[SunGodPortal]

The only reason why I'm supporting Puzzledude on this issue is because I want to gain his trust so that one day he will send me a copy of the IQ test hack that is compatible with real hardware so that I can then make repros of my own and sell those.

Busted!

[xnamkcor]

It'd be cool if the program I'm forced to use as part of the DRM even worked.

[Disch]

The only reason why I'm supporting Puzzledude on this issue is because I want to gain his trust so that one day he will send me a copy of the IQ test hack that is compatible with real hardware so that I can then make repros of my own and sell those.

I wonder.... are hacks of hacks allowed?

Like... if I made a hack based on this hack which made it conform to hardware -- would that be something I could submit to the site?

( Not that I'm going to do this -- I'm just wondering  )

[Zynk]

The only reason why I'm supporting Puzzledude on this issue is because I want to gain his trust so that one day he will send me a copy of the IQ test hack that is compatible with real hardware so that I can then make repros of my own and sell those.

oohaha sarchazmz errheegursh

I wonder.... are hacks of hacks allowed?

Like... if I made a hack based on this hack which made it conform to hardware -- would that be something I could submit to the site?

( Not that I'm going to do this -- I'm just wondering  )

Yes you can, its called an Addendum. You have to credit the original hacker tho.

[SunGodPortal]

I wonder.... are hacks of hacks allowed?

Like... if I made a hack based on this hack which made it conform to hardware -- would that be something I could submit to the site?

( Not that I'm going to do this -- I'm just wondering  )

Don't worry about it. Erock's already got a plan. But we gotta keep it a secret from Puzz, okay?

[xnamkcor]

Do we have any quality control rules? Like, if a hack is not reasonably playable, can it be refused?

[SunGodPortal]

Do we have any quality control rules? Like, if a hack is not reasonably playable, can it be refused?

The shot above looks like you're missing a dll.

[B.B.Link]

If a hack was created, but no one plays it. Was it ever really created. Think about it............................

[xnamkcor]

The shot above looks like you're missing a dll.

The DLL was included in the package.

[SunGodPortal]

If a hack was created, but no one plays it. Was it ever really created. Think about it............................

Here's me playing as I am confronted with a rather complex block puzzle.



The copy of the ROM that I routinely work with turned out to be the exact one I needed and I already knew how to use ZSNES so I had absolutely no trouble getting this hack to run. I patched, I opened ZSNES and played. Simple as that. Perhaps the title of the thread should be "Time to test your ability to follow basic instructions". hehehe

[puzzledude]

"Time to test your ability to follow basic instructions". hehehe

A+
Or maybe I should add The Terms of Use:
"Player, follow these instruction and thus agree to the terms of use, if not - go outside and play some basketball, why are you sitting on a comp, complaining."

but seem oblivious to the fact that they have neither legal or moral standing to claim any kind of ownership over anything they've done. It literally doesn't belong to them!

The code presented in the form of the patch belongs literally to me alone. I never released anything done by original authors.

I'd be flattered and amused if someone made a repro of something I'd worked on

Then why don't you let me sell your car for 15,000$. I would be happy - I gained 15,000$ by selling your car, a customer is happy - he bought a car. And you - who are now without your car and without money - would be flattered.
What beyond-dumb ideas.

The only reason why I'm supporting Puzzledude on this issue is because I want to gain his trust so that one day he will send me a copy of the IQ test hack that is compatible with real hardware

The game was glued together from Lorom parts into one Exlorom. No version of glued Lorom (ie compatible with everything) exists.

that I can then make repros of my own and sell those.

no, no, no

If a hack was created, but no one plays it. Was it ever really created.

If you don't like/play the game, someone else will; if nobody likes/plays the game, god will.

It'd be cool if the program I'm forced to use as part of the DRM even worked.
Do we have any quality control rules? Like, if a hack is not reasonably playable, can it be refused?
The DLL was included in the package.

