Debug Modes

Partially based on the On-Line Debug Mode FAQ by HWM

 

Introduction

This debug mode is solely script related. A debug script is located directly in the game logic itself, not in the interpreter (although the interpreter of course offers the commands to use in the script). If a game does not have the debug script in its logic, it will not work. However, pretty much all the games have a debug mode, except for Mixed-Up Mother Goose and the Manhunter series. The latter does have some unused messages relating to a debug mode in it, but it's likely removed from the final release. The AGI demo packs and other demonstrations also don't include a debug mode.

AGI1 is an old and uncommon interpreter. The only games using it are the rare first (booter) versions of King's Quest 2 and The Black Cauldron. However, the AGI1 games do have a debug mode, so they're included here. Donald Duck's Playground is also a booter game, but in many aspects more like AGI2, including the version number given by Sierra (v2.001), so it's listed under AGI2. The first release of King's Quest 1 is sometimes listed as AGI0, but technically this more a container category for the first versions of the first release of King's Quest, not really one interpreter.

AGI2 and AGI3 have few differences and have similar debug functions. Debug-wise the only major difference is that AGI3 does not contain the trace-function. AGI3 games are Gold Rush!, King's Quest 4 AGI, the Manhunter series and a certain version (v2.10) of The Black Cauldron. Some demos also use AGI3. The rest of the games use AGI2.

 

Activating Debug Modes

Most AGI games still have the debug code that developers used while the games were being developed. Most of the games activate their debug modes by simply pressing the [ALT-D] key combination. The other games use a "magic phrase" to enter the debug mode. Once activated, here are commands that can be used.

 

Activating AGI1 Debug Modes

In King's Quest 2, the debug mode is activated by entering "FAST SPEAK" at the command line. It will be activated on room change. In The Black Cauldron, the debug mode is activated by pressing [ALT + D]. This would eventually become the standard way of activation. The debug mode will be deactivated on room change. Also, activating the debug mode multiple times will generate multiple input/output lines!

Game	Debug Phrase
King's Quest II	"fast speak" (activated on room change)
The Black Cauldron	Alt+D

 

Activating AGI2/AGI3 Debug Modes

Of all the AGI games, it is unknown whether the KQ4AGI 256K version, Manhunter 1, Manhunter 2 and Mixed-Up Mother Goose have a debug mode or not. KQ4 will almost certainly have one, while Mixed Up Mother Goose probably doesn't even though its WORDS.TOK file has all the debug words contained in it. MH2 has some kind of debug mode which allows you to teleport and change variable values because there are text messages in the first LOGIC file along these lines. MH1 probably has the same debug mode.

Again, the debug mode is usually activated by pressing [ALT + D]. However, there are some alternative ways/exceptions with some games. These games require a certain sentence to be typed in; perhaps this was done to access the debug mode on other platforms, without redefining keys in the code. The games and their sentences are:

Game	Debug Phrase
Gold Rush!	"bird boy" or "bird man"
King's Quest 1	Alt+D
King's Quest II	"fast speak" or Alt+D
King's Quest III	"rats ass" (v2.14) or Alt+D
King's Quest IV AGI	Alt+D
Leisure Suit Larry 1	Alt+D
Police Quest 1	"stink bug" or "stink bugs" (v2.0G)
Space Quest 1	"backstage" or "dbg"
Space Quest II	"dbg" or Alt+D

 

Debug Mode Commands

 

AGI1 Debug Mode Commands

After the debug mode is activated, the following commands are available:

Room and Ego Commands

Command	Result
ROOM	Displays room number
TP (room number)	Teleport to specified room (change room/scene/script)
SP	Shows position of ego *
SHOW POSITION	Show ego's current screen coordinates *
POSITION + (new coordinates)	Change egos position
SHOW PRIORITY	Displays the current rooms priority bands and control lines
SET PRIORITY	Set the priority of ego
RELEASE PRIORITY	Release the last priority that ego was set to

* Does not work with King's Quest 2

Flag and Variable Commands

Command	Result
SHOW FLAG	Displays a specified flag (one of 256 flags)
SET FLAG	Sets a specified flag (one of 256 flags)
RESET FLAG	Clears specified flag (one of 256 flags)
SHOW VAR	Displays one of the 256 variables
SET VAR	Change the value of one of the 256 variables

Object/Inventory Debug Commands

Command	Result
OBJECT NUMBER	Displays list of all the objects and their object numbers
OBJECT ROOM	Displays which room an object is found in
GET OBJECT	Get specified object and added to inventory
GIMME GIMME	Get all inventory items

* There are 256 variables and 256 flags

Misc Debug Commands

Command	Result
QUIT	Quit game (originally, but now locks up)

 

AGI2/AGI3 Debug Commands

After the debug mode is activated, the following commands are available:

Room and Ego Commands

Command	Result
ROOM	Displays room number
TP (room number)	Teleport to specified room (change room/scene/script)
SP	Shows position of ego *
SHOW POSITION or POSITION?	Show ego's current screen coordinates *
POSITION + (new coordinates)	Change egos position
SHOW PRIORITY	Displays the current rooms priority bands and control lines
SET PRIORITY	Set the priority of ego
RELEASE PRIORITY	Release the last priority that ego was set to

* Does not work with King's Quest 2

Flag and Variable Commands

Command	Result
SHOW FLAG	Displays a specified flag (one of 256 flags)
SET FLAG	Sets a specified flag (one of 256 flags)
RESET FLAG	Clears specified flag (one of 256 flags)
SHOW VAR or SHOW VARIABLE	Displays one of the 256 variables
SET VAR or SET VARIABLE	Change the value of one of the 256 variables

Object/Inventory Debug Commands

Command	Result
OBJECT NUMBER	Displays list of all the objects and their object numbers
OBJECT ROOM	Displays which room an object is found in
GET OBJECT	Get specified object and adds to inventory
GIMME GIMME	Get all inventory items

* There are 256 variables and 256 flags

Misc Debug Commands

Command	Result
QUIT	Quit game (originally, but now locks up)
[SCROLL LOCK]	Trace mode*

* Only works with AGI v2

 

Game Specific Debug Commands

 

The Black Cauldron

Command	Result
GIMME GIMME	All objects get added to inventory
OBJECT ROOM	Shows in which room certain object is located
SHOW OBJECT	Gives information on objects on screen (BC)
ALT + P	Shows priority screen
ALT + M	Shows available memory
ALT + I	Gives information on objects on screen
ALT + E	Shows position of ego
ALT + D	Exits debug mode (BC)
SHOW PRIORITY	Shows priority screen
SET PRIORITY	Sets priority *
RELEASE PRIORITY	Returns to normal visual screen

 

King's Quest III

Here are a few interesting tricks to help you deal with that intolerable wizard in debug mode (). Type:

Command	Result
GIMME GIMME	All objects get added to inventory
OBJECT ROOM	Shows in which room certain object is located
OBJECT	Gives information on objects on screen (PQ & KQ4)
ROOM	Shows coordinates of ego
ALT + P	Shows priority screen *
ALT + M	Shows available memory *
ALT + I	Gives information on objects on screen
ALT + E	Shows position of ego
ALT + X	Shows coordinates of ego
enchanter status	Were wizard is, when he'll return, etc.
do chore	To have your task done for you.
sleep enchanter	To put him to sleep.
bye bye enchanter	To kill him.

* King's Quest 3 has several versions and with some this command won't work, or will use different keys like F6 or F10 (e.g. v1.01)

 

King's Quest IV AGI

Note: In the newer versions of the games most of the debugging commands do not work

Command	Result
TP	Teleport to room *
GIMME GIMME	All objects get added to inventory
OBJECT ROOM	Shows in which room certain object is located
OBJECT	Gives information on objects on screen
ROOM	Shows coordinates of ego
ALT + P	Shows priority screen
ALT + M	Shows available memory
ALT + I	Gives information on objects on screen
ALT + E	Shows position of ego
ALT + X	Shows coordinates of ego

* For a list of room numbers for KQ4, see the King's Quest IV Room Maps.

 

Leisure Suit Larry 1

Press ALT+D and press enter twice to enable Debug Mode.

Command	Result
TP (room #*)	Teleport to specified room.
OBJECT NUMBER	Shows list of objects in game
OBJECT ROOM	Shows in which room certain object is located
ALT+I or SP (object #)	Shows information about screen objects
GET OBJECT (item #)	To get specified object
GIMME GIMME	All objects get added to inventory
ROOM NUMBER	X/Y Coordinates and current room number
EXAMINE POSITION	Shows coordinates of ego
FIND	Shows position of ego
ALT + P	Shows priority screen
ALT+V or PRIORITY	Displays priority screen ?????????????????
ALT + M	Shows available memory
ALT + I	Gives information on objects on screen
ALT + E	Shows position of ego
SHOW VAR or SV	Display value of variable
SET VAR or CHANGE VAR	Change value of variable
SET FLAG or SF	Set a flag
VIEW FLAG or SHOW FLAG	See flags
RESET FLAG	Reset a flag
ALT+M	Display heap size

* For a list of room numbers, see here.

 

Police Quest

Command	Result
GIMME GIMME	All objects get added to inventory
OBJECT ROOM	Shows in which room certain object is located
OBJECT NUMBER	Shows list of objects in game
OBJECT	Gives information on objects on screen
ROOM	Shows coordinates of ego
ALT + P	Shows priority screen
ALT + M	Shows available memory
ALT + I	Gives information on objects on screen
ALT + E	Shows position of ego
ALT + X	Shows coordinates of ego

Space Quest I-II

Command	Result
tester	Displays Rogers screen coordinates.