I fail at forcing Ren'Py to save the changes in a screen (mid-interaction)

[Aureus]

Hi there.
I'm trying to be fancy with my nvl dialogue menus by introducing sub-screens with more unusual interactions attached to them. So, for example, in some cases instead of using a regular set of choices that operate on i.action, I have a special sub-screen with textbuttons that introduce variable changes, checks, automatic recoloring, branching, tooltip showcases and so on.

Code: Select all

        screen interactions_scene_prologue_01():
            $ interactions_amount = 0
            if not scene_prologue_01_observingbridge:
                $ interactions_amount += 1
                textbutton _("Examine the bridge.") action SetVariable("meta_image_single_left", "land_prologue_01"), SetVariable("meta_image_single_right", "place_prologue_bridge_01"), SetVariable("scene_prologue_01_picked", scene_prologue_01_picked+1), SetVariable("scene_prologue_01_observingbridge", 1), SetVariable("custom01", scene_prologue_01_observingbridge_description), SelectedIf(Jump("scene_prologue_01_choiceset"))
            if not scene_prologue_01_lookingattheothers:
                $ interactions_amount += 1
                textbutton _("Look at the others.") action SetVariable("meta_image_single_left", "land_prologue_01"), SetVariable("meta_image_single_right", "sprite_ziv_idle_01"), SetVariable("scene_prologue_01_picked", scene_prologue_01_picked+1), SetVariable("scene_prologue_01_lookingattheothers", 1), SetVariable("custom01", scene_prologue_01_lookingattheothers_description), SelectedIf(Jump("scene_prologue_01_choiceset"))
            if not scene_prologue_01_talkingtooctavian:
                $ interactions_amount += 1
                textbutton _("Speak with {color=#fffbe0}the guide{/color}."):
                    action SetVariable("meta_image_single_left", "place_prologue_bridge_01"), SetVariable("meta_image_single_right", "sprite_octavian_idle_01"), SetVariable("scene_prologue_01_picked", scene_prologue_01_picked+1), SetVariable("scene_prologue_01_talkingtooctavian", 1), SetVariable("custom01", scene_prologue_01_talkingtooctavian_description), SelectedIf(Jump("scene_prologue_01_octavian_choiceset"))
                    hovered SetVariable("choiceset_comment", "octavian"), Show("choiceset_comment_descriptions", transition=None)
                    unhovered SetVariable("choiceset_comment", 0), Hide("choiceset_comment_descriptions", transition=None)
            if not scene_prologue_01_observingnature:
                $ interactions_amount += 1
                textbutton _("Pay attention to the surroundings.") action SetVariable("meta_image_single_left", "place_prologue_bridge_01"), SetVariable("meta_image_single_right", "place_prologue_straightroad_01"), SetVariable("scene_prologue_01_picked", scene_prologue_01_picked+1), SetVariable("scene_prologue_01_observingnature", 1), SetVariable("custom01", scene_prologue_01_observingnature_description), SelectedIf(Jump("scene_prologue_01_choiceset"))
            if not scene_prologue_01_observingcargo:
                $ interactions_amount += 1
                textbutton _("Examine the cargo.") action SetVariable("meta_image_single_left", "land_prologue_01"), SetVariable("meta_image_single_right", "sprite_wagon_01"), SetVariable("scene_prologue_01_picked", scene_prologue_01_picked+1), SetVariable("scene_prologue_01_observingcargo", 1), SetVariable("custom01", scene_prologue_01_observingcargo_description), SelectedIf(Jump("scene_prologue_01_choiceset"))
            if interactions_amount >= scene_prologue_01_all:
                textbutton _("With no patience left, press on.") action SetVariable("custom01", ""), SelectedIf(Jump("scene_prologue_02"))
            elif interactions_amount:
                textbutton _("Join the rest of the expedition.") action SetVariable("custom01", ""), SelectedIf(Jump("scene_prologue_02"))
            else:
                textbutton _("The others give us annoyed looks.") action SetVariable("custom01", ""), SelectedIf(Jump("scene_prologue_02"))

However, because of this the game seems annoyed with the way how all of this happens mid-interaction, despite jumping to new labels and changing all sorts of variables. So if I have, for example, a set of textbuttons that involves 5 different player inputs, saving and loading the game rollbacks to the moment the "interaction" started - so before the 1st input occurred.

