Edit: Rather than go with a bunch of questions you now at the end of each episode in this beta test the option to continue to the next episode or replay the current one.
@Nocturnal_stillness I wrestled with the same problem for the same reason, until beaten into submission by the simple fact that with each successive chapter it would just become even more of a choreāboth for the author trying to make it work (when he / she should be writing) and for the player, faced with an increasing number of choices to ājumpā ever further ahead.
I eventually came to the inescapable conclusion that the only viable solution, for all concerned, is a permanent save.
What Iām doing now is at the end of each episode I direct the player to this bit of code
*label epilogue
[As this is the beta version of the game you may continue to the next episode or retry this one]
*choice
#Replay Episode 2
*goto test
#Go back to the beginning
*finish
*label test
*set save_flag ātestā
*set return_to_scene āepisode02ā
*page_break
*goto_scene savegame
then in the savegame.txt Iāve set up a third option which does the same as restore but without the āYou were killedā message.
@Nocturnal_Stillness I think youāll be fine for an episode or two yet, and for playtesting purposes I agree that a triple-option system at the end of each main segment is the best way to go, if at all possible (i.e. start again, continue to next, or replay last episode / chapter again to try different routes).
The main problem will kick in perhaps another episode or two down the line, when playtesters are required to once again start at the very beginning to reach the new bit recently added, and youāre forced to find inventive ways of allowing them to do that more easily. This is the problem Iām facing atm, and for which I believe the only viable long-term playtesting solution is a permanent save . . . Working on it!
Problem with that is, if thereās a bug that stops the game, itās useless.
@Shoeslip Not entirely, if done correctly. Thatās obviously one of the main considerations (since itās intended as a playtest thing and will happen). In short, it neednāt be a disaster.
Those are both good points, I canāt see anyway other than the hard save to get around any errors.
Iām getting a programmer friend to look into choicescript and to code a save system. I will let people know if he is successful.
Donāt know if its just me but the game doesnāt even start and I get an error
Uncaught Error: line 1934: label ātestā already defined on line 191
Iāve tried many different methods for making a āplaytest modeā, but theyāve all been entirely too complicated for any practical use. The most efficient way to go about it would be some sort of permanent save feature, as @Vendetta pointed out.
at the end of the last episode I clicked to replay it and I got sent back to the very beginning.
Seems like thereās now a bug when you try to select your weapon. At least I got this: line 1118: Tabs and spaces appear on the same line
Twice when I played though and selected my weapon in Gamma. I picked different partners each time, and different weapons. I started in Beta and brought Craig over if it matters.
Nice actually great no magnificent beginning wait umm u decide jk
strange I never used tab? Hmm I wonder if its because I downloaded notepad ++
I think I fixed it. if not I will look into it on my pc.
glad you liked it.
Ok, I managed to get past that now, but there was a new bug I found not too long after. When I talked to Craig about being a member of gamma during the first campout it gave me this. line 1574: bad label partner_camp
We had Denise with us and I let her lead, then gave her the benefit of the doubt, then talked to her. Then when I talked to Craig the first thing I chose was that.
the error should be fixed but the game wonāt go further than that. I will work on it over the weekend (I really want at least episode 2 finished by the time I reach 1000 posts - hopefully a deadline will make me write quicker)
Good luck!(sorry I have to make your deadline smaller
So how is it going right now?
Havenāt had a chance to write yet. will do some tommorrow.