Need help to get back a lost demo part

Hi,

The Kefrens demo "Desert Dream" was to include 2 hidden parts.
The second one being launched from the first one.

I had contact with the Kefrens members, and this is now confirmed.
You can read their messages here : http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10231

Unfortunately, due do a bug in their key-trigger / loader routine, the second one can't be accessed at all.
It is unsure whether to code is still intact on the released disc, but I am convinced it is, read below.

I had a close look at the disc #2 usage using WinUAE and here is the result :

"Start of part 2"
Track 00-03
Track 07-08

"Big Balls"
Track 08-12
Track 03-07

"Picture zoom/rotate"
Track 03
Track 08

"Sinedots 3D"
Track 12

"Sinedots 3D (continuation)"
Track 12-13

"Cooper Anim - Ending credits"
Track 13-18

"Hidden Part 1 Start"
Track 74-79
Track 72-74
Track 61-72

"Hidden Part 1 Cooper scroll"
Track 59-61

"Hidden part 2 ???"
Track 58-59 ???

As you can see, for the hidden part, they load bunch of tracks in reversed order.

The track 19 till 57 seems to contain garbage only.
Among other things I saw there servial versions of a tool named "RAM-TEST" by Markus van Kempen, copyright by GIGATRON; together with piece of source code.


The interesting part lies on track 58-59.
There, you can find a small chiptune module (13 Kb large, was ripped and spread years ago by Sven Gester).

Around that module there are some machine code that must actually be the hidden part #2.

Now, here is the end of my Amiga knowledge.
I was coder/cracker on TRS80 Color, Amstrad CPC & on early PC, but I only used Amiga for gaming or demo watching.


For an experienced coder / cracker, it should be pretty easy to figure out the right memory address to load those tracks, and run the code.

This part maybe re-use some code already loaded by hidden part#1, as ~22 Kb, including a 13 Kb module is maybe too short.

To the person that are willing to help us, don't forget you will bring back a piece of history to all the Amiga fans.
I am sure you'll be praised till the end of time for doing that

Sorry for the long message.

[Malc]

Holy monkey bits!

That is some GOOD research there mate, sadly I can't help you but there will almost certainly be someone here that can.

Great info though.

[Galahad/FLT]

The code you can see is what remains of the Protracker playroutine for that chip tune you can find. Unfortunately, its nothing but empty DOS tracks in front of the code, therefore the meaningful code to actually run the secret part has been erased.

There is a part of the playroutine, then there is some graphics (most likely the font(s)) and then the chip tune.

This is just from examining the disk as is. Unless the code is elsewhere on the disk (and thats a big if!), then its lost I'm afraid.

Unless the code is elsewhere on the disk (and thats a big if!), then its lost I'm afraid.

Actually the loader for the second part was NOT removed from the first part.
Maybe you can locate it and by dis-assembling it you should figure out were the tracks are supposed to be.

Or maybe the code of the second part is pre-loaded by the first part and only the chip-tune was to be loaded when you activate the key-trigger?

These are the last options.

In my opinion, as track 58 contain only a part of the Protracker player, I think the code of the part 2 was supposed to lie on front of this track.
But as you noticed, those tracks are empty.

Anyway, thank you very much for taking time to analyse this part.

Here is a mail I received from Sven Gester I while ago.

Originally Posted by Sven Gester

1) A complete hex dump of Desert Dream disk #2 shows following:
- $00000 to $33200 (track 0, sector 0 up to track 17, sector 13) --> democode (part 2)
- $33200 to $9f800 (track 17, sector 13 up to track 58, sector 0) --> amiga disk structure WITHOUT A BREAK BY ANY DEMOCODE; if you install a normal bootblock on Desert Dream disk #2 you will get an amiga dos disk named "RAM-TEST" :-) holding some standard-directories ('c', 'devs' and 's') and standard-files; the filenames of the assembler-sources we have seen were deleted from the filelist-table, i dont know, if these files can be restored or not and if they contribute to our problem ...
- $9f800 to $dc000 (track 58, sector 0 up to the end of the disk) --> democode (hidden part 1 (and 2 ??????))

This points out to the fact, that the 'hidden part 2 code' either doesnt lie anymore on Desert Dream disk #2 (we should capitulate ...) or is preloaded by any other demopart (we should hope ...).

So, if any Amiga expert could have a look, it would be great.

Also, don't miss information from this thread : http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=10231
As it seems now sure the second hidden part was to be accessed thru the first hidden part; or is actually split over 2 demos.

Hi,

Originally Posted by trance007

...As it seems now sure the second hidden part was to be accessed thru the first hidden part; or is actually split over 2 demos.

You might want to read RWO's scroller in the end of "Galemands '93 - The Revenge og Kuglepølen". It reads...

Well, it seems like nobody have been able to find the second hidden part in Desert Dream, right?! For the interested phreaks I can reveal, that half of the part is located on DD disk 1, and the other half is located in the minidemo D.A.N.E.

or check this thread out, it's the exact same topic. Oh, and pleeeaase let me know if you find out how to access this legendary scene myth

Hi,

Well, we already asked Vention about this text in the scroller.
Check here : http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=251960&postcount=6

Roughly, the Vention answer was

This piece of text must be written by someone, who thought he knew a real cool story ...
D.A.N.E. was made in a real great hurry and there was no place left on the disk for other code ...

Strange, isn't it ?
Especially because Vention is actually the coder of the Galemands '93 ...

Beside, the idea of having an hidden part split on 2 different disk is rather hard to beleive.
You have to schedule this several weeks before the demos are actually released.

Desert Dream was released at The Gathering 93, 07/04/1993
D.A.N.E was released at The Computer Crossroads, 29/05/1993

How the hell could they say "See ya in the SECOND hidden part." in Desert Dream, if this second hidden part can only be accessed using a disk relesed 2 month later ???



I hope we will get the real answer, one day...