hello it´s me again!
i am stuck. whenever i try to load a map GG is loop-loading. i can start a new map but not load my project- also not older backup files. sometimes they opened but once i try to save standalone it get´s stuck again- or standalone crashes on load.

installed GG fresh 3 times into clean folder.
each time i verify cache it says files are missing...
i am out of ideas how to safe my project. what to do?
fresh windows installation?

It can be down to a dodgy entity like an X file or something

hey Bored of the Rings thank you - and yes it could be. i managed to open an old back-up and i am removing entities to see if it helps.
i have two entities in my list which i thought i had deleted but they are still on the list but can´t find them on the map. could be part of the problem...
how to find hidden entities?

i checked again and i have two light objects that are on the list but are not selectable ... and nowhere on the map. could that be the problem?

In the past to find an object, if I know the name of it, I would use a transportifused or transportinzone lua script in a trigger zone marker and it would take me to the object, I would press f9 in test game mode and then delete the object.

that is an excellent idea! i tried it and i got transported to a place - but on attempting to enter 3d editing it looped again. at least i know where one of the object is located.
also GG fails to validate two files each time i open the map - so it looks like the culprits are found- just hard to catch them.

thank you Bored of the Rings!
your hint was spot on and got me on the right track. i think i fixed it now.
deleted the items in question from my build - uninstalled GG, cleaned out the files and did not copy over the faulty entity files from my backup after reinstalling.
Two invisible lamps from the ww2 classic pack- which i myself messed up by trying to edit textures and then forgot about them.
two invisible evil lamps floating in the middle of Murmia ... but i deleted them for good. phew! hope that´s it now!

glad it worked and you got it sorted and I could be of some help.

arr afterall it must be something else.

GG keeps looping with my game maps - i can still load them for a while but eventually it gets stuck
when i try to exit edit mode or save a standalone. i can still load the vanilla maps that come with GG
could it be my custom collect-item-play-video script?
too many objects or lights?
no ideas atm - just uninstalled once again to make a new try....
any ideas very welcome

hmmm, difficult one that without having FPM. If you are ok to send me the FPM, I could take a look and see if it does the same for me, but understand if you don't want to. is it all stock media? I doubt it's the LUA script but you can send to me for analysis if you want. How many lights in the level?

hello i would be fine to send you the FPM - but it´s full of custom entities - little stock media.
after testing a bit more it´s probably not the script or the scripts- it used to work...

how many lights? ok... i have to count but it´s probably way to many and i have no static lights set...
until now i just plopped down lights quite willy nilly and never made any baking or such
actually i never really made much with lights except plopping them in and adjusting them.

hey and many thanks!!

Backup your original maps ..
then open one up with the issue and drag the lasso over say the left half the map and press DEL to delete a chunk.
Then test .. If it runs the issue is that side at least... the try pinning it down that way.
Its a bit long winded but its a good process of elimination and not as slow as you might think.

hey synchromesh - that sounds like a good plan- will do and catch the bugger!

this is the script i´m using to play video when an item is picked up

g_storyinzone_mode = {}

function collect_item_play_videomaggot_init(e)
g_storyinzone_mode[e] = 0

end
function collect_item_play_videomaggot_main(e)
local Ent = g_Entity[e]
PlayerDist = GetPlayerDistance(e)
if PlayerDist < 100 and g_PlayerHealth > 0 then
if video_ShowDecal ~= nil then
video_ShowDecal(Ent.x , Ent.y+ 20, Ent.z , g_PlayerAngX, g_PlayerAngY, g_PlayerAngZ,500)
end
PromptDuration("Press E to eat a fat maggot ",500)
if g_storyinzone_mode[e] ~= nil then
if g_storyinzone_mode[e] == 0 then
g_storyinzone_mode[e] = 1
HideHuds()

if radar_hideallsprites ~= nil then radar_hideallsprites() end
else
if g_storyinzone_mode[e] == 1 and g_KeyPressE == 1 then
PlaySound(e,0)
PlayVideo(e,1)
StopSound(e,0)
g_storyinzone_mode[e] = 2
Hide(e)
ActivateIfUsed(e)
else
if g_storyinzone_mode[e] == 2 then
if radar_showallsprites ~= nil then radar_showallsprites() end
ShowHuds()
PlaySound(e,2)
Destroy(e)

PromptDuration("you ate a fat maggot ",3000)
g_storyinzone_mode[e] = 3
end
end
end
end
end
end

another thing that might be the problem- i think i did some edit´s to ebe´s inside the map... probably not a good idea either.

