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Muggy
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| AMadeMan wrote: | Sure! Maybe you could post a few pics of it. Is it the Russian version or Polish version? (Polish has the English voice acting)
As for putting the game here, if the problem is with the large number of patches, then someone could lend a copy that already has the whole game patched and ready to go instead of all the patches released individually. My copy is already completely patched and I'd be happy to lend it for the sake of preservation. |
If you wish to share your copy via PM with anyone then I know nothing! 
Yet again, even games that are hidden from the spotlight...h-hmmm, could
still be a big risk; always someone who'll claim copyright - grey area tbth! 
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AMadeMan
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Very true Muggy. Even as obscure Chameleon is, Take 2 (assuming they still own the rights) have been known in the past especially with GTA to shut down fan projects and attempts at digging up past stuff, they are known to be RELENTLESS.
Don't worry, I won't say a word regarding anyone involved.  |
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mammix
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OK, I finally managed to find the (original) CDs with the game, Polish version.
I tried to install the game (on windows 7), but it wouldn't work (I tried two seperate times). At the third trial, the game somehow managed to destroy system files, so that windows wouldn't start up.
I eventually fixed my computer, zipped the Chameleon folder and uploaded it on the Internet, and then deleted the game ASAP. In other words, I am providing you with the link to the game files, but I don't recommend running the game itself.
@Muggy - if providing the link to the game files is a breach of forum rules, please just erease the link from this message and if someone is interested in downloading the files, just PM me.
https://mega.nz/#!hOQTGYbL!W4KCXqQtPS71UsKfS3WoPfd358cjhUFRioDC-VPsPqw
Edit: I've been reading the thread and I found the solution to the problem by Duelist:
| Duelist wrote: | Interesting, I've never heard of this game even though it was apparently popular and highly rated in my country.
I've downloaded and installed it. It was a mistake. DO NOT INSTALL POLISH VERSION of this game on windows 7. It uses old StarForce protection that will brick windows making it fail to boot. Only way to fix this (apart from format) is to remove 4 starforce .sys files from windows/system32/drivers. |
Last edited by mammix on Thu Jan 02, 2020 10:06 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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linukkis
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How weird, I had no problems running Chameleon on Win 7 a few years ago. But then again, I wasn't using original CDs   |
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AMadeMan
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| Its a good thing you didn't go through with the installation any further. Anything that uses StarForce Protection means death for your PC. It is highly infamous DRM. I luckily found a torrent of Chameleon (DRM free) somewhere on Moddb along with the English Patch. |
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Hunter
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| mammix wrote: | OK, I finally managed to find the (original) CDs with the game, Polish version.
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Cool! Cool. Was not expecting that. I am grateful.
BUT, I have no idea what I'm doing now. I don't remember how I installed the game, where the patch is, how I extracted the data and whether I need to extract any data to incorporate the missing files to the English patch.
I think (though it seems to be on my laptop which is in pieces ATM) the installer is just one file. I am wondering if it's possible to further "improve" it with files from this version. Or what the differences are other than a few files (the installer, setup, folder name are in Russian is what I mean. The game itself seems, except for the few missing files, completely English).
No idea if the Russian version is lacking StarForce or just this third party distribution of it (ironically, StarForce is a Russian developer's product). A guy on Moddb says the Czech version doesn't have DRM, but the Polish one does.  It would be sweet to get the installer to work in English. Ah, but that's just frosting on cake. The distribution (the single large file that installs the game) is probably not an original file.
So the Russian version might just be better for that reason. I am tempted by the idea of disc images of the Polish version, but it might be truly redundant and although the StarForce thing won't bother me on XP, it is an apparent downside. I don't know how to sanitize the game.
Also don't know - StarForce is the disc authentication rootkit. So IIRC it has nothing to do with the game other than an EXE check, so if you don't have StarForce installed and you don't open the game with a tainted EXE (or a crack), I presume this Polish version should work on Windows 7.
Actually, not 100% sure, it's been a year, but the Russian download might, possibly, just be the game folder (seems to install normally, but...yeah). Anyway if you want to play it mammix I can definitely recommend it, you'll just have to follow the illegitimate route.
Checking...
Mmm yeah, not exactly what I was hoping for. The Polish is more legible than the Russian, but still rather cryptic. The program is likely the same except for localization.
Install/readme also in Polish. And I am honestly a little leery about mixing and matching. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't.
File differences (obviously)
protect.exe
protect.dll
protect0.dat
And I'm now looking into what can be improved. Right away, it seems the sounds in the main folder is not needed (external files to override the Russian sounds.dta). This is because the Polish sounds.dta seems to be English. Saves over 100MB. Unfortunately for me, they did translate text strings into Polish, so the Polish maps.dta isn't helpful.
The maps folder in this installation is already about the same size as the Russian maps.dta. But I found simply disabling maps.dta messes up menus (at least). Come to find there's about 1700 out of 5700 files missing from the English (Czech) maps folder for some reason. I don't know why; it seems random. Like a texture for license plates. That's not a language specific file. So rather than digging through 4000 raw (.565) data files to try to see which ones have English text and shouldn't be removed, I decided to add the 1700 files from maps.dta to the English maps folder, which allows me to remove maps.dta completely, which is about 700MB. Would be more elegant to do it the other way, adding the English only textures, and far more elegant to just use the Czech (English) maps.dta, but I don't have that, so...
I've just checked and fully extracted, maps is just slightly larger than the Russian maps.dta plus maps. So, there is no point to doing what I did. Either remove all non language specific textures or find the Czech maps.dta, or don't bother.
I'm putting together a custom patch which includes sounds.dta, the other BillyOwens files and those files he missed (works great now! Thanks mammix!). |
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Revan31
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Ok guys, what are you trying to achieve?
I wrote before that I have this game on my harddisk (Czech version with english voices).
I might upload the whole game maybe... |
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Hunter
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| Revan31 wrote: | Ok guys, what are you trying to achieve?
I wrote before that I have this game on my harddisk (Czech version with english voices).
I might upload the whole game maybe... |
I'm trying to achieve what you have. Don't tease me  |
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Blurredman
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| mammix wrote: | OK, I finally managed to find the (original) CDs with the game, Polish version.
I tried to install the game (on windows 7), but it wouldn't work (I tried two seperate times). At the third trial, the game somehow managed to destroy system files, so that windows wouldn't start up.
I eventually fixed my computer, zipped the Chameleon folder and uploaded it on the Internet, and then deleted the game ASAP. In other words, I am providing you with the link to the game files, but I don't recommend running the game itself.
@Muggy - if providing the link to the game files is a breach of forum rules, please just erease the link from this message and if someone is interested in downloading the files, just PM me.
https://mega.nz/#!hOQTGYbL!W4KCXqQtPS71UsKfS3WoPfd358cjhUFRioDC-VPsPqw
Edit: I've been reading the thread and I found the solution to the problem by Duelist:
| Duelist wrote: | Interesting, I've never heard of this game even though it was apparently popular and highly rated in my country.
I've downloaded and installed it. It was a mistake. DO NOT INSTALL POLISH VERSION of this game on windows 7. It uses old StarForce protection that will brick windows making it fail to boot. Only way to fix this (apart from format) is to remove 4 starforce .sys files from windows/system32/drivers. |
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Well I wish I had read this before I started poking around...
Now my PC is gone 
I can't find any specific files looking at the creation/modification dates to know which files to remove however...
Which files am I looking for please? 
EDIT: Resolution found here..
https://superuser.com/questions/93442/windows-7-doesnt-start-after-installing-a-game-with-starforce-protection |
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