Archive: 7 posts

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Have you ever wasted countless minutes trying to track down a random bug in your level? After fighting with a movie camera last night I concluded LBP badly needs a debug play mode. What this would do is provide a way to pause/un-pause normal game play, ex. option added to start menu that is available during debug play. When paused the thermo and all logic would be visible like in create mode w/preview off. You could zoom around (sans-sack who would stay put) to inspect microchips, touch checkpoints, global lighting components, etc. to activate them, etc. It would also be handy to have a new logic component specific to debug play mode that when triggered would auto-pause, like setting a breakpoint while debugging code. Currently to debug stuff, I build new logic with tags set to visible during play to indicate various failures, place temporary jet-packs to get around to inspect stuff, add teleporters to skip sections, etc. It can all be a real hassle, especially when you are stuck in a controllinator. Given how fiddly creating can be and the increasing complexity of some creations, I'd think this would be incredibly valuable.

2012-08-20 15:46:00 Author: fullofwin Posts: 1214

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Seems like it would be pretty. I'm not sure about movies since I have never made more then a 30 second cutscene but for logic in general it would be helpful for working out problems rather then trying to exam your work and trace through it in create mode.

2012-08-20 18:17:00 Author: Tynz21 Posts: 544

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Sounds like a great idea and a useful feature for most people. I can't say myself I'd use it too much because I usually test in create.. but in the case of testing a really long level only to discover an issue at the very end sounds frustrating. Kinda seems like this would be a "read only" test play feature. In that you could only see the components and why the issue occurred, but to actually change it would require you to go back into create. Otherwise it seems like it would confuse the saving of the level if you could edit within this debug test play mode.

2012-08-20 20:29:00 Author: Dortr Posts: 548

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Isn't that what preview mode is for?

2012-08-20 23:31:00 Author: Brannayen Posts: 438

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Isn't that what preview mode is for? No, not at all? Let?s say you are ?done? your level and it's time for some serious play testing to flush out the bugs before opening it up to the community. How do you do this? Do you enter create mode, un-pause and start playing?or do you go to play mode? I assume you use play mode? Imagine that while playing your level something un-expected occurs. All you can do now is switch to create and start scrutinizing the circuits you think might be the culprit. Imagine another scenario where a friend discovers a problem with your level. You join him/her in playing the level so that they may demonstrate the problem. Now imagine in both of the above scenarios simply being able to freeze the current state of the game and have a look around. It's not the same thing to debug sections of a level in create, sometimes a bug will only surface if all the proceeding logic has been triggered; there?s really no substitute for play mode to make sure you experience the exact same thing the player will. Having to modify the level in order to test it (that?s what you do when you un-pause/rewind create) doesn?t seem like a great idea. You?re pretty much begging a Mm code bug to pay you a visit?and being just one forgotten rewind from disaster doesn?t give me a warm fuzzy feeling either. When coming up with ideas or building contraptions I?ll work in a scratch level where I can un-pause/rewind without the possibility of messing up anything important, debug play mode doesn?t replace that. What we have today is a little like trying to debug a c program using printf?we need better debugging tools in our create arsenal. We also need a way to simulate 2-4 players with player stand-ins that you could maybe issue simple commands to, stay, follow, etc. This would help with load testing, testing multi-player cameras, etc. It amazes me that any group of 3 or 4 has ever completed one of my levels?

2012-08-21 14:02:00 Author: fullofwin Posts: 1214

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I totally agree, this would make an excellent addition. I've been making a complex level with lots of cutscene cameras and when an unknown error means the level won't play properly, the process of finding it through trial and error is arduous at best :/

2012-09-04 05:16:00 Author: Unknown User

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Very nice Idea! I have never got to the point of confusion yet... because I get too confused anyway, but I can fully understand how frustrating it must be for people who really push at the game

2012-09-06 10:41:00 Author: GribbleGrunger Posts: 3910

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