Battle Chess - obscure on-disk protection?

[Akira]

Whoever said this was the most pointless thread in the past months, should get a reality check now.
This is how things should work out! The outcome of this thread makes me happy and inspires me to mess around with this stuff myself

[TheCyberDruid]

Congratulations Sektor_83!

Got around to test the disk and it works nicely Keep it up

[prowler]

Kudos to Sektor 83 for a successful first-time crack and for turning this thread around.

[Sektor 83]

Ah, thanks everybody

[Ian]

Originally Posted by StingRay

Only if the hex editor allows block/sector/track-wise editing as otherwise you'll destroy the data. Sektor83 used the game's very own hd-installer to work around this problem, i.e. he has created a 100% DOS version of the game.

I thought the idea of the perfect crack would be a few changes made from the original as possible.

Don't get me wrong, I cannot crack anything get the odd urge every now and again but get the idea that once you start on the road there is a hell of a lot of learning to be done of assembly for a long dead system. I would be better learning something like c++.

And of course I do not have the time for either pursuit. Got a book on c++ about a year ago and didn't get past the first page before I got nagged to death.

[StingRay]

Originally Posted by Ian

I thought the idea of the perfect crack would be a few changes made from the original as possible.

For me, a perfect crack is one that works. The way Sektor83 has cracked Battle Chess might've been unconventional but it does the job. Sometimes it is even required to make lots of changes to the original (think encrypted binaries or custom disk formats f.e.).

Originally Posted by Ian

Don't get me wrong, I cannot crack anything get the odd urge every now and again but get the idea that once you start on the road there is a hell of a lot of learning to be done of assembly for a long dead system. I would be better learning something like c++.

Cracking can teach you a lot! And simple protections don't require that much assembly knowledge, quite the opposite actually.

[Ian]

Well, I'm having a go at Battle Chess, just got to find me some instructions for action replay (or HRTMon)


....... and I've given up

[MethodGit]

You know, I almost forgot to share my cracking take on Battle Chess. Duly zoned.

Protection question skipped completely, edits made through the ADF and checksum-corrected by DMT.

[prowler]

Originally Posted by MethodGit

Protection question skipped completely, edits made through the ADF and checksum-corrected by DMT.

The 'perfect' crack, Ian?

[Sektor 83]

I've just downloaded MethodGit's BattleChess crack because I was curious as to what he did with the in-game protection, and to compare it with my own take on it. Unfortunately, I get the same 'Software Failure' guru message under a bog-standard A500 config that he posted in his first screenshot in this thread. Works fine under KS2.0 though.

[TheCyberDruid]

Originally Posted by Sektor 83

I've just downloaded MethodGit's BattleChess crack because I was curious as to what he did with the in-game protection. Unfortunately, I get the same 'Software Failure' guru message under a bog-standard A500 config that he posted in his first screenshot in this thread. Works fine under KS2.0 though.

Same here. Once I double click the disk icon, I get the same error as in the first post.

Originally Posted by prowler

The 'perfect' crack, Ian?

After having a look... not really

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Ian

....... and I've given up

Actually I didn't. Got the memory address for the protection (different locations everytime don't know if this means anything)

Changed a value in Action replay to avoid the loop but it was already in it so was still frozen. but progress I suppose.

Guess if I try the same before failing the protection it will work.

Guess not.

Anyway...... Guess pressing x with action replay is what I missed.

[Ian]

So, as you can see I've kludged my way to "cracking" it, I think I've found the beginning of the protection FC0C88, I have tried altering it using a FC0C88 and forcing it to "BRA C13A7E" which is after the protection has been successfully passed but it will not let me.

I know you can trace forwards a step, is it possible to go backwards using action replay?

I assume if I can get to the original instruction to get to what I believe is the start of the protection I just bypass everything quite easily.

Not really interested in anyone telling me how to crack it, but more the options available in action replay.

Also, what did you use when you started Galahad? I assume action replay didn't exist until much later?

