A replication doesn't need to be the first thing you send me - if you post the error message or traceback, I or someone else will often be able to help you out. But if I ask you for a replication, this is what it should be like.
For Ren'Py, a replication should consist of three things:
A standalone game that quickly demonstrates the problem.
First off, the game must be standalone. I should be able to download it and run it with Ren'Py, and have the game work. This includes having images, music, etc - or at least placeholders. It's not enough to just provide a script excerpt - finding art and other assets to make that script run will often take a long time.
Secondly, the game can be quick. When fixing a bug, I often restart Ren'Py many times, with code that tells me what's going on. If it takes me 15 tries, and 2 minutes to replicate the bug, that overhead added half-an-hour to the fixing process. If i can get the bug in 4 seconds, the wasted time is a minute. There's a couple of things to consider here:
* Disable splashscreens and other time-consuming portions of the program.
* If the bug doesn't show up at the main menu, consider disabling the main menu with the following code:
Code: Select all
label main_menu:
return
It's not necessary to build distributions, and doing so can be problematic if it causes code or assets to be archived. Instead, please zip up your game and send it to me, either by email to pytom@bishoujo.us, attaching it to a forum post, or uploading it somewhere and adding the link to a github bug.
Instructions on how to replicate the bug.
Make these as clear and concise as possible. For example, "click twice, then roll back."
A description of what you were expecting, and what you got.
This helps me make sure I'm looking at the same things you are.
With the Ren'Py community growing, dealing with reported issues is taking up more of my time. I'm hoping that by providing this guidance, I'll be able to deal with issues more efficiently, so I can spend more time improving Ren'Py and making VN development easier.
Thanks.