Running 'Starflight' (Electronics Arts) on the IBM PC,AT,Clones with EGA
All of the patching information comes from Lee Johnson [71310,405].
Also special thanks to Bert Estlow [71330,3167] who was the first to
figure out the PC Jr. patch of Lees' would fix the ega problem.
While the game 'Starflight' runs with a CGA video card without problems
on the IBM PC/AT/Clones several of the EGA boards won't work with it.
Lees' origional patch to get this program working on the IBM Pc Jr. will
also allow you to use it on a PC with an ega card. We will be using his
old patch '#5'. The new patch '#6' WILL NOT WORK with the PC type machines.
Limitations
-----------
You will only get 4-color RGB output using the cyan/magenta/b&w palette.
You cannot patch a game already in progress.
You cannot run a saved game with the new patched program 'starflt.com'.
On the orbital scans the planet is egg shaped instead of round (this may
be the case only with my monitor and card 'NEC Multisync/STB Plus EGA card.)
What you need
-------------
1. Your original 'Starflight' disks (pc version is two disks 'A & B')
2. Two blank disks on a floppy based system. If you have a hard
drive you can apply the patch there.
3. The 'debug.com' program that comes with the dos operating system.
Floppy disk systems
-------------------
On a floppy based system use 'diskcopy' to copy the origional Starflight
disks on your two blank disks. Put the origionals away.
Insert the dos distribution disk conatining 'debug.com' into drive 'a'
type 'debug' followed by a return key ''. The computer will respond
with a '-' hyphen. Remove the disk with 'debug.com' on it
Insert the copy (not the origional) of Starflight 'A' disk
Hard disk systems
-----------------
On a hard disk create new subdirectories.
mkdir c:\starflt (or whatever you want to call it)
mkdir c:\starflt\play
mkdir c:\starflt\save
If you had already created these subdirectories as per the doc that came
with the game delete all the files in those subdriectories. BE CAREFUL,
be sure you only delete the files in the starflt subdirectories and not
any of the other programs/data on your hard drive.
Copy all the files from the two 'Starflight' disks onto your hard drive:
copy a:*.* c:\starflt\play
copy b:*.* c:\starflt\play
put the origional 'Starflight' disks away
copy 'debug.com' over to the hard drive
copy a:debug.com c:\starflt\play
type cd \starflt\play (this puts you in the subdirectory to do the patch)
type 'debug' followed by a '' return key and you should see a '-'
hyphen appear.
Installing the patch (for both the floppy nard disk systems)
--------------------
Enter the following:
n starflt.com (followed by a '' return key)
l (followed by a '' return key)
after a few seconds the '-' hyphen prompt should appear again
1. Enter the following to make sure your are patching the correct part of
the program.
d 8dcc l e
Debug should display
xxxx:8DCC BA D4 03 BE :T.>
xxxx:8DD0 16 8D E8 26 FF 83 3E AF-8D 01 ..h&..>..
Make sure all the numbers are the same except for the numbers indicated
by 'xxxx'
2. At the '-' hyphen prompt type in the following:
e 8dcc b8 04 00 83 ff 01 75 02 b0 05 cd 10 eb 3c
3. Now we check to see if the patch was entered correctly.
Enter:
u 8dcc l e
Debug will display:
xxxx:8DCC B80400 MOV AX,0004
xxxx:8DCF 83FF01 CMP DI,+01
xxxx:8DD2 7502 JNZ 8DD6
xxxx:8DD4 B005 MOV AL,05
xxxx:8DD6 CD10 INT 10
xxxx:8DD8 EB3C JMP 8E16
If you don't get the same results go back and try the patch again.
4. At the '-' hyphen prompt type 'w' followed by a '' return key.
This will write the patched program back to the disk.
Debug will display:
Writing D3B6 bytes
5. At the hyphen '-' prompt type 'g' followed by a '' return key
(this ends you session with debug).
6. Your copy of 'starflight' should now work with your PC and an EGA card.
You should save this patched version just as you would your origional
'starflight' disks and only make copies to play on.
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