Sierra SCI Debug Modes

OmerMor · Post by **OmerMor** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 8:49 pm

I imported the SCI parts from HWM's excellent Debug Mode FAQ to scummvm's wiki: http://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/SCI/Debug_Modes

This is an almost straight conversion, only slightly wiki-fied. There's still work to do here.

I hope you'll find this useful, and whoever has wiki editing privileges here is more than welcome to help complete the work.

Post by **sev** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 11:14 pm

Nice work, thank you.

Eugene

hwm · Post by **hwm** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 12:41 pm

Omer, long time no speak! But apparently we're on the same level, since I "dug up" my Debug Mode FAQ and Game/Interpreter Version List this month, reviewing them a bit and was planning to reupload them somewhere. Integrating the Debug FAQ here, just like the version list, seems like a good idea. I'm pretty much done with it myself, most debug modes are covered now anyway.

I see you based the wiki entry on v0.93, but there is a later version which has the following updates:

Code: Select all

 0.94 - More updates than originally planned / expected

  * &#40;Re&#41;discovered a debug mode found in King's Quest 5. It only works
  in the oldest versions of the game. Interestingly enough, I found
  it mentioned in an old saved piece of HTML &#40;dated 06/1998&#41;, while
  making backups of some old CDs. It came from a disappeared
  Australian EDU-domain, written by a certain "Peter" &#40;I suppose
  Peter Kelly of AGI Studio fame?&#41;.

  * Added debug mode for King's Quest 5 &#40;CD-ROM version&#41;.

  * Added debug mode for Leisure Suit Larry 5.

  * Added debug mode for Slater & Charlie Go Camping.

  * Added debug mode for RAMA.

  * Added an extra debug feature available in Space Quest 3.

  * Added some extra information on Leisure Suit Larry 2 and 3.

  * Added the AGIv1 debug modes.

I'm not sure if this one was publicly released and/or announced. The last Version List seems to be v0.94.

OmerMor · Post by **OmerMor** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 6:17 pm

Hi HWM ! VERY long time indeed

I'd love to get your 0.94 version and integrate the updates to the wiki here. You can email me if you still have the address (or PM me for it if you don't).
The best way for you to continue updating the list would be to get editing privileges here. Just PM/email sev for it.
Personally I love this list and It'd be great for it to be active again!

I also wanted to consult you guys: the original list included both SCI & AGI games. Because I'm a little biased, I ripped only the SCI debug modes into the wiki. Do you think it would be better to integrate them back into one list, or give it a separate page?

Post by **sev** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 6:25 pm

Separate pages seem to be logical, but the important thing is to have all the information present on the Wiki.

Eugene

OmerMor · Post by **OmerMor** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:45 pm

AGI Debug Modes is up too:
http://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/AGI/Debug_Modes

I noticed some stuff is missing like "BACKSTAGE" for space quest 1, and the TESTER command from that game. I'll be glad if someone more knowledgeable than me in AGI games will fill in the gaps.

hwm · Post by **hwm** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 4:34 pm

I uploaded my (updated) old site, which has the latest versions of the Debug Mode FAQ and Game/Interpreter Version List (and nothing more I might add):

http://agisci.altervista.org/

Enjoy!

OmerMor wrote:AGI Debug Modes is up too:
I noticed some stuff is missing like "BACKSTAGE" for space quest 1, and the TESTER command from that game. I'll be glad if someone more knowledgeable than me in AGI games will fill in the gaps.

DBG is a synonym for BACKSTAGE. TESTER is indeed missing, probably missed it because it's an independent (debugging) command, not activated by the debug mode.

OmerMor · Post by **OmerMor** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 6:05 pm

Thanks for the updated FAQ's HWM! I'll be sure to integrate the new bits into the wiki.

lwc · Post by **lwc** » Fri Apr 01, 2022 5:22 pm

OmerMor wrote: ↑Sat Dec 10, 2011 8:49 pm I imported the SCI parts from HWM's excellent Debug Mode FAQ to scummvm's wiki: http://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/SCI/Debug_Modes

The wiki repeats the statement "the easiest way being SCI DECODER v1.0".
I believe that was true years ago.
This app is very user unfriendly, looks like a DOS program and as such doesn't even work with the computer mouse.
I suggest for the wiki to forget about it and recommend "SCI Resource Viewer" instead. This program has a nice GUI and lets you export resources in seconds.
Just note it has two versions - version 1 and "Unversioned".
Only the latter lets you export resources (version 1 only lets you save them as text).

I also suggest to put a little intro in the top of the wiki article with "please download this program to support many of the actions in this article".
You can link http://sci.sierrahelp.com/Tools/SCITools.html and mention this program can be downloaded at the bottom there.

What do you think?

That aside, you might to mention ScummVM's own debugger supports SCI games too.
But this raises a question - most SCI debug modes allow you to change event flags and not vars. If you want to know which vars to change, ScummVM's own debugger has the commands vl and vv to inspect and even change vars. But what about event flags? IS there an easy way in ScummVM's own debugger to monitor and perhaps even change them?

Sierra SCI Debug Modes

Sierra SCI Debug Modes

Re: Sierra SCI Debug Modes