Giana Sisters, please read - Page 2

andreas · 14 December 2002, 21:17

which version are you referring to? Retroman's version or the one I uploaded?

Konrad · 15 December 2002, 10:14

@Andreas
I'm referring to your version, sorry

.

andreas · 15 December 2002, 14:17

Remember HQC = High Quality Crackings ... and this is by far no self-assertion - that's the plain truth!

In any case, this group never felt the necessity to paste its name into game intros!

Drake1009 · 15 December 2002, 16:33

Red sector crack has clouds as well Andreas. I have a screenshot taken from the Red sector version which has a cloud (neatly made in paint (just kidding)).

andreas · 15 December 2002, 18:18

Unlikely, because I tested all four TOSEC dumps )(...[cr RSi]...) to the extreme to no avail.
Maybe now there's another WinUAE bug in latest version showing the clouds by accident

Toni you have to fix this bug so that the clouds disappear again like it should be!!
(admittedly, I was joking big-time

)

Drake1009 · 15 December 2002, 20:40

If you want I could upload the screenshot again. I used winfellow to get the cloud. I think the conclusion we came to was that the clouds showed up with a specific memory setting.

Pfloyd · 19 December 2002, 17:03

@andreas:

The Skyline/HQC version from the zone crashes at level 27, so please add "[b]"

There's bad level data on the disk.
I wonder if the error was already on the master release disk from Skyline/HQC...

Feltzkrone · 19 December 2002, 17:59

If we've got so many different versions, we can take all working parts from each version and build a 100% one, at least the level data is plain uncompressed track data.

I'll load all those alternate versions in my little ADF inspector utility and I'll figure out the differences. Maybe this does help.

@fiath: In one of those cracktros somebody told us that the only protection on the disk was a track with 12 instead of 11 sectors. Is this true?

If it's true, at least the leveldata of differently cracked versions should be equal, so we can make a 100% versions.

I'll give it a try...

EDIT: Results...

All TOSECized Red Sector versions show differences in leveldata. No leveldata from one disk is like leveldata from another disk. It's a total mess....

[cr HQC][t Skyline] and [cr Skyline][t Skyline] are equal except the root block, where on [cr Skyline][t Skyline] the blocks 880 and 881 were overwritten (quick format or whatever) and the disk name sais "Lazarus". But all other leveldata from both disks are equal, so I admit trying to play the TOSECized [cr HQC][t Skyline] version. If there's a bug in graphics (not such a bug like on the screenshot in this thread, because it looks like a leveldata error, wrong graphics blocks used or something) it's probably because of wrong graphics or wrong code.

Pfloyd · 19 December 2002, 18:14

Hehe...

I already did that... all levels playable, combined with the Megatrainer from "The Lightforce". Clouds visible. Level glitches removed. Disk cleaned up. Original High Score Table...

Needs some more testing.

But stop! I don't know wether I should release this version or not... because it's not an authentic version.

Feltzkrone · 19 December 2002, 19:10

Yep, the version I suggested to use had a little flame sprite error. Apart from that the version seems okay. I think you can release it, because it seems to be more authentic than all those smashed versions we've known before.

BTW: The crash at level 27 could be caused by that stupid "Lazarus" root + bitmap blocks.

fiath · 20 December 2002, 02:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Feltzkrone

@fiath: In one of those cracktros somebody told us that the only protection on the disk was a track with 12 instead of 11 sectors. Is this true?

If it's true, at least the leveldata of differently cracked versions should be equal, so we can make a 100% versions.

Track 0.0 = ADOS
Tracks 0.1 - > 76.0 = Thomas Lopatic format
Tracks 76.1 -> 79.1 = ADOS
Tracks 80.0+ = Noise

Thomas Lopatic disk format only used ONE block/track - so no, that is totally untrue (at least on the version we have dumped - but it is very unlikely there is more than one retail version since the game was out for so little time...)

We have seen 12 ADOS blocks instead of 11 though, can't remember where though - on a Rob Northen type protection I think...

Feltzkrone · 20 December 2002, 10:42

Hehe... Perhaps it was mentioned in a cracktro of the c64 version. Wasn't it Thomas Lopatic too who made the amiga conversion of the soundtrack (original C64 soundtrack was made by Chris Hülsbeck)? At least T.L. made the music player routines...

On HQC / Skyline crack the leveldata was placed at track 0.5 and every level seems to take 1.5 tracks from that position on. I think Pfloyd's non-authentic version is a good deal, if I got it right he took correct leveldata from one version and took main code / graphics from another version.

andreas · 20 December 2002, 19:45

Quote:

[cr HQC][t Skyline] and [cr Skyline][t Skyline] are equal except the root block, where on [cr Skyline][t Skyline] the blocks 880 and 881 were overwritten (quick format or whatever) and the disk name sais "Lazarus".

