Looking for NULL / NOL (?) glitch information...

[FenixStryk]

Thinking back on my PSO DC adventures, I recalled a specific exploit/hack that I can now look upon fondly, but I'm sure was the cause of much frustration and despair in the past: the NULL character glitch. Seeking to sate my nostalgia, I looked for images and information about it on the internet, but... there don't seem to be any.

From what I recall, it was a malicious exploit where a player could modify/reset someone else's save file, turning them into a very specific short blue HU(?)newearl character named NOL (or NULL?). Once you were infected, that was it; there was nothing you could do about (to my recollection).

My Dreamcast is no longer functional so I'm unable to power it back up and gaze upon my NOL'd characters (assuming they are there). With that in mind, I'd appreciate it if someone could quell my curiosities and somehow scrounge up a few images of what the character looked like, or roughly how it was done (I'm not asking for hacks! I just want to remember again... even though, you know, the servers are down anyway), or at the very least what the character's name was (NULL? NOL?).

Any help would be appreciated.
It's been a long time...

[T0m]

I jumped in PSO in the Gamecube era so I don't have any personal experience with the exploit/hack. I can tell you the NPC's name is Nol Rinale (http://www.shinforce.com/elite/phantasystar/gallery_pso/gallery1/wp-PSO-11-0640.jpg). In the game she was a journalist and buried deep here on PSO-W there's even her offline quest script (http://www.pso-world.com/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=1161) for you to read.

[DC_PLAYER]

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/3937/pso2012011818511748.png

[Ryo]

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/3937/pso2012011818511748.png

What is this?

[Akaimizu]

The picture of a NOLed character. That's NOL.

The worst thing about the NOL glitch was that it completely overwrote your character killing hundreds of hours of work. Definitely one of the most malicious things because the only thing worse than losing your awesome equipped stuff (which were other glitches and PK glitches) was losing your entire character.

After that, it quickly turned into Locked-room city as griefers started to really take over.

[DC_PLAYER]

What is this?
It's a booma beeing killed by a RAcast in caves.

[FenixStryk]

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/3937/pso2012011818511748.png

[...] The NPC's name is Nol Rinale (http://www.shinforce.com/elite/phantasystar/gallery_pso/gallery1/wp-PSO-11-0640.jpg). In the game she was a journalist and buried deep here on PSO-W there's even her offline quest script (http://www.pso-world.com/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=1161) for you to read.

The worst thing about the NOL glitch was that it completely overwrote your character killing hundreds of hours of work. Definitely one of the most malicious things because the only thing worse than losing your awesome equipped stuff (which were other glitches and PK glitches) was losing your entire character. After that, it quickly turned into Locked-room city as griefers started to really take over.After all this time... Nol Rinale. Thank you, everyone. I feel like I can finally be at peace with the past now. This means more to me than I can say.

*sigh* ...somehow, this character seems more important to me than the rest. Clearing my memories was the least I could do to honor her legacy.

I really appreciate you helping me out.
Don't forget to visit the counter at the Hunter's Guild.

[Zeota]

Oh man, this brings back memories! I got turned into a "---" once. I couldn't join any games online because my inventory was loaded with "??? ???" items. On that note, it was possible to be turned into other NPCs as well. I'm sure there were some who wouldn't have minded being turned into ultimate KIREEK (level 186 in ultimate) given how much exp it took to level up on DC v2.

[DC_PLAYER]

If you would be turned into kireek you would most likely be lvl 36 or so, meaning you would turn into the normal version just like nol and not the ultimate one.

As for "---" and "???? ???? +183" stuff, your connection to the ship sucked (no offense, but it can happen)
http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/1346/1401092131.jpg

[Zeota]

The level of the NPC was indeed affected by the difficulty to which the game was set. Seen it happen a couple times. For a bit of a history lesson, that thing was no mere "glitch". It was a malicious code which, if I remember right, was based off one that allowed you to take banned items out of the bank whilst online. Stuff like double cannons and tsumikiri fit this criteria back then. Even cheat sites (both English and Japanese) didn't want people sharing or discussing this crap. That's the gist of how I remember it working, but it's been over a decade.

[GCoffee]

I wish I had been NOL'd, but the bastard back then decided to MOME me instead. Yes. Out of all NPCs I get the most loveliest, wonderful isn't it. :)

[DC_PLAYER]

Then why weren't ppl turned into a lvl 160 (+-) NOL instead of lvl 5? or did they? hmmmm

[Zeota]

I wish I had been NOL'd, but the bastard back then decided to MOME me instead. Yes. Out of all NPCs I get the most loveliest, wonderful isn't it. :)

Ouch, dude! That had to be a major kick in the nuts. I think I would've quit the game on the spot after that. I know I was ready to after a similar thing happened to me but a friend managed to talk me down from that ledge. It actually made me buy an Xploder to recoup all that had been lost.

And the vast majority of these cases happened in games that were on normal.

[batfax]

Funnily, no one mentioned that there was a bit of a defense against it. I remember during the height of the hacking that I would see the little black flash on my screen, that was a sign to rip out the VMU and turn off the game. It wasn't the best choice, but it let me keep my character at the cost of losing most of my inventory.

[Powder Keg]

Funnily, no one mentioned that there was a bit of a defense against it. I remember during the height of the hacking that I would see the little black flash on my screen, that was a sign to rip out the VMU and turn off the game. It wasn't the best choice, but it let me keep my character at the cost of losing most of my inventory.

This happened to me once as well. Ripped the VMU out and everything was fine. Of course, we all pretty much quit fast since Sega put forth no effort / had no response for this issue, topped onto the fact that V2 wasn't very impressive in the first place.

[Disastorm]

hacking aside, who remembers the good old days when you died you dropped your main equipped weapon... and you always worried if your fellow party members would steal it and leave... which of course would happen multiple times.

[Zalana]

Ouch, dude! That had to be a major kick in the nuts. I think I would've quit the game on the spot after that. I know I was ready to after a similar thing happened to me but a friend managed to talk me down from that ledge. It actually made me buy an Xploder to recoup all that had been lost.

And the vast majority of these cases happened in games that were on normal.

NOLing sucks... I still remember the clans and such back in the day. Good times. Never got NOLed but, I won't go into detail about the DC version since it's long ago and in the past. Does snk play on the same server as you in ffxi, I see that you still play which I should actually message you on there btw lol. I haven't talked to you or him in forever.