Messages

1

AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI IS HERE

« on: October 09, 2026, 11:52:22 AM »

Welcome back to the AGI community Joakim. It must be nearly the whole of those 30 years since we last spoke. I was out of the community for a while, from about 2000-2010, but have been often floating around sciprogramming.com for the past 16 years. Collector already mentioned some of the AGI projects I did in that time.

I have only had a small look at AGI IS HERE so far, but what I've seen looks really good. I uploaded KQ1 and it appeared to be playing perfectly, then I switched to editor mode and that was looking good too. I had in mind to build a web based editor as part of my https://agi.sierra.games website, but never got around to it.

I'm not sure if you're aware but over 80% of the original AGI interpreter source code was found in the unused parts of original game disks. You can see what was extracted here: https://github.com/lanceewing/agi. I wrote an article about it here: https://lanceewing.github.io/blog/sierra/agi/sq2/2024/05/22/do-you-own-this-space-quest-2-disk.html

I remember those very early days around 1996-97 when it was mainly Peter Kelly, yourself and me, although I do remember Martin Tillenius as well.

2

AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI-64

« on: September 25, 2026, 12:55:32 PM »

Yeah, you're right. It isn't as close as I thought, but what AGI-64 was previously using (all CAPS, and I don't think it was the standard C64 font) seemed quite different compared to all of those examples. I think that original font in the screenshots was a 3x7 font, designed for the double width pixels. Tbh, I'm not sure if the author ended up going with the IBM font or with the standard C64 font. I would have to take a closer look, but it is now mixed case and no longer using the 3x7 font, so certainly closer to what we see with the IBM AGI interpreter.

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AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI-64

« on: September 25, 2026, 08:05:14 AM »

Fortunately, the character set on the C64 can be altered, so if you feel there's not enough difference between a capital O, slashed zero, and eight, that doesn't need to be a problem forever.

I just watched through half of that SQH video. He mentioned in a few places that he was looking forward to seeing the more C64-like font shown in the screenshots on the website and seemed disappointed that it had changed to the font we're more used to in the IBM, Amiga, Apple IIe, etc. versions, and even wondered if he'd done something wrong when using the compiler tool to build the cart image. It was me that suggested to the author to change the font to match the IBM font, as I felt that Sierra tried to keep it similar across the different platforms. Maybe its just my preference though. I'm so used to seeing the font we're all used to that I found the original font shown in the screenshots a bit jarring. I was quite impressed when the author was able to change it to match the IBM font.

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AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI-64

« on: September 24, 2026, 12:40:44 PM »

I didn't have much time to look at the video yet but I see that he noticed the same thing I did, i.e. the very slow animation of the scientist walking into the room. The author mentioned that ego is implemented with C64 sprites, which would be why its movement seems okay, but all other animations that are not sprites would be quite slow. Hopefully there is a way to speed that up in future releases. The Apple IIe managed decent animation speed. It was the room changing speed that was slow on the Apple IIe, mostly because it had to load from floppy and then draw the picture etc. With AGI-64 having the graphics all converted and prepared ready to go within the cartridge itself, room changes are fairly quick.

5

AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI-64

« on: September 24, 2026, 11:04:11 AM »

There doesn't appear to be an easy way to watch his video at the moment. I found a link to it from a post he did, to both Twitch and Youtube, but the youtube link doesn't seem to go to a video (and I can't find it on his youtube account when browsing through the videos), and the Twitch link requires me to log in.

I have played a bit of SQ1 on AGI-64 myself and it is very slow in parts, and a bit buggy, but it is impressive for what it is.

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AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI-64

« on: September 24, 2026, 06:11:02 AM »

I was also confused about that message. Was it posted to the wrong topic @lskovlun?

7

AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI-64

« on: September 22, 2026, 12:57:54 PM »

It is now released, so you can get it directly from the website:

https://meanhamster.com/news/agi-64-is-now-available

8

AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI-64

« on: September 11, 2026, 11:32:07 AM »

I have been in contact with the author of AGI-64. He said to let him know of anyone else who is interested in helping out with the tedious task of play testing AGI-64. I have already started some testing with SQ1, so far only as far as the escape pod landing on Kerona. Keep in mind that this is the C64, so it struggles a bit to keep up with the animation requirements of AGI at times, so I think the slowness of the animation is a known and currently expected feature. You don't need a real C64 to test on. The VICE emulator is sufficient and the process of loading and running a game is very easy, and quick, assuming you have a pre-built .crt file, which the author would be able to provide you with.

Send me a PM if you want me to send you his direct contact details.

9

AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI-64

« on: August 26, 2026, 05:31:06 AM »

Wow! That looks very promising. Looking forward to trying that out.

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AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI reverse engineering with AI

« on: July 16, 2026, 07:02:30 AM »

Yeah, when it starts out with the disassembly, it uses very generic sounding terminology, almost incomprehensible tbh, but it seems to know what it all means

I did try to put it through several iterations of asking it to update the comments and symbols used to better reflect AGI terminology but there are probably still bits left in there using the original very generic terms. It is a lot better than it was though.

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AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI reverse engineering with AI

« on: July 16, 2026, 05:44:57 AM »

Yeah, I think you should pick that up again and see how the AI models can help out. I haven't tried Fable or Sol yet. I was mainly using GPT 5.4 when I was doing the Apple II AGI interpreter work, and when I then had a go at starting a C64 interpreter.

