Can't get games to run on R36S

[kohthemonstertamer]

Title; I have been trying for a week or so now to get some older Humongous Entertainment games to run on my portable emulator to no avail. I have used both the ripped physical CDs and the steam version files and continue to run into the same error listed below;

ScummVM 2.8.0git (Feb 28 2023 09:56:00)

Console is ready

Debugger started, type 'exit' to return to the game.

Type 'help' to see a little list of commands and variables.

ERROR: (0:16:0x1C) decodeParseString: default case 0x41!

I have tried making a different .scummvm file for the game following the wiki but still nothing, as well as searching up the error. Any help would be appreciated.

[sev]

Which Wiki did you follow? We do not recommend or require creating any additional .scummvm files.

Where does your ScummVM build come from?

Also, do the same files run well on your PC? Which game is that?

And it is difficult to understand what "portable emulator" means. Is it some kind of an unofficial port?


Eugene

[kohthemonstertamer]

https://www.scummvm.org/compatibility/
Is what I used, but I also just directly copied the steam versions without changing the .scummvm ID file

https://youtu.be/bfkio3nr7SQ?si=UDvW0GVrSJI8FaX5

This is the video I was trying to follow, and when I meant portable emulator I meant a physical device called an R36S (not the one in the video but similar) it is running ArkOS.

The files work fine with my PC, and the games are Putt Putt saves the zoo, travels through time, and joins the circus, as well as pajama Sam 1 and 2.

I think in the error message I posted it says what version of the Scummvm emulator I'm using.

[Praetorian]

It looks like the ArkOS distribution has a ScummVM version that is a special build (and from a year-old source code). The ".scummvm" dummy description file requirement points to the use of a RetroArch ScummVM "core". But personally I've never played with Retroarch and I can't provide much support for it.

Maybe you'll have some luck if you ask on the Retroarch forums /discord?

A few things to note:

• We have wiki entries for (most) games supported by ScummVM, which should have details and notes on the data files required per game. Your linked video shows that for Flight Of The Amazon Queen. Here's a page with a list of wiki entries per Putt Putt title: <https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/Putt-Putt_series> and for Pajama Sam: <https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php?titl ... Sam_series>
• Your linked video is from 2021, so quite old and refers to an older version of ScummVM / ScummVM's core (than the 2.8.0git build you have installed).
• On the github readme page linked on your video (https://github.com/christianhaitian/ark ... nformation) there's this note for ScummVM:

  You can use the Scan for new games feature in the system folder to create the .scummvm dummy files so the games can show up on the menu. You can also just click on menu in the system folder to go straight into ScummVM’s interface and load your games there.

  Maybe you can use this automated way to create the required .scummvm file so as to avoid confusion on what to write in it and how to name it?
• Our games' compatibiity page has been changed since 2021. It no longer lists a "short name" per game, but rather a ScummVM ID which typically includes a ":" character in it. It's possible that this change would introduce issues if you're following the manual way of creating the .scummvm file as described in the old linked video from 2021.