Let me tell again, the game works! Why do you think I tested it and suffering while doing the testing. The game was played through from beginning to end around 10 times!! on both emus!, which obviously work.
You just have Your Computer Messed-Up.

Original snes9x did not have this DLL included at all. You had to find it online and put it into the System folder of Windows. I fixed all that for your convenience.

Also do note: if you don't have directX (a whole bunch of DLLs) or Framework installed, which you don't, you really can not play any games on your comp.

Some dumb protection-filled antiviruses and Windows7, 8, 10 hiper dumb protection measurements will also refuse for you to use any additional/manually added DLLs, unless you "register" them (this is very difficult to do and requires the use of CMD command line to put the DLL "to the list" in the Register).

This hyper dumb move by Microsoft is not protection at all, it simply dissallows you to use completely usable programs.


Try to run a harmless program called Add-ons by Euclid, which can make Alttp sprites stronger. On XP= no problems, Win7 and above - all DLLs blcked (manual registering needed).


So you see this really has nothing to do with this game, or this emulator, it is just Windows refusing the DLL needed to run the program.

See this DLL is in the folder itself - no need for Windows to read from the System folder (where it might or not might be - based on whether you installed DirectX or not).

But your comp/Operating system is obviously dumb enough to not run it, since it sees as something alienated, and requires for you to register the DLL with a CMD command, so that this info gets written into the REG.

The one to blame for your problem is - Microsoft.

Knowing the above, imagine how beyond-dumb your statement is that my hack needs qulity control.

What does a hack have to do with this. Absolutely nothing - you have a problem with the emulator, as a result of a paranoid-programmed Windows, or its settings!, or you don't have DirectX.


PS
If you are unable to run a program on your comp, you can always use Zsnes, which is less complex, and does not require such a DLL to be registered.

October 08, 2015, 03:54:26 am - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)Note: Any user who has his Operating System installed properly ie normally, should NOT encounter this problem, since by default the DLL is run automatically in concordance with the EXE in the same folder.

Of course if you have a messed-up comp/OP, who can not run simple programs in a normal fashionable way and no DirectX (needed to play ANY Game), then it is another story.
----------

Copy pasting the EDLL.dll of the program to
C:\Windows\System32

migh also solve the problem. But like I said, if this fixes the problem, the Operating system is just dumb/or has dumb settings. The registering of dll might still be needed nevertheless.

[tryphon]

Then why don't you let me sell your car for 15,000$. I would be happy - I gained 15,000$ by selling your car, a customer is happy - he bought a car. And you - who are now without your car and without money - would be flattered.
What beyond-dumb ideas.

While Im not totally comfortable with the idea of repros myself, your comparison is beyond-dumb. If you clone my car and sell the clone, so I keep my original, then yeah, it'd be more accurate.

[xnamkcor]

A+
Or maybe I should add The Terms of Use:
"Player, follow these instruction and thus agree to the terms of use, if not - go outside and play some basketball, why are you sitting on a comp, complaining."

The code presented in the form of the patch belongs literally to me alone. I never released anything done by original authors.

Then why don't you let me sell your car for 15,000$. I would be happy - I gained 15,000$ by selling your car, a customer is happy - he bought a car. And you - who are now without your car and without money - would be flattered.
What beyond-dumb ideas.

 
The game was glued together from Lorom parts into one Exlorom. No version of glued Lorom (ie compatible with everything) exists.

no, no, no


If you don't like/play the game, someone else will; if nobody likes/plays the game, god will.


Let me tell again, the game works! Why do you think I tested it and suffering while doing the testing. The game was played through from beginning to end around 10 times!! on both emus!, which obviously work.
You just have Your Computer Messed-Up.

Original snes9x did not have this DLL included at all. You had to find it online and put it into the System folder of Windows. I fixed all that for your convenience.

Also do note: if you don't have directX (a whole bunch of DLLs) or Framework installed, which you don't, you really can not play any games on your comp.

