- May 4, 2017
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- Thread starter wynin
- Start date
- May 28, 2017
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Me too. T4bbo is making a good game with a barrel full of fish (target rich environment).
- Jun 17, 2017
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Are you using an existing save from an older version? This type of error usually results from calling a variable that hasn't been declared/assigned yet. In this case, I seem to remember that the bra used to be panties in an earlier version, hence my question.
If so, do you see the same error if you start from the beginning?
It looks more like a barrel full of bugs...
When i first tried this game, i guess on version 1, i got lot's of those renpy errors, i gave up playing, then i tried again with last version, i kept getting more renpy errors... so i gave up totally on this game. It really annoys me seeing developers who don't do proper testing on their products, at least at a minimum quality, is that so hard to do, with such easy to use engine like Renpy?
When i first tried this game, i guess on version 1, i got lot's of those renpy errors, i gave up playing, then i tried again with last version, i kept getting more renpy errors... so i gave up totally on this game. It really annoys me seeing developers who don't do proper testing on their products, at least at a minimum quality, is that so hard to do, with such easy to use engine like Renpy?
- Apr 23, 2017
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CSW do you have any report of bug which is not caused using old save? We are doing quite a lot of testing and we didn't come up with issue like one you are mentioning.
I admit that it can be frustrating to play each new version from beginning, but you have to take into account that this game is in development, therefore the story is developing also and new variables and events are coming into parts which you have already played and therefore haven't been triggered, if you are using old save.
T4bbo
- Jun 17, 2017
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Variable assignments in RenPy can be tricky. A lot of the time, these are initially declared at the beginning, but if you add new variables later, existing saves may not see those new 'initially assigned' variables. You can declare the new variable just before you use it, but then it's not in the 'initial list' You can declare it in both places, but this may cause confusion later.
And you can't just declare variables anywhere. If it's in the 'middle' of a check sequence, well you just 'reset' your check and may have lost the 'updated value'.
Whenever a variable check is called for, but the variable isn't assigned yet (say if you were using an older save), well RenPy doesn't like that. This seems easy, but when you are in the middle of coding lots of dialogue, this is easy to miss. And unless you test with the 'right' save, you may miss the error.
Sure,
default somevariablename = False
or a similar declaration. can help with this, but not everyone understands how a default declaration works, plus RenPy may take issue with multiple default declarations for the same variable...
This is why most of these games are best considered as Alphas. Bugs should be expected, and reported immediately so that the developer can track down the issue. And also remember that coding doesn't come naturally to everyone, so keep that in mind. Some people are better with the art thing than with the coding thing.
Your best bet is to wait until the game is 'done' if errors bother you, but of course some games never see completion...
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- Apr 23, 2017
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As OhWee outlined you can overrun it by declaring all the new variables at all the action places where they are being called... but:
- would be time consuming,
- it would do pretty big mess in the code and finally much more time would be spent digging in the code instead of game development,
- it would cause many questions from players why they cannot get to the certain scene in the game (variable is declared but assigned only with default value and not based on the player choice as the old save was used).
T4bbo
- would be time consuming,
- it would do pretty big mess in the code and finally much more time would be spent digging in the code instead of game development,
- it would cause many questions from players why they cannot get to the certain scene in the game (variable is declared but assigned only with default value and not based on the player choice as the old save was used).
T4bbo
OhWee, you seem to be very knowledgeable. Is it not possible to start a project with (for instance) 15 NPC's with 15 variables each? Then at least everything is already in the code and the developer only needs to use them as needed. Or is that a lot of work if there ends up being (again, for instance) 8 NPC's? Then begs the question of changing variable names mid-stream?
Just wondering out loud!
Just wondering out loud!
- Jun 17, 2017
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A lot of the time, you don't know you need a variable until just before you create it as you are adding to your story. And if you've decided to rework the story (say you decided on bra instead of panties), yeah older saves aren't going to know that. Sure, you could leave the new 'bra' variable as 'panties', i.e. it says panties but it's really a bra, but that's just asking to confuse yourself while you code.
I just learned about the default variable declaration thing recently myself (last week in fact). I"ve been declaring variables in master lists in my own WIP, just like many other developers do, but it's good to know that I can drop a default declaration into an 'update' without messing up the variable stream. Python isn't my jam, but I'm slowly learning.
