The Killing Cloud Level 5 - where's the bomb?! - Page 2

jotd · 30 May 2023, 20:56

Good work paraj! and good intuition to the person who first suggested protection issue.

They prefered creating a super vicious protection than enhancing the fps...

I should use all passwords and run this game again in "check" mode (memory watchpoints on winuae to track missed relocs).

HOL also provides the level codes and the manual so re-enabling the protection in whdload slave would allow to confirm what paraj says. Like him I'm really puzzled by this game and can't do anything on it. Which partially explains why it's not fully debugged.

paraj · 30 May 2023, 21:12

I thought I was done with looking at the game, but now I feel like I have to make a "trainer" mode where we can just skip to a given level (without clicking through the screens). Feel like that should be possible, so looking into it, but no promises...

iso7 · 31 May 2023, 00:34

I think I must be one of the 2 people on the planet that actually enjoyed and completed this Amiga game back when it was originally released using an original floppy disk copy.

I've just taken some time to run through testing all 3 scenarios in case it's any use.

To find the station house in Chinatown, immediately after taking off if you turn your ship around you'll see this group of buildings to the right of the TransAmerica pyramid (under the crosshair). This is the cluster of buildings containing the Chinatown station house, and where all the drama around the missing bomb takes place.

I tested the following:

1. Whdload Slave v2.2

This works fine for me, and I can confirm that the bomb is glitched (small white pixels on the roof to the right).
This was taken while playing from the latest whdload (slave ver 2.2).

2. I then tried the CPY floppy ver. This works fine, no bomb on roof, and at street level I can see the bomb on the road:

3. I then tried the SKR floppy ver. This has the glitched bomb.

So I think this proves the theory that it's a missed copy protection?

jotd · 31 May 2023, 23:55

Thanks for testing. Can you test the zoned slave? I have added the fix for the protection.

Caution: you must update KillingCloud_v1.reloc into the data dir, as paraj rightfully noted that a reloc was missing.

iso7 · 01 June 2023, 21:38

Tested the new slave and all looks good. placed the .reloc file in the data folder as requested and everything worked fine. Bomb is at street level.

Thanks for fixing this. Will have a full playthrough of the entire game soon using the new whdload.

jotd · 03 June 2023, 11:45

ah thanks for testing. Invaluable help from paraj, who also noticed that some levels needed more relocs. I found them yesterday and I'm ready to release a new version

Zoned a new beta+reloc in the zone in the meantime

dreadnought · 14 June 2023, 08:23

Thanks for fixing one of my favourite Amiga games.

How does one create a working lha from the zoned ("beta+reloc") stuff? Sorry, I'm WHDL-illiterate.

EDIT: scratch that, just saw that Retroplay has already sorted it out

arkiruthis · 05 July 2023, 14:51

This is good timing! I'd been working on a longplay for YT of this game and was hitting the level 5 bug which made me switch to floppy version.

Is the updated KillingCloud_v1.reloc in this thread? Sorry, I'm probably being very dense and not seeing something very obviously linked here .

TCD · 05 July 2023, 14:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by arkiruthis

Is the updated KillingCloud_v1.reloc in this thread? Sorry, I'm probably being very dense and not seeing something very obviously linked here .

It's in the zone. Have a look here how to access it: https://eab.abime.net/faq.php?faq=vb...ezone_faq_item

arkiruthis · 05 July 2023, 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by TCD

It's in the zone. Have a look here how to access it: https://eab.abime.net/faq.php?faq=vb...ezone_faq_item

Thank you very much!

paraj · 05 July 2023, 19:23

@arkiruthis: Be sure to link your LP here. Interested in seeing how this game actual works

@jotd: Maybe it's time for the a release of the slave

arkiruthis · 22 July 2023, 18:48

As requested, finally found time to upload my longplay. It still uses the floppy version for Mission 5 (I recorded much of it a while ago), but it's awesome to finally be able to play it on WHDLoad from start to finish. Thank you for the updated file!

[ Show youtube player ]

paraj · 22 July 2023, 19:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by arkiruthis

As requested, finally found time to upload my longplay. It still uses the floppy version for Mission 5 (I recorded much of it a while ago), but it's awesome to finally be able to play it on WHDLoad from start to finish. Thank you for the updated file!

[ Show youtube player ]

You make it look so easy! Very nice to finally see how it's supposed to be played, and how e.g. the interrogation scenes are to be played. This would have been very helpful when working on the fast ram conversion, but better late than never!

I notice that sometimes there are glitchy lines (haven't watched everything by any means), but e.g. at the [ Show youtube player ] (time=340). Since you state in the other thread that it was recorded a while ago, I guess that's not a new bug/glitch? Not that I feel like re-opening this can of worms, but if it's an original game bug I'll sleep better

demoniac · 22 July 2023, 20:57

This is a game still on my list to complete. I'll be sure to look at your longplay for guidance.

arkiruthis · 23 July 2023, 11:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by paraj

I notice that sometimes there are glitchy lines (haven't watched everything by any means), but e.g. at the [ Show youtube player ] (time=340). Since you state in the other thread that it was recorded a while ago, I guess that's not a new bug/glitch? Not that I feel like re-opening this can of worms, but if it's an original game bug I'll sleep better

This is definitely older footage (about 6-8 months maybe?) so definitely not introduced.

I couldn't see the glitchy lines you mentioned at 340s? Is this in the 3D renderer? I'm guessing just fixed-point glitches.

There is a cursor corruption glitch that I seemed to trigger in the first mission briefing, but haven't reproduced that since. Typical that I'd only trigger it when recording.

