YoSniper's Fangame Contest 2015 *RESULTS*

[YoSniper]

BUT... the random-rare-crash-on-death bug still exists, and I still don't know what causes it so I'm kinda scared.

So is that an instantaneous hard crash (like Windows 8?) Or is it a stall out (like an infinite loop?)

For the former, there is a whole thread dedicated to avoiding Win8-related crashes. For the latter, you'll have to comb through your code. See if you can consistently repeat the issue, and then you may be able to solve it.

[TheGamerGuy500]

It is literally random and can happen on any OS, even XP, it doesn't seem to be caused by the code, because there's no way GM code can cause the game to freeze and stop responding forever. Nothing calls game_pause. It seems to happen more after a long time of playing, when the crash can occur, usually by a death or even entering a room. It might be because for some reason the game process memory decays and eventually it can't make do with its memory limit decreasing maybe. It's rare, and doesn't happen often, but if one single crash is a disqualification then I might not have a chance. It sucks to not know something.
I'd need someone who knows GM and windows memory issues that can figure out the single byte that just so happens to corrupt an EXE or something.

[klazen108]

there's no way GM code can cause the game to freeze and stop responding forever.

Code: [Select]

while 1 {}


...on a slightly more helpful note, crashes that happen after a random time period are usually traced back to memory leaks. They can cause unexpected things to happen; for instance, create events stop firing but everything else runs normally (true story). This almost always has to do with improper use of the following: particle systems, lists (or any other ds_ structure), sprite creation/destruction, surfaces, external loading of resources. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but they are the most common causes. If you use anything like those anywhere in your code, I would try commenting them out and trying to run your game again, even if you're sure that there's no way that whatever is happening is related. If it turns out that they are a cause, you can track down the culprit and then try to apply a better solution than simply commenting it out.

[YoSniper]

It's rare, and doesn't happen often, but if one single crash is a disqualification then I might not have a chance. It sucks to not know something.

I will be sure to elaborate on this rule. I don't think any games will be outright disqualified for a single rule violation this time around (like last year,) but if crashes do happen, it will most certainly affect your score in the long run.

Basically, if a judge decides that a game is "disqialified" then they just won't vote for it.

I'm trying not to scare anyone off.

But do look into your code. A while loop that tirns out to be infinite is most likely the cause of your issue. I know it would be a lot of work, but a debugging technique you might want to try is something like this for while loops:

Code: [Select]

var loopcount, MAXLOOPS;
MAXLOOPS = 100;
loopcount =0;
while (conditions) and loopcount < MAXLOOP {
    //your code like normal
    loopcount += 1;
}
if loopcount == MAXLOOP {
    show_message ("infinite loop encountered");
}

[TheGamerGuy500]

It's rare, and doesn't happen often, but if one single crash is a disqualification then I might not have a chance. It sucks to not know something.

I will be sure to elaborate on this rule. I don't think any games will be outright disqualified for a single rule violation this time around (like last year,) but if crashes do happen, it will most certainly affect your score in the long run.

Basically, if a judge decides that a game is "disqialified" then they just won't vote for it.

I'm trying not to scare anyone off.

But do look into your code. A while loop that tirns out to be infinite is most likely the cause of your issue. I know it would be a lot of work, but a debugging technique you might want to try is something like this for while loops:

Code: [Select]

var loopcount, MAXLOOPS;
MAXLOOPS = 100;
loopcount =0;
while (conditions) and loopcount < MAXLOOP {
    //your code like normal
    loopcount += 1;
}
if loopcount == MAXLOOP {
    show_message ("infinite loop encountered");
}

Here's the thing. I don't use 'while' anywhere unless it's part of the engine.
About how it could be tailored to some of Klazen's mentioned problems: I do use a particle system but the crash still happened in I Wanna Be Gaming (my first game) before I had GM pro which would ALLOW for particles.
I was thinking sprite creation might cause it since death blood is a sprite.
BUT on even rarer occasion just switching a room can cause it.
It could be because I run GameMaker through Windows Emulation on a mac since I'm stuck with this Macintosh.
Can't let having a Shart-Garbo Mac stop me from making a game, right?

