| HwM |
I really don't have a clue why I haven't mentioned this before, since I was aware of it for a long time... Anyway, I recently rediscovered a file on a cd, which confirmed the existence of a SQ4 with debug-mode...
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| Omer Mor |
wow! do you have this beta release??? |
| HwM |
No, but the main reason I posted this, is that perhaps someone has this version and could inform us about it... (just like that thread about the SCI1 EGA counterparts...) |
| Omer Mor |
I cecrtainly hope so! |
| Lars Skovlund |
This debug code is present in many SCI1 games. Often, it depends on a certain resource existing in the game directory (as opposed to in the resource file), so it can be activated by extracting all script and heap resources. You will probably find that the file in question is present in the beta version. The exact resource you need varies from game to game, but I've been able to get a debug mode in at least LB2 and SQ5. I'm thinking that there must be one in KQ6 as well (which I would like to see because there is a dialog editor which isn't there in the others), but I don't think there's a way to activate it. |
| Omer Mor |
Lars: I have the debug resources from LB2, but I never seen the debug mode in SQ5. Can give more details about it? How did you activate it? Did you need some extra files like in the LB2 debug mode? |
| HwM | Thanks Lars, for sharing this... I've been able to get a debug mode in EcoQuest 2, LSL 6 & Laura Bow 2... I've also seen the feature writer/polyeditor etc., they're in the later SCI11 games (KQ6, FPFP, etc.) and really extensive... However, SQ4 still didn't work, so there's probably another way of activating the debug mode in that game... |
| J.T. | The version of SQ4 that has the debug code is a beta that was leaked from Sierra about six months before the game was actually released. It was distributed by a cracker group known as The Humble Guys (hence the "THG" in the debug help file that was posted). I know this because I managed to get my hands on the leaked and pirated beta a few months before the game was released in 1991. Unfortunately, I deleted the beta as soon as I had bought a legal copy of the game. The things I remember about the pirated beta were the debug mode and the fact that the game was very buggy and crash-prone. |
| HwM |
J.T. wrote: Exactly... Since it wasn't the final sales release, most people probably deleted it... I'm aware of the whole THG/INC/etc. scene at that time and managed to get some savegames (by INC) of the beta... However, they contain the same version number my version has (1.052)... |
| mr-t | Oh well. Maybe, if SQ4 manages to get a phenomenal following like DOOM, someone will probably find a beta somewhere. |
| Omer Mor |
hwm & lars: can you please write down a short file that presents the methods you used to get into the debug mode of the various games you mentioned and put it on this board? I'll add to it any other games that I know of. I once made such a file, but a friend accidently deleted it. I also think it'd be wise to put such file on the web because that knowledge could be lost someday. |
| HwM |
Well, it's simple... The debug-scripts are already available in the resources files, but for some reason they only work when extracted... Example: Leisure Suit Larry 6; Extract the debug script, in this case 911.SCR and 911.HEP. Just leave them in the LSL6 directory and start the game... Now the game starts with a "Where do you want to start" dialog and the debug mode is activated... Press [?] and all the debug options appear... This is really an advanced debug mode, really worth checking out... Just search the HEP files for some debug references and try it (I think "trail-and-error" is the term for this)... The other games I've found: Laura Bow 2 (1.000): extract 10.SCR & 10.HEP EcoQuest 2 (1.000): extract 98.SCR & 98.HEP BTW, my LSL6 is the disk version, 1.000... But it could work with other versions... Not very sure about the CD-ROM version though, since it's kinda different (SVGA?)... |
| mr-t | ;D |
| HwM | Errr, Mr. T... I don't want to be a total bitch, but do you actually have something *useful* to say in this thread? Discovered any debugmodes? Apart from IDKFA and that stuff? |
| mr-t | I don't think I have, but I find this entire topic very interesting (Like the Dam's island and 'The Citadel' in Goldeneye 007 http://goldeneye.detstar.com) |
| AGI1122 |
::) Could you please leave the topic as is Mr T. we don't need people taking it off topic. >:( |
| kelmer |
HWM wrote: I've tried with the SVGA version but it does not have any 911.* file, so I guess the jusy deleted them. CAn you attach the files to this thread or send them to me so I can try with the CD version? |
