Diablo   by Hybrid (HYB)

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Req's │ Pentium 60+, 8MB RAM (16MB for network play), Windows 95 with ║ ║ │ DirectX 2.0+ installed. ║ ╟─────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╢ ║ ║ ║ RELEASE INFO: ║ ║ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ║ ║ First of all, this release is intended for the vast amount of gameplayers ║ ║ out there and our own FTP sites. We don't recommend you to get this game ║ ║ through a modem connection, but we know there are hundreds of people out ║ ║ there with fast internet access who will download this game without hesi- ║ ║ tating. We are aware of the fact that we are way over our heads putting ║ ║ this release out, but then again, as previously stated, it's not intended ║ ║ for the "inner" core of the elite "scene", but rather for the folks out ║ ║ there who will enjoy playing this game. Quality software deserves to be ║ ║ distributed, thus making the world a happier place to live in! :) ║ ║ ║ ║ Diablo is modeled to be a role-playing game, focusing heavily on adventure ║ ║ and real-time action. The atmosphere is reminiscent of the Dungeons and ║ ║ Dragons RPG, providing a large dose of dungeon-romping spiced up with ║ ║ magic, traps, and, of course, plenty of monsters. Intricate NPC (Non- ║ ║ Player Character) interaction is also present, along with complete multi- ║ ║ player support should the action elements ever become tiresome. Overall, ║ ║ Diablo is designed to breathe life into the faltering computer RPG market ║ ║ as a fresh and innovative game. ║ ║ ║ ║ The graphics and animation are stunning, providing a sense of realism ║ ║ never found before in an RPG. The programming is top-notch, it's even ║ ║ quite smooth on a 486DX2-80, considering it uses DirectX. ║ ║ ║ ║ We have tested the game with both modem and battle.net connection, just ║ ║ to ensure 100% functionality. ║ ║ ║ ║ Special thanks to DEAD IMAGE and LE VEY for helpin out with the original ║ ║ so that we had the chance to play-test before release. ║ ║ ║ ║ Also many thanks to OKKU@CHALMERS for programming the Hybrid Win 95 "intro"║ ║ (which uses DirectX BTW!!) ║ ║ ║ ║ STRIPPING AND CRACKING INFO: ║ ║ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ║ ║ From the journals of Cyber, ║ ║ ║ ║ DIABLO - A TALE OF BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS ║ ║ (Cyber's cracking notes) ║ ║ ║ ║ The first thing I had to do was to remove the CD-check, a simple 5 min job ║ ║ (although I admit I was a bit puzzled at first - this is my first win95 ║ ║ crack) ║ ║ ║ ║ Then began the work of ripping out data, and this was the tricky part. ║ ║ What I had to work with in the beginning was a 506-meg data file which was ║ ║ not in any format I had ever seen before, but due to the fact that all ║ ║ Windows DLLs must export the names of their functions, I was soon able to ║ ║ locate the open- and readroutines. After a whole lot of fiddling I had ║ ║ figured out the file format, and the decryptionroutines used. Yes, almost ║ ║ all data was encrypted, but not all of it was compressed. The WAVs were ║ ║ just scrambled so that they couldn't be compressed with ARJ etc. I ║ ║ decrypted all WAVs using my homemade MPQ-manipulator. It made little sense ║ ║ to decrypt the compressed files, since that probably wouldn't have made the║ ║ data file any smaller anyway. As I'm sure you all understand, something had║ ║ to go from the data file. The first files I removed were the animations ║ ║ (intro, Blizzard's logo, ending, etc) but believe me - I've seen them all ║ ║ and you're not missing much. Next came the WAVs I thought one could do ║ ║ without. These unfortunately include the very mood-enhancing background ║ ║ tunes. It's a shame they had to be removed, but hey - they were 12 megs ║ ║ each, and there were quite a few of them. Next I removed all speech (it ║ ║ showed up as text) and the characters' comments. The file was still ║ ║ around 150 megs. I began to realize that this game would never fit onto ║ ║ 50 disks, it even seemed unlikely that it would take under 65. Even when ║ ║ all possible sorts of data was removed (no sound at all, no loading- ║ ║ pictures, no background gfx, etc) it still took about 75 disks. So why ║ ║ didn't I remove all those files and make a sound