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2 Readers Data Exchange COMPUllST #78 lin ...... • C"') Editorial lDessage ~ E-4 This issue is late. I know, it's dumb to state the Stack eight ofthese 64Mbit chips together and you • en obvious but I wanted to tell you that the next one (#79) have 64 Mbytes. That opens the way for a microcom • will be out early so we can catch up. puter to have 64Mbytes of RAM. That's larger than rIJ ::;) This issue also seems to be a bit sparse. Between an most ofthe hard drives that computers are using today. extra large Product Monitor, another installment of (40Mbyte hard drives are the most popular size ac liliiii Krackowicz and a beginners guide to copy deprotec cording to Micro-D's dealer newsletter.) tion, the softkeys and APT's kinda got lost. But don't Sounds good to me. More memory and a multi l'- (I; worry, they'll be back in time for issue #79. tasking operating systemhave been on my wishlistfor some time. What do you think? E-4 0 Postage pains ~ .~ ~ The USPS has decided to raise our postal rates The Court, the IRS and Computist G) ;:J ~ again. This is especially annoying as the bulletin that We finally made it to court and (wonder of won they sent me shows that the 3rd Class rates went up ders) everyone else did too. It took seven tries to get ~ more than any otherclass. Regularsubs are sent by 3rd there, almost a yearofdelays, and itonly tookthe court ~= Class mail. After this issue is mailed, I will be recalcu about 10 minutes to approve ourplan ofreorganization. ~ = lating the cost ofpostage. The new rates will be printed And ourlawyersaid this was a simple Chapter 11 case. = in issue #79. Ifyou want to save a buck or so, send in (Unbelievable.) So, the IRS gets to charge us interest 0= your renewal early, before the rates go up. & penalties and we get to keep printing Computist That's what counts! Ifyou can spare so bucks, send a New Technology? donation to our IRS fund so we can pay them off :. I get a lot ofmagazines and technical publications. quickly and not have to pay too much interest and Some of the info is interesting and could apply to penalties. Apple lIs. A reader commented that he would be Q interested in a summary of any new technology that What's next might apply to Apple II and Mac computers. Is this Well, Vince Andrews has dropped offabunch more something that a lot of you would be interested in CDAs with lots ofsource code and explanations. One seeing? Write and let me know what you think. Write Computist reader sent a bunch ofMAC softkeys. And 0 and let me know ofany new technology that you have there are a dozen disks that I'm going to check out as heard of. soon as this issue is put to bed. As an example, a Japanese company has demon Also, I've written to several suppliers of(new and strated a 64Mbit chip. That's right. A memory chip used) Apple II parts. When I get all of the info I'm thatstores 64 times more datathanthe 1Mbitchips that going to tell you how to upgrade your Apple II and II+ CX) are so commontoday. The really interesting partisthat into a lIe or how to upgrade your lIe into a lIgs. the chip only needs 1.5 volts to WOIX and the speed is Hopefully, since this is mostly used equipment (re 50 nanoseconds. The lower voltage is good news for conditioned with warranties), the cost will be reason portables and the speed is faster than the 1Mbit chips able whatever that means. I'- commonly used today. (8Ons vs sOns) See you in issue #79!
Answers: FIND.CAT Enhancements 22 Table of Contents J. C 22 Super 6.0 Fastcopy Enhancements 22 ~ Editorial Note 3 Paul A. Johnson 22 Softkeys: Robin IA>cksley 22 RDEX Contributors' 23 In Search of the Most Amazing Thing 16 Most Wanted Softkeys 23 Features, Notes & such: Lava Pits of Asnar 19 unClassifieds 23 Speeding up Rocket Ranger 9 Muppets on Stage (3.5") 16 The Product Monitor Rocket Ranger Decoder CDA 10 Robocop 21 Silpheed, v. 1.09 11 Reviews Converting source code from Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday 7 ORCA/M to Merlin 11 APTs: Curing the"Control PanellA>ckout Blues" 11 Crystal Quest 7 Rocket Ranger 9 Donaldts Alphabet Chase 6 The Basics of Kracking (part 3) Elvira, Mistress of the Dark 5 Memory Moves, Binary Files & Playing Tips: Kramming for the Finals 12 Jam Session 4 Robocop 22 A few helpful hints 13 Learning DOS 5 Rocket Ranger 11 Loom 4 The Basics of Kracking (part 4) OmniKey/ULTRA 5 "Where do I begin?" 13 IBM Softkeys: ORCA/M 6 4 + 4 Conversion Chart 14 Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego 22 Reach for the Stars III: "Load Runner" Virus Fix 15
The Conquest of the Galaxyl T 6 Pirates or Saviors? 15 Sword of Aragon 6 Update on Ultima V DCS 15 Worlds ofUltima VI: A Crash Course in Software Deprotection The Savage Empire .4 Hardware & software requirements 16 Fast Frames, Updates, Etc. How to: A basic deprotection 16 Notes on Lo-Mem Boots (PC) 7 Deprotecting single-load programs 17 Omega 7 Nibble counts & checksums 18 Indianapolis 500: The Simulation ." 8 Deprotection with a IIe/IIc 19 Pro Tennis Tour 8 Boot code tracing 19 Tangled TalesIPC 8 Deprotecting under Pascal & ProDOS 19 The' Passion 8 Using Non-Maskable-Interrupts (NMI) 20 Wing Commander 8 4 + 4 encoding/nibbilizing 20 Samples from the Boita Company 8 Cracking BASIC protection schemes 20 Super Quest Champs? 8 Half and quarter tracking 20 Bomblets, not Bombs 8 Self-modifying code 21 Getting the RED out 9 EOR & disk encryption 21 Quick! Before she melts (Elviratips) 9 VTOC and the catalog track 21 Vendors ....••...... ••.••••.....•....•..•...... 9 FINDER (a nibble count finder) 21
COMPunST #78 Readers Data Exchange 3 Jeff Hurlburt TX Eodon is swathed in jungle flora, much ofit 'Ultima-tized' Zork? No; but close. Sup For instance, you see sheep being lulled to impassable. Some of the fauna, like the plied with fold-out directions card, clever sleep by a shepherd and a draft is played! man-sized warrior ants and snake women, pulp "magazine", and poster-size map, the displayed. ("Aha", you say, "I'll bet that's Tb.e can be pretty rough too. Numerous rivers first"Worlds ofUltima"releaseis a refresh the Sleep draft.") To weave a draft you and lakes plus limited-access cliff-ringed ing, high-entertainment-value new direc sound the appropriate notes on a staffat the plateaus further multiply the effective dis tion from Ultima's creators. bottom of the screen. (The farther you ad- tance of any journey. Besides, of the eight vance in the adventure, the more notes are known tribes, only Urah land is unmarked Loom added to Bobbin's staffand the more drafts on your map. Most ofthe tribes are friendly he can use.) You recorddrafts (in the game's l\IONI-TO,R enough; particularly since, as a real live Book of Patterns) in pencil, because, if the adventurer, you're just the one to trouble $59.95for***CGA-VGA 640K PC adventure is restarted, whoever plays will shoot some knotty problem. The Barrako Lucas Films encounter different sequences. For the mu- queen, for instance, needs someone to res sically adept player, an "Advanced" mode RATINGS In some time long pastorfar in the future, cue her daughter (another princess!) from a presents drafts as sound only. most knowledge and power is the exclusive Superb giant ape. The befuddled Supplied, with stereo 'scene setter' tape, ***** shaman on an islandis sure r-..".--...... - -~".... ----- on six (360K format) dis Options Excellent to be of help, once you -=--~----__.I kettes, Loom spans crys- **** recover his mind, stolen Keyboar dIndex _.. tallinecities, lush pastures, Very Good by a powerful rival far to Hide Piano Keyboard forge-lit castles, and the *** the south.... Set Song Length.__ labyrinthine caverns of a Good Ultima VI' and 'Sav •• dragon's lair. The game is ~Atmosphere ** age Empire arrived in the too easy to challenge ex Fair * same package. I chose to . Sequence Riffs perienced adventure garn Sync To Measure Poor @ play 'SavageEmpirefirst ers for more than a few because 1. It has a neato hours; but, of course, this Bad @@ picture on the box; and 2. was never the objective. It's a more recent release. Loom is thecomputer ver Defective , (Also, good, sweet, lov sion ofthe richly illustrat able, handsome King Lord ed fantasy lore book on British was getting to be a :,:,:;::-:.:.:.-. your coffee table: nice to real pain.) From what I've browse through and fun to Now that you'vedonewith tannenbaums seen ofeach game, the for share, especially with and roasung chipmunks on the open fire... matsare virtuallyidentical. younger computists. Finally, you can relax and startcashing in on All adventuring activity takes place on a those juicy sales at the local computer em province ofthe GreatGuilds: Glass makers, high-detail 'map' showing each party mem pona. Shepherds, Blacksmiths, Clerics, and Jam Session ber, any nearby natives or monsters, trees, Weavers. When all but one of the Weavers cliffs, ladders, huts, and items. Your view is is mysteriously swept away by some Dark Worlds of Ultima: top-down, at a slight slant to allow a 3-D *** Force, the fabric of time and spaceis threat $49.95./or 768K Apple Ilg The Savage Empire perspective. To enhance realism, there is ened; for it is Weavers who, on The Great Broderbund always some animation (e.g. natives move Loom, craft the very threadsofreality, Alas, If the weekends and holidays seem to around, rivers flow, etc.). Good AdLibsound the lone remaining Weaver is Bobbin bring visitors flocking into your Computer effects supplement an excellent musical $59.95 for ***EGA-VGA 640K pc: Threadbare, a mere apprentice of the craft! Room, it's a safe bet that at least one will score; and you'll find such expected embel lOMhz, EMS mem recommended As Bobbin your quest comes down to come up with something like: "What's all lishments as day-to-night brightness chang Origin finding outwho (orwhat?) is responsible for this stuff about 'IIgs sound'?" You might es. You can converse with each of the nu Tump. tump, te-tump-tump-tump, the disappearance of your fellow guild boot-up Activision's"MusicStudio"orEA's merous personages encountered via text in strange drumbeats, twittering birds, exotic members; and, once you do, having the "Instant Music"; and your visitors will be puts- a picture temporarily replaces the music and brightly litjungle scenery all tell wherewithal to handle the situation. Your suitably impressed. OR, you can go the 'No map--otherwise, mostadventuring control you "I'm notin Ultima anymore". Actually, Book of Patterns (i.e. "drafts" or spells) is Mercy' route, start up Broderbund's Jam is via convenient mouse click-and-point. In though, you are-only here the wizards are nearly blank; but you doknow one, thedraft Session, click on "Chicken Jamboree", "Party mode", members ofyour group auto called shamen, the major monsters are pre of Opening (good for opening things and "Walkbass", "Jamtana", ... and just blow matically follow your lead; but you can historic beasts, and no one is quite sure whisking asidecurtains). You also possess a 'em away! split-off and direct individuals. where "here" is! According to the 44-page Weaver's Staff; and, as a member of the Jam Session doesn'tmerely play twenty Savage Empire does not drench its con pulp-magazine-style scene-setter booklet mostpowerfulofguilds, you command some lively « STEREO » arrangements, it siderable landscape- roughly equivalent ("Ultimate Adventures", Vol 59,No. 11), it degree of awe from those you encounter. SHOWS the players, in sound-synced ani in size to several 'old Ultima' continents all starts back in mundanesville with a too (Everyone, for instance, knows it is death to mated super-res! The five "groups" include with hordes of monsters. Probably, it'sjust real dream ofa native beauty battling some peekbeneath a weaver'scowl.) Once you've Country-Western, Rock, and Heavy Metal as well. Lacking a tactical 'break-out' dis kind ofdinosaur, an oddly deformed moon searched Weaver's Island and discovered (four members each), plus a Blues duo and play, combat in 'Savage Empire is decid stone, AND an experiment gone awry in any drafts to be found there, your first major a Classical pianist Adding to the fun, you edly clumsy; not, in fact, much better than ProfessorRatkin'slab. TZZAPPOOM! You, challenge is to find the way offand into the get tempo and keyboard-jam control ofriffs Ultima I's large-map bump-into-and-bash a reporter named Jimmy, and Rafkin are larger world and greater adventure beyond. (runs of notes played as embellishment), format. The major benefit ofcombat, aside moongated to Eodon, Ultima's version of The first time I started Loom it seemed individual "scale" notes, and sound effects "Lost World". certain that Lucas Films (e.g. chicken "cluck, cluck"'s). These are The dream turns out to had decided to go ahead arranged, by instrument, in the upper four be an accurate forecast; and produce a computer keyboard rows- A, S, ...,' may be "Guitar soon you find yourselfon a movie. The game's VGA riffs";Z, X, ...,/mightbe"Synth scale"; etc.. quest to rescue Princess artwork and smooth ani The Shift key switches to four more banks Alela of the Kuraks (The mation do place you IN for a total ofeight persong. Clicking "Edit" girl) from the clutches of theadventurescape. Point lets you add, delete, and change riff notes; Darden the Huge, chief of to a hut opening, click, and.these changes can be saved to disk. the Urah tribe (The bad and Bobbin walks in. (The As the name implies, Jam Session is guy). Jimmy and Rafkin screen shows Bobbin in chiefly for 'play along', not composition. shouldbe in your party; but the hut). If you click on Riffs can be fairly long and can greatly your group was separated some more distant point changea song'ssound; butthe basic melody soon after arriving. You'll (and there is somereason remains. Similarly, clicking "Keyboard In have to find them (espe ably direct way to get dex" shows current bank assignments; but CIally since Doc Rafkin there), Bobbin will travel the display cannot be maintained during may be able to tinker up the path, diminishing in play. You could make detailed notes and some pnmitive rifles and size as he moves away actually 'arrange the music'. Mainly, how grenades to even the odds). from the foreground. All ever, you're supposed to 'get a feel' for Then, there's the 500 square feet orso oflab complex actions are pre what's where and 'wing it' like the other from clearing troublesome obstacles, is the thatgotteleported; it'soutthere somewhere, choreographed; so, if you're near some ob members of the group. Sometimes, you'll resulting Experience boosts. These lead to just loaded with useful stuff. Fortunately, jectyou would normally use (e.g. a raft); the sound 'just okay'; sometimes, especially Level advances, more hilpoints, and im there's no shortage of primitive weaponry program will execute the necessary actions with a little practice, everything will click proved Strength, Dexterity, etc. attributes. and food- you can walk into any hut and (you climb on). Add a vivid AdLib sound into place and you'll sound Great! And, Shaman magic, cast via assorted skulls and pick up whatever you want; and some ofthe track of Tchikovsky melodies and it's no when you're ready for that 'special perfor plants, is similarly low-key. The Eagle Eye, 'monsters' (liketigers anddinosaurs) can be wonder the game is nearly as much fun to mance',justswitchontheprogram'sRecord Heal, Protection, Charm ... spells are very skinned and eaten. Better yet, a Kurak war watch as to play (or that younger visitors option. Your masterpiece is 'in the can' helpful; but, your main 'punch' comes from riornamedShamuruhasvolunteeredtojoin. still ask me how Bobbin is doing). ready for replay and saving to disk. mundane implements. Funny thing is, the guy is a dead ringer for Though Loom presents close-ups and At present, you can not import entirely The somewhat diminished role of con your old Brittania companion Shamino; he verbose text for many of the shepherds, new songs or graphics; nor can you change flict means 'Savage Empire is very good evenclaims to "knowyourface, from some glass makers and others you meet along the group-song matchups or instrument sets. about letting you explore, soak up the atmo where .....! way, virtually all player input consists of Thatis, pending release ofa FULL-featured sphere, and work out solutions in relative You do not. naturally, just walk over to clicking some choice or playing four-note Editor utility, the JS package doesn't do peace; and, with a large, attractive, chal the Uralis, bop Darden, and save Aiela. For drafts. A draft is learned by encountering it Everything. Jam Session does deliver loads lenge-packed gamescape, there's plenty to starters, the roughly 400 square miles of in some context which hints at its function. ofentertainment, to say nothing ofreal IIgs see and no shortage ofthings to 'work out'.
4 Readers Data Exchange COMPunST #78 userSatisfaction: ''THAT'sNeat!","Wow!", founded, is even worse. You do not, for Now, suppose I were to ask: What must high tension. Most often, when a low qual etc., etc.! example, have any way of knowing that an instructional package do to 'work'? "It ity, otherwise "okay" stick leaves the user using up your crossbow bolts (e.g. to zap should be fun"; "It should teach the materi oddly worn out after relatively little action, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark maze gremlins) leaves no way to kill the al"; "It should match the presentation to the the culprit is absence of reliable feedback. werewolf or the Grey Knight. Nor is there a user's knowledge"; "It should reward suc This is the "shadow boxing syndrome": the warning that the plants, bugs, and other key cess"; ... Fine. But, if the response was "It lessa joystick(ormouse+pad, orkeyboard) $59.95 for EGA-VGA 640K PC spell ingredients arelimited, non-renewable should place the user ftrmly in control ofthe 'tells' you about its status via touch, pres ** resources. presentation", then give yourselfa paton the sure, sound, etc., the more over-movement (+ $12.95 for required Clue Book) Accolade "Okay, NOW I know; so, the problem is nose. If, after all, you want to become a and extraeffort you must expend to use it. A fixed. Right?" Maybe. Misusing yourcross skilledDOS user, then puttingYOUin charge good keyboard 'talks' to your fingers and to When Elvira inherits the old family cas bowbolts is the only for-sure routeto adven ofthe 'what' and 'when' ofthe presentation your ears. tle, she immediately decides the sprawling turer 'zombiehood'. Running out of magic is the surest way to guarantee success. Northgate knows about feedback; so, all three-story keep, towers, and battlements or destroying an artifact could produce a To accomplish this, Learning DOS first OmniKey series keyboards employ ALPS will make the perfect hor divides things into handy click/tactile key switches. When you press a ror-theme nightclub. (As topic areas (e.g. Getting c/tkey 1. you feel the key movedown; 2. you for the dungeon, torture Started, Working with feel and hear a THLICK! as the switch chamber,andcatacombs.., Files, Organizing Your activates; 3. you feel and hear the key 'bot whoknows?!If"Elvira's" Files with Directories, tom out' at the end of the press. Your key isa bigenough hit, itcould Using Installed Applica stroke is very similar in principle to the be 'out with the cells and tions, ...) and then lets you recommended correct golf swing or tennis in with the sell'!) Unfortu decide where to start. 'Re stroke: power, contact, follow-through. The nately,the 'oldfamily' has ally new' PC users can result is a natural, comfortable 'feel' vastly .other plans. Like, when it begin atsquare one, with a superior to the mash-and-clack (all-power comes to hot nightspots, key-by-keyintroduction to stroke) response oflow-quality units. these guys might as well important keyboard func The 112-key '/ULTRA places Function be dead- well, in fact, tions. OR, you might try Keys 1-12 to the left (like the OmniKey/ they ARE dead, sort of. the Self Test and zero-in Plus) and adds Special Function Keys 1-12 Thanks to great, great on the areas that need the along the top. The latter, via an SF Select grandma (and sorceress) most attention. Through key, can be set to duplicate the Function Imelda, there's a vampire out the presentations, you Keys oras Shift +. Ctlr +, or Alt +Function upstairs, a zombie in the can always PgUp to go keys. A second 'setupkcy', Rate Select, lets kitchen, a werewolf in the similar result; but it's less likely. Even so, back a frame or press etrl and choose from you set Auto Repeat rate (.54 - 125 charac stables, gremlins in the hedge maze, and after restarting the game one or two times, I Print screen, return to the main Menu, hop ters/second), the Delay between keypress ghoul guards roaming the grounds. Ifsome finally consulted the Clue Book and ended to lesson Troubleshooting, see the Index ... and start ofrepeat (.20 - 1.85 seconds), and one doesn't find The Chest soon and get rid up using it as a kind of second manual. or just Quit for now (with 'Save') and re startup KB validation time (.008 - 1.85 sec ofImelda, things could get REALLY bad! Elvira' is very good about J>;¢rmitting any sume your DOS quest after lunch. onds). These settings require just two key Youalready know whom Elvira has hired number ofspeedy Savesan