| Omer Mor |
HWM: Up until now I had no idea of this method of "unlocking" the debug modes. In this weekend (when I'll be home, with my home computer, and my extensive SIERRA directory), I'm gonna try your "trial & error" method and try to discover more such debug scripts. I'm so glad this forum gives us the opportunity to share such methods and expend our knowledge in this area. The other methods I know of are the empty "CLASSES" file, changing the "VERSION" file to read-only (PQ3), and deleting some external script files (SQ6). Those methods were discussed in the previous debug thread on this board, so you can all read about it there, but it gets me back to my other point which was putting all this valuable knowledge in a simple text file, and uploading it somewhere. This way people could add they discoveries to this file and update it, and it won't be forgotten. The board is a good place to discuss stuff but people who will visit this board in a few months will probably miss this topic and who knows? Maybe they know some interesting stuff about other debug modes, have a special forgotten beta versions... I think I made my point... :) BTW - why extracting internal resources, and putting them in the games directory makes them behave differently? I thought external resources overrides the internal ones, but in this case they are the same ones so why the different behaviour? maybe the scripts have a routine that can check if they are present as external files in the game's directory? Kelmer: The LSL6 debug scripts could have been deleted in the CDROM version, but they might as well be there under a different number. It's worth checking out. |
| Omer Mor | [attachment deleted by admin] |
| HwM | [attachment deleted by admin] |
| kelmer |
I already tried putting every heap & script file in the LSL6 folder, but it didn't worked (the game ran normally). I also tried the old "classes" thing but didn't work either, so I thought they just eliminated the script files of the debug mode. Files from foppy version, though, didn't work. |
| kelmer |
BTW, I also got a few days ago to activate the debug mode in FPFP CD. I extracted the files from the resource.msg of a spanish floppy version (to kind of translate the CD one) and the game showed the "where do you want to start?" screen. I don't know exactly which files they were... This makes me think, are the files from floppy version the same as CD's? |
| HwM |
kelmer wrote: Well that probably depends which game... I have a couple of CD-ROM's and most differ from the disk-versions... SQ4 par example, has many differences between them (other graphics, timer-problems, etc.) PQ4CD seem to have a PATCHES directory, while PQ4disk hasn't... The KQ5CD RESOURCE file is 16MB, while the disk version is about half the size of that... The actual file format (SCR/HEP/etc.) is the same, there's no special CD interpreter that uses other files (at least, that's my guess)... So I think most, if not all, DISK/CD versions differ... Translated games, like FPFP Spanish, are the same games, only the RESOURCE.MSG is different... |
| HwM |
Thanks Kelmer, I've been able to get it (the FPFP debug mode) to work... You have to extract 10.SCR, 10.HEP & 10.TEX from the RESOURCE.MSG file, HOWEVER... It only seems to work with the SPANISH translation, since the english version of RESOURCE.MSG only contains MSG files (pretty obvious)... I suspect the french/german version will do too... BTW: Lars, this is one with the dialog editor... |
| mr-t | I have uploaded your debug keys to my website, Omer. http://l-s-d_studios.tripod.com/ |
| Omer Mor |
Great - yet there's still a lot of work to do with this document. We now know how to get into the FPFP debug mode using the spanish version's resources (thanks kelmer & hwm..). maybe you could put those resources on your page too, so people that don't have that version would be able to enjoy it as well. I hope this "project" will grow rapidly ... |
| HwM |
I could upload them somewhere also, since Mr. T's site doesn't work for me (because of the underscore)... Currently my harddisk is kinda messed up, so I haven't been able to check, but only SCI11 games seem to have the debugmode... SCI1 does not work the same way, which isn't strange, since they use a whole different script format... BTW: Omer, I think it's wise to add a version number (to the list), since *if* it would appear on other sites, there's an easy way to identify it... |
| mr-t |
It doesn't work with underscores? why? I have added 911.scr and 911.hep in the zip file. It is at the bottom of the page. |
