Quiet/Absence

[MusicallyInspired]

It's been fairly empty here since after the holidays. Hope you are all doing well. I had a computer mishap while trying to update to Windows 10 the weekend before last. 8 days later after constant BSODs, formatting, opening up my computer, RAM shuffling, and reinstalling Windows twice, my system was finally stable again. At first I thought it was RAM, then I thought it was my HDD, then I thought it was my mobo. Turns out I think something just got corrupted during updating and reverting from/to Windows 7. I'm still in the process of reinstalling everything, but I'm getting there. And I still get 30 days to test Win10. Haven't run into anything I truly despise, though, especially after opting out of all the security concerning "features".

Peace.

[OmerMor]

I noticed Phil is silentlty working on SCI Companion.
Phil: did you notice the bugs I reported in the bug-reporting thread?

[Collector]

I was wondering if you got your PC problem sorted.

[troflip]

I noticed Phil is silentlty working on SCI Companion.
Phil: did you notice the bugs I reported in the bug-reporting thread?

I did spend some time working on decompilation bugs in KQ5-CD. That game in general is just pretty messed up though, because there are a bunch of unused scripts that refer to missing classes, etc... It should be as good as it can be now, but it certainly won't compile without a lot of pruning and fixing up. Many scripts have duplicate instances (objects with the same name but slightly different code) in them too. I guess Sierra's compiler didn't flag that as an error, lol.

[Kawa]

I've been plodding away with all sorts of stuff since New Years -- remodeling my room, writing a Klondike Solitaire (in C# not SCI), analyzing minigames in existing SCI games, making sprites for my own, finding new and replacement songs, replacing the Firrhna Productions logo... and putting the one-day demo on a floppy diskette.

Yeah, no joke. I have the means and the media, so why not? First new SCI game of 2016, and it's on a goddamn floppy diskette.

[OmerMor]

I did spend some time working on decompilation bugs in KQ5-CD. That game in general is just pretty messed up though, because there are a bunch of unused scripts that refer to missing classes, etc... It should be as good as it can be now, but it certainly won't compile without a lot of pruning and fixing up. Many scripts have duplicate instances (objects with the same name but slightly different code) in them too. I guess Sierra's compiler didn't flag that as an error, lol.

Then perhaps SCI Companion should allow a more relaxed mode of compilation?
Being able to round trip from compiled code to decompiled scripts and back, seem pretty useful to me...

[OmerMor]

I've been plodding away with all sorts of stuff since New Years -- remodeling my room, writing a Klondike Solitaire (in C# not SCI), analyzing minigames in existing SCI games, making sprites for my own, finding new and replacement songs, replacing the Firrhna Productions logo... and putting the one-day demo on a floppy diskette.

Yeah, no joke. I have the means and the media, so why not? First new SCI game of 2016, and it's on a goddamn floppy diskette.

Cool!

I didn't understand the logo though...

[Kawa]

I didn't understand the logo though...

It literally reads "Firrhna" in the same script as the sign on Alhor's shop.

[Cloudee1]

I have been plugging away at Space Quest: The Early years... I am now able to play all the way through SQ1 from start to finish (which actually is the first few rooms of SQ0)

I have a couple of rooms that I need to readdress, I have been working on my bug list, both finding and squashing them, as well as trying to determine sound FX... which I am happy to say is the majority of my current bug list. 

[troflip]

Then perhaps SCI Companion should allow a more relaxed mode of compilation?
Being able to round trip from compiled code to decompiled scripts and back, seem pretty useful to me...

The main focus is on creating new games (that is unbounded), and having a strict compiler helps with that. Decompiling old games is something that is done once, and from a fixed set. So having to do a bit of manual fixing up to recompile successfully isn't a big deal IMO. Not to mention perfect decompilation and recompilation is kind of a pipe-dream. If it can't be done perfectly, then it's better to call out issues that need to be fixed.

Patching a single script in an existing game (for instance to give access to an easter egg that was disabled) is an altogether different thing, since you only need to compile one script to address that, typically.

[OmerMor]

Then perhaps SCI Companion should allow a more relaxed mode of compilation?
Being able to round trip from compiled code to decompiled scripts and back, seem pretty useful to me...

The main focus is on creating new games (that is unbounded), and having a strict compiler helps with that.

Of course. I thought of adding an option for relaxed compilation.

Decompiling old games is something that is done once, and from a fixed set. So having to do a bit of manual fixing up to recompile successfully isn't a big deal IMO. Not to mention perfect decompilation and recompilation is kind of a pipe-dream. If it can't be done perfectly, then it's better to call out issues that need to be fixed.

Patching a single script in an existing game (for instance to give access to an easter egg that was disabled) is an altogether different thing, since you only need to compile one script to address that, typically.

But how can I compile a single (patched) script, if it depends on other scripts and fails to compile? Maybe I'm missing something here?

[troflip]

But how can I compile a single (patched) script, if it depends on other scripts and fails to compile? Maybe I'm missing something here?

A script is compiled against the individual .sco files and the selector and class tables in the resource files. It doesn't depend on the presence of other source files. (The decompiler creates .sco files for each script before it creates the source files).

[MusicallyInspired]

I've already successfully complied a single script in KQ5 and added some things to a room. It's not hard to make little changes throughout the game that way. I was thinking of created a no-dead end patch for the game. I don't think that depends on mass compiling all at once, unless I need to touch the Main script for some reason. I think the current situation is more than fair enough already, given that it was not even on troflip's list of things to address! I'm quite thankful for the extra capability. I don't mind pulling the extra legwork to make things work myself.

[Collector]

I've already successfully complied a single script in KQ5 and added some things to a room. It's not hard to make little changes throughout the game that way. I was thinking of created a no-dead end patch for the game. I don't think that depends on mass compiling all at once, unless I need to touch the Main script for some reason. I think the current situation is more than fair enough already, given that it was not even on troflip's list of things to address! I'm quite thankful for the extra capability. I don't mind pulling the extra legwork to make things work myself.

If you do I can include it in the SHP KQ5 installer.