SCUMM: Potential script errors at Lou's Loans in ZAK

[GermanTribun]

System: Windows 10 x64
ScummVM: Newest 2.7.0git
Game Version: FM-Towns

In the FM-Towns version of Zak, there are some problems with the buying and selling windows. As shown in two attached screenshots from the Dos-version and compared with two screenshots from the FM-Towns version under ScummVM, both Lou and Zak stand too far to the left at both windows, making the transactions look a bit weird.

Additionally, it's only in this version were Lou will not walk to the window in question when you walked to it, and ask how he can help you, when you don't have your cashcard on hand. Getting the cashcard, he then behaves as he should. Is that a bug or a feature? (not that he is a mindreader...)

[AndywinXp]

Hmm, this also happens in the original FM-Towns interpreter (as does the other thing you mentioned), so I'd say that's really not a bug...

[GermanTribun]

OK, though it still looks weird. Maybe an enhancement for the future.

[dwatteau]

For the first thing you're reporting (i.e. character placement), it's maybe a mistake when they ported the game from SCUMM v2 to v3, but it's hard to tell. The characters are set up in a different way, but I don't think we can say we're sure it's an obvious mistake.

We may fix some original stuff with the Enhancements when several of us agree that a behavior was very likely intended to be different (i.e. we see an obvious script error, or a big continuity mistake or a very buggy behavior). But we tend to avoid fulfilling what's only a matter of personal preferences, because well they're personal and so it'd be endless and more akin to modding.

On the other hand, the second thing you're reporting (Lou not walking to the windows when you don't have your CashCard) may be a script bug. Script 7-211 does this:

Script# 211
[0000] (80) breakHere();
[0001] (28) unless (!Var[56]) goto 0000;
[0006] (AE) WaitForMessage();
[0008] (68) VAR_RESULT = isScriptRunning(209);
[000C] (28) if (!VAR_RESULT) {
[0011] (B4)   VAR_RESULT = getDist(VAR_EGO,181);
[0018] (78)   if (VAR_RESULT < 20) {
[001F] (08)     if (Var[58] != 181) {
[0026] (1A)       Var[58] = 181;
[002B] (1E)       walkActorTo(10,176,94);
[0031] (AE)       WaitForActor(10);
[0034] (11)       animateCostume(10,246);
[0037] (AE)       WaitForActor(10);
[003A] (AE)       WaitForMessage();
[003C] (B4)       VAR_RESULT = getDist(VAR_EGO,181);
[0043] (78)       if (VAR_RESULT < 20) {
[004A] (A8)         if (Bit[896 + Var[1]]) {
[0051] (14)           print(10,[Text("I told ya, no card, no bizness.")]);
[0074] (18)           goto 0137;
[0077] (**)         }
[0077] (14)         print(10,[Text("Show me what ya wanna buy.")]);
[0095] (**)       }
[0095] (**)     }
[0095] (**)   }
[0095] (**) }

and for some reason, Var[56] doesn't have the expected value if you don't have the CashCard. I can't say why or whether this is intentional, yet.

[dwatteau]

Reopening so that I don't forget continuing the investigation of the second point. It really may be an original script bug.