A new one for me. (possible spoilers)

As most of you know there are several prisoners within the temple complex that if you are of good or neutral alignment you want to set free from the Temple. I have been trying to free the Elven Countess and Sir Juffer but for some reason this time around I don't seem to be able to tell them the way out of the dungeons. I have walked through all known entrances to the Air, Earth, Fire, and Water temples and dealt with the upper level of the greater temple that is accessable. All known foes behind me including all 4 of the high priests are dead so there should be no obsticles.
When I approach Juffer and the countess and go through the dialogue to the end where you normally get two choices:
1) Give them directions that get them lost or killed.
2) Give them the directions that safely take them out of the temple.
In my case right now the second option is replaced by the following:
"Tell them you are unsure of the entrances or exits." to which they get suspicious and opt to try and find their way out. I don't trust this option.
The only different thing I have done in this re-start was to go after Prince Thrommel after taking out Falrinth and Smigmal by using the passage into the lower levels found in their lair. In going after Thrommel I had to overcome the will-o-wisps, jackalweres, and an ettin. After that I went streight for Thrommel's "prison" freed him and left the same way I came in. From that point on I always entered the Temple through the front door.
Did freeing Thrommel first throw the game off? I'm just trying to get things set right.
Thanks for any help.

 

I had the same thing happen, still don't know why, but can tell you its not because of Prince Thrommel, I have often freed him before releasing them and I have only had the scenario of not knowing the way out once. I thought it was because I came up from level three and had never been to level one yet. Not much help sorry.

 

I've never been able to give them directions.
[Checked the .dlg]
It's about a "game.global_flags[287]" that must be 0, but I cannot find what sets it to 1, but it's a damn expensive variable
I cannot understand, aside from walking my way in the temple, what I have to do to know the road: I could easily escort them! Maybe you should befriend someone that "gives you informations"?
Doh.

 

Isn't it something to do with how you enter the temple in the first place? IIRC you won't get the option if you join the temple via the Nulb inn and get blindfolded in. Is that what you did?

 

I have had the alternate dialogue happen. When it takes place, short of using the console, I am unaware of how to fix it. I recall it happened when I entered the dungeon for the first time using the 3rd-level secret entrance. I went through the upper levels and cleared a path [killed monsters] all the way back up to the 1st-level entrance, exited the dungeon, world mapped back to hommlet, world mapped back to the temple, entered the dungeon and walked the party back to the elven princess. It did not change anything. The alternate dialogue was still given as the 2nd option. So, I am convinced it is how your party enters the dungeon the first time and goes to the 2nd-level, I guess. *shrug*

 

Found it! You're right, it's in the Tower sentinel dialog.
Problem it's: I didn't have the "correct directions" dialogue option even if, this time, I didn't enter blindfolded!
Oh, well, next time I will try to be even more pristine about the entering matter.

 

I've never joined the temple as I'm using a Neutral Good party. I got the map to the temple 3 diffrent ways faced off against an assassin, read Lareth's diary, and fought and killed Alira in Nulb (waterside hostel).
I think Krunch is right. I did go through the tower entrance before entering the temple. All other times I entered the temple first and got the "give them correct directions out" dialogue. Another friggin restart.

 

Scanning her dialog I noticed that if you ask her how she got there, then demand a reward, the dialog doesn't check that flag. Theoretically, you should be able to give her directions if you follow that dialog path.

 

SPOILER WARNING

Uh, I didn't notice it... You have to ask how she got there (as always), she will respond she doesn't know.
Now you have two options: you can say "too bad, I wanted to avenge you" or (if you are of normal intelligence) press her to remember. I usually follow this path, that ultimately leads to line 80 "If you can just tell us how to exit this place, we will be fine."
If you, instead use thwe first dialogue option, you'll be directed to line 60 "[smiling] I appreciate your concern. We have many more concerned people waiting for us back in Celene. If you can just supply us with directions out of this place, we will hurry back to our homeland. Of course, a reward will be arranged for you."
Now you can say either
"Damn straight you'll give me a reward!"/"You better give @pcname@ reward after me rescue you like dis."
or be polite and istitutionally correct and offer your help
"Would you like an escort out of the Temple, or will directions be enough?"
The rude option will lead you to line 120 "All in good time, my greedy little rescuer.", in wich you can give the directions without being bothered by variable 287.
If you are polite, intead, you'll go to line 80, and have to pass the check.

Now, I see some problems here.

1) lesser issue: roleplay or reward? None of the characters I usually play would ever choose the rude dialogue option. But why should I do not know how to get out of the temple if I entered blindfolded and then exited/reentered. If I now know the way, I should damn be able to tell her, even if I first entered blindfolded...

2) greater issue: damn, I DID NOT enter blindfolded! This time I didn't even *speak* with the guard: he attacked me on sight. I can't understand why, since I was with Lareth (that did not betray me, since I did not enter the tower with him), but I didn't really care at that time, so I have no idea of what the heck happened. there's no reason variable 287 should be 1 for me. There's something hidden somewhere...

3) correctness issue: I think the omission of variable 287 check is a bug. I can argument it, for, in that same response, the line "I do not know the way" *does* check, and there is no reason why, if you pressed for reward, you will know the way all of the sudden (mmmhhh... actually, it's well known that money helps memory).
I think it has been left out just by accident, and I also think it should be corrected, even in 4.1.0 if possible.

Just my 2 eurocents...

 

I agree that it was most likely an omission. I was just suggesting it as a way to finish the quest.

If you would like to do some testing, you could go back to a save before you entered the temple and check to see when that flag gets set. If we can narrow down when and why, we might be able to fix it.

 

[After some long minutes spent trying to find a good excuse for saying "no"]
Uhm, well, I guess I can try. Maybe I have a save in the moathouse. Now, do you know the console command that returns the value of a game variable? Does typing game.global_flags[287] tell me whether it's 1 or 0?

 

actually Allyx, typing game.global_flags[287] into the console will return the value of the flag, i.e. either 0 or 1. I have used this many a time in testing things.

 

Yes, it was the first thing I tried, yesterday, and it works.
The one Allyx says does set the flag to 1.
I'm working on it, however, but, since I have only one pre-temple save I have very little material to work on. It was just after Grud fish story (still very beaten up by that witch, with my group leader with str reduced to -10), I alredy had the accident with the tower guard, but I did not enter the Temple Map (I think I already have accepted jobs bt Wat and Dick, next time I'll check, however their dialogues do not include tha varaible) and did not help Gromag with his dinner (he doesn't have the 287 flag in his .dlg, either).
287 is 0, and I can set free snob countess following my normal dialogue options. After that (*of course*!) 287 reamins 0 and 20 (reward) become 1.
I'll keep you informed if I discover something else.
I'll, however, will dedicate opnly a little time to it, because, at the moment I have another, more urgent to me, problem that's eating me up and I prefer to concentrate on: Water followers attack me on sight, even with Water Robes on. Nobody else do (altough High Temple followers refuse to speak with me bacause they suspect me to be the one that set prisoners free), I can speak with all temple priests, but as soon as I enter in the Juggernat room, everyone is after me. Too bad, because I had planned to help the Water Temple, and I'm parsing reputations and factions (there's nothing that makes one believe that water Temple followers do attack Earth Temple initiates on sight, while Air and Fire do not...), and, as usual, I'll keep you informed.

 

Try leaving any NPCs in your party outside the room and out of sight when you enter the watter temple. Sometimes NPCs will start the combat.