Prospector - In the Mazes of Xor (1989/Logotron)

Duke · 21 February 2004, 05:08

Recently released by CAPS, this game does not have WHDLoad install yet. I have uploaded the ADF to the Zone, which was made from the CAPS-Release (incidentally it matches a disk in TOSEC, so it can be considered [!]).

DrBong · 21 February 2004, 06:40

How did you make an ADF image of the game (with protection intact, given there was any to speak of) from an IPF file?

Duke · 21 February 2004, 06:43

There is no disk-based protection, only a question where it asks for a word from the manual (it's even stated on the box, 'Kein Kopierschutz'). So you just have to insert the ipf in WinUAE and use any ADF creation utility (like transdisk).

Codetapper · 21 February 2004, 13:33

I have made a WHDLoad slave for the game for the version you uploaded and it seems to be fine. The manual protection was pathetically easy to remove:

Open the file Prospector, go to offset $6bc0, change $660a to $4e71 and the manual protection is gone!

Once I have made some icons for it I will upload it.

Also I checked out the 3 versions in TOSEC and they all seem to be for a different version as they have completely different graphics for the levels. The colours seem to be very bright and loud in the earlier 1988 version than the one in CAPS.

The 3 versions are all pretty badly cracked in that if you type something for the manual protection screen it will tell you that you are wrong and after 2 answers throw you out! Only Enter by itself will get into the game. They should have removed the comparison so anything you type is correct. It is also strange that all 3 versions are byte for byte the same - I suspect some crack stealing was going on as it is highly unlikely that 3 different crackers would all make the same modification!

Duke · 21 February 2004, 16:36

Wow, that was fast, thanks very much Codetapper!

There seem to be indead two different versions, the cracked ones in TOSEC are copyright 1988 and have different graphics than the uncracked one from 1989 which matches the CAPS release.

The protection is a joke anyway, just select 'German' and type 'und' as answer, you have chance of about 20% to get into the game.

DrBong · 21 February 2004, 20:13

Quote:

Originally posted by Duke
There is no disk-based protection, only a question where it asks for a word from the manual (it's even stated on the box, 'Kein Kopierschutz'). So you just have to insert the ipf in WinUAE and use any ADF creation utility (like transdisk).

I guessed that the game wasn't (heavily) protected if you converted from IPF to ADF. Thanks for the info!

Critter · 22 February 2004, 12:50

with the version on the zone i cant seem to get into the game. nothing works at the protection screen.

jrom · 22 February 2004, 16:00

It's because it is an uncracked version ;P... if you follow CodeTappers advice I'm sure it will be cracked.

Codetapper · 24 February 2004, 08:10

The installed game is now on the WHDLoad site. If you have the CAPS image or the ADF from the zone, you have the budget re-release (when the installer asks you).

The installer actually supports the original release aswell (from 1988) but I adapted it from a cracked disk image which should also work with the original.

So if you have the original version with the main game file called "Logotron" I would appreciate an ADF or whatever just so I can be sure it's cracked properly.

andreas · 26 February 2004, 07:28

Seems this info is already a bit outdated now, Codetapper.

The readme says that Tony Aksnes supported his original to you, so there SHOULD be a 100% certainty now that the installer does work with the original release.

(Shock and horror! Some people actually DO read the readmes, huh?

)

Codetapper · 26 February 2004, 08:28

Actually there are two original retail versions of the game and Tony's version is the same as the CAPS one. I am still missing the other original version!

And I will change the splash screen to credit everyone that has sent me the game including Duke who made the image for CAPS.

fiath · 26 February 2004, 10:16

Just to clarify, the CAPS release is a *retail* version, not budget. Codetapper is looking for an alternate retail version.

Budget games can be listed by changing the filter on the games page to "budget" like this. As you can see, not many

and I think all of these have the original versions released first.

Budget releases are sometimes useful since they may be a later version, have big fixes that didn't make it into the original, etc.

andreas · 26 February 2004, 14:45

Quote:

Originally posted by Codetapper
Actually there are two original retail versions of the game and Tony's version is the same as the CAPS one. I am still missing the other original version!

Heheh...now as you edited the above post ("with the main game file = Logotron" is new), things are 100 times clearer!