Another thing I used AI for recently was to port a small game to the VIC 20. The AI model was very useful in speeding things up. I put it through many iterations of calculating the cycles spent rendering things to the screen, identifying where most of the time was spent, and then asking it for proposals for how it could be sped up. I'm sure your animated object rendering could be made faster using a similar approach.

It looks like you're far further advanced that where I got to. I was only just starting out. That KQ picture looks really good. Four colours per 4x8 pixel cell, that KQ picture shows how that is probably sufficient for the picture, in most cases. Some of the busier games, like KQ4 and GR, might encounter a few cases where more colours are needed. As you say though, its when the animated objects are added on top that the colour limit per 4x8 pixel cell would be more likely to pose a problem, if the pixels are rendered as part of the C64 hires picture. I don't know much (or anything actually) about the C64 sprite capability. Are sprites free of the colour limit? I mean, do they have their own colours?

12

AGI Development Tools / Re: Original Sierra Source Code analysis

« on: July 15, 2026, 11:22:11 AM »

You've probably tried this, but have you looked in local newspapers from that time? Maybe one of them published a piece about the big Sierra layoff, which could help to narrow the dates.

I would love to be able to do that, but the Sierra Star archives, which I think was the main one in Oakhurst, is not available online. Apparently the archives can be searched physically if you visit the area, so if I ever do at some point in my life make a visit to Oakhurst, that will be one of the things on my todo list. As you say, there would surely be news articles in the local newspapers from that time. It was a big local event, given how many people lost their jobs. I think I'd be spending days with those archives, searching for any little news snippet of relevance.

I recently came upon this conversation with Jeff Stephenson on YouTube. This might be the podcast you mentioned.

Yeah, that is the one.

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AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI reverse engineering with AI

« on: July 15, 2026, 07:25:20 AM »

I have tidied up the Apple IIe/IIc AGI interpreter disassembly a bit and put it here:

https://github.com/lanceewing/agi-apple-ii

14

AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI reverse engineering with AI

« on: July 15, 2026, 06:04:49 AM »

The main challenge in getting AGI onto the C64 is graphics. From what I understand, both the bitmap modes and the character/tile modes are insufficient to accurately display a full EGA picture, due to limitations such as the number of allowable colours. Additionally, the C64 is really designed more for tile-based graphics (40x25 I think).

To be honest, I'm not that familiar with the C64 either. I'm very familiar with the VIC 20 but that's definitely not an option. The graphics on the VIC 20 are far too limited. On the C64 though, I don't know this as absolute fact, because AI told me this, but apparently three of the colours can be different every 8x8 character? - I asked AI what it thought about the graphics limitations on the C64 in relation to AGI. It suggested that AGI pictures in general don't use a lot of colours per 8x8 block, so maybe in most cases it might look okay. - But there would certainly be some cases where it would need to use a different colour in certain pixels due to the limitations. I compare that with the Apple II AGI graphics, that also look a bit less than perfect, with various colour artifacts clearly visible. The C64 might be able to use raster effects, or maybe some stationary sprites to fill in bits that don't otherwise look good. Some of the games that have come out on these old retro computers these days are quite amazing, so there are bound to be tricks used by those devs that could be applied.

I reckon the most promising approach is to not have the engine actually run all the drawing commands in-game, but rather to have a conversion tool which pre-renders and picture into tiles, and then builds disk image(s) containing the converted resources.

Might require a lot of disk space, if disks are your target. I think the C64, even with the modern SD card options, would still be restricted by available floppy disk space for the disk images, so you'd be switching "disks" a lot. One of the annoying things about the Apple II AGI games is having to swap the disks all the time. I don't have a physical Apple II machine, only an emulator, but it is rather annoying. - I think a C64 version of AGI might need an alternative way to load data, like a cartridge with lots of storage space that it can very quickly load from, rather than from disk. Maybe with a REU, something can load all the data into RAM up front, so that it becomes really quick changing rooms.

I don't know anything about how the Apple II interpreter worked (i know this was used for KQ at least). It might be easier to try to port that to the C64 instead. Either one would be a fun challenge.

The only AGI game that didn't come out on the Apple II computers was Manhunter: San Francisco; all the rest did. I guess by the time that game came out in 1989, they didn't think it was worth releasing an Apple II version, although they did release Gold Rush, which is interesting. Someone could probably take the interpreter from the Gold Rush game and the data files from the IBM PC version of Manhunter: San Francisco and create an Apple II version of the game.

Regarding porting the 6502 disassembly to the C64, it is funny that you say that. I did set out trying to do that after creating the Apple II disassembly, but ended up getting completely stuck in some kind of loop with the AI that spanned over several days. Burnt through a lot of AI credits and it kept going around and around in circles on one particular thing. And with the code all being written by AI, I didn't feel like I could take over. I'd be quite happy to pass it over if you like, in case any of it is useful. It might even be a good approach, for someone else to take over, get their AI to analyse what is there at the moment, identify the gaps, look for existing bugs, etc.

15

AGI Development Tools / Re: AGI reverse engineering with AI

« on: July 15, 2026, 04:57:21 AM »

I bet if you tried hard enough you could port AGI to the Commodore 64, perhaps with some limitations (eg using a REU, and other tricks), of course with the assistance of an AI model like Fable etc.

I also think it should be possible these days to port AGI to the C64 (someone has actually almost finished a C64 port of Leisure Suit Larry already, for the C64, but from what has been said about it, it doesn't sound like an AGI interpreter as such). - As you say, it would definitely need a REU.

Someone had an AGI interpreter for the BBC Micro working a few years back, another 6502 based computer.