Firtasik wrote on 2023-05-27, 19:26:

feda, only added the Start.wrs parameter after acknex.exe in a shortcut.

Thanks, I hate it.

I wonder why Macmillan, a book publisher, would put their name on something like this. Gotta be one of those tax write-off scams.

I wondered if it was the old Y2K bug popping up, but then the IGN reviwers had problems with the game in 1999 already; the failed review the OP linked was originally posted in september 1999?

Rwolf wrote on 2023-05-28, 13:29:

I wondered if it was the old Y2K bug popping up, but then the IGN reviwers had problems with the game in 1999 already; the failed review the OP linked was originally posted in september 1999?

Their problem was different that ours. They had the game crashing. Y2K bug doesn't even allow the game to load to the menu.

BEEN_Nath_58 wrote on 2023-05-28, 17:17:

Rwolf wrote on 2023-05-28, 13:29:

I wondered if it was the old Y2K bug popping up, but then the IGN reviwers had problems with the game in 1999 already; the failed review the OP linked was originally posted in september 1999?

Their problem was different that ours. They had the game crashing. Y2K bug doesn't even allow the game to load to the menu.

No, they couldn't run the game either. Quote from the article:

Five computers have tried, and failed to execute the program, which suffers from fatal crashes before it ever reaches an options menu.

Ok, so I guess I can attribute this error to Y2K in the game trivia at Mobygames?
(I think this is the first time I've ever seen the Y2K issue affect a program this way)

RunAsDate by Nir Sofer: https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/run_as_date.html

Very handy!

Firtasik wrote on 2023-05-28, 21:20:

RunAsDate by Nir Sofer: https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/run_as_date.html

Very handy!

No way...this actually works, even on my Windows 10 PC! However the game runs WAY too fast, I'm wondering if this is one of those where the speed of the game is dependent on the processor you're using, not sure if there's anything to simulate a slower processor that we could possibly use

feda wrote on 2023-05-27, 18:49:

I still can't get it to work in W10 even after changing the date. Did you do anything else apart from dgvoodoo? Runs okay in PCe […]
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Firtasik wrote on 2023-05-27, 14:45:

Nice one, konc!

It does work with dgVoodoo2 on Windows 10 but the game runs too fast (limiting FPS helps).

Also there's no music. Does the original disc have audio tracks?

I still can't get it to work in W10 even after changing the date. Did you do anything else apart from dgvoodoo?
Runs okay in PCem tho.

armani, could you post a scan of that manual? I think that's not against the rules.

Yup, I can post the manual contents sometime this week!

Rwolf wrote on 2023-05-24, 12:16:

Covers are processed now at MobyGames, thanks.

I also just threw some in-game screenshots on Mobygames!

armani wrote on 2023-05-29, 00:04:

No way...this actually works, even on my Windows 10 PC! However the game runs WAY too fast, I'm wondering if this is one of those where the speed of the game is dependent on the processor you're using, not sure if there's anything to simulate a slower processor that we could possibly use

You can limit the framerate using dgvoodoo or ddrawcompat, I tested both successfully. The frame limiter in Nvidia Control Panel should work also.

Some important information: The game needs to be run with a date and time before June 1st 1999, 00:00. And the game was released September 1999? What were the devs testing on, dead clock hardware?

BEEN_Nath_58 wrote on 2023-05-29, 05:54:

Some important information: The game needs to be run with a date and time before June 1st 1999, 00:00. And the game was released September 1999? What were the devs testing on, dead clock hardware?

I only tried an "early enough to be safe" 1999 date and wrote that the game runs with it, but tested nothing else.

I don't understand why people are discussing about a Y2K issue, did anyone actually try other dates like in 2001 and the game doesn't run?

Well, it would be good to have a verified date, if at all possible - maybe there is another reason than Y2K, it just seemed a likely culprit to me.

The engine might be "time-bombed".

From acknex.exe:

1Time restricted - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION
24.0H alpha Mar 28 1999

Firtasik wrote on 2023-05-29, 09:13:

The engine might be "time-bombed". […]
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The engine might be "time-bombed".

