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General Category => Games => Topic started by: zeropolis79 on 10:24, 07 July 18

Title: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: zeropolis79 on 10:24, 07 July 18
I've just got a copy of The Wild Bunch from eBay but want to use Bonzo Super Meddler to transfer it to disc but I can't see it in the Bonzo Super Meddler database on the disc so have no idea what option to use.
If anyone can tell me which option to use, I'd be very thankful.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: GUNHED on 13:55, 07 July 18
You could download it here:
http://cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=1791

Then use a PC to write it to a disc.
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: zeropolis79 on 18:29, 07 July 18
I could but I don't have a normal PC floppy drive, only a USB one and the programs don't work with them.
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: TomEtJerry on 17:33, 08 July 18
Welcome to the world of cracking :-)

The wild bunch is a Basic game, so it should be easy to copy it from tape to disc. Unfortunately, the main program is so big that a CPC with disc system activated can't load it. Even if you find a tool to do the copy (most of them crash when they do the job on very long files), you will not be able to use it.

The only solution to obtain a clean copy is to load the main part from a 464 with no disc system, save the listing on tape as ASCII and load it again with "clean blanks" flag activated. The result is a 35kb file that can be dealed by all CPC and saved onto disc.

If you want to try, you need a tool that can remove the BASIC protection. Here it is (done by Theo Dupont in Microstrad 7, a french magazine)

10 h=HIMEM-8:MEMORY h-1
20 IF PEEK(&AC01)=0 THEN POKE h+2,&2C ELSE POKE h+2,&45
30 POKE h,&AF:POKE h+1,&32:POKE h+3,&AE:POKE h+4,&CF:POKE h+7,&C9
40 POKE h+5,PEEK(&BBB5)
50 POKE h+6,PEEK(&BBB6)
60 POKE &BBB5,h-INT(h/256)*256:POKE &BBB6,INT(h/256):POKE &BBB4,&C3

Save it on a clean disk then launch it.
Type |TAPE then LOAD" to load into memory the loader.
Type |DISC then SAVE "LOADER.BAS" to save the loader.

Load from disk the unprotection tool.
Save it onto a clean TAPE typing |TAPE.OUT then SAVE"RECUP

Unplug the disc controller from the 464.

Load and execute the RECUP.BAS program.

Insert into the datacorder the original Wild bunch tape.
Type LOAD"program
The game should load (that's long... ) and give you back the hand...

Insert tape that will be used to save the game.
Type SAVE"BIG",A to save the programm in ASCII.
When it's finished (long again... ), reset the CPC.

Plug again the disc controller.
Type POKE &AC00,&FF to activate "blank characters" automatic cleaning when you will load the program.
Type |TAPE.IN
Type LOAD"BIG" to put into memory the ASCII file. That should not crash there...
Type SAVE "program".

Done :-).
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: zeropolis79 on 09:23, 09 July 18
Thanks for this!

Sadly, I don't have a working 464 right now.. now I have an incentive to get it fixed..

I managed to get the Bonzo Super Meddler program to transfer the game to disc..

Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: TomEtJerry on 06:54, 10 July 18
Hi,

I have tested the "Bonzo Super meddler" tool, that's a nice piece of code ! Anyway, even if it can transfer the main program, you obtain on the disk a 38kb file. That's too big for the CPC 6128 Basic.

If you don't have a CPC 464, you can do the job with a 664/6128 and a cassette player using a RSX that disconnect disc system, "Decconnect".

Fortunately, the listing is short and you can type it using this scan :!

http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&onglet=notices&num=6057
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: zeropolis79 on 08:51, 10 July 18
In theory, if I disconnect the disc system, could the process work as described, then I can transfer it to disc and run it on my 6128?
Many thanks
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: Phantomz on 19:03, 10 July 18
@TomEtJerry (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=106) Thanks for the info.  8)

Quote from: zeropolis79 on 08:51, 10 July 18
In theory, if I disconnect the disc system, could the process work as described, then I can transfer it to disc and run it on my 6128?
Many thanks

I just did it all on an emulated 6128 in winape, therefore I think it should work ok for you if you use the disconnect program.  ;)

I'm not sure if this version will work on the 664, but I've done this crack to make a new version of the game (disk) as believe the one on cpc power has bugs.
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: zeropolis79 on 20:51, 11 July 18
Thanks my mates.. Better get a tape to save it too (I only have one tape and that's got a Doctor Who audio on)
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: zeropolis79 on 20:53, 11 July 18
In theory, after I've done everything and got the compressed ASCII file onto disc ready to save as a normal BASIC file, could I import the ASCII file into a word processor and edit things (for instance, town names or names of the bad guys)?
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: TomEtJerry on 06:39, 12 July 18
You can do that to locate more easily lines where are stored the names. I suppose "big" cpc word processors like Protext can handle long ascii files.

To do the modifications, I think it's more simple to load the Basic listing into memory and do changes directly.

If you have an internet connexion  ;D , you can too download a .DSK image of the game, edit and export the main file with Managedsk. The file can be loaded in any word processor or text editor.

Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: zeropolis79 on 10:23, 12 July 18
Sadly, I don't have any way of getting files from my PC to my CPC until I get my 3.5" disc drive power cable repaired. (if it's a matter of transferring text files, DSK images is another matter)

I've just looked at the listing in your reply and it looks easy to modify.

Many thanks
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: Cholo on 23:43, 17 July 18
If you have a tape deck & a Amstrad Action cover cassette collection, you may also try:


Glenco Tape-2-disk tranfter tool on AA tape 01. A easy tool to use, litterally just have to insert floppy with free space on it, launch the program, press a key & then the program will continually copy over all files it finds from tape to disc. Was included with the Total Recall demo on the tape, no doubt to help copying over the demo as its quite large. (AA67 April 1991)


JL-copy on tape 22 is also a ok file copying program. It should be able to handle any tape/disc file transfer as well. Its the cassette with Tankbusters on the cover. (AA88, January 1993)


Pretty sure both program does some hokey-pokey (like using screen ram) to be able to copy larger files. Oh, and both only works with normal amstrad firmware files (aka the "block" ones). Aka they cant copy over fansy protected games like speedlock etc.
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: zeropolis79 on 00:11, 18 July 18
I can get the files onto disc easily. Just when loading the main Wild Bunch file I get Memory Full. I've just been able to obtain a new-old tape so I can use the listings in this thread to deactivate the disc ROM, deprotect the listing, compress it down and save as an ASCII file..
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: GUNHED on 15:00, 18 July 18
Sometimes it helps to type SYMBOL AFTER 256 to release some more RAM bytes ;-)

Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: zeropolis79 on 16:34, 18 July 18
Thanks
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: Cholo on 18:53, 19 July 18
Oh, my bad  :)


Well, this probably wont help either with getting the game running from disc, but in AA16 (december 86 aka "january 87"), page 26 there is a "Free memory" program to help loading old big cassette games on a 6128 (in the Problem Attic section). However im pretty sure it turns off rom(s) (like amsdos) so it may only help launch the game direct from tape (and not from disc).


Link: https://archive.org/stream/amstrad-action-016/Amstrad_Action_016#page/n25 (https://archive.org/stream/amstrad-action-016/Amstrad_Action_016#page/n25)
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: Phantomz on 19:56, 19 July 18
I know it's a different game, but does anyone know how to transfer "Prince Of Persia (UK) (1990) [Original] [TAPE] " to disk?
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: Gryzor on 10:08, 20 July 18
Oh! This actually came out on tape?
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: Phantomz on 15:09, 20 July 18
Quote from: Gryzor on 10:08, 20 July 18
Oh! This actually came out on tape?

I haven't got the game, but there is a cdt of "Prince Of Persia (UK) (1990) [Original] [TAPE] " on cpc-power.

There is also a picture of the tape, so I'd say so.

I'm looking for a English version on disk that could be converted to cpr using nocart, I can't use the disks that are available, so was hoping of maybe getting the tape version converted to disk, in the hope that it would work with nocart to make us a cpr.
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: Cholo on 20:06, 20 July 18
Quote from: Gryzor on 10:08, 20 July 18
Oh! This actually came out on tape?
I have the Domark (UK) cassette boxed version, so i can confirm it exist.

Quote from: Phantomz on 19:56, 19 July 18
I know it's a different game, but does anyone know how to transfer "Prince Of Persia (UK) (1990) [Original] [TAPE] " to disk?
Had a quick listen to the tape & it appears to be unproteced. Apart from the initial loader file (block) the rest of the game appear to be normal Amstrad Firmware Records (sync &00). So getting the actual data from tape to disc really shouldnt be too hard. However getting a working game from the data requires a complete rewrite of the data loading mechanism to get it from disc (since its records, so its not as easy as just renaming a couple of block files) and quite beyond my lazy 464 firmware knowledge.

However i do see there is a cracked dsk version on cpc-power & i think the game has little to no text as all, so its hopefully playable ;)   

EDIT: hopefully someone can help converting the english tape version
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: Phantomz on 21:10, 20 July 18
Quote from: Cholo on 20:06, 20 July 18

EDIT: hopefully someone can help converting the english tape version

Hopefully yea, it would be good to have a proper cracked English version.

Does it include all the cut scenes between levels?

I know that it doesn't appear to ask for a word out the manual after level one.
Title: Re: Transferring The Wild Bunch to disc
Post by: zeropolis79 on 22:21, 20 July 18
Quote from: Cholo on 18:53, 19 July 18
Oh, my bad  :)


Well, this probably wont help either with getting the game running from disc, but in AA16 (december 86 aka "january 87"), page 26 there is a "Free memory" program to help loading old big cassette games on a 6128 (in the Problem Attic section). However im pretty sure it turns off rom(s) (like amsdos) so it may only help launch the game direct from tape (and not from disc).


Link: https://archive.org/stream/amstrad-action-016/Amstrad_Action_016#page/n25 (https://archive.org/stream/amstrad-action-016/Amstrad_Action_016#page/n25)
Many thanks for everything.

Think I might be able to release a few K by removing the subroutine that draws the town landscape and have it load it as a graphics file instead. just need to find a way to automatically save the drawn image as a binary file then I can put it into Advanced Art Studio or GPaint and work from there.


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