FlashBack missing dialog bug

[StingRay]

Originally Posted by pants

/me doffs cap

bravo!

Thanks but actually you did the real work here, I just coded a little patch which applies your byte code fix.

Originally Posted by DamienD

Thanks Sting

...but the .IPFs --> .ADFs that I'm sure all the English community use is made from "SPS 1885" (as it has no protection i.e. the "Delphine Collection" release).

The offsets the patch uses are the same for SPS 1163 and SPS 1885 so it works with both versions.

Originally Posted by demoniac

StingRay's patch executable worked for my release. I have uploaded my non-patched version to the Zone.

Excellent! I have updated the patch code a bit and it now handles all known Flashback version (SPS 64, SPS 1163, SPS 1736, SPS 1885), if an unknown version is detected no patches will be applied.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by demoniac

One more thing, the budget version doesn't work on NTSC systems. So it is not 100%.

Hmmm, I wouldn't know as I always play games in PAL.

From looking at HOL, it lists the publishers for the Delphine Collection as:

• Kixx (U.S. Gold) - Worldwide
• U.S. Gold - Worldwide

...both of which have "Mother country" = "United Kingdom". Guess they didn't care any other region...

[demoniac]

Originally Posted by DamienD

Hmmm, I wouldn't know as I always play games in PAL.

You should add NTSC compatibility to your testing before calling it 100%.

...both of which have "Mother country" = "United Kingdom". Guess they didn't care any other region...

I'm curious if there was ever an USA release for the Amiga.

[pants]

I've uploaded a fixed and repacked cine file to The Zone. It's a drop in replacement.

No reason to use this vs Sting's on-the-fly patch. Just closing out unfinished business (for me)

[DamienD]

Awesome pants, just tested this and seems good

Originally Posted by demoniac

Back when I was working on my release of the English version of this game, I came across a missing dialog bug on all the Amiga versions.

It occurs during the animation in Level 5 where Conrad is looking down at the aliens in the air vent. The frame of dialog before the bug is:


Then the missing dialog occurs:


From memory, there are slightly garbed artifacts onscreen from the missing text.

Ok, just looked at the .IPFs versus the newly patch file from pants

The unpatched version is indeed missing the screen "...the power which we need":



No "slightly garbed artifacts onscreen from the missing text" though; the screen is completely missed and goes straight to Conrad looking through grate.

[DamienD]

@demoniac; just took a very quick look at your disks:



Ok so you added NTSC compatibility which is cool

What you do mean by "extra cutscreens" (which I assume are enabled when installing to hard drive) i.e. are they everywhere or only in certain places? Also more importantly, when should one press "CTRL-C"?

Finally with Disk 3; you say "newly translated English version". Why would anything need to be translated if your version is created from the English .IPFs?

[demoniac]

Originally Posted by DamienD

Finally with Disk 3; you say "newly translated English version". Why would anything need to be translated if your version is created from the English .IPFs?

I wrote that the read.me is translated. If you looked at any of the read.me files included in the non-French releases, they have no content.

Originally Posted by DamienD

What you do mean by "extra cutscreens" (which I assume are enabled when installing to hard drive) i.e. are they everywhere or only in certain places? Also more importantly, when should one press "CTRL-C"?

This is answered in the read.me file.

[demoniac]

Originally Posted by pants

I've uploaded a fixed and repacked cine file to The Zone. It's a drop in replacement.

Thanks, this worked fine.

Originally Posted by pants

No reason to use this vs Sting's on-the-fly patch. Just closing out unfinished business (for me)

It's all about choices.

Originally Posted by DamienD

No "slightly garbed artifacts onscreen from the missing text" though.

The "artifact" that I was referring to is a slight flash during, "Brothers I congratulate you," which I conflated with the missing dialog as it appears earlier than the bugged frame. Like I wrote, that was from memory as I haven't loaded the sequence in years.

[demoniac]

Originally Posted by StingRay

Excellent! I have updated the patch code a bit and it now handles all known Flashback version (SPS 64, SPS 1163, SPS 1736, SPS 1885), if an unknown version is detected no patches will be applied.

Checked this against my SPS 1163-based version and works fine too.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by demoniac

I wrote that the read.me is translated. If you looked at any of the read.me files included in the non-French releases, they have no content.

This is answered in the read.me file.

Gotcha, so:

CUTSCENES
---------
 　
If you start Flashback from floppies, the program
does not play certain cutscenes in order to reduce
loading during the game.
 　
f you wish, nevertheless to see them, press Ctrl+C during
the game, to disable this option. Press Ctrl+C again
will re-enable it.
 　
If playing from hard disk, the option is deactivated from the start and
you will be entitled to all the scenes.

Installed to hard drive but couldn't see any difference in the intro or in the sequence before you are playing level 1... Guess it must start from level 1 onwards...

What would be cool is if you could hard code this to be turned on in the game so that the player doesn't have do anything

[StingRay]

Originally Posted by pants

I've uploaded a fixed and repacked cine file to The Zone. It's a drop in replacement.

No reason to use this vs Sting's on-the-fly patch. Just closing out unfinished business (for me)

Excellent!

Originally Posted by demoniac

It's all about choices.

My thoughts exactly! Some might like the "on the fly" approach, some find it easier just having to replace one file.

[TikTok]

:
Installed to hard drive but couldn't see any difference in the intro or in the sequence before you are playing level 1... Guess it must start from level 1 onwards...