From acknex.exe:

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1Time restricted - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION
24.0H alpha Mar 28 1999

Excellent find! Who knows what happened with this weird game, it only gets weirder.

Could it be that they missed removing the restriction before the release? Is the release a hurried wrap up of a beta? (or even an alpha). My best guess is that there is some leftover code from the time-restricted versions, which while not being really active some part of it runs and fails on later dates.

konc wrote on 2023-05-29, 08:28:

BEEN_Nath_58 wrote on 2023-05-29, 05:54:

Some important information: The game needs to be run with a date and time before June 1st 1999, 00:00. And the game was released September 1999? What were the devs testing on, dead clock hardware?

I only tried an "early enough to be safe" 1999 date and wrote that the game runs with it, but tested nothing else.

I don't understand why people are discussing about a Y2K issue, did anyone actually try other dates like in 2001 and the game doesn't run?

Tried random dates from 2004 to 2012 and none work

This thread is great 😀
What a weird game and that run-as-date utility is a great solution

That is really wierd...if the item being tested is a time-limited alpha version, maybe only intended for internal testers, then why does it have box covers at all?
Somebody messed up in a major way if these were distributed for sale, as none of them would have worked.

konc wrote on 2023-05-29, 09:27:

Firtasik wrote on 2023-05-29, 09:13:

The engine might be "time-bombed". […]
Show full quote

The engine might be "time-bombed".

From acknex.exe:

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1Time restricted - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION
24.0H alpha Mar 28 1999

Excellent find! Who knows what happened with this weird game, it only gets weirder.

Could it be that they missed removing the restriction before the release? Is the release a hurried wrap up of a beta? (or even an alpha). My best guess is that there is some leftover code from the time-restricted versions, which while not being really active some part of it runs and fails on later dates.

Perhaps it's a review build that was meant to work for a limited time only, someone fucked up and they accidentally shipped it. The IGN reviewers got their hands on it when it was already too late.

BEEN_Nath_58 is right, June 1st 1999, 00:00 is the exact cut-off date when it stops working. So it can't be a Y2K bug.

According to Mobygames, this was the last game from ManMachineGames and also the penultimate game released by Macmillan Digital Publishing USA.
Edit: correction, they renamed themselves to MachineWorks Northwest LLC and made some mobile games mostly for other franchises.

Rwolf wrote on 2023-05-29, 13:34:

Somebody messed up in a major way if these were distributed for sale, as none of them would have worked.

There could be multiple retail versions out there, some time-bombed, some not.

feda wrote on 2023-05-29, 13:42:

Perhaps it's a review build that was meant to work for a limited time only, someone fucked up and they accidentally shipped it. […]
Show full quote

konc wrote on 2023-05-29, 09:27:

Firtasik wrote on 2023-05-29, 09:13:

The engine might be "time-bombed". […]
Show full quote

The engine might be "time-bombed".

From acknex.exe:

Copy code to clipboard

1Time restricted - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION
24.0H alpha Mar 28 1999

Excellent find! Who knows what happened with this weird game, it only gets weirder.

Could it be that they missed removing the restriction before the release? Is the release a hurried wrap up of a beta? (or even an alpha). My best guess is that there is some leftover code from the time-restricted versions, which while not being really active some part of it runs and fails on later dates.

Perhaps it's a review build that was meant to work for a limited time only, someone fucked up and they accidentally shipped it. The IGN reviewers got their hands on it when it was already too late.

BEEN_Nath_58 is right, June 1st 1999, 00:00 is the exact cut-off date when it stops working. So it can't be a Y2K bug.

According to Mobygames, this was the last game from ManMachineGames and also the penultimate game released by Macmillan Digital Publishing USA.
Edit: correction, they renamed themselves to MachineWorks Northwest LLC and made some mobile games mostly for other franchises.

Rwolf wrote on 2023-05-29, 13:34:

Somebody messed up in a major way if these were distributed for sale, as none of them would have worked.

There could be multiple retail versions out there, some time-bombed, some not.

Very well could be, mine is version 1.0, and it was definitely sold in retail stores because there is a price sticker on the top of the right of the box I own of it

Made a video on Carnivorous and included a few posts here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUXZv--dJgc