Megatraveller slave

[Wepl]

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

From what I've read from WHDLoad docs, I just have to patch the executable to remove the protection and system I/O calls back to the slave. The only thing I still have to see how to do is that "trav" executes "startup.exe" and this last file is the one which needs to be patched and isn't supposed to be run directly. How would I go about patching it without running it and making "trav" execute it after the patch?

I assume you are using kickemu. Then it would be easy to use the _cb_DosLoadSeg routine to patch it. You can see an example of this in the kick13.asm slave example source.

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

How do I submit an Work In Progress entry to the WHDLoad site?

This is currently only possible for developers already configured at the whdload web page. But there aren't much active slave writes ATM. So I doubt that someone will interfer here

[BlueAchenar]

Originally Posted by Wepl

I assume you are using kickemu. Then it would be easy to use the _cb_DosLoadSeg routine to patch it. You can see an example of this in the kick13.asm slave example source.

Thanks Wepl, I'm looking at the code. I'm still a little green at all this WHDLoad stuff.

Is there such thing as a slave source code repository?

[BlueAchenar]

Hum, I don't think I want to use kickemu because from what I understand that would imply using disk images and I believe preserving the files is more elegant.

Can't I run "trav" and still be able to hook to LoadSeg?

[BlueAchenar]

Ok. My solution: load and patch "trav" so it returns to the slave when it's time to run "startup.exe". Have the slave load and patch "startup.exe". Return control to "trav".

[Wepl]

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

Is there such thing as a slave source code repository?

No. I have many of the sources, but there is no public repository. Some slave examples are in the whdload-dev archive. Some install authors include the sources in their install packages.
But anyway, I doubt that it's very useful for you to read a lot of slave sources. Better is probably you ask what do you want to do, and we can advice you an slave with an similar problem to look into.

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

Hum, I don't think I want to use kickemu because from what I understand that would imply using disk images and I believe preserving the files is more elegant.
Can't I run "trav" and still be able to hook to LoadSeg?

Kickemu doesn't imply disk images. Most kickemu installs use files.
The decision to use or not use kickemu depends on much OS the games uses.

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

Ok. My solution: load and patch "trav" so it returns to the slave when it's time to run "startup.exe". Have the slave load and patch "startup.exe". Return control to "trav".

Ok

[Galahad/FLT]

Megatraveller series uses the OS for quite a lot, avoiding the use of KickEMU is probably not going to happen.

[BlueAchenar]

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

Megatraveller series uses the OS for quite a lot, avoiding the use of KickEMU is probably not going to happen.

Yeah. I ended up using it. Now I just have to find some "lvo" directory to copy to my includes as I don't have it and is giving me problems assembling the slave source.

[Wepl]

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

Yeah. I ended up using it. Now I just have to find some "lvo" directory to copy to my includes as I don't have it and is giving me problems assembling the slave source.

The lvos can be created from the *.fd files contained in the NDK using fd2pragma on aminet. Also to be found on http://whdload.de/whdload/lvo.lha.
Make sure to use latest kickemu from http://whdload.de/whdload/whd169.lha...

[BlueAchenar]

Originally Posted by Wepl

The lvos can be created from the *.fd files contained in the NDK using fd2pragma on aminet. Also to be found on http://whdload.de/whdload/lvo.lha.
Make sure to use latest kickemu from http://whdload.de/whdload/whd169.lha...

Thanks Wepl. Almost everything is going smoothly now. I had to switch from DevPac to AsmPro to assemble the source and I'm still adapting. I just don't like the AsmPro's IDE. I don't even know where the file is being assembled to.

[BlueAchenar]

Ok. All problems solved and the game runs fine with kickemu. Lets apply the patches.

[BlueAchenar]

Ok. The crack is working, the quit key also works as well as save and restore party from disk. I'm just testing the save games right now. Ah, more importantly, the game is working very well.

Just one small question. If I quit the game it goes back to the 1.3 OS screen. Is there a way to detect when the executable has quit running and just quit kickemu then?

[TCD]

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

Ok. The crack is working, the quit key also works as well as save and restore party from disk. I'm just testing the save games right now. Ah, more importantly, the game is working very well.

You already got it working? Wow, that was fast Seems we got a new WHDLoad patcher here Hope to see the beta soon mate

[BlueAchenar]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

You already got it working? Wow, that was fast Seems we got a new WHDLoad patcher here Hope to see the beta soon mate

I wish everything was working. Load/Save is not. But it seems to be something WHDLoad related, because it works well if I run the same exact files in the data directory and apply the patches manually.
Well, this was being waaaaaaay too easy anyway.

[TCD]

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

I wish everything was working. Load/Save is not. But it seems to be something WHDLoad related, because it works well if I run the same exact files in the data directory and apply the patches manually.

You'll get that sorted too

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

Well, this was being waaaaaaay too easy anyway.

Well, there's always the next one

[Shoonay]

Wow, that looks really like a nice game, mate. Go, go BlueAchenar!

[BlueAchenar]

Originally Posted by 5h00n4y

Wow, that looks really like a nice game, mate. Go, go BlueAchenar!

Never played it!!! But played MegaTraveller 2 and thought I should start with the first one.

This is puzzling. The game can open every file except the saved game files, but even these ones are detected in the load screen. Looks like I have to learn to debug inside WHDLoad.

[BlueAchenar]

For some reason I can't start HRTmon. Well, looks like I'll take a break from this today and return to the compactflash driver.

[Shoonay]

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

Never played it!!! But played MegaTraveller 2 and thought I should start with the first one.

That's even better, you will actually have fun beta-testing the slave

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

I'll take a break

Just don't over-work yourself mate, don't force it, take a brake and return when you actualy feel like having fun with it

[BlueAchenar]

Originally Posted by 5h00n4y

That's even better, you will actually have fun beta-testing the slave Just don't over-work yourself mate, don't force it, take a brake and return when you actualy feel like having fun with it

Yeah, I'll finally play the game.

I would have fun if I wasn't wasting 80% of the time on trying to get non game related things to work. Anyone knows how I get HRTmon to work? I have it installed on C: and have FreezeKey set in the tooltypes. The slave was assembled with the HRTMON and DEBUG flags.

[Wepl]

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

I would have fun if I wasn't wasting 80% of the time on trying to get non game related things to work. Anyone knows how I get HRTmon to work? I have it installed on C: and have FreezeKey set in the tooltypes. The slave was assembled with the HRTMON and DEBUG flags.

option Expert set?
correct hrtmon used?
hrtmon configured properly?