Messages

31

SCI Community How To's & Tutorials / Re: Can you cancel a nonsensical skip in QFG3?

« on: December 03, 2023, 03:13:49 PM »

Will it help if I give you a savegame from the original interpreter instead of ScummVM? Just load it and head right and you'll meet Manu who will know you even though you didn't release it yet.

32

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 04, 2023, 02:20:57 PM »

What I still don't understand is who changed that source code. You shows a comparison in which one part was without the else clause.

33

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 04, 2023, 10:27:15 AM »

So did they change both the binary and removed the else line from the source code? Sorry, just trying to understand.

34

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 04, 2023, 10:04:47 AM »

So what was the exact change in source code that allowed random codes?

35

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 03, 2023, 05:37:14 PM »

Nice! So did they just remove the if/else clause?

What does the leftover (== local11 9731) do when it's not inside an if clause? We do know elsewhere in the code it still flashes red.

36

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 03, 2023, 01:49:36 PM »

Some of these tools are quite old (although old is a relative term). Could you compare 65.sc from the common cracked version VS the pure v1.000 version and see if there's a noticeable difference?

37

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 03, 2023, 09:07:10 AM »

This is a change to not only compiled code, but a compressed data stream of it. How someone came up with this patch, we'll never know, but ingenious it is.

Couldn't they have opened the game in something like SCI Companion, do the change, then compile it back to the RESOURCE files?

38

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 03, 2023, 03:53:55 AM »

Looks like it. The resources are identical between the cracked and original v1.000 except for one byte at offset 0x5da2 in RESOURCE.000. The crack changes 0xC0 to 0x00.

I knew the smart people here will crack (no pun intended) the case! Any way to know what was changed in source code?

I don't think the EQ1CD version was cracked. I believe they either didn't have time to fix the keypad crash

Which crash is that? The only crash that was discussed here was related to brand new fan patches.

39

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 02, 2023, 05:39:27 PM »

The problem is I can't submit this since officially (unless someone finds Floppy v1.1) the game was shipped without a working copy protection.

Have you confirmed the bug with an actual floppy version of EcoQuest v1.000, not just one downloaded from the internet?

You're right, random codes are blocked if you install through floppy installation files. This can be confirmed thanks to the Internet Archive, which hosts eco-quest (that's how this specific archive is spelled, as I probably shouldn't link directly) with 4 ZIP files, one for each disk. It can be installed via DOSBox by mounting a general folder, then copying the files from the first disk there, installing until the next disk is requested, then emptying the folder and copying there the next disk, clicking enter inside the installation to process the next disk and so on. Once done, in both DOSBox and ScummVM (even without the command line parameter) the copy protection can't be bypassed.

This confirms the very reason I've opened this topic in the first place - it means the Internet Floppy v1.000 was indeed hacked. Not by SCR files though, so I suspect by modifying the RESOURCE files directly. I wonder if the CD version was hacked too, just in a different way.

40

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 02, 2023, 02:04:03 PM »

No saves

Really? Is this version also unique in not letting save in the first room?

no skipping the gull cleaning intro

Do other versions let you skip it? If so, how?

and most of all neither run accepted 1337.

What do you mean?

It's scanned on this wiki, even has your 9721 code in the description.

You're right, it's the upside down part, thanks! Now fixed in the wiki.

I would not want Scumm to 'fix' that bug, at least not for my CD patch files. That would negate the entire point of restoring the keypad.

I personally don't think Scumm should be bypassing any copy protection by default. The protection is part of the experience. Just memorize all of the PQ2 mugshots like I did.

I don't think Eco1 should be the only game out there to not follow ScummVM's verdict. Everyone can always use the command line parameter. Besides, you can permanently use it this game's section in ScummVM's INI file so the game will always use it.
But rest assured it's very unlikely they'll dare to bypass your patches as they refuse to grant any special support for non official files.

41

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 02, 2023, 12:10:43 PM »

Thanks! If it natively blocks wrong codes could you try it in ScummVM with and without that command line?

BTW, is that manual online? Most archives have just the general technical manual.

42

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 02, 2023, 11:49:20 AM »

But it's not supposed to skip them if the aforementioned command line parameter is used. Anyone with access to that Floppy v1.1 version please check with and without that command line. This is based on the post above that stated v1.1 actually uniquely blocks wrong codes (but it didn't mention how was it played)

43

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 02, 2023, 06:54:13 AM »

That's kind of a bug in ScummVM then since all numbers should work unless --copy-protection is used.
The problem is I can't submit this since officially (unless someone finds Floppy v1.1) the game was shipped without a working copy protection.

44

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 02, 2023, 04:00:05 AM »

That screenshot above is even more of a mystery. It states the code with 3 no less than 3 times (some of which in a very large font), and still thousands of sites got confused and thought it's 2?

The version from Maher's site is the the Internet standard one (v1.000).

In your attached CD files, if both are used does it reject bad codes?
And would you like to add to that ZIP the same files for Floppy v1.000 which accepts bad codes?
And will ScummVM still bypass those codes unless the --copy-protection command line parameter is used?

P.S.
Can you add source code to that ZIP and/or explain what you changed?

45

SCI Syntax Help / Re: How does EcoQuest 1 allow to enter any code and not just the copy protected one?

« on: October 01, 2023, 06:51:01 PM »

It's just as mysterious to me why so many reviews or even walkthroughs falsely state the wrong code, not to mention some of those guides state "you must enter the right code or it won't work" as if they didn't even try it.