I am running the game on arch.
On startup, the screen stays black for around 20 seconds, then a Himalaya studios logo shows, and then the game crashes.

Running game/ags64, there are two errror messages:
1: """Sound settings: digital driver ID: 'Auto' (0xffffffff), MIDI driver ID: 'None' (0x0)
Failed to init one of the drivers; Error: 'Insufficient digital voices available'.
Will try to start without DIGI
Failed to init sound drivers. Error: Insufficient digital voices available

Unable to initialize your audio hardware.
[Problem: /dev/dsp: No such file or directory]
Installed digital driver ID: 'None' (0x0), MIDI driver ID: 'None' (0x0)"""

2: """Starting game
An error has occurred. Please contact the game author for support, as this is likely to be a scripting error and not a bug in AGS.
(ACI version 3.4.1.15)

in "sounds.asc", line 59
from "room300.asc", line 121

Error: Error running function 'room_AfterFadeIn':
Error: Null pointer referenced

***** ENGINE HAS SHUTDOWN"""

This error message occurs on some systems when the sound hardware isn't recognized or when the sound drivers aren't recognized. I'm assuming your sound drivers are all up-to-date?

It tends to be a hardware-related issue, rather than a software one.

Yes, my drivers are up-to-date.
Sound is working fine everywhere else (other games, browser, video player).

Do you have access to any other recent Linux GOG games developed with the AGS engine? For example, Lamplight City?

Or Quest for Infamy (although that game's a little older)

If so, do you get the same error message there?

--EDIT--

There was another player who had a similar issue to you with the long start-up time, but they didn't receive the same sound-related start-up crash. The thread may still be o interest, though:

https://www.gog.com/forum/mages_initiation_reign_of_the_elements/mages_initiation_black_screen_and_nothing_else_on_startup_linux

I don't have any other ags games.
Compiling ags from source led to the same error.
In mint 19.1 the game works (with a long startup time).
The windows version also works well with wine (version 4.0-staging), with quick startup.
I suppose that's good enough.

The person who handled our Linux and MacOS ports had some hard drive issues and has been out of action for a week. When he's back up and running, I'll get him to take a look at this issue.

I have exactly the same issue on Arch Linux (updated to latest) with version 1.1 of the game. 1.0 also same.

NOTE: I completed the game v1.0 originally after purchase (pre-order so I got it when it got out) and it worked fine on the same system back then. I suspect it's related to some library/kernel update and/or AGS problems.

I also get the 30s load time problem on start. If I run without LD_LIBRARY_PATH overrides (just using ./ags64) the game crashes with the error described here.

If I run with the start script (and the LD_LIBRARY_PATH overrides) the game doesn't crash but the sound is playing as if 2x with distortion, making the game unplayable. The 30s delay on start happens in both cases.

I've found the solution.

The AGS is pretty ancient (as in what they use on Linux) and tries to use the "alsa-oss" sound output from /dev/dsp

That has been deprecated quite a long time ago and is no longer present. Running game/ags64 directly via padsp which is PulseAudio's "alsa-oss" emulation will make the game work good again.

So just go to the game folder and run padsp ./game/ags64

This requires all libraries to be present tho, you could also edit the start script shell file to use padsp itself.

*** This post is outdated and "padsp ./game/ags64 " is no good solution - see the next post!!! ***

I have the same problem - large starting time, stuttering sound, freezing - and the workaround using `padsp' has an effect, but start time and interrupting sound when changing volume (both the same with and without workaround) is not normal.

After looking at Kubuntu 20.04 LTS `Focal', 18.04 LTS and Xubuntu 19.10 (EoL - I know) I can say for sure that the game does not run on Linux with sound without the workaround on my AMD system (Zen 2, RDNA 1: Navi 10, i.e. Ryzen 5 3600 & Radeon RX 5700 XT) and even with workaround sound seems week.
The time the system needs to get ready (with and without workaround) is striking: 32 s and thus 3x boot time (yes, the system is fast ;).
The sound is stuttering/vibrating without workaround in a way one would not play with it - with workaround this problem is gone, though.
But in any case sound stops for 1s when changing the volume (i.e. each time you press - lowering the volume 4 steps = 8s without sound!) - even with workaround.
Thus sound support is week - even when the workaround is used.

Thus I will try to reach the developer directly - 1st to get the workaround in the script and 2nd to get the engine fixed so that those extreme gaps are no longer there - and the workaround is not needed.

From what I have seen I would really like this game and hopefully its sequels to be available natively on Linux without such problems - but nevertheless it is playable and after adjusting sound this problem is no longer relevant.

If I have further information, I will add it below ...

JMB

~~~
06.09.2020: I got a fast response from Himalaya Studios Support asking for further clarification - which I sent - to address the developer responsible for the Linux port to see if anything can be done - as an update later in the year is planned.
~~~
23.12.2020: new information - see next post!

Problems with black screen (for a long time), bad sound and slow mouse is due to the used old AGS engine.
So the real solution is to swap engines - as described in forum of the second AGS game "Guard Duty":
* https://www.gog.com/forum/guard_duty/work_around_for_black_screen_on_linux/page1.
The latest engine can be obtained at:
* https://github.com/adventuregamestudio/ags/releases/latest
which leads now to the AGS 3.5.0.27 release and after swapping the directories lib64, lib32, licenses
and binaries ags64 and ags32, the game works perfectly (i.e. both "Mage's Initiation" and "Guard Duty".
I swapped by doing the following steps (on Linux):
~~~
cd <GOG_INST_patch>/game
mv licenses orig_licenses_orig
mv lib32 orig_lib32_orig
mv lib64 orig_lib64_orig
mv ags32 orig_ags32_orig
mv ags64 orig_ags64_orig
cp -Rdpv <path_to_downloaded_and_un-zip-tar-ed_AGS_engine>/data/lib64 .
cp -Rdpv <path_to_downloaded_and_un-zip-tar-ed_AGS_engine>/data/lib32 .
cp -Rdpv <path_to_downloaded_and_un-zip-tar-ed_AGS_engine>/data/licenses .
cp -Rdpv <path_to_downloaded_and_un-zip-tar-ed_AGS_engine>/data/ags* .
~~~
So this is the way to go ... so I will contact GOG and the developers to try to get new install scripts on GOG
for both games using the current AGS game engine ... while swapping is easy for experienced admins (see above)
it is not a viable solution for all gamers ...
May try to get this done - could be next year, though ... ;)

~~~
Update (11.01.2021):
- AGS is now available in version 3.5.0.28 and works fine with "Mage's Initiation"
- I decided to contact GOG later and first ask the developer ... as an update has been planned.
- I mailed Himalaya games and asked to put latest AGS engine in the update (originally planned for end of 2020).
  I will add any future feedback below. --v

Ah, thank you so much for posting that! It worked excellently for me (thus far at least), facing the issues described above! ^_^

(I do still have the issue that the game refuses to enter windowed mode, which restricts it to the primary monitor--which isn't where I want it--but I'll live with that.)