possible workaround to disappearing quests bug (PS3)

[dreadnaught_]

On second attempt (first play-through killed at Mirkwood bug where you've found Radagast but your quest log doesn't recognize it) ... playing on PS3.

Have been paying special attention to my quest log, to see exactly when (and how) quests are being dropped.

Anyway, so I am in the Ettenmoors. I have started both Miruvor and Gems quests.

1) I notice the "save," check my quest log, and make note of my progress.
2) I quit to WITN menu, then I load the game back and see that both quests are still there.
3) I power down, take a break.
4) I start up the PS3, load WITN, load my game.
5) I check the quest log and the Gems quest (and progress in Gems quest) is GONE.
6) I quit to WITN menu then, out of curiosity since when I loaded from WITN menu both Mirumvor and Gems were there, I load again.
7) Lo and behold ... the Gems quest is BACK as is my progress in it!

I don't know the "why" this worked. I don't know if it is a one-time, glitchy thing that worked out for me and I don't know it is specific to these two quests, but I figured it was worth sharing for others to try and perhaps test / give feedback.

WHAT TO DO

1) Pay close attention to your quest log, especially right before quitting (shutting off PS3) and then upon loading the game again.
- Before you shut off the game, quit to menu, then reload the game and check your quests are still there.
- I have also been paying attention to quest log whenever entering new area, accepting additional quests, etc. also. I have yet to notice a quest dropped under those cirumstances -- only when powering off and coming back to the game.

2) If you find you "lose" a quest when you've powered off your machine then powered on again and loaded the game, try quitting to WITN menu and loading again the save file for me. That is what worked for me in that one instance.

3) Post here on your findings and maybe somebody can make sense of it.

[Arctorus]

I noticed that quests from each chapter of the game drop away when you move to the next chapter. This is unfortunate, since often you have to use the on-screen "Proceed" command, and you are then in the next chapter.

When I went back to a prior chapter, quests had gone missing and I had to re-acquire them and run through already-completed zones to complete the quests.

I am still not sure how to do the Truesilver quest playing as Andriel. If the mithril appears so early in Gundabad how do you switch to the dwarf? When do you switch?

I have had no glitches until last night, when I encountered the turrets not working in Legendary.

On the idea of quitting methods, one thing I have never varied is how I quit my play session. I have always waited for a save, then exited the game, and upon returning to the main WITN menu, I use my PS controller to shut down the PS3, without actually quitting WITN first. I completed Normal and Heroic with no glitches. Only on Legendary, early in Fornost, have I encountered a glitch. And it's a damned difficult one to deal with when dozens of sappers are pouring up the stairs and the turret doesn't fire...

[dreadnaught_]

I noticed that quests from each chapter of the game drop away when you move to the next chapter. This is unfortunate, since often you have to use the on-screen "Proceed" command, and you are then in the next chapter.

When I went back to a prior chapter, quests had gone missing and I had to re-acquire them and run through already-completed zones to complete the quests.

I am still not sure how to do the Truesilver quest playing as Andriel. If the mithril appears so early in Gundabad how do you switch to the dwarf? When do you switch?

I have had no glitches until last night, when I encountered the turrets not working in Legendary.

On the idea of quitting methods, one thing I have never varied is how I quit my play session. I have always waited for a save, then exited the game, and upon returning to the main WITN menu, I use my PS controller to shut down the PS3, without actually quitting WITN first. I completed Normal and Heroic with no glitches. Only on Legendary, early in Fornost, have I encountered a glitch. And it's a damned difficult one to deal with when dozens of sappers are pouring up the stairs and the turret doesn't fire...

Hmmm ... on this playthrough, I have not dropped any quests with "Proceed" command -- at least for Fornost and Barrow-downs.

I am not saying "quitting methods" is causing the glitch. I am saying that I have observed quests dropping when there has been a power-down / power-up of the PS3 between intervals. In other words, when the game launches from the PS3 menu and then you load your game, a quest was missing. Simply quitting to the WITN menu and reloading your game caused the previously missing quest to appear again.

It might be worth trying -- if you lose a quest on the "Proceed" command -- to quit to menu and reload and see if it comes back ...

I think, in my case, if I started playing with the quest missing though and it saved again, it would be lost and I'd have to reinitiate it ...

[Arctorus]

I am not saying "quitting methods" is causing the glitch.

