Need help fixing Quack's chatter messages

[Meyst]

I've been searching all forums and looking into scripting myself, to no avail.
Because I need speechbubbles to display above events while my hero can still move, I installed Quack's chatter message script and Yami's pop Message script; I also installed other scripts to get it working properly as well as a fix for a saving incompatibility (links below).

I first encountered this issue (somehow minor), but now I'm experiencing a bug that crashes the game.

Context:

• I setup my initial cinematic for the game:
  • Hero transparent, that I teleport on maps in specific order for the various scenes
  • 1 event on each map, moving characters and using the chatter message feature, before teleporting the hero again
  • It actually works wonders!

Problem:

• After 3 scenes, I teleport the hero back to the first scene
• An event triggers a chatter message
• Game crashes:
  Script 'Chatter' line 604: NoMethodError occured.
  undefined method 'screen_y' for nil:NilClass

More info:

• the event on which I want the chatter message exists from the first time the map is displayed (like all other working events)
• everything is setup exactly as the rest of the chatter messages I'm using in that map / all other maps
• I tried creating another event to display the chatter, same outcome
• the new event triggering on that map is active because of a switch i'm switching on before transitioning to that map; the first event called on that map, in the very begining of the cinematic, is also deactivated due to that same switch being turned "on"

Clues:

• Opening the menu and closing it during the transition will fix the issue. The chatter message works perfectly fine if I do so. (Also works with fiddling into the menu, ie if I save)
• Loading a saved file from during the transition will also remove the issue.
• I believe, from my very noobish level in scripting, that the placement of windows or something in their disposal does not work properly, and by calling the menu, it gets disposed properly before triggering the chatter, making it work.
• I have no clue why this bug should appear only in that map, while it worked before on other events in that same map and other maps.
• Initially when working on the cinematic in that stage, I hadn't the switch deactivating the first event; the bug didn't occur when testing. The bug occurs only since I deactivated the first part of the cinematic, in that map.

Thanks to anyone in advance for helping me eventually. If I can't find a way to fix it, I will consider commissioning a script.


Links to installed scripts:
Yami's Basic Module
Ace Message System
Yami's Pop message
Quack's Chatter messages
Fix for Save incompatibility

 

[Roninator2]

Are you able to put in a backtracer and show the console output of that when the crash occurs?
Is sounds like something with the chatter is not getting cleared out (maybe disposed when not supposed to be) in order for it to recreate it, or the chatter is created then disposed for the cinematic, then it tries to update it. It could be as simple as reworking you event commands.
The easiest way to find out is make a demo with the issues and share that for us to quickly work through the scenario.

 

[Meyst]

Hi Roninator,

tl:dr: I didn't fix it but found a workaround.

Sorry for the delay. I tried to implement a debug but the console would never show anything upon crash; Maybe I should write something in the console?
I have been reading about the error message and its potential causes; here is my train of thoughts.

1/ line 604 is pointed by the error message
"self.y = character.screen_y + @oy - self.height + YSE:OP_MESSAGE:OSITION[:y_buffer]"

The undefined method is screen.y but reading online, it seems that it's because "character" is not properly defined?

2/ the 2 lines before that are:

• hash = @event_pop_follower ? $game_player.followers : $game_map.events
• character = hash[@event_pop_id]

"character" is a hash of event id (according to Yami's pop message script: @event_pop_id = event_id)
(also: the link to Yami's pop message script seems broken in my post, here is another one)

3/ I found on some code website that the hash itself might be the issue, because it might have entries that are empty (meaning, not enough event id on the map)

4/ So I tried... placing empty events on the map. It actually solved it (at least, that's a workaround that has 0% reproduction of the bug, so far).

I would prefer an actual fix, but at least I can move on with prototyping my game for now.

 

[Roninator2]

the console would never show anything upon crash;

Then you don't have a backtracer installed.
There is also Mithran Global Object Graphical Reference script that gives errors and is useful for finding memory leaks.

 

[Meyst]

Mithran's GOG is actually the one script I have installed.
I also have the console running aside from the game, upon crash I just get
[]
in it. What should I do, is it due to the script not being made for this type of error?

 

[Roninator2]

If you have Mithran's script then you may have a gobj.txt file in your project.
So then what backtracer do you have installed?

SES Backtrace (Print full error backtrace, optionally capture all exceptions.)

SES Backtrace v1.3 by Solistra Summary This script provides the missing full error backtrace for RGSS3 as well as a number of features related to exception handling for debugging. Normally, the error message given when an exception is encountered provides only the exception information...

forums.rpgmakerweb.com

The backtracer should show errors, but it's not 100%. the GOBJ should show all memory errors.

 

[Meyst]

I installed the script that you pointed at; upon encountering the issue I got the following result:

"Chatter" refers to the Addon script that is pointed at in the error;
"YEA" is Yami's Message system (not the popup message script, another one that acts as a base, that I refered in my initial post as ace Message system)
Window_message is the vanilla script.

I also just checked and looked for the gobj file you mentioned and found it (I didn't know this existed??)
Here is the result from yesterday evening (not sure if it's the same error)

Time: 2022-09-20 19:57:00 +0200
Memory Leak #<Window_Map_Popup:0x10bf2d08>
In Scene Scene_Map
Creation Stack::
Script 0143 -- Pop Up Item Message, Line: 181:in `mostra_popup'
Script 0143 -- Pop Up Item Message, Line: 130:in `show'
Script 0143 -- Pop Up Item Message, Line: 363:in `gain_item'
Script 0149 -- NEW item Indicator, Line: 119:in `gain_item'
Script 0040 -- Game_Interpreter, Line: 683:in `command_126'
Script 0040 -- Game_Interpreter, Line: 197:in `execute_command'
Script 0040 -- Game_Interpreter, Line: 103:in `run'
Script 0040 -- Game_Interpreter, Line: 60:in `block in create_fiber'

EDIT: the 2 scripts named in that gobj doc are different and relate to a pop up whenever the player picks up an item

 

[Roninator2]

"Chatter" refers to the Addon script that is pointed at in the error;
"YEA" is Yami's Message system (not the popup message script, another one that acts as a base, that I refered in my initial post as ace Message system)
Window_message is the vanilla script.

I will need a demo with the issue.
I was having issues myself, but went to copy the script from github again and now everything works.

For the memory leaks is that vlue item pop script?
Yes it has several memory leaks.
I've been able to fix them for my project.
If thats the script, I can send you my code.