Some missing game versions

[Litude]

Regarding the Warcraft demo versions, I know that there are at least four different demo versions available. Sadly only the most recent one identifies itself with a version number (1.12) so getting them sorted out is a bit troublesome. But I think the version you found is the earliest one. I also know of a demo dated October 6th, 1994 and I've found another pre-installed demo that seems to be a bit later yet earlier than the 1.12 demo and its files carry modify dates of October 24th, 1994 (but they are not necessarily accurate since it's pre-installed).

I'll add them to my first post.

By the way, the Blood 0.91 demo that I used to have that said "DO NOT DISTRIBUTE" on the initializing screen was actually included on the PC Gamer Cover Disc 3.2 (May 1997 issue). I think the developers forgot to remove the disclaimer when they put together that demo. I'll put it back into the first post since it was obviously publicly available.

[MrFlibble]

Regarding the Warcraft demo versions, I know that there are at least four different demo versions available. Sadly only the most recent one identifies itself with a version number (1.12) so getting them sorted out is a bit troublesome. But I think the version you found is the earliest one. I also know of a demo dated October 6th, 1994 and I've found another pre-installed demo that seems to be a bit later yet earlier than the 1.12 demo and its files carry modify dates of October 24th, 1994 (but they are not necessarily accurate since it's pre-installed).

I'll add them to my first post.

Great! Thanks a bunch! Hallfiry at Beta Archive Forums has mentioned that the demo from October 6th already has the final version of the Barracks.

BTW, the skeletons in the earliest demo do not have a time limit, but they also seem to be weaker than in the final release.

[Edit] BTW, why did they make at least three pre-release shareware editions of Blood public? Was it done for some beta-testing purposes? (I know that a very early alpha version was leaked outright, but these betas are official, right?) Also, I remember leilei mentioned that Quake shareware versions 0.9-something were also officially available.

[leilei]

Blood 0.9 shareware versions were originally leaked 3 level demos IIRC. I think I can recall a DO NOT DISTRIBUTE message in those.

Quake 0.91 shareware's officially released though, and it was a hasty one - because a Quake prerelease was leaked just a day before it!

[MrFlibble]

Quake 0.91 shareware's officially released though, and it was a hasty one - because a Quake prerelease was leaked just a day before it!

Ahh, that's what it is, then

[MrFlibble]

Just found this interesting video:
http://youtu.be/bCLPrnrUQtM

It appears to be an enhanced version of the Warcraft II shareware (most probably distributed on a CD) with mission briefing voice-overs, fully animated intro sequence and CD audio music. The main menu screen (visible at 02:07) identifies this version as WARCRAFT 2 SHAREWARE v1.08sh.

[Edit] Found a download at a German website:
http://www.warcraft-akademie.de/warcraf ... 7f850fab8a

It's not an ISO though, just the files in a folder, so I'm not sure if the high-quality music audible in the video is actually included.

[Edit 2] The actual CD:
http://www.amazon.com/Warcraft-Tides-Da ... B000MTRSUY

[DOSGuy]

According to this page (Wayback Machine copy), there used to be a large demo of In Pursuit of Greed, which must have contained some video sequences. The file is called GREEDEMC.EXE and is probably 20 593 222 bytes in size (I've gathered this information here, but all links are dead there, unfortunately).

I managed to find a copy of greedemc.exe that is 20 593 222 bytes. It's Demo version 5.0c. Once installed it takes up a massive 35 343 668 bytes and takes FOREVER to install, even with DOSBox set to 100% cycles. I don't think DOSBox likes writing that much data to disk.

It has a pretty impressive intro. Thanks for pointing this file out!

[MrFlibble]

That's just awesome, great!

[Litude]

Blood 0.9 shareware versions were originally leaked 3 level demos IIRC. I think I can recall a DO NOT DISTRIBUTE message in those.

