Are you certain this is a DOSBOX bug though? Ultima games did have quite a few bugs (especially IX) so it might be a game bug which crept into your savegame.

Sounds like a bug to me, I've never encountered such a problem myself though.

There is an update patch for the game available. One easy way to see if you have the updated version is to try a standing "aimed" jump. Move the mouse to a particular locaion in front of you, and click both mouse buttons at the same time. If you jump to where the pointer was, then you should have the latest version.

If you don't, you can download it for your languag from the following links.

English
French
German

I'm using the latest patch for Ultima 8 (2.12 I beleive) and this version of U8 worked fine in non emulated Dos a while back (back when I was running a duel boot system. I know this because I got right up to the fire Titan).

This must be a DosBox problem...

Could be, but it does sound more like a game bug. You might have done something differently when playing this time, triggering the problem. Savegame corruption is another possibility. Ultima 8 does have a bunch of bugs relating to the inventory. (See http://www.bootstrike.com/Ultima8/Online/ud.html under "Technical" for example).
Maybe you could try it with your current savegame in a different dos environment, eg. under XP, or QEmu, or something, to see if DosBox really is the problem?

Damian wrote:

This must be a DosBox problem...

Well, no. On my play through back in the dos days U8 had all sorts of issues like this. I once had a key vanish on me and I HAD to get passed a door that would not open. I don't remember the specifics.....but I ended up needed a hex editor just to get by (apparently it was a common problem)

This game is pretty buggy.

yep, the more reason the developpers at http://pentagram.sf.net shcould hurry up! 😀
(shameless advertising, since I am one of the devs. only the document writer, though)

That doesn't mean it's DOSBOX. As I said, a bug can creep into a savegame and you won't get rid of it. If you run the game in Windows instead, and don't have the bug there, then it's probably DOSBOX but since you haven't even tried that, it's impossible to say, but still unlikely that it's DOSBOX since many others played it on DOSBOX.

Firstly you can't run the game in Windows XP... at least, I can't. Seccondly, this is the seccond time in a row its happened. I'd do it again but I know it will happen again and its a lot of hassle starting from the beginning and working up to the Necromancers. The widow always fails to notice that I have gems in my possession...

This bug never happened to me when I wasn't using DosBox.

Firstly you can't run the game in Windows XP... at least, I can't.

first hit for the search "U8 in Windows" in a popular search engine provided a solution for that.
When and on which OS did you last run U8?

Also you could provide us with a savegame before you sell the gems to her, so we can test that for ourselves.

The main OS ATM is Windows XP pro with service pack 1 installed. When I had it running a while back that was in original Dos (the same boot partition had Windows 98se on, but I booted it cleanly in Dos as that was the only way I could get it running).

I'll post a save game and see if that works on your guys setup. This savegame should be ready for the Necromancers... I think you just need to talk to Mordeas servent girl to obtain the key to the chest.

In the mean time I'll do a search to try to get it to work in XP.

Thanks in advance.

In the savegame I was able to sell two gems right away. I was not able to sell recently stolen gems, but I think I remeber this not always working waaaaaayyyyyyy back when I played it first.

My memory is worse than vague of where to go and what to do. Could you tell me what to do (with that necromancer quest) from that savegame?

Are you perhaps putting the dagger into pouches or other containers in your backpack? I know sometimes the game doesn't 'get it' if you don't drag the item directly into your backpack (without dropping it or putting it somewhere else)

None of the items that I'm trying to give to people are in bags or anyting. That's strange that you can sell gems, it won't let me...

IIRC the time should be bloodwatch, so you'll need to find mordeas servent who's in one of the houses in the part of Tenbere that I saved in. She's wearing all white. You need to talk to her about the dagger and keep on persisting and being polite to her. Once you have the key you go to the palace (you can use the red stone in the inventory to warp directly there) then make sure mordea isn't sleeping in her bed. If hhe is then use the roll up bed to sleep a few periods until she is in the kitchen and not in her throne room. With that done you need to go to the throne room, grab the key from under the cushion and then enter mordeas bed room. The dagger is in the chest behind the door... you should have the necesary keys.

Now you have the dagger you just need to get to the cemetary. Its to the east (bottom right corner). Just go through eastern tenberee (same place where the widow and mordeas servents house are) and continue east until you find a way out of the town. Yoy should be at the gates with two guards, a house in front and a path that goes north and south... follow the path north until you get to another area... the cemetary. Once in the cemetary you just need to talk to the necromancer who is walking around the premises (area within the fences).

The strangest thing is that the game recognises that I have the dagger by puttingthe female necromancer on the sacrificial stone... but the male necromancer just doesn't recognse that I have the dagger and so I can't progress.

The same also happens in windows without dos box...

SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!

I dropped your bags and chests, then picked up the dagger in the chest (the serpentine shaped one) by dragging it directly into your backpack. Then I went to the graveryard and he was waiting for me and I could say "I have the dagger" and the cutscene would happen.

So my suggestion? DO NOT CARRY SO MUCH! 😁 I think you were at the limit and the game was having issues. Drop your bags and chest, and then try it and then come back for them.

If you still have trouble just ask and I'll hand you a save with the quest done.

Ps- for one thing the key that the servant hands you doesn't even enter your inventory due to your weight. I dropped your bags and it did, then I added to the keyring. Are you perhaps grabbing the right dagger? The game isn't smart enough to drop the key if you have too much weight.

Yeah, full inventory is one of the problem issues mentioned in the URL I mentioned in my previous post. These kind of problems aren't uncommon in games of this type.

Ha Ha, now I'm that little bit wiser 😁. Thanks for finding the problem... I feel a bit silly now, but nevermind, the game works now 😀.

I have this nasty habit of collecting things... mainly those damn scrolls...

Damian wrote:

Ha Ha, now I'm that little bit wiser 😁. Thanks for finding the problem... I feel a bit silly now, but nevermind, the game works now 😀.

I have this nasty habit of collecting things... mainly those damn scrolls...

No problem, if anything you've just added to my hunger of getting back into the Ultima games. 😁 I actually can't believe I remembered the nuances of this game, considering its been years since I finished it.