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Scout
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 1570 |
Identifying crackinggroups by the BASIC line
I'm going through some disks again and found several games that had no signature in it (no intro, no altered screens with 'broken by' or 'cracked by').
What I found by typing LIST in BASIC, I sometimes get something like 10 SYS 2061 ABC
Does this mean this game was actually cracked by ABC or is there some cruncher/packer around that adds this signature?
R.
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-= Silicon Ltd. =-
http://forum.siliconlimited.com |
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Zyron
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 2381 |
What the SYS-line clearly states is that it was packed with a packer either made by or modified by ABC. This however isn't proof enough that ABC actually cracked the game since others might have had access to their packer. |
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iopop
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 317 |
I have also gotten the feeling that some people in the past changed that line, just to pretend they "cracked" the game. Havnt any real proof about that though.. |
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H.O
Account closed
Registered: Oct 2002
Posts: 70 |
Basic lines are unreliable sources, since they are easy to change. The same thing goes for file names and/or simple intros with plain text which are uncompressed.
It wasnt uncommon for someone to change these before passing the files on to someone else. As far as ABC goes, I am fairly certain they would never take credit for someone elses work but there is always the possibility that someone used their linker, or some other tool from them (at least I am assuming they had branded tools, dont have any tools from them myself though)
As an example of what easily can be done with a disk editor; I had a crack from FCG (at least I think it was from them) which was uncompressed and first in memory. All you had to do then was to cut the file off (leaving only the intro) and then you could change the text. I showed how to do this for one contact, and I know he later tried to pass this of as something that he had created (I wont name names in this case, no point in doing that after so many years)
Figuring out how to do that required some small knowledge of programming and the file structure on discs, but once pointed out how to do it anyone with a disc editor could have repeated it.
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tlr
Registered: Sep 2003
Posts: 1787 |
Quote: I have also gotten the feeling that some people in the past changed that line, just to pretend they "cracked" the game. Havnt any real proof about that though..
I've seen this on a couple of cracks.
I still think that for some releases you have to rely on the filename, sys-line or your recollection of who said he did it. In these cases it would be great if any credit (or other information) could be flagged as uncertain.
In the mean time we could just set the credit to what we think after checking the sys-line an dumping the memory etc...
In the cases this information is non-obvious the submitter should put a comment on the release stating where the information comes from.
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Rough
Account closed
Registered: Feb 2002
Posts: 1829 |
some time ago I made a list of basic line information for another thread, cant remember if I already posted that, so here it is again.. no guarantee for 100% correctness:
711 = Oleander
1103 = 1103
SYS 2240 = UGS
2612 = OTD
2001 = around 83/84 Jedi, in 85 probably Jabba, very doubtful it meant in 83-85 already Plutonium Crackers as stated above, others used it also e.g. Slan, I doubt it's not due to a common spread packer but more due to the mystic sound of the year digit (remember Kubrick's movie)
KBR = Kotzbrocken
3302 = Pet
1001 = 1001 Crew (ofcos)
1941 = Radwar, can also be The Light Circle later as Radwar joined this huge group, could also be Flash Cracking Group
1991 = TMC (The Mercenary Cracker) = Charles Deenen / MoN
CCS = Computerbrains Cracking Service, not Cleveland C.S., those used intros
1404 = 1404 (?)
2828 = Softrunner
TSI. = The Seen Inc., at least the once with ".", there are also cracks with TSI w/o ".", probably someone else, they also used 2828...
TSI = The Senseless Innocents
239 = PUcruncher, probably used by the Gamebase 64 guys
NICS = North Italy Cracking Service
1999 ABC = you know it, it stood for Antisoft Bytebreaker C.S.S
2703 = 2703
HGSS = Holger Gehrmann Software-Service
MZP = Mr Zero Page
XCS = X-Or Cracking/Crunching Service
TBC = Terrestrial Breakin' Company (very cool name)
36 = Snivi
CRM = Crackman
TIF = The Incredible Four
2612 = Magnesium & Rubidium
2010 = ADJ Enterprises
1541 = Panzerknacker 1541
2010 PROF = The Professionals
2003 = Section 8
F4 = F4CG
BST = Bitstoppers
2020 = Smalltown Boys
TFF = The Fantastic Four
4711 = 4711 (?)
