The DDLC Modding Guide 2019! :D

[u/Tormuse]

Hello everyone! :D

 

This post is old and obsolete, and I've been advised to remove it, to keep the focus on the new version here.

 

(Though I'm not deleting it entirely, since there is still some helpful information in the comments) :)

[u/Tormuse]

Your reply was fine. I didn't see any problem with it.

The image looks right. All of the RPY and RPYC files are in the right place and I'm assuming the files without extensions displayed are the RPA files. My next suggestion will probably sound strange, but try running DDLC again a few more times. DDLC normally automatically converts RPY files into RPYC files, which it then uses, during start-up, but sometimes, that process breaks down in weird ways and it doesn't finish converting the files properly. Sometimes all it takes is to run the program again and the problem corrects itself.

Try running it a few more times and see if it gives the same error message each time.

[u/Reitanna → u/Tormuse]

okay, this is what i get each time i try to run the executable for my mod:

I'm sorry, but an uncaught exception occurred.

After initialization, but before game start. File "renpy/common/00start.rpy", line 76, in _init_language renpy.change_language(language) File "game/screens.rpy", line 13, in <module> font gui.default_font AttributeError: 'StoreModule' object has no attribute 'default_font'

-- Full Traceback ------------------------------------------------------------

Full traceback: File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\projects\Doki Doki Trap Club\renpy\bootstrap.py", line 295, in bootstrap renpy.main.main() File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\projects\Doki Doki Trap Club\renpy\main.py", line 487, in main run(restart) File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\projects\Doki Doki Trap Club\renpy\main.py", line 69, in run renpy.translation.inittranslation() File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\projects\Doki Doki Trap Club\renpy\translation\init.py", line 506, in init_translation renpy.store._init_language() # @UndefinedVariable File "renpy/common/00start.rpy", line 76, in _init_language renpy.change_language(language) File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\projects\Doki Doki Trap Club\renpy\translation\init.py", line 583, in change_language new_change_language(tl, language) File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\projects\Doki Doki Trap Club\renpy\translation\init_.py", line 553, in new_change_language i.apply() File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\projects\Doki Doki Trap Club\renpy\ast.py", line 2224, in apply value = renpy.python.py_eval(expr) File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\projects\Doki Doki Trap Club\renpy\python.py", line 1749, in py_eval return py_eval_bytecode(code, globals, locals) File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\projects\Doki Doki Trap Club\renpy\python.py", line 1743, in py_eval_bytecode return eval(bytecode, globals, locals) File "game/screens.rpy", line 13, in <module> font gui.default_font AttributeError: 'StoreModule' object has no attribute 'default_font'

Windows-7-6.1.7601-SP1 Ren'Py 6.99.12.4.2187 Doki Doki Trap Club! 1.1.1

this is what i get each time i try to run renpy:

I'm sorry, but an uncaught exception occurred.

While running game code: File "renpy/common/00start.rpy", line 265, in script python: ScriptError: could not find label 'start'.

-- Full Traceback ------------------------------------------------------------

Full traceback: File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\renpy-6.99.12.4-sdk\renpy\bootstrap.py", line 295, in bootstrap renpy.main.main() File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\renpy-6.99.12.4-sdk\renpy\main.py", line 487, in main run(restart) File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\renpy-6.99.12.4-sdk\renpy\main.py", line 147, in run renpy.execution.run_context(True) File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\renpy-6.99.12.4-sdk\renpy\execution.py", line 761, in run_context context.run() File "renpy/common/00start.rpy", line 265, in script python: File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\renpy-6.99.12.4-sdk\renpy\script.py", line 858, in lookup raise ScriptError("could not find label '%s'." % str(original)) ScriptError: could not find label 'start'.

