"Bad" games list

[Petari]

Fire! is not bad game at all. Your original is not crappy - STX is flawless.
And in few days I will post special selected, sorted missing Pasti images list. So, you are welcome to image some shit :-O

[Petari]

Player Manager by Anco :  it will crash with 4MB RAM.  I add it here, because crash happens not right at start, and you may not notice it if making some quick check. I tested with original, French and English versions. Certainly bad coding.
Did floppy version which solves problem by lowering Phystop to 2MB if 4MB RAM is detected - then will work fine.
http://atari.8bitchip.info/ASTGA/P/playerm.php

Ah, and btw. problem stays in GameBase ST too - they set Steem to 4MB for Player Manager, and it will crash ... Again, lack of better testing.

[Petari]

I found where DL-ed bad Kid Gloves Pasti:  on Atari-forum - there is STX section with not too much images submitted.
After 2 and half years, nobody noticed errors ...  Pardon, I did. But they don't want me to post there ... So, enjoy the mess 

[Petari]

Next one bad, found this days:  Dyter-07  by Reline.

MCA crack crashes after first level. FOF crack just little later. What means that D-Bug HD patch will crash too, since it is based on FOF (I did not test it though, but assume that they not too     ).

But real bad news just come:  original has bug(s).  I have OK Pasti images (DL-ed at Atarimania). There is no copy protection, but 'manual protection', activationg after level 1. Bug occurs at final level, part 'Jungle', when go down to the beast. Then it crashes because code damages self at some point.

So, I may say that this game can not be finished normally.

I did some workaround for that latest level, and may reach and kill endboss - which is btw. worst from all them.  After it you will get some congrat txt, and thanks God, can not start game again - this made me feel better - at least some good point 

Anyway, hard disk adapt is done, and I'm on doing floppy version -what will take some extra effort because original is on 2x 450KB floppies, and I will put it on 1x 800K .

[Petari]

James Pond - Pasti original in GameBase ST has many bad files - lot of fuzzy data on side B. Likely will crash on later levels, or some graphic errors will appear.
Correct image of this version (GBH) may get at Atarimania.  Millennium edition is different considering files, floppy format, but as I see gameplay is same.

[paulwratt]

If you have any ST or STX that can from AtariForum, I would be happy to post details and updated image, just so at least some people know what is going on..  yes I see "ppera" is removed user - but originally they have many probs with Marcer too - now he is Atari Legend your time will come soon. I think not so many probs for you with AF if no d-bug guys doing "run from HD" and "run from new hardware" - it is same as "cracking crew back in the day" - it is competition in same area of expertise

I also know that "speak not proper english" get someone in trouble too even if what they say is true and correct.. but this even happen to me on MiNT list and I am 100% english speaker (did extra work of Corporate English in many jobs - letters, web content, etc)

BTW again thanks for ST/STX work, at least someone is trying to do something about problems..

Paul

[Petari]

Certainly, there were some misunderstandings with AF crew because language. Competition exists too - for instance with Klapauzius  too. However, I never had any problems with Klaz - he is just nice, fair guy, who appreciates other's work and opinion.

Problems with AF started when Mug UK took lead there (some 4 years ago).  How and why it happened, I don't know really, but there are some indications that it wnt not nice - forum was down some times, and they needed some external people to get it back. They (AL crew core) seem to be not motivated and not skilled in computer knowledge - can not perform relative simple forum maintanance and similar.
So, now Dal does it. While Mug UK plays his console  .  I have nothing against if someone lost his interest and knowledge, but then let other to do things. AF forum just favorises AL people - you see there sections for even dead sites - like Guardians of Past - because it is AL GoldRunner's site.
I was banned because criticised GoldRunner's attitude in forum- after he ignored my error reports about GameBase ST several times.  Then, I dared to criticise Ijor - and all what happened in last year confirms that I was in right.  But enough about - I caould talk about all stupidities for hours.
Just to add that I tried to start some new sections at AF - about preservation and related, and had some mailing with Dal about, at end of last year. While he was interested, core was against, only because it is me. What I can say is only:  they care mostly about own fame, and not what is useful for Atari community (people).

I don't see the point to post floppy, STX images to AF (and btw. I can do it too, right now). STX section is not much visited, and DL counters are on low numbers.  The reason must be that people knows much better source - Atarimania.  And now I have enough space to host STX, ST/MSA and hard disk adaptations at 8bitchip.info  - thanx to MrSolajic .
I posted in last couple months over 60 STX images to Atarimana - all what could dig. And they update it quite regularry, and respect my work - especially after getting some STX error reports, and sometimes fixes.

Ah, and about:  " it is same as "cracking crew back in the day"  " - well, there are some similarities, and I was enough dumb to go in fight with D-Bug. But it is over now. After doing over 600 games, and solving many related problems, I don't see that there is competition more. And I still doing new solutions ...

[Petari]

L'Affaire:  there os B.O.S.S. crack and Crew 42 crack avail. No STX. And both have corrupted part of english text of game (Atari version is 6 language).  Crew 42 v. is little better - at least what can see by looking text with some viewer.

[Petari]

Jumping Jack'Son:  Replicants  ST Amigos crack - later protection check not deactivated. Game will crash after some playing.
Pasti image of game at Atarimania missing title soundtrack (side B). If you have original, please submit.

[Petari]

More errors in Gamebase ST:

Pixie and Dixie (Superior) - nothing, just some lines on screen appear.
The Untouchables - cracked by Law :  on level 2 graphic errors. Did not check further ..

[Petari]

Grimblood by Maelstrom:
It works only under TOS 1.02, and that's enough reason to put it here. The exact problem is that game code uses TOS workspace at $3000-$4800 for own purposes - maybe that was necessary to make it work with 512KB machines.  And of course they tested only with TOS 1.02. Since other TOS versions have little different low RAM usage, it crashes on them. 
The funny thing is that there is solution and some free RAM space in all TOS versions when game starts automatically (boot or AUTO run) - used only by Dungeon Master as I know. In TOS header is address of Desktop workspace, and it is about 16-25KB long (depending on TOS version). That space is usually wasted in case of AUTO run, so with Grimblood too.  I fixed it by redirecting all involved addresses in game to that space with short code before start, which sets base address using TOS header info.
http://atari.8bitchip.info/ASTGA/G/grimblood.php

[Petari]

Dark Fusion by Gremlin
It seems that can not finish game. At stage 4 is not possible to enter fusion pods. Simply can not jump in pod #1, and can not reach pod #2 platform.
I did some hack to make it possible by changing jump altitude by keypress during gameplay.
http://atari.8bitchip.info/ASTGA/D/darkfus.php

[Petari]

Hillsfar:  there was still codewheel protection in my Gamex release, since I was not aware about it's presence - shows up when looking for guild master in fighters guild. Fixed. Thanx to Iain Metcalf for pointing on error.

James Pond:  Millennium release missing oil leaking on level 8, so can not be finished without cheat. No title music too. And most of cracks (if not all) are based on that release.  What is good is GBH release. This means that I need to update it ...
Thanx to Patryik Widulinski for writing about problem.

Both are updated now - 24 Feb. 2014. James Pond floppy version:   http://atari.8bitchip.info/ASTGA/J/jpond.php 
is likely only one based on good GBH release .

[Petari]

Jinks (Rainbow Arts) -  Map 2 data is messed up, and game crashes when try to enter it. Same error in Automation and Bladerunners cracks.

[Petari]

Fireball (Microprose) -  Automation crack - it has 4 corrupted maps from 11, + some other errors.
Elite crack seems OK.