Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

All NetLink related discussion goes in here.
bcRIPster
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 1:48 pm
Contact:

Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by bcRIPster »

I have a large collection of save files (1000+) in Net Link, base64 encoded e-mail format that I'm looking to share. Does anyone have any advice on the best format to present them in? I could just decode and zip them up. Anyways, looking for feedback.

In short, before this page (archive.org link) was removed back in early 2000's I went through and had it e-mail me every single save file stored in the service. I had forgotten I had them and just ran across it today while doing some data organizing.

...I could even setup a service to e-mail them like the old PlanetWeb site if that is the most effective method.
User avatar
Xranger60
Site Admin
Posts: 668
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm
Location: Long Island
Contact:

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by Xranger60 »

Hey bc, welcome to the forums. How are the files named? If you'd like, we can host a mirror here, but either way, that is an awesome find!
Willing to play Bomberman, Duke Nukem 3d, Virtual On, Sega Rally. Send me a PM.
bcRIPster
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 1:48 pm
Contact:

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by bcRIPster »

Well, currently they are raw e-mail files that I had the Planet Web server send me. In theory I would log into my e-mail from the Saturn with NetLink and save the attachment to system memory, so the "filename" is their system memory name. Thanks for the offer to host but I'll probably store them someplace on the gamezero.com website. I'm still working that bit out as well though. Like I said, I'm trying to see if it makes sense to offer a download, or to put up some way for people to request the e-mail forward. Here is an example:

- - - - -
(some non-relevant e-mail header info trimmed)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary===pw_boundary==
Subject: 100% beaten Albert Oddysee


--__pw_boundary__
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Here ya go!

--__pw_boundary__
Content-Type: application/x-planetweb-app-segasavedgame
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Description: FARGASTA8F
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=ALBERT_G_01

AoQKAAngAAAGABuYD3xDRCfQBQAAAAABAAUAAwAEAAA5UElLRQAAAAuMCz4A/wC9qqpCQgJXAYoA6
gCSW0lPPTw8AAAAA0jwfJ+nLQAAAAAAAAP/OUVLQQAAAAAJ7gnuAVIBUqOjR0ICJwFoAL4AdU5Cfn
46OgAAAANGLYqiq0MAAAAAAAA//zhLSUEAAAAAB74HvgIUAeKpqUFBASgArgDBAGFJSaqqQTwAAAA
DKj+Voq1oAAAAAAAAf/87R1JZWloAAA78DvwAAAAAyLlFQAK6AdIA3gCoyMgKCjU1AAAAA6UseE2u
UQAAAAAAAAB/OUFNT04AAAAMWwxbAAAAALS0S0sCUAGUALoAfU5OSjtJRAAAAAM9yXmYsl4AAAAAA
AAAAP8AAAACAgAAAQsCAAADAQEAAQABAJLi9QAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADAyBwAAAAIAAAUAJwAAAAAAAA
EAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAADAj/+H/u8f/m6AlMH///8/BgD8/+P/AQAAAAAAAAAAAAAK/J8FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA0//6w8+AH8B/xnfEf////1/Ay9XDxo7BwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAeNdvn2/8HwAAAAAAAP8/AAAAAY8JHwACADDAFQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA//w==
--__pw_boundary__--
User avatar
Xranger60
Site Admin
Posts: 668
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm
Location: Long Island
Contact:

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by Xranger60 »

If you can input the emails into Thunderbird, there is an add-on, "AttachmentExtractor," that can mass extract the attachments from the emails. I've attached it here.
Attachments
attachmentextractor-1.3.5.1-tb.zip
(207.24 KiB) Downloaded 2395 times
Willing to play Bomberman, Duke Nukem 3d, Virtual On, Sega Rally. Send me a PM.
bcRIPster
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 1:48 pm
Contact:

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by bcRIPster »

I have tools to extract them already. That's not the problem. I'm trying to find the best way to make them usable/available for people. My original plan back in the early 2000's was to put a modem on a phone line that people could dial in with the Saturn to retrieve the saves directly but that seems less viable these days. I don't know exactly what tools people are using to get save files on and off real Saturns currently as the ones I have seen seem to just snapshot the entire memory bank. I'm sure for emulators it's a snap to deal with... anyways.

I may still do the fake ISP, modem approach regardless for people to call into. Ultimately I'm just trying to figure out how people are sharing save files these days.
User avatar
Xranger60
Site Admin
Posts: 668
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm
Location: Long Island
Contact:

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by Xranger60 »

Ah, I see. I use a Raspberry Pi, line simulator, and mgetty. With these three, I run my own "ISP," to dial into. I then run a pop3 email server on the Pi as well, and that way, I can receive/send emails via Saturn without having to dial to any external phone number.

Generally, the tutorials I followed were along these lines:
https://www.howtoforge.com/linux_dialin_server
Willing to play Bomberman, Duke Nukem 3d, Virtual On, Sega Rally. Send me a PM.
bcRIPster
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 1:48 pm
Contact:

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by bcRIPster »

Oh cool, that's a brilliant approach. I had never thought of that. That's still moving the files through a NetLink but that's ok. So in my searching it doesn't look like anyone has come up with some other kind of solution to get around using the modem though, unless I've missed something.
User avatar
Xranger60
Site Admin
Posts: 668
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm
Location: Long Island
Contact:

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by Xranger60 »

Have you looked at this thread for more info? https://segaxtreme.net/threads/anyone-h ... ves.24059/
Willing to play Bomberman, Duke Nukem 3d, Virtual On, Sega Rally. Send me a PM.
bcRIPster
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 1:48 pm
Contact:

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by bcRIPster »

Nope. I started my search with the XBand guys over on Facebook and one of them sent me here. I'll take a look though. Thanks.
bcRIPster
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 1:48 pm
Contact:

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by bcRIPster »

Other than the site not responding and having to read the pages via Google cache, that looks like exactly the guys I'm trying to find. As soon as I can get the site to load directly I'll jump in on that discussion. Thanks!!!
User avatar
Xranger60
Site Admin
Posts: 668
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm
Location: Long Island
Contact:

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by Xranger60 »

It looks like the save manager in that thread should work with the planetWeb save files, so I'll keep an eye out for their responses to you.
Willing to play Bomberman, Duke Nukem 3d, Virtual On, Sega Rally. Send me a PM.
bcRIPster
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 1:48 pm
Contact:

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by bcRIPster »

So... this is really weird. I can't get the site to load from my ISP. If I use another network (eg my phone) it connects just fine.
User avatar
Warp2063
League Veteran
League Veteran
Posts: 1594
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:28 am
Location: Virginia, USA

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by Warp2063 »

I am quite intrigued by this discussion... but I'm several thousand miles away from my Saturns right now and unable to help. :(
I have my Saturns, I have some of my games, I have a RasPi. Gotta put all this stuff together!
bcRIPster
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 1:48 pm
Contact:

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by bcRIPster »

So... after working with my ISP, it appears the block is on SegaXtreme's end of the connection. Apparently somewhere between Verizon (their network) and their server, connections are being rejected to/from atleast my subnet if not maybe my ISP (a rather large provider so that's pretty odd). I guess I'm going to work on connecting via another provider (which I already tried doing but couldn't get a confirmation e-mail for creating an account because their server can't seem to e-mail me). Sigh.
User avatar
Austin Peyton
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2016 10:28 pm

Re: Collection of Saturn game saves via NetLink

Post by Austin Peyton »

That would be cool if I could download saves directly to my saturn via dreampi/planet web browser
I found a site with zip files but I think something with the native file just for download on a 40k website would work. Kinda like downloading vmu files on dreampipe.
Post Reply