Hi folks -

I've recently bought myself a copy of Diablo Hellfire, since I always wanted to see what the improvements were like. I've spent a while getting it up and running.

The original Hellfire v1.01 (latest official) patch installer doesn't run on newer versions of Windows - it's a 16-bit program, so can't be run on 64-bit Windows.

In an old (now-archived) thread, user KillingMachine posted a link to a "manual update" - files that you could use to overwrite installed ones to upgrade to the 1.01 patch version.

Unfortunately, whenever I install this patch, I get a weird bug - all my spell costs are reduced to the minimum possible for that spell, regardless of spell level. It's definitely the patch that causes it - when I remove the patch, the issue disappears (even for previously affected characters), and when I add it back in, it reappears.

So my questions are:

1) Does anyone else experience this?
2) Is it an issue with the manual patch provided (for example a tweak/exploit someone accidentally included in the updated files), or is it just a bug introduced in v1.01?
3) Has anyone had any success running the original installer on newer versions of Windows, or know of some other similar "manual patch" that is unaffected by this issue?

Thanks in advance, fine citizens of gog.

Well with my setup if I wanted the install files I'd use my a guest OS in virtual box, install the components, then copy the files to the host. Not particularly helpful to most users though, because most don't have a copy of an old OS in the first place.

EDIT: This "bug" is not what I remember of the original Hellfire. I'd say the poster of the "patch" included an exploit.
If you own an old copy of 32-bit XP or similar, try what I described above.

I don't know about patches, however you may consider using "the hell" mod rather than all that messing about:
https://www.moddb.com/mods/diablo-the-hell/downloads/the-hell-latest

Dear future Diablo I fans -

This is definitely a bug in the Hellfire v1.01 patch. I've set up a Windows 98 VM, installed hellfire, then installed the 1.01 patch with an installer obtained from three different sources. Every time, the unpatched v1.00 installation did not exhibit the bug, but the patched v1.01 version did.

How to tell if the bug is present:

Create a new lvl 1 sorcerer. Look in the spellbook. You should see firebolt at spell level 2, doing 7-16 dmg.

If the bug is present, the spell will only cost 3 mana (min possible for firebolt)
If the bug is absent, the spell will cost 6 mana (normal for spell lvl 2)

IMO this is game-breaking for sorcerer, since one of the main ways they advance is by getting new books to reduce mana costs. If you want to play a sorcerer on the original Hellfire (and I'm sure not many people do, a lot of people will be more interested in The Hell, as described above), I'd recommend not installing the patch and leaving Hellfire at v1.00

IIRC, there's an unnofficial patch that keeps things mostly vanilla for Hellfire but fixes a mess of bugs. I can't remember the exact link (I'll look around if you can't find it) but it's like Hellfire 1.2.something. It's a little goofy to install, but that might help out.


EDIT: Here it is: http://www.lurkerlounge.com/forums/thread-15760.html

I've never used it myself but people seem to rec it if you want to play Hellfire.

*sigh* source that Blizzard released it?

I read around and the mod you linked, seems to make a lot of changes, well beyond just fixing the bugs and adding features that modernize gameplay.

From my huge bookmarks list, I had this patch bookmarked, which at the time I considered the best way to experience the game on modern Win, while preserving the original Diablo/Helfire experience. Do you happen to know if the mod is actually the generally accepted way of enjoying Helfire?

if Blizzard does not sell D1 and D1 Hellfire is not from Blizzard but if I recall correctly it's Sierra (they made this mod but Blizzard never wanted to sell it with their original) then you can't buy Hellfire from Blizzard :)
What you have is 2 separate games: D1 classic + D1 Hellfire. If you want to play D1 you'll need to patch it up to 1.09 (if I recall it correctly) while Hellfire never adopted original patches and 1.02 (?) is their last patch, which leaves you with outdated d1 base if you're going to play Hellfire. My suggestion stays, find D1 Hellfire compete pack for free download, often patched to latest. see archive.org


if you need to access old games from your 64bit OS there's one fun way to do it if you have spare pen drive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saT_8ArYF2g
this video shows how to create bootable win xp, it uses virtualbox layer with Linux to run it. as a result you'll boot right into win xp from that pen drive, can copy, patch or even run some games.
give it a go if interested. ever wanted to have good old win xp in your pocket? :)

I think the patch you have bookmarked is the same version I linked. Or, at least, the documentation URL is the same as the one you linked.

Like I said, it seems like the one people like a lot for Hellfire. There's also ones like The Hell and The Awakening that are pretty popular. One of the most popular ones (and one I enjoy the most) is Belzebub/HD Mod, but that's original Diablo only and incorporates a lot of quest/beta content/Diablo 2 style changes to it.

You shouldn't entice people to break copyright law, even if it's not illegal in your country. I'm not saying I wouldn't download or play it, but I wouldn't tell someone else to.

if you already own a copy (as OP stated) how it is breaking any law? who owns rights for Hellfire now? where you can buy it?

If you want to do it right then that would be to write a letter to (Activision?) and ask them to provide a solution for product. Would it work?

I don't know who owns it. I know I don't, and you don't. And those shady abandonware sites don't.

Well, now that you drew my attention to it it's painfully obvious that it's the same patch. You linked the forums, and I had the site bookmarked.

I've played both Diablo and 1.01 Hellfire using a windows guest OS, and both worked sufficiently well.
I didn't notice the mana bug to be honest. I installed it, played it, then never touched Hellfire again.
Why? It felt to me exactly what it was: a third-party addon. It was not a seamless fit to the original game.