Helter Skelter unsupported version!

[BarryB]

Codetappers WHDLoad install is looking for disk " " and file hs.img but mine is labelled "Helter Skelter" and has 2 files: hsload and helter-skelter. Believe mine is the earlier 1988 release as the installer says the version is from 1990!

It also appears protected on T1.0 (longtrack) and T1.1 (longtrack + missing/damaged sector or genuinely bad)! Checks this before starting the game and if not correct then pressing FIRE does not enter the game!

PING Codetapper!

CT Raw dump in the zone

[s2325]

Bod of Hotline - A Cool Compo Disk (19xx)(Hotline) have different version than in HOL, maybe there are more.

[BarryB]

That version may be the one I have?

The version I have looks like the one described on the SPS Wanted list:

[DrBong]

I already supplied it to Ian last year for WHD patching, but I think he had a damaged hand(?) at the time. Feel free to send him a reminder......

[BarryB]

OK, report sent via WHDLoad.de

[DrBong]

Cool, and thanks for reminding me that I need to knock up a HOL entry for the 1988 version! BTW there is an ADF of Helter Skelter '88 on the EAB FTP server. I'm guessing most people aren't aware of it, though......

http://grandis.nu:81/eabsearch/searc...8&category_id=

[BarryB]

That's the same version as mine but cracked/AGA fixed and seems to be packed with MUTANT imploder too!

EDIT: Actually, there are 2 files linked into one EXE, the Cracktro and the game! xfdlist shows 4EF9 Linker so if you do 'xfdunlink game cracktro helter-skelter' you'll separate the 2 files and get a runnable game without the cracktro! If you run the cracktro on it's own it won't do much except hang your amiga after pressing the left mouse button!! The cracktro IS compressed with imploder, but no idea what packer the game is compressed with?

[dlfrsilver]

Barry, your dump is dirty on the big protection track. It's a generic Amigados longtrack. Your disk is not modified

Can you try to redump it a second time please ?

[BarryB]

I'll have another go tonight!

I did retry dumping that track a number of times when I first dumped it but couldn't get it to dump error free! If Dr Bong has an original too might be worth him making a dump too?

[DrBong]

Originally Posted by BarryB

If Dr Bong has an original too might be worth him making a dump too?

Already did last year. Ian and now Denis both have the raw dump. Just have to wait to hear back from Denis now about my raw dump.......

[BarryB]

Hopefully your dump is clean on the protection track or 100% clean, we can then make a working eADF and SPS can make a clean IPF

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by BarryB

Hopefully your dump is clean on the protection track or 100% clean, we can then make a working eADF and SPS can make a clean IPF

Well the game runs correctly, it's just that the longtrack (one of the two on disk) doesn't resolve fully.

But the temp IPF works correctly under winuae....

[BarryB]

I also made an IPF with Keir's disk-utilities and that works fine in WinUAE as well even with the damaged track!

[BarryB]

No, T1.1 still won't dump clean! Always 1 bad sector and I even cleaned the disk on Side 1 but still an error!

Tried 3 drives and various combinations of retries and revolutions and still shows a bad sector, so it's either deliberate or a bad disk! Let's hope Dr Bongs dump is clean on T1.1!!

Edit: Been trying different combinations of protection on T1.0/T1.1 and it seems only T1.0 is needed. If I create a longtrack on T1.0 and an unformatted track on T1.1 the game works. If I create an unformatted track on T1.0 and a longtrack on T1.1 with the bad sector the game won't work, so does it only check T1.0?

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by BarryB

No, T1.1 still won't dump clean! Always 1 bad sector and I even cleaned the disk on Side 1 but still an error!

Tried 3 drives and various combinations of retries and revolutions and still shows a bad sector, so it's either deliberate or a bad disk! Let's hope Dr Bongs dump is clean on T1.1!!

Edit: Been trying different combinations of protection on T1.0/T1.1 and it seems only T1.0 is needed. If I create a longtrack on T1.0 and an unformatted track on T1.1 the game works. If I create an unformatted track on T1.0 and a longtrack on T1.1 with the bad sector the game won't work, so does it only check T1.0?

Don't worry, Dr Bong dump is the same as yours, same problem at the same place, so the original is like that

Thanks a lot for your dump Barry, please upload it on the SPS server (KFraw + CTraw )

[BarryB]

Nice one Thanks for confirming Dr Bongs is the same Denis, I'll upload it to SPS!

Codetapper has replied to my bug report and he'll have a look at it over the next few days

[Codetapper]

A quick update, the data on the protection track doesn't actually matter. The game writes a load of $4224 words to a buffer at $70000, reads one track of the disk, and works out the length of the track by hunting for the next $4224 pattern. If it's $3400 or less, the game is detected as a copy and the fire button to start will not work. Any higher value will pass the protection. The original in WinUAE returns $366c as the length.

So the contents of the track don't actually matter - it's purely a length check. An updated patch will be out shortly.

[BarryB]

Superstar

Denis mentioned the protection track was a 'generic longtrack', your analysis nicely explains it in more detail.

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by BarryB

Superstar

Denis mentioned the protection track was a 'generic longtrack', your analysis nicely explains it in more detail.

Yes The protection has no specific name

[BarryB]

Much easier to deal with than Copylock on the 1990 release