Knight Orc (Level 9) ... yes, it actually exists!

[iamaran]

Super, let us know if you're able to complete the game and if so, whether there are any further checks along the way. Thanks Aran!

I've encountered a problem or two, but it looks like it will be possible to complete it. It will take me some time!

[iamaran]

It's playable to the end, with no further manual lookup checks!

[CMcDougall]

I completed it too ....

here is it on a DSD, so no need to keep swapping Game & Picture disc from drive0

[CMcDougall]

now, this DID crease me up : "ADFS is slow"

but for peeps that like really snail slow junk

[billcarr2005]

Using the excellent debugging features of B2, I've since discovered that the password(s) are stored in their token form at &11E3,E4,E5

The offsets are the same in both the BBC with SWRAM and BBC Master versions, namely
BBC &8000
Master &1100

Code: Select all

+DF,E0,E1 PAGE,LINE,NUMBER
+E2 ?
+E3,E4,E5 WORD ATTEMPT 1,2,3
+E6 ATTEMPT NUMBER

The following values at &80DF
21 03 08 7F 0B 0B 0B

were there when it was Page 33, Line 3, Word 8. The password is "IN"

Therefore &11E3 being changed to &0B (relatively straightforward under emulation) before the first guess would make the password "IN"

The code to place the "password" on the BBC version is at &1296

Code: Select all

1296 LDA &8000,Y	Y=01	(&8001)
1299 STA &8000,X	X=E3	(&80E3)

The code to get &0B in &8001 in the first place occurs around

Code: Select all

1119 LDA &A07
111C JMP &158A
	158A PHA	(the password "token" from &A07)
	158B JSR &BD9
	 	BD9 JSR &124C 	(this must decide where to put the value)
	 	BDC TAX			(the X to STA to at &158F)
	 	BDD LDA 8000,X
	 	BE0 RTS
	158E PLA
	158F STA &8000,X		(&8001)

&A07 is set -

Code: Select all

1106 LDA &80FF
1109 SEC
110A ADC &0A07
110D STA &0A07

&80FF is constantly changing, so is effectly a random number...

[leenew]

Good detective work so far

Lee

[billcarr2005]

Could somebody please try the following disk/c

The word *should* be "A", whichever Page, Line and Word is asked for...

EDIT: there's no need to go all the way to THROW SPEAR before it appears... RESTORE, from the beginning, should also trigger the question!

[marcusjambler]

I managed to kill the horse

[daniel_gsp]

I managed to kill the horse

I really need to play this!

[lurkio]

Could somebody please try the following disk/c

The word *should* be "A", whichever Page, Line and Word is asked for...

EDIT: there's no need to go all the way to THROW SPEAR before it appears... RESTORE, from the beginning, should also trigger the question!

Works for me in JSBeeb.

Did you want someone to test on a real Beeb?

[billcarr2005]

Works for me in JSBeeb.

Did you want someone to test on a real Beeb?

I've tested the standard BBC and Master versions on b2 and also the standard on b-Em, BeebEM and JSBeeb and it seems to work too, so I *think* I've found a constant number which works
Obviously any further testing on real or emulated setups would ensure it's not a fluke

[Arcadian]

Top work, Bill!

Thanks for persevering!!

[daniel_gsp]

Indeed

[melchett]

In what may well be the find of the year (from a games perspective at least!), the BBC Micro/Master version of Level 9 Software's Knight Orc

Absolutely amazed to see this finally and not a hacked together version using the e.g. Gnome Ranger game engine plus another platform's game data. I had given up hope of seeing this and yet here it is but an absolute freak of a chance encounter. And it was still readable which is even more incredible. Wow, thanks to the team who managed to get this preserved now and playable online or in a desktop emulator. Will have to read the manual and give it a go.

I still wonder if they did ever release any retail copies...

[Arcadian]

I still wonder if they did ever release any retail copies...

Good to have you back on the forum after, wow, a ten year hiatus!

Anyway, I had confirmation from the author Mike Bryant that at least ONE copy was sold (at a computer show!).

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: RE: Knight Orc on the BBC
Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2020 13:05:29 -0000
From: Mike Bryant
To: 'Dave M'

Hi there!

Well done. I remember selling one copy at PCW show (?) in Earls Court to a young lad… guessing that more copies were sold mail-order.

[melchett]

Good to have you back on the forum after, wow, a ten year hiatus!

Thank you Dave and has it really been that long....? It's good to be back, looks like so many exciting projects have happened.

Imagine the bidding war if the one retail copy of Knight Orc for the BBC shows up on ebay... I'd hope the owner donates it but that's their choice I guess.

[e668ecp]

Reminds me of Defender of the Crown. Me and an old school friend wrote a version of this for the BBC but we couldn't get any software house interested as it was around 1991 so gave up before it was complete

[fizgog]

Excellent find, well done to everyone involved

[Sazhen86]

In an uncharacteristic act of violence, I tried killing the hermit in the cave. Typing "KILL HERMIT" resulted in an endless repeated display of:

"The hermit roars with laughter as you miss and sprawl hopelessly on the ground"

Was it something I said or did I find a bug?

[iamaran]

The PC version behaves similarly. Hundreds of messages, there is some variety though. However, *eventually* you die. See screenshot.

[iamaran]

It's the same in the BBC version. Press shift to scroll and eventually you do die.
Press any other key when you need to scroll you are asked whether you want to continue. Say NO and you may resume the game. See screenshots.

[Sazhen86]

I guess I need to be more patient

I tried again and that message must have been displayed 20 to 30 times before Odin entered and killed me.

Thanks for encouraging me to continue.

[Magicknight]

I am (somewhat) a bit late to the party,

But i colated the best of the above and made a double sided disk which has the following:

* the Game
* the Graphical Pictures
* The piracy protection altered - so that A is the only answer to all of the protection questions.

All on a DSD 80 Track Double sided file.

No more swopping disks or looking up words in the manual.

(Tested on real hardware as well),

enjoy :0)

KnightOrc-GameDisc0 PictureDisc2.dsd

(400 KiB) Downloaded 6 times

[tnash]

Reminds me of Defender of the Crown. Me and an old school friend wrote a version of this for the BBC but we couldn't get any software house interested as it was around 1991 so gave up before it was complete

Let's just rewind a couple of years... when you say "before it was complete" , how far did you get and do you still have it?

[e668ecp]

It was around 95% complete.. i've no idea if I still have it now and I've lost touch with my friend who now lives in Los Angeles