ARGH!

Well. That's something completely different, and it's even worse!

"Lazarus" is the disk name given if a badly broken disk is "repaired" (!) with Disk Doctor 1.3.x, no matter if NDOS or AmigaDOS. Disk Doctor is able to "fix" every disk! (

)
So if there was a custom loader included in this bootblock, this disk would be rotten to the core and you couldn't even get to the intro again!

Feltzkrone · 22 December 2002, 18:54

Just learned another thing, thanks!

But the disk name is placed in the root block (absolute sector 880), not the boot block (abs. sectors 0 and 1). Everything is intact, but blocks 880 and 881 were "fixed to death" by Disk Doctor => one level corrupt. Block 881 in this case contains the block allocation map (bam sector number isn't fixed to 881 but is linked from the rootblock).

Hehe, looks like another kind of trap that TOSEC renamers can't see. Just wait for a final version of ADFRen... (BTW: Wanna help me with dbases or not?

)

andreas · 22 December 2002, 19:35

Quote:

Originally posted by Feltzkrone
But the disk name is placed in the root block (absolute sector 880), not the boot block (abs. sectors 0 and 1).

I know that.

But I also know that with most disks, the boot block accesses the root block as one of the first of its actions (remember that famous "Key 880 checksum error"). So I was quite aware of the stuff I wrote

Anyway, it might be some don't use the root block (#880) at all at bootup ("Flood" comes to my mind).

Quote:

Originally posted by fiath
it is very unlikely there is more than one retail version since the game was out for so little time...)

Maybe that is the reason why the Giana Sisters original the cracking groups got in their hands has GAME BUGS as well!

One bug I found (although a minor one) is in Level 22.
Look at the square at the utmost left at the beginning of the level. If Giana jumps towards this square and bumps at it, her score will increase. But the square doesn't turn to a blind square as usual, but stays at this state!

Another bug I found is in Level 23. You can miss this level very easily, because there's a concealed GIANA WARP (-> Lev. 25) point at level 22, a bit left from the dragon!
If Giana bumps at the square at the very beginning, the rock doesn't fall down on the ground. If Giana bumps at the rock being in the air AGAIN, one part of Giana is in the sky and the other is below the playing screen! Might require a lot of skill until you can reproduce the latter part of the bug, though.

Sometimes it shows, sometimes it doesn't.

Screenshots below.

andreas · 22 December 2002, 21:49

1

andreas · 22 December 2002, 21:49

2

Feltzkrone · 22 December 2002, 22:01

Disks with a normal DOS-Bootblock access the root block first. There's no other chance to find startup-sequence and any other file on disk than accessing the root block and follow the hash table / header links. Custom bootblocks on NDOS disks don't do that.

Key 880 error appears if the primary or secondary block type numbers are incorrect (AFAIK, or it's the header key value that's not set to 0). It appears EVERYTIME Amiga DOS from is started from DF0's bootsector and if you've got a NDOS disk in DF1 only.

andreas · 22 December 2002, 22:38

Also happens if some "thorough virus killer" application "killed" a (supposed) virus by just replacing the custom boot block with a standard AmigaDOS one, destroying it!

andreas · 23 December 2002, 22:01

Quote:

[cr HQC][t Skyline] and [cr Skyline][t Skyline] are equal except the root block, where on [cr Skyline][t Skyline] the blocks 880 and 881 were overwritten (quick format or whatever) and the disk name sais "Lazarus". But all other leveldata from both disks are equal, so I admit trying to play the TOSECized [cr HQC][t Skyline] version.

FINALLY I can say that the description [cr Skyline][t Skyline] is WRONG!
*Both* disks have the copyprotection removed by HQC, so it's just an alternate version of the HQC crack already in TOSEC. Please change!
Look yourself, even the intro scroller is absolutely the same, isn't it?

@Feltzkrone: According to your logic, if leveldata was actually the same with both versions, the crash at level 27 should have occurred here too...BUT NO!

This version works beyond level 27 and has visible clouds!

CRC = 3df77b8e
It seems to be a 100% version and I've just played it past the dragon and grabbed the big emerald!
In the zone - this version is in TOSEC, but not on planetemu.

