[comp.sys.amiga] A2000 + Janus + copy-write problems??

wayne@utflis.UUCP (09/29/87)

I'm having REAL problems getting certain Electronic Arts copy-protected
disks to boot on my A2000+Janus bridgeboard combination.  In particular,
I can't get Arcticfox and Archon to run on Amy.  My dealer tells me that
this is probably the result of the copy-protection gagging on Janus's
presence, and there's nothing to do but write to EA and hope, hope, hope
they'll do something about it (like reply to my letter...)

Now that the B2000's are out, does anybody else have this problem? Does
anybody at CA know what's going on?  Please help, as I payed big coin
for these programs (I used to play them at work), and I quite enjoyed them.

Thanks,
wayne

daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (10/01/87)

in article <977@utflis.UUCP>, wayne@utflis.UUCP (Wayne Young) says:
> 
> I'm having REAL problems getting certain Electronic Arts copy-protected
> disks to boot on my A2000+Janus bridgeboard combination.  In particular,
> I can't get Arcticfox and Archon to run on Amy.  My dealer tells me that
> this is probably the result of the copy-protection gagging on Janus's
> presence, and there's nothing to do but write to EA and hope, hope, hope
> they'll do something about it (like reply to my letter...)

I'm not all that sure about this.  The Janus board would be completely 
invisible to any program that hasn't run a Binddrivers before itself.
Most boot-it-from-the-disk programs would fall into this category, though
a quick perusal of the offending disk's Startup-Sequence should tell you
if this is a potential problem or not.  Even if the Janus.Library is loaded,
though, I wouldn't expect it to interfere with any games any more than any
other program.  Some of the copy protection schemes play games with the disks
that bother me, though.  There may be some that have trouble with different
vendor's drive mechanisms.  One thing I've heard of is a scheme to change
drive speed by pulsing the drive motor.  This is one of the things that's
clearly not going to work between vendors, as the resulting drive speed is
probably more closely related to the mass of the drive's flywheel, which
will probably vary greatly.

> Now that the B2000's are out, does anybody else have this problem? Does
> anybody at CA know what's going on?  Please help, as I payed big coin
> for these programs (I used to play them at work), and I quite enjoyed them.

Maybe it's time to break out some games.  What do ya think, Jeff?  

> Thanks,
> wayne
-- 
Dave Haynie     Commodore-Amiga    Usenet: {ihnp4|caip|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh
   "The B2000 Guy"              PLINK : D-DAVE H             BIX   : hazy
    "Computers are what happen when you give up sleeping" - Iggy the Cat

bryce@hoser.berkeley.edu (Bryce Nesbitt) (10/01/87)

In article <977@utflis.UUCP> wayne@flis.toronto.edu.UUCP (Wayne Young) writes:
>
>I'm having REAL problems getting certain Electronic Arts copy-protected
>disks to boot on my A2000+Janus bridgeboard combination.  In particular,
>I can't get Arcticfox and Archon to run on Amy.

Last time I checked, neither of these programs worked with extra memory
-or- Kickstart V1.2.  You loose out twice on any reasonable Amiga system.

The only solution is for developers to do it right in the first place.

You can patch your way past some of the problems one of two ways:

noFASTmem	;Disables extra memory temporarily.  Double-click it
		;again to enable.  Found in the system drawer of the
		;A500/A2000 workbench.  Probably won't help ArticFox
		;or Archon.
fixhunk		;Provides a permanent solution for certain types of
		;extra ram incompatible programs.  If noFASTmem
		;works for you, you can probably make the fix permanent
		;with fixhunk.  Found on BBSs and from other free software
		;sources.

 
|\ /|  . Ack! (NAK, ENQ, SYN)
{o O} . 
 (") 	bryce@hoser.berkeley.EDU -or- ucbvax!hoser!bryce
  U	How can you go back if you have not yet gone forth?

cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) (10/01/87)

In article <977@utflis.UUCP> wayne@flis.toronto.edu.UUCP (Wayne Young) writes:
>I'm having REAL problems getting certain Electronic Arts copy-protected
>disks to boot on my A2000+Janus bridgeboard combination.  In particular,
>I can't get Arcticfox and Archon to run on Amy.

I have yet to get Artic Fox or Archon II to boot on *any* 1.2 system 
especially if it has more the 512K on it. This is not a 2000 problem
this is an Electronic Arts problem. literally thousands of A500 and 2000
owners unable to enjoy Arctic Fox. EA sometimes boggles the mind.


--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: cmcmanis  ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.