Possible zone access bug (and more)

[Micawber]

For the record, Geneforge 4 is great.

 

Now that's out of the way, I seem to have encountered a small, probably inconsequential, bug. I'm in the Dillame Fields, I have exited the zone to the west, and I've also crossed the bridge and been down to the Purity Workshop B. But I have NOT yet been to the north boundary of Dillame Fields. However when I exit the zone E or W, the map shows the next zone to the north (North Illya Woods) as being available to me.

 

Has anyone else encountered this? I've never seen it happen before in GF1, 2 or 3; you always have to exit the zone in a particular direction before the next zone in that direction becomes available. I therefore assume it is unintentional in this case. Anyway it would be interesting to see if anyone else can reproduce this.

 

Edit: Just noticed a second curiosity or 'feature'. Normally you can only exit a zone when your creations are standing near you. However this doesn't seen to apply if you change zones using a door/stairway rather than the mauve zone boundary. I am currently in the Purity Workshop B, I left my creations by the control panel while I explored and dealt with the traps (creations tend to walk where they oughtn't). Then I found the door to the Warded Sea Caves, clicked on it and was immediately taken to the next zone and reunited with my creations. They were teleported to the other side of the zone without having to negotiate the traps! This reminds of the Exile end-combat feature, where you could often take a small number of party members past an obstacle in combat mode and then hit end combat, and the other party members were magically warped there.

[Lilith]

Now that you mention it, I recall two other people experiencing a similar bug that allowed them to enter Burwood Province without completing Chapter 3. In at least one case it was apparently related to the use of the exitzone cheat.

[Micawber]

I've never used the Shift-D cheat codes, and I don't have any editor installed.

[Randomizer]

I mentioned the exit zone reuniting party to Jeff during beta testing. It's really helpful when you are underground.

 

I've seen some zones appear when you shouldn't get them. It seems to be a glitch. Just enjoy not having to wander through a zone again to get one more exit.

[Mimi]

I have met the same problem and to go to golem's fen area you must go across the eastern rise area afoot. I have not found another way to go to the higher map and for return it's the same thing.

[Micawber]

Quote:

Originally written by Mimi:
to go to golem's fen area you must go across the eastern rise area afoot.

I'm certain that's intentional; analogous to the island hopping of GF3.

[aixia]

My husband encountered something similar in beta testing. He was in the Boiling Mudpits and was sending creations through the mines and stuff to check things out. His lead character never actually walked through the area to get to the north exit to the Caverns, but his creations did. When he exited the area, the Boiling Caverns was there and able to be accessed, even though he hadn't actually cleared the Mudpits himself, only his creations had. He didn't actually clear the mines in the Mudpits for a while after that.