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lordnikon
rank 87
Posted:
Fri Jul 08, 2005 12:18 pm
quote : #1
profile : pm
Posts: 5902
Type: NTSC-U/C
As long as OnlineConsoles has existed, Maximum Pool, a cross platform online pool game hosted by Sierra, has been non-functional. This game had been on the radar as a “broken” game, one that wasn’t officially offline but wasn’t working properly either. The only available lead was at another Dreamcast Online gaming site ran by registered user wwjd. The online list there referenced a phantom game save at gamesaves.de, a large multi-platform game saves repository.

Maximum Pool was a game that didn’t attract much attention. There were so many other projects or issues going on that nobody had taken the time yet to look into Maximum Pool. I believe a few users, including myself, tested out a few game saves downloaded off the net, however this is as far as we went.

Registered users Segadreamcaster and Blast sparked up a research effort, creating multiple threads on the forums devoted to the topic. Segadreamcaster even bought the PC version of maximum pool. The weird part about the PC version is it reaches the same exact master list domains as the DC version, or so we thought at the time. They continued to follow the only real lead they had, the game save.

Moi, messaged a recommendation to check out pauth.com, a website devoted to an anti-cheat application for the PC version of Maximum Pool and Cool Pool. Segadreamcaster followed the lead, and posted at the pauth forums. A Programmer known as “Tino” at pauth.com replied back lending his help. Maddmaxx then tested out a new edited game save provided by Tino.

On June 17th 2005, Maximum Pool had its online gaming capabilities fixed.

So what happened? Maximum Pool is a WindowsCE game, so like other titles using this dev kit, it uses a very PC-esque setup. Maximum Pool uses the game save as an ini file, saving the master list IP addresses to the VMU. This is the only online game known to do this. Somewhere along the line the Maximum Pool’s IPs were changed. Leaving the Dreamcast version busted. What Tino did was open the game save in a HEX editor, changing the IPs to the correct ones. Yea, it was pretty easy.

A huge thank you goes out to Tino at pauth for looking into the issue and providing the Hex edited files. Big thanks to Blast and Segadreamcaster for sticking with this. Their motivation and research into the matter was the catalyst that brought Maximum Pool back online.

If you want to read more initial reactions you can head over to the massive initial thread, right here. Please check our Downloads section, and sign online with your Dreamcast to download the game save needed to play Maximum Pool Online. Finally, you may now add Maximum Pool to your online game collections, as the PDB is now up in the Online Games List.


Last edited by lordnikon on Fri Sep 09, 2005 7:11 pm; edited 6 times in total
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segadreamcaster
rank 37
Posted:
Fri Jul 08, 2005 1:19 pm
quote : #2
profile : pm
Posts: 811
Type: NTSC-U/C
Excellent, nice to see this news post...also nice to see a number of people mentioned who certainly deserve some thanks...not to mention many others who also helped the thread move forward in a positive direction..thanks to all Smile

Cheers, Craig
  _________________
Game Names:

PSO = Ryo or SEGADCER
Q3A, Starlancer
Max Pool = Segadcer
4x4 Evo = Segadreamcaster

Visit the NEW Saturn netlink league www.saturnleague.com
pakkitman
rank 41
Posted:
Fri Jul 08, 2005 1:24 pm
quote : #3
profile : pm
Posts: 1039
Good article, giving thanks to all involved, and thanks for the PDB! Cool
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ultrapro
unknown
Posted:
Fri Jul 08, 2005 2:19 pm
quote : #4
profile : pm
Posts: 1674
sounds awesome guys, i must say when i hovered around the general online section seeing all these discussions suddenly pop up about maximum pool really confused me, i tried to keep up in the beginning but thought it best if i just back away quietly and come back later on!! chuffed we have another game to add to the list and major props to all involved, i shall be looking to find this title at some point.

only questions i had would be first of all i take it all i need is the game the ability to play it on my dc (both not a problem) and the vmu file to get the online connection to work right? my problem is that whenever i download a file from the oc it downloads fine, no problem but i can never seem to get my games to recognise half of em!! some of the sonic ones work but none of the others. i assumed that as you could use/save pal and ntsc games on the same vmu and on the same dc that u could use vmu files saved in different countries just as easily. i mean think about it, whats the difference between a file saved from an american version of the game which is saved in the uk or the us?? i make saves for both region games here and they all work!!! i'll never figure this little problem out, i shall have to just try it out when i get to it, even if i cant get it to work it would be nice to have a pool game on my dc at least!!

hoooray to the oc, blast, nikon and sega dreamcaster!!
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segadreamcaster
rank 37
Posted:
Fri Jul 08, 2005 3:00 pm
quote : #5
profile : pm
Posts: 811
Type: NTSC-U/C
Yeah, it is true that there do appear to be "save file" compatability problem between regions on some games...however this should not be a problem at all with maximum pool as it was only ever released in the USA, so there is only one region type available Smile so that shouldnt be a problem.

