DIRECTOR: Safecracker (D5) Development Testing Gamplay Issues

[mystrw1]

Game- Safecracker (1997)
Game Engine- Director 5 (D5)
Game Version- Windows
Game Language- English
My OS- Win 10, 64-bit
ScummVM version- 2.10.0git14479-ga915e59e031 (April 25 2025 10:06:13)

Gameplay issue(s) noted during game testing :

1) Main Menu screen - After clicking "Restore" button, you are taken to a ScummVM save-game screen (as expected). After selecting a save-game file and clicking the "Choose" button, the game returns to the Main Menu screen and displays a "wristwatch" cursor. Game hangs/locks here. No save-game is ever restored.

The following ScummVM Status Window messages appear during the save-game restore attempt :
WARNING: Builtin 'dsOpen' dropping return value: 1!
WARNING: Builtin 'dsOpen' dropping return value: 1!
WARNING: Failed to open B:\MEDIA\SOUNDS\nullSound!
WARNING: stream is 0!

2) Gameplay Screen Menu Button (lower right) - After clicking the "Menu" button, a pop-up window appears (as expected). After clicking the pop-up window's "Restore" button, you are taken to a ScummVM save-game screen (as expected). After selecting a save-game file and clicking the "Choose" button, the game returns to the Gameplay screen where it hangs/locks up (still at the original game position, no save-game is ever restored)

The following ScummVM Status Window message appears during the save-game restore attempt :
WARNING: Builtin 'dsOpen' dropping return value: 1!

[mystrw1]

In addition, attached is a save-game file from inside the lobby of the building for testing, as requested. (Lobby safes are not yet cracked. Enjoy the slider (if/once you can get the save-game loaded...))

[rvanlaar]

Thank you for that. I'll do a dive into the issue on stream tomorrow.

what I see now is the lingo getting tangled up in a loop:

[  854]: Stack after: <-1> 
[  857]: Stack before: <-1> 
[  857]: c_intpush 72
[  857]: Stack after: <-1> <72> 
[  859]: Stack before: <-1> <72> 
[  859]: cb_v4assign 37
[  859]: Stack after: 
[  861]: Stack before: 
[  861]: c_jump [  835]
[  861]: Stack after: 
[  835]: Stack before: 
[  835]: cb_varpush "tempChar"
cb_varpush: pushing tempChar to stack
[  835]: Stack after: <-1> 
[  838]: Stack before: <-1> 
"  838]: c_stringpush "
"> 838]: Stack after: <-1> <"
"> 840]: Stack before: <-1> <"
[  840]: c_neq
[  840]: Stack after: <1> 
[  841]: Stack before: <1> 
[  841]: c_jumpifz [  863]
[  841]: Stack after: 
[  843]: Stack before: 
[  843]: cb_varpush "tPrefsFile"
cb_varpush: pushing tPrefsFile to stack
[  843]: Stack after: <object: #FileIO 2 0x50b000291e90> 
[  846]: Stack before: <object: #FileIO 2 0x50b000291e90> 
[  846]: c_argcpush 1
[  846]: Stack after: <object: #FileIO 2 0x50b000291e90> <argc: 1> 
[  848]: Stack before: <object: #FileIO 2 0x50b000291e90> <argc: 1> 
[  848]: cb_call "readChar"
call:readChar(object: #FileIO 2 0x50b000291e90)
Script/Xtra method called on object: <object: #FileIO 2 0x50b000291e90>
[  848]: Stack after: <-1> 
[  851]: Stack before: <-1> 
[  851]: cb_varassign "tempChar"
cb_varassign: assigning to tempChar
[  851]: Stack after: 
[  854]: Stack before: 
[  854]: cb_varpush "tempChar"
cb_varpush: pushing tempChar to stack
[  854]: Stack after: <-1>

[mystrw1]

Gameplay testing update (07/21/26):
As of Win (64-bit) daily build dated 07/16/26 (ending in ...3588), Safecracker has experienced a regression regarding the images of the 3 tumblers in the front-gate padlock. When you click on the padlock to switch to close-up view (to manipulate the tumblers...), the tumblers randomly "stretch" horizontally to about 4-10 times their normal width (height maintained...) or tumbler height "stretches" vertically past the top/bottom of the game screen (width maintained...)

[antoniou79]

Could the random horizontal or vertical stretch regression have been fixed?

I had a similar issue on another (Director 4) demo and it's now gone (tested with a recent 2026.3.1git build from master HEAD on Windows 10 x64).

[mystrw1]

Thank you for commenting here. Unfortunately, testing the game earlier today using latest Win 64-bit daily build (dated 08/06/26 & ending in...2e46) showed the padlock bottom tumbler still visually "stretching" beyond its normal (horizontal) edges. Thanks again...