I'm no clairvoyant, so the meaning was a bit ambiguous

(btw if you're a moderator, you can edit your post umpteen times without 'Last edited by....' being shown!

)

Thanks to you too, fiath. Yes, I too had assumed that the CAPS version was a budget release.

Codetapper · 29 February 2004, 19:55

The install has been updated - the CAPS version is now the Retail Version 1.0 selection and the cracked one is the alternative version in the install script.

Galaxy · 08 January 2005, 01:05

I am also looking for an early, preferably uncracked, verison of this game. The HOL entry http://hol.abime.net/?id=1170 includes screenshots from the newer version, which includes a second set of levels (Procyon's mazes) not included with versions of Xor released on other platforms.

Both versions include a third set of levels that can be edited using the built-in level editor.

I am trying to determine whether the early Amiga version included these levels. I believe that it probably did as there is a level set labelled Procyon's mazes present in all of the cracked versions. However all the cracks of the early version of Xor that are in TOSEC have blank levels for this set. Also it is worth noting that the level editor can only edit the third level set (named Construction set).

So, if anyone has an early version of Xor that includes these levels (preferable an uncracked version) could they please reply to this post. I'm sure Codetapper would also be interested.

09 June 2005, 19:26

hello there everyone, i was hopin one of you guys could help me. just bought an original copy of Prospector in the Mazes of Xor off ebay. it's the pocket power version and the chap i bought it off failed to include the manual/password sheet (personally wasn't expectin one as it was a budget release) and the game loads but can't play it! could anyone help me out? perhaps there is somewhere i can down load the manual from? if you can help please send me an email, i would really appreciate it. cheers

girv · 12 June 2005, 18:44

Does the WHDLoad installer not remove this manual protection?

BippyM · 12 June 2005, 19:32

I'm sure it does as Codetapper says it was an easy crack!

Galaxy · 12 June 2005, 23:14

Whd version does remove protection. However, let's assume that jim does not have a hard disk.

21 February 2004, 05:08	#1
Duke HOL-Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Age: 43 Posts: 520	Prospector - In the Mazes of Xor (1989/Logotron) Recently released by CAPS, this game does not have WHDLoad install yet. I have uploaded the ADF to the Zone, which was made from the CAPS-Release (incidentally it matches a disk in TOSEC, so it can be considered [!]). Last edited by Duke; 21 February 2004 at 16:37.

21 February 2004, 13:33	#4
Codetapper 2 contact me: email only! Join Date: May 2001 Location: Auckland / New Zealand Posts: 3,182	Done! I have made a WHDLoad slave for the game for the version you uploaded and it seems to be fine. The manual protection was pathetically easy to remove: Open the file Prospector, go to offset $6bc0, change $660a to $4e71 and the manual protection is gone! Once I have made some icons for it I will upload it. Also I checked out the 3 versions in TOSEC and they all seem to be for a different version as they have completely different graphics for the levels. The colours seem to be very bright and loud in the earlier 1988 version than the one in CAPS. The 3 versions are all pretty badly cracked in that if you type something for the manual protection screen it will tell you that you are wrong and after 2 answers throw you out! Only Enter by itself will get into the game. They should have removed the comparison so anything you type is correct. It is also strange that all 3 versions are byte for byte the same - I suspect some crack stealing was going on as it is highly unlikely that 3 different crackers would all make the same modification! Last edited by Codetapper; 21 February 2004 at 13:39.

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21 February 2004, 06:40	#2
DrBong HOL / AMR Team Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 2,632	How did you make an ADF image of the game (with protection intact, given there was any to speak of) from an IPF file?

21 February 2004, 06:43	#3
Duke HOL-Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Age: 43 Posts: 520	There is no disk-based protection, only a question where it asks for a word from the manual (it's even stated on the box, 'Kein Kopierschutz'). So you just have to insert the ipf in WinUAE and use any ADF creation utility (like transdisk).

21 February 2004, 16:36	#5
Duke HOL-Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Age: 43 Posts: 520	Wow, that was fast, thanks very much Codetapper! There seem to be indead two different versions, the cracked ones in TOSEC are copyright 1988 and have different graphics than the uncracked one from 1989 which matches the CAPS release. The protection is a joke anyway, just select 'German' and type 'und' as answer, you have chance of about 20% to get into the game.

