WHDLoad MantisBT - UltimaVI
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0004473UltimaVI[WHDLoad Installs Games] slavepublic2020-04-12 11:522020-05-20 04:07
Reporterretrogamer 
Assigned ToPsygore 
PrioritynormalSeverityminorReproducibilityalways
StatusassignedResolutionopen 
PlatformOSOS Version
Product Version 
Target VersionFixed in Version 
MachineA1200
CPU68020
CPUSpeed50
ChipSetAGA
GFXCardNone
ChipMem2 MB
FastMem0 MB
WorkbenchOS 3.0
KickROM40 - Kick 3.1
KickSoftNone
WHDLoad18.5
imported
Summary0004473: Ultima 6 WHDload copy protection removal needs fixing
DescriptionThe removing of the game copy protection ( needs manual!) does not seem to work properly.
The gameplay starts at Lord British castle and
after winning the first battle with gargoyles, you must speak with LB to get some help and guidance.
For example, you can' t use Orb of the moons without showing it to LB first.
In the original version of the game U6, you could use the Orb after speaking of it with LB, but that doesnt work with current WHD version of U6. Additionally, it seems that " the copy protection removed" is made by cutting some essential parts of the LB character " speak topics".
When you talk to Nystul ( at the beginning), he doesn't speak all the advice needed, compared to the original v of U6.
So it seems the install was made in a hurry and does need some fixes and improvements.
Anyway, I personally appreciate all WHDload game installs ( and other Amiga software) a lot.

Se EAB thread here http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=101690
TagsNo tags attached.
Attached Files? UltimaVI_12.lha (7,447) 2020-04-17 17:57
http://mantis.whdload.de/file_download.php?file_id=920&type=bug
? UltimaVI_12a.lha (14,913) 2020-05-06 00:41
http://mantis.whdload.de/file_download.php?file_id=966&type=bug

Notes
(0008235)
Psygore   
2020-04-17 17:59   
Confirmed.

Please test the attached slave, type "pw" for the manual protection check.
(0008238)
retrogamer   
2020-04-17 18:39   
Now is the manual check removed after talking with Lord British 3 times typing "pw".

Is it possible change chipmem usage to 512kb?
(0008613)
macce2   
2020-05-03 19:38   
I can confirm that the new fix (manual protection check by typing "pw" 3 times) does work ok.
Tested on my A4000D (OS 3.9; 060; WHDload version 18.5 )
(0008614)
retrogamer   
2020-05-03 19:54   
Will the new slave be published on the WHDLoad site soon Psygore?
(0008627)
macce2   
2020-05-04 15:39   
How about making a separate slave (Chip - ?!) for faster machines ?!
On my A4000 060 setup, the game runs too fast overall; even when NoCache option is used.
(0008629)
Psygore   
2020-05-04 19:19   
Thanks for your tests.

I have done an 512 kb chipmem slave (+636 kb fastmem). If someone wants to test I can attach it here.

You can use Expchip option for faster machine. Extra memory will be allocated in chipmem instead of fastmem.
(0008630)
retrogamer   
2020-05-04 19:28   
Yes please can you attach the 512kb chip slave so we can test it
(0008640)
macce2   
2020-05-05 19:07   
Having tried the ExpChip option of WHDload now,
I can confirm that it does reduce the game speed considerably;
almost too much (?!).
So, I guess it to be much a matter of taste, which is the ideal
running speed for the game.
Anyway, a Chip mem slave for Ultima6 is a good idea and I personally
would like to give it a try, too !
(0008644)
Psygore   
2020-05-06 00:46   
Attached an 512kb chipram (+ othermem) slave and 1.0mb chipram for slowdown purpose (btw the kickstart 1.3 will be allocated in fastmem unless you use expchip option).
(0008679)
macce2   
2020-05-10 21:04   
There are some minor graphic issues, when using the ChipRam slave (without ExpChip) on my setup;
some small "flashing" pixels on the game character and inventory item icons.
Occasionally, I noticed also some (minor) screen update problems (when the party is approaching a building, some part of the wall/doors etc. is missing for a while.
The game speed is overall quite ok.