COMPUllST #78 Readers Data Exchange 5 Sword ofAragon question, the correctanswer will sometimes Unlike "machine coding", where you go convenient Assembly Language entry. 4. be the word after the one requested. Other to the monitor and make entries like A5 FE You make any desired changes to complaints include sketchy documentation ...,in assembly language you are using a text BUGNOSE (or, if from scratch, enter your of unit characteristics and overly slow in $39.95 for***CGA-EGA 384K PC editor and can enter LDA $FE. If you've new BUGNOSE program), exit the Editor, come growth. (Again, see issue #75 for Strategic Simulations told theassemblerthataddress$FE is named and do a quick SAVE. 5. Now, entering 'cures'). So much for the 'warts ofAragon'. COLOR; then LDA COLOR is possible. ASML BUGNOSE will assemble and link As heir to the Duke of Aladda (recently SSI's Sword of Aragon is a unique, long Assembly language also permits Labeling your stuff and create an exe file which you slain inan orc raid), you inherithis dream: to play strategy & tactics-plus-adventurechal any statement; so, instead of 20 00 03 to can execute from the Shell by entering bring peace to the West and EastRealms by lenge offering multiple, speedy Game Savel activate a sound effect, you might enterJSR BUGNOSE. (NOT, ofcourse, a good idea if uniting the twenty feuding city states of the Restore, decent 'old-PC' sound, and crisp, HONK. Named variables and labels make it BUGNOSE does something gross, like set old Aragonian Empire. This is NOT, you a cinch, using a good edi ting all RAM to FF's.) 6. If you'd like to soon realize, as easy as it '" tor, to add, delete, and have BUGNOSE in BRUNabie form, you sounds. Several strategi- >:.: move around pieces of can enter MAKEBIN BUGNOSE.EXE cally placed cities have your program; and, natu BUGNOSE.BIN. See, easy! beenunderthe rule oforcs, rally, the product is vastly So far, I've used ORCA/M to develop goblins, giants, trolls, or easier to read and debug. several utilities. While, in a few cases, the titans for so long that they Most of today's assembly machine code entry route was a possible have become veritable language packages are alternative, some projects (e.g. a super-res monster fortresses. Just to "macro assemblers". This picturepackerlunpackercalled"SuperPac") the north, a power-hungry means that you CAN use wouldhave been nearly unthinkable. ORCN despot, Pitlag the Pitiless, and/or create macros (i.e. M now ships with the "ZapLink" version of has begun to subjugate procedures callable via a the Linker; so, assembly-link time is better peaceful neighbors; and label); not that you must. than ever- most 'small stuff' takes less AJaddaiscertainly'onthe Almost certainly, you will than a minute. Assembler error checking, menu'. Fortunately, Lord want to make some use of fortunately, is very good; and, thanks to the Pitlag'sloggingoperations the macros found in Math, Shell 'glue', it's a snap to hop back into the have won the enmity ofthe I/O and other Libraries. Editor, correct an error, and be ready for West Elves; but you have From the very start, another try. Twocaveats: though the system yet to show themysterious ORCA/M (sometimes, in can work with one drive and 5I2k, life is forest dwellers that Aladda is any different. colorful graphics. Restoring The Empire its nearly identical "APW" form) has been much easier with two drives; and, to run The Dwarves and Plainsmen are similarly isn't easy; but it probably supplied as much the standard IIgsdevelopmentenvironment. with the super-res Desktop system, plan on suspicious of anyone claiming altruistic solid gaming 'fun time' as anything I played As a result, familiarity with and access to the at least 1.25MB ofRAM. ORCA/M's 370 motives. in 1990. Byte Works product is assumed in pro page manual is comprehensive, well-in Your big problem is Lucian III ofTetra grammingexamplesfound in Applemanuals dexed, and very readable; it is also not da, the oldEmpire capital in EastRealm. He Donald's Alphabet Chase and valuable learning aids likeExploringthe particularly well organized. Expect to end regards Aladda and otherWestRealm cities Apple IIgs ($22.95) and Exploring Apple up with documentation plastered with your as 'lost', barbarous, and fit only to serve as GS/OS and ProDOS 8 ($21.95, both by own index tabs. pawns in his games of assassination and $14.95 for***128K Apple JI Gary Little, from Addison-Wesley). The If,atlonglast, you'reready to create your conquest in the wealthy East. Orcs, dark Disney Software same applies to on-disk programs and li own windows, use mouse inputs in YOUR mages, and demons are a sampling of those braries available as supplements to theLittle programs, etc.. If, in short, you want the When Disney's new alphabet game ar with whom Lucian makes common cause, books and Apple's Programmer's Intro power (and fun!) of writing your own IIgs rived, I popped it into a drive and started tosay nothing ofhisevil humanallies. Aside duction to the Apple IIgs ($32.95, from software, then get out your Toolbox Refer playing with barely a glance at the manual. from ruling the largest city with the biggest Addison-Wesley). Naturally, ORCA/M's ences,checkoutthebooks mentionedabove, The result was a 'different kind' of gaming army, Lucian poses another kind of obsta libraries of Equates and Macros 'fit' the and, very definitely, check out ORCA/M! experience. cle: he is, de facto, "theEmperor"; YOU are Toolbox Reference volumes like a glove. Moving from room to room inandaround merely one of many lords, and, at that, of a All ORCAlanguagepackages, including Reach for the Stars: The Donald's house, the playerpresses alphabet West Realm city state! Part of your quest Pascal, C, and Assembly, 'operate under' keys to help Donald find and chase down Conquest of the Galaxy, (i.e. the "adventure part") is to acquire the the ORCA Shell. The Shell is an operating pesky "silly letters" (who swing from light Crown ofthe West, Scepter ofthe East,.and system which, besides allowing access to Third Edition fixtures, scamper along fences, hop on fur other major symbols of legitimacy. ProDOS commands, 'glues together' the niture, etc. before beingcollected). I quickly Sword ofAragon is, primarily, a strate Editor, various language assemblers, as discovered that, when you get all the letters gy and tactics challenge combined with a sorted utilities, and the Linker. This does $44.95 for***512K Apple JIgs in any location (listed in a box at the screen's hefty dose of "Santa Paravia'" economics: NOT, incidentally, mean that you must start Strategic Studies Group rich cities with large, contented populations upper left comer), the program plays a por up the Shell to run programs created using From the developers of such wargame and developed industries produce the big tion ofthe Alphabet Song; so, I tackled the an ORCA language. You CAN create files favorites as "Panzer Battles" and '''Ameri gest incomes and the mostpowerful armies. chase on a room-by-room basis. One can, which execute only when the Shell is active can Civil War"', Reach for the Stars III Each turn is one month, during which you however, press any un-caught letter's key; as well as Shell batch files; you can also moves you into the distant future where spend income to buildproduction, defenses, and Donald will go to the correct room and create stand-alone "GS Applications", battles decide the fate of planets and, even and armies in cities under your control. You find the letter selected. "Cute hires artwork, CDA's, NDA's, etc., and, via the MAKE tually, of the galaxy. This much-reworked also cement agreements with potential al nice animation, decent'old-Apple' sound", BIN utility, produce old style BRUNabie version of the first Keating and Trout prod lies, move individual "commanders" and I decided, "but, really, too easy- there's files. The Shell lets you customize your uct offers 1-4 players a shot at the original multi-unit armies (shown as stacked icons not even a score! Only a three-year-old working environment (e.g. name a "Work scenario, a new Advanced Scenario, and on the large, scrolling 'empire map'), pur could get much from this kind ofchallenge. Disk", seta preferredprinterinitstring, etc.) (thanks to user-adjustable production costs, sue wealth-enhancing rescue and monster .. Aha!!" Sure enough, right on the box it and, via the LOGIN file, have the system movement factors,victory conditions, etc.) removal missions, initiate major invasions, says "Ages 2-5, Preschool". start with your preferred environment in countless variations of each. To facilitate andrespond to various largeandsmall-scale A "Challenge", to be sure, is where you place. one-on-one and solitaire play, any unfilled attacks. find it. For young pre-readers, pressing al An advantage ofbecoming familiar with slots are taken by computer players. These It is moderately rewarding to see city phabet keys- especially, A key to get a the ORCA/M assembler is that, in the pro can range from inept bunglers (Le. "jelly incomes grow, but the big payofffor your particular letter- can be a genuine chal cess, you become familiar with most of the rolls"') to Enhanced Veterans capable of efforts is the chance to direct your custom lenge as well as a valuable learning experi 'tricky part' in learning to use any language putting together formidable alliances (i.e. equippedandtrained units ofinfantry, bow ence. (In Centerfor Giftedness parlance, we development system. In ORCA, only the "guns"). men, cavalry, (horse bowmen, mounted in are talking aboutdevelopingeye-handcoor particular language assemblers, Editor set Anticipating that many spacewar jelly fantry, etc.) togetherwith individual Knight, dination' fine-motor skills, letter recogni tings (e.g. tab stops, etc.), and Libraries rolls will be attracted to the game, RFTS Warrior, Ranger, Priest, and Mage com tion, ...AND slipping in a bit of 'computer change from language to language. Once designers include a well-documented Tuto manders in battles against computer-man literacy' preparation.) That the player gets you master the Shell, learning to program in rial Scenario. Here you get hands-on prac aged adversaries. Set on scrolling, multi to try out new skills On A Computer and any ORCA language is, chiefly, "just" a tice with setting planetary production tar screen, 'tactical level' maps (complete with Make Fun Things Happen- well, this is matter of learning the language. Currently, gets to build ships, develop drive technolo trees, bridges, walls, ...), these combats fea heady stuff indeed. Add the powerful bene the Shell comes in two 'flavors': the all-text gy,enhance industrial capacity, ....Youalso ture partially-animated unit icons, flexible fits of parental involvement- a I2.page version, included when you buy ORCA/M, explore prospects for expansion and man click-and-move controls, full-range equip booklet suggests several parent-child and the super-res windows-and-mouse age your military assets for defense and options, and ready access to spell casting. 'Chase' activities-andyou'vegotastrong, "Desktop" version. Thelatter, supplied with conquest.Likeanyreasonably complexpiece (Depending uponLevel, Mages,Priests, and attractive, and entertaining route to building current GSIOS, includes such advanced de ofentertainmentsoftware-thebetterflight! Rangers can employ such powers as Tele Reading foundation skills. bugging features as single-step execution combat simulators are a good example portUnit, Pyrotechnics, Disintegrate, Heal, with variables monitoring and a graphics RFTS takes someserious'gettinginto'.Pull Create Tower, etc..) 'Aragon does not, ORCAIM output window. down menu/stat displays, quick save/load, however, favor a 'special powers'-based "Okay; so, how do you writean assembly and point-and-click mouse controls relieve strategy. Mages and Priests are very impor language program?" Here's a typical exam players of most record-keeping and 'bean tant, butslow to develop and few in number. $69.95 for***512K Apple JIgs ple: 1. You bootthe ORCA diskette. 2. Enter counting' chores. Still, you must enjoy the The core ofyour punch remains the 'grunt': Byte Works ASM8I6 to set the current language to As kind ofplanning and attention to detail that chiefly, heavy infantrybackedbybow units. All in all, there is probably no more sembly Language. (Your LOGIN file could produce battlefield victories and strategic Itshould go without saying that onedoes rewarding computing activity than actually do this for you.) 3. EPter EDIT BUGNOSE gains. If,in short, you arefor-real wargamer not devote large chunks ofcolumn space to taking control of the machine. Mastering to edit the program named BUGNOSE. If material, then RFTS is waiting with crisp, hints and advice (re. issue #75) for a game any of the "high level" programming lan the BUGNOSE source file (a text file) is colorful super-res star maps and a strategy one does not like. As noted in the earlier guages is a decent start; but, especially on found, itis loaded; ifnot, itisn't. Either way, wargaming platform good for many hours column, you may encounter one bug: when the IIgs, the surest route is mastery of As you end up in ORCA's full-featured text ofabsorbing play. responding to the initial game-protection sembly Language. Editor with tabs and other defaults set for
6 Readers Data Exchange COMPUllST #78 Buck Rogers: Countdown to screenopensand you can zip through to face Where are they now? Instead of the expected pressure sensor the next Wave. Hampering your efforts are pads activated by rubber-tipped arms ex Doomsday As noted in past joystick reviews, the mines sprinkled amidst the crystals and the usual test procedure includes aweek or so of tending from the handle, the 'Plus employs need to adjust for momentum effects in ship 'living with' a stick. This turns out to be straight-lineboard-molded resistance tracks. movement and missile launches. fairly revealing when itcomes to evaluating Two wipers are mounted at right angles on $49.95 for***CGA-VGA 640K PC Your Big problem is the monsters which user comfort and game performance, but separate slotted plates. (One has a horizon Strategic Simulations periodically enter through portals on either doesn't say much about longer term con tal slot, the other has a vertical slot. The (Clue Book, $12.95) side of the screen. Dumples squirm toward cerns. How does a stick stand up to contin bottom tip of the handle fits through both Hard upon a string ofswords & sorcery your ship and grunt, Pests lay mines, Zar ued daily use? Do comfortand performance slots.) Moving the handle slides each wiper victories, the SSI-TSR team has teleported klephasers spin-off missiles, Menaces slide evaluations 'prove out' over the long haul? along its track to produce Xand Yresistance their D&D adventuring model into the 25th along the borders and fire laser bursts, etc.. For starters, severill sticks were picked outputs. (Clever!) The Analog Plus doesn't century, and not amoment out by. visitors, donated to merely "employ pots"; illS a highly rugged, too soon. Led by Buck PBS tele-auctions, etc. dual-output potentiometer. It also remains a Rogers, New Earth Orga soon after the reviews. popular, proven performer on "Stormovik", nization rebels have just These include Wico's "Stellar 7", and many other PC simulations. driven oppressive Russo second 'Commander (Hint: For better, more positive feeling trig American Mercantile (gray case, rod-like han gers, open the handle and carefully remove (RAM) forces from the dle), Suncom's Tac 1+, the two springs.) planet; and everyone Control Marketing's Pro My chief 'Plus complaint, that centering knows RAM will be back. 6000, and Kraft's Premi tension may be too high for prolonged high It's 'No more Mr. um III (original, black action applications, has proven out. On Or Niceguy' ,even ifitmeans handle + red button ver igin's "Wing Commander", fifteen minutes totalwar andaCountdown sion). All missed the long orso offierce space combatis likely to force to Doomsday! term trial. most players to a two-handed grip. One Beginningas newNEO Among the units des solution is to switch sticks; another is to recruits, your party ofsix tined to 'stay and take it', view this as an opportunity to build wrist soon discovers that RAM the CH Products Flight strength. More daring users (with access to is building a Super Laser Stick retains its excellent a pointy-tipped soldering iron) can disas to sterilize the cities of 'command console' feel semble the case, slide out the resistance Earth. Closing down this project is your Popping these turkeys is very satisfying and and a solid hold on its position next to the assembly, and 'adjust' tension by punching primary mission, one which takes you to an makes it easier to collect crystals and grom IIgs. The venerable Mach III, another CH spots around the flexible ring which anchors asteroid outpost plus several bases and vil valuable Smart Bombs (one of these wipes stick, continues to be a smooth, reliable the handle. (Remember, adecorative rubber lages on Mars, Venus, and Mercury. Don't out all monsters currently on the screen). performer after many, many sessions of boot surrounds the handle on top. Take care expect to encounter many evil wizards; do Pottingmonsters also ups your score; but the "Elite", "Conan", etc. on the II+. Suncom's to punch only the ring.) Since the sliding expect tough meetings with RAM guards, major boosts come form collecting special unique Starfighter gets only an occasional plates are centered via springs on the resis pirates, desert apes, (hyper-snakes, etc.)and Super Crystals (which drift onto the screen workout. Thanks to pressure-transducer tance assembly, a circle of 8-12 small holes assorted 'special purpose' robots. Your par and move around) and getting through a technology and bolt-anchored handle, the will reduce handle tension withoutaffecting ty will also face automated security defens level in one piece. To encour~ge competi 'fighter is perfect for high-energy visitors X-Y centering accuracy. es, ship-to-ship combats, and dangerous tion, CC starts a 'Today's Top Scores' list used to slamming around cartridge-game Lo-Mem Boots boarding clashes. Occasionally, a friendly ing each session and maintains a large all switcher sticks. (It's a good bet that, around Desert Runner, reformed computer person time High Scores roster on-diskette. 2500 A.D., some archaeologist will dig up a As mentioned last issue, many of the ality, ...,oreven Buck himself will pitch in; Whether or not to risk hanging around 'fighter and write apaper on the "indestruc newer PC games demand a hefty chunk of mainly, though, saving Earth is up to you. after a Gate is opened (to get all the Smart tibility of20th century devices". He or she your 640K base memory. Some examples After four long-play SSI swords & sor· Bombs or wait for a Super Crystal) is up to will also, no doubt, comment upon the in are "Stunt Driver", "Ishido", "Stratego", cery quests, 'sci-fi D&D' definitely takes a you. Whether or not to quit play after a few credible hand strength ofearlier humans.) "Elvira", Stormovik", "Altered Destiny", bit of acclimating. While Magic is gone, waves probably isn't. Crystal Quest is guar An Epyx 500 XJ has yet to reach me in "PrinceofPersia","SavageEmpire", ... (Le. your characters can acquire new "Skills" anteed to grab any arcade devotee for hours ready-to-work form. Both of the repaired not ALL ofthe 'good stuff, but you get the and a few weapons which approach the ofaction-filled monster-sfplurting. units continue to perform well enough on idea). Starting one of these from the usual gratifying destructiveness of a Fireball. Apple applications which require just mod Dosshell selector will result in mid-play Tactical combat looks and works much like Fast Frames, Updates, Etc. erately precise centering and which locate bomb-out or, if you're lucky, generate an that in the S&S games; which is to say it immediate "Notenough free memory" mes Stick-y Stuff 'center' near the middle of X and Y pot works very well, offering quick, flexible ranges. Being a hand-held-only unit and, at sage. click-and-point control. Still, while you can that, one incorporating interesting innova One cure is to routinely rely upon memo look forward to more varied tactical setups OMEGA tions that 'kind of work' (e.g. push-button ory manager software to move chunks of (e.g. more barriers, rooms to hole-up in, @) centering), the 'XJ is, atbest,a 'secondstick' startup applications out of precious 'base etc.), modern attack and defense options choice for the experimentally inclined user. RAM' into either expanded or extended clearly lack the range supplied via magic. $29.95 Joystickfor Apple II series and Evil times have befallen one highly rated memory. Also, DOS supports moving some By"BuckRogersII'"("RevengeofRAM"?), IBM unit. Afterafew months offine action-game buffers and drivers into expanded memory. it will be time to uncover heretofore un sticking, the Advanced Gravis Analog The 'catches' here are (1) Theproductto be imagined Founderartifacts, psi powers, and Beeshu Joystick (for Apple) developed a serious run may. itself, wanttouse all ormost ofany Vulcan death grips. Size: 4.25"W x 5.0"D x1.75"H x 3" up-glitch in the vertical pot. I removed the expanded memory; and (2) Your favorite Boasting 3D-perspective forward-view Handle defective resistance element-just un-sol DOS and/orany available memory manager VGA 'exploration mode' displays, AdLib Centering Tension: approx. 70 gm. der the leads, pull out the wiper assembly, software may not recognize the presence of music, and decent effects, Buck Rogers' is Handedness: none and pop out the element-and,sure enough, your particular brand ofexpanded memory the most attractive, smoothest running im Centering Error: 2.8%H, 1.6%V the resistance track showed a worn spot. board. (Fortunately, most products which plementation yet ofSS!'s popular questing Centering Defeat: none More to thepoint, the resistancelayerproved make use of expanded memory don't care format. Look forward to a reasonably flex Movement Range (Horiz.): 70 degrees to be so thin as to virtually guarantee a short whether DOS knows about your board or ible, clue-packed scenario, stiff combats, Useful Range (XI Uoriz.): 33 degrees life. A call to the manufacturer seemed to not.) and 30-50 hours of entertaining sci-fi ad Centering Adjust: two thumbwheels confirm this analysis but produced some The alternative 'cure' is a good deal venture. (Includes volume 1 of the Buck Connector: Apple DIN & IBM adapter good news as well. According to Ron simpler and more straightforward. Vendors Rogers Inner Planets Trilogy: First Power Case Access: four screws, remove feet Haidenger, Gravis product manager, the know when their stuff is 'pushing the lim Play, a TSR paperback by John Miller.) Available in lime green and three alter- company switched pot suppliers several its'. Typically, you will find some sugges native da-glow colors plus off-white, Bee months ago (i.e. shortly after sending outthe tion to the effect that if(?!) you experience Crystal Quest shu'sOmegaboasts rounded contoursand a review sample). If you own a Gravis stick loading problems, try booting with a bare smoothfire-button-topped lotus handle. PB 1 purchased afterreading the review, there'sa bones DOS. Experienced PC types see this (the second switch) is duplicated, left and good chance your pots are of the better suggestion and don't even bother trying a $49.95 for**512KApple IIgs right, on the top front of the up-sloping case. quality variety. 'standard' boot. They pullout a lo-mem boot diskette and run the game with no Casady & Green This is an attractive 'gumdrop', compact WHAT are they now?! and light enough for hand-held or on-desk problem. When "Mocking Board" first delivered In the highly favorable review of Sun operation, IF, that is, it operatedIThe killer What is a lo-mem boot ("LMB") dis REAL sound to the II+/IIe market I had the com's Analog Plus, quite abit was made of spec is "Useful Range", the handle swing in kette? To createone, you stick adiskette into opportunity to try (and try, and ...) a simple, how nice it was to see pressure-transducer drive A and enter "format a: Is". This for but clever demo arcade named "Thunder degrees over which Xoutput (Y for vertical swing) actually changes. Omega is an ana technology "come ofage". Indeed, WHEN mats the diskette and writes the three system' bombs". WHY?, I kept wondering, was I ithappens, itwill be nice to see. The 'Plus is log device; but with response end-points files DOS needs to perform essential fune- .. ph}ying this twitsy game? The answer was avery good stick loaded with design innova tions. With current DOS versions, you can sound!- specifically, a very rewarding only 16.5 degrees from center, the stick acts mordike a four-way switch. OccllSionally, tions; but it does NOT employ pressure expect about 590K of free memory after SFPLURT!!l synced to achurning 'fireball' transducers. (Well, itLooks, Feels, and Re this won'tmatter-as when a product cares booting such a diskette (DOS, etc. is using whenever I popped an enemy ship. Well, sponds like aPT stick; AND it's from Sun only which direction you're pointing. Too only about 50K). CrystalQuestoffersamuch superiormove com, maker of"Starfighter".) As fate would often, however, it will matter very much. All Since you will usually want a mouse around-and-zap-space-monsters challenge have it, Analog Plus is the only stick I did driver, you should create an autoexec.bat PLUS highly effective IIgs sound effects. sorts of driving and flight/combat simula tions demand close, full-range control for not completely disassemble and examine file to load one when the LMB diskette In each ofan (apparently) endless series for the reviews. Recently, 1opened the case best performance. Taking on one of these boots. (Look at your 'standard boot' ofmarauding monster "Waves", the object to scrape off a bit ofplastic so the centering with Omega is like playing with half your Autoexec.bat file to see how it loads the is to mouse-guide your icon-sized craft adjustments would slide more easily. The skill tied behind your back. mouse driver.) For example, to startup the around the screen and collectcrystals.When white circuitboard flopped outand theTruth Microsoft mouse: you get them all, a Gate at the bottom ofthe was revealedl
