[FINAL UPDATE] Get Riven real DVD edition instead - Play on VM

[Iridium164]

[FINAL UPDATE] Read my last post

Initial title: [UPDATE: missing animations] Video sequences integration: color mismatch and 1px too low

Hi,

Whenever a video sequence appears on screen (moving levers, opening doors, beetle wings at the beginning) it seems to be 1px lower than it should and the color is a bit different than still images (than the rest of the screen that is to say). Therefore, when I'm interacting with such mechanisms, it's like some sort of square appears around the moving part and when the video sequence starts or stops it looks weird. The illusion completely falls apart: it's like misplaced stickers are sticked to the screen.
I've been watching a lot of ingame screen captures ("let's play" videos on youtube) and it seems video sequences are always seamlessly integrated over still images. What I'm experiencing is apparently not what the game is supposed to look like. I've tried compatibility modes and everything, messing up with settings in config files in Riven's folder, disabling hardware upscaling and so on. I imagine it has something to do with Quicktime perhaps?

Is somebody experiencing something similar? Have you managed to fix it?

[Iridium164]

[UPDATE]

I've tried using ScummVM to play Steam's Riven. Download the latest version of ScummVM and then select "add game", and choose Riven's folder in Steamapps.

ScummVM is some sort of emulator for old adventure games.

I've launched Riven in ScummVM and then... tadaaaaa!
Animations are right were they're supposed to be, Riven looks way better.

But I've also discovered using ScummVM that there were more animations:
for instance at the beginning when you click on the button that makes the room rotate, the button is actually animated. When Riven is launched normally, the button doesn't move. Further exploration revealed that many more animations don't trigger in Steam's Riven.

My 1px too low animations problem and missing animations seem to be linked. Even the GoG version is buggy too apparently (people are reporting the missing buttons animations on GoG forums). I've installed different Quicktime versions (Apple official Quicktime, Quicktime alternative): didn't solve the problem.

For now, I'm going to play Riven using ScummVM (I still need to find out how I can save in ScummVM since Riven's menus don't appear).

Chances are you are also experiencing the missing animations issue and have never noticed it (actually you can't notice these missing animations unless you've already seen it working properly). If you are experiencing the issue or have solved the issue (or not): please post here so we can search for a fix together.

[Anderson]

Thank you. Might want to get the game now.

[Iridium164]

Be aware that playing Riven with ScummVM is not perfect (this is why I'm still looking for solutions to get working animations and seamless transitions between still images and videos):
- when you turn left/right or look up/down in Riven, there is a little transition effect missing in ScummVM emulation
- ambiant sounds are supposed to fade in/out when they start/stop, with ScummVM emulation when you leave a room and reach the outside, the indoor ambiant sound will stop and the outdoor sound start without fading out/in. This is more annoying that you might imagine
- sometimes ScummVM internal save mechanism crashes

What ScummVM does:
- no more random crashes (well, ScummVM does occasionnaly crash when you save)
- all animations are played and well placed on screen (perfect integration in still images)
- you can turn pages in Atrus' diary one by one


I've tried several versions of Quicktime to be able to play without ScummVM but it seems the game does not take it into account, it sticks to its own built-in quicktime player that happens to be unable to play some animations and is responsible of the 1px offset effect.
Any idea?

[Anderson]

Originally posted by Iridium164:

Be aware that playing Riven with ScummVM is not perfect (this is why I'm still looking for solutions to get working animations and seamless transitions between still images and videos):
- when you turn left/right or look up/down in Riven, there is a little transition effect missing in ScummVM emulation
- ambiant sounds are supposed to fade in/out when they start/stop, with ScummVM emulation when you leave a room and reach the outside, the indoor ambiant sound will stop and the outdoor sound start without fading out/in. This is more annoying that you might imagine
- sometimes ScummVM internal save mechanism crashes

What ScummVM does:
- no more random crashes (well, ScummVM does occasionnaly crash when you save)
- all animations are played and well placed on screen (perfect integration in still images)
- you can turn pages in Atrus' diary one by one


I've tried several versions of Quicktime to be able to play without ScummVM but it seems the game does not take it into account, it sticks to its own built-in quicktime player that happens to be unable to play some animations and is responsible of the 1px offset effect.
Any idea?

From all that you mentioned I had random crashes in the game.
So random in fact that my saves were corrupted upon loading so I had to start all over again.

I'm not sure about the Quicktime, probably you can try to install an old version, but beforehand delete all the ones you had before.

I presume the best thing to do to make this game work is install a PC emulation of Windows 98 and launch the game that way. However I never did it myself, although people on various games with problematic playability reported that it helps if you're on a modern OS.

All of these problems are undoubtedly because of not-perfect emulation programs and new Windows versions.

[Iridium164]

I got a different version of Riven. It is called Riven DVD. It features a bonus making-of and improved animations (no HD quality of course, but way better than Steam's CD version). Last but not least: IT SOLVES EVERYTHING!!!