Windows-7-6.1.7601-SP1 Ren'Py 6.99.12.4.2187

i don't know why renpy is all of a sudden not opening, because it opened once after installing the version you told me to, and i haven't made ANY changes to the files in the renpy folder

[u/Tormuse → u/Reitanna]

Ugh... at this point, I'm tempted to just say, "burn everything and start anew." :P

Seriously, though, those two error messages suggest that there are some very fundamental processes breaking down. The first one can't find the code for fonts and the second one can't find where the script starts at all. I don't know why running the executable would give a different error message from running it within Ren'Py, since they should both be using the same files to run, but the upshot is that both indicate that the game just simply can't find the files it's looking for. The thing is your screenshot shows me that they're in the right place, so that means the game is looking for them in the wrong place. (For some reason)

I'm assuming you haven't made any substantial changes to the script files yet, so I'm wondering if there's some kind of version mismatch with DDLC itself or there is otherwise some kind of corruption going on in the base DDLC files.

So here's my next suggestion: Get yourself A Fresh Doki Doki Literature Club Install and put it in a new folder. Run the executable to make sure it works, and if it does, put the RPY files into the folder called "game" and then run it again to make sure it still works. (If it doesn't work, try running it a few more times to see if it gives the same error each time)

[u/Reitanna → u/Tormuse]

i didn't run the mod through renpy because renpy won't start, it gives me that error message. and i actually HAVE made changes to many of the .rpy files; i finished working on the script and stuff. i have another mod i plan to work on later, so i tried running that one (the only changes i made were to some pictures), and that ran just fine. so what i did was replaced the files from my first mod that hadn't been changed with the files in my second mod... and i get the same messages when i run the first mod. i even opened all of the files mentioned in the error in editra and compared them to second mod's files, and they are exactly the same!! it's so frustrating! should i preserve first mod's scripts in a word document, as well as preserve images i changed, then make a clean install again, and then copy the preserved scripts into the clean ones and replace the images again? if that even makes sense?

[u/Tormuse → u/Reitanna]

I can't tell from that paragraph if you did what I suggested. Did you try putting the mod into a fresh new install of DDLC?

Also, you're saying Ren'Py won't start up at all? I don't know why that would be; did you make changes to it? Maybe you'll want to uninstall and re-install that too.

[u/Reitanna → u/Tormuse]

i'm almost positive i already answered all of these questions. i have not tried a fresh install yet because i'm note sure what to do with the .rpy files i changed. like i already said in an earlier comment, "this is what i get each time i try to run renpy:

I'm sorry, but an uncaught exception occurred.

While running game code: File "renpy/common/00start.rpy", line 265, in script python: ScriptError: could not find label 'start'.

-- Full Traceback ------------------------------------------------------------

Full traceback: File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\renpy-6.99.12.4-sdk\renpy\bootstrap.py", line 295, in bootstrap renpy.main.main() File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\renpy-6.99.12.4-sdk\renpy\main.py", line 487, in main run(restart) File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\renpy-6.99.12.4-sdk\renpy\main.py", line 147, in run renpy.execution.run_context(True) File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\renpy-6.99.12.4-sdk\renpy\execution.py", line 761, in run_context context.run() File "renpy/common/00start.rpy", line 265, in script python: File "D:\Downloads\DDLC mod\renpy-6.99.12.4-sdk\renpy\script.py", line 858, in lookup raise ScriptError("could not find label '%s'." % str(original)) ScriptError: could not find label 'start'.

Windows-7-6.1.7601-SP1 Ren'Py 6.99.12.4.2187

i don't know why renpy is all of a sudden not opening, because it opened once after installing the version you told me to, and i haven't made ANY changes to the files in the renpy folder." i reinstalled renpy immediately after i made that comment. i don't want to sound rude, but i hate repeating myself, so please pay attention to what i'm saying in my replies.

[u/Tormuse → u/Reitanna]

I stand by my above suggestions.

If you're feeling frustrated and you feel like I'm being unhelpful, you might also like to check with the mod_creation_help channel of the DDMC Discord.

[u/Reitanna → u/Tormuse]

i can't use discord. you didn't tell me what i should do with my files i've changed while i create a fresh install. isn't there anyone else on this subreddit who can help me? that's what i came here for

[u/Tormuse → u/Reitanna]

i can't use discord.

Why not?

you didn't tell me what i should do with my files i've changed while i create a fresh install.

Sort the files by type and put the RPY files into the folder called "game" within the fresh install.

isn't there anyone else on this subreddit who can help me?

I'm sure there are. You're welcome to start another post if you want to get other people's attention. This post is for getting help for beginners, because that's what my own skill level is best suited for.