Nor am I. I was intrigued by the idea that how people quit might be affecting their save games. Was the file finished writing? Is there some lag between when the save indicator vanishes and the actual save is completed? I've never liked "auto-saving" in games, because there is a user interface disconnect. How do I know the game is really saving? Why take control of this aspect away from the user?

For instance, having been deeply immersed in Dark Souls you can either auto-save at bonfires, or, you can specifically choose Save from a menu. Choice is important for the user. I've always preferred a deliberate Save command, and one which exists within its own sub-menu. It has a beginning (open menu), middle (saving the data), and an end (save confirmed, exit). This bestows confidence. Pull the plug on my console at this point, and I'm certain my save is safe.

For me a Save menu item does not negate immersion in the game. It's just a basic part of video gaming. I find myself spending far too much time wondering in WITN if the game is saved or not. I appreciate the idea of seamlessly saving states, but it's just not standard. It takes control away from the user.

How do people use their consoles? Do they just slam the power off and do a cold boot to change games? Do they gracefully exit the program and switch games that way? Do they just eject the disc and slam a new one in before quitting the prior game? So much user behavior can't be known or mapped, so using a seamless auto-save seems slightly dangerous to me.

[dreadnaught_]

Arctorus, what system do you play on for WITN?

For Dark Souls on PS3, the game saves at bonfires (for all intents and purposes, it is a manual save because you choose to sit at the bonfire) and autosaves whenever something occurs (killing an enemy, picking up an item, or [I think] if time has elapsed). There is a little flame in the upper right corner when the game is autosaving. Also, you can quit / save from menu.

The issue / workaround I'm describing above relate to my experiences using a PS3. The saves occur automatically according to progess through the level or purchase at store, etc.

I don't think there is any lag between save indicator and when save is completed. What I have observed is that the quest was dropped when I loaded the save the "first time," having powered off the PS3 in between. When I quit to menu (without any further saves), mind you, and reloaded the save, quests appeared as they should. In other words, the quest was not lost (would be if I continued and saved though with it out of the quest log); it merely loaded improperly. Reloading the game (after quitting to WITN menu), seemed to mitigate, in this instance.

[Arctorus]

I'll replicate your steps tonight, provided I can get out of Fornost alive...

[dreadnaught_]

I will be interested to see if it can be replicated. The thing is you've got to catch it right after it happens.

I don't remember clearly, but I am pretty sure that "Defeat Wulfrun" showed up in my quest log (after having defeated him) after I had quit and powered down, and that was the beginning of the game-breaking bug in Mirkwood.

[SnowblindTina]

Sticking the thread overnight so folks can post if it works for them. If so, we'll make it the official workaround until the patch is deployed.

[dreadnaught_]

I replicated the workaround this evening, in a different set of circumstances.

In my experience, I have found that the quests "drop" when you have quit playing WITN and left the game / powered down the PS3. When launch the game and load your save data, it seems to load improperly and drops one or more quests (and progress within the quest). But, if you quit to the WITN menu and load your save data again, the "dropped" quest(s) return.

The most important thing is that you catch it right when it happens. That is, if you drop a quest and continue on and the game autosaves, the damage is permanent. So, in other words, any time you launch WITN from the PS3 menu and then load a game, you should check your quest log. If anything is missing, try reloading.

Tonight, I completed Level 3 The Ettenmoors. I returned to Rivendell for shopping and initiated the Chronicler quests (I initiated Truesilver midway through the Ettenmoors but it stayed in my quest log through this point -- I watched it like a hawk [or Great Eagle]).

I initiated travel to Mt. Gundabad and the game saved. I checked my quest log -- everything is accounted for. So, I quit WITN, returning to the PS3 menu. To test the issue, I launched WITN again and loaded my save data. And, predictably, Truesilver was gone. So, quit to the WITN menu and reloaded my save data. As before, Truesilver reappeared; all my quests were there.

The real test is going to be Mirkwood. But, the more I think about it, I know I had issues starting with quitting to the PS3 menu (Mirkwood quest went back a step to "Defeat Wulfrun" from "Find Radagast").

If anybody has the opportunity to test this, please post. I am very curious if these are isolated incidents (I am just getting lucky) or if they can be replicated with others.

I am playing PS3, single player.

[The_Presence]

My problem is that some quests don't even get triggered so I don't think this workaround will work for me but there's no harm in trying. I'll let you know if it worked.