19 December 2002, 17:59	#28
Feltzkrone Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 103	If we've got so many different versions, we can take all working parts from each version and build a 100% one, at least the level data is plain uncompressed track data. I'll load all those alternate versions in my little ADF inspector utility and I'll figure out the differences. Maybe this does help. @fiath: In one of those cracktros somebody told us that the only protection on the disk was a track with 12 instead of 11 sectors. Is this true? If it's true, at least the leveldata of differently cracked versions should be equal, so we can make a 100% versions. I'll give it a try... EDIT: Results... All TOSECized Red Sector versions show differences in leveldata. No leveldata from one disk is like leveldata from another disk. It's a total mess.... [cr HQC][t Skyline] and [cr Skyline][t Skyline] are equal except the root block, where on [cr Skyline][t Skyline] the blocks 880 and 881 were overwritten (quick format or whatever) and the disk name sais "Lazarus". But all other leveldata from both disks are equal, so I admit trying to play the TOSECized [cr HQC][t Skyline] version. If there's a bug in graphics (not such a bug like on the screenshot in this thread, because it looks like a leveldata error, wrong graphics blocks used or something) it's probably because of wrong graphics or wrong code. Last edited by Feltzkrone; 19 December 2002 at 19:06.

22 December 2002, 21:49	#36
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	bug one... 1 Attached Thumbnails

22 December 2002, 21:49	#37
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	bug two... 2 Attached Thumbnails

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14 December 2002, 21:17	#21
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	which version are you referring to? Retroman's version or the one I uploaded?

15 December 2002, 10:14	#22
Konrad Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Age: 43 Posts: 742	@Andreas I'm referring to your version, sorry .

15 December 2002, 14:17	#23
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	Remember HQC = High Quality Crackings ... and this is by far no self-assertion - that's the plain truth! In any case, this group never felt the necessity to paste its name into game intros!

15 December 2002, 16:33	#24
Drake1009 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Denmark Posts: 2,284	Red sector crack has clouds as well Andreas. I have a screenshot taken from the Red sector version which has a cloud (neatly made in paint (just kidding)).

15 December 2002, 18:18	#25
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	Unlikely, because I tested all four TOSEC dumps )(...[cr RSi]...) to the extreme to no avail. Maybe now there's another WinUAE bug in latest version showing the clouds by accident Toni you have to fix this bug so that the clouds disappear again like it should be!! (admittedly, I was joking big-time )

15 December 2002, 20:40	#26
Drake1009 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Denmark Posts: 2,284	If you want I could upload the screenshot again. I used winfellow to get the cloud. I think the conclusion we came to was that the clouds showed up with a specific memory setting.

19 December 2002, 17:03	#27
Pfloyd Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Bonn / Germany Posts: 88	@andreas: The Skyline/HQC version from the zone crashes at level 27, so please add "[b]" There's bad level data on the disk. I wonder if the error was already on the master release disk from Skyline/HQC...

19 December 2002, 18:14	#29
Pfloyd Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Bonn / Germany Posts: 88	Hehe... I already did that... all levels playable, combined with the Megatrainer from "The Lightforce". Clouds visible. Level glitches removed. Disk cleaned up. Original High Score Table... Needs some more testing. But stop! I don't know wether I should release this version or not... because it's not an authentic version.

19 December 2002, 19:10	#30
Feltzkrone Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 103	Yep, the version I suggested to use had a little flame sprite error. Apart from that the version seems okay. I think you can release it, because it seems to be more authentic than all those smashed versions we've known before. BTW: The crash at level 27 could be caused by that stupid "Lazarus" root + bitmap blocks.

20 December 2002, 10:42	#32
Feltzkrone Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 103	Hehe... Perhaps it was mentioned in a cracktro of the c64 version. Wasn't it Thomas Lopatic too who made the amiga conversion of the soundtrack (original C64 soundtrack was made by Chris Hülsbeck)? At least T.L. made the music player routines... On HQC / Skyline crack the leveldata was placed at track 0.5 and every level seems to take 1.5 tracks from that position on. I think Pfloyd's non-authentic version is a good deal, if I got it right he took correct leveldata from one version and took main code / graphics from another version.

22 December 2002, 18:54	#34
Feltzkrone Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 103	Just learned another thing, thanks! But the disk name is placed in the root block (absolute sector 880), not the boot block (abs. sectors 0 and 1). Everything is intact, but blocks 880 and 881 were "fixed to death" by Disk Doctor => one level corrupt. Block 881 in this case contains the block allocation map (bam sector number isn't fixed to 881 but is linked from the rootblock). Hehe, looks like another kind of trap that TOSEC renamers can't see. Just wait for a final version of ADFRen... (BTW: Wanna help me with dbases or not? )

22 December 2002, 22:01	#38
Feltzkrone Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 103	Disks with a normal DOS-Bootblock access the root block first. There's no other chance to find startup-sequence and any other file on disk than accessing the root block and follow the hash table / header links. Custom bootblocks on NDOS disks don't do that. Key 880 error appears if the primary or secondary block type numbers are incorrect (AFAIK, or it's the header key value that's not set to 0). It appears EVERYTIME Amiga DOS from is started from DF0's bootsector and if you've got a NDOS disk in DF1 only.

22 December 2002, 22:38	#39
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	Also happens if some "thorough virus killer" application "killed" a (supposed) virus by just replacing the custom boot block with a standard AmigaDOS one, destroying it!

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