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That's interesting. I've never heard of some of the versions being hacks. Anyone else know anything about this?

Makes me want to double check the version numbers on my carts.
 
There's threads on a Chinese forum which will have quite a bit of information, it's where I first came across the realization that there are hacked versions in use
https://www.ppxclub.com/606660-1-1

This thread is about Super Heroes Plus 101 rom being available and there are mentions of fixes of 100 vs 101 but bugs that remain as well as mention of hacked versions in the wild. It also breaks down a version's differences on the last page but I'm not sure if they mean v117 KoV+ IGS PGM or v119 KoV+ IGS PGM "fixed"
 
Playing around with the various versions I can say without a doubt v119 is a hack. The opener is unlike every other version with added characters and the item drops aren't the same nor are the enemies... That said it got me searching more and I came across something amazing
cd251ada8a272ee891450bce47ddb1fe.jpg


a treasure trove of chinese KoV hacks http://www.kuaihou.com/s/sanguozhanjixiefengtianchi/

Edit: the easiest tell that it's improper is to kill the flame shooting statue on the bottom in the opener. Every legit version drops a green sword while this one drops a yellow. I've actually identified the title, v119 is officially 三国战记正版 完美版 and touted as fixing all the bugs and allowing you to drop into holes?

Codes!
Hidden characters in "Three Kingdoms":
(Note: Applicable to 115, 117, and 119 characters hidden mode)
(1P effective): Three Kingdoms (applicable to 115,117) 1) Chinese version of
Zhuge Liang: →→ B ← ↓ → C ← ↑ → D ←← B
Diao Chan: ↓ → D ↑ ↓ CCCC ← → B ↓ ↑
Zhang Liao: D ↑ → ↓ ← B ← ↓ → ↑ C ↑ ↓ ← →

2. Other languages and 100 Asian version
Zhuge Liang: DCBBC ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓
Diao Chan: BCD ↑ → ↓ ← ↑ → ↓ ←
Zhangliao: DBBCD ↑ ↓ ← → ↑ ↓ ← → BCD

Zhangliao recruits:
Note: Only the 115 version and 117 version are effective (the kind of yellow blood scale, starting from 119 Is the green blood scale), which has no effect in version 119.
Zhang Liao: D ↑ → ↓ ← B ← ↓ → ↑ C ↑ ↓ ← → (Choose Zhang Liao)
Then someone chose Guan Yu and defeated Zhang Liao after receiving the death-free gold medal, and chose the third: move to love and conquer; the next level Baiyidu You can choose Zhang Liao when you are in the river (not using: D ↑ → ↓ ← B ← ↓ → ↑ C ↑ ↓ ← → Zhangliao transferred out); that is, you can use 2 Zhangliao at the same time.
 
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sammargh said:
Playing around with the various versions I can say without a doubt v119 is a hack.
Click to expand...
such statements should be made based on a tech research, not subjective feelings based on game play etc.
have you compared V119 binary against earlier revision(s) and analyzed differences ?

real/original new version will be recompiled from source code, so it will be completely different in direct compare, or if use more advanced tools (like BeyondCompare) can be seen moved blocks of code and tons of changed pointers.
on other hand, homewbrew hacks will be almost same as original, but have patched bytes here and where, plus maybe some injected blocks of code and data.
 
MetalliC said:
sammargh said:
Playing around with the various versions I can say without a doubt v119 is a hack.
Click to expand...
such statements should be made based on a tech research, not subjective feelings based on game play etc.have you compared V119 binary against earlier revision(s) and analyzed differences ?

real/original new version will be recompiled from source code, so it will be completely different in direct compare, or if use more advanced tools (like BeyondCompare) can be seen moved blocks of code and tons of changed pointers.
on other hand, homewbrew hacks will be almost same as original, but have patched bytes here and where, plus maybe some injected blocks of code and data.
Click to expand...
While sure that can be done there's really no need to. This information can be found all over Chinese forums and even states where it came from originally on the Chinese Wikipedia page. It also has all the tell-tale signs of a bootleg if you play MVS enough. There's a "PLUS" banner that flashes non-stop regardless of screen just like all the "PLUS" bootlegs on MVS.

Not only that the sword thing I mentioned above is pretty much proof, every other version of the game I have drops a green sword yet this one drops yellow. Sure, I could blow apart the code to the game and screw around with it but at least with v119 there's far more than enough signs to spot a boot. It'd just be a waste of time to be more-correct when it has all the lipstick & makeup of a bootleg.

Also another great tell is the country code screen. It's only Taiwan which is what all the bootleg SF2: CE and various ZN-2 boards have done that were bootleg. They modify the country code warning text, block everything out and just slap "TAIWAN" in there.

Also I came across another thing - PGM decrypter/encrypter supports PGM 1 & 2 and it includes the source code https://www.ppxclub.com/678067-1-1
 
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sammargh said:
While sure that can be done there's really no need to. This information can be found all over Chinese forums and even states where it came from originally on the Chinese Wikipedia page.
Click to expand...
in reality, when comparing decrypted binaries from KOV117 vs KOVPLUS119 I see this, and I'd bet a lot of money on - it is really new game version/revision, not some kind of homebrew hack.

kovcmp.png


it maybe surprising to you, but internet is full of incorrect information (including Wikipedia) spread around by incompetent persons.

let's make Arcade-Projects bullshit-free! :)
 
