[Suggestion] Debug menu

[gsuberland]

I'd like to see a debug menu similar to the cheat menu in Uplink, for various debugging and testing purposes.

A few options that'd be useful:

- Show FPS, actor count, object count
- Show door states (open, closed, opening, closing)
- Pause incoming prisoner timer
- Destroy all garbage (immediate)
- Show actor paths (draws paths similar to the guard paths, but for all actors)
- Recalculate all paths (force all actors to recalculate their current paths - helps with some of the pathing bugs)
- Remove all prisoners
- Fast dump (immediately destroys an object when you click dump, instead of waiting for a worker to dismantle it)

More cheat-based ones, useful for quick testing and messing around in the sanbox:

- Grant all upgrades
- Infinite cash
- No staff limit
- No electricity requirements
- No water requirements
- Reset score
- Instant build mode (everything you build immediately appears)

[Illanair]

Oh golly yes - all of my yes.

[gsuberland]

Added instant build mode to the end of the list - very useful in quickly testing stuff out.

[Molano]

Yeah, we definitly need that. Can do some serious testing that way as well which is handy if we want to write for the wiki...

[troe2339]

All of it YES!

[DHKold]

Some weeks (months?) ago, they launched a poll asking if we'd prefer a debug menu or new features in the nexts builds. Result was new features. So I don't think it's gonna be implemented.

[paktsardines]

It'll be implemented, of that you can be sure. It's all a matter of priorities, and the tribe has spoken on this one.

[DHKold]

It'll be implemented, of that you can be sure. It's all a matter of priorities, and the tribe has spoken on this one.

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Debug tools and cheats next           9.6%    [ 19 ]
More game features next              83.8%   [ 165 ]
I want it all, and I want it now      6.6%    [ 13 ]

It's very clear what people want, and it's not the debug tools So I guess it will be new features for a while

[Ten98]

Sometimes you have to disregard what people tell you that they want, for their own good.

Some of us are genuinely testing this game, in order to feed back bugs and suggestions to the devs. To my mind, that is what an Alpha test build is for.

The majority are not doing this, they just want a new Theme Hospital game to play, and don't really care about submitting bug reports and stuff. They vaguely understand that the game is not finished, and will tolerate bugs, they just want more, bigger, better, now, and they don't really care how it happens.

Of course most people are going to pick the "GIEV ME MOAR GAME TO PLAY PLEEZ" option, because they have absolutely no intention of *testing* the game, they just want to play it.

However, if such a cheat/debug mode were added, those small percentage of us who actually want to help make the game better and get it closer to release would have the tools we need to do so.

[paktsardines]

Sometimes you have to disregard what people tell you that they want, for their own good.

Spoken like a true politician.

[lunaticneko]

Sometimes you have to disregard what people tell you that they want, for their own good.

Spoken like a true politician.

I've been served with this crap too many times in my life.

But yes, I'd like to have "clean up" debug command and memory/job/queuing count displays so I'd know why the game slows down.

[Mas Tnega]

Why? Why you dredge old shit?

That said, I'd clearly forgotten why I thought a debug menu would be a good idea and that first list really does look useful.

[DHKold]

Sometimes you have to disregard what people tell you that they want, for their own good.

Some of us are genuinely testing this game, in order to feed back bugs and suggestions to the devs. To my mind, that is what an Alpha test build is for.

The majority are not doing this, they just want a new Theme Hospital game to play, and don't really care about submitting bug reports and stuff. They vaguely understand that the game is not finished, and will tolerate bugs, they just want more, bigger, better, now, and they don't really care how it happens.

Of course most people are going to pick the "GIEV ME MOAR GAME TO PLAY PLEEZ" option, because they have absolutely no intention of *testing* the game, they just want to play it.

However, if such a cheat/debug mode were added, those small percentage of us who actually want to help make the game better and get it closer to release would have the tools we need to do so.

Then, why asking? If you don't ask and do it, people will accept gently and even say it's a great idea. But if you ask and people choose another option, and then ignore their choice and do the opposit, they won't really be happy.

And as many have said, Alpha means anything can change, so it's not really about bugs but about features. Beta is about bugs. It's good to track bugs but for an alpha at this early stage, feature is the key.

Of course, if they can add debug tools and features, it would be even better :p

[111none]

Its implemented, i cant access it

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begin. debug.menu. X,0 Y,0

[111none]

And you can edit water and electricity in save game