Some dumb protection-filled antiviruses and Windows7, 8, 10 hiper dumb protection measurements will also refuse for you to use any additional/manually added DLLs, unless you "register" them (this is very difficult to do and requires the use of CMD command line to put the DLL "to the list" in the Register).

This hyper dumb move by Microsoft is not protection at all, it simply dissallows you to use completely usable programs.


Try to run a harmless program called Add-ons by Euclid, which can make Alttp sprites stronger. On XP= no problems, Win7 and above - all DLLs blcked (manual registering needed).


So you see this really has nothing to do with this game, or this emulator, it is just Windows refusing the DLL needed to run the program.

See this DLL is in the folder itself - no need for Windows to read from the System folder (where it might or not might be - based on whether you installed DirectX or not).

But your comp/Operating system is obviously dumb enough to not run it, since it sees as something alienated, and requires for you to register the DLL with a CMD command, so that this info gets written into the REG.

The one to blame for your problem is - Microsoft.

Knowing the above, imagine how beyond-dumb your statement is that my hack needs qulity control.

What does a hack have to do with this. Absolutely nothing - you have a problem with the emulator, as a result of a paranoid-programmed Windows, or its settings!, or you don't have DirectX.


PS
If you are unable to run a program on your comp, you can always use Zsnes, which is less complex, and does not require such a DLL to be registered.

October 08, 2015, 03:54:26 am - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)Note: Any user who has his Operating System installed properly ie normally, should NOT encounter this problem, since by default the DLL is run automatically in concordance with the EXE in the same folder.

Of course if you have a messed-up comp/OP, who can not run simple programs in a normal fashionable way and no DirectX (needed to play ANY Game), then it is another story.

There are hundreds of hacks that all work on real hardware and most emulators. Yours is the only one that needs a special program to run.

[puzzledude]

Those "special" programs are standard Snes9x and a standard Zsnes emulators (used by 70% percent of all players who play Snes hacks), which support a standard Exlorom mapper used for advanced romhacking.

But you are right: the game is emulator specific (that's why it is flagged for removal and admins are discussing this).

BUT this hack:
http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/11/

uses the same mapper as mine. It is Exhirom and ALSO emulator specific (since some of us are just interested in advanced romhacking).

Why is SMW hack The Legend Continues by Fusoya Not a problem (the hack is on this site since 2003 - no problems), but mine is a problem - yet they are of the same (advanced) kind (it is just a Expansion method, not even a format).

[Erockbrox]

That's it, I am personally going to reverse engineer this hack for play on original hardware myself.

*sends Puzzledude a PM*

Title reads: Please tell me how to reverse engineer this hack

[zhade]

So I found the second key, following your instructions, in the second dungeon but It only opened a path to another room where a key is needed 
I know there is got to be something in one of the rooms with lots of holes where there is a strange statue with 2 stars surrounding it but I cant seem to find a way to get there, I thought the 2nd key would get me to a room with a teleporter that would transport me to the top-left part of the first room, but there seem to be nothing there.

Btw, about the whole exlorom thing, its not that I think the conversation is pointless but before playing the hack I looked at the comment section looking to find what people were thinking about the hack and it took a long time to find someone who actually tried it and gave some feedback. I understand that it makes sense to talk about it here because the hack uses this weird "format" (or whatever its called) and people seem to have an opinion on wether it should be used or not and thats fine but the whole comment section now looks like an emulation philosophy debate instead of talking about the game. For anyone like me who doesnt really understand all the technicality about the issue and only wanted to hear what people think about the modifications made to Alttp, it all seems kind of off-topic.

I dont understand why this hack should be flagged for removal because it wouldnt work on real hardware or needs a specific emulator when other hacks use chips like the MSU-1 which never existed in the snes era and also only work on certain emulators, I guess a chip could be made to make this hack work on real hardware, even tho the chip doesnt exist at the moment, it theoraticaly could work... right ? Then again I dont know much about all this so dont bash me too hard if what im saying is complete nonsense but just let people who want to play this do please... This site has the best repertory of quality hacks and I think this one deserves to be in here too.

