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Miscellaneous Forums => Scripting and Reverse Engineering => Topic started by: Anonymous on 2001-02-16 06:07:00

Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: Anonymous on 2001-02-16 06:07:00
Hello, I was wondering if Squaresoft took out the debug mode in the PC version of FF7. I opened the exe in a hex editor and found an ASCII string that said debug but because of my limited knownledge of hex editing I was unable to do any reseach on it. Of course this could mean anything but if anyone wants to help work on this or has anything to contribute please do so. The gameshark code for this was 8009A05C 0041 & an improved code is 8009ABF6 0041. Thank you everyone, for your time.

-Chris

Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: The SaiNt on 2001-02-16 07:04:00
Nope, the debug mode is still available for FF7PC. Try the savegames in the d/l section of my homepage. My homepage is at http://www.finalfantasyfanatics.net
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: The SaiNt on 2001-02-16 14:20:00
The link is working now
I know it was down about an hour ago but it should be okay now.
If you still can't get it,  mail me again and i'll send them to you
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: Anonymous on 2001-02-17 09:54:00
Clicking on the link failed to work even after it was fixed.(My Browser's in both linux and windows crashed)So could you please tell me how to enable debug? All I need is the offset and a new value for it if you know it and I sould be able to enable the debug mode. Thanks.

-Chris

Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: Skillster/RedSarg99 on 2001-02-18 13:27:00
just use the jenova save game editor to put u into the debug room.
thats for the pc version tho
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: Anonymous on 2001-02-19 09:36:00
Thanks for sending me the save. I just wanted to see what the debug room was like. How ever I have another question. I suceeded in placing sephiroth in battle in cloud's place but i can't figure out how to make sephiroth appear instead of clouds model in the regular part of the game. I know it is in Char.lgp & I even have a patch for this purpose but only half of sephiroth's hair shows up if he is put into the regular part of the game. Any suggestions?

-Chris

Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: The SaiNt on 2001-02-19 13:07:00
Can't help you there.
I'm still trying to figure it out myself. I have a patch that makes the other part of his hair appear but it appears in the wrong orientation (like a dunce hat)
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: sonic2 on 2001-02-20 05:36:00
Hey, at sysinternals.com they have a program that will watch the file system and tell you the offset and file that is using the file system at the moment. It is real-time so if you use your patch with it, it may give a hint so you can figure out how to complete the patch.
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: Skillster/RedSarg99 on 2001-02-20 16:35:00
i wouldnt advise it
simply coz every file access is recorded, thus making a huge list every time the hard drive spins.
unless u got 2gb of memory...
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: sonic2 on 2001-02-21 01:48:00
Yeah, you are right about that, but you can turn on the logging untill you need it. Like right before you know sephiroth will walk in, turn it on. By the way, does anyone have the author of the sephiroth patch for ff7 e-mail address? I tried the one in the readme, but a sendmail server sent a not found back. Oh well, it sould only be a matter of time before someone fixes the problem.

-Chris

Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: ficedula on 2001-02-21 02:10:00
It's a technique that'd work with most games ... but not FF7 (and some others). The reason? As the regulars will know, FF7 stores its data in archives, ie. massive files that contain many subfiles (LGP archives).

So you could look at the offset - and work out which "subfile" was being accessed - but it wouldn't be that easy. Plus as far as FF7 is concerned, I don't think it'd help you; as far as *identifying* which files does which, that's not too hard. Actually figuring out the file format is the tricky bit.

Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: sonic2 on 2001-02-21 16:40:00
I never thought about the archive problem, even though i've been editing games (ff7 is a bit new) for a while. It really doesn't matter, as someone will finally solve the problem. I would make something to help solve the problem(like look inside an certain lgp archives and watch the changes/access)but I do all my coding in GCC for linux. Plus the fact I am still learning C.

[This message has been edited by sonic2 (edited February 21, 2001).]

Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: The SaiNt on 2001-02-21 16:58:00
sonic2, the author of the Sephiroth Patch, Michael Riseborough doesn't seem to be online quite often now. I still have his website address and he has promise to update his webpage for a long time now (nearly a year) but he hasn't so no one really knows where he is or what he's doing now.
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: halkun on 2001-02-21 09:47:00
Yay another Linux programmer, I see a prot of FF7 in the future.
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: Srethron Askvelhtnod on 2001-02-21 21:43:00
Halkun: I don't have Linux, but if I can somehow help with a port, I'll do it.
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: dagsverre on 2001-02-21 22:05:00
Perhaps I didn't make myself completely clear in the Programming Flamewar thread, but I code *exclusively* in Linux using GCC as well.

Linux version of FF7 is more doubtful though...it's just to fire up VMWare anyway.

Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: sonic2 on 2001-02-22 16:55:00
Yeah, I see some people are linux fans here, and yes I do use Vmware. However if someone did have the skills, it would be interesting to see an ff7 port to linux.
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: The SaiNt on 2001-02-22 14:11:00
If we do ever port FF7 for linux, we've gotta understand the PC version first.
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: sonic2 on 2001-02-23 05:17:00
I know. I forgot to edit the message about porting it. But we will eventally completely understand the pc version. It is only a matter of time(and someone's programming skills).
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: halkun on 2001-02-24 12:54:00
Actully I don't think a linux port would be all that difficult. I mean, look what we can do now, open the LGPs, preload and play the sounds, preload and play music, open the backgrounds, look at polygons, we have the varible types from the savegame editors, the only thing left to do is decipher the scripts in the field files deciper the animation and figure out the format the battle levels are in. I'm sure somewhere the is a doc on how the battle calulatons go...

-Halkun

Super-eagle/opengl that's the way to do it.

[This message has been edited by halkun (edited February 24, 2001).]

Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: The SaiNt on 2001-02-24 13:54:00
I've thought of the porting before but I figured the one part that would be difficult to figure out is the enemy's AI.
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: Skillster/RedSarg99 on 2001-02-24 15:51:00
you guys make me laugh!  :D
I think you need the source code too.
Theres alot halkun hasnt taken into consideration like actual manipulation of all the above factors.
you could write an emulator/directx to winX layer...
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: Srethron Askvelhtnod on 2001-02-24 21:56:00
Halkun: Don't forget the magic, world map, minigames, and 3D model position during movies. I'm sure I forgot some things, too. This still won't be a walk in the park.
As far as battle calculations, you might want to ask Terence Fergusson. I'd bet a lot that he knows at least *something* about it.

The Skillster: Yeah, making an emulator of the PC version for Linux makes the most sense. I guess I should start brushing up my Linux knowledge. I've worked with Unix workstations briefly, but that's it.

Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: sonic2 on 2001-02-25 16:34:00
Yeah, the source could help. I am suprized that no one has tried to decomplile the game here though.(When I say that I mean to it's machine code form, not like looking at it in a hex editor.)
Title: Debug Mode In FF7 PC
Post by: Srethron Askvelhtnod on 2001-02-25 23:07:00
The SaiNt has decompiled ff7.exe. See  the thread about ff7.exe  for more info.

[This message has been edited by Srethron Askvelhtnod (edited February 25, 2001).]