Developer Console - Thin Green Line

[Siamzero]

Hello everybody, I've got a little problem with my modified XCOM - EU (Build 1.0.0.28586 - Patch IV) game.

I am currently unable to access the developer console (you know the green bar on the bottom of the screen).

Everytime I press "^" (I'm german btw so that's my key to access it) it doesn't appear.

Instead there is thin green line where I cannot input any codes.

Trying to type in codes blindly doesn't work too. It won't recognize my input.

What, dear community, could be the problem?

[dubiousintent]

You are making the very common mistake of confusing enabling the Developer shell with the console. See the Wiki article 'How to enable the XCOM developer shell', and the companion article about the console linked there. They should clarify matters and enable you to get what you are after.

 

-Dubious-

Edited October 10, 2013 by dubiousintent

[Siamzero]

I was not confusing it. I edited before with the same wiki guide and it worked before. Now it doesn't. Maybe it was the latest patch that disabled it permanently?

 

*Edit*

Here a screenshot. Notice the thin green line on the bottom of the screen.

Edited October 12, 2013 by Siamzero

[dubiousintent]

Did you enable the shell as well as the console? There are separate steps to enable each. AFAIK, you need both for the console to function correctly, and the screenie looks like the shell is missing. (There should be more space between the green line and the bottom of the screen, which I'm sure you realize.)

 

The console still works as of the patches listed on the 'Basic Guide to installing mods' wiki page.

 

When you say 'latest patch', please be specific. For instance, are you referring to a regional patch, specific to the German language version of the game, or what we call 'patch 4' on the Wiki? Also, we are only concerned with patches to the game itself, not the Steam client app which is a separate entity and has had at least two patches so far this month. There is no evidence (and lots of logic that says it won't) that the Steam client has any direct effect upon any particular game.

 

-Dubious-

[Siamzero]

Activated the shell via ToolBoks. Then edited the game.exe. Still the same problem. And it's patch 4.

[Bertilsson]

The only thing I do to activate developer console in English version (patch 4):

00B1FEB5 = 00

00B1FEC2 = 00

And then to activate the console I press § which is located left of 1 on my Swedish keyboard.

 

When you edit the German version, have you verified that the surrounding bytes looks as expected?

 

From the wiki:

Before:
00B1FEB0 | 44 24 08 C7 00 01 00 00 00 C2 08 00 8B 4C 24 08 
00B1FEC0 | C7 01 01 00 00 00 C2 08 00 CC CC CC CC CC CC CC
After:
00B1FEB0 | 44 24 08 C7 00 00 00 00 00 C2 08 00 8B 4C 24 08 
00B1FEC0 | C7 01 00 00 00 00 C2 08 00 CC CC CC CC CC CC CC

[dubiousintent]

Also, you said your game is modded. Which mods? Ones that affect the UI might have an impact (though I'm not aware of any affecting the console like this).

 

If you have the disk space, you might copy your current Steamapps\common\XCOM (and if you have DLCs also your 'My Games\XCOM') folder(s) and then verify cache to restore the vanilla game and test implementing the console. If vanilla still doesn't work right, it may be the hex address is different in the German language version. Otherwise, it's most likely a mod conflict.

 

One other possibility: what screen resolution are you using? If it is unusual, that might account for the squashed console space.

 

-Dubious-

Edited October 14, 2013 by dubiousintent

[Siamzero]

The mod I'm using is "Long War" and ToolBoks.

Screen Resolution is 1920x1080.

And I have all DLCs. I'm trying it with vanilla then.

[Siamzero]

Interesting. I've encountered hex lines, that are repeating:

 

44 24 08 C7 00 00 00 00 00 C2 08 00 8B 4C 24 08
C7 01 00 00 00 00 C2 08 00 CC CC CC CC CC CC CC

 

Yep, those are the lines that should normally activate the console. And they exist mutiple times in different locations. Weird.

Edited October 15, 2013 by Siamzero

[dubiousintent]

'Long War' does make some UI changes, but I know Amineri (lead programmer) has reported using the console without comment so that is not likely to be the cause. Your screen resolution is a standard one (same as mine), so we can exclude that.

 

ToolBoks versions are specific to patch versions, so using it to enable the console might be an issue. But it sounds like you are using a hex editor now, so that's not likely either.

 

Patterns of hex appearing multiple times in the executable are known to happen, even relatively lengthy ones. Which is why it's so important to get offset addresses whenever possible.

 

In patch 4 you should be finding that pattern beginning at 0x00B1FEB0 (according to the report recorded on the Wiki and experience with the English language version). If you aren't finding it there, then you apparently have a regional/language specific variation and will have to trial and error test it out. Suggest starting with the nearest location beyond that offset, and then the nearest before that, and alternating beyond and before locations further away. Don't forget to restore things after a test fails.

 

Do let us know what you figure out and we'll update it on the Wiki for the next person encountering it.

 

-Dubious-

Edited October 15, 2013 by dubiousintent