In this Riven edition there are no missing animations, animations appear without offset of color issue (perfect integration), Atrus' journal can be read without spending half the time playing with the mouse to get to the right page (no more "2 pages at the same time" bug), and so far I did not experience any crash (note that I'm running a 32bits Windows 7, not a 64bit system). As I suspected the Steam version comes with some sort of built-in Quicktime support which is apparently buggy. Riven DVD edition makes use of your local Quicktime installation which of course you can customize (mine is an old 6.5 version I think I found on GoG's website).

CONCLUSION: DO NOT BUY ON STEAM AND GET THE DVD EDITION

I've not played enough time to be certain that this version is bug free, but at least I can guarantee that it is way better than Steam's version.

[Anderson]

Originally posted by Iridium164:

I got a different version of Riven. It is called Riven DVD. It features a bonus making-of and improved animations (no HD quality of course, but way better than Steam's CD version). Last but not least: IT SOLVES EVERYTHING!!!

In this Riven edition there are no missing animations, animations appear without offset of color issue (perfect integration), Atrus' journal can be read without spending half the time playing with the mouse to get to the right page (no more "2 pages at the same time" bug), and so far I did not experience any crash (note that I'm running a 32bits Windows 7, not a 64bit system). As I suspected the Steam version comes with some sort of built-in Quicktime support which is apparently buggy. Riven DVD edition makes use of your local Quicktime installation which of course you can customize (mine is an old 6.5 version I think I found on GoG's website).

CONCLUSION: DO NOT BUY ON STEAM AND GET THE DVD EDITION

I've not played enough time to be certain that this version is bug free, but at least I can guarantee that it is way better than Steam's version.

Ah,
well too bad I live in a Second World country. Otherwise I might've thought about getting a retail version too (if I could find one at all).

Some people just torrent really old games. I don't want to because it's risky and not really right.

Guess the rest of us will have to wait for real Riven and when Ubisoft publishes Myst 3 and 4 on Steam.

I already wrote to them. Hoping to get an answer these days.

[Iridium164]

I'm at peace with my soul ^^ (and after experiencing realMyst: Masterpiece Edition my soul has never been so light :-) I've paid for this game and it is no longer available in stores.

Anyway I guess you could still find one on ebay.

I'll give a more detailed review of Riven DVD after I have played several hours but for now I do think it's worth it.

Good Luck.

[Anderson]

Originally posted by Iridium164:

I'm at peace with my soul ^^ (and after experiencing realMyst: Masterpiece Edition my soul has never been so light :-) I've paid for this game and it is no longer available in stores.

Anyway I guess you could still find one on ebay.

I'll give a more detailed review of Riven DVD after I have played several hours but for now I do think it's worth it.

Good Luck.

Thanks.

I used to get Riven through other, less than legal ways and it was indeed worth it. But I encountered the issues you had and didn't finish it because of it.

[jennyday325]

everytime i download a game from steam they have resolution issues. I cant play this game on half a screen. Steam sucks.

[Iridium164]

The resolution is 640x480, do not uncheck 640x480 in the ingame menu.

Your GPU should upscale it to your screen size. If not you've got to set it up in your nvidia control pannel or in your amd whatever the equivalent is if it happens in a lot of games.


OR

Play Riven using ScummVM

[Anderson]

Hmm, playing it now. Got the Steam version and although crashing it doesn't seem to corrupt my saves... odd. I am on a different computer now though.

[Lo Straniero]

I have the steam edition and the glorious original 5-CD edition. Anyway, I've heard that Quicktime Alternative 2.6.2 fixes the animation bugs for the steam edition. Please, can you confirm if it's true or false?

[Iridium164]

From what I understand, the Steam version (GOG version too) does not require you to manually install Quicktime. There is a minimal quicktime codec in the local files that serves as a remplacement and the game does not try to use something else. This is what causes the 1px offset / color mismatch issue / blue buttons missing animations. Everybody seems to be affected (check some Youtube let's play videos with modern versions of Riven) but most players just do not notice or do not care I think. Installing QT Alternative or any version of QT has never made the slightest difference in my case.

In the end the only way I found to play the game nicely was using the DVD version on a Win98 based VM. The DVD version features enhanced cutscenes, the 1 core virtual machine prevents the game from freezing, and Win98 was the only platform to offer a fluid experience with perfectly integrated cutscenes (no 1px offset, no difference in colors, no missing animation).

ScummVM is also an alternative to consider although it did not guarantee 100% compatibility the last time I checked. Transitions are not emulated correctly for instance. But it does solve the video integration issue and it is officially said that Riven can be finished on ScummVM.

[Lo Straniero]

Please, can you tell me exactly how did you emulate Riven (steam version) on Scummvm? In my case it doesn't work.

[DOOM]

Originally posted by Lo Straniero:

Please, can you tell me exactly how did you emulate Riven (steam version) on Scummvm? In my case it doesn't work.

I also just tried this and it doesnt seem to find any game data, followed the read-me file it came with...