COMPunST#78 Readers Data Exchange 7 ECHO ON crackups). So far, Indy' SOO' has been good low-pressure challenge. Just turn on the Supplied with manual and commands card, C: for hours offirst rate racing- and that was radio (you geta choice ofRock, Country, or Pro Tennis Tour makes good use of 'old CD \ BEFORE I decided to look at the manual Classical music) and drive. Day becomes PC' soundandsmoothanimation to guaran MOUSE and 'get serious'! (For CGA-VGA 640K night, itmayrain,cows, slow-movingtrucks, teed many hours ofeasy-to-get-into, addic A: PC) . etc. may lumberonto the road, the highway tive court action. ($39.95, for CGA-EGA ECHO OFF patrol WILL be watching, and you mayor 512k PC) ECHO Welcome to Lo-mem Boot. Tangled TaleslPC may not place in the Top Driver's roster Here, the mouse driver, MOUSE.COM, **** (maintained for eachsectionand thecourse). Super Quest Champs? is in the drive C (hard disk) root directory. Yet once again there is cause for joy in So what; this is laid-back "racing" in the Could be. In a recent letter, Brian Gillo Oncethe newlycreatedautoexec.batis writ PC-ville. LastyearOrigin'swhimsicalthree Californiastyle. You'vegotplentyof'lives', gly notes that he and his brother, Bob, not ten to your LMB diskette, booting it should part adventure earned four stars as a II+/Ile five maps showing alternate routes, and only reached the Mega Crown (thus restor install your mouse and leave roughly 580K release. In 16-color EGA the partially-ani miles offinely-detailed scenery to explore. ing the balance of Science and Technology of free memory. This is enough to run just mated characters, scenery, maps, and dun in the 23rd century), they have gone on to aboutany currententertainmentproductwith geons look even better. As in the II version, The Biota Company map every square of the monster-packed all of the 'bells and whistles' the program sound is zilch; but TI's attraction remains. A new IIgs educational software maker, maze! SinceSuper Quest (a 1983 SoftSide offers. Expect an engaging, long-play scenario Biota, has sent in a few beta samples of release for 48K II+/IIe) spans well over There are a few notable exceptions. Giv packed with interesting 1000 'rooms' and game en the above setup, games like Origin's personages, places, and saves are limited to a few "WingCommander" and"'SavageEmpire" challenges. ($29.95 for special locations AND will run; but, for full sound and graphics, CGA-EGA 384K PC) there is no character res you will also need a few hundred K of urrection option- well, expanded memory. On a '286 PC/AT, this Wing Commander mapping the entire thing is means you plug in an "Expansion Memory" * an astonishing achieve board. (With 512K installed, typical prices Supposedly, if some- ment.Brianalsoasksabout start around $150.) To install a board's Ex one does high-action somethingwhich mayhave panded Memory Driver (included on a dis cockpit-view space com teased other SQ players: kette when you buy the board), you add a bat in fast, smoothly-ani What's in the two 'un config.sys file to your LMB diskette. The mated, VGA with stirring reachable rooms' (#450 following config.sys one-liner activates an music and decent sound and#451)? Goodquestion. Everex "RAM 3000 Deluxe" board: (both viaAdLib), theresuIt Perhaps they will play DEVICE=C:\EMM.SYS Ic C800 isa sure winner. Ifyou add some role in Super Quest 258,00 a blow-em-away intro, II. insert movie-quality be Booting an LMB diskette with this Bomblets, Not Bombs config.sys and the autoexec.bat mouse in tween-mission scenes,and Due to a typo error (mine), a few prod staller will start DOS, 'hook up' expanded finish with thorough, attractive documenta learning materials produced using photog ucts last issue ended up with ratings of memory, and load your mouse driver. Since tion there SHOULDbeabsolutely nodoubt. raphy-to-super-res techniques. The ap Defective instead of the intended Poor the emsdriver uses somebaseRAM, 'avail Why, then, doesn't Origin's ambitious new ("J proach, demonstrated via a nature learning (~). Just cross-out the bombs and draw-in able memory' may drop to 569K or so. arcade quite 'deliver the goods'? uniton "Bogs",looks promising. J.D. Curn unhappy faces. Applications which employ expanded Call it"Sock","Punch","Pow";whatev ow, the chief developer, did not say how WhileI'monthe subject; and, sinceithas memory (e.g. '''Savage Empire") allow for er term you use for the moments when you close Biota is to some finished products been a while since Ratings were last de this. They demand less base RAM than fire off a shot (SHHVROOM!!, ...) and by now they may have several. IfEducation scribed, some explanation may be in order. someotherlarge applications (e.g. "Elvira") FEEL it take a bite out of the target is 'your game', you might send J.D. a note To interpretarating,justimaginethatyou've which use no ems memory. THAT's what Wing Commander is miss and ask. finished trying out the product and exclaim Soon, perhaps as early as spring, we ing. A Kilrathi (the bad guys) Jalthi fighter "Excellent!". THAT is a four-star rating. should have a OOS which can handle ALL swoops into point-blank range, you unload Pro Tennis Tour "Unbelievable!", "Awesome!! !", etc. stuff available memory. Once applications de a blast, and ... nothing! "That'sbecause they which breaks new ground in some area (e.g. signers can easily 'get to' the EXTENDed have shields!" Uh, uh. Shield hits are sup graphics, sound, speed, etc.) may reach five memory most AT users already have on posed to flare and make a FRZZZZAP!! When you recall***that the first video game stars. But, if you find yourself telling a board, LMB diskettes and/or tricky memory sound (orSZFOOFF! I), orsomething. And, was called"Pong",ithas to be atleast a little friend "Oh, it was okay", the product prob management utilitieswill befor"oldOOS" atWC'slevel ofdetail, atleastsome real hits ironic that tennis is the last popular sport to ably rates just a one-star Fair. stuff-only. For now, make a couple LMB should munch a piece outofthe haul. Every be successfully 'computer gamed'. Blue When an otherwise attractive product diskettes. Add the mouse installer one knows that space fighters don't auto Byte's Pro Tennis Tour (from UBI Softl doesn't work due to some fixable defect, it (autOexec.bat) to each; add the ems installer matically blow on the first hit The 'bottom Electronic Arts) is the first simulation to may betagged Defective. Since the ideais to (config.sys) to the one you'll boot to 'turn line' is realism. The closer a game gets to it, deliver both the look and feel of 'real ten warn readers to "watch out, for now", usual on' expanded memory. the more easily any 'obvious' omissionscan nis'. The "look" is a from-the-stands full ly, only highly-advertised, high-interest Note: Ifyou are a new or soon-to-be new render the whole thing UN-real. Flying a court view from behind the player figure you control. To get the "feel", Pro Tennis' products are candidates. Nowadays, De PC user and much of the above vaguely Wing Commander mission can be moder fective ratings are very rare. More often resembles Greek (and you're not Greek); ately entertaining; but, without 'thePunch', combines just the right amount of player than not, I'm able to reach the vendor via then check out the review of Microsoft's it's too much like a pillow fight. ($69.95 for joystick input with plenty of realistic com telephone, obtain needed explanations and/ "Learning OOS". EGA-VGA 640K PC + 300K-5OOK ems) puter fill-in. On serves, you 'fire' to toss, swing a cross-hair aimer to your target area or as~urances, and pass these along. Any Indianapolis 500: The Simulation The Passion as the ball arches up, and fire to hit. On review then goes 'on the back burner' in the expectation that the ven ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ri=mM~=~~===~dor will fix the problem Picking the 1990***'Sleeper of the Year' Accolade's** third Test Drive ($59.95 for EGA and send me an update. was easy. Seldom has such a fine product On some imaginary received so little attention as Indianapolis VGA 640K PC) matches you against a pair of com Scale of Excellence, the 500' ($49.95 from Electronic Arts). Setup biggest gap is between options includetheexpectedchoices ofteam puter competitors in a it LONG-running California ~ Fair (*)andPoor.Were & car (March Cosworth, Lola Buick, Pen a friend to ask ifhe orshe ske Chevrolet), action format (practice, road duel. 'Choice of weapons' includes Chevro should purchase a Fair qualifying, race) and race length (10-200 product; you might say laps). After a few hours practice, you will let's CERV III prototype (a real monster), Pininfarina's "Maybe, if ... ". You want to check the manual and fme-tune car would neverrecommend settings for Tires (rubber mix, pressure, and super-responsive Mythos, and Lamborghini's road a Poorly performing size), Shocks, Camber, Fuel, airfoil Wings, game, utility, or piece of and Gear ratios. To give you a taste of how hugging Diablo- you are not, in short, exactly help hardware. This explains different settings affect handling and speed, why so few Very Poor's three loadable settings arrangements are less! On the other hand, the *:r.§:$:'Z::<:=::=: 8 Readers Data Exchange COMPunST #78 ~"'(';~\$~'i:";.'t~~: ,;;2('~:~ r-~\~~b,fi~R Getting the Red Out Addison-Wesley Publishing: Route 128, Rocket Ranger becomes very responsive to 40 FOR I = 1 TO 26 Granted, a software vendor has the right Reading, MA 01867 the joystick. 50 FOR J-I + 1 TO 27 to protect its products any way it sees fit; atten: Abigail Genuth (617-944-3700) The only drawback to a game played at 60 READ AMT%(I,J):AMI'%(J,I and, when it employs documentation (in Advanced Gravis Computer Technology: transwarp speed is that the Nazi guards are AMl'% (I, J) stead of screwing-up the software), it de 7033 Antrim Ave., Burnaby, BC, Cana VERY difficult to beat by 1944. The solu 70 NEXT serves a pat on the nose. The dark red code da, V5J 4M5 tion is to slow the TransWarp from "tran 80 NEXT sheets technique employed by some ven· atten: Ron Haidenger (604-434-7274, in swarp" to "normal" for fist fights that occur 85 REM ? CHR$ (41 "PRU" REMpL:.. dors comes close to being an exception. It's USA call 800-663-8558) later in the game, and also if/when you get to init string - pg. wdth 12 c~ nice that they are machine-uncopiable Beeshu: 101 Wilton Avenue, Middlesex, NJ the Moon. To enable access to the control Ipi,tof (though, naturally, anyone determined to 08846 (201-968-6868) panel requires an edit to the disk / 90 GOSUB 200: REM print heading steal the productneed only investan hour or Biota: 551 Cedar St., Richland Center, WI Rocket.Rangerl. Perform the following edi t: 95 REM print in~t string - 6 so to make a copiable hand copy). It's too 53581 ~ am Emm 12 Ipi,tof had that, under normal lighting, the codes atten: J.D. Curnow $466 $1C 2200 00 E1 68686818 100 FOR I = 1 TO 27 Broderbund: 17 Paul Drive, San Rafael, CA 110 PRINT MID$ (CNT$(I) T are nearly invisible. (Author's Note: There should be a com After missing the correct response twice 94903 panion article in this issue of Computist .... ff ,1,13); atten: Jessica Switzer (415-492-3200) 115 T = i4 on a newly arrived game employing tiny about control pane/lockout. See itfor more Byte Works: 4700 Irving Blvd. NW, Suite 120 FOR J = 1 TO 27 print on such a red background, I was carp detail.) ing about "protection that spoils player en 207, Albuquerque, NM 87114 130 POKE 36,T: PRINT AMT%(I,J) joyment ...", when Gorbash turned from a atten. Patty Westerfield (505-898-8183) Advanced Playing Technique for... 140 T = T + 3: IF J j 3 = INT nearby computer and suggested: "Maybe Casady & Green: 26080 Carmel Rancho Rocket Ranger 3) THEN T = T + 1 Blvd., Suite 202, Carmel, CA 93923 150 NEXT you could bleach it out" Well, when an Cinemaware M.LT. chemistry Doctor of Science says (800-359-4920) 160 PRINT : IF I ! 3 = INT (I "try bleach", you try bleach. Viola! A dip in Center for Gifted and Talented: University The decoder wheel can be difficult to THEN PRINT read. The numbers are small, and they are a tray ofPurex plus some drying/flattening ofHouston/University Park, Farrish Hall 170 NEXT between paper towels in an old magazine #123, Houston, TX 77004 viewed through a piece ofred cellophane. If 180 PRINT CRR$ (4) "PRiO" and the jobis done. (Warning: bleach is bad atten: Theresa Monaco you make a mistake selecting the amount of 190 END fuel, you (Rocket Ranger) either end up stuff; so, be careful.) The red is gone and CH Products: 970 Park Center Drive, Vista, 200 REM heading somewhere you don't want to be, or dead blue print stands out clearly on a light CA92083 210 FOR I - 1 TO 11 (which is also where you don't want to be). yellow background. Magic! atten: Dan Hayes (619-598-2518) 220 FOR J = 1 TO 27 Electronic Arts: 1820 Gateway Drive, San The decoder wheel problem can take a 230 POKE 36, (J - 1) * 3 + 15 + A: Quick! Before She Melts Mateo, CA 94404 little (or a LOT) more work. A simple solu PRINT MID$ (CNT$(J) + " ..... , atten: Lisa Higgins (415-571-7171/ or tion is to print a copy of the decoder wheel ... " ,I,l); Okay, the ghoul gleeclub crowding into ders: 800-245-4525» in chart form. Such a chart was printed in 235 IF J ! 3 ="INT (J ! 3) THEN A Elvira's castle may not melt, massacre, or Epyx: 600 Allerton St., P.O. Box 8020, Computist #71 on page 22, butitwaspoorly = A + 1 otherwise dispose ofherright away; but, it's Redwood City, CA 94063 formatted and contained errors. A more dif 240 NEXT a cinch property values are dropping like a atten: William Lanphear IV (415-368 ficult, but more technically satisfying, so 245 A- 0: PRINT rock. If YOUR creep cleanout chores are 3200) lution is to implement the decoder as aCDA. 250 NEXT behind schedule, then maybe these hints Janklow Bender: 257 Park Avenue South, Read on, and choose the method that appeals 260 PRINT (gleaned from play, NOT from the "Clue New York, NY 10010 to you. 270 RETURN Book") will help get Things moving: atten: Kim Adamo To begin with, I printed my own chart 1000 DATA ALGERIA, ARABIA, •Your best bargain among the available Lucasfilm Games: P.O. Box 10307, San using the following Applesoft BASIC pro ATLANTIC, BRAZIL, CANADA spell recipes is "Spagetty Confusion". Mine Rafael, ~A 94912 gram. I felt that I would need to enter less 1010 DATA COLUMBIA,CONGO,E.O was good for many, MANY valuable Tan atten: Betsy Irion (8oo-STARWARS) than half the numbers on the decoder to be AFRICA, EGYPT, ENGLAND gled Mind castings. dist: Electronic Arts able to produce a chart. The decoder had 27 1020 DATA FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY, ·The surest way to get through the Hedge Microsoft: 1MicrosoftWay,Redmond,WA * 27 (or 729) values, but 27 of them were KENYA, LIBYA Maze is to explore the whole thing. The idea 98052 zero (from point Ato point A) and the values 1030 DATA MIDEAST, NIGERIA, PERSIA, isto zap all ofthegremlins BEFORE you get atten: Marilyn McKenna (800-541-1261) for point A to point B were the same as the PERU, SCANDINAVIA to their nest. Do frequent Game Saves. Northgate Computer Systems: P.O. Box values for point B to point A. It turned out 1040 DATA SPAIN,SUDAN,U.S.A.,U.S •Th~ bestplace to find bodies in the moat 59080, Minneapolis, MN 55459-0080 that only 13 * 27 (351) numbers were need . S.R. , VENEZUELA is in the middle channel. (Incidentally, it atten: Mona Hendrickson (800-526-2446) ed. A small sample of the program output 1050 DATA W.OAFRlCA,YUGOSLAVIA _ takes twenty'steps' to go around the castle.) Origin Systems: 110 Wild Basin Road, Suite follows. 1101 DATA 28,20,43,37,44,25,29, 330, Austin, TX 78746 21,16,14,17,15,31,10,19,23,30, •Finally, here's a little attributes booster Sample printout (partial) atten: Greg Malone (512-328-0282) 50,22,13,24,36,26,40,18,12 suggested by Baywoof: Load your saved SQ Players: Brian and Bob Gillogly, 1073 AA ABC 1102 DATA 41,57,59,65,30,18,14, game into"Xtree,,, or similarediting utility; CR 37, Fremont, OH43421-9651 LRTRA 34,29,27,24,26,20,17,31,12, hop to the latter part ofthe file (around byte Strategic Simulations Inc.: 675 Almandor GAL AN 70,32,33,19,58,23,61,37,22 $5110); locate yourStrength, Dexterity,and Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 EBAZA 1103 DATA 32,27,34,37,39,33,18, Resistance attribute numbers; change them atten: Linda Blanchard (408-737-6800) RINID 19,26,22,43,29,31,35,42,44, to $63's (99 decimal). Now, just save your dist: Electronic Arts IATLA 25,17,36,23,38,30,24,28 enhanced character, swagger into the castle, Strategic Studies Group: 1747 Orleans Ct., AI 1104 DATA 49,27,38,48,52,50,45, and clean their clocks! (Note: I tried this and Walnut Creek, CA 94598 C 53,47,46,42,54,37,61,25,55, also upped my hitpoints as well. For best Suncom: 290 Palatine Road, Wheeling, IL 40,44,41,60,28,33,51 results, do a "Wooden Heart" heal after 60090 1105 DATA 28,56,62,51,31,36,38, makingthechanges and restartingthe game.) (312-459-8000) 39,64,44,47,48,55,40,34,35, ALGERIA 0 28 20 43 Next UBI Soft: 511 SirFrancis Drake Blvd., Suite 57,10,41,26,42,43 C, Greenbrae, CA 94904 ARABIA 28 0 41 57 1106 DATA 52,64,59,47,46,50,48, Try not to empty your post-Christmas atten: Mkt. Director dist: Electronic Arts ATLANTIC 20 41 0 32 62,49,57,45,66,17,51,43,61, piggy bankon onespree. Incredibly, there is Walt Disney ComputerSoftware: 500South BRAZIL 43 57 32 0 26,58,12,39,53 MORE to come! For example ... Buena Vista, Burbank, CA 91521 CANADA 1107 DATA 22,23,36,33,34,32,17, Altered Destiny(Accolade): TradingTV atten: Kirk Green (818-567-3340) reo This is an (obviously) incomplete exam 24,26,15,31,54,40,29,20,55, sets with a barbarian super-hero can get you Janklow Bender ple of the output from the Rocket Ranger 39,50,21,27 into some very strange places. Decoder program, but I included it to show 1108 DATA 15,37,32,33,30,14,23, Stormovik (Electronic Arts): Armed to !:!J!!:am~e2.s..:!"A.~H~o~d!li~~e, ~ the format of the chart. It is 92 columns 24,25,19,67,35,31,12,61,28, theteeth and hugging the groundat9OO-plus wide. To print it requires the ability to print 60,34,26 kMh, you and your SU-25 attack fighter are Speeding up Rocket Ranger in a condensed format (12 char/inch recom 1109 DATA 27,24,20,19,25,12,11, justthe medicine to cure a terrorist uprising It's time to take Rocket Ranger (by Cin mended) on an 8.5 inch page or a wide 18,17,63,28,26,13,50,22,54, in Eastern Europe. emaware) off of the Most Wanted list. It's carriage printer with 15 inch paper (12 cpi 29,16 Star Saga One (Master Play): Questing NOT COpy PROTECTED. A copy of a still recommended). Once you get the pro 1110 DATA 08,11,13,40,21,22,33, 'beyond the boundary' puts you IN and in copy ofacopy ofthe original plays the same gram (by entering it, downloading it from 29,53,15,12,30,32,19,41,28,20 control-of your own sci-fi adventure. game as the original. The only bug I found the Computist BBS, or by getting the disk 1111 DATA 12,10,37,17,20,30,28, Logo Plus (Terrapin): ProDOS comes to occurs afterbeating up the guard when you're for this issue) you can fiddle with the format 52,16,09,27,35,21,42,25,15 the realm of the turtle. rescuing Jane and Otto (Rocket Ranger 'till it suits you. Printer initialization strings 1112 DATA 09,35,18,14,32,24,58, Ishido (Accolade): Elegance, in stone! "loses" his head). The aspects of the game are printed in lines 85 and 95. The format I 10,16,29,39,15,45,31,13 Wizardry: Bane of the Cosmic Forge that need attention are the lack ofspeed and finally settled on was to set the printer for 1113 DATA 33,14,12,29,25,57,17, (Sir-Tech): Not Wizardry VI; a whole new a hard-to-read "Secret Decoder Wheel". 132 columns, 12 char/inch (horizontal), and 11,26,38,18,44,27,08 Wizardry in a new VGA + AdLib format! The game can gain speed from two 8 lines/inch (vertical) in line 85, and change 1114 DATA 28,30,22,27,65,39,36, sources. Ifyou have 1.5 megabytes ofmem to 6 lines/inch in line 95. I had to include top 18,63,34,59,32,29 Vendors ory you can set up an 800K ramdisk and of-form commands for my printer. Consult 1115 DATA 13,19,22,56,27,15,16, Accolade: 550 S. Winchester Blvd., Suite copy disk 2 (lRocket.Ranger2) into memo your printer manual for the printer control 43,25,46,26,11 200, San Jose, CA 95128 ry' This speeds the frequent disk accesses, commands you'll need. 1116 DATA 28,18~64,21,25,23,46, atten: MeL da Mongelluzzo (408-985 saves the disk drive, and makes the game 16,52,36,10 Rocket Ranger Decoder 1700) more enjoyable to play. The second source 1117 DATA 34,49,36,27,17,47,40, Ad Lib: 220 Gmd-Allee East, Suite 960, of speed would be a TransWarp GS from 10 REM rocket.ranger decoder 43,16,24 Quebec, QC, Canada GIR 211 Applied Engineering. The TransWarp can 20 DIM CNT$(27),AMT%(27,27) 1118 DATA 72,26,32,21,54,20,62, atten: Jill Carette (800-463-2686) reduce game time by half; time drops from 30 FOR I = 1 TO 27: READ CNT$(I): 41,23 the 2-2.5 hour range to about 1.25 hours, and NEXT 1119 DATA 60,51,62,33,66,20,43,61 COMPUllST #78 Readers Data Exchange 9 1120 DATA 20,31,37,14,47,38,18 the value $19 would return "25"). I use it to sta i pea $0000 1121 DATA 28,34,24,39,23,19 display the menu numbers (1-27). I saved cmp 128 pha a reg. 1122 DATA 56,32,55,22,25 space (50%) by storing the values for fuel beq q,..ancCa for i =1to 27 pea $0000 x reg. 1123 DATA 45,24,40,42 quantities in hex (2 nibbles) insteadofASCII cmp '15 pea $0000 y reg. 1124 DATA 53,44,17 (2 bytes). I use the Int2Hex toolcall to con- beq fixxy pea TabY brI menuloop if it's not 15, continue Idx lFWentry 1125 DATA 35,49 vert a hex byte into 2 displayable ASCII fixxy Ida htab tl col. #19 jsl $E10000 1126 DATA 30 m characters (sending Int2Hex $19 would sta x pia Yreg., dont' care produce the 2 character string "19"). Checksums Ida #4 vtab to 4th row pia Xreg., . The source code for the Rocket Ranger sta y pia Areg., . 10-$BADO 200-$2BED 1107-$9EF9 Secret Decoder CDA is presented below in brI menuloop pia P, 20-$1990 210-$C09B 1108-$0967 ORCA/M / APW format. : Now ifs time for questions and answers. rts 30-$5AA7 220-$7C80 1109-$3CBB : Rocket Ranger Decoder CDA geUnt anop 40-$3257 230-$8707 1110-$005A CLand_a anop : b'/ James A Hodge - 11/2.0/89 longa off 50-$7636 235-$E427 1111-$8510 Ida #0 rrdcda start sta x sep #$20 60-$237E 240-$09E3 1112-$6B05 Ida #$AO TabY equ $FBSB monitor routine Ida #19 70-$04BO 245-$4CAO 1113-$AA88 sta >$000033 make the prompt' , Getln equ $FD6A monitor routine sta y 80-$ABA7 250-$2AF4 i114-$AA54 rep #$20 FWentry equ $2403 Misc. tools firmware call jsr gotoxy 85-$8410 260-$DCBC 1115-$A308 longaon Int2Hex equ $220B internal fmt into> ASCII hex Ida menu_ans 90-$5096 270-$2796 1116-$8BF1 pea $0000 Int2Dec equ $260B internal fmt into> ASCII dec. bile go_on if flag <> 0ask 'continue?' 