A few questions to Galahad / cracking memories

[Nostalgeek]

Hello Galahad

First of all, I want to say it's totally awesome to have real famous game crackers from the old days chatting around. I've always been on the user side of cracks and nothing else, while being interested in that undercover world, and FairLight is definitely a big name we will all remember!

I direct this post to you, because you publicly tell about your past occupations, but I guess there's many other crackers around (maybe DemonHellRaiser which seems to be part of FLT as well? ), and everybody - cracker or non-cracker - is of course welcome to participate

Well, my first question, is something I always wondered.
Back in the days, when you were on duty in the Dark Side , was it a risky occupation? I mean, did you feel in "danger" in any way? Did you take any particular actions to make sure you stayed anonymous? Or was it a totally free and libertarian world where you were (or felt?) untouchable and even publicly talked about what you were doing around you?

Any (funny or not) anecdotes to share?

Any "Memories of a game cracker" biography to hit the bookshelves anytime soon? I would definitely buy it!

[TCD]

You can find some nice scene stories in this thread : http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=15590
Oh and DemonHellraiser is also on the 'user' side with us (though I think he might have been a GFX guy if he was in the scene back then )

[Nostalgeek]

Hehe thanks TCD, that was an interesting read! Funny to see these guys share memories and get back in touch after all these years!

[NewDeli]

You can have access to some of Fairlight back stories here, fueled up by his mate Rebel !

From what I have read, some copy parties having taken place in the most active EC countries (Sweden, France...) were targeted by the authorities. I guess if you only provided "art", the risks were lower.

Some scene interviews (what was your fav. demo, who was your fav. coder...) are conducted nowadays since, most of the time, the threat is behind us.

Also, most scrollings from the major demos are available in plain text, upon a Google search, but they're not always worth reading.

[DH]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

You can find some nice scene stories in this thread : http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=15590
Oh and DemonHellraiser is also on the 'user' side with us (though I think he might have been a GFX guy if he was in the scene back then )

Sorry to disappoint all you guys, but GFX was not my best subject back in my Amiga days

Tried as I might, the best thing I ever created was no better than a retarded 3 year old could do, but along came digital cameras so I needed to learn PS and that's how I can create some awesome masterpieces, if I don't say so myself

btw. The closest I got to the scene was to watch or listen to amazing works of art, music, demos and all behind a monitor screen Wish the scene still existed now and in the same capacity, ahh well, we can always deam

[TCD]

Originally Posted by DemonHellraiser

Wish the scene still existed now and in the same capacity, ahh well, we can always deam

Don't let StingRay hear that The scene is still alive (well the demo scene that is ) and also on the Miggy Have a look on http://www.pouet.net/ and look for the latest Amiga demos

[Nostalgeek]

That thread rocks Deleauvive!! Thanks

Enfin, je peux aussi sûrement te dire merci, c'est peut-être plus simple

[DH]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

Don't let StingRay hear that The scene is still alive (well the demo scene that is ) and also on the Miggy Have a look on http://www.pouet.net/ and look for the latest Amiga demos

Well, I know the demo scene is still alive, but it's not quite the same as it used to be

I remember you couldn't go into work without handfuls of disks being passed around and shoved into your face with the newest releases from the demo scene etc, it was awesome back then. Now, you don't get anybody doing that, they all talk about crap music 'n' stuff and who's gonna win the X-Factor Boring

Still, it's nice to know the scene still exists. Maybe we should all input some stuff to give it a real big boost, don't you agree

[TCD]

Originally Posted by DemonHellraiser

Still, it's nice to know the scene still exists. Maybe we should all input some stuff to give it a real big boost, don't you agree

Well, maybe some music from me Everything changes throughout the years and gone are the days when you packed one of your disk boxes in your backpack, grabbed your bicycle and drove to a friend to *cough* help him making backup copies... Some new demos are nice and the 'other' scene is also out there somewhere... Guess something has survived

[DH]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

Guess something has survived

Yep! Sure has and I'm really, really glad. I know somewhere in Europe they still have a Party for the demo scene involving all sorts of computers including the Amiga. I would like to see a demo party for just the Amiga though, I think if it were to happen we should all go, every one of us from EAB It should also be renamed to Amiga Fest

btw. nice santa hat on your avatar, I knew you were an underground GFX artist, you should start making wallpapers too

[viddi]

Originally Posted by Nostalgeek

Enfin, je peux aussi sûrement te dire merci, c'est peut-être plus simple

Ce n'est pas la mer a boire.

