Patcher for multiple files

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بواسطة sd_snatcher

Prophet (3642)

صورة sd_snatcher

13-02-2010, 14:24

Is there any patcher available that's able to patch multiple files? I mean, IPS and similar ones are geared towards ROM files and can only patch one file at a time, which means they're not very efficient for patching games with multiple files (you guessed: I mean my hard-disk ports).

Off course it could be worked-around using multiple IPS files and some scripting, but unfortunately the scripting part would not be multi-platform and would annoy the developer on having to create/test/debug .BAT and .sh files for both DOS-based and Unix-based systems.

Another time wasting workaround would be to make the patch to work over the original disk so the user could patch and then copy the files to the harddisk. But this would not be very time-efficient for this time-scarce developer, as off course all the development is done by patching and testing the game after it was copied to the harddisk. Putting the files right on the original order they were on the original disk is an annoying time-consuming task that sometimes would be impossible since some files get bigger than the original ones and would not fit on the same place.

So, the requirements for this patcher would be:

1) Be able to patch multiple-files at once

2) Free software or at least freeware

3) Multi-platform. It must have binaries for at least Win32 and Mac, with the source available for the other systems.

I googled around and found no suitable solution yet (only commercial softwares). But it is a very specific kind of tool, so probably it will be know by some small circles. I hope someone at MRC do know some tool for that.

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بواسطة Randam

Paragon (1431)

صورة Randam

23-02-2010, 06:02

Maybe Patch maker is something you could use. It can patch multiple files at once and there is a free version, but it's not multi platform. But perhaps it's a place to start:

http://www.clickteam.co.uk/patchmaker.php

بواسطة Vampier

Prophet (2409)

صورة Vampier

23-02-2010, 06:26

what about GIT?

http://git-scm.com/

بواسطة SLotman

Paragon (1242)

صورة SLotman

23-02-2010, 08:39

The easiest thing for everyone would be to distribute the DSKs or ROMs, instead of patches. I really don't see how a patch can be "better" than the file itselft, since you're tampering with someone else's code without their authorization.

If the copyright owner decides to take action, wouldn't matter if you're releasing patches, full versions or completely new remakes - even if only based on the original idea (Tokimeki Knightmare and Manesis comes to mind). But I really doubt any of them would even bother for something they did 15-20 years ago, for a computer no longer in production... (unless talking about Konami heh)

بواسطة hap

Paragon (2042)

صورة hap

23-02-2010, 10:14

It's an anti romz piracy statement, and very much frowned upon by the fan translation/hacking community if you release the patched game, even worse if you sell the game as if it's your own. It's a shame that the majority of the MSX community has a different opinion.

Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_3#Fan_translation
Tomato, (...) stated in an interview with Simon Parkin of Gamasutra that he knew that this translation was not completely legal and that if Nintendo objected, he would have stopped the translation immediately. The team has also stated the same in their project FAQ. Surprisingly, the industry response has been quite positive; Tomato has received e-mails from video game industry professionals expressing their gratitude for his efforts, sometimes even offering to buy him drinks. While Nintendo has not provided an official comment on the translation, employees of Nintendo and Square Enix have expressed excitement for the project. (...)Imagine the response if it was released as patched ROM or sold by Delta Soft, and don't give me "but but but MSX is 20 years old" bs. oO

بواسطة JohnHassink

Ambassador (5655)

صورة JohnHassink

23-02-2010, 16:18

Delta Soft? Question

BTW, but but but MSX is 20 years old. Wink

بواسطة konamiman

Paragon (1190)

صورة konamiman

23-02-2010, 18:01

but but but MSX is 20 years old.
Error: MSX is 27 years old already. Which reminds me, that I am 36 years old already. Sigh...

بواسطة SLotman

Paragon (1242)

صورة SLotman

23-02-2010, 20:36

It's an anti romz piracy statement, and very much frowned upon by the fan translation/hacking community if you release the patched game, even worse if you sell the game as if it's your own. It's a shame that the majority of the MSX community has a different opinion.

I do agree that selling a translation, is wrong. But for a "legal" POV (I'm not a lawyer, so bare with me) I don't see a difference from a patch and from the altered game.

Specially here in Brazil, where we have a law which states that 'crime apology' (speaking about breaking the law, teaching how to do so, or plain motivating an act of crime) is also a crime. So here, distributing a patch and teaching how to 'hack' some program is the same thing as distributing the hacked version, no matter what community says about it.

So, if technically it's breaking the law, why not make life easier for everyone? Until recently, translations, modifications and everything else were released like that, no need for patchers... and it's one less thing to be done by developers, which already have little time to do their thing.

بواسطة hap

Paragon (2042)

صورة hap

23-02-2010, 21:04

Indeed, releasing a modification or translated script (as patch or whatever) of a copyrighted game without permission from the owner is against the law. Why aren't we making it easier for users and just release the patched game? Because we agree with the unwritten romhacking community etiquette, like it or not. Smile

DemonSeed: Delta Soft are selling translated MSX games.

بواسطة Vampier

Prophet (2409)

صورة Vampier

23-02-2010, 23:00

XAK XAK XAK XAK XAK XAK XAK XAK

بواسطة SLotman

Paragon (1242)

صورة SLotman

03-03-2010, 21:52

Adding more to the discussion, I just found this:

http://www.konamito.com/finaliza-una-encuesta-y-se-abre-otra/ - poll made on konamito, 89% of voters prefers already patched ROMs.
http://www.konamito.com/%c2%bfque-opinas-sobre-la-distribucion-de-roms-parcheadas/#comment-1235 - comments from several people about it.

Maybe would be cool to make a poll here about it?

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