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I have encountered a game breaking bug.
After a long web search I have found nobody who seems to have the same problem, so I'll post it here.
I hope somebody knows a Fix or a Work-Around for this, because I invested hours for grinding and I'm near the end of the game and now I'm stuck.


*SPOILER ALERT*


The bug occurs after you found all 5 rituals and enter the castle.
You are then transported automatically to the cave of the dark one.
Now the hero enters the cave.
After the screen changes to the entrance of the cave I'll get a message:

"You can't leave. The mouth closed behind you when you entered."

If I click it away or push Escape or Enter it just repeats endlessly.
Like somehow the game gets a non-stop input to click on the exit or something.
The mouse cursor is invisible, except when I move it to the top and the menu appears, but all functions except the options are greyed out, like it's in 'Cutscene-Mode'.
The only thing I can do is click the message away or access the options to save, load or quit.

*SPOILER END*

So has anyone ever had this problem and is there a fix?
Because all my savegames are stuck past the point of no return, and invested so many hours for nothing if theres no fix.
So please help me and thank you in advance.

Drummerdevil

Upload your latest save game as an attachment in a reply. Will try a few things.

This is the latest savegame, just enter the castle and the sequence starts.
By the way I was playing with the latest edition of ScummVM, and it seems savegames aren't interchangeable between interpreters, so DOSBox won't work, i tried.

Drummerdevil wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 6:55 pm This is the latest savegame, just enter the castle and the sequence starts.
By the way I was playing with the latest edition of ScummVM, and it seems savegames aren't interchangeable between interpreters, so DOSBox won't work, i tried.

Is this from GoG?

So I copied your save game into the save game folder; tried to rename it to match the throw away save file I made...
And it doesn't even see your save file.

I think because when you save in ScummVM you need to name the save game... usually in Sierra, there was a .DIR file that helped with that.

So I can't even open your save game.

Is there any additional info I could send?
The only file in the savegame folder with the same date is a file called "timestamps", but I guess that hasn't anything to do with it?
I had the same problem when trying to play the cave sequence with DOSBox, the savegames wouldn't even show up even if I named them like DOSBox named them.

But isn't it possible to play savegames from other players on scummvm as long as they are created in scummvm?

Drummerdevil wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 8:32 pm But isn't it possible to play savegames from other players on scummvm as long as they are created in scummvm?

That's what I was thinking. And I think it works with older games. But something in how QFG (IV) writes a file - like in DOSBox, I believe it uses the GLORYSG.CAT file - because I noticed when I saved, that file also updated the timestamp.
I thought there was a way to edit the .CAT file, but for the life of me, I am not remembering how.

Older Sierra games used a .DIR file (like ICEMANSG.DIR) which didn't really care what was there.

But with ScummVM - I don't even SEE a .CAT file being written - so I am not sure how it's pulling the file listing for the save games.

So I notice my QFGIV save games through ScummVM (both from the Anthology and through GoG) all append the -cd in the name. Where as yours doesn't have that.

Where did you install QFGIV from? Is it floppy disks? Anthology CD (like me?) or GoG (which I just downloaded and it uses DOSBox by default)?

Or elsewhere? Like Steam?

I think it was the GoG-Version.
Because I have the game on floppy disks, but no more floppy drive, then I downloaded it from an "abandonware"-site.
But I think during the installation the GoG Logo may have popped up...

Then I wanted it to play in ScummVM because I played all the others in ScummVM.
I'm not sure, but I think QFG4 is a pretty new addition to ScummVM, may be a bug because of compability problems?

I just think it's weird that I seem to be the first to encounter this bug, until now I always found some solutions and work arounds, or at least someone who had the same problem.

By the way, thanks a lot for looking into this and for your time.

Edit:
I found the .CAT file in the folder where the game is located, maybe then the savegames work?

The .CAT file is only created by DOS version (legit DOS or DOSBox). ScummVM doesn't use .CAT, from what I see.

And... if you got it from an abandonware site - I'd ask to legitimately purchase it from GoG or Steam and that will probably resolve whatever issues are happening. Because if you got it from an abandonware site they may have customized executables and such that may be causing the very issue you're running into.

I'd say $9.99 for QfG I-V is well worth it, regardless.

If you own legitimate copies of Sierra games and don’t wish to repurchase digital releases, I’d suggest looking at this thread.

viewtopic.php?f=82&t=23

This would be a more desirable solution than resorting to “abandonware”, not only due to legal issues but also the unpredictability of what you’ll end up with.