What would be cool is if you could hard code this to be turned on in the game so that the player doesn't have do anything

If I remember correctly the extra cut scenes occur when you pick up objects (and possibly at other times too). I found they got quite annoying quite quickly as they interrupt the flow of the game.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by TikTok

If I remember correctly the extra cut scenes occur when you pick up objects (and possibly at other times too). I found they got quite annoying quite quickly as they interrupt the flow of the game.

Ah cool, thanks for the explanation TikTok

[demoniac]

Originally Posted by DamienD

What would be cool is if you could hard code this to be turned on in the game so that the player doesn't have do anything

What would be cooler is if you could learn assembly and work on all these issues yourself so that other people don't have to do anything


I wrote the following at the beginning of this thread:

Originally Posted by demoniac

Unfortunately, my schedule became increasingly busy and I no longer had the time to investigate this further.

Nothing has changed in the week since I wrote that. I want to close out projects not increase them. I haven't even gotten around to trying out Arctic Moves even though I started that thread.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by demoniac

What would be cooler is if you could learn assembly and work on all these issues yourself so that other people don't have to do anything

Yeah nice comment; appreciated

That's really annoyed me... TBH I don't really care if you make the change or not...

FYI over the past year or so after coming back from being AWOL for 6+ years I've been trying to become more proficient with AmigaDOS and have created some cool .ADFs / HDFs / LHAs... not that you would know as you're not around often enough.

I also do a lot for the EAB community behind the scenes as well as moderating all sections / threads on a daily basis... What are you doing to contribute; how often do you test new WinUAE builds, contribute somehow to new games, etc???

Thing is; I'm hardly going to start learning how to code ASM, C, <whatever>. That's way beyond my skillset plus available free time and so have no problem admitting it.

Pffft

[demoniac]

Originally Posted by DamienD

FYI over the past year or so after coming back from being AWOL for 6+ years I've been trying to become more proficient with AmigaDOS and have created some cool .ADFs / HDFs / LHAs... not that you would know as you're not around often enough.

Actually, I check in almost everyday even when you were not present for 6+ years.

I also do a lot for the EAB community behind the scenes as well as moderating all sections / threads on a daily basis... What are you doing to contribute; how often do you test new WinUAE builds, contribute somehow to new games, etc???

Training and cracking isn't contributing? Neither is finding this thread's bug and attempting to fix it I suppose by your logic. I have filed WinUAE bugs too.

That's great you are being a great support person and help others by making all kinds of disk images and archives, but those things help people with lesser skills than coders. I can guarantee you that modifying startup-sequence and making packs is far less time consuming than coding.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by demoniac

Actually, I check in almost everyday even when you were not present for 6+ years.

Good on you; shall I send you some golden star stickers?

The question was; before having a go at me, saying that I don't do anything useful / help others, or bother to learn how to code etc, what are you doing to support the Amiga community???

Originally Posted by demoniac

Training and cracking isn't contributing? Neither is finding this thread's bug and attempting to fix it I suppose by your logic. I have filed WinUAE bugs too.

That's great you are being a great support person and help others by making all kinds of disk images and archives, but those things help people with lesser skills than coders. I can guarantee you that modifying startup-sequence and making packs is far less time consuming than coding.

Oh apologies, I'm just using what skills I have... and it may possibly assist other people who aren't as "elite" as you claim to be...

We'll leave all the important "super coder" stuff to you then shall we (which is quit ironic since 2 other people patched the problem you reported instead of you doing this yourself)...

Friendship removed

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by demoniac

Training and cracking isn't contributing?

Yup, this is very important and I can clearly see from searching the current TOSEC set you've been extremely busy indeed

... Flashback
... Indigo
... Lords of the Rising Sun

F$%k me; I don't know how you've managed to accomplish all this over the past 12 years

Like I said; any games that need cracking / patching / training from now on will be coming straight your way as you are clearly da man!!!

Who needs established crackers / coders / trainer makers now like Flashtro / Galahad / StingRay etc. when you are here...

[demoniac]

Originally Posted by DamienD

Good on you; shall I send you some golden star stickers?

If it makes you feel better.

Originally Posted by DamienD

The question was; before having a go at me, saying that I don't do anything useful / help others

Never have I wrote you don't do anything helpful.

I wrote that if you learned to code, you can make the changes that you have been requesting albeit in a sarcastic matter.

Originally Posted by DamienD

what are you doing to support the Amiga community???

I do a lot of behind the scene stuff too. I don't feel like I need to do tit-for-tat and list them publicly.

Originally Posted by DamienD

We'll leave all the important "super coder" stuff to you then shall we (which is quit ironic since 2 other people patched the problem you reported instead of you doing this yourself)...

I never claimed I was the best. Once pants discovered the byte code issue, which was the most difficult part, adding a patch was a matter of time. I didn't even get to test out pants' in memory hex change before StingRay put out his patch as I didn't have access to my home machine. That's great that StringRay got around it before I did as it saved me from doing it.

[demoniac]

Originally Posted by DamienD

Yup, this is very important and I can clearly see from searching the current TOSEC set you've been extremely busy indeed

... Flashback
... Indigo
... Lords of the Rising Sun

I'll only say that this list is incomplete and I have moved mostly off of Amiga projects. You are also becoming increasingly OT.