Back to the source: ReDMCSB

[ChristopheF]

Also I noticed that I have to use Chaos strikes back for Amiga toolchain in order to get CSB for Amiga. When I build using CSB for Amiga toolchain, I get only Dungeon master binaries.

I don't understand this sentence.

Although I have placed NOCOPYPROTECTION compilation directives in lots of places in the source code, I've only tested it successfully for DM/CSB Atari ST and DM Amiga versions 2.x. Actually I have never tried to build CSB Amiga (or any other version) without the copy protection. So it is quite possible that I missed places where NOCOPYPROTECTION should be added.

Did you build and use all executable files, not only the main program? Did you get any error message on screen or in the log file located in \Output\Build\MKMA.LOG ?

Where did you download ReDMCSB ? Did you get the latest public version available (2021-02-06) from here http://dmweb.free.fr/community/redmcsb/#downloads

I'll have to dig into the code and see if I can help you further

[jm256]

I don't understand this sentence.

My fault. I meant that I noticed that I have to use Chaos strikes back for Apple Macintosh toolchain in order to get CSB for Amiga. When I build using CSB for Amiga toolchain, I get only Dungeon master binaries.

NOCOPYPROTECTION is used as a parameter for compliler only for Dungeon master toolchain (+ several others as well) but not for Apple Macintosh toolchain. In order to strip copyprotection code, I decided to put #define NOCOPYPROTECTION directly in Toolchains\Common\Source\COMPILE.H. I hoped that this could work.

If I build without NOCOPYPROTECTION defined in COMPILE.H, I get no errors. However, in other case, I get errors

Also for this case, with NOCOPYPROTECTION, no APPB.FTL is missing in the output.
Here is partial output of toolchain Apple Macintosh

Code: Select all

+=================================================================================================+
+ ReDMCSB                                                                                         +
+=================================================================================================+

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Toolchain      : Apple Macintosh
- Folder         : D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh
- Executable IDs : 18,19,20,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,
                   46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,65,66,67,68,69,70,123,125,126,127,130,131,132,
                   133,134,135,137,138,139,140,141,142,143,144
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Use common source code
----- Delete existing toolchain folder
----- Create toolchain folders
----- Create toolchain control files
----- Copy toolchain base files
----- Copy toolchain source files
----- Copy common source files
----- Perform toolchain custom import actions
----- Run toolchain and wait for completion
WARNING: Using the keyboard or mouse in the Macintosh emulator may break ReDMCSB build automation
----- Perform toolchain custom export actions
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31E\ANIM.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31E\APPA.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31E\CNFG.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31E\GRF1.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31E\MEM1.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31E\SWSH.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31E\USIO.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31E\VDEO.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31M\APPA.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31M\APPB.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31M\GRF1.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31M\USIO.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31M\VDEO.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A35E\VDEO.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A35M\ANIM.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A35M\APPB.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A36M\CNFG.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A36M\KAOS.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\AU1E\ANIM.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\AU1E\APPB.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\AU1E\CEDT.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\AU1E\HINT.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\AU2F\ANIM.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\AU2F\APPB.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\AU2G\APPB.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\AU2E\APPA.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\AU2E\CEDT.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\AU2E\FIO1.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\AU2E\HINT.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\AU3E\CEDT.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\SU1E\ANIMATE.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\SU1E\CHAOS.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\SU1E\FTLCODE
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\X30J\FTLCODE
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\X30J\SWOOSH
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\X31J\ANIM.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\X31J\APPA.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\X31J\APPB.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\X31J\GRF1.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\X31J\INT1.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\X31J\MEM1.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\X31J\MUSC.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\X31J\SWSH.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\X31J\USIO.FTL
Convert executable to FTL D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\X31J\VDEO.FTL
----- Export Build and Object files
----- Compare executable files
Different [D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Reference\ReDMCSB\A31E\ANIM.FTL]
          [D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31E\ANIM.FTL]
Identical [D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Reference\ReDMCSB\A31E\APPA.FTL]
          [D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31E\APPA.FTL]
Not found [D:\Jan\ReDMCSB\Output\Apple Macintosh\HARDDISK\BUILD\A31E\APPB.FTL]