Karlos · 23 July 2023, 16:33

Not that I have a one-track mind, but every time I see this thread jump up, I keep reading "The Killing Grounds"

paraj · 23 July 2023, 17:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by arkiruthis

This is definitely older footage (about 6-8 months maybe?) so definitely not introduced.

I couldn't see the glitchy lines you mentioned at 340s? Is this in the 3D renderer? I'm guessing just fixed-point glitches.

There is a cursor corruption glitch that I seemed to trigger in the first mission briefing, but haven't reproduced that since. Typical that I'd only trigger it when recording.

Yeah, it's probably fixed-point glitches. They disappear very quickly, but make me twitch a bit. Example in yellow rectangle (from around that timestamp):

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karlos

Not that I have a one-track mind, but every time I see this thread jump up, I keep reading "The Killing Grounds"

Well, if you feel like fixing/improving yet another Amiga 3d engine, I can send you the disassembly etc.

Karlos · 23 July 2023, 18:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by paraj

Well, if you feel like fixing/improving yet another Amiga 3d engine, I can send you the disassembly etc.

I don't think I've ever played this game.

arkiruthis · 23 July 2023, 19:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by paraj

Yeah, it's probably fixed-point glitches. They disappear very quickly, but make me twitch a bit. Example in yellow rectangle (from around that timestamp):

Ah yeah, I've seen this on the MS-DOS version as well.

A version that is inferior in pretty much every way, except maybe framerate. Whittaker's lovely music, butchered in AdLib form.

30 May 2023, 20:56	#21
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,160	Good work paraj! and good intuition to the person who first suggested protection issue. They prefered creating a super vicious protection than enhancing the fps... I should use all passwords and run this game again in "check" mode (memory watchpoints on winuae to track missed relocs). HOL also provides the level codes and the manual so re-enabling the protection in whdload slave would allow to confirm what paraj says. Like him I'm really puzzled by this game and can't do anything on it. Which partially explains why it's not fully debugged. Last edited by jotd; 30 May 2023 at 21:02.

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30 May 2023, 21:12	#22
paraj Registered User Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Denmark Posts: 1,098	I thought I was done with looking at the game, but now I feel like I have to make a "trainer" mode where we can just skip to a given level (without clicking through the screens). Feel like that should be possible, so looking into it, but no promises...

31 May 2023, 00:34	#23
iso7 Registered User Join Date: May 2023 Location: UK Posts: 4	I think I must be one of the 2 people on the planet that actually enjoyed and completed this Amiga game back when it was originally released using an original floppy disk copy. I've just taken some time to run through testing all 3 scenarios in case it's any use. To find the station house in Chinatown, immediately after taking off if you turn your ship around you'll see this group of buildings to the right of the TransAmerica pyramid (under the crosshair). This is the cluster of buildings containing the Chinatown station house, and where all the drama around the missing bomb takes place. I tested the following: 1. Whdload Slave v2.2 This works fine for me, and I can confirm that the bomb is glitched (small white pixels on the roof to the right). This was taken while playing from the latest whdload (slave ver 2.2). 2. I then tried the CPY floppy ver. This works fine, no bomb on roof, and at street level I can see the bomb on the road: 3. I then tried the SKR floppy ver. This has the glitched bomb. So I think this proves the theory that it's a missed copy protection?

31 May 2023, 23:55	#24
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,160	Thanks for testing. Can you test the zoned slave? I have added the fix for the protection. Caution: you must update KillingCloud_v1.reloc into the data dir, as paraj rightfully noted that a reloc was missing.

01 June 2023, 21:38	#25
iso7 Registered User Join Date: May 2023 Location: UK Posts: 4	Tested the new slave and all looks good. placed the .reloc file in the data folder as requested and everything worked fine. Bomb is at street level. Thanks for fixing this. Will have a full playthrough of the entire game soon using the new whdload.

03 June 2023, 11:45	#26
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,160	ah thanks for testing. Invaluable help from paraj, who also noticed that some levels needed more relocs. I found them yesterday and I'm ready to release a new version Zoned a new beta+reloc in the zone in the meantime

14 June 2023, 08:23	#27
dreadnought Registered User Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Ur, Atlantis Posts: 1,899	Thanks for fixing one of my favourite Amiga games. How does one create a working lha from the zoned ("beta+reloc") stuff? Sorry, I'm WHDL-illiterate. EDIT: scratch that, just saw that Retroplay has already sorted it out

05 July 2023, 14:51	#28
arkiruthis Registered User Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: UK Posts: 29	This is good timing! I'd been working on a longplay for YT of this game and was hitting the level 5 bug which made me switch to floppy version. Is the updated KillingCloud_v1.reloc in this thread? Sorry, I'm probably being very dense and not seeing something very obviously linked here .

05 July 2023, 19:23	#31
paraj Registered User Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Denmark Posts: 1,098	@arkiruthis: Be sure to link your LP here. Interested in seeing how this game actual works @jotd: Maybe it's time for the a release of the slave

22 July 2023, 18:48	#32
arkiruthis Registered User Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: UK Posts: 29	As requested, finally found time to upload my longplay. It still uses the floppy version for Mission 5 (I recorded much of it a while ago), but it's awesome to finally be able to play it on WHDLoad from start to finish. Thank you for the updated file! [ Show youtube player ]

22 July 2023, 20:57	#34
demoniac Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: - Posts: 1,686	This is a game still on my list to complete. I'll be sure to look at your longplay for guidance.

23 July 2023, 16:33	#36
Karlos Alien Bleed Join Date: Aug 2022 Location: UK Posts: 4,118	Not that I have a one-track mind, but every time I see this thread jump up, I keep reading "The Killing Grounds"

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