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Old 09-05-2006, 05:22 PM   #11
Raasted
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Yes it would be nice to have someone with expertice in this area to look into it....try to post in the troubleshooting/compatibility/programming forum k:

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Old 10-05-2006, 01:22 PM   #12
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Still working on this one... It seems that there is a strict CRC checksum routine in the STEEL.EXE file itself. If even one byte of that .EXE is modified, the game brings up the message about piracy and makes the game unplayable. Hence any attempt at a proper crack will need to first disable that checksum routine first. It appears that the savegames themselves are secondary- There is, furthermore a built in time bomb and / or attribute bomb which activates when any attribute goes > 180.

Without SoftICE or another good debugger, we can't even attack the first problem (CRC checksum)... We know some handy 0x90 hexcodes must be written within the STEEL.EXE file to bypass checksum routin, but where???

Alternately, does anyone know where there may a legitimate vendor selling this game with a CD / MANUAL ? A longshot, I know.

Need a good DOS cracker who could properly crack this thing in under 5 minutes flat.
                       
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Old 10-05-2006, 01:29 PM   #13
The Fifth Horseman
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Well, a possible solution might be altering the checksum that the program compares the calculated one to. Just don't ask me how.
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Old 10-05-2006, 09:13 PM   #14
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I know this counts as cheating, but I did want to see how the goes for the long haul, so I hexedited my characters to make them (I hope!) unkillable. You have to change skills/attributes within reason (not going over maximums for attributes, for example) or it will freeze. But so far it has been stable, and the game does get pretty interesting down the road (you get control of towns, for instance). Of course, if I die it is all for naught.

So this is a solution for anyone who wants to finish the game but has no ethical qualms about cheating. I wouldn't do it if I could just save my game!
                       
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Old 11-05-2006, 03:14 AM   #15
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It would be interesting if you could upload one of those hex-edited savegame files. Which bytes did you modify within the savegame file?

How did you make your character unkillable if no attribute can go above 180 and the savegame still be loadable?

The savegame hex-edit cheat is an interesting idea, but still is only a roundabout solution. Another might be if there was ever a trainer made for this game. That, if it exists, would also get around the 180 problem.
                       
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Old 11-05-2006, 08:03 PM   #16
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I changed the attributes/skills, but I still couldn't save my game. So I just kept it open by minimizing the DOSBOX when not playing. And since I couldn't save the game, I can't upload the game file. Sorry-

This all being said, the game still managed to screw me. I discovered two problems that make saving often REALLY important:
1) When I tried to STEAL in town but failed, I was prohibited from entering ANY building in EVERY town, not just that one. I saw no way to be "forgiven" for my attempted crime.
2) In 3-D dungeons, you can get into fights where the monsters are behind walls that you can't get past. Sometimes you are also stuck inside a space from which you cannot flee. Thus, the only way to end combat is to surrender, which kills everyone, because the monsters will not always flee themselves.
This is especially a problem when SECRET DOORS are involved, since they show up in the 3-D screen as walls and cannot be walked through. So my super-character game actually finally ended when my guys got stuck in an inescapable room and combat couldn't end.

Let's hope the crackers can do something with that checksum.
                       
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Old 17-05-2006, 06:19 PM   #17
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Isn't there a manual for this game because I've already checked <a href=\'http://www.replacementdocs.com/\' target=\'_blank\'>Replacement Docs</a>, and they don't have an available copy of the Disciples of Steel manual? Home of the Underdogs would've had it if their website hadn't mysteriously shut down. :help:

Besides, there aren't many Disciples of Steel FAQ/Walkthroughs posted on the internet anyway.
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Old 18-05-2006, 02:24 PM   #18
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HOTU isn't shut down. Just swap the ORG for INFO in their URL.
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Old 18-05-2006, 02:31 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally posted by the_fifth_horseman@May 18 2006, 08:24 AM
HOTU isn't shut down. Just swap the ORG for INFO in their URL.
Really? I was unaware of that. :blink:

Is this link you're talking about? *LINK REMOVED*
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Old 18-05-2006, 02:49 PM   #20
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Yep, that's the one, allright.

Sorry, I had to remove it because for certain reasons linking to HOTU is a bad (...bad...) idea in these parts.
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