Preach.
I can at least see the light at the end of the tunnel. What started out as a simple, "I'll write to code to write me code" became a "I need to write this so that it won't break either."
To that end I've been adding a huge degree of functionality to the planner and trying to implement all the elements I had on my "wish" list so that going forward, when all I'm doing is creating content there shouldn't be anything to cause a save break. It should just be one smooth set of releases going forward.
I've also been re-coding much of what was already there. Trying to eliminate as many stored variables as possible and make the game more reliant on producing the information it needs at runtime. This will help eliminate those rollback failures that also pop up in old saves.
Renpy crams all of it's screens in one file, and all of it's styles and formatting in another. And then the images being referenced are all over the place. Having finally had my fill, I took a fresh install renpy and completely restructured the gui directories and files. My method is a lot less efficient than what Renpy comes packed with, but now all of the gui elements and screens are compartmentalized and you can change any of them without fear of it impacting any others.
Of course, I now have duplicates of some of the gui images spread all over the place, but if having six copies of the "scrollbar", one for each page it's used, and the total file size is still under a kb, then I figure the stability offered by the duplication is well worth the overhead.
So yeah, I'm doing a bit of a deep dive into this code. But the end goal is improved stability, no save breaking, and smooth releases as far as the eye can see. Just because you aren't seeing fresh images and content dropping like hot cakes, doesn't mean there isn't a shit ton of working being done.
On the upside, I've never seen this interface so polished!
When it's done, you'll have the ability to modify your character's stats as well as any stat for any character in the game. I'm also adding in a replay mode that will let you replay any chapter you've completed or any sex scene you've completed without impacting your current play through.
And if you turn cheat mode on, then you'll have access to all chapters and all sex scenes at any time. So I really am trying to get as much functionality in here as I can on what I hope to be the last coding I have to do on this game.
In fact, I'm literally working on it right now! Just don't tell the other boss what I'm doing on his time.
(And yes, that "Roger" tab will update to reflect whatever you name your character as will Emily and Ca....uh....Catherine's last name. You don't know Catherine yet...she's....I dunno....someone.)
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