Yet another debug-mode thread...

[HWM]

I really don't have a clue why I haven't mentioned this before, since I was aware of it for a long time... Anyway, I recently rediscovered a file on a cd, which confirmed the existence of a SQ4 with debug-mode...

                      Space Quest IV Beta
                            Debug Keys
                            By Beamer

THG's release of Space Quest 4 is a beta version which still
contains Sierra's debugging code. A few of these functions have
always seemed to survive in many of the released versions of
Sierra's software, but never have we been treated to the number
of functions available in this release. Following are the
functions I have discovered and my attempt at interpreting them.

Alt A   gives current status of Ego (Ego is the main character)

Alt B   displays "Script .943 not found" and exits to DOS ()

Alt C   display changes to the Priority bands. These are the
        rough areas which control the priority of objects to
        each other. Hit Alt C again to return to game screen.

Alt D   Debug on/off toggle. This has many commands of it's own,
        most of which are probably the same as the Alt commands.
        I haven't experimented with this enough to speak of.

Alt E   Gives info on available objects. The objects displayed
        vary according to where you are.

Alt F   Gives available memory parameters

Alt G   Allows you to change variable values, if you know the
        variable names.

Alt I   This is one of the better ones. It displays all the
        possible inventory items and lets you get anything you
        want. Just click on anything, or everything, you want!
        Remember though, getting things this way can cause the
        program to behave in strange manners.

Alt M   Adds 20 buckazoids to your bankroll. Good when you HAVE
        to buy that hintbook at the mall and haven't used Alt I
        for a bank card.

Alt N   This is used to save bug reports (for the code jockeys
        to decipher).

Alt P   Another screen mode, similar to the Alt C screen. I
        haven't deciphered the difference. To exit this screen,
        hit Alt C twice.

Alt R   Gives the room number and additional info for the
        current room. Use these in conjunction with Alt T.

Alt T   Another biggie. Teleports you to any room (screen) you
        like. If the room number you enter does not exist, you
        get dumped back to DOS. Here are just a few valid room
        numbers:

             25 to 115, in increments of 5, are the rooms you
             begin Space Quest in. Room 72 is the manhole.
             410  Skate-O-Rama
             391  Software store
             371  Clothes store
             390  Radio Shock
             385  Monolith Burger
             375  Arcade
             340  being tortured by 2 luscious babes
             150  Roger Jr. in the ray
             610  Bar from Space Quest 1
             535  Docking bay on first planet

Alt W   displays "Script .948 not found" and exits to DOS ()

Alt Y   Allows input of "vanishing" variable.

Alt Z   Exits to DOS

        So, enjoy and have fun.

[OmerMor]

wow!
do you have this beta release???

[HWM]

No, but the main reason I posted this, is that perhaps someone has this version and could inform us about it...

(just like that thread about the SCI1 EGA counterparts...)

[OmerMor]

I cecrtainly hope so!

[lskovlun]

This debug code is present in many SCI1 games. Often, it depends on a certain resource existing
in the game directory (as opposed to in the resource file), so it can be activated by
extracting all script and heap resources. You will probably find that the file in question
is present in the beta version. The exact resource you need varies from game to game,
but I've been able to get a debug mode in at least LB2 and SQ5. I'm thinking that there
must be one in KQ6 as well (which I would like to see because there is a dialog editor which
isn't there in the others), but I don't think there's a way to activate it.

[OmerMor]

Lars: I have the debug resources from LB2, but I never seen the debug mode in SQ5.
Can give more details about it? How did you activate it?
Did you need some extra files like in the LB2 debug mode?

[HWM]

Thanks Lars, for sharing this... I've been able to get a debug mode in EcoQuest 2, LSL 6 & Laura Bow 2... I've also seen the feature writer/polyeditor etc., they're in the later SCI11 games (KQ6, FPFP, etc.) and really extensive... However, SQ4 still didn't work, so there's probably another way of activating the debug mode in that game...

[J.T.]

The version of SQ4 that has the debug code is a beta that was leaked from Sierra about six months before the game was actually released. It was distributed by a cracker group known as The Humble Guys (hence the "THG" in the debug help file that was posted). I know this because I managed to get my hands on the leaked and pirated beta a few months before the game was released in 1991. Unfortunately, I deleted the beta as soon as I had bought a legal copy of the game. The things I remember about the pirated beta were the debug mode and the fact that the game was very buggy and crash-prone.

[HWM]

The version of SQ4 that has the debug code is a beta that was leaked from Sierra about six months before the game was actually released. It was distributed by a cracker group known as The Humble Guys (hence the "THG" in the debug help file that was posted). I know this because I managed to get my hands on the leaked and pirated beta a few months before the game was released in 1991. Unfortunately, I deleted the beta as soon as I had bought a legal copy of the game. The things I remember about the pirated beta were the debug mode and the fact that the game was very buggy and crash-prone.

Exactly... Since it wasn't the final sales release, most people probably deleted it... I'm aware of the whole THG/INC/etc. scene at that time and managed to get some savegames (by INC) of the beta... However, they contain the same version number my version has (1.052)...

[Te Rangi]

Oh well. Maybe, if SQ4 manages to get a phenomenal following like DOOM, someone will probably find a beta somewhere.

[OmerMor]

hwm & lars:
can you please write down a short file that presents the methods you used to get into the debug mode of the various games you mentioned and put it on this board?
I'll add to it any other games that I know of.
I once made such a file, but a friend accidently deleted it.
I also think it'd be wise to put such file on the web because that knowledge could be lost someday.

[HWM]

Well, it's simple... The debug-scripts are already available in the resources files, but for some reason they only work when extracted...

Example: Leisure Suit Larry 6; Extract the debug script, in this case 911.SCR and 911.HEP. Just leave them in the LSL6 directory and start the game... Now the game starts with a "Where do you want to start" dialog and the debug mode is activated... Press [?] and all the debug options appear... This is really an advanced debug mode, really worth checking out...

Just search the HEP files for some debug references and try it (I think "trail-and-error" is the term for this)...

The other games I've found:

Laura Bow 2 (1.000): extract 10.SCR & 10.HEP
EcoQuest 2 (1.000): extract 98.SCR & 98.HEP

BTW, my LSL6 is the disk version, 1.000... But it could work with other versions... Not very sure about the CD-ROM version though, since it's kinda different (SVGA?)...

[Te Rangi]

 

[HWM]

Errr, Mr. T... I don't want to be a total bitch, but do you actually have something *useful* to say in this thread? Discovered any debugmodes? Apart from IDKFA and that stuff?

[Te Rangi]

I don't think I have, but I find this entire topic very interesting (Like the Dam's island and 'The Citadel' in Goldeneye 007 http://goldeneye.detstar.com)