If I build original Apple Macintosh Amiga CSB, the binaries are identical to those of official CSB Amiga version and APPB.FTL is produced. For testing binaries I use this bundle http://dmweb.free.fr/games/chaos-strike ... oftware.7z
and in it Floppy Disks ADF\Chaos Strikes Back for Amiga Game Disk v3.5 (English) Original (Not working).adf
I am able to use only .ADF Amiga archive file formats as I rely on ADFreader tool to move files.
Perhaps I could kindly ask you to make CSB Amiga without copyprotection for me? As this is the true reason I get that ReDMCSB. Because I only want Amiga version of CSB, but that copyprotection sucks.

[ChristopheF]

The toolchain defines the platform where executables are generated, not the target platform where you execute them.
After developing DM Atari ST on Atari ST and DM Amiga on Amiga, FTL Games decided to move development for all computers that use the 68000 CPU to Macintosh, using the THINK C compiler and then convert the generated Macintosh executables to their own custom executable file format (files with .FTL extension).
This is why you need to use the Macintosh toolchain to build the CSB Amiga executables.
The only exception is the "launcher" (named BJELoad_R) which is the small program (built on Amiga, using the Amiga toolchain of ReDMCSB) that knows how to load and run the other .FTL files.

As you noticed, NOCOPYPROTECTION is not yet tested for CSB Amiga and this fails to build APPB.FTL. I have work to do to make it work...

You may find the original executable files directly in ReDMCSB in folder \Reference\Original, no need to extract them yourself from ADF disk images.

[jm256]

It would be great if you could build CSB Amiga without copyprotection. Imagine that there are only protected originals and cracked versions out there. This new one could be revolutionary . Personally, I love the Amiga CSB version thanks to its magic map feature as well as stereo sounds. If wasn't there be that protection .
And I also would like to transfer my PC DM characters to CSB Amiga. For that matter I am working on tool capable of transfering characters from PC to Amiga platform, as there is no one. I have successfully decrypted several sections out of DM PC savegame according to the Saved game decoder referenced in http://dmweb.free.fr/community/tools/sa ... e-decoder/

[ChristopheF]

Updated version: http://dmweb.free.fr/Stuff/ReDMCSB_WIP20250909.7z

I fixed a bunch of issues and now all executables compile and link successfully, with NOCOPYPROTECTION defined or undefined.
I have not tested any of the executables that you are interested in, so no guarantee that they will work as expected.
I'll let you make your own tests and come back to me if needed.
Note that you need to uncomment the "#define NOCOPYPROTECTION" line at the beginning of COMPILE.H to force building executables without the copy protection.

[jm256]

Perfect, thanks Christophe. Now I compiled using NOCOPYPROTECTION and I can confirm, that the old ADF image "Chaos Strikes Back for Amiga Game Disk v3.5 (English) Original (Not working).adf' works, if old files are replaced by those generated by NOCOPYPROTECTION. In original, files in that ADF match those supplied by ReDMCSB. In ReDMCSB the files and their folders are

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ANIM.FTL   A31E
APPA.FTL   A31M
APPB.FTL   A35E
BJELoad_R  A35E
CNFG.FTL   A31E
GRF1.FTL   A31M
MEM1.FTL   A31E
SWSH.FTL   A31E
USIO.FTL   A31M
VDEO.FTL   A35E

Based on that information, I replaced files in original ADF image with those build with NOCOPYPROTECTION. Now I am able to get past splash screen "Chaos strikes back". Previously program hang there indefinitely. I will let you know If there are problems typical for protected CSB during gameplay. Good work, thanks!

[ChristopheF]

Your replacement file list is correct for CSB Amiga 3.5 English.

It's good to know that it works! A few hours of gameplay without any issue is still required before we can trust this.

[jm256]

I will test the gameplay for a while for any issues.

[jm256]

I have played this new version of CSB Amiga for several hours and there were absolutely no issues during gameplay. I think I can continue safely. I have also developed a program allowing me to transfer my party from DM PC to CSB Amiga. To my best knowledge, this is first such a program. I can publish it somewhere.

[ChristopheF]

Great !
Please share this program of yours it might interest other people, and I'll add it on the Encyclopaedia