risner@ms.uky.edu (Shad Fax) (05/26/90)
Okay, about a year ago and again around a month ago i posted about
putting the 8 sides of ultima V on a hard disk. I have since started
this project myself. I have the complete reader/writer that uses
direct calls to the hd's card to read/write blocks. It takes up 242
bytes plus the translation from the dos 3.3 style table to the 6 bytes
used by the hd card's driver. I have several problems.
#1) I live in Kentucky. (Lexington to be exact.) In the whole state
of Kentucky there is only ONE Walden Software store, and they don't
carry any Apple II books (only Mac.) I have been to the 3 other books
stores in town and none of them have Beneath Apple DOS 3.3. I have B.
A. ProDos.
#2) Dos 3.3 is dead. No one local can help me. Ultima V uses a DOS
call DINKEYDOS. It takes up less than $1200 (4608) bytes (wonder how
it got its name?) It reads and writes PRODOS look alike disks. Sends
the RWTS blocks and all. From what I remember of Dos 3.3 you would
load the A & Y regs with the address ${BD}EA the {}'s means
I forgot the first part ;-). And calls ${BE}EA. At ${BD}EA is a
table of parms. I would like to share the project with someone else
with a legal copy of the game with a little experience with Dos 3.3
RWTS.
#3) What goes on before a boot? I am having trouble making a sys
file to boot this game. Are there some special things done before
calling $801 (with track 0 sec 0 loaded in $800 and x=slot*16?)
I have the reader and a 2240 block file on my HD that the reader
indexes into to read/write to the proper disk. I have the sys boot
file that goes with the data file to start the game. Need more info
how to "fake" a boot. I also have a prog to read the disks and dump
the images to a ProDos file.
My main prob is the dos 3.3 RWTS and what each byte is the little
device table means. I need to know how it specifies
read/write/format, etc. I think it is ${BD}77.
All ultima V owners. If you would like a copy of the sources to make
these changes (when they are working of course) write me. If you
would like to HELP me write me. If you have the Beagle Bros Peeks and
Pokes chart (I lost mine and I believe it had all the info I needed)
write me, or if hip on the internal specs of dos 3.3 please write me
because I'm far from a pro with 3.3. I have only used 3.3 for about a
total of one year before the switch to ProDos.
Sorry for the long post, but this game is too good of a game and too
many disk swaps.
P.S. I HAVE already called Origin Systems and they told me that they
have NO intention of making a fully ProDos compatible version.
James Risner
--
risner@ms.uky.edu
"Here, take this quarter and go downstairs to have a rat GNAW that
thing off your face." - John Candyrhood@pro-gsplus.cts.com (Robert Hood) (05/28/90)
In-Reply-To: message from risner@ms.uky.edu I have a proposition that I hope some game companies will see on here. Come tothink of it, this applies to any company that produces copy-protected software on 5.25" drives. As we all know, a 3.5" disk holds over 5 times the data of an Apple 5.25" disk. The leftover room is what I'm counting on for this suggestion. I suggest that, since Apple is apparently trying to shift over to the 3.5" disk as a "standard" as opposed to the 5.25" format, companies that make copy-protected programs should provide a way to put their 5.25" products on 3.5" diskettes. The method I have in mind is simple. The company makes a 3.5" disk that effectively works as a small hard disk: it has five partitions, each 144K in size. 144 times 5 = 720K, leaving 80K free for a menu program and a copier, and/or extra room in the partition for 36 or 40 track disks. The copier will copy the games from 5.25" disks into the partitions in the 3.5" disk, and the menu will select between partitions. Ideally, one could select the number of partitions to devote to each game: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy takes one partition, while Ultima V takes (I think) 8 partitions (thus taking multiple 3.5" disks, a problem they could surely handle). Since the company knows its copy protection, it could surely alter or circumvent it for the new disk format. If you have a favorite company that issues protected 5.25" software, I urge you to send them a copy of this message, or at least a summary of the overall plan. Perhaps they could even agree to a standard storage format that different companies could follow, so one could put games from different companies on the same disk. (There may be a need to sell individual copiers, though, due to space considerations....)}i +--------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+ | Robert Hood - programmer | InterNet: rhood@pro-gsplus.cts.com | | RH 880 | ProLine: rhood@pro-gsplus (or) pro-gsplus!rhood | +--------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+
neufeld@physics.utoronto.ca (Christopher Neufeld) (05/29/90)
In article <2852@crash.cts.com> rhood@pro-gsplus.cts.com (Robert Hood) writes: > >I suggest that, since Apple is apparently trying to shift over to the 3.5" >disk as a "standard" as opposed to the 5.25" format, companies that make >copy-protected programs should provide a way to put their 5.25" products on >3.5" diskettes. > >The method I have in mind is simple. The company makes a 3.5" disk that >effectively works as a small hard disk: it has five partitions, each 144K in >size. 144 times 5 = 720K, leaving 80K free for a menu program and a copier, >and/or extra room in the partition for 36 or 40 track disks. > Well, I would be willing to relax this even further. Rather than providing a way for a person to copy a commercial program to a 3"1/2 disk (and possibly promote profligate, pernicious piracy), why not, to take the example of Ultima V, allow the data disks (there are seven of these) to be transferred to 3"1/2 floppy. The boot disk would still be copy protected, and would boot in the 5"1/4 drive as a variant on the key disk system, but the data would be on the 3"1/2 drive to cut down on disk switching. True, seven 5"1/4 disks won't fit on a single 3"1/2 disk, but maybe the disks aren't all full. If they are, then perhaps a second 3"1/2 disk would be necessary. Ideally those of us with ][GS computers could copy some of the other material into the RAM disk where it would be available at high speed. The problem with this, at least for Ultima, is that it seems awkward without a fully functioning ProDOS, while Ultima V implements a fake ProDOS which surely doesn't have the hooks for 3"1/2 or RAM disk use. >| Robert Hood - programmer | InterNet: rhood@pro-gsplus.cts.com | >| RH 880 | ProLine: rhood@pro-gsplus (or) pro-gsplus!rhood | -- Christopher Neufeld....Just a graduate student | He's the kind of person neufeld@helios.physics.utoronto.ca | who'd follow you into a cneufeld@pro-generic.cts.com Ad astra! | revolving door and come "Don't edit reality for the sake of simplicity" | out first.
6600core@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Core Black Man Lance Del Mar) (05/31/90)
Hey! I remember that game, YES save it!!! I wish these things could be all upgraded to higher densities of storage medium--saves us from primitive disk hassels. I am not going to be able to help you, but I do support your effort and will look for any answers I can find. P.S. Does anyoune have any games like Microwave, Bug Attack, or is Ultima I-V? freeware yet? Core =)
mray@pro-europa.cts.com (Mike Ray) (06/01/90)
In-Reply-To: message from 6600core@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu I think I still have an old copy of MicroWave around here somewhere! (grin) -Mike UUCP: crash!pro-europa!mray ARPA: crash!pro-europa!mray@nosc.mil INET: mray@pro-europa.cts.com