95-$8174 1000-$B10E 1117-$7970 pea $0000 Dec21nt equ $280B ASCII digilS -> internal fmt int pea q,..orgl-16 print origin question pea $0000 100-$4ABA 1010-$14E7 1118-$A463 TextReset equ $OSOC selS BASIC 110 hooks pea CLorg pea $0000 110-$2310 1020-$C277 1119-$0522 WriteChar equ $18OC print asingle character Idx #WriteCString pea $0000 a reg. 115-$1402 1030-$3994 1120-$96C9 WriteCString equ $2.0OC print null terminated string jsl $E10000 pea $0000 x reg. 120-$F966 1040-$F8F8 1121-$lA44 ReadChar equ $22OC get single character jsr geUnt get origin sta org pea $0000 y reg. 130-$ABCB 1050-$C800 1122-$B753 J: i1 'cda_strt-cda_name' sta org1 needed if org/dest get pea Getln 140-$C37B 1101-$4CCO 1123-$E427 cda_name dc c'Rocket Ranger Decoder' swapped Idx #FWentry 150-$551F 1102-$54F1 1124-$64A5 cda_strt dc i4'rrd' cmp #1 test org jsl $E10000 160-$2F1A 1103-$605E 1125-$A3A7 shutdown dc i4'overnout' bee q,..and_aiforg <1 pia y reg., don't care 170-$20E7 1104-$179B 1126-$0394 : Rocket Ranger Decoder cmp 128 pix x reg., char. count 180-$5212 1105-$00B4 rrd anop bcs CLand_a if org >= 28 pia a reg., don't care 190-$R250 1106-$CF07 phb save data bank inc menu_ans twiddle the flag pia processor status brI menu to print answers ;Convert input to an internal format integer. Rocket Ranger Decoder CDA phk transfer pgm bank plb to data bank reg. go_on pea continul-16 print continue question pea $0000 result space So much for the low tech approach. The Idx #TextReset pea continu pea $0000 work I did up to this point was preparatory jsl $E10000set BASIC VO hooks Idx IWriteCString pea $0200 string pointer -> 01200 to creating a decoder CDA. I had to be sure stz menu_ans init menulanswer switch jsl $E10000 phx string length (from get-'n) I understood the numbers and that I could pea titiel-16 pea $0000 result space pea $0000 0, result unsigned get into the control panel. I tried implement pea titie push adr of title pea $0000 echo flag -off Idx #Dec21nt ing a CDA in ORCA/Pascal by converting Idx #WriteCString Idx #ReadChar jsl $E10000 the BASIC decoder program, but it was too jsl $E10000 jsl $E10000 pia get resu~ in A large (15K) to suit me. Also, the Pascal : Put up the menu pia rts program wasn't a good implementation of menu Ida #1 and #$OO7F title DC h'OCODODOF',c'Rocket Ranger secret the decoder wheel; itasked you to enteryour sta initialize loop index cmp #$0030 cmp to '0' Decoder',h'OEOO' beq alldun country oforigin and your destination and it Ida #0 q,..org DC h'OB',c'Country of Origin:',h'OO' sta x start at Oth column stz menu_ans zap the flag continu DC h'OB',c'Hit any key, or 0 to exit: ',h'OO' returned only the value you needed to make brI menu Ida #4 menu_ans OS 2 that particular trip. It did prove that a CDA a1ldun anop sta y in the 4th row i OS 2 worked with Rocket Ranger. plb Ida #Country move relocatable addr. x OS 2 The next step was to code the CDA in sta cntry to workspace overnout rtl machine language, using the ORCA/M as Y OS 2 Ida ,",country ; Fiddle as necessary and get amount of lunarium cntry OS 4 sembler. The frrst attempt used macros and sta cntry+2 : needed to travel from point Ato point B. org OS 2 prQduCed 4K worth ofcode. I replaced the menuloop anop calc anop routine to calc amount org1 OS 2 macros with my own subroutines and jsr gotoxy Ida dest dest OS 2 squeezed and eventually got the program Ida menu_ans cmp org tmp OS 2 into 2K. Now it works just like the decoder bne answers if flag <> 0 print amount bne sortod if org <> dest dec_dig DC c' - ',h'OO' Ida i else, print country #s #' , wheel; tell it where you're flying from, and Ida iforg =dest ; The country strings are fixed length at12 b'/tes each. it shows you how much lunarium is needed pha number sta dec_dig country DC c'AJgeria',5h'OO' to reach any of the 26 destinations. This pea dec_di91-16 stlre #at dec_dig rts go no further pea dec_dig DC c'Arabia',6h'OO' helps when you're trying to plan a trip. sortod bcs itscool jf erg 10 Readers Data Exchange COMPUTlST #78 a7 DC h'2223363334321724261531544029 which the program will interpretas a button 220 POKE 36,12 + J * 8: PRINT dereliction ofduty forloitering more than a 205539502127 click. The second warning is; when you're "+";: IF J ~ NC THEN 230 year at Fort Dix. a8 DC h'15373233301423242519673531126 in the controlpanel, the clockkeeps ticking. 225 FOR K- 1 TO 7: PRINT "_";: Another element of strategy is knowing 128603426' If you spend too much time in one of the NEXT when (and how) to duck. It will help you a9 DC h~7242019251211181763282613502 CDAs, you'llcome back to the game to find 230 NEXT survive the boxing m~tches, dogfights, ack 2542916' that the Nazis have made huge advances in 240 PRINT ack and gunfire. For boxing, pull the joy al0 DC h~111340212233295315123032194 their campaign. It may be possible to stop 12820' 250 RETURN stick towards you. For dogfighting try to all DC h'12103717203028521609273521422 the clockby hitting the space bar before you 1000 DATA ALGERIA, ARABIA, ATLANTIC stay high and to the left of the screen. For 515' enter the control panel, but you'll have to ,BRAZIL, CANADA ack-ack and' gunfire, stay low. You won't a12 DC h'093518143224581016293915453 execute the three-finger salute (open-apple 1010 DATA COLUMBIA,CONGO,E. win the game without fighting, butcovering 113' control escape) "crisply". AFRICA, EGYPT, ENGLAND up at the proper moment can help you sur a13 DC h~14122925571711263818442708' Therearea couple ofadditionaledits you 1020 DATA FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY, vive. a14 DC h'28302227653936186334593229' might want to make to the disk / KENYA, LIBYA My final pieceofadvice; ifyou getto the a15 DC h'131922562715164325462611' Rocket.Rangerl. They are optional and 1030 DATA MIDEAST, NIGERIA, PERSIA, moon and beat the Amazon guards, DON'T a16 DC h'2818642125234616523610' purely cosmetic in nature. In Block $579 PERU, SCANDINAVIA RELAX when you see the screen that says a17 DC h'34493627174740431624' 1040 DATA SPAIN,SUDAN,U.S.A., "Congratulations...", because THE GAME a18 DC h'722632215420624123' starting at Byte $181 is the following text U.S.S.R.,VENEZUELA AIN'T OVER! Stay alert and keep your a19 DC h'6051623366204361, string: 1050 DATA W. AFRICA, YUGOSLAVIA joystick ready! Lotsa luck! a20 DC h'20313714473818' "Click button to transfer lunarium (see a21 DC h'283424392319' decoder wheel)" Sample scorecard printout (partial) a22 DC h'5632552225' Curing the I would recommend changing it to: +------+------+-- a23 DC h'4524404Z "Control Panel Lockout Blues" Algeria III a24 DC h'534417' "See Rocket Ranger Decoder CDA for There seem to be quite a few GS pro a25 DC h'3549' the lunarium needed" +------+------+-- Arabia I I I grams that prevent (lockout) user access to a26 DC h'30' This is the message thatis atthe top ofthe +------+------+-- the control panel. I have three objections to ; Offse1s are the distance from the 'amnt' label to map display when you have to select your Atlantic III control panel lockout:. ; the beginning of each of the amount strings. destination. It is easiest making this change +------+------+-- 1) I can't change my TransWarp speed set offsets DC i2'O,a2-amnta3-amnta4-amnt,a5-amnl' with a disk editor that lets you enter text Brazil III tings DC i2'a6-amnt,a7-amnta8-amnta9 directly (like Copy 2+). For those of you +------+------+-- 2) I can'tgetinto the monitor (through Visit amnt,a1D-amnt' without this capability, the hex values are: DC i2'all-amnt,a12-amnt,al3-al1)nt,a14 The chart is 27 "lines" down the page Monitor), and 53 65 65 20 52 6F 63 6B 65 amnt,al5-amnt' (one "line" for each country) and either 8 or 3) I can't use the other Classic Desk Acces 74 20 52 61 6E 67 65 72 20 DC i2'al6-amnt,a17-amnt,a18-amnt,a19 14 columns wide, depending on the variable sories (CDAs). 44 65 63 6F 64 65 72 20 43 amnt,a2D-amnt' "NC" (set in line 20). Set NC based on your In the interest offreeing the control pan DC i2'a21-amnt,a22·amnt,a23-amnt,a24 44 41 20 66 6F 72 20 74 68 paper width. Each "line" is 2 lines on the el, I thought the following notes would be amnt,a25-amnt' 65 20 6C 75 6E 61 72 69 75 useful. DC i2'a26-amnt' page; there is the top border of each space 6D 20 6E 65 65 64 65 64 The various firm ware vectorsare located end and the space itself, sothe printout is actual After making all these changes you'll ly55 lines. Itneedsno special printercontrol in bank$E1starting at$E1/0000. While itis Converting source code from neverhave to worry aboutlosing yoursecret commands. The DATA statements are cop possible to change them directly with a tiny ORCAIM to Merlin decoder wheel in the clutter on your com ied from the BASIC decoder program. piece of machine language, most of the puterdesk! It is a simple (but detailed) matter to I used some antique output devices (pen software I've seen uses the SetVector tool convert to Merlin source format. Mostofthe cil, blackand red felt tip pens) with the chart call. A member of the Miscellaneous tool Playing Tips for... major changes are ll..LUSTRATED in fig to keep track of everything. I used one set, it'sdocumented on page 14-61,62 ofthe Rocket Ranger ure 1. The chart is intended to provide ex column pergame. I used the following nota 2GS Toolbox Reference, vol.l. amples ofthe changes needed, but itis NOT Cinema ware tion convention; To use the SetVector call requires that 1 a complete listofall the changes. Forexam I suspect that someofyou are wondering word (2 bytes) and 1 long word (4 bytes) be • pencil in the letter "A" to note those pushed on the stack. The word is the vector ple, remove or convert ALL occurrences of ifIeveractually played the game, or ifIjust countries I had agents iQ "anop" to " ". There are many instances played around with the game. Well, I did number to be changed, and the long word is • erase the letter "A" and pencil in a dash where addresses are pushed on the stack, both, and I managed to beat the Nazis and the 3 byte address (padded with an addition mark ("-") to show where I had pulled an and they will all need to be changed. Re win. It was worth all the trouble! It's a very al byte) to change the vector to. The X agent out move LONGA and START directives. I entertaining game, and the "punchline" at register is loaded with the value $1003 and thinkI'veprovideenough hints for someone the end ofthe game is very satisfying. I did • draw a RED slash through the "A"ifthe a JSL to the tool locator is made. The code might look like this: to successfully convert the ORCA source to have to build myselfa secret weapon to win, agent was killed (Oh, NOoooo!) Merlin. In addition, there are a few other though. I have a memory that ranks any • pencil in a couple of letters·to indicate F4 1200 PEA $0012 control panel vector # details to consider, but the Merlin disk and where from poor to lousy, so I printed a targets as agents reported in. I used the F4 xx xx PEA $xxxx loader may change manual has examples to point you in the "scorecard" to keeptrackofwhatwas where. following: F4 xx xx PEA $xxxx these values! right direction. You're on your own if you The program code anda sample ofprogram RF = rocket factory A2 03 10 LDX #$1003 set vector toolcall wanttoconvertto someotherassembler,but output follow: a swastika symbol =secret lunarium base 22 00 00 El JSL $El0000 the chart should still provide some guid sci captured scientist Chart: A Scorecard Maker = Any instruction that pushes data on the ance. bwc =brain washing camp stack can be used, so in addition to the PEA Onceyou'vegotthe sourcecode, youcan 10 REM Rocket Ranger Chartmaker FF =fighter factory instruction,you mi8htfindPHA,PHX,PHY, ~ assemble and link it. There are no macros 15 REM set nc (t columns) 8 or BF =bomb factory PEl, and PER used. It's unlikely (but not needed. The resulting file will need to have 14 art =stolen art treasures impossible) that someone might use the 20 DIM CNT$(27):NC - 8 its filetype changed to "CDA". You need to • if! captured a target I used the BLACK PHB, PHD, PHK or PHP instructions. 30 FOR I-I TO 27: READ CNT$(I): createa "/DESK.ACCS"subdirectoryin the felt tip to highlight the entry To locate a SetVector toolcall, scan the "/SYSTEM" subdirectory on the disk "/ NEXT I kept a notepad to record hints from the disk for the sequence"A2 03 10". How do ROCKET.RANGERl" and copy the CDA 80 REM ? CHR$ (4)"PRU": PRINT agents aboutwhere targets mightbe. Iknow, you tell ifit's the guilty party? By examin into it Now the CDA will be loaded when CHR$ (9)82+(nc-14)*50"N" this sounds like a lot ofbookkeeping, but it ing the code, educated guessing, or trial and ever you boot up Rocket Ranger. Obvious 90 GOSUB 200 helped me defeattheNazis. A world atlas, or error (or all of the above). ly, it can be included in the /DESK.ACCS 100 FOR I-I TO 27 almanac, is useful. Todisable the lockout I make the follow subdirectory onany bootableP16 or GSIOS 110 PRINT CNT$(I); There is also an element ofstrategy to be ing changes: disk ifyou decide you can'tget through the 120 FOR J - 0 TO NC: POKE 36,12 + considered. The Huns move "clockwise", frQm. J * 8: PRINT II I ";: NEXT : PRINT elk b 12 day without planning a trip. 220000El 68686818 130 GOSUB 200 starting in Europe and moving south and Important Note: There are a couple of 150 NEXT east, and then making the jump across the A listing of this patch would look like warnings to keep in mind if you use the 155 PRINT CHR$ (4)"PRtO" Atlantic to South America before heading this: CDA. One of them is; the game expects a 160 END north to Canada. Concentrating your agents PLA button click to verify that the amount of 200 REM column maker in the Mid-East and in northern and eastern PLA lunarium is correct Entering the control 210 FOR J - 0 TO NC Africa, and then moving them south and PLA panelrequires pressingtheOpen-Applekey, west in Africa seems to tum up rocket facto CLC ries and secret bases with fair reliability. This leaves the stackpointersetcorrectly Figure 1: ORCAIM and Merlin differences Focus on capturing rocket factories and se and the carry flag clear (to indicate a suc QBglM ·va· Merlin 8/16, 16+ cret bases. Infiltrating a country slows the cessful toolcall). rrdcda start German advance, but you don't want to tie longa off up too many agents. It's VERY important to Softkey for... Ionga on capture a secret base early in the game and Silpheed, v. 1.09 de i1'cda_strt-eda_name' get the country infiltrated, so you'll have a de e'RR Decoder' str 'RR Decoder' supply of lunarium. Secret bases are AL Sierra de i4'rrd' adrt rrd WAYS in the desert or the jungle. You may Silpheed uses a password to reduce the anop rrd have 5 agents working for you, but you can usefulness of unauthorized copies. While pea t~Ie-16 pea Atitle always go scouting on your own. While I'm this allows someone to produce as many sta >$000024 stal $000024 waiting for my agents to report I'll go scout backup copies as they want, it can be a real t~le DC h'OF',e'Deco',h'OEOO' t~le hex OF ase 'Deco',OEOO Canada, ColumbiaorVenezuela. IfI turn up nuisance when you just want to play the something, fine. Ifnot, it's one less country game. If you make a mistake in identifying dec_dig DC e' - ',h'OO' dec_dig ase I ."00 country DC e'Algeria' ,5h'OO' country ase 'Algeria',OOOOOOOOOO to worry about. By the time I get back to the the picture they display, the game restarts amnt DC h'282043' amnt hex 282043 War Room my agents are ready to report. itself, a process thattakes quite a bit oftime offsets DC i2'O,a2-amnt' offsets dw O,a2-amnt This also helps you avoid getting busted for COMP~T1ST #78 Reade~s ~ata .I?x~~~nge 11 and disk swapping (if you've got only one 25-MAY-89,15:19andaCREATEDateof 2040 Q$(L) - Q$(L) + A$:: IF A$ > your own comments about what it means. 3.5 inch drive). 25-MAY-89,14:53. CHR$ (31) THEN PRINT A$; Write down every address of interest, and It seemed a simple matter to disable the The original Silpheed keyboard input 2050 PRINT " ": GOTO 2000 keep especially careful notes of the nature password check (in a segment called"copy routine: 3000 VTAB (L + 2) * 2 - 1: IF and sequence ofall memory moves, starting checr"), but then the game wouldn't save/ 08DE:08 PHP ;get input, bI 448, b 11 c Q$ (L) - "" THEN LW (L) - 0: GOTO points, and tricks used by the protectors. Do restore properly. Apparently, there are sev 08DF:E220 SEP %00100000 short accum. 3030 this notjust because it's character building, erallocations that are referenced in both the 08E1:AFooCOOO LOAl $OOCOOO 3030 PRINT "-"LW(L) I 1000" IN.";: but because unless you have exceptional password and disk routines. I fmally decid 08E5:3002 BMI H08E9 CALL - 868:A$ - "Z": GOTO 1020 recall, all programs will eventually blend ed on a scheme that would "blend in" with 08E7:28 PLP 6080 L ~ 1 together into a warm and fuzzy memory. the original code, fooling the program into 08E8:6B RTL For those of you who like 80 columns, Keep good notes on everything you learn, answering its own question. and remember: "Those who cannot recall 08E9:8F 10 CO 00 STAL $OOC010 here are more modifications. Even if you Using my OMF file utilities (detailed in the mistakes ofthe pastare doomed to repeat 08ED:297F AND #$7Fclear hi bit don't have an 80 column card (gasp), or another article, probably around here some them." 08EF:C908 CMP #$08'H '<-' don't want to use it, I recommend making where) I determined that there were over 30 Suppose you have loaded in, reset with 08F1:F004 BEQ H08F7 these modifications then deleting or REM locations referenced by the copychecr seg your old monitor ROM, and finally located 08F3:C97F CMP #$7Fdelete char ing lines 90, 6005, and 6090. ment, and over 10 ofthose were referenced the starting address to the greatestgame ever 08F5:D016 BNE H090D 90 PRINT CHR$ (4) "PRt3": PRINT by other segments. An older disassembly written: "HYPERSPACE ANDROID 08F7:AD 40 B3 LDA HB340 char count 500 FOR L = 1 TO LI: GOSUB 3000: (done with Glen Bredon's Sourceror) had CLONE KILLER" or "HACK". The start 08FA:D003 BNE H08FF NEXT :L = 1 enabled me to document what copychecr ing address is $4123, and the game occupies 08FC:4C 85 09 JMP H0985 2010 IF A$ = CHR$ (13) THEN PRINT did. A disassembly with the ORCA/Disas memory from $800 to $BOOO. You already 08FF:22 3C OA 01 JSL $010A3C " ": GOSUB 3000:A$ - "Z": GOTO sembler gave me a better idea of the loca know that ifany memory above $9DOO has 0903:CE 40 B3 DEC HB340 char count 1020 tions I needed for my patch. been used by the program, DOS is dead, and 0906:22 3C OA 01 JSL $010A3C 3030 PRINT "="LW(L) I 1000" IN.": The resultant patch, while lengthy, is you can't save the program to disk with a O9OA:4C 85 09 JMP H0985 CALL - 868: RETURN aesthetically and technically pleasing. It's DOS command. As you also undoubtedly O9OD:C915 CMP #$15'U '->' 6005 PRINT : PRINT CHR$ (27) CRR$ makes use of the relocation dictionary, so know, iftheprogram were smaller you would O9OF:D015 BNE H0926 (17) that it's relocatable..I saw the game run in have the option ofbooting a disk and saving 0911 :AD 40 B3 LOA HB340 char count 6090 PRINT CHR$ (4)"PRt3": PRINT two different locations, due to whether or the game as a binary file. Let's take just a 0914:C909 CMP #$09" tab char 6110 PRINT "START FRESH? (YIN) ";: not I was using a RAMdisk for a second second, though, and review what happens to 0916:FO 6D BEQ H0985 GET A$: IF A$ = "N" OR A$ = drive. It's possible it would run in yet anoth memory when you boot a disk. 0918:22 3C OA 01 JSL $010A3C CHR$ (110) THEN 230 erlocation ifitwas launched from theFinder, First ofall, don't use a master disk, since 091 C:EE 40 B3 INC HB340 char count In older 80 column cards, there is a bug so the p'ltch needed to be relocatable. This the DOS on a master is loaded first into 091 F:22 3C OA 01 JSL $010A3C that positions the cursor at 40 (or is it41?) patch "tags" all the locations used by the $1600-$3FFFand then relocated to the higher 0923:4C 85 09 JMP H0985 instead of1on a HTAB 1command. Ifyour original code, so the save and restore rou regions of memory. Booting a 48K slave 0926:C90D CMP #$OD 12 Readers Data Exchange COMPunST#78 programs10adedinfrom a modifiedOOSon unused ROM space under Integer BASIC. page8with800dBOO.IBFFM. Beforeyou by putting the code fer "JMP$1COO" or4C a protected disk (Arcade Machine and the DOS33actually uses memoryfrom.$9600 do anything else, save the progmm with 00 lC at location $7FD-$7FF and making Rapid-Fire series from SSI are examples). BFFF. "BSAVE HACKALL,A$800,L$8EOO thisthefJrStlocationoftheprogmm. Wecan This is simple with the tape recorder, since Before we begin the discussion of the (nine outoften times you'll forgetto change then saveacomplete, functioning version of the monitor routines are totally ignorant of techniques ofmemory moving, let's restate $A964; consider changing it in the OOS in HACK with "BSAVE the opemting system inRAM. Ifyoucan list the objective: We'retrying toarrange all the memory before you initialize the disk so it HACK,A$7FD,L$SE03". This createsyour a BASICprogram, you can usually save it to program into a small enough space that we will be permanent). You can now take a fInal, 145-sector me of HACK which will tape. Try the following with one of the can BSAVE a file under OOS (the OOS deep breath and relax: all of the program BRUN whenever you wish. above progmms: load in a progmm module manual will tell you that the largest binary memory is safely tucked away. All that's A few helpful hints (anything in Arcade Machine except the file you can save is 128 sectors, but if you left is to write a shortprogram to reverse the main menu), then hit reset while it's run changelocation $A964 (43364)to$BF(191) memory stomge. 1. Always keep a few initialized 48K ning. Type 06:00 (this removes the Apple you can save a me as large as the entire Twoshortroutines,similarto those shown slave disks nearby-it'salarming how fast a soft internal "protection"), then C081 to RAM memory). Remember that booting a in ourfIrst basics lesson are required. Again, disk fIlls up with slightly different 145 select the mother board ROM (unless you slave disk ~ill mess up $Q-$SFF and $9600 let'sreview the steps necessary from here to sector versions of the program undergoing have an Apple II with Applesoft on a ROM $BFFF, so the largest file it's pmctical to run the game: kracking. card, then it's COSO to select slot 0). Type save is about 145 sectors (you can, with I. Load the (compressed) game into$800 2. Make your program names as descrip control-C and you should be able to list the care, overwrite much ofthe screen memory $95FF. tive as you can, especially when saving a program and then save it to tape with the and pages 2 & 3 to save a BFILE of about 2. Move the piece of memory at $8000 program in pieces. It's very disturbing to "save" command (sometimes an additional 151 sectors, but that requires knowledge $9FFF to $9600-$A5FF. return to a kracking effortaftera long week fairly trivial protection scheme is used with and considerable care). 3. Move the piece of memory at $1000 end to find programs on the disk titles Applesoft programs: deleting the fIrst line Lookingatthe memory map with HACK, $19FF to $A6OO-$AFFF. "HACKHI", "HACKHlGH", "HIGH", number so it won't list"It will still save to you can see that the memory from $9600 to 4. Jump to the starting address at $4123. "HH", etc. And not be sure what each one is. tapeand you can reconstructthelinenumber $BOOO will have to be stored somewhere The following program will take care of Betterto type in a few extra letters to let you at your leisure). Remember that the basic else to bring the file size down, and the page steps 2-4. It may not be immediately obvi know thatit's"HACKWITHOUT9600UP" "LOAD" and "SAVE" commands don't al from $SOQ-$8FF will have to be stashed ous that this program must be stored within or "HACK 400Q-BOOO ONLY". low a file name to be added. Ifthere are more temporarily during the disk boot to restore the compressed program in a page that is 3. Wheneverpossible, compressthegame than a few· files on the disk, this is a very OOS. To fInd out what areas ofmemory are both empty and unaffected by the memory to the minimum number ofsectors by doing tedious way to krack a program, but back in free, search through all memory with the moves you are about to make. In this case, a few more memory moves before andafter the middle ages before DEMUFFIN PLUS Inspector and look for blank pages. The page $IC is safe. saving. Your friends will appreciate your it was sometimes the only way. You also following trick will help: Before you load 1COO LOY #$0 Clr Y-reg thoughtfulness in maximizing the number have to be wary ofbinary routines which'are the original, clear all ofmemory to zero (or 1CO2 LOA $8000,Y Get a byte at 8000+ of games per disk and minimizing modem calledfrom ormodify the BASIC programs. any other byte you like) with: 1COS STA $9600,Y Store it at 9600+ time. Yes, you're right, getting out and hook 800:0 N801<8OO.95FFM 1C08 INY Ina. counter 4.