SCI: Lighthouse: Cannot return to lighthouse

[bosjox]

Scummvm version: 2.0.0
Game version: CD, 1.0C
OS version: Win7-64

Description: When starting the teleporter in the temple, without having visited the first room to the right (the "study"), it is not possible to set to target to the lighthouse. As I suspect this is the only way to get back to the lighthouse (the other route being blocked by the dark being), it is not possible to complete the game. I do not know whether this was a bug in the original version.

This may be a problem with patches -- when I start the game the console report several problems of the form

Patching <resource name> failed - resource type mismatch

I have appended a saved game that should show the problem; entering the teleporter room in the temple for the first time W/O having entered the "study" in the lighthouse.

[bosjox]

Saved game at teleporter in temple, without entering the "study" in the lighthouse

[dafioram]

In lighthouse 2.0a, I have the option of teleportating back to the laboratory (as well as the study) do you have that option? What locations are shown to you when you rotate the right wheel (after locking onto the lighthouse with the left wheel)?

What do you mean the other route is blocked by the dark being (what other route)?

[bosjox]

I don't see a lighthouse at all when turning the left wheel. But your wording "back to the laboratory" makes me think you haven't taken the same route as me -- in the lighthouse, I walked between the kitchen and the bedroom, never even entering the "study" (or the laboratory, obviously), and when the dark being kidnapped Amanda, I followed him/her/it, got wacked on the head and sent to the shore. After working my way to the temple, I find the teleporter have no lighthouse option.

By the "other route" I meant just the teleporting device in the volcano, which is guarded by the dark being -- theoretically there might be another way of getting rid of him, but that seems highly unlikely.

[dafioram]

bosjob,

I have played through the game on 2.0a (not the same version as you) replicating your start of not entering the study and not entering the laboratory and I can not see the lighthouse as an option to teleport to (as you saw). I played on scummvm, but I imagine the behavior is the same in the original interpreter (I will check later).

I will think about it more, but I believe you can no longer get all of the game endings. You can actually, keep playing, but without being able to go back to the lighthouse you cannot get the "best" ending. You can still play the game and get many other endings.

Had you entered the study or the laboratory in the lighthouse you would have one of those options to teleport to.

I think a fix might be to not have the dark being show up at the lighthouse until the user has entered the study (at least once). Another fix would be to have the study room of the lighthouse always be available to be teleported to from the temple, even if the player has not explored the study.

You can't teleport to the dark being's teleporter spot using the temple's teleporter. You can get to the volcano island using the temple's teleporter, but that would be a spoiler.

Good find.

[dafioram]

Lighthouse 2.0a save. At temple, can't teleport to lighthouse. Didn't enter study or lab in lighthouse, took dark beings portal to tower.

[bosjox]

Just out of curiosity I tried another, slightly different, start -- I opened the door to the study, entered it, and then immediately left again; then I proceeded as before. The result was the same as described above -- no lighthouse option in the teleporter. The trigger must therefore be something else, probably having found the box.

I don't know how useful it is for the programmers to know exactly what triggers the lighthouse teleporting option to appear; I might do some more experiments, but if it is easy to find out from saved games that must be a simpler way of doing it.

[dafioram]

bosjob,

I have done more investigating and with high confidence I believe you can still get all endings. While the state you are/were in is definitely inconvenient and interesting, it does not prevent the player from missing any ending.

We can keep this issue open, but I believe it is a low priority at best.

I have included my reasoning in rot13 below, which can be deciphered by finding an internet decipher for rot13. I have done this because it contains spoilers. It may also ruin it for you.
If you have any questions about the rot13 comment please reply in rot13.

Lbh pna erghea gb gur yvtugubhfr jura lbh zrrg gur qnex orvat ng uvf ynobengbel ba ibypnab vfynaq ng gur raq bs gur tnzr. Ng guvf cbvag ur pna/jvyy bcra n cbegny onpx gb gur yvtugubhfr naq gura ur jvyy eha njnl. Lbh pna gura ragre gur cbegny naq trg gur cbgvba erdhverq gb svavfu znxvat gur tha.

Guvf cbegny bayl fgnlf bcra sbe 4 zvahgrf fb lbh zhfg rvgure fbyir gur (phor) chmmyr va 4 zvahgrf be vg jvyy pybfr naq lbh zhfg hfr gur ynobengbel va gur yvtugubhfr gb znxr n cbegny gb tb onpx gb ebbfg vfynaq.

Gura gnxr gur oveq ba gbc bs gur gbjre gb gur grzcyr jurer lbh pna gura gnxr gur grzcyr gryrcbegre onpx gb gur ibypnab vfynaq fvapr gung vf jurer lbhe fhoznevar vf. Gur genva jvyy or erfrg gb gur ortvaavat jurer gur fho vf, ohg lbh pna tb fgenvtug gb gur qnex orvat.

Ng guvf cbvag lbh pna znxr gur tha naq fubbg uvz, fvapr ur vf onpx va uvf yno znxvat nabgure cbegny.

[dafioram]

I'm attaching a saved game for lighthouse 2.0a. That is at the temple teleporter and the player can't teleport back to the lighthouse (at this point). This is the same behavior as scummvm. Again, I'm very sure all endings are still possible, see comment #6.

[dafioram]

Dosbox lighthouse 2,0a saved game. Player is at temple teleporter. Can't select lighthouse.

[bosjox]

You are, of course and obviously, right -- just to make sure I tested it, and was indeed able to return to the lighthouse and obtain a "good" ending. This is obviously a feature, not a bug, and this ticket should be closed. I apologise for the inconvenience I caused by making invalid assumptions; I really should have known better.

[dafioram]

Thanks for testing that.

I think it would improve the user experience if other users always have the option to teleport back to the lighthouse so I will change this to an enhancement.

[sev-]

Closing as it is the intended game behaviour.