Can't save or continue games in Playtest after importing new sprites/ assets

[IndigoDreamsArt]

First of all, this is specific to MZ. I apologize, didn't see a specific place in Maker Specific for MZ so feel free to move this to the correct spot.

Now, my issue is this: I've imported sprites from outside of the engine, and loaded them over the default ones that come with the MZ generator. I can now start a new game with them, but if I attempt to save or load an old playthrough in the playtest, it comes up with an error saying "Failed to load: Character: samwalk.png". I assume this is because I have old files saved with the playtest using the default sprites.

So basically, I can only use the playtest from the beginning or wherever I start the character but can't save or load. I've given my game a complete makeover, with about 98% outside tilesets and walksprites so need to be testing my game. I am wondering if there is a way to reset the playtest so that I can do it using only the new assets/ actors being used, and save and continue, etc..

This is not a deployed version I am playing, by the way, it is only the playtest directly from the engine itself.

Thank you so much in advance for any help!

 

[bgillisp]

Yeah there is a MZ section too. I moved it there. Its under latest engines.

As for that issue, the old save will be looking for the old filenames. All you can really do is use new game when you make those kind of changes or replace the old file with something with the exact same name.

 

[IndigoDreamsArt]

Oh brother. I wish I'd had the foresight to see that being problematic. (I didn't.) I have numerous hours of game time, and can't really playtest different areas of the game due to level/ experience gains in other areas. But can't just play through without saving each time I need to check certain areas of it, too. Not to mention the hours to come as well as I build the game.

I went through and deleted a bunch of files, too, so have no idea what the old names were, I wouldn't know where to start with that.

Does anyone know if there's a way to manually reset the playtest itself so it only has the newest files in it, or, errrr something like that, because if not I'm in trouble, haha.

 

[Shaz]

Well, if you deleted the old files and created new ones with different names, the only way you're going to get the new names into the old saves is via a plugin written specifically for that purpose. But how is it going to know what the new name should be for each sprite that it can't find?


Unfortunately you're either going to have to go back to the sprites with the old names, or play through from the start again.

Don't suppose you have the old ones in the recycle bin still? Or that you made a backup or your project before starting such drastic changes?


And what is the talk about the generator? Adding new images to the generator (even replacing older images with new ones) has no effect on any of your projects - just the new projects that you add newly-generated sprites to.

 

[estriole]

Oh brother. I wish I'd had the foresight to see that being problematic. (I didn't.) I have numerous hours of game time, and can't really playtest different areas of the game due to level/ experience gains in other areas. But can't just play through without saving each time I need to check certain areas of it, too. Not to mention the hours to come as well as I build the game.

I went through and deleted a bunch of files, too, so have no idea what the old names were, I wouldn't know where to start with that.

Does anyone know if there's a way to manually reset the playtest itself so it only has the newest files in it, or, errrr something like that, because if not I'm in trouble, haha.

i don't think there's an easy way to fix your problem... it might be easier to restart play...

but you can try some bypass solution:
1. play game... when crash... see what the filename...
add placeholder 'blank' file with that name... play again... until not crashing anymore... then try moving from that map... hopefully the crash happen in that current map only... because it might still save the old map image path for the event etc (i'm not sure)... and when you transfer map... your game will load the new game data... then resave... (in other slot if possible)... then try deleting the placeholder image...

there's also possibility crash because you change certain actor sprite... then also create placeholder image... then make an event that change that actor image to the 'correct' new image

this method might be time consuming and might also left some potential crash in the future...
especially if you install plugin that change a lot of things...

2. set your project STARTING position in the place you want to resume... then create an event that give all the item you remember the party obtained in your old save file... FLIP all switch and self switch to that current story stage... SET all variable to that current story stage.... basically that event restore what happen in your old save file... then start new game and talk to the event... then save...

this method also time consuming because you might not remember what switch turned on... how many the value of variables... etc... you might potentially left something... but don't worry... you can always create an event in the actor position when you load... to fix it if you left some variable / switch...

i prefer no 2 approach btw...
hope this help...

 

[IndigoDreamsArt]

Well, if you deleted the old files and created new ones with different names, the only way you're going to get the new names into the old saves is via a plugin written specifically for that purpose. But how is it going to know what the new name should be for each sprite that it can't find?


Unfortunately you're either going to have to go back to the sprites with the old names, or play through from the start again.

Don't suppose you have the old ones in the recycle bin still? Or that you made a backup or your project before starting such drastic changes?


And what is the talk about the generator? Adding new images to the generator (even replacing older images with new ones) has no effect on any of your projects - just the new projects that you add newly-generated sprites to.

As far as the generator goes, I just meant that I am no longer using sprites made by the MZ generator, which is where this issue seems to come into play, e.g., I brought them from the outside of the engine. Sorry if that was poorly worded.