=>VERY IMPORTANT<= When you ing up the tape recorder is a cmmp in the Then you'll be able to see unused mem lC09 BNE $1C02 If not pagenoperating system, and specifJ. t t l00E DEC $1007 cally to the Read/Write Track and Sector 3000-37FF (Hi-res page 1) (Hi-res page 1) 2800-2FFF 1011 LOA $1007 (RWTS)routines which defeatordinarycopy 2000-27FF t J, 1014 CMP *F programs (COPYA and SUPER DISK 1800-1FFF (Empty) 1017 BNE $1002 COPY 3,X are examples, but we'll see later l000-17FF (Empty) OK-all that remains is to get to the start how both ofthese can be used toour advan '/ 0800-OFFF 'I' (fext page 2) of the earlier memory move routine when tage). To fInd the most effIcientapproach to 0000-07FF (Zero pg, Stack, Text page 1) (Zero pg, Stack, Text page 1) we "BRUN"the game. Thisis accomplished defeating these protection techniques, we COMPunST ##78 Readers Data Exchange 13 need first to spend a fair amount of time identificationmarker. Thesebytesareknown field is read. this pair of bytes is known This would bea good point, ifyou're not describing OOS and RWTS from a krack byall sortsofcolloquialisms, including"ad variously as "closing bytes", "trailers", or already very comfortable with the sequenc ist's viewpoint. dress header","headerbytes","leaderbytes", the "epilog". Finally, there is another series esdescribed above, to getouta utility which (On the fundamental principle that giv "prolog", and others. They will always, re ofgapbytes [8] which separates the address will perform a "nibble read" ofa disk track ing a man a fish allows him to eat for a day peat always, occur on at least sector 0 of field from the following data field. (Inspector,Nibbles Away, Locksmith,ete.), while teaching him to fish allows him to eat track 0 of every Apple disk which boots Thedatafieldhasasimilarstructure.(See and read in a standard OOS track. Scan for life, we will not dwell on the subject of under DOS 3.3 (fhe first law demands it). figure 3.) Where the gapbytes [1]) are same through the bytes until you come to the "copying" as such. Many of the techniques The next four sequences encode the vol group that ended the addressfield. Thedata magical D5 AA 96 sequence, then compare described here are, however, very useful in ume number [3], track number [4], sector marker bytes [2] are also called by all the all the bytes which follow it to the descrip deciding how to go about copying a disk. number [5], and checksum [6]. Each num names mentioned for the address marker, tion given above. Try a few tracks and perhaps an aspiring author out there will ber is a single byte, written in an old-style and are interpreted by OOS as "here comes decode the start ofseveral sectors until you build from the introduction given here to encodingschemecalled4+4nibblizing.This the data..." The big stretch of 342 bytes [3] become familiar with the appearance of pursue the subject in depth...?) is a format for storing data on the disk in is a very complex way of storing 256 bytes them. You'll save yourselfa lot of time and Before we can get to the core of the which the even bits of a byte are stored in on a disk, following some compromises effortbybecoming familiar with theappear matter, we must understand much more of one 8-bitsequence (representing one-halfof made with the original laws ofdisk record ance of normal OOS sectors and tracks. the processing and encoding systems used the original byte orone nibble), and the odd ing. Without going into exactly why, each Knowing that all these things are reo by OOS to store information on the disk. bits are stored in the second "byte" (the "byte" can represent only 6 bits ofan orig quired to make a disk compatible with OOS This is fairly heavy stuff, but your kracking requirement for this sort of"byte-splitting" inal byte, which means that each byte has 3.3 (and make it copy with COPYA), you ability depends more than anything else on or nibblizing was established largely by the two bits left over. Packing these together at can easily see how to make a protected or your knowledge of this subject Try your limitations imposed bydisk drive hardware. 6 bits each requires another 256/3 or 86 modified OOS: Simply change almost any best to work through it now, and the rest of You can find much more information in diskbytes, for a total of256+86=342"bytes", one of the important bytes in either or both the process will be much easier. BAD, pp. 3-12 to 3-21, butan oversimplifi which no longer represent a nibble or halfa fields, and make the appropriate changes to Wealreadyknow thateach trackconsists cation is that, in the old days, at least every byte, but 3/4 of a byte (make up your own the read and write routines in OOS. In order of16 sectors which each represent one page other bit read from the disk had to be a name for it, there's no real agreement what to appreciate what this means, let's spend a (256 bytes) of data. A sector actually con logical "one", or the circuitry that read the it should be called). minute or two on the structure ofOOS. sists of two separate parts, an address field, disk "forgot" where it was and what it was Following the data is a single checksum Just as was Gaul, OOS is divided into which tells OOS which sectoritis, anda data doing). If you are interested in more detail byte [4], which will give zero when exclU three main parts. The first one, called the field, where the actual bytes are stored. To on the mechanicsofthe4+4scheme, refer to sive-ORed with all the other bytes from the command interpreter, has been described in begina trip around the disk,let's lookfirst at the very frrst kracking korner fIle on CY data, and then the same active closing bytes considerable detail by Bert Kersey in the the byte sequence taken from a normal, CLOD and the fIle on WAY OUT. Figure 4 that were used in the address field [5]. Final now-classic "oos BOSS" program and the unmodified DOS disk attrack0, sector0 (as lists the values ofnibbles ofinterest to us in ly, more gapbytes [6] pad the space between short series he authored for Softalk maga we mentioned earlier, the terms "byte" and this format: this data field and the address field which zine. While DOS command changes may "nibble" are often used interchangeably to We can now decode the four groups of comes next. figure in a number of protection schemes, refer to the data read offthe disk. The use of bytes as: [3] vol number (FF+FE) = $FE This sequence is repeated 15 more times they areusually nottheprimary system, and "nibble"is notreally accurateinreferenceto (254 decimal), [4] track number (AA+AA) to make a complete track, and there is usu will bedescribedwith afew exampleswhere OOS 3.3, butpersists for historicalreasons). =$00 , [5] sector number (AA+AA) =$00, ally a large"gap" ofup to 128FF'sseparat appropriate. The second third, known as the Takea look atfigure 2. Thefrrst few FF's and [6] checksum (FF+FE) =$FE. The first ing the last and the first sectors on the track. "file manager", is not commonly altered as [1] are known as gapbytes, but they're cor three are self-explanatory, and the last is One final item of interest is that the sectors a protection scheme. Cogentdescriptions of rectlytermedsyncbytes,andwe'lltreatthem usedto detectany errors which may creep in donotnormally follow eachother in numer this part of OOS are rare, but some hints as simple separators for now. Next are the after many hours of disk use. Following ical sequence of O,I,2...etc. The actual se about its function,liberally paraphrasedand three most important bytes on the disk, D5 these is a sequenceofbytes [7] used to mark quence (called"skewing"orinterleaving) is rewritten from BAD were given in the AA 96 [2]. This sequence may not occur the end of the address field. A total ofthree chosen for speedofreading and writing, and "TYPE AITACK" fIle. anywhere else on the disk except at thestart bytes (DE AA EB) are written to the disk, can varyonsomeOOS'swhichareotherwise ThecruxofmostOOS alteration schemes of an address field, and serves as a unique but only the first two are checked when the strictly identical in format to DOS 3.3. is the last third ofOOS, the RWTS routines. These exist in everyone's 48K Apple be Figure 2: Address Field tween $B700 ana $BFFF, and are the only subroutines which read from or write to the -FF FF FF FF D5 AA 96 FF-FE AA AA AA AA FF FE DE AA EB FF FF FF FF disk under anything resembling a normal /\/ \ /\ / \/\/\/\ OOS. After a command (keyboard or pro __( 1 ) _/ \(2) / (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) \ (8) gram) has been processed by the command interpreter, and the rightpartofthe right file has been selected by the file manager, the Figure 3: Data Field RWTS routines are called on to do the crucial job of exchanging information be -FF FF FF D5 AA AD -342 BYTES OF DATA-(CKSUM) DE AA EB FF FF FF- tween the Apple'smemory and the diskette. / \/\ /\/\ / \ Space prevents us from listing all the ( 1 ) / \_ (2) /\ (3) __I\ (4) / (5) \_( 6) routines, but those ofparticular interest are shown in figure 5. Figure 4: 4 plus 4 Conversion Chart As before, you are strongly urged to get as familiar as you can with these routines, AA+AA= 00 AE + BA = 18 BA + EA = 60 BE + FA = 78 EB +AA= 82 EF + FA = DA using OOSSOURCE and "Beneath Apple AA + AB = 01 AE + BB = 19 BA + EB = 61 BE + FB = 79 EB + AB = 83 EF + FB = DB OOS" as your primary references. AA+AE= 04 AE + BE = lC BA + EE = 64 BE + FE = 7C EB + AE = 86 EF + FE = DE Returning to the subjectofdetecting and AA+AF= 05 AE + BF = ID BA + EF = 65 BE + FF = 7D EB + AF = 87 EF + FF = DF circumventing modified OOS's, you have a AA + BA = 10 AE + EA = 48 BA + FA = 70 BF +AA= 2A EB + BA = 92 FA + EA = EO choice. You can either look for changes by AA + BB = 11 AE + EB = 49 BA + FB = 71 BF + AB = 2B EB + BB = 93 FA + EB = El inspecting a track, oryoucansearch through AA + BE = 14 AE + EE = 4C BA + FE = 74 BF +AE= 2E EB + BE = 96 FA + EE = E4 the above RWTS routines for something AA + BF = 15 AE + EF = 4D BA + FF = 75 BF + AF = 2F EB + BF = 97 FA + EF = E5 thatisn'tnormal.Neitherapproachwillwork AA + EA = 40 AE + FA = 58 BB +AA= 22 BF + BA = 3A EB + EA = C2 FA + FA = FO 100% of the time, so it's best to become AA + EB = 41 AE + FB = 59 BB + AB = 23 BF + BB = 3B EB + EB = C3 FA + FB = Fl proficient at both. Figure 6 lists most of the AA + EE = 44 AE + FE = 5C BB + AE = 26 BF + BE = 3E EB + EE :;: C6 FA + FE = F4 crucial locations in RWTS that are com AA + EF = 45 AE + FF = 5D BB + AF = 27 BF + BF = 3F EB + EF = C7 FA + FF = F5 monly changed for the purpose of protec AA + FA = 50 AF +AA= OA BB + BA = 32 BF + EA = 6A EB + FA = D2 FB + EA = E2 tion. Any ofthe locations can be modified, AA + FB = 51 AF +AB = OB BB + BB = 33 BF + EB = 6B EB + FB = D3 FB + EB = E3 either permanently (which means that you AA + FE = 54 AF + AE = OE BB + BE = 36 BF + EE = 6E EB + FE = D6 FB + EE = E6 can probably find the changes in the OOS AA + FF = 55 AF + AF = OF BB + BF = 37 BF + EF = 6F EB + FF = D7 FB + EF = E7 image on tracks 0-2), or temporarily. The AB+AA= 02 AF + BA = lA BB + EA = 62 BF + FA = 7A EE + BA = 98 FB + FA = F2 temporary OOS changes are much tougher AB + AB = 03 AF + BB = IB BB + EB = 63 BF + FB = 7B EE + BB = 99 FB + FB = F3 to find than the permanent ones, since the AB+AE= 06 AF + BE = IE BB + EE = 66 BF + FE = 7E EE + BE = 9C FB + FE = DE changes may beerasedafter they have been AB+AF= 07 AF + BF = IF BB + EF = 67 BF + FF = 7F EE + BF = 9D FB + FF = DF used. AB + BA = 12 AF + EA = 4A BB + FA = 72 EA + AA = 80 EE + EA = C8 FE + EA = E8 A good example ofthis was "MASKOF AB + BB = 13 AF + EB = 4B BB + FB = 73 EA + AB = 81 EE + EB = C9 FE + EB = E9 THESUN"and"THESERPENT'S STAR", AB + BE = 16 AF + EE = 4E BB + FE = 76 EA + AE = 84 EE + EE = CC FE + EE = EC where the main disk is protected (among AB + BF = 17 AF + EF = 4F BB + FF = 77 EA + AF = 85 EE + EF = CD FE + EF = ED other techniques) by using FF's for all the AB + EA = 42 AF + FA = SA BE +AA= 28 EA + BA = 90 EE + FA = D8 FE + FA = F8 epilogbytes, butthe savegameiswritten out AB + EB = 43 AF + FB = 5B BE + AB = 29 EA + BB = 91 EE + FB = D9 FE + FB = F9 and read in using the normal DE AA's. A AB + EE = 46 AF + FE = 5E BE + AE = 2C EA + BE = 94 EE + FE = DC FE + FE = FC pair of subroutines was called to swap the AB + EF = 47 AF + FF = SF BE + AF = 2D EA + BF = 95 EE + FF = DD FE + FF = FD bytes in and out as required. Much more AB + FA = 52 BA + AA = 20 BE + BA = 38 EA + EA = CO EF + BA = 9A FF + EA = EA devious was the protection scheme used by AB + FB = 53 BA + AB = 21 BE + BB = 39 EA + EB = Cl EF + BB = 9B FF + EB = EB TSR on "Computer Dungeon" and "The AB + FE = 56 BA + AE = 24 BE + BE = 3C EA + EE = C4 EF + BE = 9E FF + EE = EE seus and the Minotaur", where epilog bytes AB + FF = 57 BA + AF = 25 BE + BF = 3D EA + EF = C5 EF + BF = 9F FF + EF = EF were computed according to which track AE+AA= 08 BA + BA = 30 BE + EA = 68 EA + FA = DO EF + EA = CA FF + FA = FA was being read. AE + AB = 09 BA + BB = 31 BE + EB = 69 EA + FB = Dl EF + EB = CB FF + FB = FB There are many other examples ofOOS AE + AE = OC BA + BE = 34 BE + EE = 6C EA + FE = D4 EF + EE = CE FF + FE = FE modifications used tokeep us atbay, includ AE+AF = OD BA + BF = 35 BE + EF = 6D EA + FF = D5 EF + EF = CF FF + FF = FF ing some secondary protection techniques, 14 ,COMPt,JT1ST #78 but we'll look at those after we describe the your computer's clock). For example, an The Level Editor is now in assembly and very quickly that it wasn't a matter of how basicapproaches to unprotecting these disks infected disk which is bootedon October 13 the ChamberEditor has been completely re good you were. Rather it was a matter of in part 5 of the Basics of Kracking. In the will trigger the virus and erase block O. programmedby me with the Contents editor who you knew and what connections you meantime, study the format, become famil I have sent a disk to COMPUTIST with within it. The manual is no longer in a paper had. Moreover, we discovered that the re iar with the standard tricks, and remember: a Load Runner Virus Killer program which format but in text fIles. Each program with cording industry was a game with a whole was written by some people out in Califor its own me. Plus 3 paper tours to get you set ofrules all of its own. And the name of "%e nitJfit shaf[ 6e:fil£ttfwitfi musu/ nia (I think). I dO not know who these people started. I've made very helpful reference the game was MONEY! anticares tfiat infest tfie day/ are, but the program is very effective. sheets for the Level Editor and Chamber I never lost my interest in the develop shaf[foUl tfieir tents ~ tfie ara6s/ Send $2 for the program on disk or Editor too. Ifyou did send your $8.00 then ment ofthe music industry. Consequently, I antias silently/ stealaway. " download the program from the COM- you'll get it back with Ultima V DCS. see it as the biggest unspoken ripoff of the PUTISTBBS RDEXed Please note that the programs were writ century that computer marketing compa Henry Wadsworth Longfellow When you run it, it will wipe Load Run ten on my Apple IIgs, so programs will go nies charge anywhere from $50 to $100 for normal speed for non-IIgs users. Ifyou have a computer program! An average album ~T~hll.l!le~O~v..¥e~rl~o~rd= NY ner out ofmemory ifit is there, and then test your disks one-by-one for Load Runner. If an Apple IIgs, programs will goes consider requires considerably more technical work "Load Runner" Virus Fix itis found, it will fIx the disk anddestroy that ably faster ifin FAST system speed. than does any computer program. (I can see copy of the virus. You'll need to send 1 disk and $1 for many readers shaking their heads already, There seems to be some confusion about Besure to check ALL ofyourdisks (even shipping and handling. Thereis a new news butI'mconvinced that itis true.) Besides the a virus called 'Load Runner'. This virus is data disks), because just one remaining in letter too ifyou wish for that. Tell me in your musicians themselves, there are literally characterized by a long period ofinactivity fected disk could re-infect your entire li letter how you feel if we start a DCS club. dozens ofother technicians ofall sorts who before 'waking up' and erasing block 0 of brary before the trigger is pulledand you are Send comments and request to me at: work with, fInance, and operate sound the currently active disk. alerted! Ultima V DCS equipment that costs a small fortune. By the The virus is from France, and does no Call The Oblivion (516) 9224213 2S09 Broadview Terrace time an album is actually ready to market, actual harm to your disk data. Itcopies itself Annapolis MD, 21401 East Coast Connection Base #2 it's not unusual for tens of thousands of off an infected disk and into memory, and dollars to have been paid out in its prepara from there it copies itself onto every disk What Ultima V DeS is Rob Ftduccla MD tion. And what does it sell for? Most are in booted while it is still in memory. It is Thereare 7full programs to use to design the $10-$15 dollar range - a far cry from the impossible to know ifyour disks are infect Update on Intima V DeS or modify a dungeon. Here they are and $50-$100 that the computer marketing peo ed with it until one ofthem boots up with the what they do in brief: ple expect! Load Runner title screen and consequently Hello again. I'm writing to tell the read Further,I think the analogy here is a fair is treated to a little block 0 surgery.' After ers that there is a new version ofUltima V 1. Level Editor one. I'm sure that many computer programs this surgery the disk won't boot, but your Dungeon Construction Set and that it is not Edit any of the 8 levels in any of the 8 costtens ofthousands ofdollars to getonthe data can still be accessed by Copy II Plus or $S.oo anymore, it'sfree, butyou'll still need dungeons in the game. On screen top text market but the difference is in the selling any other utility. to mail a disk and return postage with your editing. Fastassembly format. Save,load, or price. Computer ,marketing people realize Load Runner's trigger appears to be an letter please. There are too many programs get information. Change level to level fast that they are catering to a specialized group odd-numbered day in October (as read from and they're too big to send in or type in. and easy. Menu controlled. and consequently try to bleed it for all they FigureS 2. Chamber Editor can. (I think the irony here is the same as it is in the recording industry - a very small Address function With this newly written version, you percentage actually goes to the artist. The B7oo-B749 Do 2nd stage boot load, RUN HELLO program have fast on screen top text editing at your rest goes to the marketing people who are B793-B7B4 RWPAGES Read or write a group ofpages hands. Total map cursor movability. Menu the real racketeers!) B7B5-B7CI CALLRWTS Disable interrupt and call RWTS driven. You can edit all 16 chambers in all 8 It took the motion picture industry sever B7ES-B7FS. 10BLOCK RWTS parmlist-see BAD dungeons. Total control over all 256 tiles. al years to fIgure out that the way to stop Now the contents editor is within the pro BSoo-BS29 PRENIB Convert bytes to nibbles for writing piracy of movies was to bring the price BS2A-BSCI WRITE Write sector to disk gram for fasteditofall 256 contents. Change down to within reason. It wasn't that long BSC2-BSDB POSTNIB Convert nibbles to bytes after reading all S Hallucinations to make unlimited ago that a movie on cassette was at least BSDC-B943 READ Read sector from disk chambereffects; like a moving bookshelfor $100. Now you can buy almost any movie B944-B99F RDADR Read an address field tricky exits. Change all party member's po for $30. The difference? Now most people B9AO-BA2S SEEKABS Ppsition read head to the desired track sitions. Put in new treasures to get. Put in can afford their own original and the motion BA29-BA6S NIBL Write translate table monsters, move their position. Put ladders picture industry is doing more business than BA69-BA95 (EMPlY) =>WATCH THIS SPACE<= in chambers, make levels complex. ever before. (Some companies still haven't BA96-BAFF Read translate table 3. View Editor fIgured this out!) BBoo-BBFF NBUFI Buffer (prim) used to stash the nibbles This program is fun to use. It can make a Consequently, when a computer compa BCoo-BC55 NBUF2 Sectorbuffer for nibbles door a wall, a fountain a trap or everything ny flashes a colorful wrapper and boasts the BC56-BCC3 WRADR Write (iddress fIeld (only during init) a hallway make peer a gem in return 'not ultimate computer experience for $89 and it BCDF-BCFF (EMPlY) =>BE SUSPICIOUS<= work' butwork. Fastand explanatory. Save, turns out to be akin to the way you moved BDOO-BDEC RWTS Main read/write origin Reset or Load. your bowels Tuesday last, you are going to BDED-BE03 RDRIGHT Good read, ck track # have Captain Blood doing the distribution BEI0-BE25 RTTRK Right trk, ck vol# 4. Entrance Editor trick like you never dreamed possible! He is BE26-BE45 CRCTVOL Right vol#, ck sect# Change dungeon names, Words ofPow anxious that his friends not get schmucked BEAF-BFB7 DSKFORM Initialize disk er, and collapseany dungeon ordestroy iton the same way he did! BFDS-BFC7 SECMAP Sector interleave map Britannia or Underworld. There are growing numbers ofcomputer BFCS-BFFF PATCHES Corrections for small DOS bugs =>BEWARE<= operators who are fed up with getting burned 5. Type Editor by cellophane! I personally have a whole Make any dungeon any other type. The library of programs that I'm ashamed to Figure 6 types are dungeon, mind and cave. The type admit I paid money for! Many are old, old, Address Normal value Putwse ofa dungeon is what its interior is like. creations that run so slowly, old age itself BS53 D5 Data Addr Marker I-write 6. Chamber Resurrector smiles in the rear view mirror - all packaged BS5S AA Data Addr Marker 2-write like they were a computer genius' gift to the BS5D AD Data Addr Marker 3-write Use this program to bring back chambers Christ child! These same programs are still BS9E DE Epilog byte I after they've been victorious in. This pro touted in the catalogues as "educational", B8A3 AA Epilog byte 2 gram does all 8 dungeons at once. "new editions", of"unequalled quality" and BSAS EB Epilog byte 3-not read 7. Party Transferor are presented with color and sheen that BSAC FF Epilog byte 4-not read would beguile the wariest of saints! Now B8E7 D5 Data Addr Marker I-read If you make a full dungeon scenario, you'll need to let your friend(s) orothers use may I ask "Who is the Pirate?" and "Who is BSFI AA Data Addr Marker 2-read dishonest?" BSFC AD Data Addr Marker 3-read their party if they wish to on the edited Britannia disk. It seems to me that we simply have one B92A-C D9 00 BA Location for checksum compare manipulator hiding behind the skirts of the B935 DE Epilog byte I-read law and having the nerve to complain when CPR Aaent Canada B93F AA Epilog byte 2-read another manipulator lifts those skirts and B942 38 .Set carry for I/O error Pirates or Saviors? rapes the program for "flashing" a cello B955 D5 Addr Data Marker I-read phane "top" and threatening to charge $100 There are two 'words that never fail to B95F AA Addr Data Marker 2-read for it! Get serious! Anyone who has been elicit groans and moans and instant bore B96A 96 Addr Data Marker 3-read burned even once has been burned one too B991 DE Addr Epilog byte I dom from readers of COMPUTIST - soft many times. It's not a matter of circulating B99B AA Addr Epilog byte 2 ware piracy. Everyone has had it to the ears programs to your friends. It's a matter of BA29-68 * Write translate table with the whimpering and whining over the preventing your friends from making the BA96-FF * Read translate table "dishonesty" in the computer community. same stupid mistake you made! I have sev But I would like to address an angle that BC5F FF Sync Byte value eral friends who send me programs regular BC7A D5 Addr Marker Write-I needs as much (if not more) attention than ly who say "I heard you werelooking for this BC7F AA Addr Marker Write-2 "dishonest pirates." one. Take a good look, cross it offyour list, BC84 96 Addr Marker Write-3 ~ Many years ago I played in a teenage and format the disk. Believe me, you don't rock-and-roll band. Like most teenagers we BCAE DE Addr Epilog byte I-write really want this program in yourcollection." had visions of grandeur of making our for BCB3 AA Addr Epilog byte 2-write I have been