Omega Probe by Mark Smiddy for the Electron

[Dave_E]

Playing the new flicker-free version of Snow Vaders gave me a thought.

Snow Vaders was originally on Micro User 2.10 cassette. The disc version of this issue came with a free game - Omega Probe, by Mark Smiddy. The game Omega Probe was originally slated for release by Optima Software which was an offshoot of Database Publications, who produced The Micro User and Electron User magazines. Optima Software also produced Sea Wolf and Bed Bugs.

At some point, there were advertisements for Sea Wolf, Bed Bugs and Omega Probe which ran in both Electron User and The Micro User. For many years I assumed Omega Probe was "out there", and I would acquire it second hand one day. However, after three decades of searching, and seeing Sea Wolf and Bed Bugs many times, I concluded that Omega Probe probably had never been released. Then I found that it was actually given away free on The Micro User 2.10 disc and I thought "Ah, so that's where it ended up, instead of releasing it, they just gave it away with The Micro User."

Which brings me to the thought...

Maybe an Electron version of Omega Probe could be created... The BBC B one on Micro User 2.10 does not work because it has Mode 7 screens and then crashes when the game starts. But I'll bet it could be "quite easily" converted by someone who knows machine code. Mark Smiddy wrote a lot of articles back in the day about legal machine code so I'm sure he didn't write messy spaghetti code. So this post is really a long diatribe just to ask if anyone might want to take a look at Omega Probe and see if an Elk version is possible...?

[Michael Brown]

Hi,
I can assure you that Omega Probe for the BBC Micro B was released on cassette as I had it back in 1985.
I actually had it for several months trying to transfer the files as there was tape protection of some sort checking each file had loaded from tape before descrambling its code.
Back then I did not have a clue as to how this game was protected and I had to hack into each file using Exmon II and then save them back to tape and reload them again etc etc.
The actual transferred game featuring the Optima loader is on my Disc017.
Mick.

[Pernod]

Hi,
I can assure you that Omega Probe for the BBC Micro B was released on cassette as I had it back in 1985.
I actually had it for several months trying to transfer the files as there was tape protection of some sort checking each file had loaded from tape before descrambling its code.
Back then I did not have a clue as to how this game was protected and I had to hack into each file using Exmon II and then save them back to tape and reload them again etc etc.
The actual transferred game featuring the Optima loader is on my Disc017.
Mick.

Kevin Edwards may have been responsible for the protection, he worked for Optima when he was 17.

[Michael Brown]

Ah, He wrote Atomic Protector for them in 1983 so yes, its possible he may have stayed on and helped them with other things like protection.
The BBC tape version is available via uef on STH for anyone who wants to suffer the horrors of simple tape protection.

[billcarr2005]

Kevin Edwards may have been responsible for the protection, he worked for Optima when he was 17.

Hi,
I can assure you that Omega Probe for the BBC Micro B was released on cassette as I had it back in 1985.
I actually had it for several months trying to transfer the files as there was tape protection of some sort checking each file had loaded from tape before descrambling its code.
Back then I did not have a clue as to how this game was protected and I had to hack into each file using Exmon II and then save them back to tape and reload them again etc etc.
The actual transferred game featuring the Optima loader is on my Disc017.
Mick.

The UEF doesn't contain any tape protection per se - the files can easily to transferred to disc.
The filenames aren't DFS friendly.
The first BASIC program has some code hidden within the REM statements and control codes to prevent listing / obfuscate what's happening, but i can't see it being so complicated to get working correctly, save for some potential relocation (although the 2nd file loads at &1700 with BASIC at &1900)
Unless the UEF is different to the cassette you had!

[Cybershark]

So this post is really a long diatribe just to ask if anyone might want to take a look at Omega Probe and see if an Elk version is possible...?

Pretty sure that - in a world where there's an Elk version of Exile - it'd be pretty simple to convert this one.
The real question is if anyone, other than yourself, is suitable invested in the idea.

[billcarr2005]

Maybe an Electron version of Omega Probe could be created... The BBC B one on Micro User 2.10 does not work because it has Mode 7 screens and then crashes when the game starts. But I'll bet it could be "quite easily" converted by someone who knows machine code. Mark Smiddy wrote a lot of articles back in the day about legal machine code so I'm sure he didn't write messy spaghetti code. So this post is really a long diatribe just to ask if anyone might want to take a look at Omega Probe and see if an Elk version is possible...?

It appears that the hanging when the ship is displayed is due to getting stuck in an infinite loop whilst reading &FE64. There are also reads of &FE65.

Will this be to get some random numbers? What's the Electron equivalent?

[Michael Brown]

IIRC
You had to manually load and save each file as using something like Disc Doctor would just save each file over the previous one as they all had the same name - not mega tape protection, but still a ball-ache.

Now IIRC when you loaded the first file, the loader it somehow saved some code either via the program running or by just being loaded from tape. This code would then be needed by the second file as that then in turn saved some other code that the third file needed to use via EOR.
I am no good with this sort of protection.

I can only remember *LOADing from tape the 3rd file and inserting a RTS somewhere and then saving it back to tape. Then run the original tape and swap for my file when ready. Then save that back to tape and reload and the correct code was there. This was back in 1985 but I remember sitting on the tape for months trying to get it to work and did not know about the Micro User copy otherwise would have used that.

Its really the main game file that is protected from copying. In fact, you do not see many copies of this game in anyone's collection.

BTW the copy I have on my disc has been changed from when I originally hacked it as there was a strange sound effect upon loading due to the tune playing, so the way it loaded had to be changed slightly.

Mick.

[billcarr2005]

So this post is really a long diatribe just to ask if anyone might want to take a look at Omega Probe and see if an Elk version is possible...?

Pretty sure that - in a world where there's an Elk version of Exile - it'd be pretty simple to convert this one.
The real question is if anyone, other than yourself, is suitable invested in the idea.

I've not changed any of the MODE7 screens, as my main goal was to have the main game loop working by removing the reads of FE64.
I've tested it in Elkulator with Elektuur/Slogger turbo board and Slogger/Master RAM board in Turbo mode and it still seems to be a little sluggish.
I have no idea whether there are obvious changes / optimisations that would allow for a smoother playing experience, but it's a start

Its really the main game file that is protected from copying. In fact, you do not see many copies of this game in anyone's collection.

If they had wanted it in their collection, they would've surely turned to the Micro User copy!
I think my confusion came from the difference between copying files (it's a straight tape to disc transfer) and getting them working correctly (following a couple of values from start to finish)

[Kevin Edwards]

Hi,

I honestly can't remember if I worked on the protection for Omega Probe - there's a chance I did or may have helped a bit.

I remember doing the protection for Red Arrows on the Beeb, and probably for Atomic Protector whilst I was doing work for Optima Software.