I certainly wouldn't mind playing from the beginning again, but it won't let me save my progress once I get to a certain point either, I still get the error code whenever I try to save the game.

As far as a backup, no, I didn't do anything like that because I'd read that many people start with the default material in RPG and kinda fill it out later with outside sprites/ tiles, and it didn't occur to me that they wouldn't automatically be updated in the playtest.

1. play game... when crash... see what the filename...
add placeholder 'blank' file with that name... play again... until not crashing anymore... then try moving from that map... hopefully the crash happen in that current map only... because it might still save the old map image path for the event etc (i'm not sure)... and when you transfer map... your game will load the new game data... then resave... (in other slot if possible)... then try deleting the placeholder image...

Hiya! Thanks for these ideas... As I mentioned to the other poster, I can play the game from the beginning, or at any place when I change starting position, and have tried many places, but it crashes every time that I try to save it no matter what I do. that's my issue. I would have no issue giving the game a playthrough again then saving, but I can't. I will attempt the other steps that you mentioned as well and see if there's a way to get by this.

I'm also wondering if at this point I could just copy and save all of these maps into a whole new game file, and "start over" but not until 100% of the new assets I will be using are in place, which most of them are at this point. Hmmm...

 

[Shaz]

I certainly wouldn't mind playing from the beginning again, but it won't let me save my progress once I get to a certain point either, I still get the error code whenever I try to save the game.

That's because it wants to show your existing saves on the save/load screen, and the images it wants to use there are also missing. Depending on whether you have a plugin to change the appearance of the save screen, it could be actor map sprites, actor faces, maybe some kind of background.

The easiest thing would be to just delete your old save files completely so there is nothing telling it to try and find the old images.

And if you still have more replacements, replace the old sprites with new sprites using the same names, and you shouldn't have the issue again.

 

[estriole]

As far as the generator goes, I just meant that I am no longer using sprites made by the MZ generator, which is where this issue seems to come into play, e.g., I brought them from the outside of the engine. Sorry if that was poorly worded.

I certainly wouldn't mind playing from the beginning again, but it won't let me save my progress once I get to a certain point either, I still get the error code whenever I try to save the game.

As far as a backup, no, I didn't do anything like that because I'd read that many people start with the default material in RPG and kinda fill it out later with outside sprites/ tiles, and it didn't occur to me that they wouldn't automatically be updated in the playtest.

Hiya! Thanks for these ideas... As I mentioned to the other poster, I can play the game from the beginning, or at any place when I change starting position, and have tried many places, but it crashes every time that I try to save it no matter what I do. that's my issue. I would have no issue giving the game a playthrough again then saving, but I can't. I will attempt the other steps that you mentioned as well and see if there's a way to get by this.

I'm also wondering if at this point I could just copy and save all of these maps into a whole new game file, and "start over" but not until 100% of the new assets I will be using are in place, which most of them are at this point. Hmmm...

Shaz above is right... since the crash encountered when you're saving the file... then the problem is in save scene... like Shaz said... your savefile in save scene might show something (either by default or by plugin) that the filename missing... you can delete the save file and the problem in the save scene when starting new game should not happen again in theory. .

hope this help.

 

[IndigoDreamsArt]

That's because it wants to show your existing saves on the save/load screen, and the images it wants to use there are also missing. Depending on whether you have a plugin to change the appearance of the save screen, it could be actor map sprites, actor faces, maybe some kind of background.

The easiest thing would be to just delete your old save files completely so there is nothing telling it to try and find the old images.

Do you mean the save files for the playtest? If so, I guess I'm wondering how to delete these, because I can't even get to save screen to delete them before it crashes with the error. The only option that seems to work is the "new game" or options. If you're talking about something else, I apologize.

I should also note, I can't use the exact same name as the files that I originally used, because in order to import them into MZ properly (the sprites specifically) I have to put a $ in front of them or only a fraction of the image appears when I put them into the sprite image slot. The generator characters I was using did not save automatically with this in front of them. Not that I can remember what the original name of many of these files was anyhow, haha.

 

[Shaz]

I'm wondering how to delete these, because I can't even get to save screen

Windows Explorer

The $ at the front of the name means you're only exporting a single character's sprite. If you put them into groups of 8, you don't need the $ at the front. But you'd need to make sure you had the same 8 characters in the same order on each sheet.

Basically, look at the spritesheet before you delete it, and remake each character that's shown, them put them together in the same format, and give it the same name.

 

[IndigoDreamsArt]

Ah, I see. Thank you. I will try looking for the files through Windows, so far not any luck locating it but will keep on it. Thank you

 

[Shaz]

In your game (in the editor) choose Game > Open Folder. There will be a folder in there called Save. All your save files are in there. Delete them all (even the one called global)