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Has anyone tried using the crack posted above? When I modify those locations, the game gets stuck when I start it up in DOSBox.

Hi guys, oh I wish one of you had found a full solution!

Those of you playing the game now should read this, it's important.

I once had a cracked version of this game that I managed to play to completion. What I do know is that in addition to the manual copy protection at the beginning of the game, and the resume game copy protection, and the CRC mismatch thing, there is mid-game manual copy protection.

Roughly mid-way through the game, there is a critical quest that requires you to enter a particular cave. Before you can enter that cave you are presented with another request to enter word x from page x of the manual. From very hazy memory, it asks different sets of questions than the manual protection encountered earlier.

I believe that I passed the copy protection simply by entering fairly random words in response to the copy protection question, and eventually being lucky. Once I got lucky, I could rely upon the same word being requested again in order to get past subsequent checks. If anyone else uses this method with success, then I hope they will post it here.

Good luck everyone

[the captain]

I would love to find a copy of the manual for this game....I have the original floppy disks for this game and haven't played it in quite some time because the manual came up missing. I encountered all of the same problems that everyone here have experienced with the downloaded cracked version as well. Dissapointing to be sure. The game is old and outdated, but it is fun; I have played and completed it several times.

The mid-game copy protection does indeed exist, but not as described in the earlier post; the quest does not require you to enter a cave. Rather, it is a Dwarven town located roughly in the center of the map. The town has shops that contain quality armor and weapons (some magical), and there is a Dwarf lord that you must speak to and perform some quests for.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(captain_crunch_muncher @ Jun 29 2006, 04:01 AM) [snapback]240367[/snapback]</div>

I have played and completed it several times.

The mid-game copy protection does indeed exist, but not as described in the earlier post; the quest does not require you to enter a cave. Rather, it is a Dwarven town located roughly in the center of the map. The town has shops that contain quality armor and weapons (some magical), and there is a Dwarf lord that you must speak to and perform some quests for.
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Ah thanks for correcting me Captain, I should not have relied upon my faulty memory.

I've completed the game too, and although this game was denounced in pretty much every review I've ever read of it I really appreciated the turn based combat, high difficulty, open-ended world to explore and the attempt to mesh party based RPG to large unit combat (although I wish the last item had received more emphasis).

I remember loving the damage descriptions too, things like "your head spins off in a pinwheel of gore & blood", classic!

[catchaserguns]

i hade to download from anather site in order to get it to work.

[grassblade]

Hi,

If anyone is still reading this, I have just signed up and have the original diskettes & manual, as well as the following handwritten notes:

1) Briek's Mines --> Mimax
2) Frost Giant Outpost --> Garden
3) Terrine Mouth --> Peace
4) Only in Unity will you find Variz

I never completed the game; I recall believing that the cave where Variz is supposed to be seemed buggy. So, I'm extremely happy to hear that people have completed the game.

I checked the email notification box. If anyone replies and tells me how, I'll be more than happy to scan my manual & upload it.

grassBlade
***********
Where the World Once Stood
the blades of grass
cut me still

I uploaded the manual to Kosta. He should make available as soon as he can.

[Vandermillion]

Umm, this is embarressing but for the hermit who guards the Light-forged armor, what is the "Speak the magic word, or go away and come back another day"? I used to kill him but want to know what it is =P

[MrFurious]

Hi fellas,

I'm glad some of you enjoyed the game even after all this time.

I wish i could have afforded a real QA squad to polish the game from start to finish. But not much of that existed back then, just a group of guys making a video game! I finished the Atari version in late 90 and got it boxed up in '91, and then ported it to the PC that year. I had no idea the simple anti-crack and anti-cheat i added to the game would cause so much trouble. Sorry so many of you wasted your time on that.

I'll look through my stuff and see if i have anything to contribute to the site. Most of the original digital art and whatnot has since gone to data heaven (i still have my 4 color negatives for the original box art assuming the heat hasn't destroyed them in my garage).

I just have to say "WoW", thanks for some of the kind words here and the fact that someone(s) were interested enough in the game to keep it alive is fantastic.

Martin "MrFurious" Kruse, Lead Programmer, Cartographer, Level Designer, Graphics placeholder maker, and Feeble storyteller.

And to Boxleitner for embarassing me with "did you know he wrote a game..." stories to my customers.

I have had the CD version for several years but never completed it. It would seem that when you reach certain extremely high levels, the game would freeze (with patch). I gave up in frustration and never finished the game. Lately I have been hacking in, but still and severely frustrated at not being able to complete more than a few quests. Due to its age and bad PR reputation it had at the outset nothing beyond Hex and hack information have ever been put up on the net. Frankly I have never found a walkthru for it or any hints for that matter. Would some Kind person here please put up a walkthru for those such as myself which have "problems" completing the game??