Wrathchild Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 (edited) Hi, IIRC - the verdict on this one is that the game is crippled due to a bug in which the game crashes soon after some specific actions. I find this is done after ordering some batteries and once picked up, the top of the display corrupts and eventually the game locks up. I take it that Mastertronic also never released a 'fixed' version of this game? I've run through what's going on and here's the run-down. This is from my own cassette to disk conversion and the com-file found at AtariMania - both have this problem. The data loaded between addresses $8600 and $87FF is actual source code rather than the game data required. Luckily the data in this area should be the graphics images used for some items. Therefore if it can be worked out what they should be then an artist could supply these bitmaps. Also, a scan through the memory of another release of the game (e.g. C64 version) could result in finding the same data patterns and so lifting the correct 2 pages of data from that may work. The crash occurs simply because a request to draw a specific image is made, this image's X/Y dimensions aren't correct and so the resulting drawn bitmap can overrun and blat memory it shouldn't. I kinda enjoy this game - so it would be nice to have a working version. Anyone else agree? Regards, Mark Edited June 14, 2005 by Wrathchild 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.atarimania.com Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 That would be great! I know Universal Hero had a nasty bug as well but it was fixed by some Czech or Polish crackers... Are there any more games with such problems? -- Atari Frog http://www.atarimania.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrathchild Posted June 14, 2005 Author Share Posted June 14, 2005 (edited) That would be great! I know Universal Hero had a nasty bug as well but it was fixed by some Czech or Polish crackers... One of mine as well I believe. A patch I made during my uni days was sent to Jindroush who did the work integrating and validating it as an image - but I'm sure that a few others had fixed the problem too. The bug was that the computer did not accept any password so you couldn't proceed further into the game. You can get the ATR at: http://www.mkeates.force9.co.uk/uh_good.atr Back to Colony... even after patching up the bitmap sizes, a crash still occurs, so further debugging will be required. The effective monitor changes were: c 863A 10 02 c 865C 10 02 c 867E 10 02 c 86A0 10 02 c 86C2 10 02 c 86E4 10 02 c 8706 10 02 c 8728 10 02 c 874A 10 02 c 876C 10 02 c 878E 10 02 c 87B0 10 02 c 87D2 10 02 c 87F4 10 02 Therefore I think all of these images relate to the smaller inventory icons used in the 4 boxes top/centre. A patched com-file is attached. Regards, Mark Colony.zip Edited June 14, 2005 by Wrathchild Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.atarimania.com Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 A patch I made during my uni days was sent to Jindroush who did the work integrating and validating it as an image - but I'm sure that a few others had fixed the problem too. Might well be yours then as I originally got the image from him -- Atari Frog http://www.atarimania.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrathchild Posted June 15, 2005 Author Share Posted June 15, 2005 Just checked your site, the title screen has Polish looking credits, the one we did left these as per the original game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Fandal_ Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Can I ask you guys, where exactly is THAT bug in Uversal Hero game? F. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miker Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 (edited) IIRC before/during typing "SLARTIBARDFAST" password Edited June 15, 2005 by miker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrathchild Posted June 15, 2005 Author Share Posted June 15, 2005 Can I ask you guys, where exactly is THAT bug in Uversal Hero game? F. 874710[/snapback] Check the map @ http://mapy.atari8.info/s-z/universalhero.png You need the disk and take it to the Atari computer and use it (IIRC) You're then prompted to enter the password (from the ID card ) The bug stopped the correct response being accepted. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Fandal_ Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Can I ask you guys, where exactly is THAT bug in Uversal Hero game? F. 874710[/snapback] Check the map @ http://mapy.atari8.info/s-z/universalhero.png You need the disk and take it to the Atari computer and use it (IIRC) You're then prompted to enter the password (from the ID card ) The bug stopped the correct response being accepted. Mark 874782[/snapback] Thanx for info. I never played this game. But I had to check version uploaded to my site (it was converted from Turbo 2000 tape) and you're right, there was a bug. So I uploded your version instead of it... F. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrathchild Posted June 15, 2005 Author Share Posted June 15, 2005 Back to Colony... even after patching up the bitmap sizes, a crash still occurs, so further debugging will be required. Another (the last I think) bitmap did not have a header. Therefore this can be patched with: c 9f9e 20 03 Now the game continues but, oddly, bits of land keep randomly adding themselves to the map?! So some other form of memory corruption is taking place - maybe by the droid I had set loose? It maybe worthwhile reverse engineering the C64 version for comparison - I haven't seen reports of that one crashing? Regards, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tickled_Pink Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 It does make you wonder what Mastertronic's QA department was like. Never came across the bug in Colony myself - probably because I didn't like it enough to play it. Universal Hero seemed a promising game until I hit that particular brick wall. I suppose the term 'you get what you pay for' has never been truer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+CharlieChaplin Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Well, afaik the bug in Colony only appears if you 1) order new items and 2) switch on the beacon. You can avoid the bug by not ordering any new items (which would be stupid) and of course by NOT SWITCHIN ON the beacon. When the items arrive then, there is one dis-advantage: you will not find the items at the landing space, instead they are "thrown" all around the colony (some are even out of reach, meaning beyond the colony borders). But as said before, there is no graphic bug then. You have to search around the colony for the items (and some are out of reach), but they can be taken then without any graphic bug to appear... or maybe the gr. bug appears only with some items (items I did not order or items I have not found or items that were out of reach)... ok, this tip does not solve the mentioned bug, but it informs you how to avoid it somehow... until you find a better solution of course... -Andreas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijor Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 It does make you wonder what Mastertronic's QA department was like. I doubt they really had one. Mastertronics specialized in low cost (not necessarily bad or poor), low retail price, software. I've seen ST Mastertronics originals with the source code in the back side of the disk (not complete, because the front side was overwritten with the game). This likely means: 1) The developer had no hard disk, he used floppies. Obvious signs of a young (low cost) programmer. 2) Nobody at Mastertronics checked the disk content before sending it to duplication. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+CharlieChaplin Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Afaik, even more Mastertronic games did have (and still do have) a bug: Rockford: level 9 is not solvable, you have to collect more diamonds than there are available... One man and his droid (not sure about that game): if I remember correctly, this game (or another one) had 25 levels, each with a password; the last or pre-last level could not be solved... (have to read my tipster texts again to check it out)... Amaurote: great gfx and sfx, but in my eyes awful to play and impossible to finish. I once played it with infinite lives (no collision detection) and still needed 15-30 minutes to end one level. alas, the game has 25 levels, no passwords, no save options. Thus you have to play the whole game in one go - and with the standard number of lives (3) this is absolutely impossible... besides, the "jumping" bombs make it almost impossible to target and kill the insects... I have asked often, if anyone ever finished this game, no-one did and I doubt anyone ever will (especially with the standard number of lives)... Novagen: - Second City (sequel to Mercenary): There is a room which contains a triangle key, it is the only room which does. Alas, the only door leading to this room is locked and to unlock it, one requires the triangle key, which is simply impossible... (or maybe a Lucasfilm gag)... anyways, the game has to be patched, so the door can be opened with any other key and the triangle key can be taken... - Andreas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmel_andrews Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Afaik,even more Mastertronic games did have (and still do have) a bug: Rockford: level 9 is not solvable, you have to collect more diamonds than there are available... One man and his droid (not sure about that game): if I remember correctly, this game (or another one) had 25 levels, each with a password; the last or pre-last level could not be solved... (have to read my tipster texts again to check it out)... Amaurote: great gfx and sfx, but in my eyes awful to play and impossible to finish. I once played it with infinite lives (no collision detection) and still needed 15-30 minutes to end one level. alas, the game has 25 levels, no passwords, no save options. Thus you have to play the whole game in one go - and with the standard number of lives (3) this is absolutely impossible... besides, the "jumping" bombs make it almost impossible to target and kill the insects... I have asked often, if anyone ever finished this game, no-one did and I doubt anyone ever will (especially with the standard number of lives)... Novagen: - Second City (sequel to Mercenary): There is a room which contains a triangle key, it is the only room which does. Alas, the only door leading to this room is locked and to unlock it, one requires the triangle key, which is simply impossible... (or maybe a Lucasfilm gag)... anyways, the game has to be patched, so the door can be opened with any other key and the triangle key can be taken... - Andreas. 