| HwM |
I dunno... Maybe the fact that my provider uses the same 5 year old technology they started with has something to do with it... Anyway, it's irrelevant... Anyone found something lately? I didn't... Checked a couple of SCI11 games, like QFG3, found references, but none seemed to work... BTW: Laura Bow 2 also needs the 10.TEX extracted (the original message does not mention it)... |
| Omer Mor |
I haven't got the chance to check games so far because I didn't come back home this weekend. The thing is that I have 2 appartments - one for my day job in Tel Aviv, and one in northern Israel at my parents house. We (my band) have a show tonight in Tel Aviv, and I planned on coming back home and then going back to the show, but eventually I stayed in Tel Aviv, and I told you all this just to let you know I won't be having my precious "SIERRA\" directory until the next weekend... I used to have this directory at my appartment here too but my friend erased it by accident... And about LB2: The 10.TEX file is actually found in the zip file at the address I gave in my document. You can put that zip file at your site too, Mr. T. Just download it from the address I gave when I mentioned LB2's debug mode. |
| Omer Mor |
Lars: I noticed you still didn't tell us how you got the Space Quest 5 debug mode to work... please enlighten us! :-) |
| AGI1122 |
http://www.allowe.com/L-7teleport.htm I tried this one myself... it doesn't work on the LSL7 that I have(the one in the pleasure pack). Anyway thought you should add this to the list. |
| HwM |
Uh, the "CLASSES" method is mentioned earlier in this thread, but since it's kinda generic (SCI32), the list does not include it... However it could be added, but then all the debug modes should be in the list... About SQ5, I've unpacked every single resource but the debugmode was nowhere to be found... Maybe it'll work with other versions... |
| AGI1122 | Well I have the German and the French version of SQ5... maybe it would work with one of those? |
| HwM |
Chris Cromer wrote: Probably it won't... Since only the RESOURCE.MSG is different in those versions... |
| Endroz |
I've found out how to enable debug mode in Gabriel Knight. ;D The 'magic script' is the number 99. One can extract it directly from the game's resource file. However lots of functions like the polygon editor doesn't work to me. Also, what should be the meaning of ALT + D Debug Mode ON? Is it some sort of script debugger or what? ??? |
| Omer Mor |
Cool! How did you extract it? what tool did you use? Omer. |
| Eero R | Probably with SCI Studio VGA Beta... |
| Endroz |
I have used Sci Res Dumper by Vladimir Gneushev: http://vagsoft.chat.ru/sci.html This program is not much popular, but it do works quite well, you know. :-) Bye, Endroz |
| Omer Mor |
I can't find script # 99 :( i looked in both the diskette and the cd versions, and the only resources numbered 99 i could find were the view 99.v56 and the sound 99.snd (and both got extracted with size 0 for some reason). Can you please tell me where is the 99.scr and how did you extract it (i need the directory number for sciresdump). The sciresdump command line you used would be just fine. Thanks, Omer. |
| Omer Mor |
Ok, apparently I had to tweak sciresdump's command line parameters a little in order to find that elusive 99 script. The only GK with the 99.scr is the CD version. The right command line is: sciresdump RESOURCE.MAP /nresource.000 /m3 /p3 /v3 960 This one will extract 99.scr. However when I only extracted this resource the game gave me an error when I tried to run the debugger (by pressing '?' or Alt-D). The error said it needed the 99.hep resource. So I extracted this one as well using this command: sciresdump RESOURCE.MAP /nresource.000 /m3 /p3 /v3 1636 Now when I try to run the debugger I get the following error: ResHeap: Attempt to load wrong type Script 0/$6e3 I tried to extract 0.scr & 0.hep as well but with no luck. Any ideas? Omer. |
| Endroz |
Using an hex editor, you have to put the resource patch header tag before the start of both the files: 0x9100 for .hep files and 0x8200 for .scr files That should do it. :) |
| Omer Mor |
Thanks! it worked now! Unlike the debug modes for other games, here I didn't see a nice help screen when pressing '?'. You need to press Alt+D to activate it. I tried Alt+T to teleport, but failed to supply a working room number. I'll try that again later. Omer. |
| Endroz |
You have to press ALT + H for a command list, however not all command seems to work, though. As for teleport, try 200 which is the French QUarter Map. Endroz |
| Omer Mor | Thanks, I will try that! (but only in the next weekend) |