Messages

1

SCI Development Tools / Re: Decompiler, new SCI Studio (in development)

« on: February 05, 2007, 05:33:49 PM »

Veej,

Just wondering if this is still something you are working on or not, or if you were needing help getting this done.

2

Community Competitions / Re: First ever SCI Game Contest

« on: January 29, 2007, 10:27:21 AM »

Also, here are the characters that I was wanting to put into the game.  All original, but maybe not as polished-looking as Doan's...



So far I have only had time to code one of the rooms (I originally planned on having 3)

Hopefully everyone else can get their's done and in.

3

Community Competitions / Re: First ever SCI Game Contest

« on: January 29, 2007, 10:22:04 AM »

Well, I am probablly not going to get my game done in time, but here are the rooms I designed...

4

SCI Development Tools / Re: Editing scripts...

« on: January 10, 2007, 06:20:20 PM »

Larry (and others),

I was able to get the file from FilePlanet without having to pay for the file.
On the FilePlanet download page, if you scroll to the bottom, there should be the option to download for free.

Re: scripted.exe -- It is an old MS-DOS application that requires the script files to have been already extracted from their RESOURCE.XXX file (which you can extract by using SCIStudio).

If you are familiar with SCI script resource bytecode, would work for you.  I would probablly just prefer to use a text editor, but it is interesting to play around with.  The version that I found only edits the 'Objects' sections of a script. 

If you for some reason can't get the file to download from FilePlanet, send me a PM and I will see what I can do.

5

SCI Development Tools / Re: Editing scripts...

« on: January 10, 2007, 01:20:10 PM »

Salut,

Mon français n'est pas bon aussi. 

Pour  Leisure Suit Larry 1 and 2, parce que ces ressources sont compilées, n'aura pas de script pour éditer dans SCIStudio.

Je ne suis pas familier avec Dark Minister's SCI script editor. 

----
Complete translation of these games would be difficult as the 'code' that was used to make the games is not available.  There are a few script decompliers available, but recompiling the code would be challenging.  You would almost be better off re-creating the game in SCI Studio.

Cloudee1, the administrator of the board, has re-created some of Larry2 in SCIScript.
http://www.freewebs.com/larry2reloaded/
You could maybe use this as a starting point if you wanted to recreate the game.

6

SCI Development Tools / Re: Decompiler, new SCI Studio

« on: January 05, 2007, 01:08:03 PM »

Cloudee1 (and all),

I have heard the term 'Life Support' used a lot, and really, it is no more alive/dead than it has ever been.  People come and go in and out of virtual communities all the time.  I don' t know how many 'farewell' posts I have seen on other boards when people leave, mad about something or other, only to have them show back up months/years later when their interests 'swing' back.

Seems like people announce that they are working on a game, ask a few questions, and either stick around until they really make something, or give up and loose interest.  There is nothing wrong with that.  There is a lot that goes into game design.  Usually people try to do it 'backwards' (as in they create backdrops/characters/etc., and *then* come up with a storyline), and maybe that can work.  If you look at the video game industry and how they manage their products, the storyline comes first, then the game is made. 

7

SCI Development Tools / Re: Decompiler, new SCI Studio

« on: January 05, 2007, 12:14:24 PM »

Veej,

I can definately appreciate working on a decompiler.  I have been doing 'decompiles' manually (well, sort of, just staring at bytecode in UltraEdit32 and interpreting it into SCIScript).  Heinous, but I have learned a lot from the exercise.

Re: Brian P. - I think that he would never have even released his SCIStudio VGA code if he was a bad guy.  After all, he wanted to sell it as a 'registered' version at one point.  I think his dream of making money off of SCIStudio and ports of Sierra games on the GBA went by the wayside, and now he is working for a game company.  I certianly can't knock him for needing to make money.

And, his decomplier probablly was buggy, but it worked well enough for him.  The thing is, Brian contributed a great deal to the AGI/SCI fan community.  I know he was dissapointed with the lack of games (or quality of games) that was being made with SCIStudio, but the community has survived even if he does not have time/interest to contribute anymore.  Heck, for all we know he is reading these posts right now.  What has kept people interested?  Well, I think it goes back to that child in each of us that looked at the Sierra games back in the 80's/90's with wonderment, wishing some day to be able to make cool games like that.  I would say if you asked a lot of hackers-turned-"IT Guys/Gals" why they are in the industry today, it had something to do with those 'old' games

C# is what I use all the time.  Definately would be able to help you there.  I don't know if troflip is still wanting to keep working on the SCI Companion or not, but I was hopeful that he was going to make that a full-featured port of SCI Studio.   I would have certianly liked to see an editor for SCI1 views, pics, and palettes.  I don't know if he was even headed in that direction though. 

8

The Games and other Sierra Adventure stuff / Re: Best Interpreter for our sci games

« on: January 04, 2007, 11:14:30 AM »

Cloudee1,

I am pretty sure that the interpreter with the original SCI Studio (in the 'template' game) was 000.000.685 as well.  I think it was Sierra's last 'real' SCI0 interpreter, and what they used to make Space Quest 3.

Well, you *could* say that the best interpreter is FreeSCI, as it is a community-developed/supported interpreter that supports SCI0/SCI1.  Considering you wouldn't have to use things like dosbox, and could be used on linux, it would probablly be 'best' for modern platforms.  I would think that SCI Companion could probablly use it in a 'template' game at some point. 

