Because, for me, finding a modchip is hard enough, let alone doing the actual mod process. Been stuck with an Action-Replay-backed Swap Method for a while, but my motor has not died in spite of it's use. Yay?
Rather easy, supposedly. You pop one ribbon cable out of its socket, pop the modchip into the slot, and pop the ribbon cable into the modchip. And then have to solder one, two cables. I've never bought it to try this, though. Be aware that it's easier if you get it for a Model 2, as opposed to a Model 1. (Circular buttons, as opposed to oval ones. Conversely, the swap trick is far easier on Model 1s.) Here or here. I prefer owning the actual game, if I can possibly do it. And, well, considering I own a few rather expensive gems (Guardian Heroes, Burning Rangers, Magic Knight Rayearth, friggin' Panzer Dragoon Saga) and just bought an AR4-in-1 (meaning imports like Radiant Silvergun are now feasible), I think I'm being rather successful in this regard. Although I have been tempted to get a modchip anyway, just because.
I have over 100 backups and around 10 actual discs. I also have a 4-in-1 for the RAM for things like Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter. I use the swap method and don't really care since a new Sega Saturn is less than a modchip.
Unfortunately, what he said is the truth. Modchips may have meant more when Saturn systems were 100 or even 50 dollars, but c'mon, guys, I'm not paying 25 when I can get an actual system cheaper.
I don't want to use the swap trick on my Model 2 Saturn. I'm getting a modchip and 4M AR cart soon. :P
One dead Saturn is one more unit rarer one comes to a working one. I don't own a Saturn, but I wouldn't be trying swap tricks on it. Mechanical failure is difficult to fix and SEGA Saturns are not in infinite supply.
Besides, the $25 is just a sunk costs. Nobody knows how many Saturns you'd have to buy to keep that sort of thing up.
I heard that if you just draw a line around the outer edge of a disk with a black marker that will make the Saturn read it.
Not me - never heard of the marker trick for the Saturn. Anywho, the swap trick sounded like a huge pain, so I got a mod-chip.
It doesn't. I used to spend some time on SegaXtreme (That site wouldn't count for oldbie status, would it?), and they've basically determined that it's looking for a certain pattern produced by the text, and it's it is very particular about it. At least that's what I think it was, if anyone wants the details, I could try and find the thread where a guy made his own mod chip. He was able to burn a CD that repliacted some of the features of the security ring off the Saturn disks, but still needed the chip for something.
I tried the Emulator Saturn it was too slow on my computer and I want to know where can I but the Sega Saturn it's starting to become a lot harder to find.
I added a small resistor in series with the motor in my Saturn to prevent overstressing the motor driver form the overcurrent that will happen when you forcibly stop the motor. I've not managed to kill the motor, I do have few assemblies with dead laser control chip though but that's unrelated to swapping... I need to get myself a modchip.
For games I've burnt to a CD I just use an emulator. There's not many games I'm interested in that I don't already have on an official disc.
I found some bits and pieces about it, but the thread I was talking about seems to be gone. I did find out that the handle of the person I was talking about is "Pinchy". It seems as though most of the information can still be found here and there.