Therefore, the game fails to save correctly until the game leaves the current set offered by the screen and gets into actually a new "nvl" interaction.

I've been playing for hours with various ways to force renpy.restart_interaction , or ui.interact() , or adding functions to the textbuttons, or hiding and reshowing some screens. But I simply failed at everything.

Is there some sort of solution I'm missing?

[philat]

First of all, none of that should be in a screen - screens run multiple times for prediction and that will break horrendously.

I don't understand what you're trying to do based on your post (in an X/Y Problem sort of way). Can you explain, simply, what you are trying to do? What is the relation between these buttons and your normal nvl menu? It looks like these are simply textbuttons - why are normal nvl menu buttons not sufficient to you?

[Aureus]

Everything works - except for saving. I want the player to be able to pick a dialogue option, save the game, load the game, and not have the last dialogue option ignored by Ren'Py.

[Aureus]

Bump!

[m_from_space]

Is there some sort of solution I'm missing?

Your screen is kinda freaking me out, but since that's not the question, let's ignore it. I kinda also don't know what you're trying to do here.

I am not familiar with NVL, but if you open up a screen mid-interaction and want Renpy to save the changes made by interacting with the screen, you have to do the following:

Code: Select all

$ renpy.retain_after_load()
show screen interactions_scene_prologue_01

Here is the documentation for this: https://www.renpy.org/doc/html/save_loa ... after-load

On the other hand, if you want to create a checkpoint that Renpy can rollback to, use:

Code: Select all

$ renpy.checkpoint()

(https://www.renpy.org/doc/html/save_loa ... checkpoint)

[Aureus]

Thank you so much for your help! The first tool didn't work ("Exception: Cannot start an interaction in the middle of an interaction, without creating a new context."), but setting up the checkpoints seems to be working! It's going to save me a TON of trouble!

[jeffster]

Instead of using workarounds, it's much better to do a little separation of logic and presentation.
(In this case, separate a little the script and the screen).
Also it would solve problems with interactions and saving.
In a way, Ren'Py exists exactly for this purpose: to give us screens that can be used as UI instruments, not cluttered with logic:

Code: Select all

    interactions_amount = 0
label scene_prologue_01:
    call screen scene_prologue_01
    if _return == "Examine the bridge.":
        python:
            interactions_amount += 1
            meta_image_single_left = "land_prologue_01"
            meta_image_single_right = "place_prologue_bridge_01"
            scene_prologue_01_picked += 1
            scene_prologue_01_observingbridge = 1
            custom01 = scene_prologue_01_observingbridge_description
        jump scene_prologue_01

    elif _return == "Look at the others.":
        python:
            interactions_amount += 1
            meta_image_single_left = "land_prologue_01"
            meta_image_single_right = "sprite_ziv_idle_01"
            scene_prologue_01_picked += 1
            scene_prologue_01_lookingattheothers = 1
            custom01 = scene_prologue_01_lookingattheothers_description
        jump scene_prologue_01

    # And so on. Here you do the logic and either jump back to that screen,
    # or move on, depending on the conditions you set.
    # Likewise, here you can call other screens etc., and then return to the previous one or change something...

#######################

        screen scene_prologue_01():

            if not scene_prologue_01_observingbridge:
                textbutton _("Examine the bridge.") action Return("Examine the bridge.")

            if not scene_prologue_01_lookingattheothers:
                textbutton _("Look at the others.") action Return("Look at the others.")

            # And so on...

            # ...Additional menu opened on some conditions (like clicking a button):
            if some_dropdown_menu:
                vbox:
                    textbutton _("Something special 1") action Return("Something special 1")
                    textbutton _("Something special 2") action Return("Something special 2")

UI elements that take players to different "contexts" can be processed the same way: check _return and perform what they are supposed to do. E.g. change some parameters used to call this screen with various flairs.

[BrentBailey]

Thanks for helping me out as well.