[MethodGit]

Originally Posted by Sektor 83

I've just downloaded MethodGit's BattleChess crack because I was curious as to what he did with the in-game protection, and to compare it with my own take on it. Unfortunately, I get the same 'Software Failure' guru message under a bog-standard A500 config that he posted in his first screenshot in this thread. Works fine under KS2.0 though.

Do you mean when opening the WB window? You need to write-protect the disk to get around that. As has been explained, under a WB1.3 environment the disk tends to automatically write a .info onto itself and for whatever reason the Battle Chess disk keeps screwing this bit up (and it's definitely not related to any cracking).

I *did* enable the read-only flag on the ADF before uploading but I should've guessed that it doesn't transfer across downloads. I should've just zipped it up first!

[TheCyberDruid]

Great way to crack it then...

[prowler]

This thread is going off topic.

Please keep posting here for now. At this point, there are least three separate threads evolving. I will split it up as it develops.

Edit: Done!

[MethodGit]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

Great way to crack it then...

Please, see if you can do better. I didn't prioritise it since it's a fault with a clean ADF as well and I can't take further time trying to correct programmer mistakes!

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by MethodGit

Please, see if you can do better. I didn't prioritise it since it's a fault with a clean ADF as well and I can't take further time trying to correct programmer mistakes!

Programmer mistakes? Oh dear!

[TheCyberDruid]

Actually I didn't crack anythng or ever will, but I don't think that's the point anyway. Check the QTX release for example. Or Sektor 83's. They don't crash on you when the disk is write enabled. Nice extra to removing the protection I'd say. At least put a message on the disk to let people know.

[Ian]

Ok i give up on bypassing the protection entirely. Made my first baby steps. That'll do for now.

[kipper2k]

Originally Posted by Ian

Ok i give up on bypassing the protection entirely. Made my first baby steps. That'll do for now.

You can use breakpoints at an earlier address to move backwards to earlier instructions, also you can look for RTS commands and then step through the instructions. ARIII has a lot of monitor commands that are available.

[Codetapper]

Originally Posted by MethodGit

Do you mean when opening the WB window? You need to write-protect the disk to get around that. As has been explained, under a WB1.3 environment the disk tends to automatically write a .info onto itself and for whatever reason the Battle Chess disk keeps screwing this bit up (and it's definitely not related to any cracking).

I *did* enable the read-only flag on the ADF before uploading but I should've guessed that it doesn't transfer across downloads. I should've just zipped it up first!

Are you telling me that if you own an original of Battle Chess, and you don't keep it write protected, you will destroy the original disk when Workbench loads?

Say it ain't so!?! Very lame if that is the case...

MG: What have the 'real' crackers done to get around this problem? I notice the Quartex crack doesn't crash if you leave the disk unprotected unlike your version.

[Supamax]

Originally Posted by Akira

But at the same time, the people who allegedly dislike MethodGit's posts, SHOULD avoid his threads, nevertheles they post offensively. It has been said before, there's an IGNORE function built into this board, why can't people use it?

Personal attacks like the ones above should not be tolerated in this board.

I agree .

[TheCyberDruid]

Just a little something that DH came up with today:



Idea by yours truly and execution by Mr DemonHellraiser (cheers for that )

[DaveMB]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

Just a little something that DH came up with today:



Idea by yours truly and execution by Mr DemonHellraiser (cheers for that )

Very cool

[Sektor 83]

Ah, that's pretty neat! Thanks guys, it'll make a great sig!

Edit: Ah, no animated sigs allowed... never mind, eh, I've downloaded it anyway onto my computer as a small memento

[prowler]

All posts relating to Sektor 83's next cracking adventure have been moved into the new thread What to crack next after Battle Chess?.

[dlfrsilver]

Maybe i should post my bat II dongle crack then ? :-D

[Sektor 83]

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

Maybe i should post my bat II dongle crack then ? :-D

Please do!!! I'd be interested in reading up on anything like that!

[prowler]

All posts relating to the DiskMonTools nag-screen have been moved into a new thread.

[Galahad/FLT]

Just a small bump for an excellent thread