Transylvania II - Crimson Crown

Games for Spectrum, C64, Amstrad, Amiga, Apple ][ and the rest of the 8-bit and 16-bit platforms. Pleas for help, puzzles, bug reports etc.

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Marco
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Transylvania II - Crimson Crown

#1 Post by Marco » Fri Jun 01, 2007 7:23 am

There are two versions of this game for the Apple II. I have finished the one available on the Interactive Fiction Archive and Mark Pelczarski's site (www.magictree.com). I have tried to play the other version, which has slightly different graphics, but I've run into a problem. At the halfway point in the game, when you get a view of the vampire's fortress, the game is interrupted and leaves you at the apple II prompt. No error messages or instructions on what to do. I don't remember what you're supposed to do to play the second half of the game. I've tried switching to disc two, listing the files, and running each of them, and so on, but nothing seems to work.

I believe the version that is more commonly available just prompts you to switch to disc 2. I'm wondering if the alternate version (which was cracked) might just have a bug in it. Has anyone else played both versions?

Marco.
www.aboutfilm.com

Alastair
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#2 Post by Alastair » Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:05 pm

I take it that the version causing problems is the non-comprehend version. I've never seen this version could you post a link for it?

In the meantime the only suggestion I have is that it may not like certain types of Apple II, try setting your emulator to emulate an Apple ][ or Apple ][+.

Marco
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#3 Post by Marco » Mon Jun 04, 2007 2:55 pm

That is correct. It's the non-Comprehend version. The difference is mainly at the beginning of the game, which has a different title screen, and an intro blurb with a skeletal boatman who gives you your mission. The Comprehend version launches you right into the game. (the non-Comprehend version also has a crack screen when you first run it, but I don't count that)

There are a few other, very minor differences in the room graphics, although most of the rooms are identical. What I'd like to know is if the endgame has been changed, but I can't play it beyond the point when you are supposed to reach the vampire's lair.

At any rate, this version can be downloaded at Virtual Apple (scroll all the way to the bottom to find links to the disk images themselves).

http://www.virtualapple.org/crimsoncrowndisk.html
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Alastair
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#4 Post by Alastair » Wed Jun 06, 2007 8:45 pm

I have managed to play around with it now and also run into the same problem, no matter which emulator setting I choose. I have also tried to find other disc images, but so far all the ones I have found are identical to those at Virtual Apple 2.

I suspect that these images are bugged, that may also explain why you need to enclose the whole of a command to another character in quotes, e.g., "Erik, get sword" rather than Erik, get sword. (Edit: On second thoughts, perhaps this is not a bug, you are saying it out loud thus the need for quotes. The Comprehend version, however, does not accept quotes, therefore the use of the second version given above.)

Anyone else got any ideas?

Marco
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#5 Post by Marco » Thu Jun 07, 2007 3:14 pm

It's a strange way for the game to hang up -- no error messages or anything. Something I have not tried is to systematically try to "BRUN" each file on the disc after the game hangs up, and seeing if it picks up where you left off or something. At any rate, I'm about ready to go over to Mark Pelczarski's site and email him a request about this. Maybe he still has working disc images of the original non-Comprehend version of Crimson Crown. He might not, though. I think the copyright to Crimson Crown and Transylvania are both still held by Antonio Antiocha, even though Mark Pelczarski was the CEO of Penguin Software/Polarware.

Here is another copy of the same version:

http://www.apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/Games/

Download the file "CrimsonCrownOpenVersion.zip" (there is also a text file that claims this version has had a bug fixed, but it does not specify what).

This particular archive contains 3 disc images. One of the images is a saved game disc that you can load. I have not tried playing through using that particular saved game -- maybe the "bug fix" they're referring to is the one we're having trouble with, and you can play through the entire game if you start from this save position.

Marco.
www.aboutfilm.com

Alastair
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#6 Post by Alastair » Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:25 pm

I have yet to play through the Crimson Crown Open Version, but loading a save game created with the Virtual Apple 2 version still causes the interrupt.

I notice that commands such as Erik, get sword now work the same way as the Comprehend version, perhaps this is the "bug" fix (see my edit to a previous post as to why this may not be a bug).

Marco
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#7 Post by Marco » Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:47 pm

Small update on this problem. Completely by accident, I came across a solution for the game apparently written in 1985, which seems to have come from one of the old bulletin boards. The solution takes you right up to where the game stops and concludes with:
Congratulations! End of Part I. (to be continued???)

--The Sheik / Extension 1200
--P.S. I wonder if Penguin will still sell this one?

