Here are some hacked versions
of 2 famous game in ST diskimage format, suitable for emulators on PC.
Both games have standard (normal) version, and versions with cheat,
especially DM, where champions get very strong characteristics after first action,
plus increase levels after avery action. Games are set to run from
RAMDISK, what effectively decreases loading times (normally DM needs
couple minutes to start on Atari ST). I put here source files for Chaos
Strikes Back RamDisk set and loader & protection removal. There is
several protection in games, main thing is search for sector #F7 on
floppy, what is impossible to write with standard Atari. That part is
solved with new Xbios rutine which tracks all calls, and 'lies' game
when needed.
ST format diskimages with Dungeon Master and CSB
Source file for normal CSB
Source code for CSB with cheat
Compability with emulators on PC:
They work with recent emulators like Steem 3.2, Winston 0.5 and Saint 1.99d. Steem must be set so, that no harddisk map to C: , because it is needed for RamDisk. 1Meg of RAM is minimum, because RamDisk needs half Mega. Recommended emulator is Steem. For better gameplay set CPU speed/clock to some 80% of max. possible, and not increase run speed over 100%. On todays average PC it will result with fast graphic and very good playability. DM and CSB will run nice with high CPU clock, unlike many other ST games.
Chaos Strikes Back Utility disk is also in archive, and works :-)
Dungeon Master for Kids & using custom levels:
Here is a special, easy version of Dungeon Master, intended for kids. It is realized in some Apple version, but some people made it usable on Atari ST. I made only so much, that I replaced original DUNGEON.DAT with it. Name must be always DUNGEON.DAT.
ST format diskimage with Dungeon Master for KIDS and program for save custom level games for further play
Instructions for using custom levels in Dungeon Master:
'Insert' DM_KID.st in emulator. You will see file FIRDC11.PRG on floppy A. Start it - first step is creation of RRD (Resident Ramdisk). Predefined size of 512KB will be OK. Click on INSTALL RRD - this will soft reset ST, and you will get drive C on desktop (if use Steem don't map hard disk to C!) . Now again start FIRDC. Click on LOAD & DEC and select DM_KID.RCC, program will warn about destroying content of Ramdisk, but it is exactly what we want. So GO ON and then EXIT. Now open drive C, and you will see files (all this bothering was to avoid autostart with simple starter). Replace DUNGEON.DAT with your custom dungeon (but only dungeons for Atari ST will work, not PC vers. dungeons). I left original DM dungeon in ramdisk, only renamed it to DUNGEON.DA. Last step is saving complete Ramdisk with custom dungeon for further playing. So, again start FIRDC from A, click CMR RRD. Compression is pretty slow, so you may speed up emulator. When compression is finished click SAVE CMR. Give name like CUSTDUN1.RCC and save it on drive B (or A, but first replace it to empty one). Then click MK LDER, and give same name, but with extension PRG - CUSTDUN1.PRG. That's all. Now you need only to keep that ST image file. On standard 720 or 800KB images you will have enough place to save positions too.
Custom levels in Chaos Strikes Back:
Similar to Dungeon Master - just replace DUNGEON.DAT with custom dungeon file...
ST format diskimage with CSB for KIDS(!) and program for save custom level games for further play
This is actually same kid dungeon, just used with CSB :-)
You will see 3 PRG files in disk image: CSB.PRG is for normal start and play. CSB_NA.PRG is for installing RamDisk without game start, purposed for changing dungeons. After installing RamDisk some tricks are used, so your A drive is actually C Ramdisk, and B drive is 'real' A drive. You need to copy DUNGEON.DAT (replacing original) to A (after installed RamDisk), then start programm RRD_D.PRG from fake B drive (what is A in fact) - it will save RamDisk content with name CHAOSSTB.RRD to diskimage inserted in A (overwriting original, so work with copy!).
PP, July 5. 2005.
ST format diskimages with Dungeon Master and CSBSource file for normal CSB
Source code for CSB with cheat
Compability with emulators on PC:
They work with recent emulators like Steem 3.2, Winston 0.5 and Saint 1.99d. Steem must be set so, that no harddisk map to C: , because it is needed for RamDisk. 1Meg of RAM is minimum, because RamDisk needs half Mega. Recommended emulator is Steem. For better gameplay set CPU speed/clock to some 80% of max. possible, and not increase run speed over 100%. On todays average PC it will result with fast graphic and very good playability. DM and CSB will run nice with high CPU clock, unlike many other ST games.
Chaos Strikes Back Utility disk is also in archive, and works :-)
Dungeon Master for Kids & using custom levels:
Here is a special, easy version of Dungeon Master, intended for kids. It is realized in some Apple version, but some people made it usable on Atari ST. I made only so much, that I replaced original DUNGEON.DAT with it. Name must be always DUNGEON.DAT.
ST format diskimage with Dungeon Master for KIDS and program for save custom level games for further playInstructions for using custom levels in Dungeon Master:
'Insert' DM_KID.st in emulator. You will see file FIRDC11.PRG on floppy A. Start it - first step is creation of RRD (Resident Ramdisk). Predefined size of 512KB will be OK. Click on INSTALL RRD - this will soft reset ST, and you will get drive C on desktop (if use Steem don't map hard disk to C!) . Now again start FIRDC. Click on LOAD & DEC and select DM_KID.RCC, program will warn about destroying content of Ramdisk, but it is exactly what we want. So GO ON and then EXIT. Now open drive C, and you will see files (all this bothering was to avoid autostart with simple starter). Replace DUNGEON.DAT with your custom dungeon (but only dungeons for Atari ST will work, not PC vers. dungeons). I left original DM dungeon in ramdisk, only renamed it to DUNGEON.DA. Last step is saving complete Ramdisk with custom dungeon for further playing. So, again start FIRDC from A, click CMR RRD. Compression is pretty slow, so you may speed up emulator. When compression is finished click SAVE CMR. Give name like CUSTDUN1.RCC and save it on drive B (or A, but first replace it to empty one). Then click MK LDER, and give same name, but with extension PRG - CUSTDUN1.PRG. That's all. Now you need only to keep that ST image file. On standard 720 or 800KB images you will have enough place to save positions too.
Custom levels in Chaos Strikes Back:
Similar to Dungeon Master - just replace DUNGEON.DAT with custom dungeon file...
ST format diskimage with CSB for KIDS(!) and program for save custom level games for further playThis is actually same kid dungeon, just used with CSB :-)
You will see 3 PRG files in disk image: CSB.PRG is for normal start and play. CSB_NA.PRG is for installing RamDisk without game start, purposed for changing dungeons. After installing RamDisk some tricks are used, so your A drive is actually C Ramdisk, and B drive is 'real' A drive. You need to copy DUNGEON.DAT (replacing original) to A (after installed RamDisk), then start programm RRD_D.PRG from fake B drive (what is A in fact) - it will save RamDisk content with name CHAOSSTB.RRD to diskimage inserted in A (overwriting original, so work with copy!).
PP, July 5. 2005.