SMACx technical quandry

lbores · February 17, 2001, 10:53

I was finally able to obtain a copy of SMACx and installed it. It ran fine.

Then I downloaded the update(s). I say 'updates' because I found 3 versions of the update.

1) obtainable off this site: smacxpv2a.exe 5166kb
2) obtainable from the links on Firaxis: smacxpv2.exe 5166kb
3) same links page: smacxpv2.exe 3780kb
-- an added file if SMAC classic wouldn't run: smac4exe.exe 1380kb

I chose door #3. When I tried running SMACx again, it insisted on the CD even though my original install was FULL. Putting the CD-ROM back in the drive solved nothing.

When I re-installed SMACx without the 'update' - it ran fine. So my question is this: which update should I use? More importantly - if I had used the correct one already - how do I get rid of the CD msg to get the system to run.
[This message has been edited by lbores (edited February 17, 2001).]

Lefty Scaevola · February 17, 2001, 12:46

smax only runs with the cd, regardless of the level of install, the full install just tuns the game and the video faster. Also the smac in the same folder with smax only runs with the cd. I am not sure but I believe that with the smac with the 4.0 update only runs with the cd.

lbores · February 17, 2001, 12:54

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Scaevola on 02-17-2001 11:46 AM
smax only runs with the cd, regardless of the level of install, the full install just tuns the game and the video faster. Also the smac in the same folder with smax only runs with the cd. I am not sure but I believe that with the smac with the 4.0 update only runs with the cd.

SMAC FULL with v4 update runs fine without the CD. Vanilla SMACx without the update (v2), runs fine without the CD as well. Updating gives the error msg requiring the CD.

The question remains: which of the updates listed in my original msg is the 'correct' one. Note that 2 are from links listed on the Firaxis website.

BTW - Firaxis 'support' was of no help with this problem.

Over and out.

Travathian · February 17, 2001, 14:16

Why not just try all of them?

JoJoTheDogFacedBoy · February 17, 2001, 14:45

I would go to www.gamecopyworld.com - you can get a No-CD "crack". The game still asks you for the CD, but you just click OK without the CD in the drive and it lets you through.

It's all perfectly legal as long as you purchased the game. You did purchase one of the best games in recent years, didn't you?

lbores · February 17, 2001, 15:56

quote:

Originally posted by JoJoTheDogFacedBoy on 02-17-2001 01:45 PM
I would go to www.gamecopyworld.com - you can get a No-CD "crack". The game still asks you for the CD, but you just click OK without the CD in the drive and it lets you through.

It's all perfectly legal as long as you purchased the game. You did purchase one of the best games in recent years, didn't you?

Of course as to the latter. As to the 'No CD crack', I've been to that site but can't find that particular app. There are 784 cracks listed, not in any particular order and no way to search that list.

Trying alien crossfire got me a list of patches. I found a 'no cd' for SMAC but woo-hoo! SMAC doesn't need a CD in the drive, SMACx does.

That's a real drag when you're trying to play on a laptop whilst on a long flight. It's a long flight from Arizona to Kenya and I'd like to play more than an hour which I can if the CD drive is removed from the system.

If anyone has that no-cd crack for SMACx, I'd appreciate it.

Thnx.
[This message has been edited by lbores (edited February 17, 2001).]

karu-san · February 18, 2001, 03:07

Hey Ibores,

Yeah, I was pretty ticked off too when I discovered that the version of SMACX in the "Planetary Pack" that I bought needed a cd to run. I'll kindly thank Firaxis for keeping their dirty fingers OUT of my computer in the future.

Anyway, way back when on this forum someone gave the following sollution:
http://www.megagames.com/gcracks.html

They have a crack there that works for Smacx v2. Simply choose "Alpha Centaur Alien Crossfire" instead of just "Alpha Centauri". I've been using it happily for quite awhile now. After I tried it out and it worked, I was so happy that I posted this before and I'll do so again: Props to this forum! =)

[This message has been edited by karu-san (edited February 18, 2001).]

lbores · February 18, 2001, 11:13

karu-san. Arigato gaziemashta (hope I did that transliteration correctly).

Don't get me wrong - I have no problem with game companies protecting their product. But sometimes the protection requirements have unforeseen consequences.

I ended up buying the Planetary Pack on Ebay (even tho' I already had SMAC) just to get SMACx. But I'm a medical research consultant to a major player in the medical device field and have to travel a lot. Hotel rooms can get pretty boring not to mention long flights. And after seeing 1 Tsavo lion, you've seen them all. Playing computer games not only helps pass the off-time (lord knows SMAC/CivII are addicting) but actually keeps my mind honed. You have no conception of what I have to deal with in '3rd world' situations.

Anyway, whilst I have a pretty 'zorchie' laptop, battery power is what it is - fleeting. I got the file and thnx to everyone for your help.

Now I'm off to kick Santiagos bony ass!

[This message has been edited by lbores (edited February 18, 2001).]

Aredhran · February 18, 2001, 12:13

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, it's been a long time since I downloaded that patch.

lbore, you should get one of the patches that is 5 megs in size, as it contains a patched terran.exe (equivalent of SMAC V4), that doesn't require the CD to play. IIRC, the file from Apolyton is the one you need.

You'll still need the CD in the drive for SMAX however, unless you get the crack from MegaGames. I have it, and it works great. Make sure you get the version for SMAX V2 (not sure if they still have the old version lying around).

Aredhran

Dimension · February 18, 2001, 19:16

I just use the MegaGames crack just because it makes SMAX load in 3 seconds ... instead of having that dumb little splash screen pop up and wait 30 seconds.

Kinjiru · February 19, 2001, 14:27

I have the SMAX noCd crack at home, I'll find it and if it's small I will email it.

lbores · February 19, 2001, 14:30

quote:

Originally posted by Kinjiru on 02-19-2001 01:27 PM
I have the SMAX noCd crack at home, I'll find it and if it's small I will email it.

Thanx but I have it now.

BTW - why did you choose 'forbidden' (kinjiru) as your moniker? And are you Japanese per chance?

Kinjiru · February 19, 2001, 14:56

I've been using this name on the net for about 9 years now. I started out playing MUDs and my first real charachter was a Necromancer. The name just seemed to fit.

I'm not japanese, I think I found the word reading Clavell's Shogun or something. I asked a friend for the kanji symbol and have been using it since.

It's actually pretty funny when I connect to the Asian adn USWest realms on Battle.Net I get all these people trying to speak in japanese to me. I think a lot of them think I'm just being jerk by not responding, but in reality I simply have no idea what they are saying!