Help with Carlos (Microids, 1994): is this a bad crack ? - Page 3

apachacha · 14 November 2012, 13:47

I used the switch but yeah, nothing seems to have changed so far.

Could it be you.....have to use this on the first switch in the overworld ? But you can't go back out once you're in the dungeon.......

28 November 2012, 01:01

I have the same problem with those black bars, I couldn't find a way to break or pass through them. I think it is a bug from the game. I prefer Nicky Boom or Nicky 2 instead.

I can help to find the way to finnish the level if you agree.

BTW, I play the DOS version.

2nd BTW, I'm new in the forum!

emufan · 29 November 2012, 15:57

welcome robert. one more helping hand

i agree with the option to go back to the first part of the level, but i still could not find more hidden parts. i also keep trying.

clenched · 29 November 2012, 16:15

Add Atari ST to the list with the black bars, About all that could be discovered is the scrolling exposes a little more area and shows the gate opened by throwing switch. I wish there was a manual scan for this game to be sure the codes were entered right. It's hard to believe at least three versions are bugged.

dlfrsilver · 30 November 2012, 11:12

i have this game boxed in original with codes

i guess i should do something here ?

clenched · 30 November 2012, 23:33

One thing that would help is to see if #79 is the correct answer on this screen. Any numbers will start the game in 3 tries or less but 79 starts it in one. A manual would be nice if it isn't too thick and troublesome to scan. Don't break apart any wheel or such for this purpose... it isn't worth it.

apachacha · 30 January 2013, 18:32

I'm amazed more people actualy got involved at some point !

And I agree about the manual, reminds me of that purposefully bugged version of Leander, except would this needlessly cruel bug be present in three different versions of the game ?

s2325 · 14 March 2014, 23:17

At least Atari ST version should be without any bugs as someone made longplay yesterday [ Show youtube player ]

jbenam · 26 March 2014, 17:27

I was one of the unlucky chaps to have got this piece of crap - and I even tried playing it!

I seem to remember that even Level 1 was unplayable without glitching all the way thru the level's ending door... Maybe it was just me getting bored of going thru hoops just to finish Level 1.

Anyway, I can clearly remember both the unreachable lever and the black bars issue, I thought I was missing something, but it seems now like the game is just bugged

I guess I should replay it someday... Only to get stuck at the same point as always. Ugh.

apachacha · 24 April 2015, 19:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbenam

I was one of the unlucky chaps to have got this piece of crap - and I even tried playing it!

I seem to remember that even Level 1 was unplayable without glitching all the way thru the level's ending door... Maybe it was just me getting bored of going thru hoops just to finish Level 1.

Anyway, I can clearly remember both the unreachable lever and the black bars issue, I thought I was missing something, but it seems now like the game is just bugged

I guess I should replay it someday... Only to get stuck at the same point as always. Ugh.

Huh so it wasn't just me.

And I looked at that "longplay" only to find out it doesn't even seem to finish the first level.

dlfrsilver · 24 April 2015, 21:32

There is a possibility that this is a bad crack. Look at Nicky Boom, when Stingray reworked the slave, he has cornered checksums in the protection. Since it's the same engine, maybe it would be good to check it deeper.....

clenched · 24 April 2015, 23:19

There are three sets of those black bars to pass. I wound up dealing with it by just hacking the map.
Change these bytes from $19191919 to $1A1A1A1A to affect bars right to left.
$912A9
$911E1
$9101F
File A20.CDG is responsible for this map. It is the same as the one on Atari disk too. It is possible to unpack this file, change map, repack and the change be permanent on Atari and Amiga.
There is an altered savestate made from SPS disk Zoned at the first bar to try. I don't remember if all puzzle pieces need to be collected before going through the stairway.

dlfrsilver · 24 April 2015, 23:28

Clenched, i think that if it is tied to the protection, the map tiledata (a longword), is modified in RAM, making the barrier as we see it on screen.

