Lands of Lore: Getting out of unwinnable state?

[Kurufinwe]

It seems there's a puzzle in the Urbish mines which, when solved incorrectly, leaves you stuck in an area with no way out.

Despite playing the game a few times in the past, and encountering this puzzle before, I forgot about it and saved in what seems to be an unwinnable state. The autosave also kicked in after I was stuck, so that's no use. My previous save slot was before entering the mines, and I'm not going through all that nonsense again.

Is this actually not an unwinnable state? Or is there a way to teleport out using the console/debugger?

[Praetorian]

It seems there's a puzzle in the Urbish mines which, when solved incorrectly, leaves you stuck in an area with no way out.

Despite playing the game a few times in the past, and encountering this puzzle before, I forgot about it and saved in what seems to be an unwinnable state. The autosave also kicked in after I was stuck, so that's no use. My previous save slot was before entering the mines, and I'm not going through all that nonsense again.

Is this actually not an unwinnable state? Or is there a way to teleport out using the console/debugger?

Could you upload a saved game where this happens? Please zip the file before uploading here.

I am not very familiar with the engine, but what you mention (using the debugger) may provide a potential workaround.

[Kurufinwe]

Here you go. I can't seem to get out of that corridor.

Thanks a lot for looking into this!

[Praetorian]

Here you go. I can't seem to get out of that corridor.

Thanks a lot for looking into this!

This is a non-educated guess as of yet for a potential workaround.

Bring up the debugger, (Ctrl+Alt+D), then enter:

Code: Select all

toggleflag 293
toggleflag 295
toggleflag 296

It should say that the flags are now 0.

From this point try to repeat the steps as described in the linked forum post from gamefaqs that you've included in the OP. (I put a flask on the plate, went back and pressed the switch next to the door twice, then returned to the plate pulled the right lever and took the flask off the plate, then back to the switch next to the door, pressed it twice again, and finally back to the plate and placed a flask on it).

It also seems that only:

Code: Select all

toggleflag 296

by itself can work as a faster workaround (the door opens before you complete half of the steps from the gamefaqs post).

After that, the jellyfish (and a worm) will enter the room. I think this is supposed to happen, but if not, then my suggested workaround is wrong.

Someone more familiar with the kyra engine (or the game itself) may provide a more accurate workaround or a more valid way out (like without using the debugger).

[Kurufinwe]

It worked! Thanks a lot.

I'm not sure I even understand what the puzzle was supposed to be, or how you were supposed to figure it out without walking straight into an unwinnable state. Did Roberta Williams intern at Westwood at some point?

[Praetorian]

As a follow up, it seems that there is a way to solve your way out of the situation where you are in your attached saved game without using the debugger. This puzzle may be way less involved than the gamefaqs post is making it out to be, and probably not time-based either.

The main "mechanic", so to speak, for the puzzle is that (under normal circumstances, ie. not using the ScummVM debugger to toggle flags) only one of the two doors can be open at a time.

So, from your saved game:
1. Go to the pressure plate and place an item on it (I placed an oil flask)
2. Pull down the left lever.
3. Without removing the item from the pressure plate, move towards the open door, stand a couple of steps before reaching it and throw an item to the button on the far wall in front of you (I threw another flask). You need to be standing this far back because you want to avoid the trap that's activated when pushing that button and also be on this side of the door which will close after you throw the item on the button.
4. Go back to the pressure plate, lift up the left lever and pull down the right lever. The first door should now open and jellyfish / enemies will enter.

I believe that the idea is to trial and error with the room's buttons and levers until you figure out the working logic. But the number of hotspots involved makes this hard, and I agree that this game too is of that time where companies wanted to sell you a strategy guide along with it (or the assumption was that you'd be happily playing this game for weeks or months until you figure it out on your own -- it was after all a time when we'd absolutely do that for some games).