Anyway, I still think I need someone who knows how Windows memory works, because the crash can even happen on my windows emulation.
The emulation software hasn't failed me very much in terms of file creation. Hell, it can even run the game at full speed 50FPS, at least for a while. Literally everything works almost exactly how GM would work on another computer.
I'd suggest getting WhatIsHang or some other Hang-debugger and finding out the issue.
This emulation software doesn't run everything but GM is one of the things that CAN operate flawlessly under it.
The question still sits, if I don't use any code with 'while' in it what could cause an infinite loop at random?

[YoSniper]

Please start submitting your games now! See video in OP.

Even if you submit a game early on, you can replace it with a later version if you want to at a later time. Only the latest submissions from each participant will be considered, so YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BY SECURING YOUR SPOT EARLY!

[YoSniper]

Attention all participants and prospective participants!!!

I have received at least two README files now that state that their respective games have "a lot of gimmicks."

Please elaborate on two specific gimmicks that you use in the game and that are not listed in rule #6, even if they are extremely obvious in the game.

My goal is to remove as much ambiguity as possible, so it is plain as day that every game submitted qualifies.

[Hectorpaddy]

I will have to drop out
I'm sorry, I just have a lot of school stuff going on right and and stuff.

[TheGamerGuy500]

Eh, my "version 6" is actually just the build number of how far it was in development by the time I entered it into this contest (I had a build 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 before entering it)

[YoSniper]

So far, I have received 6 entries, so there will at least be money involved! WOOT!

Judges, this past week I sent out a request for e-mail addresses that I could use to add you to the wiki. As of right now, only Kilgour and myself are registered on the wiki. PLEASE SEND ME AN E-MAIL ADDRESS SOON SO I CAN ADD YOU!

[YoSniper]

So, question for the community.

I received an entry today, and the first time I ran it, it ran fine. However, every subsequent time I've attempted to run the game, I get an error message saying "Unexpected error occurred while trying to run the game."

This game was made in Game Maker Lite, so I wonder if that has anything to do with it?

I searched for hidden files and folders, I've tried recopying the game from the original ZIP file, and I've even tried restarting my computer. Nothing has worked. I really want to give this person a chance, so any ideas would be appreciated.

[MatthewRPG]

YoSniper, this is honestly really hard for me to say.
I've been developing this game for the past three months and I can safely say that it was one of the most painful processes I've ever had in my life. I've restarted this game, once out of a broken laptop, and many... many times out of my own merit. This game has lost the charm and fun-ness it once had. I'm not having fun anymore. But, please, please do not think I was lazy or not brave during this. I tried my damned hardest and I failed, with family issues and overall friends worrying about me because of how disconnected from everyone this has made me, I've stuck through and worked on this game. Had I not been a dumbass and broke my laptop, I probably would've finished it, and maybe even had a chance at winning. But, incase you didn't know, I am dropping out of this contest.
Maybe next year, Snipes. 

[WetWookie]

yosniper, the best I can suggest is to try it on another pc. If it does the same exact thing then we know it's most likely changing or adding a file somewhere wierd (like appdata) and failing when it tries to do so a second time and the file already exists\contains bad data.

[YoSniper]

yosniper, the best I can suggest is to try it on another pc. If it does the same exact thing then we know it's most likely changing or adding a file somewhere wierd (like appdata) and failing when it tries to do so a second time and the file already exists\contains bad data.

If I had another PC to test that theory, I'd do so, but as it stands, I simply cannot run the game anymore. I'll post about it on my wiki for judges and see if any of them can figure this out, but other than that, I'm tapping out.

[Raganoxer]

sent a message, still in the contest ready to judge. do you still need the email?