The problem is not to correct in the file A20.CDg, but inside the main code. There must be a routine or an instruction which fucks the map big time.

clenched · 25 April 2015, 00:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

The problem is not to correct in the file A20.CDg

I agree.

That is why only savestate was uploaded instead of A20. Just so op could see the rest of the level. Since it happens on three different kinds of computers, I'm still not sure it is a bug or we are all doing something wrong.

clenched · 29 April 2015, 20:36

From 1st post:

Quote:

Originally Posted by apachacha

The first image is from the begining of level 2. There's a switch in the upper floor. Now it's already pressed and I can't seem to get to it. There is a high jump item on the top left of the above area but it wears off long before you get to this section.

The cheat published on HOL makes no mention of it but when the ENIRD code is entered pressing R will give the high jump powerup.Backspace to advance level. Now with high jump the switch is just out of Carlos' reach but within easy reach of the bird. No effect observed when bird hits switch.
All out of ideas.

dlfrsilver · 29 April 2015, 21:27

we should ask Stingray to get a look in the engine.....

jbenam · 30 April 2015, 01:18

Maybe we're all over thinking it....

What if the game was rushed as they knew that it was crap and they didn't even care to properly bug-test and debug it before putting it on sale?

Jokes aside, this thread interests me greatly

This game for me is one of those unfinished "things" that haunt you from your childhood

Is there an IPF of Carlos available to check if this is a protection issue or not?

dlfrsilver · 30 April 2015, 01:54

an ADF you mean ?

IPF from SPS are not allowed to be zoned or posted.

Galahad/FLT · 30 April 2015, 02:10

Its bugged. Copy protection is utterly useless, i've looked for checksums and so far nothing is apparent.

I've just played this piece of shit, and one part of the level I could get through before, I now can't, because the collision detection is fucking appalling.

I can bypass the protection by giving it the correct answer, and the bugs still occur.

It might be something simple like a missing blit wait for blitting the map blocks.

I got the disk image from WHDDownload from the Carlos install as CFOU imaged the original, so I just used that image.

Protection is a joke. I also checked out the TRSI-Zenith crack, and they cracked it properly by ensuring a certain bit in memory was set.

dlfrsilver · 30 April 2015, 04:22

ok

So patching the data file is the way to go then.....

29 November 2012, 16:15	#44
clenched Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Gainesville U.S.A. Posts: 771	Add Atari ST to the list with the black bars, About all that could be discovered is the scrolling exposes a little more area and shows the gate opened by throwing switch. I wish there was a manual scan for this game to be sure the codes were entered right. It's hard to believe at least three versions are bugged. Attached Thumbnails

30 November 2012, 23:33	#46
clenched Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Gainesville U.S.A. Posts: 771	One thing that would help is to see if #79 is the correct answer on this screen. Any numbers will start the game in 3 tries or less but 79 starts it in one. A manual would be nice if it isn't too thick and troublesome to scan. Don't break apart any wheel or such for this purpose... it isn't worth it. Attached Thumbnails

24 April 2015, 23:19	#52
clenched Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Gainesville U.S.A. Posts: 771	There are three sets of those black bars to pass. I wound up dealing with it by just hacking the map. Change these bytes from $19191919 to $1A1A1A1A to affect bars right to left. $912A9 $911E1 $9101F File A20.CDG is responsible for this map. It is the same as the one on Atari disk too. It is possible to unpack this file, change map, repack and the change be permanent on Atari and Amiga. There is an altered savestate made from SPS disk Zoned at the first bar to try. I don't remember if all puzzle pieces need to be collected before going through the stairway. Attached Thumbnails

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14 November 2012, 13:47	#41
apachacha Registered User Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 158	I used the switch but yeah, nothing seems to have changed so far. Could it be you.....have to use this on the first switch in the overworld ? But you can't go back out once you're in the dungeon.......

28 November 2012, 01:01	#42
robert Posts: n/a	I have the same problem with those black bars, I couldn't find a way to break or pass through them. I think it is a bug from the game. I prefer Nicky Boom or Nicky 2 instead. I can help to find the way to finnish the level if you agree. BTW, I play the DOS version. 2nd BTW, I'm new in the forum!

