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General discussion (archive)So, who's releasing these old SSI D&D games again?... (101 posts)(101 posts)
(101 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted May 03, 2012
Concerning the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons games, we do not currently have additional information on when these games will be available. Should more information become available, they will be posted on the site and in the client, so please check back often.

Thank you!
I'm still asking questions. This is all I've been able to get so far.
Posted May 04, 2012
Concerning the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons games, we do not currently have additional information on when these games will be available. Should more information become available, they will be posted on the site and in the client, so please check back often.

Thank you!
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the_bard: I'm still asking questions. This is all I've been able to get so far.
Damn! This is annoying me to no end. Why the heck did they tease us like this and then don't have anything substantial to say? I'm feeling some serious rage building up here...
Posted May 04, 2012
I'm afraid that I do not have any further information about these games or their availability, other than what is listed on the site or in the client. If I did have more information, I would be happy to provide it. I apologize for the disappointment.
-__-

If anyone else would like to join in on the information gathering please do so. I'm not done probing yet.

/me dusts off the ole AssKracker 2000
Posted May 04, 2012
Seems more like a half-baked (and pretty desperate) publicity stunt from a (deservedly) dying digital distributor.

A big issue with the SSI Gold Box early releases (Pools, Curse and Hillsfar) was their use of a codewheel, where you had to look up symbols every time you started a game. That cannot practically be handled with a digital release ("Please print out these PDFs, cut out the marked holes and stick them together to make your own codewheel!") and it seems unlikely that the source code will still be available to remove the check properly.

If it could of course, that would be a big bonus. I still get stuck due to using the wrong codewheel.
Posted May 04, 2012
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AstralWanderer: Seems more like a half-baked (and pretty desperate) publicity stunt from a (deservedly) dying digital distributor.

A big issue with the SSI Gold Box early releases (Pools, Curse and Hillsfar) was their use of a codewheel, where you had to look up symbols every time you started a game. That cannot practically be handled with a digital release ("Please print out these PDFs, cut out the marked holes and stick them together to make your own codewheel!") and it seems unlikely that the source code will still be available to remove the check properly.

If it could of course, that would be a big bonus. I still get stuck due to using the wrong codewheel.
Actually most of those are quite easily removed especially for Pool of Radiance where all you had to do is clear out all the text in one file. But there is a second forum of cp in that game where you find a skeleton with a parchment with a series of Elven charecters that is needed to complete the quest in a heroric manner(you could just kill the ghost) one area as well as safely avoid fights with the undead guards but they could just have a text file with the translation handy.
Posted May 08, 2012
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DCT: Actually most of those are quite easily removed especially for Pool of Radiance where all you had to do is clear out all the text in one file...
You wouldn't happen to know which file, would you? I've had a dig through the POR files on my system (and used Process Monitor to see which ones were accessed during startup) and not seen anything. No luck with an online search either (aside from this VOGONs post which doesn't apply to the GameFest version).
Posted May 08, 2012
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DCT: Actually most of those are quite easily removed especially for Pool of Radiance where all you had to do is clear out all the text in one file...
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AstralWanderer: You wouldn't happen to know which file, would you? I've had a dig through the POR files on my system (and used Process Monitor to see which ones were accessed during startup) and not seen anything. No luck with an online search either (aside from this VOGONs post which doesn't apply to the GameFest version).
It's been ages since I had to do it myself and all I recall was there was two ways one was to launch start.exe with the cheat code which varied by game so for example for pool of radiance it was "Start.exe Sting" the other way was to hex edit the codes out which normally start to appear around 77B0h when you crack it open with a hex editor, again it's been ages so I don't recall if that is for all gold box titles.

Also for Pool of Radiance hex editing will not remove the translating the three passwords part in the old fort over run with the undead.
Post edited May 08, 2012 by DCT
Posted May 08, 2012
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DCT: ...all I recall was there was two ways one was to launch start.exe with the cheat code which varied by game so for example for pool of radiance it was "Start.exe Sting" the other way was to hex edit the codes out which normally start to appear around 77B0h when you crack it open with a hex editor...
My version of Pools doesn't have a start.exe - only poolrad.exe. I did try "poolrad sting" to no effect, but when I just retested with "poolrad.exe STING", it skipped the check! Now I just need to test it out with Curse.

I'm not too bothered about the scroll translation - it only needs doing once.
Posted May 08, 2012
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AstralWanderer: A big issue with the SSI Gold Box early releases (Pools, Curse and Hillsfar) was their use of a codewheel, where you had to look up symbols every time you started a game.
Hey, guess what? Interactive PDFs are a real thing. Just add all the code wheel parts, write up a script, include the bloody PDFs with the game files, and voila. Codewheel!

Bloody lazy programmers these days...
Posted May 08, 2012
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DCT: ...all I recall was there was two ways one was to launch start.exe with the cheat code which varied by game so for example for pool of radiance it was "Start.exe Sting" the other way was to hex edit the codes out which normally start to appear around 77B0h when you crack it open with a hex editor...
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AstralWanderer: My version of Pools doesn't have a start.exe - only poolrad.exe. I did try "poolrad sting" to no effect, but when I just retested with "poolrad.exe STING", it skipped the check! Now I just need to test it out with Curse.

I'm not too bothered about the scroll translation - it only needs doing once.
Glad it was a bit of a help, I found the other "cheat" codes for the other Gold box games just remember while these bypass the CP they will enable cheats

Curse - STING Wooden
Secret - Hoop Gem
Pools of Darkness - 2 2 Helm
Treasures of the Savage Frontier - 2 2 Helm
Gateway needs to have a hacked EXE so it's pointless if your just using the cheat code to bypass the CP

DragonLance games
Champions - Woof Helm
Death Knights - anything Helm
Dark Queen - sadly does not use the original Gold Box engine, instead uses the Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures version of the Gold Box engine so it has no cheats/easy CP bypass
Posted May 09, 2012
this thread inspired me to go play Curse of the Azure Bonds last night.
Posted July 19, 2012
I'm afraid that I do not have any further information about these games or their availability, other than what is listed on the site or in the client. If I did have more information, I would be happy to provide it. I apologize for the disappointment.
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the_bard: -__-

If anyone else would like to join in on the information gathering please do so. I'm not done probing yet.

/me dusts off the ole AssKracker 2000
Any news?

Yes it's necro but I'm pissed, tired and bored so go pick on someone who cares.
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General discussion (archive)So, who's releasing these old SSI D&D games again?... (101 posts)(101 posts)
(101 posts)