[BUG] Game doesn't work anymore with 0.9 version

H

Hello,

We have sent a message to the support because our game is not working fine anymore. It was a "simple" switch of a boolean attribute (we think it's the problem, but not shure) that worked fine with the old version. We have re install the old version, it works, then the new, it doesn't works.

It's too hard to explain all the attributes changes etc. We open this post for people who think they have a problem too with the new version and to advice people to make this test if they still have the old version installer ... It also appear that to reinstall the game don't fix these troubles (refered to an other post)

I hope we won't have to change the whole game structure because of this

Edit : if it's not a bug of Gamesalad, we would like to have a precise changelog to know what is possible, or not, with the new version ....

JackBQuick

When I first used GameSalad 0.9.0, it didn't work with a game I developed in 0.8.9 either. So, I began testing it to figure out exactly what the problem was.

I created an actor to display the value of attributes in the game. I knew what these values should be so I monitored them while the game was running.

What I found out was this: 0.9.0 was faster and more efficient than 0.8.9 (for what I was having it do, anyways). So, it was changing attributes and triggering switches sooner than in 0.8.9 (and throwing off other rules and behaviour that depended on these values). So, I placed timers in my game so that it turned on these switches 0.1 seconds later. This fixed the problem.

(When I thought about it afterwards, how it works in 0.9 is the way that it should've worked all along.)

I don't know whether your situation is similar but try using the Display Text behaviour to monitor the values of your attributes and, hopefully, this will help you pinpoint your problem. This may be a long and tedious process -- myself, I tracked a dozen attributes before I realized what was going on -- but troubleshooting has the benefit of making you more attuned to how GameSalad processes your instructions.

Good luck!

gyroscope

I suggested a while back to have a real-time attribute list, perhaps as a floating window, that would instantly update all attributes as they changed. Would be great for troubleshooting, I think.

H: to add to what JackBQuick wrote, I had problems with dome actors not responding to mouseclicks and freezing GS in the Scene Editor. Had to replace them in.9 for them to work again. As it happens, these were so-called "hotspots", actors with no images and alpha 0. Don't know if that's relevant to them not working or whether it helps you or not, but hopefully it does.

JackBQuick

I agree: a real-time attribute list would be great, and would save a lot of work.

In the meantime, I use this within an actor:

QUICK TIP: using the [DISPLAY TEXT] Behavior

to make a list of attributes I want to track.

@gyroscopre - I know that you are already familiar with the Display Text behaviour and how to add spaces and carriage returns, but I added it for others in the forum that may be new and not know

gyroscope

No probs Dennis; as it happens I've forgotten the particular key presses that QS requires to give a carriage return anyway, so thank you as well. :-)

Hunnenkoenig

In one of my games a spinning wheel changes spinning direction, based on which side is overlapped with a specific actor.

In 9.0 it doesn't change direction.

Or rather it sometimes changes, but only if I drag and drop it once.

gyroscope

And just to add, I've taken a look at one of my previous projects (Boto and the Isms) and tried to run it; no go; everything is frozen in .9. I know it's no consolation to say but you're not the only one with these probs... :-(

H

Hello,

Thanks for your attention to our problem. We use Display Text both for creation and debug ... how to know/check what's happening without ;-)

Events have to happen after 25 second then restart for a new sequence of the game. There is some rules too with it, it's hard to explain.
With the display, we don't see the 25'th second at all. But we have put a sound, and can hear it. Like a "shorter second", a time execution of the rules shorter (better ?) maybe ?
JackBQuick, your case about the Timers is interesting and we study it.

This post is more for proving that there is a version problem ... Software, langages, frameworks can change, have to, but these changes must be prepared and documented.
We'd like a precise changelog ... as precise as it can be with the existing tech specifications...

Gyro, I hope you still have you .ipa in memorium :_(

Fanny

CodeMonkey

Hello All.
GameSalad is faster. As far as I know, it is running so fast that sometimes other actors that don't change the attribute they are checking against for a condition in a Rule, miss the event because another actor has already changed it so quickly.

If adding a delay via Timer around the change attribute that gets changed doesn't fix it, please let us know.

H

Hello,

Thanks CodeMonkey for this fix. It works ... but only 1 time.

In our game we have sequence in rouds. We have to test and update the sequence numbers.

I was feeling like : this 2 tests and updates are done in the same time. So I've put a timer on the second rule declared, as you said, it works, but the switch doesn't work on the other site. We are stuck in the sequence 2 during later rounds. Ok, let's search the way back and put a second timer ... looks dirty ; /

So, I have a doubt about the order of the rules and there execution.
In our case, no other object is updating the value, no collision, just the time, managed in this "system" actor. This 2 actions are in the same rule, are the "same" (check the value/update the value), 1 after the other, for a switch.
Gamesalad goes faster, a bit too much ?

Would it possible to create a sticky post (not this please ^^) to collect the changes between the 2 versions, fixs and bug reports ?

Regards

Fanny

H

Hello,

So my question is : in Gamesalad, can we trust in the script order ? Do actions happen in the order they are declared ? or do we have to introduce a time concept. I mean : if the time to do 2 actions is too short, do Gamesalad concider it as happening exactly ... At the same Time ? so the order of the actions in the "script" is fake, and we have to fake it with timers...

Thanks for your help

Fanny

JackBQuick

In order to ensure that certain behaviours happen, I've seen people wrap these behaviours in a timer: you can use After 0 seconds and check the Run to Completion checkbox.

JackBQuick

Sorry, Fanny. I didn't properly read your question. Please ignore my response above. Need sleep...

izam

JackBQuick said:
In order to ensure that certain behaviours happen, I've seen people wrap these behaviours in a timer: you can use After 0 seconds and check the Run to Completion checkbox.

Thanks JBQ, you're a life saver. My game done in 0.89 and later opened up in 0.9 seemed like there was a bug....
There was an actor that I had in the game which compared some attributes within itself and those that are on the scene. Before adding the timer solution you gave, it continually throws out a "false" result on me when it should be "true".

@codemonkey: guess gamesalad is really really fast now....

butterbean

OMG that must be why they call you JackB"QUICK"

Anyhow, you saved me! I couldn't figure out for the life of me why some rules weren't resetting and not firing, and I did your timer trick in some of my rules, and wallah! No more bugs!

Thank you so much you are a lifesaver!

I had the same exact issue with rules either firing to quick or not firing at all, so using the timer is just what it needed!

Wish I had known this a few days ago, but better late than never!

JackBQuick

@izam & @butterbean - I'm happy that helped