MetalliC said:
sammargh said:
While sure that can be done there's really no need to. This information can be found all over Chinese forums and even states where it came from originally on the Chinese Wikipedia page.
Click to expand...
in reality, when comparing decrypted binaries from KOV117 vs KOVPLUS119 I see this, and I'd bet a lot of money on - it is really new game version/revision, not some kind of homebrew hack.
kovcmp.png


it maybe surprising to you, but internet is full of incorrect information (including Wikipedia) spread around by incompetent persons.

let's make Arcade-Projects bullshit-free! :)
Click to expand...
You're comparing Plus to standard. Compare it to v117 which is what everything says it was modified from. Also number of IGM games with IGM mask roms and TAIWAN country codes???? Going to bet 0.
 
sammargh said:
You're comparing Plus to standard. Compare it to v117 which is what everything says it was modified from.
Click to expand...
there is no dumps of KOV Plus v117. let us know if you have one.

add: also, IGS tends to use end-to-end versioning, so if exists KOV 117, KOV Plus expected to have bigger number - 118 etc
so, I'm personally doubt if KOV Plus v117 really exists
 
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MetalliC said:
sammargh said:
You're comparing Plus to standard. Compare it to v117 which is what everything says it was modified from.
Click to expand...
there is no dumps of KOV Plus v117. let us know if you have one.
add: also, IGS tends to use end-to-end versioning, so if exists KOV 117, KOV Plus expected to have bigger number - 118 etc
Click to expand...
They do exist :)
On that site with the hacks you can find that there was a release with 115 and 117 in 三国战纪HACK版本合集01.rar. http://www.kuaihou.com/game/109983.html

I found some download links to the file on baidu but I don't have an account and that site is painful to navigate at best but if you want those builds, they're there.

Edit: have a friend grabbing the file, will post 115 & 117 later today/tomorrow.
 
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sammargh said:
On that site with the hacks you can find that there was a release with 115 and 117 in 三国战纪HACK版本合集01.rar. kuaihou.com/game/109983.html
Click to expand...
these is a hacks collection, which may be numbered in any way, 117 or 1111111177777 or whatever.
in anyway, I see there no KOV Plus versions less than 119

also, mentioned earlier wiki page https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/三国战纪 have nothing about original KOV Plus v117. it says there was KOV v100 v115 v117, and KOV Plus v119, and number of hacks based on it.
in general wiki page looks like straight copy&paste information from MAME.

huh, it looks like you get something wrong. so please, stop wasting our time.
 
Riddle me this: why are there two sets for v119 in MAME and neither is marked bootleg? One clearly should be. Actually don't bother, I'm not wasting my time with PGM if this is how people act following it. My time is better spent elsewhere.
 
sammargh said:
Riddle me this: why are there two sets for v119 in MAME and neither is marked bootleg?
Click to expand...
these two sets is same v119 but different ROM chip arrangement - single larger ROM chip or 5 smaller ROM chips, actual data is exact same

there is also 3 bootleg KOV Plus sets
Code: 
//三國群英传正宗Plus/Sānguó qúnyīng chuán Zhèngzōng Plus (Mixed Simplified and Traditional Chinese in title screen)
// modified title screen is only visible for china region, so use that by default.  Character select portraits don't seem quite right (different protection?)
GAME( 1999, kovsgqyz,     kovplus,   pgm_arm_type1_sim,      sango_ch,  pgm_arm_type1_state,  init_kovboot, ROT0,   "bootleg", "Sanguo Qunying Chuan Zhengzong Plus (bootleg of Knights of Valour Plus, set 1)", MACHINE_IMPERFECT_SOUND | MACHINE_UNEMULATED_PROTECTION | MACHINE_SUPPORTS_SAVE ) /* need internal rom of IGS027A */
GAME( 1999, kovsgqyza,    kovplus,   pgm_arm_type1_sim,      sango_ch,  pgm_arm_type1_state,  init_kovboot, ROT0,   "bootleg", "Sanguo Qunying Chuan Zhengzong Plus (bootleg of Knights of Valour Plus, set 2)", MACHINE_IMPERFECT_SOUND | MACHINE_UNEMULATED_PROTECTION | MACHINE_SUPPORTS_SAVE ) /* need internal rom of IGS027A */
GAME( 1999, kovsgqyzb,    kovplus,   pgm_arm_type1_sim,      sango_ch,  pgm_arm_type1_state,  init_kovboot, ROT0,   "bootleg", "Sanguo Qunying Chuan Zhengzong Plus (bootleg of Knights of Valour Plus, set 3)", MACHINE_IMPERFECT_SOUND | MACHINE_UNEMULATED_PROTECTION | MACHINE_SUPPORTS_SAVE ) /* need internal rom of IGS027A */
 
Updates to web page.... More PRE-PGM PCB Scans

Added : Bowling
Added : Tripple Feaver
Added : Tripple Feaver ALT Version

http://www.gc8tech.com/igs-pre-pgm-cart-and-pcb-scans/

I really want to expand my web page this coming 2020.. i have HEAPS of artwork that needs to be scanned and stitched together. I have a A3 scanner... but its huge and i don't have anywhere to put it at at the moment...
I would love to have the best PGM page ever :-)

T.
 
Basement Brothers is now following you.

Pretty sure if you have Instagram you're required to have Twitter too. By the way, they are both helping destroy humanity.
 
Neo-Alec said:
Pretty sure if you have Instagram you're required to have Twitter too
Click to expand...
No. Facebook Owns Instagram, and you can link FB and insta accounts but there is no requirement to have both.

There is integration with Twitter and Insta but it sucks. I use ifttt.com to repost my Instagram photos to twitter.
 
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