DCS = very probably Doughnut CS
2016 = Illusion 2016, fore-runner of 2000 A.D.
SEVEN UP = there was a cruncher by this AFL guy, probably these cracks are not by him
TWR 1881 = The Warriors
sometimes cracker infos were not in the command line, but in the memory shortly after ($0800-$0900)
did anyone ever think about that Antiram is a pretty stupid name, oppositely to Antirom? 8)
what do TFI, ISC, OID, TGF, XPB, DSH, CAS, KBS, BHG, ICG, CBG, CSS, USSPE, MHI, JYS, D+D and CCGG stand for?
Was there are cracker called "SUPERSOFT" or were games with that Basic line imported to the UK by the company Supersoft? |
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Scout
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 1570 |
*BUMP*
Bumping up an old thread for those people who think it is safe to identify a crack by the BASIS sys line. |
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Graham
Account closed
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 990 |
1001 is not 1001 Crew but the Cardcruncher from the 1001 Crew.
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SIDWAVE
Account closed
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 2238 |
To become famous, before TST had released any demos, i used disk maintenance disk editor, to write myself into the greetings of various big group intros, before i spread the games! :) |
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Scout
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 1570 |
Quote: To become famous, before TST had released any demos, i used disk maintenance disk editor, to write myself into the greetings of various big group intros, before i spread the games! :)
So...?
Edit: Ah! I understand you now ;) |
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Jammer
Registered: Nov 2002
Posts: 1335 |
Quote: To become famous, before TST had released any demos, i used disk maintenance disk editor, to write myself into the greetings of various big group intros, before i spread the games! :)
little cheater, weren't ya? :P |
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Steppe
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 1510 |
Someone call the scene cops, he shall be banned for that! :D |
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DemongerX
Account closed
Registered: Jun 2002
Posts: 137 |
dont know if it's helpful or not, but USSPE and XPB were both US Groups. USSPE was around the time of nepa, and some of the earlier ones. XPB, around the same time as well. Early cracks from what I can remember.
DemongerX |
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Scout
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 1570 |
Quote: 1001 is not 1001 Crew but the Cardcruncher from the 1001 Crew.
*BUMP*
Just bumping this thread because I see a lot of cracks added lately which are identified by the sysline.
Not that I want to say that you're doing it wrong, but it may be worth it by investigating a crack more than just blatantly add it to the database.
That said, to all the uploaders: just keep 'em coming and preserve the hell out of it! :) |
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hedning
Registered: Mar 2009
Posts: 4723 |
I try to doublecheck, and I try not to add stuff that seems strange. CBA and Zyron helps me out now and then, and a few "cracks" have been deleted. I also hope that other people want to correct and help out. I think it works pretty good - as long as other people than the uploader gets involved. |
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bugjam
Registered: Apr 2003
Posts: 2581 |
Same here - I usually put a comment whenever I am not sure.
It would be interersting to know which were common packers/crunchers in the old days, and what SYS lines they produced - I would not mind to have this thread as a reference. |
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SIDWAVE
Account closed
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 2238 |
Crackers didnt spread their crunchers in the early days to lamers and demo makers.
when around 87, 1001 crew released the cardcruncher rom, and Network make group specific versions of their cruncher, it was something special.
then later people learned the needed skills on their education in IT, and more crunchers appeared.
but early, there was very few, and only elite had them. |
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hedning
Registered: Mar 2009
Posts: 4723 |
I am going through a lot of old disks now, and have concluded that I can't trust "C.S.S" (Computerbrains Cracking Service) and "1701 D.J" (D.J of 1701 Crackware) SYS-lines. These two swedish tags shows up on 1103, BCS and other oldie cracks a lot it seems, and I guess that means that their packers were spread back in the days, because I can't believe CCS or 1701 would do simple tags on other cracks leaving intros etc. |