very grateful to these friends on BCB8 EB .Addr Epilog byte 3-write tunes grinding outear-splitting rhythms that every count. They have saved me a great would reshape 'the American teen culture. BFB8-C7 * Sector interleaving table deal ofmoney. And they were right! ButIdo We were not that bad, but it became clear * See DOSSOURCE listing for correct contents. feel badly about one aspect ofthis "piracy" COMPUTlST #78 _Readers Data Exchange 15 and that is that the manufacturercan nothear would you mind making a backup copy for abling all error checking routines is asking A.P..!!a:a.rl!.!t,.z.y....:E~rr~o~r. CO my disk drive format his disk! him? You agree, take the disk home, and for trouble - sometimes in ways that you Do you really want to stop computer then discover that it does not work properly. hadn't thought oft) A Crash Course in Software piracy? Perhaps some advice to computer What do you tell him? No matter how care After contemplating this situation for Deprotection companies is in order (do those guys actual fully you decide to word the bad news he is some time, I remembered that the options of In most of the past Computist issues, ly read this publication?): going to be heartbroken and/or think that the Sector Editor of COpy II PLUS allow there have been various articles on methods you to disable or enable checks for epi 1) Put the cost of the program into its you ruined the best program in his library! for deprotection of specific schemes. It is logues, checksums, and tracks. If1enabled proper perspective. (There are 3 and 4 orig This very situation happened to me and it my hope that, in submitting this, all the most inals of some audio tapes in my home sim was my desperation that led to the following each of these one at a time and scanned common protection schemes on the market ply because members ofmyfamily wantand notes on how to de-protect this program through all the sectors on the disk, 1would today will be covered in such a manner that to find the problem and know which routine 1 CAN AFFORD their own!) AND how fix the problem with it not even the novice can understand what's hap 2) Get rid of copy protection schemes. running properly. would need to disable in the DOS. It would pening. Ifnothing else, hopefully whoever When 1firs texamined this disk under the be tedious, but it should work. When 1started cracking computerprograms, reads this will at least get a basic knowledge 1 As it turned out, it was tedious but it did did it to shore up the completely depleted Nibble EditorofCopy II Plus. it seemed that of what goes on when someone sets out to work. There was a checksum problem on budget of a small school that simply could removing the copy protection would not be crack·a disk. So without further ado: not afford the time ormoney to keep sending too difficult. The address prologues had track SOE, sector S09. Pleased with myself, programs back to the company for repair. I been changed from D5 AA 96 to AA D5 AB. I booted the original disk and captured the Hardware and Software Requirements quickly leamed that some of the protection the data prologues had been changed from RWTS yet another time. 1 hunted back for Basic Deprotection techniques were far more interesting than D5 AA AD to. AA D5 EB. the address through my back issuesofCOMPUTISTfor To be an effective deprotector one must the programs themselves! Now 1crack pro epilogues from DE AA to DE AB and the those invaluable charts of Bill Jetzer's have the right hardware and software for the grams for the sheer pleasure of it! Most of data epilogues from DE AA to ED AA. (COMPUTIST #60 pages 12 and 13) where job. You must have a method ofgetting into the time the protection scheme is far and After"customizing" the Sector Editor to use Bill identifies the precise addresses in DOS the monitor. It is useful to have a way into wide the best part ofthe disk (and the only these same values, I was able to read in any 3.3 (and DOS 3.2) ofall the markers, check the monitor such as crack card or (if you're part that poses any "educational" worth!) 1 sectoron the disk and examine it. There was sums, etc. in DOS. I noted that he identified using an older II) an old F8 crack-ROM or am honestly disappointed when I get a new a DOS catalogue on Track $11 and every $B98Aas theaddress ofthechecksum check the equivalent in the form of a switehable program and it has no protection scheme. thing else seemed pretty standard. I thought and that a 00 would disable this routine. crackrom. 3) And finally, say it the way it is on the I would capture the RWTS from this disk However, when I went to this address in the Some of these ROMs are or were avail wrapper. Customers show their apprecia and use Super lOB to swap the mes to a modified DOS, the B7 thatshould have been able on the open market, such as Lockbust tion for sales honesty by coming back to the regular DOS disk. there wasn't. I searched forwards and back er, SeniorProm (nolongeravailable, though same company again and again. And they When I booted the original and jumped wards through the code hoping to come still supported by Cutting Edge Enterprises) keep their copies in their own library! into the monitor, I thoughtI would checkout across the same routine in a different loca and the ROMs sold by Don Lancaster. Other Now who is listening out there? Can you the RWTS at$B800-$BFFF before actually tion. No luck. Some of the code looked devices such as Master Key+, modified in write as well as read? I've shot off my going ahead with the process. Bad news! It familiar but there were several changes teger cards and some of the popular krack mouth, so now let's hear what you'vegot to had been altered - seriously altered, and I enough to make me very apprehensive. ing cards can also get you into the monitor. say, big boy! could tell this process would never work. I had to do something, so after perusing it If you do opt to go for an integer card Being obstinate, I tried it anyway. 1 was all several times, 1 noticed that the whole (again, on the older II's), it is useful to get Softkey for... right - it didn't work. routineendedlike so many others -with a38 the Inspector and Watson in ROM. Lock Muppets on Stage (3.5") 1booted the original disk a second time 60 18 60 (38 to set the carry flag ifthere is a smith makes good use of these utilities, if Sunburst andjumpedinto the monitor. Idecided to try problem and 18 to clear it ifthere isn't and you don't need/want the integer card but using more ofthe RWTS and to try using it .then return). I changed the instruction at Requirements: have the Inspector/Watson available to you. with DeMuffin Plus. This time I started the $BA17 from a 38 to an 18 (so that whether original disk Master Key+ and the Senior Prom also do move from SB600 instead ofthe $B800 and there was a problem or not the carry flag fast copier (I used Copy II Plus) many ofthe same functions as Inspector and moved it down to $6600 where it would be would be cleared and the program would block/sector editor Watson. safe while I loaded DeMuffin Plus. After proceed) and prayed that this was the right It is also useful to have an NMI card. Step-by-step moving it back to where it belonged and routine. Several, such as Wildcard, are available in starting up DeMuffin Plus, I was able to Iloaded DeMuffin Plus for the ninth time 1. Fast copy the disk - ignore errors computer stores. You may need one with the transfer files as sweetly as you please from in this fiasco, chose the .file CRUNCHED ability to store the stack pointers after the 2. Search for2026849007C9FFFOOBand the original disk to my already formatted STORE and pressed RETURN ever so gen interrupt. The NMI card is useful, but not a change the 20 26 84 to EA EAEA. On my DOS disk. tly. The drive started up and transferred my necessity. disk it was at track $OE, sector $OF; bytes The file transfer went just fine until the file as neatly as if nothing had ever been .It will prove most convenient to have $00-02. program arrivedatafilecalledCRUNCHED wrong. Ikept my fingers crossed as Ibooted more than one disk drive and some specific Details STORE. Here the drive rattled and the pro the newly created disk. I chose the store . disk drives and accessories are extremely gram halted. Since DeMuffm Plus offered option. The drive started, up came the Actually Iwas moving this program back useful such as Track-Star and the Know me the option of transferring more files, I graphic, and I was presented with a cart for toa 5.25" inch disk so the schools could use drive. said yes, went back to the beginning, and the shopping trip! itoncomputerswithS.2S" inchdrives. I first Now that you know what hardware is answered "yes" to the DO YOU WANT TO I took the disk and the copy back to my formatted the 5.25" diskwithProDOS using useful or necessary, itis time to call some of BE PROMPTED" question. This time I told friend. He smiled warmly and wanted to the FORMAT option on the opening menu your friendly deprotectionist and get some it not to transfer the files that had already know "How was it?" I hesitated like a pro ofCopy II Plus. Then it was simply a matter cracking utilities. First on the shopping list been copied AND the file that had given the gram doing a signature check. "No prob oftransferring mes from the 3.5" inch disk is adisk search utility like Tracerfrom CIA. trouble. The program went ahead and cop. lem," I lied. "It's a great program to the 5.2S" inch disk. Once all the mes had Next on the list is a sector editor. Inspector ied all the other files without incident. but..but..ah.....I think the copy will run bet been moved over, I booted the disk and it and Watson, Copyll+ or Nibbles Away are Wondering ifI hadn't somehow messed ter than the original." "Why?" he asked. "It died after the opening graphics. I had ex all capable of handling our chores for us. up a byte or two in the process ofcapturing just usually works out that way," I said. pected as much. Through the process of You will also need COpyAfrom the system the RWTS, Iwent through the entireprocess Assuming thatyourdiskhas no problems elimination, I discovered that it was the master. Also useful, but not necessary, is again -in fact, several times. All to no avail. here is the cookbook approach to the de LOADER1 file that was doing the disk FID. Also needed areseveralprograms writ For some strange reason DeMuffin Plus protection: check. ten specifically for cracking. These include, would not read that one single ftle from the Next I used the CATALOO function of Step-by-step but are not limited to, Advanced Demuffm, original disk. I decided to check out the files Copy II Plus to catalog the disk and give the Demuffm Plus, FastloaderCreate,COPYB. that I had already transferred as well as the 1. Format a DOS disk (delete HELLO). me loading locations and me lengths. I and others that will be mentioned in the original program. I write-protected the disk discovered that LOADERI loaded into 2. Boot the original and at the prompt use series. Mostofthese (suchasSuperlOB)are with· the newly transferred files on it.and memory at $4300. I then booted ProDOS, your favorite method to get into the mon available from your Computist back issue booted itItloaded and ran beautifully. Then BLOADed LOADERl, typed CALL -151 itor library. I noticed a "store" option as part of the to get into the monitor, and typed 4300L to 6600 16 Readers Data Exchange COMPunST#78 the case then lookatthe nibble countsection Ifthe game does not restart upon hitting these steps until you find aplaceonly reach rom with the ability to move this code to ofthis series. the autostart reset (and instead reboots or able by a JSR or IMP. safety before entering the monitor. If you Ifthe game does not copy at all, there is hangs) then we will have to try another Ifnoneoftheabovemethodsworktofind are caught by this problem (ie. you have a a possibility that the game has a modified approach. Because most games use graphics the starting location, there is yet another true old F8 as your only means of entering OOS ora loader with a modified format. To and possibly begin with a hi-res graphics possibility. Many games expect you to hita the monitor) I can only suggest that you get learn about this method ofprotection check screen, it seems logical that the software key before you start the game. To under aKrack-rom with this ability, a copy COMPunST#78 Readers Data Exchange 17 5017: BNE $5002 If the program does not use an RWTS, 8E48:18 clears errors is theprotectionroutine, and which ones are Note - again this routine is taken from but a loader (or if you cannot reset in) you TheB942:18 changecan be utilized with not Krackowitz but it does have a couple of can examine a track with a track bit editor, FlD (for files), Demuffin Plus, and Ad On tracks 0-2 you will probably find the changes. such as the one in Nibbles Away, and try to vanced Demuffin. Using Advanced De most disk accesses. This is because normal Well this brings my discussion ofsingle fmd the beginning ofthe sector. This canbe muffin in the following way is even better DOS is located there, and most modified load deprotection to a close. I hope I have difficult unless you are familiar with the than COpyA with the changes: ones are too. It is possible (and quite often organization ofa DOS 3.3 sector. Then you done) to hideprotection codehere. Look for explained this subject well enough to help 1) BRUN Advanced Demuffin can figure out what the prologue bytes, routines there. Look for routines that direct you rather than just confusing you. 2) exit to the monitor epilog bytes, and the data markers are. An ly compare values, and branch upon the 3) B942:18 Deprotection ofModified·DOS schemes exampleofthis method willbegiven laterin results. However keep in mind that DOS 4)80lG Note: the scope ofthis article is only to this article. Several utilities are available to routines will compare D5 then AA then 96 5) convert cover DOS 3.3 schemes. ProDOS is not aidin theconversionofmodified DOS disks. (also it compares DE AA and D5 AA AD). discussed herein. Advanced Demuffin, Demuffin Plus, You may not even need to make further If a routine does this and then compares changes once the disk is converted. But This has been one of the most widely COPYB, Super lOB, and Advanced De several others too, be suspicious! making a COPYA copy of a protected disk covered schemes in Computist and this is muffin Toolkit are just some of the utilities For example, look at the following code may not be even enough. Sometimes tracks because the modified DOS scheme has to be available for deprotectionists. I will go into on track $0I, sector $OF of Seven Cities of are left completely unformatted (Advanced the most popular protection scheme ever detail on the use oftwo ofthese, although all Gold (by Electronic Arts). Demuffin will copy around these but devised by software companies to deter the are very useful. OOOO:4C 69 05 JMP $0569 this sets up EOA's COpyA will not) and there are often sec copying ofsoftware. It is also, usually, one Ifthe program you are working on has a protection ondary protection schemes. Sometimes of the easiest schemes to krack, with the catalog, then you should try using Demuffin ooo3:A0 20 LDY #$20 software companies use half and quarter correcthardware, software,andknowledge. Plus, for the conversion to DOS 3.3. To see 0005:88 DEY tracks or even non standard encoding Once you know how to krack this type of ifthere is a catalog (uncommon these days), 0006:FOsa BEQ $0060 schemes to screw up copiers. Some ofthese protection, you will be able to krack the boot the disk and reset into the monitor. ooo8:A0 EC CO LOA $COEC read a boIte things will be dealt with in next section on majority of todays software, and you will From the monitor type A56EG (assuming (C08C+60=COEC) nibble counts and secondary protection know how to break the first line of protec the disk is operating with a close to normal oooB:l0FB BPI $0008 schemes. tion on the schemes that use a combination disk). Ifyou geta catalog then use Demuffin 0000:4905 EOR #$05 check for D5 (first boIte The latest in modified DOS routines ofprotection methods. Secondary methods Plus. Ifnot, try Advanced Demuffin. To use . of the seems to be one used recently by Broder ofprotection will be discussed in detail in a Demuffin Plus do the following: oooF:OO F4 BNE $0005 start of data mark) bund, theoneof'18-sector' tracks whichare later section. 1) boot protected disk 0011 :AD EC CO LOA $COEC read a boIte actually 6 sectortracks, each sectorcontain Before we discuss what needs to be done 2) reset into the monitor 0014:10 FB BPL $0011 ing 3 pages. The reason that 18 pages of todefeattheseprotectionschemes, weshould 3) move RWTS to safe location (6000< 0016:C9AA CMP #$AA check for second byte of information can bestoredon a track (instead first discuss the organization of DOS 3.3 B700.COOOM) start ofDOS 3.3's 16sectors) isthattheirareonly disks. (Note: if! missanything here, you can 4) boot slave (C600G) 0018:00 F3 BNE $0000 of data marker 6 sectors. The lowered amount of sectors be sure to find it in a Computist back issue 5) BRUN Demuffin Plus 001 A:AO EC CO LOA $COEC read a boIte eliminatesmuchofthe sectoroverheadsuch somewhere, or in your Beneath Apple DOS 6) reset into the monitor 0010:10 FB BPL $00lA assync bytes and data markers. Itseemsthat manual). Normal DOS 3.3 sectorsare divid 7) moveRWTS back(B700< 6OOO.6900M) 001 F:C9 AD CMP #$AO check for third boIte of the data and address markers have been edinto twoparts,anaddress field, and a data 8) 803G marker compacted and most ofthe sync bytes have field The address field serves as an identi 9) convert files to DOS 3.3 diskette 0021:00 EA BNE $0000 been removed, making it much easier to fication market for each sector. The data 0023:48 PHA To use Advanced Demuffm do the fol store the 18 pages ofdata. Watch for more fieldcontains theactualdata. An exampleof 0024:68 PLA lowing: onthiskindofprotection inupcomingCom an address field might be: 0025:A056 LOY #$56 I) boot disk putists as it is becoming more popular with 0027:AO EC CO LOA $COEC read a boIte FF FF FF FF DS AA 96 FF FE 2) reset into the monitor Broderbund and possibly Electronic Arts. 002A:10FB BPL $0027 AA AA AA AA FF FE DE AA EB 3) 6000 18 Readers Data Exchange COMPunST #78 during the count Ifthis is the case, then put little more difficult, but not impossible, to here). You must then move 801-8FF some CALL ·151 an 1860 at the beginning. get a good Krackrom for the lIe orIIc. Now where safe, so it is not overwritten by the 9600 COMPUllST #78 Readers Data Exchange 19 Note: lately, several companies have be Ori~nal hYte New one 10 REM YOU CANNOT LIST THIS!!!!!!* track 17.5 is being used, then read it in, gun using an 18-sector format ofProDOS (01111111) 7F 3F (00111111) CATALOG analyze, and then write out to track 17. which has proven difficult to crack. Broder But the extra two bits are stored in the (The * represents the ctrl D) The final problem, is that the foreign bund is now using this format on their re RWTS will be looking for data on Half second table, at BCOO. Basically, the other Ifwhen you try to list, the computer just leases. tracks, and not finding itthere. You need to methods of nibblizing, do what their titles lists one line number, over and over again, tell their RWTS that the tracks are now on . Using The NMI to Deprotect indicate. DOS 3.2 uses 5 & 3 nibblizing. the authors may have pokeda 1into location One table stores 5bits, the otherstores 3bits. Full-tracks. Tofind the code thatyou need to Ifyou have owned your Apple very long, 2049. In order to stop this, reset before it 4 & 4 encoding stores bytes in two halves. fIx, you need to understand how normal then you surely have heard about (or own runs, poke a zero there, and then list. You Note, however, that 6 & 2 encoding al RWTS moves the disk drive head for read one of) those miraculous cracking cards, can then delete the line in the program that lows you to have 16 sectors per track, be ing and writing. There are several softs that do everything for you at the press of a does the poke. Occasionally, protectors will cause it only takes 342 disk bytes to recon witches that need to be accessed for any use button. These are based upon a funcLion of do peeks into OOS, to see if the address structone sector. 5 & 3encoding allows you ofthe disk drive. See table 1. the Apple, called a non maskable interrupt. marks or data marks have been changed. to have 13 sectorsperdisk, because itrequires Normal OOS moves the head from track This means that nothing (almost) can pre Just look for peeks over 40192. Sometimes 410 diskbytes to reconstruct a sector. 4 & 4 zero to track 1 in the following manner: vent itfrom stopping the program operating OOS commands are changed, and basic encoding uses 512 bytes to reconstruct a a) turn on phase 1 (track .5) and wait. on your Apple. programs may try and use the abnormal sector, therefore you can have 10 sectors (or b) turn off phase 0 (track 0) and wait. To generate one, all you need to do is ones. When you do a conversion to normal less) per track. c) turn on phase 2 (track 1) and wait. cross pin 26 and 29 with a 100 ohm register. OOS, the normal OOS commands are the So why would anyone want to use any d) turn off phase 1 (track .5) and wait. This is not extremely practical to try to do only ones available. Thus the program will disk encoding scheme other than 6 & 2? e) turn offphase 2 (track 1) and wait. manually, because they occur so quickly, crash. You may need to go through all ofthe First of all, 4 & 4 is an easier method of f) return to the caller. that they can even interrupt each other. This basic programs on a disk, to make sure that encoding, if you are into writing your own will dump garbage allover the stack, and only.normal OOS commands are called. By examining the above example, you loaders. Also, it allows you to load things at make this device worth very little. Sometimes, nibblecountingroutines may can see what js needed to move the head to a much faster rate. Of course, if you are When you use an NMI the 6502 pushes becalled from basic. The program may load Half-tracks. It will be your task, to fix the worried about storage space, it is definitely the location (i)f where the program is running a binary file, call to it, and if everything is protected disks RWTS to read the Full not a desirable encoding scheme, but for onto the stadk and then jumps to where ever right, it will return control to the basic pro tracks instead ofthe Half-tracks. most games, space is not usually important pointed to at $FFFA and $FFFB. To restart gram. These are just a few of the possibili So much for the Half-tracks, lets move on (especially arcade games). Also, if you do the program we need to restore the registers ties ofbasic protection schemes. To find out to the second part of this article. Quarter not have your program in fIles (i.e. you and the stack, and do an RTI (return from what is wrong, you will just have to scan tracking works on similar principles, but is make your game have no catalog, but in interrupt). Most NMI cards are designed so through all of the basic programs, looking often used in totally different ways than its stead have your loader read directly) then that the stack is preserved on interrupt. for suspicious peeks, pokes, and calls (and counterpart. As the name indicates, Quar cracking it is extremely difficult. There are There are very few uses for the NMI that maybe weird OOS commands too). One ter- tracks reside exactly 1/4 of the way to not (to my knowledge) any conversion pro I condone. One, is for finding nibblecounts. programs that use mostly basic, this can be the next Full-track. Because of the limita grams, that work with this kind ofencoding. When one is being executed, you can do an a h~dache, but it is justabout the only way. tions ofthe Apple disk drive, it is noteasy to One reason for this, may be the fact that 10 NMI and find out where it is located in use Quarter-tracks successfully, and ex sectors or less may be used per track. Be Half. and Quarter.Tracking memory by checking the bytes on the stack. tremely difficult to use with the Ilc. There . cause we do not know in advance, how Apple disks have data written in 35 con You should never need to use one for crack are a few laws that apply to the use of many will be used, how can we write a centric circles known as tracks. This is ing single loading games. This makes the Quarter-tracks: converter? Also, we do not know how the common knowledge. But these tracks are fIle way bigger than it needs to be, and the a) When tracks are written, they will protector has written his loader (or RWTS). written approximately 1/48th of an inch program may not work every timeyou run it. produce exact images ofthemselves on ad Most converter programs assume that the apart. Itis possible to write closer than this, However, ifitis your lastresort (and nothing jacent Quarter-tracks but the image on the RWTS will be close to normal, you cannot but it will most likely overwrite some ofthe else works) it is (in rare circumstances) adjacent Half-tracks will not be an exact assume this with 4 &4 encoding, because if data on the adjacent track (s). However the acceptable. For instance, if you cannot find image. the author went to the trouble ofwriting his apple disk drive's head can be positioned a nibblecount, you can do an NMI krack of b) When a track is written it will not loader, chances are that he will make sure it over 1196th of an inch increments. Because the program once loaded and after the count. (usually) effect data on tracks at least 3/4 of is completely different. olderstandard copiers and fast-copiers copy This will often allow you to BRUN your a track away. So, how do we go about kracking these only "Full-tracks", and not these "Half BfIle, and stick your COpyA copy of the types ofprograms? Well as I stated earlier, tracks", it was sometimes used as a protec It is possible to write (once) to adjacent game in to work. However this will make usually only games are involved with this tion scheme on older software. However, Half-tracks. Suppose that we we write out your game much longer than it needs to be kind ofencoding scheme. Many ofthese are because most bit copiers come with an op data to track 7, then to 7.75, and to 8.25. (maybe even a fIle and a side,instead ofjust just single load cracks. The tough ones, are tion to duplicate halfand quarter tracks, this Images would appear on 7.25, 7.5, 8.0 and one side). But this should only be used as a the ones that have other disk access (for is an obsolete and uncommon scheme these.. 