[Scummvm-tracker] [ScummVM :: Bugs] #16531: DIRECTOR: The Dark Eye - Character freezes/interaction fails in chapter Berenice

Fri Feb 13 19:26:42 UTC 2026

#16531: DIRECTOR: The Dark Eye - Character freezes/interaction fails in chapter
Berenice
-------------------+-------------------------------
Reporter:  gcp828  |       Owner:  (none)
    Type:  defect  |      Status:  new
Priority:  normal  |   Component:  Engine: Director
 Version:          |  Resolution:
Keywords:          |        Game:
-------------------+-------------------------------
Comment (by arrowgent):

 ScummVM 2026.1.0 (Feb  1 2026 11:44:34)
 Using SDL backend with SDL 2.32.10
 Features compiled in: TAINTED Vorbis FLAC MP3 ALSA SEQ sndio TiMidity RGB
 zLib MPEG2 FluidSynth EAS OpenMPT Theora VPX AAC A/52 FreeType2 FriBiDi
 JPEG PNG GIF TTS cloud libcurl SDL_net ENet SDL2 TinyGL OpenGL (with
 shaders)

 bdmasp  DARKEYE.EXE  DARKEYE.INI  darkeye.sh  DARKEYE_V1.0.EXE  dkydata
 INCOMING.EXE  SAVEDDKY  scummvm_D4.txt  setup
 amdr18 at Alienware-m18-R1-AMD:~/Games/scummvm_games/dark_eye$ ./darkeye.sh
 WARNING: Couldn't initialize text to speech through speech-dispatcher!
 User picked target 'darkeye-win' (engine ID 'director', game ID
 'darkeye')...
 Running The Dark Eye (v1.0/Windows/English)
 DARKEYE.EXE: 67ba8428573dba0c8e12e7f02e4ef1bc, 742326 bytes.
 DKYDATA/DIRFILES/SHARED.DIR: cbf56f8c65958653e886c3a4a1bea482, 2548860
 bytes.
 WARNING: SearchSet::add: archive
 '/home/amdr18/Games/scummvm_games/dark_eye' already present!
 Starting v404 Director game

 error occurs TWICE.  two MOV files failed to play and locked the
 progression
 temporarily renaming the two files and replacing them with "working" mov
 files managed to progress.

 WARNING: Builtin 'preLoadCast' dropping return value: 1903!
 WARNING: DigitalVideoCastMember::loadVideo: Unknown file format for video
 'The Dark Eye:DKYData:BN:BC\BNBCSELF.mov', skipping!
 -- "Sending Nar Block PHMap an mBeginNarBlock message in mode
 BeginNoReset"
 WARNING: b_puppetPalette: Skipping extra features!
 -- "Returning to tale BN as BC, into nar block BCProposal"
 -- "currentPOV BC"
 -- "newPOV BC"
 -- "newNarBlockNum 2"
 -- "newPOVLastVisitedNarBlockNum 2"
 -- "Sending Nar Block BCProposal an mBeginNarBlock message in mode Resume"
 WARNING: b_puppetPalette: Skipping extra features!
 WARNING: Builtin 'preLoadCast' dropping return value: 1887!

 ffprobe shows its fine, it plays fine in MPV

 Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'bnbcself (copy).mov':
   Metadata:
     creation_time   : 1995-08-17T09:30:58.000000Z
   Duration: 00:00:07.50, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1011 kb/s
   Stream #0:0[0x1](eng): Video: cinepak (cvid / 0x64697663), rgb24,
 232x256, 832 kb/s, 10 fps, 10 tbr, 30 tbn (default)
     Metadata:
       creation_time   : 1995-08-17T09:30:58.000000Z
       handler_name    : Apple Video Media Handler
       vendor_id       : appl
       encoder         : Cinepak
   Stream #0:1[0x2](eng): Audio: pcm_u8 (raw  / 0x20776172), 22050 Hz, 1
 channels, u8, 176 kb/s (default)
     Metadata:
       creation_time   : 1995-08-17T09:30:58.000000Z
       handler_name    : Apple Sound Media Handler
       vendor_id       : [0][0][0][0]

 WARNING: Builtin 'preLoadCast' dropping return value: 1936!
 WARNING: DigitalVideoCastMember::loadVideo: Unknown file format for video
 'The Dark Eye:DKYData:BN:BC\BNBCYES.mov', skipping!
 -- "Sending Nar Block PHMap an mBeginNarBlock message in mode
 BeginNoReset"
 WARNING: b_puppetPalette: Skipping extra features!
 -- "Returning to tale BN as BC, into nar block BCProposal"
 -- "currentPOV BC"
 -- "newPOV BC"
 -- "newNarBlockNum 2"
 -- "newPOVLastVisitedNarBlockNum 2"
 -- "Sending Nar Block BCProposal an mBeginNarBlock message in mode Resume"
 WARNING: b_puppetPalette: Skipping extra features!
 WARNING: Builtin 'preLoadCast' dropping return value: 1929!

 ffprobe shows an error, movie plays without audio in MPV

 [mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 0x580ad580f7c0] Format mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2
 detected only with low score of 1, misdetection possible!
 Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'bnbcyes (copy).mov':
   Metadata:
     creation_time   : 1995-08-17T09:44:26.000000Z
   Duration: 00:00:15.40, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 877 kb/s
   Stream #0:0[0x1](eng): Video: cinepak (cvid / 0x64697663), rgb24,
 240x320, 876 kb/s, 10 fps, 10 tbr, 30 tbn (default)
     Metadata:
       creation_time   : 1995-08-17T09:44:26.000000Z
       handler_name    : Apple Video Media Handler
       vendor_id       : appl
       encoder         : Cinepak

 i will add further that the EGAEUS story will have the same error if you
 click on the "TEETH" bust/statue teeth during the TEETH segment.

 WARNING: Builtin 'preLoadCast' dropping return value: 2269!
 WARNING: DigitalVideoCastMember::loadVideo: Unknown file format for video
 'The Dark Eye:DKYData:BN:BE\BNEGBUST.mov', skipping!
 -- "Sending Nar Block PHMap an mBeginNarBlock message in mode
 BeginNoReset"
 WARNING: b_puppetPalette: Skipping extra features!
 WARNING: Builtin 'preLoadCast' dropping return value: 2730!

 again ffprobe show its fine, it plays fine in MPV

 Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'bnegbust (copy).mov':
   Metadata:
     creation_time   : 1995-08-17T10:17:36.000000Z
   Duration: 00:00:09.00, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 398 kb/s
   Stream #0:0[0x1](eng): Video: cinepak (cvid / 0x64697663), rgb24,
 140x184, 397 kb/s, 10 fps, 10 tbr, 30 tbn (default)
     Metadata:
       creation_time   : 1995-08-17T10:17:36.000000Z
       handler_name    : Apple Video Media Handler
       vendor_id       : appl
       encoder         : Cinepak

 NOTE:
 to restart the scene you can ESC -> ESC -> QUIT
 this saves the game
 restart scummvm/dark eye
 and then click the EYEball to continue, restarting the scene
 every time will cause the lockups until the data/mov are fixed

 i will be testing the "new" re-release in 2 days:
 https://store.steampowered.com/app/4289030/Edgar_Allan_Poes_Interactive_Horror_1995_Edition/
-- 
Ticket URL: <https://bugs.scummvm.org/ticket/16531#comment:1>
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