Debug versions of other Bullfrog games

[mefistotelis]

If you have any Bullfrog game with debug info, then you just have to share that gem!

If you have any Bullfrog game which looks like pre-release or beta version, please check (or just send me) the EXE file from it and I will check if it has Debug Info.

Debug Info is a block of data inside EXE file which contains some information about source code of the game, and it is extremely helpful for modding. It can save a modder weeks of hard work.

Executables with Debug Info are noticeably larger than those without it. For example keeper95.exe from final DK Gold (without Debug Info) has 1387kb, while keeper95.exe from Beta version (with Debug Info) has 1627kb. This is how anyone can recognize that his version contains Debug Info.

Some sizes of EXE files in bullfrog games - if the one you have is at least 100kb larger, then contact me!
Syndicate - MAIN.EXE - 506kb
Syndicate Wars - MAIN.EXE - 1701kb
Dungeon Keeper - keeper.exe - 1879kb
Dungeon Keeper - keeper95.exe - 1387kb
Deeper Dungeons - deeper95.exe - 1432kb
Dungeon Keeper 2 - DKII.exe or DKII.icd - 2908kb
Populous 3 - popTB.exe - 2002kb
Populous 3 - D3DPopTB.exe - 2222kb

[Hapuga]

Mefistofelis, I wanted to ask you this question a long time ago, and kept forgetting.

Are you able to get the code from the Dungeon Keeper II exe? Can you read it?

[mefistotelis]

Are you able to get the code from the Dungeon Keeper II exe? Can you read it?

Strange question.

I can read assembly code. I can say what a specific function does.
But I don't have any debug version of DK2, and I'm not planning sitting on it too much.

So, what about strange versions?
Sometimes Demo versions of various games have Debug Info too - for example I have debug version of Theme Hospital demo (HOSPITAL.EXE has 1674kb).

[Quasar]

For those wishing to check for themselves, the freeware xvi32 hex editor is an excellent way to look for debug info. Load an EXE file into it and then scroll all the way to the end of the file. If there are a lot of function names here, then it likely has debug information. Just look the program up on Google.

[DragonsLover]

I have "Theme Hospital Beta 5 13-5-9" Windows executable of 1074kb of size. It is included below.

I also have a small source code part that someone sent to me to find the "Debug" menu in the game, but without success. If you can manage to activate it, it would be really cool. Now, it's just a set of commandlines to use for the game. I have discovered, by experiencing, that you can record and play a demo in Theme Hospital using those commandlines. It is also included below.

[Quasar]

It's interesting how much Bullfrog seems to have reused parts of their code. Evidently just about all of their games are "genetically" related

[mefistotelis]

I have "Theme Hospital Beta 5 13-5-9" Windows executable of 1074kb of size. It is included below.

Thanks, DL!

This is not a debug version, but it may still help me at some point.
I also have debug EXE of Theme Hospital Demo for DOS.

In a few days I will try to publish all debug executables I have - maybe this will help someone..

Well, anyone else have something? I'm especially interested in Populous The Beginning - it was released soon after DK, and here are lots of similarities in the code.

[Madkill]

Since DKII had EA infiltration then don't expect that to be easy to get hold of its exe's debug info.


Speaking of Theme Hospital, its a shame no one has ever tried to remake that gem.

[dotted]

Since DKII had EA infiltration then don't expect that to be easy to get hold of its exe's debug info.


Speaking of Theme Hospital, its a shame no one has ever tried to remake that gem.

Hmm...
http://www.mobstar.biz/openTH/
And
http://www.corsix.org/content/theme-hospital

[mefistotelis]

I just noticed that games compiled for Windows do not have debug info inside the EXE file. I mean there is a small debug block in there, but most of the debug info we want is stored outside - in a debug database, with extension PDB.

Games compiled using Watcom C++ have debug info inside EXE file, while games compiled with Microsoft VC++ have external .PDB file.

So - if in any of your games there's a strange .PDB file, then let me know!