Great to see that the file is now downloadable in the downloads section of the site, although I think I would be inclined to add a little link to that next to maximum pool in the online games list, just for clarity, but of course thats just my opinion and isnt really important.

Also nice to see the PDB page available for max pool now, very nice....just left wondering now..."will there be a maximum pool dedicated forum?"

Cheers, Craig
  _________________
Game Names:

PSO = Ryo or SEGADCER
Q3A, Starlancer
Max Pool = Segadcer
4x4 Evo = Segadreamcaster

Visit the NEW Saturn netlink league www.saturnleague.com
kingofgrills
rank 33
Posted:
Fri Jul 08, 2005 3:41 pm
quote : #6
profile : pm
Posts: 707
Thank you to everyone involved in bringing Maximum Pool back from the online graveyard. Blast and Segadreamcaster, I especially thank you for picking up the pieces to this puzzle and being persistent enough to help put it all together back together. Our community now has a new online game we can share of an entirely different sort, and that is very cool.

It was very nice to see the dedication and persistency in the threads that led to this breakthrough. So often, there are discussions that occur that unfortunately, go nowhere. It was very inspiring to see a discussion lead to some very real and incredible results.

Great job, everyone!
  _________________
Gamespy ID: Kingofgrills
Online with: 4X4 Evo, Starlancer, Quake III: Arena, and PAL PSO V. 1

How are my little crackers doing today?
josemci
rank 3
Posted:
Fri Jul 08, 2005 5:36 pm
quote : #7
profile : pm
Posts: 14
Thanks to all and continue with the great work!!!
 
keiblerfan69
rank 8
Posted:
Fri Jul 08, 2005 6:40 pm
quote : #8
profile : pm
Posts: 81
yes. this is very good. the more online DC games the better. Thank to everyone who fixed it.
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40 Dreamcast games and counting...
Le Spank
rank 12
Posted:
Sat Jul 09, 2005 4:53 am
quote : #9
profile : pm
Posts: 185
Fantastic news for Dreamcast people.

Thanks to everyone involved... just gotta track down a copy of the game now.
 
Blast
rank 43
Posted:
Sat Jul 09, 2005 5:15 am
quote : #10
profile : pm
Posts: 1285
Type: Pal
Whoot ... Nice to see it all official like Smile

Laters
  _________________
Now have a working PC DC server courtesy of Segadreamcaster. Bring on the DC on line games yeeee haaa.
segadreamcaster
rank 37
Posted:
Sat Jul 09, 2005 8:12 am
quote : #11
profile : pm
Posts: 811
Type: NTSC-U/C
Blast wrote:
Whoot ... Nice to see it all official like Smile

Laters


Yeah I know exactly what you mean...I just feel kinda honoured to have played a part in getting a game back online...so who is giving out the medals? Razz lol

Cheers, Craig
  _________________
Game Names:

PSO = Ryo or SEGADCER
Q3A, Starlancer
Max Pool = Segadcer
4x4 Evo = Segadreamcaster

Visit the NEW Saturn netlink league www.saturnleague.com
frokid879
rank 21
Posted:
Sun Jul 10, 2005 6:57 am
quote : #12
profile : pm
Posts: 405
yay! too bad i'm stuck in new zealand without a dreamcast. will brush the dust off and start playing when i return home Cool GJ all who made it possible!!
 
TTS
rank 13
Posted:
Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:13 am
quote : #13
profile : pm
Posts: 203
Question.

Would this game be very much worth my 20 bucks? Because I saved up my money, and I can't wait any longer for Psyconauts damnit.
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"Music is the best"
pakkitman
rank 41
Posted:
Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:21 am
quote : #14
profile : pm
Posts: 1039
Why don't you buy it online? You shouldn't have to pay much more than 10 bucks for this game.
  _________________
TC Titans here I come! (Remember the Titans, yeah that's right)
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TTS
rank 13
Posted:
Sun Jul 10, 2005 1:21 pm
quote : #15
profile : pm
Posts: 203
10 Bucks online + Shipping that'll be around $5.99. Used.

Twenty for a brand new game dons't sound so bad. But I need my Rez, and I need him now.
  _________________
"Music is the best"
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