I find now using the new "normal" slave (with NoCache and ExpChip) the best option for my setup.
(0008698)
macce2   
2020-05-14 16:49   
With WHDload options (Preload) NoCache and ExpChip enabled, the Chipmem slave does seem to work ok.
(0008780)
macce2   
2020-05-18 20:43   
Sorry folks; actually, when I use the Chipmem slave With ExpChip option, there appears some minor graphics issues; some small, black kind of flashing pixels; near the Avatar icon of the character sheet, and near some inventory item icons.
So, I'm currently playing Ultima6 WHDload with Chipmem slave and the following options: Preload, NoCache. (Using Preload is obvious; and without NoCache option, the game doesn't seem to work correctly (060 issue ?!))
With the above mentioned configuration, the graphics bug mostly disappear
(there May be some small black pixels near the Avatar icon, right after the game state is loaded, but they do disappear later (If not 060 related, could it be something with Picasso96 system ? (I'm using Picasso IV card with P96 installed)

Additionally, most of you who have played Ultima 6 more, propably know the Inventory bug, where you can bring items exceeding the character weight limit.
It would be a great idea to fix that issue too (propably this bug also appears on the other versions of Ultima6 ?!), with the WHDload slave somehow..?!
(=possible..?)
Btw, I abused that bug by picking many more items to the inventories of my party's members; and after I was doing that a good while (using bags, backpacks etc) the game suddenly hang up. I wasn't able to save or anything, I was forced to use the WHDload Quitkey to exit the game!
I think that hang up almost certainly had something to do with the Inventory bug.

Additionally, almost as long as I have been playing Ultima6 I have been disturbed by two things of the game (these are actually no "official" bugs at all!); the First is: The names of the game party characters appear physically at different height than the energy level numbers (aesthetically strange, imho ! ).
the Second one: when you travel accross Britannia, quite often there appears some brown square-shaped "pieces of ground", which I think are certainly some kind of severe graphic bug (also present on the PC version of U6) that has
unfortenately made its way through play-testing to the final version of the game! Although this bug doesn't affect the gameplay generally at all (?!), in my opinion, it is Very annoying and disturbing and so i think it would be a great idea to try to fix that major "bug" somehow !?
(0008781)
macce2   
2020-05-18 20:51   
small addition to the "ground pieces" bug I mentioned above:
those brown colored, square-shaped pieces mostly appear near the roads etc, and at certain points, there are lot of them!

I do apologise double-posting, quite long explanations and my English.
however, I do dream of the more "perfect", corrected and enchanced version of this classic gem, Ultima6 for the Amiga!
(0008796)
macce2   
2020-05-20 04:07   
Very frustrating bug appeared after a few hours of playing;
all the inventories of the characters became empty after saving the game.
I made the game saving soon after entering the cellar / dungeons located below the Cyclops' castle / house, which is located between the mountains south of Minoc.
I was playing the WHDload versipn with the Chipmem slave ( Preload, NoCache).
It would be important to know, if this inventories empty bug also appears on the originally installed game ?! According to Ultima Wiki, the Amiga version does indeed have an inventory bug, where the items are duplicated sometimes, when first playing the game a few hours and then saving.
Interesting and in my opinion, worth a deeper investigation.

Issue History
2020-04-12 11:52retrogamerNew Issue
2020-04-12 22:19StingRayAssigned To => Psygore
2020-04-12 22:19StingRayStatusnew => assigned
2020-04-17 17:57PsygoreFile Added: UltimaVI_12.lha
2020-04-17 17:59PsygoreNote Added: 0008235
2020-04-17 18:39retrogamerNote Added: 0008238
2020-05-03 19:38macce2Note Added: 0008613
2020-05-03 19:54retrogamerNote Added: 0008614
2020-05-04 15:39macce2Note Added: 0008627
2020-05-04 19:19PsygoreNote Added: 0008629
2020-05-04 19:28retrogamerNote Added: 0008630
2020-05-05 19:07macce2Note Added: 0008640
2020-05-06 00:41PsygoreFile Added: UltimaVI_12a.lha
2020-05-06 00:46PsygoreNote Added: 0008644
2020-05-10 21:04macce2Note Added: 0008679
2020-05-14 16:49macce2Note Added: 0008698
2020-05-18 20:43macce2Note Added: 0008780
2020-05-18 20:51macce2Note Added: 0008781
2020-05-20 04:07macce2Note Added: 0008796