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[Catacomber]

We are starting to test our new game, Wizard's Ashes, still in its infancy but coming along---and if a tester saves the new version over the old version and tries to use an old save file, or just tries to use an old save file after deleting the old version, he gets errors from the old version coming up and problems.

The file at some point is going to be very large.  To avoid testers' hair loss, can we reuse an old save file if someone wants to and not have errors (asuming new version has no errors--I don't send out a file with script errors-- but I do send it out with significant changes to old screens where someone has already been -- sometimes.

I don't mind starting over each time and I have to do it but I have one tester for whom this is a problem and he's a very good tester and a significant part of our team -- don't want to lose him.  :  )

Thanks for any help.  Of course, if it's not possible, it's not possible.

[Spellbreaker]

Hi there!

All scripts that run at the moment are saved in the savegame ( think of it like a "memorydump" ). So it's always safer to restart the Game. If you want your testers to start at a certain point, simply change the start scene, or do what I did:

Code: [Select]

// game.script

on "Keypress" {
  switch (Keyboard.Key) {
     case "1" {
        game.ChangeScene(blah);
        ...set some global variables like inventory items etc.
        break;

     case "2" {
        ...do other stuff, other scene, etc...
        break;

   }
}

do not forget to remove the code before release

[Spellbreaker]

Oh I forgot, for development you could simply split up the resource file...For example, I do a package for every single scene, a package for the mainactor, a package for the main stuff ( like game scripts etc ) and so on. So you only have to send files that changed or are new.

[Catacomber]

You are a lifesaver and a hairsaver, Spellbreaker!!!!  Thank you so much! 

[Mnemonic]

Also some games (The White Chamber for example) are using special "debug room", which allows you to access to certain part of the game (say, if you need to start from chapter two), giving you all the necessary inventory items and setting some global variables. So that you don't need to rely on saved games for frequent testing.

[Catacomber]

Thanks, Mnemonic, I will look at that file! The engine really is wonderful. You are a wizard!