crack” deal with this problem?
—marty
42290 23JUN88-1911 Utilities & Applications
RE: ROMPAKS (Re: Msg 42275)
From: ZACKS To: MARTYGOODMAN
As a matter of fact, this crack does give a version which has the
potential of giving you a unwinnable board, either the first or
the last (also the first level). I sent electronic mail to the author
but got no real answer.
42291 23JUN88-1936 Utilities & Applications
RE: ROMPAKS (Re: Msg 42290)
From: MIKEWARD To: ZACKS
I recall seeing Springster generate some unplayable boards
but I can’t remember what I did to square it away.
I plays at an extremely difficult level so I figured out
a few pokes to slow down the bad guys and it plays fine here
on my Coco.
Is it possible not ALL of your rompak code made it to disk?
Mike
42298 23JUN88-2141 Utilities & Applications
RE: ROMPAKS (Re: Msg 42290)
From: MARTYGOODMAN To: ZACKS
Since Springster behaves differently when running in RAM as per your
and Mike’s transfer arrangement, one can assume that Mike’s
“crack” is not quite perfect, and that some beastliness
in buried (probably, but not necessarily intentionally) in
the code to specifically cause those headachs
in versions that one trys to run off disk.
A truly PROPER crack would NOT behave in the SLIGHTEST BIT
differently on boot up from the ROM pak itself.
Now, to be fair, Mike Ward is THE single most adept game
modifier / cracker in the CoCo world. To my knowledge,
not only does he rank #1, but there is no one really CLOSE.
I did briefly chat with Mike about that oddity of his
Springster to RAM instructions, so I am sure he is
aware of it. I suppose he just had better things
to do than spend HOURS painstakingly disassembling
the thing to find whatever it was caused that weirdness.
—marty
42300 23JUN88-2248 Utilities & Applications
RE: ROMPAKS (Re: Msg 42298)
From: MIKEWARD To: MARTYGOODMAN
Marty, and Zack,
I know exactly what the difference is between running Springster
in RAM as opposed to ROM is.
The game moves itself to RAM and fires up after modifying itself.
At one point during initialization it switches in the ROMs
to read a few bytes (hopefully from the game pak.)
Depending on what your disk ROM looks like when it reads these
“few bytes” is dependant on what disk ROM you’re using since you’re
running it from disk.
The “impossible game” scenario, like walls you can’t get around
or climb, is symptomatic of possibly not getting the game on
disk properly or a defective bootstrap to set the game up
to execute when loaded from disk.
Hope some of this helps.
Mike
42306 24JUN88-0504 Utilities & Applications
RE: ROMPAKS (Re: Msg 42300)
From: MARTYGOODMAN To: MIKEWARD
Er, well… then…
Is it possible alter that attempt to “read a few bytes from
the ROM pak” and, instead, sorta FEED the program the data it
WOULD have seen had the pak been there?
Or is that “take a peek at the ROM” code itself booby traped
so that, when altered, it messes something else up?
—marty
42308 24JUN88-1155 Utilities & Applications
RE: ROMPAKS (Re: Msg 42306)
From: MIKEWARD To: MARTYGOODMAN
I considered tinkering with it to see if that could be done.
I seem to recall I had trouble finding where the routine
was called.
I’ll try to remember to look at it again this weekend.
I’ll supply some details as I stumble across them.
Mike
42316 24JUN88-2104 Utilities & Applications
RE: ROMPAKS (Re: Msg 42308)
From: MARTYGOODMAN To: MIKEWARD
Thanks much. Ill be interested to hear
the results.
—marty