King's Quest VI: CD DOS Version

[scoriae]

For the life of me I can't get ScummVM to properly play the DOS version from the hybrid CD-rom.

When I go to add a game from the folder, it detects both the DOS and Windows versions. However, when I start the DOS version it attempts to play HDLOGO.AVI, which is the windows version logo. The DOS version of this is in the SEQ folder. Then if you choose to play the games opening, it attempts to play TOON.AVI, the windows intro movie. Again, the DOS version of this is in the SEQ folder.

This are minor issues that show it's not a true DOS version. The real issue comes into play once you start playing and talk to someone, such as the Guards at the castle. At this point it will show a portrait of Alexander's face. The Windows CD version had high-res portriats, however the DOS CD version used the original low res portraits. ScummVM is attempting to use the highres. This suggests to me it's not even using the DOS code, and is instead just playing the windows version regardless.

Here are images from it:
https://imgur.com/a/pVdBrWU

Technically, the DOS version doesn't even require the ACTORS folder, which is where the high res portraits reside. Yet if this folder is missing, the DOS version throws up a console error at this point in the game and you can't continue.

Unless I'm missing something, ScummVM doesn't have actual support for the DOS CD version of the game.

[scoriae]

Also worth noting the actual icons across the top are all the win version, even when playing the detected "dos" version.

[MusicallyInspired]

There's a flag in the engine options tab to use the hi-res art or not. This is so you can play the DOS version (with full colour DOS cursors) while using the hi-res portraits which wasn't possible previously without a Win3.x installation in DOSBox or an older computer. It's a feature. But one that you can turn off. There was also an option to enable/disable the grayscaled windows cursors.

Not sure about the SEQ vs AVI issue though.

[scoriae]

It seems odd to be that it would default to doing this.

Turning off the high res engine flag does cause it to use the SEQ files.

The question becomes, how do you play the game via command line with this option off? It appears to default to on.

[MusicallyInspired]

As long as its set once in the game's options it should be permanent. There's a scummvm.ini (or is it .cfg?) somewhere on your system, whether in the ScummVM folder or in %appdata% or My Documents or whatever, with every game entry's settings stored inside it which is read by ScummVM at launch.

That's interesting though that the checkbox for the hi res portraits also controls whether the game uses SEQ or AVI videos. If that's the case, what's the point in having two entries (Windows/DOS)? Is there anything else that designates whether the game is the Windows or DOS versions?

And default game settings being strange isn't that new to ScummVM ...

[marigold5374]

Thanks for posting this. It helped me play KQ6 CD DOS version that only has a \SEQ folder without the Windows version \ACTORS folder.

It will crash looking for a /ACTORS/*.BIN file during the first in-game dialog. Depending on the route you take, this is most likely the castle guard dogs or the lamp seller in town. Disabling "Enable high resolution graphics" stops the game from looking for the missing BIN files and crashing.

I don't know how ScummVM detects game versions, but a basic file/folder structure check would solve this problem.

[scoriae]

It makes no sense to assume the end user wants the windows version. Especailly if certain windows assets aren't even available.