V-Mate Bypass

Visual Novel Community Archive, 2000-2009
#1

(Updated 3-6-05)

While answering a question on the G-collections BBS, I seem to have stumbled across a way to bypass V-mate when starting Hitomi. You have to start the program legitimately first. Then, once you perform the simple bypass procedure, Hitomi will start without running V-mate, and thus will start without an Internet connection. The bypass expires once the computer is restarted, requiring the bypass procedure to be performed once more (again, the game must be started legitimately first). Standby does not count as a “restart.” Hibernation does. With the help of volunteer testers, I have tested this bypass and confirmed that it works with Let’s Meow Meow, Hitomi, Pick Me Honey!, and Sagara Family. It should work with all subsequent games as well (unless GC fixes the “bug” that allows it to work).

I think there’s some people here who would be interested in this bypass. Although V-mate games can be minimized, and the Internet connection is not required once the game is started, Hitomi takes up quite a lot of resources when running in the background (something like 50% of the CPU on my 3.1 GHz computer). Also, it’s a lot more convenient to just keep the computer on (or on standby), rather than keeping the V-mate game(s) in question minimized all the time. Furthermore, I’m told that the bypass seems to reduce crashing for some users that experience crashes while playing V-mate titles.

The bypass procedure is now publicly available at Animetric forums. Those interested may go here to see it:

http://animetric.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=5397

Since the bypass procedure is now publicly available, I of course am not accepting further e-mails on the matter.

[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 03-05-2005).]

#2

well it’s really gc’s issue, less on us. let’s put it this way: if you post it on gc’s BBS and gc doesnt delete your post or ban you, then i guess it’s alright but we will have to see; it’s really gc’s system afterall.

so i’d say hold it for now until gc gives the green light (although i seriously doubt it)…and in the meantime i have to deal with this alleged crack for lets meow meow which i just got from someone.

ADD:
and to that person who emailed us with the screenshot, yes the email is from the troll who we and gc banned from the boards

[This message has been edited by Lamuness (edited 01-07-2005).]

#3

this is not directly related

but you did mention somthing thats been bothering me about hgames in general

as you said - takes up 50% of cpu cycles when in background

nearly every hgame ive seen has similar issue
they arent designed to have any sort of processsleep or screen synch or other kind of cycle limit, consequently they push the cpu into overactivity most of the time, even though this kind of performance is by no means needed

its kinda annoying since i play on a laptop, and cpu activity leads to heating issues


id also like to see some hgmaes that are Smarter about memory usage and cd activity
i dont like hearing the cd spin up everytime i click the mouse, considering the linear sort of gameplay it should be able to preload a lot of that stuff into memory and minimize cd access

[This message has been edited by exoarchaeologist (edited 01-07-2005).]

#4

Unfortunately, Peach Princess does not develop anything in house. They’d have to ask the Japanese creators to change the game, and that’s not likely.

#5

yep

#6

Very well. People who want to try the bypass for themselves can e-mail me for it, then. For now I’d be happy to have some testers. Assuming it works, I’ll respond to people I know on the board, and others perhaps until I get sick of it.

My e-mail is Dark_Shiki AT hotmail with a .com at the end. Bear in mind that I’m only using this address for these requests. Don’t use it to contact me otherwise, as I probably won’t respond.

#7

Dark_Shiki

Are u the one that posted a .txt file on the Donkey net??

What do u mean thati have to ‘start the program legitimately first’???
i should tell u that may solve a lot of problems and that it’ll also alow me to buy Lets meow meow from G-C after all…

#8

No, I haven’t posted anything on the Internet at this point.

By “starting the program legitimately,” I mean you have to click the .exe, V-mate has to connect to Interlex and approve your game to execute, and the game has to start. Once this is accomplished, V-mate can be bypassed (i.e. no Internet connection required) if the game were to be closed and then executed again (but only until the computer is rebooted/restarted). It’s an exploit based on how the V-mate system operates, not a crack.

I wouldn’t jump for joy just yet, though. I’m still not sure it’ll work for anyone else but me (and it sure doesn’t do me any good, really). Right now, I need someone who owns a V-mate game, any V-mate game, to try it out for me.

[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 01-08-2005).]

#9

@People who are experiencing crashes with V-mate games: If V-mate really is causing these crashes, then this bypass should “fix” these crashes. This only applies if the crashes occur in the game itself. You’re still out of luck if you can’t get to the title screen.

#10

well, it’s not the kind of ‘solution’ i was hoping for vm but at least iit’s something
Sadly now i have a grudge against G-C and i wont be buying their games even if they offered them to me at $5 (well, maybe if it’s at 5$ each, i would think about it… )

#11
quote:
Originally posted by exoarchaeologist:
this is not directly related

but you did mention somthing thats been bothering me about hgames in general

as you said - takes up 50% of cpu cycles when in background

Little My Maid takes up only 10% of the CPU when running in Windowed mode, and essentially none when minimized. I don't know about other PP/Will/Crowd games, though.

#12

Maybe off topic but, I have V-mate in my PC and at this point I have no problem. It works fine. I can play any games. After I install the G-C games my PC will cause problem but, if I reinstall again(G-C games), it works fine.

#13

So far, Hitomi has crashed on me at least 3 times. The first time when I installed the game and tried to save in game. Does anyone else with a V-mate game have to reset their setting as well everytime they startup the game? I have to reset it everytime because everytime the game is loaded, it is loaded in default settings.

#14

Resetting of settings seems to be a problem in both Let’s Meow Meow and Hitomi. It never bothered me because I never felt the need to change them. Personally, Hitomi has never crashed on me…ever.

#15

Other than some of the volumes for sound or music being a little too loud, there is always having to put it back on full screen mode.

I guess either you have been lucky so far or my PC has a bit too many bugs which it does have. Just today my Norton Antivirus program died on me haha!!!

#16

DS - Does your machine have sleep mode? Does it work if sleep/awakened instead of shutdown/restarted?

Not that it makes much difference to me, just curious. Today I swapped motherboards for the fourth time in a week, and I have another one enroute. I don’t think I’m a good vmate candidate.

#17

Use BOTH Ad-aware and Spybot. They both detect things the other sometimes can’t find.

#18
quote:
Originally posted by papillon:
DS - Does your machine have sleep mode? Does it work if sleep/awakened instead of shutdown/restarted?

Not that it makes much difference to me, just curious. Today I swapped motherboards for the fourth time in a week, and I have another one enroute. I don't think I'm a good vmate candidate. [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

I just tested it. The bypass works if the computer is awakened from standby. However, I thought it would work after resuming from hiberation, and it turns out it does not. Basically, for the bypass to work, the operating system cannot be restarted in any manner. Still, it's better than having to connect every time the program is started, and the bypass itself is very simple.

#19

It doesn’t sound promising for offline play. As I recall, standby mode results in continuing battery drain. Not good for gaming on the road.

#20
quote:
Originally posted by woodelf:
But tell me would you want somebody watching you play [b]Let's Meyow Meyow while traveling. You do use headphones, right! [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/smile.gif[/img][/b]

I have played b-games with headphones to while away the time at airports. But I was thinking more of the case where I'd launch a game at home, go to hibernate mode, pack the laptop in the trunk and power up on A/C at the motel that night. Standby mode would result in overheating the system in its carrying bag and fully discharging the battery.