King's Quest IV VGA-ish

[Andre999]

I would like to introduce a project I'm working on. By using the SCI01 VGA parser interpretor and code released by several good guys in this forum, I'm trying to implement a VGA(ish) version of King's Quest IV, with text parser.

Here you may have a look at a prototype:


The ultimate goal is to create a program that converts the SCI0 EGA version (1.000.011) into SCI01 VGA.
 
 

[cosmicr]

Looks fantastic!

Did you just "undither" the images, or something more? There are some nice gradients.

LSL2, PQ2 and SQ3 would also be good candidates for this conversion (being early SCI0). I think SQ3 already has a SCI01 version in German.

[Charles]

Ironically, SQ4 might also be a good candidate.

As I understand it they wrote it for a text parser originally, then were forced to convert to point and click. I’d read somewhere that the only reason they were able to do that way because they wrote some kind of conversion function that would convert verb clicks into the text ‘said’ strings they’d originally programmed for. So the underlying code is still just parsing saids. I haven’t looked into it myself though.

Regardless, this looks like a fantastic project. I can’t wait to follow your progress.

[richruss691]

A converter to VGA would be awesome! I wholeheartedly endorse this project.

[Kawa]

Ironically, SQ4 might also be a good candidate.

As I understand it they wrote it for a text parser originally, then were forced to convert to point and click. I’d read somewhere that the only reason they were able to do that way because they wrote some kind of conversion function that would convert verb clicks into the text ‘said’ strings they’d originally programmed for. So the underlying code is still just parsing saids. I haven’t looked into it myself though.

That must've been a very good converter.

Code: [Select]

(instance theGrate of Actor
(properties
x 84
y 91
heading 170
description {grate}
sightAngle 40
lookStr {This grate has a fair amount of crud, gunk, and sludge built up around the edges. You can see through the grate but can't make anything out.}
view 50
loop 2
signal $7810
)

(method (doit)
; A very silly hack to prevent the grate from appearing in the Zombie's closeup, it seems.
(super doit:)
(if (== (gRoom curPic?) 31)
(self z: 1000)
else
(self z: 0)
)
)

(method (doVerb theVerb)
(switch theVerb
(verbUse
(if (gRoom script?)
0
else
(ResetEgo)
(gRoom setScript: grateScript)
)
)
(verbSmell (Print "The cool, rank smell of a sewer wafts up from underground."))
(verbTaste (Print "Okay, you taste grate and find it less filling."))
(else  (super doVerb: theVerb))
)
)
)
Edit: Know what they did in fact without a doubt have? An AGI to SCI script converter.

[EricOakford]

Ironically, SQ4 might also be a good candidate.

As I understand it they wrote it for a text parser originally, then were forced to convert to point and click. I’d read somewhere that the only reason they were able to do that way because they wrote some kind of conversion function that would convert verb clicks into the text ‘said’ strings they’d originally programmed for. So the underlying code is still just parsing saids. I haven’t looked into it myself though.

Regardless, this looks like a fantastic project. I can’t wait to follow your progress.

I have looked into it, and I think it's related to the new Feature class introduced in SCI01. This class was moved out of script 998 (Actor), and into its own script, 950.
There, it was greatly expanded to include support for doVerb code. Script 996 (User) added the VerbMessager class which converted said specs into verbs. I know that KQ1SCI and QFG2 used this.
I think this was meant to help the programmers transition from the parser to an icon-based interface.

[OmerMor]

I love it! Well done Andrea!

I have looked into it, and I think it's related to the new Feature class introduced in SCI01. This class was moved out of script 998 (Actor), and into its own script, 950.
There, it was greatly expanded to include support for doVerb code. Script 996 (User) added the VerbMessager class which converted said specs into verbs. I know that KQ1SCI and QFG2 used this.
I think this was meant to help the programmers transition from the parser to an icon-based interface.

You can get a glimpse of the SCI change history and rationale in these documents:
SCI Changes & Updates.1993-08-23.txt
Run Time System Changes.1993-08-23.txt

[Andre999]

Thank you all for your kind words!

Did you just "undither" the images, or something more? There are some nice gradients.

Yes, It's based on undithered pics, but there is more. First of all different and more colors. Some objects that have the same color in EGA have different colors. Eg on the screen with the dwarfes hut. In EGA most of the tree and the ground have the same color, now they are different. Still need to do something about the brown rocks in this screen and some other screens.

Gradients as you mentioned, a simple one for the sky and something more complicated for the sea at the beach of Tamir. This is incomplete on Genestas island btw. The River is a "pattern" with different colors, my plan is to use palette swapping on the river, which I think will look cool.     

[MusicallyInspired]

Awesome! Will definitely be following this! Love these kinds of projects.

[Andre999]

Awesome! Will definitely be following this! Love these kinds of projects.

Thank you!