Quiz lady dissappears without giving artbook 40 with dlc

[carpetkitchen]

UPDATE

There are now builds that attempt to fix this issue. Please try running these versions and check if the issue is gone: Flatpak: https://github.com/hedge-dev/UnleashedRecomp/actions/runs/13795929139/artifacts/2732630092 Windows: https://github.com/hedge-dev/UnleashedRecomp/actions/runs/13795929139/artifacts/2732579676

NOTICE

The issue has been tracked down to a single file not being loaded from the update folder of the game, that being \update\work\Application\SR_AdjustTownState.seq.xml. We are currently looking into this issue and are hoping to deliver a hotfix in-regards to this issue. If you are encountering this issue please wait for an update from the team.

Possible workaround steps:

1. Make a backup of your save file first. You can find more about its location in the FAQ.
2. The problematic flag for Sandra should be saved at 0x9F in the SYS-DATA file. Change the value at this location from 0x03 to 0x00 and the Quiz Lady should re-appear in your game.

[!IMPORTANT] You are directly responsible for the safekeeping of your save data and configuration if you choose this option.

Original Post

After you complete her last quiz in shamar the quiz lady dissappears without giving you artbook 40, screwing you over. In the actual console version the dlc patches this. I have the dlc and she does not appear at all and i can't get the artbook

[DeaTh-G]

I do see reports of this glitch from back in the day online, and supposedly the Chun-Nan DLC fixing this. I have all the DLCs installed myself and I could not trigger this bug to occur. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWAzkrouJ4c

[carpetkitchen]

You fully beat the game, right? I hear that's what triggers it. I don't know how you got it. For me after the last quiz she just leaves and never returns

[DeaTh-G]

This is on a save that has beaten the game from start to finish yes. The Quiz Lady questline was not started prior to beating the game.

[carpetkitchen]

Im playing on steam deck if that makes a difference. Probably should have posted thst in thd beginning. Sorry

[DeaTh-G]

Steam Deck wouldn't make a difference here, I've completed the quest line during my All Achievements playthrough on Steam Deck during beta testing without issues (after having already finished the game).

[carpetkitchen]

Oh well, thanks for doing what you could

[DeaTh-G]

Can you provide your current save file for future testing? You can find it at ~/.config/UnleashedRecomp/save as a file named SYS-DATA .

[carpetkitchen]

I'm so sorry but it's not letting me attach the file for some reason no matter how I try to add it. Can I get it to you? I'd love for you to be able to use it for testing

[DeaTh-G]

You can either upload it to google drive (or your file sharing site of choice) and link it here or compress it into a *.zip file and upload it that way.

[carpetkitchen]

Here you go

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pGHxIbMM79IE6KQBuE95mPH0nCpKOzRk/view?usp=drivesdk

[carpetkitchen]

Let me know if this leads to anything. Thanks again. Have a great day.

[DeaTh-G]

Can confirm this is an issue on our end. For some reason the patch they made in the title update through \update\work\Application\SR_AdjustTownState.seq.xml does not get applied on our end. This could potentially affect other areas of the game as well and we are currently looking into what's going wrong.

In the meanwhile I've managed to trigger the fix that they released for the game back in the day and have gotten your save file to show Sandra again in Shamar. Let me know if this works for you, it did on my end.

SYS-DATA.zip

[carpetkitchen]

Thank you so much, it worked! Hope this will help with a future update or something lol.

[Laenthor12]

I've got the same problem, rather than upload my save file, can I edit a value using a hex editor or something?

[DeaTh-G]

@Laenthor12 Within SYS-DATA the value at 0x9F should be set to 0x03 on your save file. Try changing that to 0x00. Before editing files like these always make backups of your files.

[Laenthor12]

The value was indeed 0x03 and I've changed it to 0x00, but this still doesn't fix it for me, she should be in this area.

And I'm not completely sure since I can't find anywhere that documents what images are which artbooks, but I think this is the missing artbook 40

[DeaTh-G]

@Laenthor12 there might be more to the issue than just that single flag then, sorry. As noted above we are currently looking into the proper solution for the problem and are working on delivering this fix as soon as possible.

[Drowkex220]

Would you recommend not starting the quest until a solution comes out?

[Laenthor12]

Would you recommend not starting the quest until a solution comes out?

You can do the quest up to when she appears in Shamar. If you want, make a backup of your save, do the quiz, and see if she disappears or not. If she does, restore the save and wait for a fix.