875130[/snapback] Re: the uni hero bug... I seem to remember it was more to do with the fact that you needed a printer enabled at the same time that you were playing the game (something to do with the fact that the a8 version was ported from the 64) Never heard of this 'colony' bug I do recall hearing that the a8 version of rockford (mastertronic) is also bugged I was pleasantly surprised to hear that mastertronic are still with us today (they did the PC re release of tomb raider, angel of darkness), i beleive they are now owned by sold out sales/marketing, previously owned by virgin (mr branson's crowd) and that mastertronic were the first euro/uk importers of sega master system... shows how old i am Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fröhn Posted June 17, 2005 Share Posted June 17, 2005 Novagen:- Second City (sequel to Mercenary): There is a room which contains a triangle key, it is the only room which does. Alas, the only door leading to this room is locked and to unlock it, one requires the triangle key, which is simply impossible... (or maybe a Lucasfilm gag)... anyways, the game has to be patched, so the door can be opened with any other key and the triangle key can be taken... 875130[/snapback] No, you are wrong here. The room with the triangle key is not needed to solve the game, it is a cheat room. You need the lockpick cheat to enter it: Try to fly in the dominion dart at almost the same speed as the missiles you fire, then get close to a fired missile and pick it up. After that, you can go to the crash site and pick up your crashed space ship. Now you can enter any door without a key. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miker Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 Try this version (this one comes from http://mapy.atari8.info site). colony.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrathchild Posted November 23, 2005 Author Share Posted November 23, 2005 Still goes silly after putting a battery into the droid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miker Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 any news on patching Colony? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fröhn Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 Novagen:- Second City (sequel to Mercenary): There is a room which contains a triangle key, it is the only room which does. Alas, the only door leading to this room is locked and to unlock it, one requires the triangle key, which is simply impossible... (or maybe a Lucasfilm gag)... anyways, the game has to be patched, so the door can be opened with any other key and the triangle key can be taken... The game doesn't need to be patched. You can easily get the triangle key with the lockpick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miker Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 @Fröhn: You have answered him some 2 years ago... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrathchild Posted September 10, 2007 Author Share Posted September 10, 2007 "Good grief" as Charlie Brown would say... that long already What I'll do then is get the disassembly out of IDAPro and into a state where the binary can be rebuilt, then I can release that to whoever wants to have a bash at seeing if it can be made to work. (so long as I don't stumble across the answer whilst doing this ) Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 "Good grief" as Charlie Brown would say... that long already Sure it's been a while - but a working version would still be just as nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fröhn Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 @Fröhn: You have answered him some 2 years ago... Hehe, now I recognize it too. Oh well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrathchild Posted September 11, 2007 Author Share Posted September 11, 2007 I've spent this evening re-working the IDAPro export into something that builds an executable which can then be played and so I've posted the resulting sources into the A8-programming thread area so that development discussions can be continued there. Any progress builds will most probably be posted onto this thread too. There was one other patch for the graphics that I'd missed originally and so this has be included too: c 8618 10 02 Attached is the resulting executable from the first rebuild. Here's the link for the new thread: http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=113289 It maybe also worthwhile setting up a bug-tracker here on the AA boards to keep track of issues, I can look into that later. Regards, Mark colony_rebuild_1.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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