I think if I had to pick one for EGA games that was made by Sierra, I would use 1.000.072 (Quest for Glory 2).  It would be a little more complicated to code for, but I think it would be a good one. 

1.000.174 (the 'Christmas Demo 1990' interpreter) has been one that I have been looking at for a while.  I think it is a pretty decent VGA interpreter that still supports the text parser.  It is 'relatively' compatable with some of the SCI0 forrmat (granted, not for views/pics). 

9

The Games and other Sierra Adventure stuff / Re: VGA SCI with Parser!

« on: December 27, 2006, 01:52:05 PM »

lskovlun,

I know you have worked really hard on FreeSCI/Glutton, and I would think it would be a natural fit for a community-supported VGA platform (especially considering the community interest in the text parser-based games).  I would say that when it is functionally complete (and can save games), it would be the best way of accomplishing the goal of VGA + text parser.  I know that is not the goal of FreeSCI, but it would be a nice side-benefit.

I have been working with the "Christmas Demo" parser so far (as it still has the text parser included, and works off of SCI0 file structure).  Brian was working with Leisure Suit Larry VGA for his SCIScript complier. 

My most successful 'hacking' the parser I am using has been by by adding in SCRIPT.xxx (mostly SCRIPT.000) into the directory (using the old Sierra patch backdoor).  I probablly could have linked it back into the RESOURCE.xxx file(s), but I was trying to do something easy to test.

I would ideally like to make a 100% SCIScript solution that can generate code that works both under this older Sierra parser and FreeSCI.  I don't know if that is really feasable, but I figured it was worth a try.

10

The Games and other Sierra Adventure stuff / Re: VGA SCI with Parser!

« on: December 26, 2006, 02:22:08 AM »

lskovlun,

If I understand correctly, Glutton does not allow the saving of games (which would keep either a game made to run into it short, or keep people from using it at all).  Maybe that has changed in a few months since I looked at it last?

From what I can tell from looking at dissassembled code, SCI0 and SCI1 may have not been that different in their kernel calls (added more), but Sierra must have changed their object model in their own code around this time.   FreeSCI is more "forgiving" of code than the Sierra interpreter, and does make experimenting hard.

I have been able to recreate some of the classes and have actually gotten compiled scripts from it.  What I am unsure of is if Brian's last (latest --SCI1) compiler was complete.  I have found that I can make things work if I just insert bytes for commands in (like loading the palette) where it does not work from "compiled" code.

11

The Games and other Sierra Adventure stuff / Re: VGA SCI with Parser!

« on: December 22, 2006, 03:04:50 PM »

Ah...the infamous "Christmas Demo"...  I was going to copy some of that over, but I guess I don't need to

As far as a text parser goes... I know that what got people excited about this in the first place was the possibility of VGA games with the "old" text parser.  If it was just point+click  and VGA, I can tell you that the "best" engine to reverse engineer make work is Secret of Monkey Island 2 demo (SCUMM).  It supported things like scrolling game screens, an intuative point+click interface, and a fairly nice 'cross platform' open-source interpreter (ScummVM).  There is a site, LucasHacks, that has a lot of information about SCUMM.  No one has made a SCUMM editor, but from what I have seen it would be *much* easier to reverse engineer.  I have been tempted to look into it but it seems Lucasarts has a habit of trying to control their 'fan made'/'hacks' of their games.
----
... I can definately say that not all the "tools" are there yet to really make a VGA game (SCI1) with this parser.  Sure, Brian Provinciano's beta did have support for opening the resouces, but it would take some more work to edit them.  Plus, you have a different "object" model in this game, so your SCIScript isn't going to translate over.  I have been working on deconstructs of the exact script necessary, but has taken a while (life has gotten in the way). 

Another (what seems like a less popular route) to get VGA games made would be to use the SCI0 "scripts" with SCI1 resources using FreeSCI interpreter.   If "Glutton" (the more unstable SCI1 branch of FreeSCI) was further along, this would be an option. 

12

SCI Community News / Re: A New home for the SCI Community

« on: December 22, 2006, 02:49:40 PM »

Cloudee1,

Thanks for setting up a new forum! 

I am guessing that getting in touch with Brian Provinciano to change the 'forum' link on his page is probablly out.  I know he dosen't watch what is going on in the forums too much any more, but I *do* know he had a direct link there.  Maybe he will notice before the link goes "dead"...

-- the " other tro' "

13

The Games and other Sierra Adventure stuff / Re: Fan Made "Crazy Nick's Picks"

« on: December 22, 2006, 02:38:11 PM »

Hi, just moved over to the new forum

As to the "Crazy Nick's Picks" I would say there are more than enough "tools" in order to create them (in at least EGA).   I think some of them were written on AGI though (early ones, like SQ mini games).   Probablly would have to create new objects though.  I think Actor *could* work, but for games like Astro Chicken, I am pretty sure they derived a new class to handle a more basic "sprite-like" object.

----
I am still working on deciphering SCI01 (so don't give up hope yet).  There are some strange querks that I have run into though...one of which is a different object model on the SCI01 interpreters.

I think it is possible still.  I do remember that there was a possiblity of using FreeSCI interpreter (and using the old SCI0 script logic with SCI1 resources).  That would be an "easier" path that I haven't persued yet.