[xnamkcor]

Those "special" programs are standard Snes9x and a standard Zsnes emulators (used by 70% percent of all players who play Snes hacks), which support a standard Exlorom mapper used for advanced romhacking.

But you are right: the game is emulator specific (that's why it is flagged for removal and admins are discussing this).

BUT this hack:
http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/11/

uses the same mapper as mine. It is Exhirom and ALSO emulator specific (since some of us are just interested in advanced romhacking).

Why is SMW hack The Legend Continues by Fusoya Not a problem (the hack is on this site since 2003 - no problems), but mine is a problem - yet they are of the same (advanced) kind (it is just a Expansion method, not even a format).

Your ROM isn't unplayable on most emulators because it's "advanced", it's because you purposefully obfuscated it to control how it can be played.

So I found the second key, following your instructions, in the second dungeon but It only opened a path to another room where a key is needed 
I know there is got to be something in one of the rooms with lots of holes where there is a strange statue with 2 stars surrounding it but I cant seem to find a way to get there, I thought the 2nd key would get me to a room with a teleporter that would transport me to the top-left part of the first room, but there seem to be nothing there.

Btw, about the whole exlorom thing, its not that I think the conversation is pointless but before playing the hack I looked at the comment section looking to find what people were thinking about the hack and it took a long time to find someone who actually tried it and gave some feedback. I understand that it makes sense to talk about it here because the hack uses this weird "format" (or whatever its called) and people seem to have an opinion on wether it should be used or not and thats fine but the whole comment section now looks like an emulation philosophy debate instead of talking about the game. For anyone like me who doesnt really understand all the technicality about the issue and only wanted to hear what people think about the modifications made to Alttp, it all seems kind of off-topic.

I dont understand why this hack should be flagged for removal because it wouldnt work on real hardware or needs a specific emulator when other hacks use chips like the MSU-1 which never existed in the snes era and also only work on certain emulators, I guess a chip could be made to make this hack work on real hardware, even tho the chip doesnt exist at the moment, it theoraticaly could work... right ? Then again I dont know much about all this so dont bash me too hard if what im saying is complete nonsense but just let people who want to play this do please... This site has the best repertory of quality hacks and I think this one deserves to be in here too.

I agree, the MSU hacks are kinda worthless.

[zhade]

I agree, the MSU hacks are kinda worthless.

Its not what I meant, I never played any MSU-1 hacks personally, but I think its nice that the snes can be enhanced with it to add CD quality audio and stuff. What I meant is that if MSU-1 hacks are allowed (which I think is a good thing) why should this be flagged for removal ?

[puzzledude]

Btw, about the whole exlorom thing, its not that I think the conversation is pointless but before playing the hack I looked at the comment section looking to find what people were thinking about the hack and it took a long time to find someone who actually tried it and gave some feedback. I understand that it makes sense to talk about it here because the hack uses this weird "format" (or whatever its called) and people seem to have an opinion on wether it should be used or not and thats fine but the whole comment section now looks like an emulation philosophy debate instead of talking about the game. For anyone like me who doesnt really understand all the technicality about the issue and only wanted to hear what people think about the modifications made to Alttp, it all seems kind of off-topic.

I dont understand why this hack should be flagged for removal because it wouldnt work on real hardware or needs a specific emulator when other hacks use chips like the MSU-1 which never existed in the snes era and also only work on certain emulators, I guess a chip could be made to make this hack work on real hardware, even tho the chip doesnt exist at the moment, it theoraticaly could work... right ? Then again I dont know much about all this so dont bash me too hard if what im saying is complete nonsense but just let people who want to play this do please... This site has the best repertory of quality hacks and I think this one deserves to be in here too.

A+
Exactly, MSU-1 is not compatible with real hardware - remove all MSU-1 hacks then (dumb idea isn't it). Real hardware just can not advance - like romhacking can.