Just be sure all the video and sounds are in the proper format and folders? Also, what is radar_hideallsprites(), a function? and have you checked it's error free?

BTW saying GG loops over and over is basically just what GG does with an error--
or in fact it usually locks up and is unresponsive- so what's the point of the reload?!
The error handling leaves something to be desired. In test mode, you always have
to shut down GG with Windows Task Manager and then restart it.

I noticed your steam report; and you must be sure to check your variables that are
global that they aren't being given a value in another script unexpectedly. It's a bit
tricky to balance global and local variables but use local whenever possible (if the
variable has no business outside that script).

the script works- and yes i have all the vids and sounds in the right format and they play also in standalone. i did not write it and i confess i have no clue about scripting.
i think radar_hideallsprites(), is to hide the item that is being picked up. or to hide the decal after its picked up?

sadly i cant even understand the last part of your reply.

Okay, maybe the scripts aren't the problem- but perhaps there's just this one
little part somewhere GG doesn't like!?
You could study up a little bit on lua and the built in GG functions.
I don't like to use anyone else's scripts unless I have complete understanding
of what they are doing-- in all aspects. In that manner- yes, I'm a control freak.
So even the most fabulous script-- if I need to modify it, but I can't read it- I don't like it!

it looks a bit like each time i implement the collect-item-play video script gg gets messed up. i can loads builds where i still do not have the script.
wish i would understand more about Lua and scripting but it is very hard for me.
i don´t mind using things that i do not fully understand but you are sure right it would be better...

have been making this game for a long time without any knowledge of coding- zero. it has been working quite well so far
as i do not use many scripts in my game.
just this one script is for a quite important feature in the game and i created a lot of media for it (small vids and soundfiles)
and bluemeenie195 kindly wrote it for me.

i think i found an old build that does not have the problem(s) yet- it loads and saves as standalone so far...
guess i re-work the game from there while making a lot of saves and backups and see what happens.

If you think the issue is with an ebe or other custom entity, you could rename the suspect folder e.g. with an underscore and then load the fpm . It will come up with missing media but might just eliminate the issue and or try synchro s way.

still unsure what actually caused the problem. the level is not very big but it has many details. alot that can go wrong.
i have a lot of old back-ups with consecutive versions of my level- so i went to an older one and it seems free of whatever causes the error.

not sure about ebe´s but i read somewhere that it can cause conflicts if they are edited inside the level (?) which i did here and there in later versions of my level. i use quite a number of ebe´s - big and small and i always found missing cubes or something and started editing them in level out of laziness and because it seemed to not cause trouble.

could it be an accumulation of small issues piled up? lol i feel like a toddler playing with grown up toys

yeah Gubby Blips is right - would probably be better if i actually knew what i am doing...
but well i got to work with what i have and my brain does not process complex systems and logic very well.
i get totally caught up in the visuals and the story side of things and neglect the technical side - often out of ignorance and laziness.

if it wasnt for you guys i would have given up long ago.
but i wont. Not so near to finish - if i have to rebuild it all again from scratch- so be it.

wav files to be played with video have to be mono?
could a stereo file cause an error?? i might have slipped in some stereo files

"once i try to save standalone it get´s stuck again- or standalone crashes on load."
@beanz , if you sent me a download link to your standalone that crash, i will check what the problem is the next time we do a classic bug fix round
email: plemsoft@plemsoft.com

hey Preben- thank you so much that is very kind! i just sent you an e-mail.