REQ: Merchant Colony

andreas · 27 December 2001, 22:10

Hi,

My version seems to be either a bad crack or intention because it's a mix of NDOS and AmigaDOS tracks.
And it's got an "Adam Brierley" bootblock some virus detection programs recognize as "virus" (!). I don't believe that it's really a virus. In any case: if this one is REMOVED and replaced by a standard OFS bootblock, the game doesn't work anymore!

Could anyone upload one (or more) different crack(s) I can check?
Thanks.

TikTok · 27 December 2001, 23:12

I assume the version you have is the Crystal crack. I've posted an alternative Crystal crack which doesn't seem to feature all of that "Adam Brierley" stuff. It's marked as bad by Tosec, but it may well be worth trying out anyway, since those flags aren't always accurate.

andreas · 28 December 2001, 13:15

TOSEC is right this time!
That's the same version that I have, however, this version has the Adam Brierley bootblock REMOVED and replaced it by an AmigaDOS bootblock! And it even causes a "Task Held" error like my version.
You must not remove this AB bootblock because the game won't work anymore if you do.

Thanks for uploading, but this crack is useless.
If someone else has a NON-Crystal crack, please upload.
TIA.

IFW · 26 September 2004, 19:59

Adam Brierley is a protection author, what you see there is a remain of one of his protections.

Fred the Fop · 26 September 2004, 20:14

I don't see what the big deal is. The Crystal crack plays fine.
So far.
Anyway, someone should make a WHDLoad install thingie. I can't, because generally I am vastly underqualified.

IFW · 26 September 2004, 20:26

Nothing, just Andreas' idea can be confirmed now, about 3 years after - better late than ever

[credit goes to Cody for telling about the AB threads, when mentioning some protection to him]

andreas · 27 September 2004, 01:08

This should FINALLY encourage TOSEC team to remove all [v Adam Brierley] stuff!

(not to forget: WindowsKiller, your tool too always recognizes the AB bootblock as a virus, which I've always doubted! Some widely known freeware virus scanner [available from VHT-DK] doesn't behave differently either!

)

Thanks for the clarification, IFW!

IFW · 27 September 2004, 01:20

NP, those protections just recently got supported.

Disks to find similar blocks are (unless they have been removed) - so far:
Black Hornet
Insector Hecti
Merchant Colony
Cavitas

As for virus scanners, there is software mastered with system_z, definitely on purpose, however virus scanners would scream wolf these days.
In its original day it was widely used as virus protection for floppy only systems, and being memory resident was the main reason to use it... now it is marked as virus, while it is not - at least it was not intended to be, it was very helpful. I think some copiers maybe diskmaster even offered to install a disk with it.

derSammler · 27 September 2004, 15:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by andreas

(not to forget: WindowsKiller, your tool too always recognizes the AB bootblock as a virus, which I've always doubted! Some widely known freeware virus scanner [available from VHT-DK] doesn't behave differently either!

)

Well, same case with the SystemZ bootblock. It's not intentionally a virus but behaves like a virus...

I don't have an ADF which is infected with that Adam Brierley thing, but please note that even if Adam Brierley is/was a protection author, it is still possible that someone used his name for a virus.

IFW · 27 September 2004, 17:39

Actually the only thing that reminescent of a virus is being reset-proof and being encrypted. There is nothing that writes to a disk whatsoever in the code, though it is not trivial, because one has to understand what it does.
SystemZ can write to a disk, AB can't.
In a similar approach quite a few number of originals should be classed as virii as they either prevent resetting the machine on purpose or use reset vectors to clear memory after themselves, usually to prevent trivial hacking methods or for plain fun.

Since that thingie is to be found on Merchant Colony which was indeed mastered with that protection, it is highly unlikely that someone created a virus and put it onto exactly the same disk, but not entirely impossible.

Anyway the original boot codes in their unmodified form are now in the zone. If a scanner finds any of these they are positively not virii.

derSammler · 28 September 2004, 14:31

True, I just tried to explain why a lot of virus scanners are reporting it as a virus.

andreas · 28 September 2004, 20:57

Uh ... BTW, Merchant Colony appears to be the only cracked game with the Brierley thing on it. Searched TOSEC but ... umm ... nothing save from this one.