Call these...
--> ElvenRealm, 10 megs, 312/382-1369
--> Adventurer's Tavern, 4 lines, 45 megs, 714/538-3103
--> Apple Manor, 716/654-POOF
--> Asylum ][, 2 lines, 25 megs, Extension 1200 Homebase!, 714-472-8241
The "bugged" version stops exactly where this walkthrough ends. These comments suggest that this version isn't bugged at all, but was some sort of an incomplete alpha version that somehow found its way into the hands of those outside of Penguin. Very interesting.

I do wonder why they decided to change the beginning of the game -- it looked a lot better to have the intro screen with the skeletal boatman than to just launch right into the game like the final version does.

I wonder if Mark Pelczarski knows something about this version. Maybe not, since the game was made by Antonio Antiochia. Incidentally, Pelczarski's site has moved to http://www.graphicsmagician.com

Marco.
www.aboutfilm.com

Alastair
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#8 Post by Alastair » Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:53 pm

Marco wrote:The "bugged" version stops exactly where this walkthrough ends. These comments suggest that this version isn't bugged at all, but was some sort of an incomplete alpha version that somehow found its way into the hands of those outside of Penguin. Very interesting.
Not necessarily, if this game was originally released with copy protection the crack may have caused the bug. Given that you are quoting from a bulletin board it is probable that whoever wrote that solution was familiar with only the cracked game and may have been unaware that there was a second part on the other side of the disc.

Marco
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon May 21, 2007 8:08 pm

#9 Post by Marco » Tue Apr 22, 2008 3:57 pm

That's possible. My reason for thinking this might not be true is because that same file also describes a method for cheating by displaying some of the game's text and graphics. My AppleSoft Basic is very rusty, so I haven't yet gotten around to rolling up my sleeves and trying out any of his code, but the implication is that we can display most of the game's locations. If this is the case, it should be possible to figure out if the second half of the game exists on this version.

Here is the rest of the file with the AppleSoft code:
Part I : Deductive Cheating

The following methods can be used to provide hints, if you don't want the
exact solution. This alternate approach can sometimes prove to be just as
challenging as playing the game. For those who do not want the exact
solution, but would rather try my alternate approach, I have included some
ways to get help... First, run the program. When you get to the first
room, everything has been loaded up, and you are ready to go.
Hit ctrl-reset. Type this in for a list of the game's main responses:
]NEW
]10 FORX=1TO100:&?X,X,X:?:NEXTX
]RUN
Now for the pics, and objects... reboot the disk, hit reset once again
from the main prog. Now catalog the disk. Objects are titled with
"O(object#).SPC", Pics are titled with "R(pic#).spc". a quick examination
of the program reveals a simple way to see any of the graphics that you
want.. This sometimes proves helpful, as you can find out where the game
leads, and where you should be looking for secret exits, etc:
FOR ROOMS:
]HGR
]BLOADR(room#).SPC,A5121
]GOSUB320
FOR OBJECTS:
]HGR
]BLOADO(object#).SPC,A5121
]GOSUB325

Looking through the program, you will find that the variable 'X' stands
for the interpretation of the object (2nd word) of your input, 'P' is the
room number, and 'V' is the verb >AND THE LINE NUMBER THE PROG GOES TO TO
PRINT THE RESULT OF THAT VERB WHEN COMBINED WITH OBJECT 'X'<. Now we
examine the program. You will notice that before every input, the
program goes to 7000. It might be a good idea, therefore, before looking
through the program for help, to add a ?"X=";X;",P=";P;",V=";V before the
other commands at 7000. This will let you know where you are, and what
the programs interpretation number is for what you type in. Later,
when you look through the program, you will find lines like:
XXXX IF X=49 THEN ....etc...., and you will need to know how to get X to
equal that number, etc. Right now I will quickly review the game structure.

XAPOV.SPC=MAIN TITLE ("GUIDE")
KOKO.SP=PART OF ABOVE
S0.SPC=PIC OF SAGE'S EYES
S1-5.SPC=SAGE'S WORDS
R0-40.SPC=ROOMS
O0-24.SPC=OBJECTS
MT=MAIN PROGRAM (BASIC)
DATA=SAME AS SAVED GAME,LOADS EVERY TIME UNLESS YOU RESTORE GAME

And now for the solution, give/take a few minor/major points of the
game(!)...
(*SNIP*)

I'm curious to try some of this stuff out. It may even work on the Comprehend version.