29 November 2012, 15:57	#43
emufan Registered User Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: #DrainTheSwamp Posts: 4,545	welcome robert. one more helping hand i agree with the option to go back to the first part of the level, but i still could not find more hidden parts. i also keep trying.

30 November 2012, 11:12	#45
dlfrsilver CaptainM68K-SPS France Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melun nearby Paris/France Age: 46 Posts: 10,413	i have this game boxed in original with codes i guess i should do something here ?

30 January 2013, 18:32	#47
apachacha Registered User Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 158	I'm amazed more people actualy got involved at some point ! And I agree about the manual, reminds me of that purposefully bugged version of Leander, except would this needlessly cruel bug be present in three different versions of the game ?

14 March 2014, 23:17	#48
s2325 Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Gargore Age: 43 Posts: 17,789	At least Atari ST version should be without any bugs as someone made longplay yesterday [ Show youtube player ]

26 March 2014, 17:27	#49
jbenam Italian Amiga Zealot Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Italy Age: 36 Posts: 1,910	I was one of the unlucky chaps to have got this piece of crap - and I even tried playing it! I seem to remember that even Level 1 was unplayable without glitching all the way thru the level's ending door... Maybe it was just me getting bored of going thru hoops just to finish Level 1. Anyway, I can clearly remember both the unreachable lever and the black bars issue, I thought I was missing something, but it seems now like the game is just bugged I guess I should replay it someday... Only to get stuck at the same point as always. Ugh.

24 April 2015, 21:32	#51
dlfrsilver CaptainM68K-SPS France Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melun nearby Paris/France Age: 46 Posts: 10,413	There is a possibility that this is a bad crack. Look at Nicky Boom, when Stingray reworked the slave, he has cornered checksums in the protection. Since it's the same engine, maybe it would be good to check it deeper.....

24 April 2015, 23:28	#53
dlfrsilver CaptainM68K-SPS France Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melun nearby Paris/France Age: 46 Posts: 10,413	Clenched, i think that if it is tied to the protection, the map tiledata (a longword), is modified in RAM, making the barrier as we see it on screen. The problem is not to correct in the file A20.CDg, but inside the main code. There must be a routine or an instruction which fucks the map big time.

29 April 2015, 21:27	#56
dlfrsilver CaptainM68K-SPS France Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melun nearby Paris/France Age: 46 Posts: 10,413	we should ask Stingray to get a look in the engine.....

30 April 2015, 01:18	#57
jbenam Italian Amiga Zealot Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Italy Age: 36 Posts: 1,910	Maybe we're all over thinking it.... What if the game was rushed as they knew that it was crap and they didn't even care to properly bug-test and debug it before putting it on sale? Jokes aside, this thread interests me greatly This game for me is one of those unfinished "things" that haunt you from your childhood Is there an IPF of Carlos available to check if this is a protection issue or not?

30 April 2015, 01:54	#58
dlfrsilver CaptainM68K-SPS France Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melun nearby Paris/France Age: 46 Posts: 10,413	an ADF you mean ? IPF from SPS are not allowed to be zoned or posted.

30 April 2015, 02:10	#59
Galahad/FLT Going nowhere Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: United Kingdom Age: 50 Posts: 8,986	Its bugged. Copy protection is utterly useless, i've looked for checksums and so far nothing is apparent. I've just played this piece of shit, and one part of the level I could get through before, I now can't, because the collision detection is fucking appalling. I can bypass the protection by giving it the correct answer, and the bugs still occur. It might be something simple like a missing blit wait for blitting the map blocks. I got the disk image from WHDDownload from the Carlos install as CFOU imaged the original, so I just used that image. Protection is a joke. I also checked out the TRSI-Zenith crack, and they cracked it properly by ensuring a certain bit in memory was set.

30 April 2015, 04:22	#60
dlfrsilver CaptainM68K-SPS France Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melun nearby Paris/France Age: 46 Posts: 10,413	ok So patching the data file is the way to go then.....

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