Rocket Ranger - Lunarium / Secret Decoder Wheel / Takeoff

[TCD]

Originally Posted by DamienD

Not really for copy protection but one of the first "codewheels" I remember was the Rocket Ranger "Secret Decoder Wheel"

What was it used for then? Maybe this is the thing I always missed and thus couldn't play the game... but I guess I should have been able to get off the ground in the first screen without it

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

What was it used for then? Maybe this is the thing I always missed and thus couldn't play the game...

Taken from here:

To fly from location to location, the rocket pack must be filled with a very specific amount of fuel. Too much or too little will cause the hero to overshoot or fall short of the target, and as a result fall into the ocean and die. The player could determine the correct amount of fuel for a starting/destination pair using an encoding wheel included with the game. This element of the game was actually an anti-pirating facility. The idea was that since the wheel was included with the game and couldn't easily be duplicated, only legitimate purchasers of the game could successfully use the game.

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

but I guess I should have been able to get off the ground in the first screen without it

The more lunarium you had loaded, the harder it was to take off

[TCD]

Thank you Damien!
I'll have another go on that game on the weekend. Even if I have to guess the right amount of lunarium (god bless WinUAE savestates ) it will surely be a lot easier than the 'alright lets put in as much as I could' method

[DamienD]

Like most Cinemaware games, Rocket Ranger is wicked

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

Even if I have to guess the right amount of lunarium (god bless WinUAE savestates ) it will surely be a lot easier than the 'alright lets put in as much as I could' method

No need to guess... Here's a text file that contains:

... Hints
... Lunarium Codes
... Walkthrough

You can also get the official Secret Decoder Wheel from the Cinemaware website. You need to register first though

[TCD]

Damien, have a drink on me
I love the Cinemaware games, but Rocket Ranger was one I never could figure out (because of that damn lift off sequence ) how to play. I really appreciate your help on that game. Thanks mate!

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

Damien, have a drink on me
I love the Cinemaware games, but Rocket Ranger was one I never could figure out (because of that damn lift off sequence ) how to play. I really appreciate your help on that game. Thanks mate!

No problem. I used to play this on the C64 before my A500

Quote from the .txt file I posted above:

- Takeoff

Make sure you have loaded up with enough Lunarium. A heavy load is harder to take off with of course, but if you press the button in time with your legs being directly underneath your body you should manage it. Watch out for the lame seagull and also watch out for the UFO which appears from time to time on the screen where you soar up through the sky.

[TCD]

The textfile is already stored in my 'Amiga\Hints' folder
I'll PM you if I could successfully lift off with your help. I think I'll try it on friday evening with a cold beer at my side

[Belgarath]

Be aware there are two versions, EU and US and the Lunarium values differ between the two.

[TCD]

Do you know which version the Quartex crack is? I think it's the EU version, but I'm not sure.

[DamienD]

Most cracked versions floating around should be EU i.e. PAL I guess...

There's an easy way to find out

[TCD]

Originally Posted by DamienD

Most cracked versions floating around should be EU i.e. PAL I guess...

There's an easy way to find out

It run at the right speed without NTSC checked in WinUAE?
If there is another way to find it out please tell me

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

It run at the right speed without NTSC checked in WinUAE?

Yes

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

If there is another way to find it out please tell me

Play the game, just pick a short Lunarium destination like U.S.A --> Atlantic i.e. 23 and see if you actually make it get

[TCD]

Ah okay, the obvious thingy I guess your walkthrough is for the EU version

[Retro-Nerd]

Has anybody still the scanned Secret Decoder Wheel? The old Cinemaware site is gone and there is nothing on the new site.

[e5frog]

Only have a table on a paper since back in the day, the actual wheel would have been very nice.

Here are some scans to look at, don't know if the US and Europe versions looked the same.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/explod...568221/detail/


I noticed the "EU" version on this page for Commodore 64 is the same as the table I'm successfully using with my Amiga version (scroll to bottom):
http://www.c64-wiki.de/index.php/Rocket_Ranger

[e5frog]

So, I spent a few hours on this.

That table on the C64-wiki differs in eleven places from the table I've got and mostly on the Egypt row, going to test these in the program before I make my final wheel for myself.

Not sure this is allowed but feel free to check out the (intermittent) finished kit, I added both values on all the ones that differ.

[Retro-Nerd]

Nice one. Many thanks, e5frog.

[e5frog]

Here's the checked version, those c64-wiki codes weren't correct in almost all places where they differed - they might be for the C64 version of course.

New code wheel:


http://postimg.org/gallery/1kce1959q/

(You'll get the largest image by clicking the image until it gets the text "/full/" last in the web address, then feel free to save)

[Retro-Nerd]

I see. Thanks for the check.

[e5frog]

I imagine the original wheel has a transparent red film and the code part has a bunch of red numbers all over it with just weak blue spots that will show best through the red filter?

I assembled two, it was a bit tricky getting them centered, but it works.