Hello!
I have been using a slightly modified version of [MENTION=11088]ChrisBurrows[/MENTION] ' Please login to see this link. as the basis for an interactive fiction project. I've encountered a few bugs with integrating my code and content that have had me pulling my hair out (this was supposed to be a quick, simple project and now I'm months behind schedule). I've run out of ideas on how to identify the cause of these issues and humbly request any assistance toward any of the issues before giving up and moving onto another engine (inb4 Twine... it does not support custom graphics or modular soundtracks in a way that humans can comprehend).
Here's the project file Please login to see this attachment..
How to navigate:
- click the highlighted words to progress to a different location (indicated in the bottom left).
- 'Left' and 'Right' arrow keys to adjust "blit speed."
- ',' and '.' to adjust "Loop Delay."
- Press 'R' to reset and 'ESC' to quit.
- Quickest way to navigate to the problem areas is clicking [elderly sunbathers and folks]-->[solitude is not the aim of many].
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1.) First word or two of some text strings won't blit
Sometimes the first 7+ characters are deleted, sometimes they're replaced with random characters. My only guess here is that strings of a certain character length trigger the bug (shorter string ~= no bug). I noticed this issue is slightly lessened when decreasing the blit speed, but a.) I was planning to use instant blit speed in the first place b.) the issue still occurs with certain strings regardless of blit speed.
An obvious solution is to break text into smaller chunks, but I'm treating it as a last resort; I do not wish to compromise the design of the text wherever possible.
A side note: this issue almost always coincides with a heavy lag that precedes the blitting of these sections...
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2.) Left X margin of text shifts
The most apparent instance is the first line of each string starting out several pixels to the left of the rest. In some strings, the margin shifts left and right with each line break. I've set the hotspot/action points as you can see within the body of the paragraphs, but the left X margins seem to have a mind of their own. I have zero ideas for this one.
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3.) High memory usage/memory leaks
When opening the debugger I find my "simple" text game to be running 60+ MB of memory?! This does not seem to change no matter the number of objects present in frame. I have graphics for the game that have been taken out for the purpose of uploading to the forums here which, when implemented, have the game running 250+ MB...
Further, some elements, such as the blitter object, tend to rack up numbers like they're going out of style (see its X position). I have made attempts to put a hard plug on these leaks at the end of the blit loops, but nothing seems to work.
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There's a decent amount of code to go through here. I've done a bit of commenting in addition to what Chris included initially with the engine and am happy to clarify the intention of any functions you might have questions about. This is my last ditch effort to save the hours of work I've put into this engine, I know it's a tall order and have made peace with moving on if the problems are too much for anyone to help with. Thanks for taking a look regardless!
