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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 |
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Bacchus
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 156 |
Kewl.
I have so much time on it already that if I would multiply it with my hourly rate it would buy a fairly decent car ;-)
I'm getting quite convinced there will be a FairLight one but I'm also sure that we will need most of the time allocated.
Can I also looking forward to us sharing notes of our project for reference, after the deadline. |
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ϵʟʞ
Registered: May 2012
Posts: 26 |
Hi guys I have done the first crack :)
It is not perfect but working ;)
But saving is impossible as it is file based..
Everything else is working well!
If you are interested or don´t believe me - send me PM, I will send you my cracked D64.
eLK |
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Count Zero
Registered: Jan 2003
Posts: 1931 |
Bacchus, you capitalist bugger! :)
I am afraid the time we spent throughout the years on these things will never really pay back. |
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Peacemaker
Registered: Sep 2004
Posts: 249 |
Fungus: Dont play smart, i did not say thats a protection. The protection is somewhere else.
ps: 80% of the used sectors are not decrypted. |
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Burglar
Registered: Dec 2004
Posts: 1090 |
Quoting Count ZeroBacchus, you capitalist bugger! :)
I am afraid the time we spent throughout the years on these things will never really pay back.
I actually think the exact opposite. Being active in the c64scene has learned me so many things that benefit me pretty much all the time.
so for me its paying back on a daily basis ;) |
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Mason
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 461 |
I agree with Burglar |
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lft
Registered: Jul 2007
Posts: 369 |
Quoting BacchusLoads to $FB3E and the copies the page to 1700 which then copies to another location. This other location can be $9f80 from where it it's copied to YET another place. Give me a break! This is unlike anything I have seen before.
Sounds pretty much like how people write software today. This loader must have been way ahead of its time. |
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sailor
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 90 |
Just some loose thoughts,
Many early games were pretty much all manually mastered("loader implemented"), making them a mess. Look at early vmax(1/2)-games, or perhaps this game. Why did EA make the loading so much more complex than the original game that already loaded from files ? For fun ? You be the judge :)
Lets take the later games with vmax3, rapidlok and also tapeloaders(cyberload; often consisting of a mainfile and levelfiles). They follow a standard, i believe this was made to speed up the production process and thefor mastering("loader implementing") so much easier and less costly.
Rapidlok can even wedge in on a kernal loader, which on the other hand, makes it easier to defeat. |
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BiGFooT
Registered: Mar 2002
Posts: 33 |
You can except a release from "Breeze" too.
By the way, the "EA loader" itself isn't a mess. It's pretty simple if you ask me. The game's loading mechanic is a bit messy tough but after you figured out the meaning of halfblocks then it's a "piece of cake". Also the Apple II and Atari RoH uses the same halfblock reading method which shows that it's not looks like this because of the EA loader.
BTW a conversion tool is better to support "original" savegames, however I think it's not worth it. The game is pretty short and i'm sure mostly no one remembers where and why he left his last hero. |
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Peacemaker
Registered: Sep 2004
Posts: 249 |
"but I'm hoping for FLT, Nostalgia, AFL, HF, GP, Laxity, A+F4CG and Onslaught as well of course."
me too. |
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