8.5. Now jfyouremember rule (a), then you last resort. levels). To crack them you must: days. can see, that when someone copies the disk, the images on everything but the adjacent Encoding Data through 4 & 4 1) Find and isolate the loader and figure Ifyou have a Track Star, a Know Drive, Half-track, will come out perfectly. But the Nibbilizing out the logic of it. or if you strip the outer casing off of your data on that Half-track (7.5) will be ques Before we delve into the deep dark se 2) Modify the loaderto let you read in one disk II, you can see when these Half-tracks tionable (at best). Ifit is read by the protect crets of4 & 4 encoding, we should take time level atatime, and save itout with Inspector are in use. ed disk, the data probably will notbe found. out to discuss all ofthe encoding methods in (or the equivalent) under normal 16 sector As I said, this is not really very common Several companies use this scheme, or general. Standard OOS 3.3 and ProOOS format. anymore. The basic approach to cracking a something similar. Electronic arts and both use what is called 6 & 2 encoding, and 3) Rebuild the program to work under game with this protection scheme is: Broderbund, (and others) did this, up until OOS 3.2 uses 5 & 3 encoding. normal dos. This will consist of modifying 1) Find out which Half-tracks are used recently. Microprose used something simi So what does all ofthis mean? When the the loader and the main program. (Games do not use every half- track, be lar (especially on F-15 Strike Eagle; long Apple disk drive was first introduced, it cause at least the first track must be readable That is really all there is to say about time Computist readers will recall what a used a different method of recording data under normal OOS. It was also easier to cracking these types ofprograms, except to headache that one caused). This scheme is than other disk drives. This helped the Ap confuse older copiers by using only part of mention that these are often the hardest ones called "Track Imaging". ple tXx:ome popular, butitlimits the Apple's the program on Half-tracks). to krack, although this will become painful Another technique of using odd track , ability to read all ofthe possible values for 2) Read in the Half-tracks with a track bit ly obvious to anyone who tangles with this spacing, is called "Track Arcing" or "Spiral . bytes (there are 256 ofthem) from the disk. editor, such as Nibbles Away, and write little beastie. Unfortunately, this is one Tracking". This technique consists of put Only bytes that meet certain restriction can them to your new copy on the Full-tracks. scheme that is definitely NOT for begin ting sbout 1/3 of a tracks worth of data on be stored on a disk. These requirements are: 3) Fix theRWTS to read onlyFull-tracks ners. This one takes a lot oftime, effort. skill one track, and one third on the adjacent 1) The high bit must be a one (1) and experience with breaking copy protec To find out which tracks are used, you Half-track, and so on. Ifvalid data is written 2) The byte can only contain one pair of tion schemes. And some ofthese also have can use the methods listed earlier. To use to a track, it will zap the adjacent Half-track adjacent zeros secondary protection schemes as well (as if Nibbles Away for moving the tracks, just (therefore killing one third ofa tracks data). 3) There can only be two consecutive the encoding was not enough). read in the Half-tracks type 'z' to allow Note also that it is possible to use quarter zero bits Nibbles Away to analyze what it has read in, Cracking Protection Schemes in BASIC track increments for track arcing. Thepossi- There are only 64 bytes that meet these and write out to aFull-track. Forexample, if Believe it or not, prote-ction schemes in requirements. In order for the Apple disk BASIC, can often be difficultto thwart. This drive to find a value that does not fall be Table 1 article will show you a few ofthe things to tween one ofthese 64 bytes (but that is one look for in BASIC programs. Softswitch ~ What it does of the possible 256 bytes that the CPU can The frrst problem you may encounter, is understand), some sort of nibblizing has to C080 phase off stepper motor 0 phase off adifficulty in listing aprogram. Ifyou try to, be done by the loader or RWTS. This nib C081 phase on stepper motor 0 phase on and it runs instead of listing, then reset into blizing is a process by where two bytes can C082 phase 1 off stepper motor 1 phase off the monitor. Then check location 06. Ifit is be used to come up with one value accept C083 phase 1 on stepper motor 1 phase on not zero, then change it to zero. This is the able to the Apple CPU. C084 phase 2 off stepper motor 2 phase off Applesoft auto run flag. If the flag is set OOS 3.3 and ProOOS both use a nibbliz C085 phase 2 on stepper motor 2 phase on (other than zero) any command entered will ing process known as 6 & 2 encoding. Basi C086 phase 3 off stepper motor 3 phase off cause whatever program is in memory to cally, the first byte contains 6 bits and the C087 phase 3 on stepper motor 3 phase on execute. Ifit lists part of the program, then second contains two bits. In OOS 3.3, this C088 motor off turns off disk drive executes a OOS command instead, then nibblizing process is done in two tables. The C089 motor on turns on disk drive they may have hidden adoscommand inside first of these is located at BBOO. The extra C08A drive Don engages drive Q ofa normal statement. This can be done by two bits are chopped off and stored in the C08B drive 1 on engages drive 1 putting a C1RL-D on the 34th character of second table. They are replaced by zeros in C08e Q6L strobe data latch for I/O. Reads a byte. a line and then putting a OOS command. For the first table. For example: C08D Q6H load data latch.senses write protect. example: C08E Q7L prepare latch for input. writes a byte.. C08F Q7H prepare latch for for output.loads write latch. 20 Readers Data Exchange COMPUTIST #78 bilities ofanyone doing this are astronomi the catalog and VTOC ofa disk. Ifyou type converted to a normal-DOS format. If, for 460 FOR B = 0 TO 254: IF X(B) < > cal, but it has been done at least once. A56EG from the monitor, it will show you example, the protected disk (or copy) has 36863. + B THEN 480 Iftheapplediskdrlvecan onlyincrement the contents ofthe catalog (unless DOS has altered marlc.ers, you will need to convert 470 NEXT B in Half-tracks, how then can it position its been tampered with). Normally, the catalog them to normal for this program to work. 471 NEXT SE head over a Quarter-track? To do this, you track is located on track$11 (17 in decimal). When this utility was written it was de 472 NEXT TR must turn on the stepper magnets on both VTOC is the volume table of contents. On signed so that ifyou had a disk where all the 475 PRINT : PRINT "GREYOBYTEOSE sides ofa Half-track. So, to use track 6.25, normal disks, this is located on track ·11, otherprotections hadbeen removedandyou ARCHOOONE." i: FOR I = 1 TO you would position the magnets to be over sector O. Some protected disks will relocate still weren't getting a working copy (sus 2000: NEXT I: GOTO 10 6.0 and 6.5. You would then turn the mag this. Itis through this table, thatDOS knows pected nibble count or signature check 480 PRINT "OSEQUENCEOATOTRACKO" nets off and leave the head in between the wheretofind files. DOS mustalsoread from routine) then youcouldrun this programand iTRi ",OSECTORO" iSEi ",OBYTEO" two Half-tracks. So to use track 6.25 you the VTOC, in order to know where the first hopefully fmd suspicious disk-access rou i (B) would (moving from track 6): sector of the catalog track is located. On tines. Checksums a) Tum on phase 0 (remember: there are normal (and many protected) disks the loca The Finder also cannot find encrypted 0-$9435 210-$0350 400-$7E07 only four phases) and wait tion of the catalog track will be· stored at routines on disk. The only way around this 10-$E091 220-$659E 410-$94E4 b) Turn on phase I and wait ACOI. Thevalue for the current track in use is to decrypt the information first and then 20-$202C 230-$5205 420-$4B05 c) Tum offphase I will bestored (usually) at$2E. Thevalue for run the Finder. 30-$9789 240-$8960 421-$OE43 d) Turn off phase 0 the current sector in use will (normally) be One last note:ifyou abort the operation 50-$7280 260-$895C 422-$48E8 e) Return to caller routine stored at $2D. before the program is finished (with ctrl C), Now that we have some of the basic you may have problems with youroperating 55-$C944 270-$80EO 423-$EB68 Well I realize that this mess is all very information about the catalog track, we can system, so be careful. The operation will 60-$F900 280-$A1l7 424-$97BF confusing at first, so I would suggest you start discussing its part in disk protection take some time so be patient. Happy hunt 70-$193B 290-$Be30 426-$OE84 read chapter6 of"BeneathApple DOS", for schemes. Naturally, if you were a software ing! 90-$B432 300-$CF39 427-$264B more informationondirectusage ofthe disk protector, you would want to keep those 100-$3181 305-$6901 428-$071C drive. This is an extremely importantchap NIBBLE COUNT FINDER "nasty pirates" from screwing around with 1l0-$A80F 310-$lEA3 429-$OEll ter for learning about copy protection. the files on your disk. There are a few ways o ONERR GOTO 10 120-$036E 320-$BAC5 440-$EE14 Self-Modifying Code, EOR and Disk that you can keep some people out. The first 10 PRINT: PRINT CRR$ (4)i "BLOADO 130-$2778 330-$950A 450-$30C8 Encryption is to do away with files altogether, andjust UTILITY.OBJ,A$8000" 140-$lD1F 340-$CCOE 460-$8FF1 write a loader to read data straight from the 20 HOME : PRINT : PRINT 150-$FOA3 350-$01EA 470-$BEB4 Often times software protectors have tracks. This is notalways within therealm of 30 PRINT "OOOOOOOONIBBLECOUNT!GREYO 160-$4C56 360-$EA21 471-$F148 something that they do not want you to see. possibility (it may just not be worth the BYTEOFIND" 180-$9B02 370-$BAOF 472-$A244 A few ofthem actually do something.about trouble). You can also, just relocate the 50 PRINT : PRINT "OOOOOOOOOOOOSOFT 190-$0759 380-$3FCE 475-$6625 it There are a few ways to make it more catalog track. This will not keep out the KEYOPUBLISHING" 200-$04F4 390-$9451 480-$1273 difficult to find something such as a nibble "real" softkey-ers, but it may keep outsome 55 PRINT : PRINT : PRINT count. Until recently, very few software people. Obviously, to fix this kindofprotec 60 PRINT : PRINT "OOOFINOOA:O(N) UTJLITY.OBJ companies actually went to the trouble of IBBLEOCOUNT" : PRINT tion you would need to: 8000:20 E3 03 84 00 85 01 A5 $C4C5 writing this kind of code (to hide some 70 PRINT "OOOOOOOOOO0 (G) REYOBYTE" a) find out where the catalog is 8008:02 AO 04 91 00 A5 03 C9 $290E thing), but you may encounter it, so I will 90 PRINT : PRINT b) relocate what is stored on track 11 of 8010:10 90 04 A9 00 85 03 AO $5CE5 speak briefly about some ofthe methods to 100 PRINT "~ COMPunST#78 Readers Data Exchange 21 surprise, it was. The protection was identi lIe. I currently have two levels ofGauntlet (l)I am almost certain the copy protec gramme. These. occur in lines 500 and 530. cal only shifted slightly in location but still mapped (in Appleworks format). When I tion is the cause of my woes. Does anyone Change 111 to 11 in line 500 and change 10 on track $99, sector $01. have completed five consecutive levels I out there have a deprotect for this? Failing to 11 in line 530. Without these changes, will send then to the RDEXed. that, would someone send me a bitcopy of altering Data field read bytes becomes im Step-by-step their program disk? I would be willing to possible (you will geta Dimension errorand 1. Boot a OOS 3.3 system disk. CJ Blanchard CA send you my non-working original to prove crash, boom, heck!). As an added enlight 2. TellOOStoignoreerrorsanduseCOPYA (l)Ihave two programs (PaintworksGold ownership. enment, receiving issue #77 today (I com to copy both sides of the disk. & Appleworks GS) that do lovely graphics. posed most of this article several months POKE 47426,24 Alas, neither support my printer - an B. Dudley Brett Canada ago, and neglected to send it in!), I read Mr. RUNCOPYA Okidata 92. I would appreciate any infor Edison's remarks on pA, and discovered an FIND.CAT Enhancements almost identical alteration in the same two 3. Search side one (1) of the copy for: mation on locating a suitable driver. "Scotty" B.M.E. Upp, in COMPUTIST lines. I admire anyone who can fix bugs in AO 00 BD 8CCO lOFB 88 FOC6C9E7 #72, p.24, added a few lines of code· to my someone else's undocumented programme. DOF4BD 8CCO lOFB C9E7 DO B9 BD 8C Raymond Ross NV DOS 3.3 Cataloging utility (v.67, pp.8,9, However, Mr. Edison made a minorerror. In CO 10 FB C9 E7 DO BO BD 8D CO To Paul A. Johnson: Your program allowing it to print to screen as well as line 500he changed the 111 to 12,andinline worked on my ROM 01 IIgs. It printed and replace it with: printer. Fine work! Inever thoughtofthis, as 530 the 10 was changed to 12. I surmise that "MOUSETEXTCOMPATIBLE(MS=I)". A9FC 85 FOA9EE 85Fl A9EE 85F2 I just wanted a hard copy ofa disk. he misread the number ofdimensioned data Your program did have a couple ofmissing A9 FC 85 F3 A9 E7 85 F4 A9 EE 85 F5 A9 In response to Scotty's question, re statements for changing read bytes. There parenthesis in line 20..The thirdPEEK should FC 85 F6 A9 E7 85 F7 4C 85 60. garding problems in reading from a disk that are really exactly II, whereas the changing have a left parenthesis to the leftofit and the has no Binary files, the correction is quite write bytes number 12. I do not see that the Side two (2) requires no modification. number 65055 needs a right parenthesis to easy. Just add one line to the FIND.CAT programme will crash or do amazing things the right of it. if the magic number 12 is used, but in the Playing Tip for... programme: To J. C.: I was able to run Battlechess spiritofprogrammingperfection, they should Robocop 225 IF N2 - 0 THEN TEXT : HOME : from my hard drive using GS System 5.0.2. be left at the number 11. Dam East GOTO 560 There isaprogram on AmericaOnlinecalled For those interested programmers, the If you want to play the game without Chess.Finderthat(when double-clicked) will utility initially reads all Catalog sectors on :!::D~o!!n!!al!:ld~O~I~iv:!.:e!i:lai!..!u!:! CA running out of time and also getting a peri run Battlechess. Butitdoesn't work with GS Track $11 that contain information about odic recharge whileplaying, then proceed as System 5.0.3. Maybe someone will update fIles present. Information about fIle name, IBM Softkey for... follows: it. type and track/sector lists is stored for each Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego 1. When the first game screen appears put fIle. Immediately following this, for each Broderbund Chris OUverson CA the game in pause. binary file the T/S list is read to find the I tried the softkey in issue #77 without etrl [ (l)I'm having trouble with "Centauri initial track and sectorofthe file. This sector success. The string ofbytes mentioned did is now read and the first four bytes containing 2. Tell the game to enter unlimited play Alliance" by Broderbund. My trouble is on not exist on my version. However, I was the file address and length are recorded. My mode. Kevner's World, specifically Zentek's able to defeat the request for the original Tower. How do I get the password? I would mistake was to unconditionally search forTI ctrlJ disk. also like to know who'sname is supposed to Slists ofbinary fIles, even ifthere were none Initially your power level will drop, but be used at Wizard Tonka OO's? present. Theoffending line is line 230 which Step-by-step as you play it will fluctuate up and down To Robin Locksley: There are no lock is accessed when track $11 reading is wi~out ever reaching zero. 1. Rename the fIle and startup DEBUG. picks in Dungeon Master GS, although they completed. This line GOTOs Line 500, rln carmen.lxl car are on the listofitems on thedisk. According where the Binary file sector search is done dlbug car Scott Jelsma IA immediately before obtaining a printout. to the publisher, the lockpicks in the Atari 2. Search for C2 08 00. (l)Does anyone know how to deprotect Note, however, that a flag (N2) is incre STversion worked erratically so they weren't 50000 FFFF C2 08 00 "The Teacher's Tool Kit" (v3.1 by Hi-Tech implemented in the code for the Apple IIgs mented each time a binary fIle is found on ofSanta Cruz) on a 3.5" or 5.25" disk. version. track $11 (Line 430). As one can see, im The search for C2 08 00 fmds the only instance ofRET 0008 in my copy ofWIT (l)Does anyone know how to alter Ap mediately preceding the offending line 230, ICS. It occurs at the end of the subroutine ple's Fast Copy program (v1.0) so it will hedMartz WA Ijustaddeda check for this flag, and allowed that checks for the original floppy disk. automatically use all available memory a GOTO to the printing routine at Line 560, (l)I'd like to get a modified ROM for a Putting these three bytes at the beginning of without having to setup a RAM disk? bypassing the TIS search. IIc that would let me jump to the monitor. If As a final note, when I added Scotty's the routine effectively cancels it. (l)Does anyone know how to deprotect a COMPUTIST reader has a ROM burner printer/screen enhancement to my pro xxxx.yyyy "Miners Cave" (v1.0) by MECC on 3.5" and can help, I would be willing to com gramme, I found that neither the printer or Note the value ofyyyy. Thebeginning of disk? pensate them for their trouble. the 80 column screen functions could be the subroutine is at xxxx.yyyy minus hex 80 (l)Has anyone heard any rumors when accessed. Reading through a listing of his (decimal 128). Forexample, on my copy C2 Claris is going to fix the bugs in Appleworks WREade CA routines provided me with the bug. Appar 0800begins atxxxx.BAE5 and the subrou 3.0? I have found a bug and even Beagle I wrote to Origin and Strategic Simula ently just before turning on the 80 column tine starts at xxxx.BA65. Check that your Brospatch program doesn'tfix it. Icontacted tions regarding their support for Apple II screen there is a GET statement (in line copy is the same by disassembling the be Claris and they would not comment as to software. 570). Without a prior PRINT statement in ginning of the subroutine. Ifzzzz is yyyy when or ifa fix will be available. Ifanyone I mentioned in my letter that they do not lines 580 and 590 to terminate the line after $80 then: is interested in making apatch to fix this bug have to support the minimum Apple II+ with the GET input, a OOS command such as uxxxx.zm I would greatly appreciate it. 64K as almost no one is using that config PR#1 or PR#3 will be passed over and not 55 PUSH BP To encounter the bug follow these steps: uration anymore. fulfilled. If you have added Scotty's en 8BEC MOV BP,SP 1. Load the file "MISSPELLED" from Strategic Simulations didn't bother to hancement alter these two lines (but don't 06 PUSH ES the subdirectory"SAMPLE.FILES"on your reply but Origin did. They stated their case do it ifyou haven't!): 1E PUSH OS master disk. for their programming decisions. They also 580 IF PR THEN PRINT: PRINT 0$; BF0700 MOV OLOOO7 2. Put the first top margin as 2.0" and the indicated that they were interested in hear "PRtl": PRINT CHR$(9);"80N": 3. Change the 55 8B EC to C2 08 00. right, left and bottom margins as 1.0". GOTO 600 ing from Apple II users and that they would I XXXX.ZZZZ 3. Change the characters per inch to 10. 590 PRINT: PRINT 0$; "PRt3" take the inputinto account in future decisions. xxxX.zzzz 55.C2 8B.08 EC.OO 4. Calculate the page break. You will With the rapidly declining amount of notice that the page break is between: Super 6.0 FastCopyA Follow each correction with a space; end good (new) software available, I think we the line with return Pneumonia should all sit down andpen a letter to Origin Enhancements Initially, I thought that this would do it by Sarah telling them what machine we use and what Dan Reid, in COMPUTIST, v.68, p.20, but the program quit cold after displaying --End of Page I.-- software we would be interested in buying. showed how to patch Locksrnith 6.0 Fastcopy the initial graphic. Since there had been no I had the flu and I woke up Maybe we can influence them to keep writing to copy selected tracks. As my version was check oftheoriginal disk at the point thatthe screaming with a nightmare. I new wares for the Apple II. the same as the one Dan described, Idecided program quit, I assumed that a checksum to include this enhancement in my pro Now add the second top margin of 0.2 was being done and was coming up wrong. Phil Garrison MI gramme, Super 6.0 FastCopyA (See inches. Ididrightafter the second line which Replacing the original C2 08 00 with the COMPUTIST, v.72, pp.20-22). To do this says "Teachers' Idea & Information Ex (l)I'm having great difficulty making changed bytes at the beginning of the sub simply patch in lines 284, 288, 322-328. change". Notice that the page break is at: the Garfield Companion disk work with a routine did the trick. This will now allow one to copy selected were ontheothersideofthecurtin. deprotected copy ofGarfield Deluxe. When I XXXx.yyyy tracks the easy way, instead ofmaking these My temperature was I try to access the disk thru the Library Disk xxxx.yyyy 55.C2 08.8B OO.EC changes when the Locksmith menu is shown. Option on the menu I get an error message. w write the changes to disk --End of Page I-- By the way, ifyou have a different version Any suggestions? q quit debug taken and I got a shot. The nurse of Locksmith 6.0 Fastcopy (mine loads at ren car earmen.lxl rename thefik said I had pneumonia. I Edward L. Eastman NE $2000), remember to alter the pokes in lines Although I haven't run the revised pro The page break for end of page 1 has I purchased Megaworks by Megahaus 324 and 327 as Dan suggested (add $232 gram farenough to get into the Hall ofFame, moved down 9 lines since the top margin of recently. ItLOOKS like a neat spell checker and $236 to the loading address). The pokes itcarries out promotions without complaint. 