I spent a LOT of time getting my feet wet in RenPy messing with Lab Rats, hence why I recognize that particular error. Thank goodness RenPy has error reporting, and I've spent many an hour trying to track down missing variables...
That's why I asked. In my head, if you need a new variable and variables 1 through 5 are already used, then get variable 6. (In my example, it's already in the code.)
That was the intent of the "changing variable names mid-stream" question. In theory, my thought would be the developer's notes would show "variable 6 is
I'm no coder so I don't know if this would be a lot of work for a "maybe", but if the work is minimal to add lots of "maybe" NPC's and variables at the start, it would sure clean up these threads with all the "Can I use old saves?".
Edit: Apologies to wynim, T4boo, and everybody else for derailing. I'll shut up.
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- Jun 17, 2017
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No apologies necessary. It's a valid question, and your suggestion isn't a bad one, and one that would work.
Most developers like to use descriptive names for their variables, for easy identification later, so that would be the only downside to your suggestion.
In 'linear' games it's common to add a new variable declaration block at the start of each day, but Babysitter is a sandbox/linear hybrid, so a number of variables aren't 'day specific'. Even ones that are added later. Nonetheless, yeah once the developer is aware of the issue, they can find ways to address it.
Any thoughts on posting a tutorial to learn how to do all this things? New here, so don't really know if it's already there, but that would really help.
And to current Patreons... Any updates on eta for the new release? Any posts worth paying for? I'm not sure if I should join or not...
- Jun 17, 2017
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Are you asking for a tutorial on how to make games in RenPy?
If so, the
You must be registered to see the links
is a good place to start, along with the RenPy site:
You must be registered to see the links
for documentation, guides and cookbooks.
I usually just google for anything I need to figure out, typing RenPy at the start of the google search. It mostly points me at the lemmasoft forums, but also to a few other helpful resources on occasion.
But, if you are asking for a babysitter walkthrough, there is one linked on the first page.
If you like the game and can afford it, support the dev. I support 5 games that I really enjoy currently even though I could just get them for free. But I want those games to flourish so I support them. Sometimes a game will not go the way I had hoped so I will move my support to a different game instead.
There aren't any exact date for the new release, but he said it will be at the beginning of August.
I've been supporting him for a while now. But to be honest I'm feeling like the 'patreon-special' stuffs (like teasers, or just random pictures, or informations about how the development and everything else is going, polls etc) used to be much more, until this last month. He is not very giving any information right now, only bi-weekly images he promised before. Maybe he doesn't want to spoil the update too much, since it's gonna be his first big update, i guess (he is now working part-time as far as i remember) But anyways it would be nice to keep reading stuff about the development from tme to time, knowing how everything is going. (I know you are reading this forum t4bbo
)But in the end, it's all up to you, if u enjoy the game and think that he is worth your support, go for it. If you are only about the patreon-exclusive stuff, maybe you could check his page from now on, and see if there is anything that would make you say "i wish i was a patreon".
- May 28, 2017
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Me too. I do not support DMD (or Babysitter), even though it is my favorite, because that guy has 3600 backers or something! I am backing 5 or 6 games whose devs are at 10-70 backers and under $500, but have good games with promise. Kudos to those that support the bigger games, too.
Thanks for the links, but I think I misunderstood... I read "Steamy mod" and I assumed it was a program to change stats... I've tried saveditonline and it works fine, but I was trying to find one that could help you select the route easily, as the walkthrough doesn't really specify the routes and it's kind of generalistic.
And I'll try your mod too, it looks nice
- Jun 17, 2017
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Unfortunately, you'll need the gal you interviewed to be with you in order to advance. So you'll need to backtrack via an old save or whatever to re-do that scene.
When you interview her, do not apologize, be cunning, accept her offer. There may be one other question, but I don't have the file handy at the moment.
Also, lie to your assistant about the software when that question comes up during lunch.
When you interview her, do not apologize, be cunning, accept her offer. There may be one other question, but I don't have the file handy at the moment.
Also, lie to your assistant about the software when that question comes up during lunch.