Re: Cracked Software

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Jim Cullen writes ...

>>
 
Good Evening!!
 
     I was never much of a programmer when I was a kid, but I did crack
World Games and Kid Niki....and some other games that were ProDos
based.. I'd hit a control-reset when prodos popped up, then I'd pop in
system utilities and do a $2000g and it would load with the protected
prodos and read the disk with no problem... I don't even know what made
me think of that....just happened!

     Anyhow.....One type of protection that always intrigued me was the
EA protection........ya know the clickity clickity click sound that
popped up every so often. Anyone know how they did that?  I'd love it
when that happened...I'd buy up any EA game I could just to hear the
different combinations of clicks they put in there.  There were also
different type of clicks too....and if you were quick, you could swap
disks quickly with another EA original disk with the same click and it
would work.  Am I making sense??

     I was dissappointed when they changed protection on Deathlord,
Wasteland
etc...It wasn't as fun to listen to!!     I'm a whacko!!   Anyone else
feel the same...or have some info on this protection??

<<

 ....

     The Disk ][ does make an audible click for track changes. The
clicks you heard could have been due to checking for synchonization
between tracks and/or repeated checking for track length. Lots of clicks
in a row going from loud to soft could indicate "spiral tracking", a
technique where just parts of several half or quarter width tracks are
read in succession.

     I can not say that such protections were all that enjoyable for me.
Too often, the day came when the clicking missed a beat and the
protected diskette no longer booted. On the other hand, I do like the
solid noises of a correctly functioning built-like-a-tank Disk ][ drive.

     One Disk ][ clone that I got from Steve Buggie uses this gross
relay to switch power on. Every time it's activated there's a loud
THACK! to let you know the drive is for sure serious about accessing the
disk. It makes using any disk in the drive seem a lot more 'important'
and, anyway, more fun.




Rubywand