27 December 2001, 22:10	#1
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	REQ: Merchant Colony Hi, My version seems to be either a bad crack or intention because it's a mix of NDOS and AmigaDOS tracks. And it's got an "Adam Brierley" bootblock some virus detection programs recognize as "virus" (!). I don't believe that it's really a virus. In any case: if this one is REMOVED and replaced by a standard OFS bootblock, the game doesn't work anymore! Could anyone upload one (or more) different crack(s) I can check? Thanks.

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27 December 2001, 23:12	#2
TikTok Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Malayasia Age: 43 Posts: 657	I assume the version you have is the Crystal crack. I've posted an alternative Crystal crack which doesn't seem to feature all of that "Adam Brierley" stuff. It's marked as bad by Tosec, but it may well be worth trying out anyway, since those flags aren't always accurate.

28 December 2001, 13:15	#3
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	TOSEC is right this time! That's the same version that I have, however, this version has the Adam Brierley bootblock REMOVED and replaced it by an AmigaDOS bootblock! And it even causes a "Task Held" error like my version. You must not remove this AB bootblock because the game won't work anymore if you do. Thanks for uploading, but this crack is useless. If someone else has a NON-Crystal crack, please upload. TIA.

26 September 2004, 19:59	#4
IFW Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: ... Age: 52 Posts: 1,838	Adam Brierley is a protection author, what you see there is a remain of one of his protections.

26 September 2004, 20:14	#5
Fred the Fop flaming faggot Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Versailles Age: 55 Posts: 2,808	I don't see what the big deal is. The Crystal crack plays fine. So far. Anyway, someone should make a WHDLoad install thingie. I can't, because generally I am vastly underqualified.

26 September 2004, 20:26	#6
IFW Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: ... Age: 52 Posts: 1,838	Nothing, just Andreas' idea can be confirmed now, about 3 years after - better late than ever [credit goes to Cody for telling about the AB threads, when mentioning some protection to him]

27 September 2004, 01:08	#7
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	This should FINALLY encourage TOSEC team to remove all [v Adam Brierley] stuff! (not to forget: WindowsKiller, your tool too always recognizes the AB bootblock as a virus, which I've always doubted! Some widely known freeware virus scanner [available from VHT-DK] doesn't behave differently either! ) Thanks for the clarification, IFW!

27 September 2004, 01:20	#8
IFW Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: ... Age: 52 Posts: 1,838	NP, those protections just recently got supported. Disks to find similar blocks are (unless they have been removed) - so far: Black Hornet Insector Hecti Merchant Colony Cavitas As for virus scanners, there is software mastered with system_z, definitely on purpose, however virus scanners would scream wolf these days. In its original day it was widely used as virus protection for floppy only systems, and being memory resident was the main reason to use it... now it is marked as virus, while it is not - at least it was not intended to be, it was very helpful. I think some copiers maybe diskmaster even offered to install a disk with it.

27 September 2004, 17:39	#10
IFW Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: ... Age: 52 Posts: 1,838	Actually the only thing that reminescent of a virus is being reset-proof and being encrypted. There is nothing that writes to a disk whatsoever in the code, though it is not trivial, because one has to understand what it does. SystemZ can write to a disk, AB can't. In a similar approach quite a few number of originals should be classed as virii as they either prevent resetting the machine on purpose or use reset vectors to clear memory after themselves, usually to prevent trivial hacking methods or for plain fun. Since that thingie is to be found on Merchant Colony which was indeed mastered with that protection, it is highly unlikely that someone created a virus and put it onto exactly the same disk, but not entirely impossible. Anyway the original boot codes in their unmodified form are now in the zone. If a scanner finds any of these they are positively not virii.

28 September 2004, 14:31	#11
derSammler Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Posts: 1,648	True, I just tried to explain why a lot of virus scanners are reporting it as a virus.

28 September 2004, 20:57	#12
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	Uh ... BTW, Merchant Colony appears to be the only cracked game with the Brierley thing on it. Searched TOSEC but ... umm ... nothing save from this one.

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