0.2 inches was added! and mail merge supplementfor AppleWorks. in the data table at the end of Super 6.0 I use a llgs with 1.25M ofmemory, one It was on sale with the now standard. 'no FastCopyA will also have to be extensively 3.5" and one 5.25" drive. My printer is an return' policy. Suffice it to say that the altered. If someone does have a different Imagewriter II. original program disk won't work. I tried to version, please, if you can, make these al call the number on the package but the terations, butwrite in to COMPUTIST to let Brian Plautz IL phone is no longer in service. My letters everybody know. have not been answered either. I suspect When I received volume #72 some time (l)Help! I would like to see APT's for they are out of business. ago, I noticed 2 wee typing errors that crept QIX and Gauntlet and a softkey for Tetris in as I was creating the FastCopyA pro- 22 Reade,s Data Exchange COMPunST #78 WANTED 73 Goodell Diamond Caper Tom Snyder Productions 67 Gorgon Sirius unClassifieds $10 Ten Buck Sale $10 C.I.A. Files 66 GradeBuster 123 Grade Buster All Software Only $10 Each by 61 Gutenberg Sr Micromation l TO. How to place an UnClassified Ad Golden Delicious Software 65 Halls of Montezuma Electronic Arts Ifyou don't believe it, you're missing outon 69 Hard Hat Mack ? Send a typed sample copy with appropriate Must have 132 page tutorial instructions. (If possible. send text on a 5.25" the excellent bargains! Several programs 67 High Orbit Soflsmith 67 Horizon V SOflsmith Apple format disk.) Use up to 40 characters per Anthony M. Smith boughtfor over$30. sold for amere $10. Get 75 Hunt for Red October GS Datasoft line, we will adjust word wrap. 'em while they last!!!! POBox 1131 69 Impossible Mission Ep¥x Special Graphics Instructions: The first Kulpsville PA 19443 62 Indoor Sports Mindscape three words ofthe firstline are printedinbold for Black Cauldron - lIe 68 Infocomics .., Infocom free. If you want other words bolded. use 5 Copy II Plus v8.3 (disk only) - lIe 66 Jane ? characters less per line. Use 10characters less per Destroyer - lIe 63 Joker Poker Mindscape line if you have a lot of uppercase bold letters. F-IS Strike Eagle - lIe 72 Kabul Sp¥ Sirius Bold letters are wider than normal. If the typed 71 Keyboarding Klass Mastery Developement copy does not show bold. circle the words you Karate Champ - TIe 75 King's Bounty New Wood ComputinglBroderbund 68 Kingdom of Facts Santa BarbaralThunder Mountain wantbolded and, on the side, writeBOLD.Ifyou Marble Madness - lIe RDEX 75 Kobayashi Alternative (The) Simon &Schuster want alinecentered, write CENTERnextto that Print Shop (enhanced) - lIe 72 Lane Mastodon Infocom line. There is no charge for centering any line. Silicone Dreams - lIe 67 Lancaster SVS You must check your ad for errors, the first Strike Fleet - lIe Contributors: 72 Laser Force (lIgs) Britannica time itruns. Errors on our part will be corrected, Softdisk Sampler - IIgs 75 LA. Land Monopoly Softsmith then, for free. Errors or changes on your part will CPR Agent 15 66 legacy of the Ancients Electronic Arts be charged a $5 processing fee. Send check/money order for $10 each plus 65 LostTomb Datasoft CJ Blanchard 22 74 Mammals-Reptiles &Amphibians Focus Media $3.00 shipping to: B. Dudley Brett 22 65 Manhunter New York IIgs Sierra On Une **** New Rates (per line) **** 65 Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing (gs) SOftware Computist club member Alan T.Zak WR Eade 22 Toolworks 25¢ 9724 N.W. 59th Place 73 McGraw-Hili Problem-Solving lvl5&6 Tom Snyder Edward Eastman 12, 22 74 Micro-Typewriterv3.1/4.0 S.E. Warner All others Gainesville, FL 32606·2837 Parity Error 16 67 Microwave Cavalier 35¢ Ifyou enclose 1-2 blank 5.25" disk wI order. 66 Might and Magic II Activision The minimum order Is~. Rob Fiduccia 15 73 Mind Castle I MCE Inc. I'll copy some assorted public domain pro 69 Minotaur Sirius CJ Gammage 21 63 Modem MGR MGR Software • Ourliabilityforerrors oromissions is limited to grams on them. Ifthat isn't agood incentive. 68 Mr. Pixel's Cartoon Kit. MindscapelThunder Mountain the cost of the ad. I don't know what is! Phil Garrison 22 73 Mystery of Hotel Victoria Tom Snyder Productions • We reserve the right to refuse any ad. James A. Hodge 9 63 National Inspirer Tom Snyder Productions • Washington state residents add 7.8% sa~s tax. Wanted Jeff Hurlburt .4 75 Neptune Softsmith • Send a check or money order (funds drawn on 66 Observatory (The) MindscapelLightspeed Software US bank only) for the entire amount to: Most Wanted List Software Scott Jelsma 22 74 Ocean life Focus Media 66 Odin Odessta ? Need assistance or solution Krakowicz 12 63 Operation Wolf Taito COMPUTIST unCLASSIFIEDS to deprotect a disk ? Martin P. Longenberger 21 68 Pensate .' DatasoftlSoftdisk 33821 East Orville Road 69 Phantasie 1I SSI EatonvlUe, W A 98328 Softkey hobbist is interested in acquiring Fred Martz 22 67 Phantoms 5 Sirius copy protected software to deprotect. Good Donald Oliveau 22- 67 Pig Pen Datamost track record, many successful attempts. 74 Plants &Animals of the Desert Focus Media TRADE YOUR APPLE SOFTWARE Chris Oliverson 22 75 Prince of Persia (5.25j Broderbund Original disk will be returned along with 67 Project: Space Station Avantage Send your list ofprograms to trade. I have Softkey for Computist. Especially interest The Overlord 15 75 Promethean Prophecy (The) .: Simon &Schuster over 120 originals to trade. ed in oldersoftware (pre-1988) but will give Brian Plautz 22 67 Pulsar II Sirius 68 Pure Stat Basketball ? Byron Blystone any disk a shot System: Apple 11+. 64K. Raymond Ross 22 62 Quadratic Equations II Olympus Educational Software POBox 1313 Send disk to: Tony Sandoval 21 63 Questron II Electronic Arts Snohomish, WA 98290 68 Rails West SSI Rich Etarip 67 Rear Guard Adventure International 824 William Charles, Apt #2 63 Renegade Taito BOOK SALE Green Bay, WI 54304 67 Rescue Raiders Sir Tech Keys to Solving Computer Adventure 67 Rings of Saturn-level 10 ? 63 Rocket Ranger (lIgs) Cinemaware Games. Maps. hints. clues. & some solu SOFTWARE ORIGINAL SALE Most 69 Roundabout Datamost tions. Black Cauldron. Kings Quest II. Airheart, Alter Ego, Archon II, Arctic Fox, 75 Russki Duck SOftsmith Leather Goddesses. & more. 26 games for 63 S.D.I. (lIgs) Cinemaware Damiano. Gamma Force, Lane Mastadon. 62 Sea Stalker Broderbund Apple & others. Magic Memory. Mind Forever V., SAT Wanted 67 Serpentine _ Broderbund M.K. Simon 286 pgs 65 Airheart c Broderbund 74 Seven Cities of Gold Electronic Arts Prep, Seven Cities, Wasteland. Zork Quest 68 Skeletal System Brainbank Prentice Hall $IS.oo ...... $6 each 63 Alcon Taito 74 Algebra Shop Scholastic 63 Sky Shark Taito Keys to Solving Computer Adventure 2400 AD. Magic Window lIe, MagiCalc, 63 Alien Mind PBI Software 63 Sound Song & Vision Advanced Software Games. Book II. Maps. hints. clues. & some 73 American History Explorer Series Mindscape 67 Space Ark Datamost Space Quest 2 $12 each 62 Spare Change Broderbund solutions. Indi~a Jones, Gunslinger, Hol 75 Anchorman Virginia Reel Send check or money order to: 74 Animals of the Pas!... Focus Media 67 Spectre Datamost lywood Hi-Jinx & more. 13 games for Ap 72 Ankh Datamost 62 Speedy Spides Readers Digest ple & others. David Stewart 73 Ant Farm Sunburst 67 Star Cruiser Sirius 67 Aquatron Sierra 67 Star Maze Sir Tech M.K. Simon 292 pgs 1324 Ava Road 63 StickyBear Math: Add & Subtract Optimum Resources Severn, MD 21144 69 Axis Assassin ? Prentice Hall $15.00 63 Bad Street Brawler Mindscape 68 Stickybear GS Versions 3.5 Xerox 67 Succession Piccadilly Add $2.50 for postage & Insurance 73 Bank Street Beginner's Filer Sunburst Senior PROM For Sale - $70 73 Bank Street School Filer Sunburst 65 Superstar Ice Hockey Mindscape Software - Books - Magazines 63 Beyond Zork Infocom 61 Superstar Indoor Sports Mindscape 74 Surveys Unlimited Mindscape We buy & sell out-of-print & hard-to-find Complete with documentation. installation 65 Bilestoad Datamost instructions. Deprotecting manual, and Se 69 Blue Powder - Grey Smoke Grade 68 Talking Text Writer GS SCholastic Apple IIoriginals. old and new. Send $1 for 68 Tangled Tales Origin Systems nior PROM utilities disk. Hardware re 74 Birds-Trees & Flowers Focus Media Fatalog._ 63 Border Zone Infocom 69 Tetris (lie) Spectrum Holobyte 72 Theatre Europe PBI Frank Polosky quirements: Apple Enhanced lIe with CDI 65 Borg Sirius EF monitor ROM chips. This is a low 67 Bouncing Kamungas Penguin 74 The Other Side v2.0 Tom Snyder Productions PO Box 9542 65 Thunder Chopper : ? profile version ofSenior PROM designed to 66 Boxing ? Pgh, PA 15223 65 Bureaucracy Infocom 63 Ticket to Washington D.C Blue Lion Software fit under any long peripheral cards in slot 6 67 C'estLa Vie Adventure International 74 Time Explorers Gameco or 7. 69 Caverns of Callisto Origin 74 Time Liner vl.l Tom Snyder Productions CRACKING TOOLS 69 Checker Odesta 63 Tomahawk Electronic Arts For sale: Barry Sliwinski 69 Chess 7.0 Odesta 68 Tomahawk (lIgs) Datasoft 8424 Braddock Way 69 Chuck Yeager's Adv Fit Trainer Electronic Arts 69 Track Attack Broderbund Computist Back Issues 68 Triad Thunder Mountain Columbia, MD 21046 75 Clue Master Detective leisure Genius Core Vol # i,2,3 68 Comics Accolade 72 Triango (lIgs) California Dreams Computist 1,3.7,16.19,20,22-78 63 Cosmic Relief Datasoft 68 Trinity Infocom Each back issue $2.50 or all for $150 MOVING AUCTION!!! 65 Crime &Punishment Imagic 73 Unicorn 5.25" software Unicorn 69 Crossword Magic v4.0 ? 73 Vincent's Museum Tom Snyder Productions No "Zox" issues here, all originals I am moving, and have lots of software. 69 Cybernation Nexa Corp. 68 Volcanoes vl.8 Earthware Comp. Services Book ofSoftkeys Vol 1 for $5 hardware. and computer books to move. Ido 74 Decimal Dungeon Unicorn 66 War in the Middle Earth Melbourne 61 Wasteland Electronic Arts Apple Machine Lanuage for Beginners by not want to bring some ofit with me, so I am 74 Decisions Decisions: Colonization v1.0 Tom Snyder Productions 67 Wayout Sirius Richard Mansfield for $12 offering it to the highest bidder. SUPPLIES 69 Delta Squadron Nexa Corp. 63 Wings of Fury Broderbund Crackniques a complete cracking tutorial ARE LIMITED! 67 Desecration Mind Games 63 Wizardry:Return of Werda Sir-Tech. includes 2 disks for $20 66 Disk Optimizer System Nibble Notch 68 Word Attack Plus (lIgs) Davidson Some things for sale include: 65 Dondra Spectrum Holotrtte 65 Works (the) First Star Software OR Buy everything for only $168 67 Zenith SOftsmith DOS 3.3 System Master (1 copy) 69 Dragon Eye Ep¥x Save up to $350 69 Dueling Digits Broderbund Copy 2+ v8.4 wlmanual (2 copies) 68 D&D-Master Assistant vol2 SSI IBM Most Wanted Contact: Sven Swanson dBASE II/CP/M Package 62 DROl Broderbund 75 Empire Intersil Rl Box 143 67 Epoch Sirius 72 GBA Championship Football Electronic Arts & Kensington, MN 56343 Lots more. 74 Exploring Tables &Graphs level 2 (SU) Weekly 68 Graphitti m George Best Phillips Academy Send a SASE for a list of stuff, and current Reader 67 Evolution Sydney ~~ ~~:sh~ ih·~L~~·~~·::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~~~~ Apple Peripherals bids to: 67 Falcons Piccadilly 72 Kings Quest III Sierra MOVING AUCTION 68 Factastics Trivia Daystar 72 Operation Wolf Taito 1 Meg GS RAM $12S 75 Final Frontier Softsmith 72 Radio Baseball Electronic Arts Serial Grappler printer interface $20 c/o Kevin C. Redden 73 Fisher's Cove Tom Snyder Productions Apple Joystick $10 P.O. Box 487 69 Fit Wars Sirius Vanceburg, Ky 41179 USA 74 Fraction Action Unicorn The Nautilus Computer 69 Gemstone Healer ; SSI 27 Nautilus Drive 73 Geometric Supposer (the) Sunburst 66 GEOS ; Berkley Softworks Hampton Bays, NY 11946 72 Galactic Gladiators SSI (516) 728-3435 63 Gladiator Taito COMPUTlST #78 Readers Data Exchange 23 . Eamon Adventure Games for only $1 each Find it Fast! Make it Easy! Adventure Gaming doesn't have to cost a lot. The Eamon Adventure Gaming system was Want a quick and easy way to find your favorite softkey, anicle or play tip without created by Donald Brown andplaced into the public domain. Since then it has been updated and having to re-read your entire COMPUTIST library? This is what you are looking for: imp-oved by game playerS all over the world.Take a look at what $1 will buy. (Get free games too.)Note:SomeAdventures are fTUlui-part antitaleemorethan one disk. Besure you haveselected all ofthe disks. o 1Main Hall & Beginners Cave o 97 The House of Secrets o 180 Gamma 1 The Computist* Super Index! o 2The lair of the Minotaur o 98 Slave Pits of Kzortand o 181 The Eamon Sewer System o 3The Cave of the Mind o 99 In the Clutches of Torrik 0182 Farmor Brown's Woods o 4 The Zyphur Riverventure o 100 Sorceror's Spire 0183 The Boy and the Bard TheComputistSuperIndex is a data base listing ofall the Softkeys, Articles, PlayTips, APT's, o 5 Castle of Doom 0101 Ground Zero o 184 Ouest for Orion and RDEX inputs printedinComputistmagazine.Threecolossal indexes withover 6,000records and o 6 The Death Star 0102 The Eamon Railroad o 185 The Body Revisited 31,000 entries! (Over 100 records and 500 entries added each issue!) o 7The Devil's Tomb 0103 Top Secret o 186 Beginners Cave " o 8The Abductor's Ouarters 0104 The Lost World o 187 Batman I With The Computist Super Index, you instantly have the title, issue, page, special requirements, o 9Assault on the Clonemaster 0105 The Strange Resort o 188 Encounter. The Bookworm bugs, and "type" ofsoftkey! Atthe touch ofakey, you cansearch, sort, and printsoftkeys byprogram o 10 The Magic Kingdom 0106 Camp Eamon 0189 The Ruins of Belfast name, publisher, orde-protection method! Byentering akey wordorcharacters, the locationofevery o 11 The Tomb of Molinar 0107 The Last Dragon o 190 Shift Change at Grimmwax article, tip, and entry about your topic of interest, is immediately sent to the screen or printer. o 12 The Ouest for Trezore o 108 The Mines of Moria 0191 Enhanced Beginners's Cave o 13 Caves of Treasure Island o 109 The Forest of Fear o 192 Mean Streets ExtraBonus! The Computist Super Index includes nearly 3,000softkeys and tips (hidden within 014 Furioso o 110 Fire Island o 193 The Creature of Rhyl the RDEX), not printed in the contents or back-issue listings of Computist! If it is printed in 015 Heroes Castle o 111 A Vacation in Europe o 194 Attack of the Kretons Computist, it is listed in The Computist Super Index! (mM and MacIntosh entries included.) 016 The Caves of Mondamen o 112 Hills of History 0195 The Training Grounds o 17 Merlin's Castle o 113 The Life-Qrb of Mevtrelek 0196 The House of Horrors *Davld Hopkins Is not connected with COMPUTIST magazine and The Computlst Super Index is not a o 18 Hogarth Castle 0114 Thror's Ring 0197 Star Wars - Tempest One product ofCOMPUfIST or SoftKey Publishing. 019 Death Trap o 115 The Ring of Doom o 198 Revenge of the Bookworm o 20 The Black Death o 116 The Iron Prison o 199 Ouest of the Crystal Wand o 21 The Ouest for Marron o 117 Dungeon of Doom (40 col) o 200 The Lost Isle Features o 22 The Senator's Chambers o 117 Dungeon of Doom (80 col) o 201 The Caverns of Vanavara 023 The Temple of Ngurcl o 118Pittfall o 202 The Plain of Srevi •Three (index) data bases: Softkeys, Inputs-Articles-Programs, and PlayTips-Advanced Playing o 24 Black Mountain o 119A Grunewalde 0203 Lotto's Masterpiece Techniques-Reviews. o 25 Nuclear Nightmare o 119B Grunewalde o 204A Sanctuary 026 Assault on the Mole Man o 120 Orb of My Life o 204B sanctuary • Over ten fields to search and sort, including: Title, Issue, Page, Distributor, Input Location, o 27 Revenge of the Mole Man o 121 Wrenhold's Secret Vigil Softkey Type, Bugs, Author, and more! 028 The Tower of London o 122 The Valley of Death o Dunge:>n Designer Diskette v7.0 • All RDEX entries are summarized and categorized! Categories include: Articles, Programs, o 29 The Lost Island of Apple o 123 Wizard of the Spheres o Multi-Disk Supplement DDD7.0 Editorials, Queries, Inputs, Listings, Help Wanted's, and others. o 30 The Underground City o 124 Assault on Dolni Keep o Dungeon Designer Diskette v6.2 o 31 The Gauntlet o 125 The Mattimoe Palace o Eamon Utilities Diskette • The Computist Super Index lists virtually everything printed in Computist, from Hardcore o 32 House of III Repute 0126 The Pyramid of Anharos o Graphics Main Hall Volume 1, Number I, to the present! IBM entries in separate indexes. 033 The Orbof Polaris o 127 The Hunt for the Ring 034 Death's Gateway o 128 Ouest of Erebor • Softkey ''Type'' identifies the exact deprotection techniques used for each softkeyl Includes: o 35 The Lair of Mutants o 129A Return to Moria Sector & Block Edits, Modified Copys, Controller, DOS Patch, File Copy, Bootcode Trace, RWTS o 36 The Citadel of Blood o 129B Return to Moria Capture, Hex Dumps, Hardware Copy, etc. o 37 Ouest for the Holy Grail o 130 Haradwaith • Format: Appleworks, DIF. or Text (ASCII). Please note: Since Appleworks screen and printer o 38 City in the Clouds o 131 Nucleus of the Rubot o 39 Museum of Unnatural History o 132 Rhadshur Warrior formats are lost when the files are convertedto DIForText(ASCli), Appleworks is therecommended o 40 Daemon's Playground o 133 The Final Frontier format. o 41 Caverns of Lanst o 134 Pyramid of the Ancients o 42 Alternate Beginners Cave 0135 The Tomb of Evron Computist Super Index 043 Priests of Ximl 0136 The Mountain Fortress Free o 44 Escape from the Orc lair o 137 The Ruins of Ivory CasUe The Computist Super Index is updated each issue. All orders sent Air Mail. Price includes o 45 SwordQuest o 138Starfire shipping. Hardwarerequirements: Appleli,fi+, fie,lie,figs, orcompatible, with at least 128K RAM o 46 Ufequest o 139 Peg's Place for the Appleworks version. 48K for the DIF and Text versions. Not available in MS-DOS format. 047 FutureQuest o 140 Beginner's Forest Eamon Theindexes are broken into 40Ksegments for the 5.25" version and RAM size less than 256K. Order o 48 Picnic in Paradise o 141 The Infested Fortress The Computist Super Index today! o 49 The CasUe Kophinos 0142 The Beermeister's Brewery Adventure o 50 Behind the Sealed Door o 143 The Alternate Zone Update Subscriptions (must pre-order Index) o 51 The Caves of Eamon Bluff 0144 Gartin Manor o 52 The Devil's Dungeon o 145A Buccaneerl An Update is a wise investment! An Update Subscription is even better! o 53 Feast of Carroll o 145B Buccaneerl disks o 54 Crystal Mountain 0146 The House of Horrors (1) Eachupdate contains the entire data base, plus the current issue, and all corrections and revisions. o 55 The Master's Dungeon o 147A The Dark Brotherhood (2) You get a new, fully updated, copy of The Computist Super Index with each update, and at half o 56 The Lost Adventure o 1478 The Dark Brotherhood Use thetotalnumberof of the original index price! o 57 The Manxome Foe o 148 Journey to Jotunheim adventures ordered to (3) Each update totally replaces all previous versions! o 58 The Land of Death o 149A Elemental Apocalypse (4) Save money, time, and effort with update subscriptions. The more updates ordered, the greater determine how many free o 59 Jungles of Vietnam o 149B Elemental Apocalypse the savings! o 60 The Sewers of Chicago o 149C Elemental Apocalypse adventures you get. o 61 The Harpy Cloud o 149D Elemental Apocalypse An update subscription is four to eight updates, sentevery one to four issues. Please note: You o 62 The Caverns of Doom o 150 Walled City of Darkness must purchase the INDEX before you can get an update subscription. o 63 Valkenburg Castle 0151 EamonS.A.R.-1(Deneb Raid) # of disks at $1 # of Free disks o 64 Modern Problems o 152 The Computer Club of Fear 1-9 o *•••••••••••••••••••••••••~ o 65 The School of Death o 153Lostl 066 Dungeons of Xenon o 154 ATrip to FonScott 10-19 2 I (Q)[J@]@[J [F@[JUiJi) I o 67 Chaosium Caves o 155 Tomb of the Vampire 20-29 5 I I o 68 The Smith's Stronghold o 156 The Lake 30-39 9 o 69 The Black Castle of NaGog o 157 Pathetic Hideout of Mr R. I How to order: I o 70 The Tomb of Y'Golonac o 158 The Lair of Mr Ed 40-49 14 o 71 Operation Crab Key o 159 The Bridge of Catzad-Dum 50-59 20 I (1) Copy order form. (3) Complete questions. I o 72 House on Eamon Ridge o 160 Monty Python & Holy Grail I (2) Mark desired options. (4) Send with check or money order to: I o 73 The Deep Canyon o 161 AOperation Endgame 60-69 27 I I 074 DharmaQuest o 161B Operation Endgame 70-79 35 I David R. Hopkins I 075 Temple of the Guild o 161 COperation Endgame 80-89 44 o 76 The Search for Yourself 0162 Eamon 7.0 Demo Adventure I 3495 W. Hoye Place I o 77 Temple of the Trolls o 163 The Sands of Mars 90-99 54 I ~~ro~ I 078 The Prince's Tavern o 164 AReal Cliffhanger 100-109 65 o 79 The CasUe of Count Fuey o 165A Animal Farm What COMPUTERS are you using? o 80 The Search for the Key o 165B Animal Farm 110-119 77 I I o 81 The Rescue Mission o 166A Storm Breaker 120-129 90 I What is your RAM SIZE? I' o 82 Escape from Mansi Island o 166B Storm Breaker What DATABASES are you using? o 83 The Twin Castles o 166C Storm Breaker I I 84 Castle of Riveneta 167 Expedition to the Darkwoods What WORD PROCESSORS are you using? o o Complete set of Eamon I I o 85 The Time Portal o 168 The High School of Horrors I What ISSUE # do you want your Update Subscription to start with? I o 86 Castle Mantru o 169 The Black Phoenix All 223 disks (includes o 87 Caves of Hollow Mountain o 170 Ragnarok Revisited all adventures plus designer o 88 The Shopping Mall o 171 The Pyramid of Cheops I I and utility disks.) ...... $120 o 89 Soper Fortress of Lin Wang o 172 The Mountain of the Master I U.S. ~reign I o 90 The Doomsday Clock o 173 The House that Jack Built Be sure and check the o 91 FutureOuest II o 174 Escape from Granite Hall I Computist Super INDEX (5.25" or 3.5") 0 $19.95 0 $22.50 I o 92 The Fugitive o 175 Anatomy of the Body boxes of the free disks that I I o 93 Flying Circus 0176 Dirtie Trix's Mad Maze you want but do not include I Every One every One every I o 94 Blood Feud o 177 Shippe of Fooles free disks when figuring total I issue 2 issues 3 issues I o 95 The Maze of Ouasequeton o 178 The Alien Intruder number of disks ordered. o 96 The Chamber of the Dragons o 179 The Wizard's Tower I U.S. (5.25" or 3.5"): 0 $48.80 0 $42.30 0 $31.80 I I Foreign (5.25" or 3.5"): 0 $67.20 0 $56.40 0 $41.20 I Q Send me the Complete set ofEamon for: $120.00 I Total Updates: 8 6 4 I Total number of Adventure disks x $1 each = I Individual Updates are available for 0 $9.95 (US) or 0 $12.50 (foreign) I I I If total # of disks ordered is less than 10, add $4 for postage & handling. _ I Please specify fonnat, DOS, and disk size by checking one box in each row. I I Fonnat: 0 Appleworks 0 Text (ASCII) 0 DIF I I DOS: 0 ProDOS 0 DOS 3.3 0 as/os I Washington residents add 7.8% sales tax. I Disk size: 0 5.25" 03.5" I I I Name _ I~ I I Address I Address _ I I ______State __Zip _ I City State Zip I City I I I. Send U.S. funds drawn on U.S. bank. Not available by charge card or COD. Prices subject I Country Phone _ I to change without notice. Please make checks payable to: David R. Hopkins I o Visa DMC ____ Exp _ I Thank you for your order and support! I ~ .. ~ .•...... , 24 Readers Data Exchange COMPUTIST #78