Are you sure about that? I guess the staff at PC Gamer could also have gotten the demo off the internet and put in on a CD by mistake but I have a hard time believing a high profile magazine wouldn't double check that the release is legal and they also usually got the files directly from the developer/publisher unless I'm mistaken. Also do you mean that there were more than one early shareware release (pre 0.99)?

[leilei]

Hmm.

[Litude]

Yeah I know about that, but I've yet to find any source mentioning any beta of Blood being leaked (plenty of sources regarding the alpha leak of course) so I'm wondering if it was actually a legit release but the developer who put together the release just forgot to remove the "DO NOT DISTRIBUTE" disclaimer from the start-up screen. Been looking through scene releases from 1997 and found no mention of a leaked beta either (though I realize that not all leaked releases were released through the scene).

EDIT: Also if it was leaked, why would it only include the first three levels?

[MrFlibble]

I guess the staff at PC Gamer could also have gotten the demo off the internet and put in on a CD by mistake but I have a hard time believing a high profile magazine wouldn't double check that the release is legal and they also usually got the files directly from the developer/publisher unless I'm mistaken.?

I've heard that the way Warcraft II press preview alpha version was "leaked" because some magazines thought it was a demo version intended for public distribution. Could it be the same case here? Could those guys have got the demo for magazine preview only?

Also if it was leaked, why would it only include the first three levels?

What about a closed beta test? Like with the Heretic three-level demo, but not open to general public?

BTW, the Warcraft II shareware CD version I've mentioned above apparently includes a VENDOR.TXT file which says:

Everyone can -- and is encouraged! -- to copy, upload and generally pass
around this Program electronically WITHOUT CHARGING FOR IT.

The Program is marked "Shareware" and contains "six playable scenarios". No
right is given by this vendor.txt to copy, use or distribute any other
version, including any version that is registered, or not marked shareware,
or that contains any episodes other than the six original playable scenarios.

I doubt the guys at Blizzard imagined distributing the entire CD ISO via high-speed Internet connections back then, but I think this means that at least technically, the distribution of the entire shareware CD of Warcraft II should be legal.

[MrFlibble]

Here's another demo of In Pursuit of Greed, this time it's an early one, from 1995:
http://cd.textfiles.com/pcgamer/pcgamer014/GREEDEMO/
The installer identifies this as v2.0.

[Calvero]

Once installed it takes up a massive 35 343 668 bytes and takes FOREVER to install, even with DOSBox set to 100% cycles. I don't think DOSBox likes writing that much data to disk.

Even while holding down Alt-F12?

[MrFlibble]

Shareware (Beta) Version 1.5 - Files

Hmm, this archive of the v1.5 shareware is somewhat different from this one - specifically, the FILE_ID.DIZ in the former contains the following text:

THIS IS A BETA RELEASE. THIS IS FROM ID
SOFTWARE, BUT IT IS NOT AN OFFICIAL RELEASE.

Since the version from the id Software FTP mirror is supposedly the one that was officially released for historical purposes, one could assume that the FILE_ID.DIZ in it was edited to remove the beta message.

[Litude]

Shareware (Beta) Version 1.5 - Files

Hmm, this archive of the v1.5 shareware is somewhat different from this one - specifically, the FILE_ID.DIZ in the former contains the following text:

THIS IS A BETA RELEASE. THIS IS FROM ID
SOFTWARE, BUT IT IS NOT AN OFFICIAL RELEASE.

Since the version from the id Software FTP mirror is supposedly the one that was officially released for historical purposes, one could assume that the FILE_ID.DIZ in it was edited to remove the beta message.

Interesting, though the archive I linked to wasn't from the historical archive either (it was from cream of the crop/textfiles). It could be that the file was officially rereleased with that notification added later on (id Software sometimes did this when something was wrong in the original .diz file). It's weird though that neither 1.4 or 1.6 has this notification despite them both being labeled as being beta releases in a similar fashion to that of version 1.5 (which makes me think it might have been something some sysop went ahead and added).