F29 Retaliator WHDLoad Pack

README
Short : HD Installer for F-29 Retaliator
Author: Dark Angel, DJ Mike (djmike@crystalmike.com)
Version: 2.0
Type: game/patch
Requires: WHDLoad 19, RawDIC 5, 512k chip mem

This patch applies to "F-29 Retaliator" © 1989 Ocean Software.

The following releases are supported:
- PAL 2-disk release with scrolling credits+intro screens
- PAL 2-disk release without credits/intro screens [SPS #22]
- Polish 2-disk release
- US 1-disk release

NOTE: If you have the PAL 2-disk release with intro, I strongly recommend
seeking out one of the others instead, due to bugs in it!

Thanks to Wolfgang Unger, Vulture, BarryB, Risc and Denis Lechevalier for
supplying originals.

There are many versions of this game, so if you have another that is not
supported then please get in touch.

REQUIREMENTS

- Original disks or compatible disk images
- Slave requires WHDLoad 19+
- RawDIC 5 for the imager
- Game requires 512k chip memory
  (+ approx 2MB other memory for preload option)

FEATURES

- Game loads fully from HD
- Uses real files, which can be compressed with Propack/CrunchMania/FImp/XPK
- Quit game at any time (default key Numpad *), including on 68000 machines
- Rob Northen Copylock protection and encryption removed
- Pilot data and highscores stored to HD (can delete .save files to reset)
- Anti-NTSC check in PAL versions disabled
- CPU-dependent (empty DBF) loops in sound player fixed
- Game exe fully decrypted (removes some self-modifying code)
- Self-modifying code in text draw routine fixed
- Missing blitter waits added
- Timed button waits on intro screens added
- Uses of TRAPV fully removed
- Stack and draw code relocated to fast memory if available
- Optional frame delay/speed limiter added - set with CUSTOM1
- Combined Color/New/Rom icon included
- Manual included
- Source code included

HISTORY

Version 2.0 (2025-11-19) by DJ Mike:
- Patch rewritten
- Two more versions supported (Polish release, 1-disc US release)
- Startup crashes/black screen fixed (Mantis issue #334)
- New RawDIC imager which extracts data to real files
- Game exe fully decrypted by imager (removes some self-modifying code)
- Pilot and highscore saves optimised
- Quit key now works on 68000 machines
- CPU-dependent loops in sound player fixed
- Self-modifying code in text draw routine fully fixed
- Missing blitter waits added
- Uses of TRAPV fully removed
- Stack and draw code relocated to fast memory if available
- Optional frame delay/speed limiter added
- Registration requirement removed
- New icon made
- Manual included
- Source code included

Version 1.1 (1999-07-11) by Dark Angel:
- Early 2-disk version supported

Version 1.0 by Dark Angel:
- Common 2-disk PAL version supported
- Protection removed
- NTSC check removed

WORDS FROM THE AUTHOR

One release of this game is curious - there are bugs in it, and other quirks
that makes me think it was either released by accident, or it was the first
release and the devs ran out of time before a publishing deadline. The code
is also marked with the string "CBM Demo version 2" which is suspicious.

All other 2-disk releases I've seen are labelled "Final master v2.4" and
tellingly are better polished. The only difference in the Polish version is
the exe is compressed and the Rob Northen Copylock has been disabled (from
inside the encrypted code!).

Finally there is a 1-disk US release labelled "Final master v4.0" which
was squeezed onto a single disk with the use of Russ Payne's in-house
cruncher, later used for the game "Epic".

If you have the 2-disk version that features the intro/scrolling credits,
I strongly recommend seeking out one of the other versions as they are more
reliable!

There was some self-modifying code in use in the text plot routine which
was unfortunate, but reasonably easy to fix. Some extra SMC occurs due to
two blocks of 3D draw code being further 'encrypted' and only decrypted on
demand, so I simply decrypt everything in the RawDIC imager.

Due to the game using compression that expected game data to be loaded
sector by sector, I've opted to decompress all files in the imager to
simplify loading. You can re-compress these with the WHDL-supported formats
such as Propack/Crunchmania if you need to save disk space/memory (which
will still be faster to load than the way the game was doing it).

Sadly the game's physics are tied to the frame rate. Although you can run it
with caches enabled, you may find it is too fast. I've added a frame delay
feature to compensate. The installer defaults to a setting of 4, but since
A500 speed varies from 4-10 depending on what's on screen, you may wish
to set this higher (or lower if you really want).

There are residual problems with the game's draw code where some terrain
flickers in and out depending on your position and the camera angle, but I
am fairly convinced this is due to the game's 3D calculations rather than
any further blitter or SMC bugs, as these happen even on an A500.

This patch was long-winded to update because there are so many versions of
this game and they all had different problems to sort out. But now you can
hopefully enjoy this on a wider range of Amiga hardware! :-)

--- DJ Mike (19th November 2025)

         Bug report form, full WHDLoad package and other installs:
                          http://www.whdload.de

THIS PACKAGE COMES WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO USE, RESULTS AND
PERFORMANCE OF THE PACKAGE IS ASSUMED BY YOU AND IF THE PACKAGE SHOULD PROVE
TO BE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING,
REPAIR OR OTHER REMEDIATION.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, CAN THE AUTHOR BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE
CAUSED IN ANY USUAL, SPECIAL, OR ACCIDENTAL WAY, ALSO IF THE OWNER OR A
THIRD PARTY HAS BEEN POINTED AT SUCH POSSIBILITIES OF DAMAGE.