How do you use ren.py rollback feature?

[danarchist_lewd]

Some context: I am using an engine other than ren.py. I've seen folks on this site express that they don't like not having the rollback feature, so I'm considering options wrt what would feel best for players.

What I'm thinking is a text history feature, and a pre-choice autosave feature, so you'll always be able to rollback to just before the last few choices you made.

What do you like about the rollback feature? What don't you like?

Personally, I find it annoying when I'm blocked from using the feature, and nothing in game let me know that would be the case. But I do like using it to test a dialogue option that I know I don't really want to do, just to see what would happen if I did it.

 

[♍VoidTraveler]

It's convenient for VN's but i don't find it to be an absolutely necessary feature for me.
Especially not in real games.
One should grow balls and accept the consequences of ones choices, otherwise what is even the point of having those choices?

 

[woody554]

rollback is for easymode crowd who hates when choices matter. game choices should make you nervous and really think about what you're committing to. can't have that if you can backtrack. choices should make you afraid.

it's fine for choices that don't matter though like will the girl wear red or blue underwear from now on. also fine for just dialogue. but not for meaningful choices.

 

[Writefuck]

I agree that rollback is easymode and I dislike using it.

BUT

If someone wants to play a game on easy mode, who are we to shame them for doing so? Let 'em play the game the way they want to play it.

 

[ARB582]

Its a huge QoL feature and is one of the reasons why i like renpy based VN games.
Sure you can go on all about choices should matter and all that, but all i need to circumvent the lack of rollback feature is quick save and quick load to take me back at the choice, and if even that is unavailable i can do it manually, all you're doing is inconveniencing the player.
Another reason i like it is because even if the choices are very clear on which is right and wrong, is still like picking the wrong one first just to see what happens.

 

[moskyx]

What they said, plus the mechanical simplicity of rollback in Renpy, as you just need to press Page Up or use your mouse wheel to rollback. This makes it super easy for lazy fucks as myself as I don't need to bring up any menu or create a myriad of saves just to explore an option. As a translator, I mainly use it when testing my work so having the option to quickly check 'bad' paths or go back to check a typo or something I think I missed in the screen I just have seen it's very convenient.

 

[rk-47]

rarely use rollback unless yeah it locks me out of a h-scene because of that, otherwise i use history

 

[Meaning Less]

Saving is important but rollback is overkill.

Technically rollbacks were created to fix missclicks and accidental content skip, but in practice most people use it for cheating.

Don't go out of your way to implement it unless your game really needs it.

 

[anonymooseproductions]

Another thing to consider is save scumming... Users will just save before decisions if they want to explore all options.

I read a lot and read very fast, so sometimes I'll miss something. Rollback is useful for that too.


At the end of the day, games are fun, don't make them hardcore. Leave it enabled for quality of life unless it absolutely ruins the game experience. At that point - consider that there's the ability to enable and disable rollback on the fly in Renpy through a command. I'd leave rollback off for decisions then, but turn it back on so users can reread narrative.