[TCD]

Originally Posted by DemonHellraiser

Yep! Sure has and I'm really, really glad. I know somewhere in Europe they still have a Party for the demo scene involving all sorts of computers including the Amiga. I would like to see a demo party for just the Amiga though, I think if it were to happen we should all go, every one of us from EAB It should also be renamed to Amiga Fest

Shoonay is attending quite a lot of Amiga events (at least it seems so ). Maybe he knows of a pure Amiga demo event somewhere in europe

Originally Posted by DemonHellraiser

btw. nice santa hat on your avatar, I knew you were an underground GFX artist, you should start making wallpapers too

I was about to ask you to do it mate Maybe when I find some time in the X-Mas holidays I'll make something else Amiga related...

[Paul_s]

Originally Posted by DemonHellraiser

Sorry to disappoint all you guys, but GFX was not my best subject back in my Amiga days

Tried as I might, the best thing I ever created was no better than a retarded 3 year old could do, but along came digital cameras so I needed to learn PS and that's how I can create some awesome masterpieces, if I don't say so myself

btw. The closest I got to the scene was to watch or listen to amazing works of art, music, demos and all behind a monitor screen Wish the scene still existed now and in the same capacity, ahh well, we can always deam

I reckon we should create our own group the A500 still has loads more left in her for another run for glory

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by Nostalgeek

Hello Galahad

First of all, I want to say it's totally awesome to have real famous game crackers from the old days chatting around. I've always been on the user side of cracks and nothing else, while being interested in that undercover world, and FairLight is definitely a big name we will all remember!

I direct this post to you, because you publicly tell about your past occupations, but I guess there's many other crackers around (maybe DemonHellRaiser which seems to be part of FLT as well? ), and everybody - cracker or non-cracker - is of course welcome to participate

Well, my first question, is something I always wondered.
Back in the days, when you were on duty in the Dark Side , was it a risky occupation? I mean, did you feel in "danger" in any way? Did you take any particular actions to make sure you stayed anonymous? Or was it a totally free and libertarian world where you were (or felt?) untouchable and even publicly talked about what you were doing around you?

Any (funny or not) anecdotes to share?

Any "Memories of a game cracker" biography to hit the bookshelves anytime soon? I would definitely buy it!

Was it risky being a cracker? Not at all, everyone local knew exactly who I was, so long as you didn't indulge in Calling Cards then there was virtually no chance of getting caught.

Traders were more likely to get caught because they were more likely to use Calling Cards to get the wares spread. I did use them on occasions, but not often enough to get caught.

People seem to think crackers walk down the street past the Police thinking they are untouchable, when in fact the Police probably couldn't have cared less or simply didn't understand it as a crime. Of course they are substantially more aware now

Other than the original suppliers and a couple of the sysops of the major Fairlight boards, other than people local to me, no-one else knew me or knew where I operated from. For years on some demo/crack group websites I was listed as being in Germany, France and Sweden!

[JuvUK]

i don't know if this counts but its quite funny to read
http://zakalwe.fi/~shd/texts/imr/a173jbm.htm

enjoy

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by JuvUK

i don't know if this counts but its quite funny to read
http://zakalwe.fi/~shd/texts/imr/a173jbm.htm

enjoy

Good old Joe, 'understated' as always

[Crown]

Hi Galahad,

Regarding your scene career, how did you end up cracking games?

[JuvUK]

this isn't bad either, a wee bit of history

http://www.fairlight.to/

[JuvUK]

i have to say it is STILL cool to see newly released Fairlight stuff, kind of nostalgic

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by Crown

Hi Galahad,

Regarding your scene career, how did you end up cracking games?

Because at the time I couldn't draw very well, couldn't code well enough to compete with demo coders and my music skills were all in my head, I could never get them down in Protracker..... until much later!

So I started experimenting with trying to deprotect games and found it was something I could do quite well.