Creating your own IPFs

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by Don_Adan

The easiest way is rip all files from both Amiga and Atari ST versions. Depack files, if are packed. Later compare data for same files. And check how ST files are converted to Amiga format. Later convert necessary files from Atari version to Amiga. If only graphics files are damaged then this is easy job.

Good idea indeed. It will be even possibly easy to do... as i suspect the game to be an ST port .....

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

Good idea indeed. It will be even possibly easy to do... as i suspect the game to be an ST port .....

I know nothing about the ST, so it isn't quite that simple.

I started looking at some of the cracks to see if any of them have the missing data, but now I remember that most of the cracks are bad. Most of them missed the checksum, so the machete never appears on level one.

I'm testing the Scoopex release at the moment, which is not fully cracked. I manually updated the code to ignore the results of the checksum check.

Update: Same issue, corrupt scale and the elephant graveyard is a black screen,

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by Abaddon

The budget releases is in my kryo folder. I discovered the issue when I did the last update the the WHDLoad install and wrote the walk through for it. I played through using the official IPFs and the Atari ST release (which is where I got the screen shots for the end for the walk through).

@Don_Adan - As I recall the scale graphics and the final picture of the Elephant graveyard are corrupt. Not sure if there was an issue with the music. I'm pretty sure I checked the cracked versions that were available at the time as well. It would be nice to have a fully working version of the game. If I get some time I will take another look at the game and reach out to meynaf.

I have not found your Flimbo's Quest dump with mastering error in the FTP.
Can you up it please ?

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

I have not found your Flimbo's Quest dump with mastering error in the FTP.
Can you up it please ?

Uploaded

[Don_Adan]

Originally Posted by Abaddon

I know nothing about the ST, so it isn't quite that simple.

I started looking at some of the cracks to see if any of them have the missing data, but now I remember that most of the cracks are bad. Most of them missed the checksum, so the machete never appears on level one.

I'm testing the Scoopex release at the moment, which is not fully cracked. I manually updated the code to ignore the results of the checksum check.

Update: Same issue, corrupt scale and the elephant graveyard is a black screen,

You dont need know too many about Atari ST. Take original (in STX format) images here:

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari...ker_10719.html

This game on Atari ST is single sided . Later create 2 disk images (5120x80) bytes long. And rip manually files from disks. Perhaps will be started from tracks or blocks 0 offset.
Anyway it can be easiest to rip files from cracked version (in ST format) from plenetemu.net, because .STX format used multiple blocks, if weak bits protection occured. Then You must know which data must be ignored/skipped to create raw image.

[Don_Adan]

Or better take Automation 380 disk:

https://www.planetemu.net/rom/atari-...tomation-m-lgd

Use XAD to rip files from images. From my memory are almost always packed. Then depack files.

[Snoopy1234]

There are 5 files on the 2nd Tusker Atari ST disk L1,L2,L3,L4 + a DAT file. They are easy to lift from the disk with STEEM. I supposed L4 might be a level end.

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by Snoopy1234

There are 5 files on the 2nd Tusker Atari ST disk L1,L2,L3,L4 + a DAT file. They are easy to lift from the disk with STEEM. I supposed L4 might be a level end.

It's a program file.

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by Don_Adan

You dont need know too many about Atari ST. Take original (in STX format) images here:

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari...ker_10719.html

This game on Atari ST is single sided . Later create 2 disk images (5120x80) bytes long. And rip manually files from disks. Perhaps will be started from tracks or blocks 0 offset.
Anyway it can be easiest to rip files from cracked version (in ST format) from plenetemu.net, because .STX format used multiple blocks, if weak bits protection occured. Then You must know which data must be ignored/skipped to create raw image.

ST version is copylocked.

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by Abaddon

Uploaded

Thanks

[Don_Adan]

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

ST version is copylocked.

Then perhaps I have access only to weak bits protected Atari ST originals. It was many years ago. I prefered to use/check cracked (file version) of games, if was possible to rip music. And seems I ripped music from Atari ST version of Tusker too:

QTS_Tusker.lzx (162413 bytes) - all modules from the game "Tusker

[Snoopy1234]

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

It's a program file.

Ok Thanks.

[Don_Adan]

Seems that exist IPF version of Tusker for Amiga.
Then this is not classical (corrupted data) mastering error like f.e in Afterburner game.
But this is programmer error like f.e in Overdrive CDU game.
Then it can be:

1. wrong offset on disk to good file
2. missing file
3. using wrong file f.e original (non converted) file from Atari ST

For fixing Tusker game, for me first step must be rip all files from disk images. And later comparing with files from good Atari ST version.

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by Don_Adan

Seems that exist IPF version of Tusker for Amiga.
Then this is not classical (corrupted data) mastering error like f.e in Afterburner game.
But this is programmer error like f.e in Overdrive CDU game.
Then it can be:

1. wrong offset on disk to good file
2. missing file
3. using wrong file f.e original (non converted) file from Atari ST

For fixing Tusker game, for me first step must be rip all files from disk images. And later comparing with files from good Atari ST version.

I have a feeling it is a missing file.

I can extract all files via the rawdic islave. Will work on this later today.