add-on? Well, there are ║ ║ two major reasons: ║ ║ ║ ║ 1) The data file doesn't store the names of its files, it just stores a ║ ║ table of values who are the results of a hashing algorithm applied to the ║ ║ filenames. Because of this you can't explicitly say what a file is called, ║ ║ even if you know where it begins and ends. You can draw some conclusions ║ ║ from the file flags (encrypted and/or packed), but the only real source of ║ ║ information is what the fileopen routine is called with. This meant that ║ ║ throwing away what appeared to be unused file entries seemed like a ║ ║ dangerous action - you never know, maybe those files are used later in the ║ ║ game. The filenames could be composed in the exe, or encrypted, or hidden, ║ ║ or whatever. I only removed files when I was sure of their contents and ║ ║ purpose. If Blizzard put in dummy files who are never actually used, they ║ ║ sure fooled me. ║ ║ ║ ║ 2) Since the game would never make the 50 disk limit, it made no sense to ║ ║ butcher it when you could release a fully enjoyable <100 disk version. I ║ ║ still removed all sorts of speech, though (100 disks was sort of a 'magic' ║ ║ limit). The sounds the monsters make were thus taken out (e.g. The Butcher ║ ║ on level 2 said 'more meat for my axe' or something like that), but the ║ ║ other effects were left in the game. ║ ║ ║ ║ Then we tried to play the game over the Internet. But we failed! The game ║ ║ just came up with some BS about being unable to register the current ║ ║ version. Hmmm... After a few scratches in the back of my head and some ║ ║ practical experiments I came to the conclusion that something somewhere ║ ║ checked if the EXE and the DLLs were altered. I did what I could to locate ║ ║ it but the boys at Blizzard had been veeery sneaky indeed: the check ║ ║ routines were in a DLL which was hidden in an encrypted file which was ║ ║ hidden somewhere in another file. Very stealthy! I managed to relocate ║ ║ these routines and alter them, but the guys who came up with this ║ ║ protection deserve a pat on the back. My hat's off to you, guys! ║ ║ ║ ║ So this is it. A game to big to be spread, but fully enjoyable and ║ ║ playable. Enjoy! ║ ║ ║ ║ Your friend, ║ ║ ║ ║ Cyber/HYBRID ║ ║ ║ ║ INSTALLATION GUIDE: ║ ║ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ║ ║ ║ ║ Unzip the files and run INSTALL.EXE. Then just type 'DIABLO'. ║ ║ We apologize for the use of a DOS installer, but our Windows version ║ ║ isn't ready yet. ║ ║ NOTE that you NEED DirectX 2+ installed on your system and that product ║ ║ isn't supplied with this game (not on the rip, anyway). ║ ║ ║ ║ HYBRID NEWS & EVENTS: ║ ║ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ║ ║ ║ ║ WITHDRAWAL ║ ║ ║ ║ Animal, Dogfriend and Drake has left Hybrid, and are now proud members of ║ ║ Class. We wish them good luck! ║ ║ ║ ║ GREETINGS: ║ ║ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ║ ║ Razor 1911, Prestige, Class, and Reflux. ║ ║ ║ ║ MindBender, Dead Image, Replicator, Manhunter, Mad Turnip, Shadow Master, ║ ║ Angel Face, Animal, Dogfriend, Zimpzon, Phandral, TWK/ATX, Steel Pulse, ║ ║ Rygar, Le Vey, Netra and everyone at Blizzard! ║ ║ ║ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ ║ ║ Official Hybrid Membership ║ ║ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ║ ║ HOSON ║ ║ ║ ║ Agony, Angel Face, Cyber, Eci, Golomufu, Grifter, Hot Tuna, Id Mud, ║ ║ Jammer, Le Vey, MindBender, Mad Turnip, Mr.Terry, Netra, ║ ║ Phoenix, Replicator, Teacher, and Violator. ║ ║ ║ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ ║ ║ The Official Hybrid couriers ║ ║ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ║ ║ Netcoordinator: AGONY ║ ║ ║ ║ Fronthead, Hurricane, and Nine. ║ ║ ║ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ ║ ║ Axxxxxx Lxxxxx...............[ftp]......................WHQ ║ ║ Sxxxxxx Dxxx.................[ftp]......................EHQ ║ ║ Avatar.......................[ftp]......................HQ ║ ║ Red Dwarf-X..................[ftp]......................HQ ║ ║ ║ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ ║ ║ How to get in touch with us: ║ ║ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ║ ║ ║ ║ http//:www.hybreed.com ║ ║ ║ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Today's wise quote: "WE are THE BEST."