[DeaTh-G]

After some further investigation here's some notes regarding the issue. Sandra operates based on the following list of flags.

bFlag_Mission_Move_30_10
bFlag_Mission_Move_30_20
bFlag_Mission_Move_30_30
bFlag_Mission_Move_30_40
bFlag_Mission_Move_30_50
bFlag_Mission_Move_30_60

For the start of the game the following is done:

if iFlag_TownSecNo >= 90 and eFlag_TownState == eFlag_TownState_Day and bFlagMission_Move_30_10 == false then
    TownID = Mykonos
    PosID = StandNormal
    Behavior = StandTalkEndFlag(
         bFlag_Mission_Move_30_10 = true
    )

Later towns extend the first if statement by also checking for the next bFlag_Mission_Move_30_XX being false and the previous being true. iFlag_TownSecNo is then later on checked in the other towns too with these values (in order of occurrence): 90, 110, 140, 220, 220, 220

Here's the logic in pseudocode form for the interaction when Sandra gives you Art Book 40:

PS3

if iFlag_TownSecNo >= 220 and eFlag_TownState == eFlag_TownState_Day and bFlagMission_Move_30_60 == true and iFlag_Sandra < 10 then
    TownID = PetraCapital
    PosID = StandNormal
    Behavior = StandTalkMotionEndItemFlag(
         debug = idle
         face_idle = ON
         illustratedbook_40 = 1
         none = 0
         iFlag_Sandra = 10
    )

Xbox 360

if iFlag_TownSecNo >= 220 and eFlag_TownState == eFlag_TownState_Day and bFlagMission_Move_30_60 == true and iFlag_Sandra == 0 then
    TownID = PetraCapital
    PosID = StandNormal
    Behavior = StandTalkMotionEndItemFlag(
         debug = idle
         face_idle = ON
         illustratedbook_40 = 1
         none = 0
         iFlag_Sandra = 10
    )

There's one big discrepancy between the two versions and its the way iFlag_Sandra is being checked against. Sandra's flag can be the following 3 values: 0, 3, 10

When Sandra's flag is set to 0 she's supposed to appear in Apotos, not as the Quiz Lady but as Sandra before the quest line is even started. This is also checked against iFlag_TownSecNo being either 10 or 20. Here's the few instances where this appears in pseudocode:

if iFlag_TownSecNo == 10 then
    TownID = Mykonos
    PosID = s10d
    Behavior = StandTalkEndFlag(
         Dialogue = s10d
         iFlag_Sandra = 3    
    )

if iFlag_TownSecNo == 20 and iFlag_Sandra == 0 then
    TownID = Mykonos
    PosID = s20n
    Behavior = StandTalk(
         Dialogue = s20n_1stMeet
    )

if iFlag_TownSecNo == 20 and iFlag_Sandra == 3 then
    TownID = Mykonos
    PosID = s20n
    Behavior = StandTalk(
         Dialogue = s20n
    )

Looking at the new contents of SR_AdjustTownState.seq.xml in update\work\Application we can find the following in pseudocode form:

if iFlag_Sandra = 3 and iFlag_TownSecNo >= 30 then
    iFlag_Sandra = 0

This sequence would overwrite Sandra's flag if its 3 for some reason if the player has progressed beyond Windmill Isle Act 1 (Night) as the previous iFlag_TownSecNo gets to 30 after the fact.

In conclusion the issue seems to stem from the fact that if the player talks to Sandra immediately after finishing Windmill Isle Act 1 (Day) her flag will be set to 3 and it will never be reset. This works fine on the PS3 version of the game as the during the last time you talk to her before getting the art book the game checks if her flag is below 10, however on the Xbox 360 version of the game they explicitly check against 0.

This was an oversight on the Xbox 360 version's end as you can set Sandra's flag to 3 very early into the game which will cause her to disappear at the very end of her quest chain. A fix was later pushed as part of the title update to reset her flag to 0, to make it compatible with the check that exists on the Xbox 360 version of the game, however this patch does not seem to work on real hardware anymore.

Unsure if it did in the past the only way to verify it would be to check on various Dashboard/OS versions of the Xbox 360 and see if the title update applies the patch properly. I've at the very least checked on Dashboard 2.0.17526.0 and the update does not apply the file correctly.

[DeaTh-G]

There are now builds that attempt to fix this issue. Please try running these versions and check if the issue is gone: Flatpak: https://github.com/hedge-dev/UnleashedRecomp/actions/runs/13795929139/artifacts/2732630092 Windows: https://github.com/hedge-dev/UnleashedRecomp/actions/runs/13795929139/artifacts/2732579676

[Laenthor12]

This build indeed made her appear with my save file.

[joaoprp3]

Funny, i tried the new build and it did nothing, but changing de sys-data flag worked(i downgrade it to the 1.0.2 version before attempting this method) There's any file i could send to help solve this bug?

[DeaTh-G]

@joaoprp3 Please provide your unedited save file that this issue occurs on.

[joaoprp3]

Here:

mlsave.zip

[DeaTh-G]

Odd, She re-appeared just fine after applying the new build to by game folder and using your save file. Are you sure you applied the new build correctly?

[joaoprp3]

How odd... i just pasted over the build in the game files like the readme says, i'll check for oddities in my files, i'll give an update if i find anything

[LeonardFiedrowicz]

There are now builds that attempt to fix this issue. Please try running these versions and check if the issue is gone: Flatpak: https://github.com/hedge-dev/UnleashedRecomp/actions/runs/13795929139/artifacts/2732630092 Windows: https://github.com/hedge-dev/UnleashedRecomp/actions/runs/13795929139/artifacts/2732579676

I had the bug as well and this build fixed it for me. Thanks.

[Shincore610]

I've tried updating my build and it didn't work and I'm not sure what to use to edit my save file

Right now it all looks like gibberish to me lol

[DeaTh-G]

Please provide your save file @Shincore610 .