MOHAWK: Riven: no in game console

[Prisoner416]

Normally while in-game, typing "b3hn" and pressing Ctrl + Tab will allow a player to access the game's console. This appears to be broken in ScummVM. This is key for a long easter egg and various debug tools that are handy.

Tested via English DVD edition.

Windows 10 Pro version x64 1709 build 16299.125

[dafioram]

Thanks for your report.

I was able to produce this dev debug console in the original interpreters by following these steps in both the cd (gog) version and the dvd version also. I had to hold the ctrl key and tap the tab key after typing b3hn.

Prisnor416, have you played with the ScummVM debug console that can be accessed with "ctrl+d"? Does this console allow you to do the same stuff as what you need for the easter egg?

[Prisoner416]

Negative. None of the built-in debug features for Riven work, easter egg or otherwise. This seems trivial, but it's key to doing a lot of things, including accessing areas that were removed from the final game, viewing click-points, and a mess of technical stuff.

​https://tcrf.net/Riven:_The_Sequel_to_Myst_(Windows,_Mac_OS_Classic) has information.

I'd like to see this be retained since GOG is using the Scumm release now, and I want to preserve this game as fully as possible. It's my personal favorite.

[macca8]

For the record, this is the exact same issue that was raised in #10082, and politely declined.
You may want to check that report to see if anything has changed since.

[Prisoner416]

...that's concerning. There's a lot more that the feature does other then activate an easter egg, and I'd think the goal would be to emulate the game as best as possible.

I disagree with the "not bringing value" comment, as so far none of the things I attempt can be done with the built-in console.

Is there a technical reason the game can't be made to recognize the input and enable the in-game system?

It'll be a shame once nobody has windows xp virtual machines to test it with. I view it as helping to preserve history.

[bgK]

Those commands from tcrf don't work in the ScummVM debug console. You have to use the ScummVM specific ones that are listed using the help command. Once you do, I hope you'll find they provide very powerful means to debug and inspect the world of Riven.

The reason I did not reimplement the original debug console from Riven is that it's entierely hard-coded, and thus a lot of work to rewrite. And we already have very similar debug features in ScummVM and scummvm-tools ...

I'd be glad to guide people willing to invest the necessary time to reimplement the original debug console for its historical value.