This is the core of the matter:
I'm dying to try out FF9 on epsxe. However, I own the norwegian version (Pal UK-type), thus making that a little difficult. Realising the problems of no low-level read support of the emulators, I was wondering if we could... we... simply add it as a cheatcode.
The libcrypt system has a routine that reads some data off the CD, encrypts it and stores it in the clipboard of your psx. Another routine then checks that magic word and crashes if it's not correct. Crackers (paradox) disables the second routine by hacking into the code of the CD and altering teh second routine to not crash. Howeverm they haven't released the PAl UK version and probably won't.
My idea: Let the check work, don't hack. Low level read is done by calling register $1f80180x and getting some specific data off the media. I am yet usure of what data, but to my (rather limited) knowledge of the matter, the only thing varying from cd to cd would be the registration number. Since the game only uses $1f80180x to do lowlevelreading, why don't we just PROVIDE the correct data straight to the PSX cheat function? It's even simple.
And then the problem. I need to find what data is different from cd to cd. Because, obviously, the game should not work with a burned copy. So far, the cd registration number won't work, though it fits nicely in the 32 bit registers. So, anyone able to redirect me to some info on the psx media?
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Danner
I'm dying to try out FF9 on epsxe. However, I own the norwegian version (Pal UK-type), thus making that a little difficult. Realising the problems of no low-level read support of the emulators, I was wondering if we could... we... simply add it as a cheatcode.
The libcrypt system has a routine that reads some data off the CD, encrypts it and stores it in the clipboard of your psx. Another routine then checks that magic word and crashes if it's not correct. Crackers (paradox) disables the second routine by hacking into the code of the CD and altering teh second routine to not crash. Howeverm they haven't released the PAl UK version and probably won't.
My idea: Let the check work, don't hack. Low level read is done by calling register $1f80180x and getting some specific data off the media. I am yet usure of what data, but to my (rather limited) knowledge of the matter, the only thing varying from cd to cd would be the registration number. Since the game only uses $1f80180x to do lowlevelreading, why don't we just PROVIDE the correct data straight to the PSX cheat function? It's even simple.
And then the problem. I need to find what data is different from cd to cd. Because, obviously, the game should not work with a burned copy. So far, the cd registration number won't work, though it fits nicely in the 32 bit registers. So, anyone able to redirect me to some info on the psx media?
--
Danner