Cyclone cartridge emulation please

[chunky_tesco]

for the purposes of "backing up" ipfs

for example http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?p=163240#post163240

[Galaxy]

Why would you want to do that - isn't it much simpler to make a copy of the ipf file under Windows? And correct me if I'm wrong, but don't adfs only support standard length tracks - so you wouldn't be able to copy the copy-protected data onto them anyway.

[IFW]

You just copy the ipf file anytime with any tool or shell you like in any os... It won't get any simpler or faster - especially not through cyclone ;)

Your ipf file never, ever gets modified it is a diff(erence) file that holds any overwritten track data.
You can safely use xcopy or whatever in uae for what you want, but as I said you must always copy the tracks to be modified onto the ipf in order to keep the protection data intact on the original. If you were copying the original and altering that most protections would fail afterwards, that's why you need to alter the orginal and not vice versa.
If you are tired of your modified ipf image, just delete the corresponding diff file/save image and that forces uae to read only the original ipf.

In any cases you can always alter ipfs this way to hold your modifications, like highscores, saved games, hacks ;) etc.
Uae does this automatically just write enable an ipf image or "delete saveimage" when needed to rollback the changes.

[chunky_tesco]

Ah i get you now IFW. You can safely copy to an ipf file on xcopy as it writes to the diff file.

If a save track on an original disk is written by an amiga disk drive, then it should be able to be converted to adf, even if every other track is protected, and i can copy this track to the ipf.

[chunky_tesco]

Why would you want to do that - isn't it much simpler to make a copy of the ipf file under Windows? And correct me if I'm wrong, but don't adfs only support standard length tracks - so you wouldn't be able to copy the copy-protected data onto them anyway.I just thought it would be nice to see the disk protection side-effects of some games when you tried to copy it using cyclone. I recall Mega-lo-Mania immediately going to the game over screen when you started the game and instead of "game over" had "pirate" and a sampled voice saying "it's all over!" again and again until you resetted. :cool

[IFW]

Correct :)
One minor addition though: some games do not use ados format for saving, but regardless as long as it is written on an amiga (and saved games all are) you can use xcopy or anything else to change the tracks needed.

[IFW]

I just thought it would be nice to see the disk protection side-effects of some games when you tried to copy it using cyclone. I recalled Mega-lo-mania immediately going to the game over screen when you started the game and instead of "game over" had "pirate" and a sampled voice saying "it's all over" again and again until you resetted. :cool

Here is what you can do for Copylock protected games if you are curious:
1, make sure you have the track numbers displayed (lower right bottom of the screen)
2, set the disk speed to 800%
3, run the game
4, keep an eye on the track number. When it shows 0 and the loading apparently does not advance for many seconds (ie track number does not change, disk access is lit and the game does not decrunch something either) set the speed to 400%.
This causes Copylock to certainly fail. In some games the results are trivial like crash, reboot etc (most Hewson games, apart from Cybernoids), others let you advance a few levels like a demo version. e.g Myth flashing screen when first level completed, many Ocean games stopping at further levels, Silly Putty ditto etc, some even remove key items or locations from the game making it impossible to make progress after a certain point...
5, Enjoy :D

[IFW]

You may want to try this on most Codemasters games as well, and try and give a call to their piracy/authorization line displayed afterwards ;)

[chunky_tesco]

Haha. Do you remember the FAST ad that was in the amiga mags in the early nineties? It was a comic strip theme with 2 guys at the local market arguing with Bloggo Games for selling copies

"Hang on these look like copies"
And they are!
"Here you two, buy something or naff off!"
"This is against the law, and I don't like it"

He then rings up the FAST hotline thinking of the £1000 reward, the greedy bastard.:D

[fiath]

Since that old bald bloke was selling pirated new games - I totally agree with that kids actions. Why not make some money out of a money grabbing criminal in the process? :D

We wanted to start a website at one point to document exactly these "hidden extras". Unfortunately, I think we were rather optimistic about the time we would have free, but maybe somebody else should have a go =). We have a list somewhere of good ones to get started...

[chunky_tesco]

The said advert attached! :D

[Akira]

Hahahaha!
Those two don't look like videogame players btw, more like Starsky & Hutch in their poor thief verson!

[chunky_tesco]

maybe he should spend some of his £1000 reward on a new haircut!

[thinlega]

Yay!!!

you found the adert I was after HERE (http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=3041)

appart from It does not have the bloggos games text on it :great

[chunky_tesco]

Fiath and IFW, has "Bloggo's Pow" been preserved by CAPS yet? :great