So first QFG5 crashed every time I tried to start a new game. Then I renamed the directory DATA/Qgm and I was able to play.

Now whenever there is a "random encounter" I hear one note signaling that there is a random encounter, and then it crashes.

If I turn off all music and sound effects, I can play fine, but that means that I don't have any more music and sound effects...horrible.

Is there any way for me to keep playing the game with music and sound effects? Or am I destined to play the rest of the game silently for fear of crashing?

SOLVED

After starting a new game w/o this problem, and having it come back, and doing some searching, I figured out what's up.

There's a predictable bug in the game. If you fight during a random encounter, and then use a mystic magnet, random encounters will become unstable. They will sometimes work if you turn off enough features (i.e. turn down detail level, turn off sound, etc.) but most of the time the game will just crash.

The solution is to NEVER use the mystic magnet on the screen where a random encounter happens. You need to exit the screen first, and THEN use the mystic magnet.

Lesson learned...this should be on the FAQ.