22 February 2004, 12:50	#7
Critter Registered User Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Nth^Dimension Posts: 188	with the version on the zone i cant seem to get into the game. nothing works at the protection screen.

22 February 2004, 16:00	#8
jrom Wannabe asm coder ;) Join Date: May 2002 Location: The Netherlands Age: 47 Posts: 459	It's because it is an uncracked version ;P... if you follow CodeTappers advice I'm sure it will be cracked.

24 February 2004, 08:10	#9
Codetapper 2 contact me: email only! Join Date: May 2001 Location: Auckland / New Zealand Posts: 3,182	The installed game is now on the WHDLoad site. If you have the CAPS image or the ADF from the zone, you have the budget re-release (when the installer asks you). The installer actually supports the original release aswell (from 1988) but I adapted it from a cracked disk image which should also work with the original. So if you have the original version with the main game file called "Logotron" I would appreciate an ADF or whatever just so I can be sure it's cracked properly.

26 February 2004, 07:28	#10
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	Seems this info is already a bit outdated now, Codetapper. The readme says that Tony Aksnes supported his original to you, so there SHOULD be a 100% certainty now that the installer does work with the original release. (Shock and horror! Some people actually DO read the readmes, huh? )

26 February 2004, 08:28	#11
Codetapper 2 contact me: email only! Join Date: May 2001 Location: Auckland / New Zealand Posts: 3,182	Actually there are two original retail versions of the game and Tony's version is the same as the CAPS one. I am still missing the other original version! And I will change the splash screen to credit everyone that has sent me the game including Duke who made the image for CAPS.

26 February 2004, 10:16	#12
fiath Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: South East / UK Age: 46 Posts: 1,930	Just to clarify, the CAPS release is a retail version, not budget. Codetapper is looking for an alternate retail version. Budget games can be listed by changing the filter on the games page to "budget" like this. As you can see, not many and I think all of these have the original versions released first. Budget releases are sometimes useful since they may be a later version, have big fixes that didn't make it into the original, etc.

29 February 2004, 19:55	#14
Codetapper 2 contact me: email only! Join Date: May 2001 Location: Auckland / New Zealand Posts: 3,182	The install has been updated - the CAPS version is now the Retail Version 1.0 selection and the cracked one is the alternative version in the install script.

08 January 2005, 01:05	#15
Galaxy Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Canberra, Australia Age: 46 Posts: 1,417	I am also looking for an early, preferably uncracked, verison of this game. The HOL entry http://hol.abime.net/?id=1170 includes screenshots from the newer version, which includes a second set of levels (Procyon's mazes) not included with versions of Xor released on other platforms. Both versions include a third set of levels that can be edited using the built-in level editor. I am trying to determine whether the early Amiga version included these levels. I believe that it probably did as there is a level set labelled Procyon's mazes present in all of the cracked versions. However all the cracks of the early version of Xor that are in TOSEC have blank levels for this set. Also it is worth noting that the level editor can only edit the third level set (named Construction set). So, if anyone has an early version of Xor that includes these levels (preferable an uncracked version) could they please reply to this post. I'm sure Codetapper would also be interested.

09 June 2005, 19:26	#16
jim Posts: n/a	hello there everyone, i was hopin one of you guys could help me. just bought an original copy of Prospector in the Mazes of Xor off ebay. it's the pocket power version and the chap i bought it off failed to include the manual/password sheet (personally wasn't expectin one as it was a budget release) and the game loads but can't play it! could anyone help me out? perhaps there is somewhere i can down load the manual from? if you can help please send me an email, i would really appreciate it. cheers

12 June 2005, 18:44	#17
girv Mostly Harmless Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 1,109	Does the WHDLoad installer not remove this manual protection?

12 June 2005, 19:32	#18
BippyM Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 48 Posts: 9,355	I'm sure it does as Codetapper says it was an easy crack!

12 June 2005, 23:14	#19
Galaxy Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Canberra, Australia Age: 46 Posts: 1,417	Whd version does remove protection. However, let's assume that jim does not have a hard disk.

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