| |
Burglar
Registered: Dec 2004
Posts: 1090 |
Event id #2314 : C64 Cracking Competition 2015
Howdy Crackers!
These days the cracking scene is pretty active, but it seems most effort is spent on rushing out a version first with non-protected games.
Now that we found this nice original that hasn't been cracked, we thought, let's turn it around. Have a cracking competition with all of you with a full price EA game, including a nice protection. So here we go with the first C64 Cracking Competition 2015!
You are invited to crack "Return of Heracles" (C) 1983-1986 Electronic Arts.
Download the original here: http://sh.scs-trc.net/return_of_heracles.d64
Please read the rules carefully, and take all the time you need, quality over speed please :)
Rules:
- Submit your entry before or at 23:59 saturdayevening the 28th of March 2015 by email to c64crackingcompetition@hushmail.com
- Your release must fully run on a stock c64 + 1541.
- Your release must be filecopieable and packed.
- Your release must contain a crack intro, but you also must provide an introless version. This will be used to accurately measure size.
- Recracking is strictly forbidden, you must crack the original we provide. When in doubt, we will dig through your release and ask a few questions to confirm you really cracked it yourself.
- Individuals may only be part of a single release, so a group may enter multiple cracks, provided they are done by other members.
- You are allowed to use whatever tools you want.
Calculating Results:
50% of the result will be determined by public voting, either using or own voting system or on csdb. Stay tuned for additional info.
The other 50% of the result is calculated by the compo organizers using the following criteria:
- The shorter the better *)
- The faster it loads the better
- Proper saving capabilities
- Full PAL/NTSC compatibility
- Amount of bugfixes (if any bugs present in game)
- Amount of trainers (no double trainers)
- Minus points if you introduce bugs and need multiple versions
- The more devices besides 1541 (or compatible) you support, the better
- Optional REU support is also nice
*) We explicitly do not want to discourage the use of large intros, hence
the introless version requirement.
Most of all, have fun cracking this full price game!
The Organizers,
Peacemaker/Hitmen
Burglar/SCS*TRC |
|
... 158 posts hidden. Click here to view all posts....
|
| |
Flavioweb
Registered: Nov 2011
Posts: 463 |
I can't make a working copy of this disk image, on emu, using copy tools...
Tried with Maverick, fast and nibble copy, but no success.
This means it is protected? |
| |
Burglar
Registered: Dec 2004
Posts: 1090 |
I used 15 seconds copy in emu (parallel cable enabled), created working d64 just fine |
| |
Flavioweb
Registered: Nov 2011
Posts: 463 |
Which version you used?
15 Seconds Copy 35 Tracks V2.39
give me a 1541 CPU JAM at $1200.
(x64 2.4.10 r28746M) |
| |
Burglar
Registered: Dec 2004
Posts: 1090 |
15 Sec. Copy / 256K RAM Version (1764) |
| |
Peacemaker
Registered: Sep 2004
Posts: 249 |
why do you guys worry about that (disk)copy protection? the compo is about the release beeing filecopieable =) |
| |
The Phantom
Registered: Jan 2004
Posts: 360 |
I'm no cracker (mwuahaha), but I DO have this file in my archive. The directory structure is different too, not 2 files as the one you want people to crack, seems my .d64 has 21 or 22 files.
I'm guessing the copy protection was already cracked?
What's to prevent people from using this version? |
| |
iAN CooG
Registered: May 2002
Posts: 3187 |
the phantom: that's the older version of the game, also at gb64.com |
| |
The Phantom
Registered: Jan 2004
Posts: 360 |
Nice.. Thanks for the quick reply... |
| |
Smasher
Registered: Feb 2003
Posts: 519 |
I've found the g64 and passed it to Bacchus, didn't check it was identical to the d64, sorry. someone should upload a .nib, that would help I think.
about the game, I'll play a bit (even if the type is not my fav) and check if ECA and Quality versions are really that different or just in the title screen.
greetz! Ze' |
| |
Bacchus
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 156 |
Dear all,
As Enno said, the "original" D64 had a few bytes patched that kills the error check. This means the D64 actually works and the actual protection is gone. So it's a crack we base this on, and technically we are asked to recrack. If you want to spend your time to find a version with a few bytes that are different to ensure you have a non-working copy, please feel free. I will not be bothered. This is a competition and we are all given the same basis.
I never fully cracked Pirate Slayer boot before but it's a very complex protection indeed. Wedge, myself and a guy named Harald Fragner (known from the early days of Datormagazin where he taught us to remove the border) hacked ourself through the cipher loop for Bard's tale and managed to extract the deeply hidden piece of drive code. After this we didn't know what to do with it so we were just proud to have been able to beat the ciphering, but didn't really crack the game. Holy smoke it took time.
Not that I am a big fan of the monitor of Vice but it makes life is A LOT easier than it used to be... ;-) Placing breakpoints anywhere and no timing risk breaking up. Feels like cheating...
Remark: Interesting there is an ASCII sequence that is used in the deciphering. "k.e.h". I guess that means Kris Hatlelid's middle name is something with E ;-)
I am documenting my steps in a textfile that gives every byte of every step. Will be happy to share once I am done.
I still worried my main challenge will be to understand how to play the game so that I can validate that the crack is working ;-)
Also trainers for a game you don't understand it SOME challenge. |
| Previous - 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ... | 17 - Next |
