Patreon Q&A - Questions Needed
Added 2024-10-25 23:44:40 +0000 UTCHi, everyone.
Things are back to normal with me, more or less, and that means I'm working on getting Ren'Py 8.3.3 out the door. Since an article that's mostly about fixing bugs isn't very interesting, I thought that I'd open the floor to patrons to ask me any question you want.
I reserve the right to pass if a question is personal, political, or private, but I think it might be fun to find out what people are interested in. To ask, just reply with a comment on this post.
Comments
Oookay, so.. (UPDATED AS I TYPE THIS: I DID manage to fix it! :D ) I had to Google how to run VSCode cuz I don't think I've ever done that, or don't know what it means. From the latest Renpy version I went Preferences>General>System Editor and that's where I see VSCode. Couldn't find any "Run VSCode" button (again, I'm almost freaking Renpy illiterate, I just used the game files and I write code in the script, and that's pretty much it). So I tried to update it clicking "Upgrade Visual Studio Code to the latest version", thinking it might solve the problem. No luck, it gave me an error. I tried clicking on each editor, hoping one would work, no luck. I ended up installing an older Renpy version (6.9.9) which had an editor called Editra, which WORKED! I tried to open the game script from the latest Renpy but not only it didn't work but I found out that somehow the script had been reset to Eileen's welcome to Renpy (Luckily, I have a backup for the game...) Not liking that Editra had a white background/theme (I couldn't find an option to switch it to dark), I went back to the latest Renpy, Preferences>General>System Editor and clicked the first Visual Studio Code in the list. It must be magick cuz it started installing it (apparently it somehow uninstalled itself cuz I could use Renpy on this computer before, it just stopped one day and I moved my work to my laptop). So, now it works. 😮😂😂😂 MY explanation? The latest Renpy got jealous cuz I downloaded an older version and, not wanting to be left unused, it started working as a way to tell me it's superior to the 6.9.9 version. 😂 No, seriously.. I've been trying these exact steps for months, it never worked, not once. Thank the Gods for older versions lol.
TinyWizard
2024-11-03 03:53:52 +0000 UTCI don't think this is a common issue - nobody has mentioned it yet. Can you run vscode by going into the vscode directory and double-clicking? What os and version of the OS are you on?
Renpytom
2024-10-30 23:42:39 +0000 UTCHi Tom! I'll just ask something to you and everyone here who might have solved the problem.. I have a perfectly working Renpy on a laptop (and nothing wrong with that), but on my main PC I tried to install Renpy (even the latest versions so it's not a matter of which install file it is) a number of times and while I can launch projects to play them, I can't open any scripts, gui, screens or options. I can click on them 100 times and it'll open nothing. I read that it's 'a common issue' on forums but no solution I tried has solved this yet. Any clue? 🫤
TinyWizard
2024-10-30 23:08:37 +0000 UTCAre there any plans on expanding Ren'Py's automated testing capabilities now that the Command Line Interface has been officially documented? (It would be nice to be able to run Ren'Py tests in a CI/CD environment)
Boundsoul
2024-10-28 14:12:11 +0000 UTCDo you have a feature that you really, really love to implement, but for some reason or another haven't gotten around to (and maybe never will)?
Naughty Road
2024-10-27 11:55:10 +0000 UTC(May be a bit personal, you are free not to answer) Just curious - do you have any hobbies you enjoy?
Antoni Aloy Torrens
2024-10-27 10:08:56 +0000 UTCI would say that CityOfBrokenDreamers uses 3D backgrounds, also that there is room for improvement. Perhaps a 'built-in' would be good.
RCHAM
2024-10-26 20:16:51 +0000 UTCSince you've seen visual novels go from being relatively unknown in the West to becoming a popular and increasingly mainstream genre of game (in no small part thanks to your hard work with Ren'Py!), what do you foresee happening with visual novels in the future? Will their popularity continue to grow? Will there be significant changes to presentation or typical game design? As an authority on visual novel engines and a catalyst of the indie VN community in the West, what are your predictions for 5-10 years down the road? Thank you so much for all you do and making so many people's dream games possible!
Little Napoleon
2024-10-26 19:41:28 +0000 UTCSomething about how to get started w Renpy. What kind of project? Tutorials?
Medici
2024-10-26 19:21:05 +0000 UTCWould you be okay with us using Eileen or you in our games? As like a cameo/Easter egg. Also thanks for everything you've done 🙏.
GunnaWunna44
2024-10-26 18:30:33 +0000 UTCI'll throw one: It's probably way past the point of feasibility given Ren'py's size now, but from all the new programming languages invented over the years since Ren'py's inception, has there been one you've thought would be a worthy one for rewriting the engine in? And, related, how often do you find yourself running up against the limitations of python, if ever?
KuroOneHalf
2024-10-26 10:43:52 +0000 UTCI have several questions, most of which you're free not to answer, after all it's a lot: - Generally, with all these new features being added how do you optimize a codebase known for being slow? - So what exactly are 3d backgrounds? how can they be used to enhance renpy? will they take shaders usually? - How often do you update renpy? - Do some updates bring with them minor new features or are some just this one feature and mostly bug fixes? - Are you open to adding new text shaders down the line or leave it up to the users for that? I've been loving this update but not exactly satisfied with how dissolve works with text (notably centered outlines) despite the principal presumably being the same (using a gradient to gently introduce text). Maybe I'm just nitpicking lol. edit: Oh, apparently black backgrounds look better with dissolve than light ones lol. Hoping this gets tweaked a bit.
Goatanon
2024-10-26 09:16:24 +0000 UTCWhat’s your favorite type of minigame used in a visual novel?
KigyoDev
2024-10-26 06:58:49 +0000 UTCWould you consider a "Scene Builder" GUI allowing to position assets like a video editor? Thank you so much for creating and sharing such a creative tool like Ren'Py.
ManorStories
2024-10-26 05:17:22 +0000 UTCIs it okay to post fan art of characters from the Ren'Py tutorial or The Question (such as Eileen) on social media sites like X or illustration sharing sites?
Klast Halc
2024-10-26 04:41:29 +0000 UTCNo questions. Just wanted to say thanks for making renpy and allowing the rest of us to make games
MagicNuts
2024-10-26 00:27:23 +0000 UTCI'll throw a silly one - What's the last videogame (RenPy or not) you played for fun?
Hanako Games
2024-10-26 00:16:29 +0000 UTCare there any features of ren'py that you think are underused by devs? i find out about a feature i didn't know about almost every time i take a look at the docs
npckc
2024-10-25 23:53:43 +0000 UTCAre you going to lock down internet access from the Python script to download malicious files?
JoonLee
2024-10-25 23:52:43 +0000 UTC