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by Abaddon

Uploaded

Ok, so i did an IPF of your version

And it appears that it is what seems to be a loader problem. There are no bad tracks per se, the loader goes up to track 80. track 80 is empty.....

[BarryB]

Version that works has track 80 empty too Denis so as you say, possibly the loader is programmed to go too far and sticking?

[Abaddon]

This is the log from the WHDLoad slave. The log shows a loads through to the end of the game. The modified slave fails on the 5th load (scale and elephant graveyard pic) as the data does not exist.

******* 20-Dec-23 16:27:25 ******* Tusker.slave ******* 18.6.6128 *******
[000] [Disk] crc=A51D dest=$ 5D164 size=$ 400= 1024 disk=1 offset=$ 0
[001] [Disk] crc=DEB0 dest=$ 600 size=$4EC00=322560 disk=1 offset=$ 2800
[002] [Disk] crc=5FA4 dest=$ 20600 size=$4EC00=322560 disk=1 offset=$51400
[003] [Disk] crc=37C0 dest=$ 466F0 size=$28000=163840 disk=2 offset=$ 0
[004] [Disk] crc=2991 dest=$ 334E0 size=$3FC00=261120 disk=2 offset=$2F800
[005] [Disk] crc=0000 dest=$ 5D170 size=$ A000= 40960 disk=2 offset=$78000


I appears there are a few tracks on disk 2 that are never accessed and they appear to have some data (could be garbage)

Offset $28000 - Length $7800 - 6 tracks
Offset $6F400 - Length $6400 - 5 tracks

I can upload all the files for disk 1 and 2 including the files for the tracks that are not loaded.


I still need to pull the files from the ST version.

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by BarryB

Version that works has track 80 empty too Denis so as you say, possibly the loader is programmed to go too far and sticking?

They have fixed the data loading anyway. The loader remains stuck on track 80 and the screen remains black. So yes i guess there is something wrong in the loader..... or there are some data missing....

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by Abaddon

This is the log from the WHDLoad slave. The log shows a loads through to the end of the game. The modified slave fails on the 5th load (scale and elephant graveyard pic) as the data does not exist.

******* 20-Dec-23 16:27:25 ******* Tusker.slave ******* 18.6.6128 *******
[000] [Disk] crc=A51D dest=$ 5D164 size=$ 400= 1024 disk=1 offset=$ 0
[001] [Disk] crc=DEB0 dest=$ 600 size=$4EC00=322560 disk=1 offset=$ 2800
[002] [Disk] crc=5FA4 dest=$ 20600 size=$4EC00=322560 disk=1 offset=$51400
[003] [Disk] crc=37C0 dest=$ 466F0 size=$28000=163840 disk=2 offset=$ 0
[004] [Disk] crc=2991 dest=$ 334E0 size=$3FC00=261120 disk=2 offset=$2F800
[005] [Disk] crc=0000 dest=$ 5D170 size=$ A000= 40960 disk=2 offset=$78000


I appears there are a few tracks on disk 2 that are never accessed and they appear to have some data (could be garbage)

Offset $28000 - Length $7800 - 6 tracks
Offset $6F400 - Length $6400 - 5 tracks

I can upload all the files for disk 1 and 2 including the files for the tracks that are not loaded.


I still need to pull the files from the ST version.

Please zone the binaries, i will check the files

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by Abaddon

This is the log from the WHDLoad slave. The log shows a loads through to the end of the game. The modified slave fails on the 5th load (scale and elephant graveyard pic) as the data does not exist.

******* 20-Dec-23 16:27:25 ******* Tusker.slave ******* 18.6.6128 *******
[000] [Disk] crc=A51D dest=$ 5D164 size=$ 400= 1024 disk=1 offset=$ 0
[001] [Disk] crc=DEB0 dest=$ 600 size=$4EC00=322560 disk=1 offset=$ 2800
[002] [Disk] crc=5FA4 dest=$ 20600 size=$4EC00=322560 disk=1 offset=$51400
[003] [Disk] crc=37C0 dest=$ 466F0 size=$28000=163840 disk=2 offset=$ 0
[004] [Disk] crc=2991 dest=$ 334E0 size=$3FC00=261120 disk=2 offset=$2F800
[005] [Disk] crc=0000 dest=$ 5D170 size=$ A000= 40960 disk=2 offset=$78000


I appears there are a few tracks on disk 2 that are never accessed and they appear to have some data (could be garbage)

Offset $28000 - Length $7800 - 6 tracks
Offset $6F400 - Length $6400 - 5 tracks

I can upload all the files for disk 1 and 2 including the files for the tracks that are not loaded.


I still need to pull the files from the ST version.

The ST files are crunched. The data you are searching to fix Tusker are hidden under either compression or encryption.....

EDIT : It appears that coder has pointed toward incorrect sprite data (the thing at the end should not be the woman statue holding the water jar, but the balancer). The woman statue offset is on disk 2, offset $59490.

Note also that they used the Atari ST to make the graphics, under OCP Art Studio. Graphics on ST are crunched.

Note2 : the balancer sprite data is completely missing. Something went wrong when they ported the ST data to Amiga.