Geneforge 4 - Keyboard commands not registering

[Nzu]

On the Windows version of the game, some of the keyboard commands don't work.  The "g" button, for example, never displays the window that allows you to pick up items.  Some of the commands do work consistently (like pressing the tab button) while others work occasionally or with a delay (like pressing 1 or 2 to advance dialogue).  Is this a known issue that can be fixed?

 

I'm having the same problem with Geneforge 5.

Edited January 27 by Nzu

[questionmarket superscrip]

This is not a known issue AFAIK.  That said, G4 is a 17 year old game at this point (!) (even if we love it) so it's definitely possible there's a conflict with a piece of software that did not exist 17 years ago.

 

A few questions:

 

1. What platform did you get the game through (Steam, GOG, direct from Spiderweb, etc)?

2. What version of Windows?

 

I'd ask about keymapping software, controllers, etc., but the fact that some of the keys work inconsistently or with a delay suggests the problem might not be about input being recognized specifically.  Do you notice any kind of other slowdowns, graphics stuttering, anything like that?  Or is it solely keyboard commands?

[Nzu]

1. This is the Steam version of the game.

2. I'm on Windows 10.

 

It's solely keyboard commands. I can play the game using just the mouse, and it runs fine, but it isn't ideal.

[Randomizer]

Mouse and keyboard are coded separately so that doesn't help find the problem.

[questionmarket superscrip]

Steam can mess around with keyboard input if its controller settings are active.

 

If you find and run the application from outside of Steam, i.e. opening it directly from File Explorer, do you have the same issues?

[Nzu]

I get an error message when trying that, "Steam must be running to play the game (SteamAPI_Init() failed."  Note that Steam is running, despite what the error message says.

[Randomizer]

You can download the Demo directly from this site and test whether the keyboard command work in the starting zone. That would  test if the problem is with Steam.

[Nzu]

I just tried with the demo version, but unfortunately I'm still having the same problems.

[questionmarket superscrip]

Doh.  Thanks for trying, that's too bad.

Reading through the OP again...

 

On 1/26/2023 at 7:27 PM, Nzu said:

On the Windows version of the game, some of the keyboard commands don't work.  The "g" button, for example, never displays the window that allows you to pick up items.  Some of the commands do work consistently (like pressing the tab button) while others work occasionally or with a delay (like pressing 1 or 2 to advance dialogue).  Is this a known issue that can be fixed?

 

I'm having the same problem with Geneforge 5.

 

It occurs to me that the "never work" key is something you use in walkabout mode, while the "occasionally or delayed" keys are things you press in dialogue.

 

This combination could be plausible if the issue is one of being constantly bombarded with other keyboard input, like a function key, that the game checks for a potential use in walkabout mode, but mostly ignores in dialogue mode.  Years ago (as google reminded me) this came up in a single user's copy of G4, where it was constantly receiving an F12 input.  (We never did figure that one out how to make it stop; their laptop was very old and they dumped it a few months later.)

 

So followup question: can you give a complete (as complete as reasonable, anyway) list of keys that (1) work, (2) never work, and (3) sometimes work or have a delay?

 

(my only other thought is to look at anything else you have installed that could cause a conflict.  Keymapping or controller software (even LED keyboard software), a particularly zealous antivirus, anything that runs in the background... but that's a slog and it's hard to know what the culprit might be anyway)

[Nzu]

I found the issue. It was GuardedID Keyboard Protection, which I probably should have figured out earlier. Thank you for the support.