Marco.
www.aboutfilm.com

Marco
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon May 21, 2007 8:08 pm

#10 Post by Marco » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:48 pm

I tried out those instructions in AppleWin, and it worked quite well. The Crimson Crown version in question does not have any of the rooms from the second half of the game stored anywhere on either disc. I have been able to display all the rooms from the first half, though. So the question is why is the game incomplete. Was it an alpha version, or some sort of demo? I suppose it's still possible that the game was somehow damaged when it was cracked, but I have my doubts. The game ends with no error message, no prompt to turn the disc over, and all the room images are missing.

Incidentally, those instructions do work for displaying the rooms from the original version of Transylvania, as long as you boot Crimson Crown first, then switch to the Transylvania disc after interrupting the game. I also tried it with the Transylvania high-res version, but the pictures are garbled. It doesn't work with any of the Comprehend versions of either game.

Marco.
www.aboutfilm.com

Alastair
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#11 Post by Alastair » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:01 pm

I've found that you can use "the Graphics Magician" available at www.graphicsmagician.com/polarware/pengraph.htm to view the graphic files of the non-Comprehend version, but like you I have found none of the part 2 graphics on the disc images that I have downloaded.

As to the origin of the cracked version, it's unlikely to be alpha as it is playable to the end of the first part and I doubt that an alpha version would have copy protection that needs cracking. There is a Penguin Software Demo disc, but as you can see from the quote "Transylvania II" is not on it, though that doesn't mean that there was no second demo disc. Then again, would they put half of a game on a demo disc?
Penguin Software Presents
A short look at some
of our best games

Side one: The Adventures
--------------------------
Transylvania
The Quest
RingQuest
The Coveted Mirror

Side Two: Fantasy Role-Playing
------------------------------
Sword of Kadash
Expedition Amazon
Xyphus

Both sides are self-running!
Demo created using 'Transitions'
Copr.1985 Penguin Software Inc.
I could be that the original Transylvania II ("Crimson Crown" seems to have been added to the title when the game was converted to the Comprehend system) came on two discs. Not only would that explain the missing part 2, but it could also explain why the title and intro screens of the one disc Comprehend version are not as detailed as the older version.

Marco
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon May 21, 2007 8:08 pm

#12 Post by Marco » Wed Jul 16, 2008 12:10 am

Another chapter in the saga of this mystery version. I recently bought off eBay Kim Schuette's The Book of Adventure Games volume II. One of the games that is mapped and solved is Crimson Crown, the first half only! It is cited as being by Penguin Software rather than Polarware. Here is what the entry says about it:
You find yourself in a strange magical land. In the process of getting out, you encounter several friendly, and several downright unfriendly creatures. You also accumulate several useless (in this game) objects. The game ends rather disappointingly with what apparently is a password to get into a yet to be released continuation of this game.
Interesting. What I take from all this is that Crimson Crown was originally supposed to be a two-part release. Since this game seems to have come out right around the time Penguin Books started making legal trouble for Penguin Software, I'm guessing they canceled the release of the second part under the Penguin label, and just re-released the whole thing under the Polarware label, updated for the "Comprehend" engine/parser. It's all speculation, of course, but I think we have a couple independent lines of evidence that at least suggest the game was initially released in an incomplete form. Sort of like some of those old CRL games like Dracula and Frankenstein, which I think were initially released in stages.

Speaking of The Book of Adventure Games, there are 3 volumes, and they're great sources of walkthroughs and maps for lots of 8-bit era adventures. Most of them are for the Apple & C64, but there are a few obscure ones. Incidentally, remember Druadic's maps that we used to have links for on this site? Almost all of them came from these three books. Volume 1 is easy to find. Volume 2 took some hunting, and I still haven't gotten #3.

Marco.
www.aboutfilm.com

Amby
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#13 Post by Amby » Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:10 am

There is a volume 3? I bought the first 2 back in the day but never knew there was a 3rd. Any info on the games it covers?

Marco
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#14 Post by Marco » Sat Jul 19, 2008 2:21 pm

Yup, there's a volume 3. Don't know what games it covers, though going by the precedent set by the first two books, I'm guessing it's going to have all c64 and apple 2 games, with Infocom and Scott Adams adventures heavily represented. Maybe not, though, since the first two books covered most of those.

Marco.
www.aboutfilm.com

Amby
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#15 Post by Amby » Sun Jul 27, 2008 4:09 am

Wow, this one must be rare. Can't find it at Ebay, Amazon or Alibris...Don't suppose anyone here has one for sale?

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