THIS PART IS ACTUALLY ABOUT THE GAME (not a mapper debate)

So I found the second key, following your instructions, in the second dungeon but It only opened a path to another room where a key is needed

The key is right there you just need to light all torches (you must find a fire rod).
Hint: from the most upper floor (when you are in the most right-upper corner), drop down the most left upper pit that you can reach, now drop the most left upper pit that you can reach again.

Drop some more to come to the room with that Knight statue. Perform a dash jump across the pit to the suspicious Knight statue with stars= ie a secret is near if a star is near; and try to move/lift it. You are going to need some lifting power...
--------------------------

Your ROM isn't unplayable on most emulators because it's "advanced", it's because you purposefully obfuscated it to control how it can be played.

The aswer here is Yes and No. The game uses an advanced Expansion, which allows it to have more space (that's all there is to it). All the data has been repointed. The organization of data is far beyond the poor and squeezed original.

This allows the game to be better in any way. The warp maze is not possible if not all room-header data is available.

Ie: standard hacking= leave as original (D57 are for room headers)
advance hacking (this game)= repoint to address 200000 and use unlimited space for room header, but "exotic" Exlorom format.

Don't you see, we simply need space, and if you want more than 4MB, you need this mapping. More space does not mean all needs to be filled, it mean the organization of data is better and advanced, still leaving empty space, which doesn't "add up".

This data reorganization goes beyond the scope of original or standard Alttp romhacking, I call this hex gluing or advance romhacking; which any "normal" Alttp hack would not use (they would just edit it with Hyrule Magic program - which makes an below average/bugged data organization).

This allows me to have infinite sprites for instance, infinite room-header properties ie rooms transitions etc etc. Standard hacking will not allow this.



October 08, 2015, 05:18:39 am - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)

That's it, I am personally going to reverse engineer this hack for play on original hardware myself.

*sends Puzzledude a PM*

Title reads: Please tell me how to reverse engineer this hack

There is nothing to "reverse". The hack is an Exlorom, glued together from Loroms. The "glued" can not be Lorom, since it uses Exlorom pointers (not compatible with Lorom if repointer "backwards").

There are 2 ways to make this a standard Lorom and thus compatible with real hardware:
-I have to glue all Lorom parts into Lorom instead of Exlorom (a whole bunch of work just to give carters a bone - not my thing, Plus - space problems! - I would have to "squeeze" the data= ie compress the GFX, since currenlty it is left uncompressed)
-Prodigy hex editing of the Exlorom to remap it to Lorom, plus remove super anti-cart lock (ignored by Emus). Also because of the space problem (gfx is not compressed) this would have to be 4MB.

But you know: The Glove Has Been Thrown (to the cart makers).

If anyone is capable of doing the latter (prodigy hex editing of the Exlorom to remap it to Lorom), than this person has beaten me. I would be defeated and I would respect the hyper-intellect of that person and let him do as many carts as he wants= he deserved it- he has beaten my lock. He did awesome work, he did an aweson job= he deserves it.

He could even put this "delocking" on this site as an Addendum. He made a hack, he hacked a hack to now be able to be played on real hardware.

He would hack a hack (this is deep).

[Erockbrox]

Hey kids, did you ever want to just play video games all day and not have to worry about going to school? Well now you can with Puzzledude's Zelda 3 IQ Test ^TM. Discover how the Universe works while pushing around blocks and come up with your own theories on how to solve the various problems just like Einstein. Tell your teacher to go such on a lemon while pushing your mind to the limits all while just trying to get the game to run in the "mysterious" emulator in the first place.

Once you have beaten the entire game take on the "second quest challenge puzzle" of making a legitimate repro cart that runs on actual hardware. So what are you waiting for? Take on the quest for greatness and download Puzzledude's Zelda 3 IQ Test ^TM for a mind boggling good time.

Puzzledude's Zelda 3 IQ Test ^TM and all content related is copyright of Puzzledude 2015. All right reserved. Patent pending. Any and all derivative works that infringe on this IP will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Violators may be charged up to a maximum of $250,000 and serve up to 10 years in prison.