Riddle of the Sphinx robot saves need testing

Riddle of the Sphinx robot saves need testing --
http://www.gameboomers.com/reviews/Rr/robotsaves.zip

The robotsaves.zip file is 12.3 kb in size and contains 3 save files for Riddle of the Sphinx having to do with the "Cheoptronic" robot that you have to maneuver through the tunnel from the Queen's Chamber in the Great Pyramid.

08robot.spx -- Should be right before the door at the end of the tunnel is pushed open by the robot.

09robotdone.spx -- Should be right after the door at the end of the tunnel is pushed open by the robot and the cut scene has played.

10kings.spx -- After the door is opened and you go to the King's Chamber. You'd probably only want to use this save if you have a crash while trying to load one of the other two.

http://www.gameboomers.com/reviews/Rr/robotsaves.zip

I believe the saves are from version 1.1 of the game (at least the manual in the game folder said so). I need to know whether these saves are compatible with other computers and whether it would be worthwhile hosting them somewhere permanently.

The game crashed every 2 to 10 seconds while maneuvering the robot through the tunnel, but by constantly saving while inching forward I eventually managed to get these saves.

Jenny,

I have the original 1.0 version of the game on three CDs. There is a patch 1.01 for the game which should correct:
* InteracTV code not displaying properly
* Early "illegal" access to River of Death
* Multiple grabbing of Sun Bolt in Funerary Yacht
* "No data for this item" for Tauret Tablet
* Gil's Tape Player not playing for some
* Trumpet disappearing
* "Can't be picked up in this version" message
* Early "illegal" access in QNs Chamber
* Losing Sacred Cull just before filling last time
* Getting past cobra at Cobra Shrine w/o amulet
.

I can't find (Google) anything about a version 1.1 for this game.

I've not had any problems with the robot.

Version 1.0 (and 1.01) of Riddle of the Sphinx didn't have this problem with the robot crashing every two seconds.

When version 1.1 came out, EVERYONE had the problem with the robot sequence crashing in it. As far as I know, the only way to get past the robot sequence was to save every two seconds for the entire very long robot trek up the pyramid shaft, restarting the game every time it crashed (which was well over 60 times that you had to sit through Windows reboots).

Version 1.1 was a re-issue version that continued to be sold for years, despite the serious issue with the robot. I think there was also a version 2.0 of the game, so versions before and after 1.1 may not have a problem with the robot.

Saves from version 1.01 don't work with version 1.1, so any saves from version 1.01 can't be used to get past the robot crashes. Mystery Manor used to host a saved game for after the robot sequence, but they took it down because it was from version 1.01 and it didn't work with the version 1.1 that their members needed a save for. These saves for version 1.1 would have been a lot more useful 15 years ago.

There's very little information about troubleshooting Riddle of the Sphinx online anymore. Google found nothing, but then it doesn't seem to find much for many other older adventure games either -- not unless the games had a re-issue.

Regards troubleshooting, it may well depend on your OS. On my system WinXP SP3, essentially all of my crashes have been caused by the version of Quicktime installed.
Initially, I had to play the game under Win98SE but using QT 7.7.3 with audio and video set for Safe Mode, the game seems stable.

It would be interesting to see how people with different OS and QT installations can get ROTS to function correctly.

The saves are specifically for v1.1 of the game which has a bug in the robot sequence.
They aren't for any other version of the game, either older or newer.

As far as I know, v1.1 from Dreamcatcher was the only version which has this bug.
General troubleshooting tips don't apply to this bug.

If no one has version 1.1 and can test compatibility I'll remove the save file.
I'll certainly keep it for myself in case I replay, but there's no point in having it uploaded anywhere if no one else is going to use it.

I have version SSV 1.1 from Dreamcatcher. I played it so long ago that I don't remember whether I played it on Win 98 or Win XP or whether or not I had any problems as you are describing. I can't even remember a robot in the game at all!

I can't find any screenshots of the robot, but it looked kind of like a little tank and had an arm on the front that you used to push past rubble.

You can see the robot in this playthrough around 4:53 in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOgJqeGNVuo

Ah yes. Thanks Jenny. Watched that and then the part of Episode 6 where the robot was being used. I know I really liked this game but my memories of it are all faded away. Probably time for a replay soon. I have the game from Big Fish which claims to play on Win 7. Do you know if it is the full game? I also have it from All Video.

It's the full-version game on Big Fish, as far as I know.

Thanks Marian.

That's what I was thinking. I started replaying it, but ran into the problem with the robot. The version I originally played back in year 2000 was the original version 1.0/1.01, and I didn't have the problem with the robot sequence with that version. Unfortunately my saved games from that version wouldn't load in the version 1.1 that I bought for a replay.


I don't have the Big Fish version.

It's hard to tell whether the Big Fish version or the Allvideo version would work better. I think the Allvideo version uses an older version of the game with QuickTime 3.02 inside a virtual machine, while the Big Fish version tried to tweak the game to work with newer versions of QuickTime that work on Windows 7 and 8. So if one version doesn't work you can try the other one.

Let me know how you get on if you decide to replay it.

What version of Windows are you trying to play the version 1.1 disc game on? I really don't think that I had that crashing problem you describe. Seems I would at least remember that if it was that bad, but who knows.

I do still have my discs which is how I checked the version.

Windows 95/98.
Do you remember if you played in XP?