Semi-Random Game Crash

[Deledrius]

A seemingly random crash:

Error: MoveCharacter: Character not in current room

I was having the error on the entrance to the swamp screen, which prevented me from leaving the screen. It would occur when I attempted to leave in any direction, or even if I simply did nothing for a few seconds.

I tried using an earlier saved game, which allowed me to wander for a while, until I was on the screen with the pond and the ugly duckling...

(Room 12 Script Line 278)
Error: MoveCharacter: Character not in current room

This keeps happening. It's reproducible, but not seemingly a direct result of my actions.


Edit:

Upon further testing, it seems that I will get only the MoveCharacter line when I allow the time-out to occur (which is usually about 5 seconds or so), but when I try to leave a screen I also get the script error line as well. For instance, when leaving the swamp entrance screen, I get:

(Room 32 Script Line 236)
Error: MoveCharacter: Character not in current room

Also, upon a later attempt at saving, I once again got the MoveCharacter error, but this time slightly different:

(Global script line 3035)
Error: MoveCharacter: Character not in current room


---
Windows XP Pro
PIII 700
768Mb RAM
GeForce II GTS 64
SB Live! Value
** Using Digital Music Pack

--------------------
Art: http://www.the-labyrinth.f2s.com
Science: http://www.zero-factorial.com

Edited by: Deledrius at: 12/5/02 3:16:25 am

[Anonymous Game Creator 2]

This is weird. In all three instances that you've mentioned, the lines don't contain any references to MoveCharacter.

(Room 12 Script Line 278)
Error: MoveCharacter: Character not in current room

Do you mean Room13 by any chance? Room13 is the one with the yellow duckling in the pond. Line 278 in Room12 is just a blank line. MoveCharacter hasn't been used at all in Room12's script.

(Room 32 Script Line 236)
Error: MoveCharacter: Character not in current room

This is equally as odd, as there IS no line 236 in room32.

(Global script line 3035)
Error: MoveCharacter: Character not in current room

This section refers to the savegame script again and has no reference of MoveCharacter.

It sounds as if something is really causing the game to get corrupt for some people. Chris, do you think it's possible that all these bugs are connected to the same cause?

[Deledrius]

I just double checked (by loading one of my now mostly-useless saved games) and it does indeed say Room 12 for the duckling pond room.

It gives me this error whether I'm moving or standing still, and whether I'm moving to another screen or not. Would it be useful to you to have my saved games? I could send them to you for further study.


I should also point out that I've had the lock-up on the mermaid screen as well. I don't know if it's related or not, but I know having as much info as possible can't hurt when debugging.

--------------------
Art: http://www.the-labyrinth.f2s.com
Science: http://www.zero-factorial.com

Edited by: Deledrius at: 12/5/02 4:48:13 am

[Anonymous Game Creator 2]

Yes, can you please zip the duckling savegame up and send it to tierragames@hotmail.com.

[Deledrius]

File sent. Let me know if there's anything else you need.

--------------------
Art: http://www.the-labyrinth.f2s.com
Science: http://www.zero-factorial.com

[Anonymous Game Creator 2]

Thanks, I got them. I noticed that you're playing the game at 960x600 resolution, which is not only overkill (since the game will look exactly the same at 320x200 and will run much more smoothly), but is also an unsupported screen resolution for AGS.

That still doesn't really explain the error messages you're receiving (I got them too when I loaded your savegames), but it could be related to the resolution somehow.

Unless the game doesn't display in 320x200 mode or 320x240 (letterbox) mode, you should always run it at that resolution. The only exception would be if the game simply refuses to run in 320x200 mode, then you can try running it at the next highest: 640x400 mode... but not 960x600, as that will only degrade performance.

[Deledrius]

Ah well, I was merely running at that res as the options screen suggests there is more detail at that resolution. I noticed that the graphics did not appear to be at that res, but hadn't changed it. I guess that the options screen is a generic AGS one, and not a KQ2 one. I hadn't noticed when I ran it before playing the game for the first time.

I'll move down to a more reasonable resolution and see if it happens again.

--------------------
Art: http://www.the-labyrinth.f2s.com
Science: http://www.zero-factorial.com

[dreammaster]

I also got the bug the first time I made it through the swamp maze, and see the castle in the distance. If I try to leave the room, I get the error:

Room 32: Script line 278
Error: MoveCharacter: character not in current room

If I just stand still for several seconds, I just get:

Error: MoveCharacter: character not in current room

I was lucky enough to save my game as soon as I entered, so the bug is repeatable each time I reload it. If you can't track down the bug from the savegame Deledrius sent, I can email a copy of mine as well.

[Deledrius]

I've played past the point where I was before (now playing at 320x200) and have not had any problems whatsoever, even with frequent saving. Whatever I did the first time, it hasn't happened again... yet.

So many of the reported bugs (including ones seemingly unrelated to this one) appear to be related to the savegame feature. Could there be a mis-allocation of memory somewhere? This sort of intermittent problem, in my experience, is often caused by a hard-to-find minor oversight of that kind. Just a thought.

--------------------
Art: http://www.the-labyrinth.f2s.com
Science: http://www.zero-factorial.com