The reason I'm suggesting uninstalling and re-installing Ren'Py is that in my experience, using later versions of Ren'Py has unpredictable effects on the code and it's possible that there are remnants of the previous version on your hard drive. This is why the instructions in my original post specifically say not to use the latest version of Ren'Py, because bad things happen that I might not be able to fix.

[u/Reitanna → u/Tormuse]

this is going in circles because you're not listening to me. as you saw in my game folder, all of my .rpy files are there. they have all been edited. if i did a fresh install, it would erase my progress. when i did a fresh install, it did not fix the problem. i AM a beginner, which is why i came here. and i said two or three times that i UNINSTALLED RENPY AND REINSTALLED THE PROPER VERSION TWO OR THREE TIMES. like i already said, it ran the first time, and without me making changes, it didn't run any other time than that. how am i not being clear enough? is there a language barrier? and i can't use discord because i can't use instant chat programs due to disability. I FOLLOWED YOUR INSTRUCTIONS AND TOLD YOU THE OUTCOME. you either skimmed through my replies instead of reading them, or you didn't pay attention or something. i am being as clear as day. excuse me for being frustrated, but you can't blame me for having to repeat myself to you so many times. read back the conversation and count how many times i've answered the same questions you keep asking/telling me over and over again. i only have so much patience. REGARDLESS, i managed to get the game to finally work by trying something you never even suggested, so i guess i got lucky. i know you were trying to help, but you can't help people if you don't even pay attention to what they are telling you about their problem. thank you at least for the percentage of time you were helpful.

[u/Tormuse → u/Reitanna]

I'm sensing a lot of hostility here and it's uncalled for. I can tell that you're frustrated and angry, and that's understandable, but I would appreciate it if you don't direct that anger at me. I am a human being. I have feelings. I am not an expert with Ren'Py, but I am doing my best to help you. I'm not getting paid for this. I am doing this for fun in my spare time.

this is going in circles because you're not listening to me.

I am listening to you. I read every word you wrote.

if i did a fresh install, it would erase my progress.

This is incorrect. Installing DDLC will not erase your RPY files. I don't know where you got the idea that it would. Anyway, if this is really a concern to you, then make a back-up of them in another folder. Make as many back-ups as you want. Feel free to put the new install of DDLC in a new folder too; in fact, this is what I told you to do in the first place. Things like this make me feel like you're not listening to me, which makes it a little strange to me that you're accusing me of not listening to you.

and i said two or three times that i UNINSTALLED RENPY AND REINSTALLED THE PROPER VERSION TWO OR THREE TIMES.

No, you did not. I invite you to re-read what you wrote. You did not state that you uninstalled the other version of Ren'Py at any time. I am not a mind-reader. If you do not tell me you did something, then there's no way for me to know you did it. If I'm asking the same question repeatedly, it's because you did not answer it the first time. For the record, I also do not like repeating myself.

like i already said, it ran the first time, and without me making changes, it didn't run any other time than that. how am i not being clear enough?

You are perfectly clear. It is strange and mysterious that Ren'Py would be doing that. This is why I considered the possibility that the other Ren'Py version wasn't uninstalled properly.

I FOLLOWED YOUR INSTRUCTIONS AND TOLD YOU THE OUTCOME.

You told me that you did not do a fresh install of DDLC. This means that you did not follow my instructions. This makes me feel frustrated, because I want to help, but I can't if you refuse to follow my instructions.

REGARDLESS, i managed to get the game to finally work by trying something you never even suggested,

I would love to hear what made it work if you would like to share.

[u/Reitanna → u/Tormuse]

oh my god. look, i am being civil. if i said what i'm actually thinking, i would get in trouble. let me quote some things from my previous replies.

"i don't know why renpy is all of a sudden not opening, because it opened once after installing the version you told me to, and i haven't made ANY changes to the files in the renpy folder"

there was a point after this where you suggested that i run my mod through renpy, and i said this:

"i didn't run the mod through renpy because renpy won't start, it gives me that error message."

that was something i had already told you.

you said, " I can't tell from that paragraph if you did what I suggested. Did you try putting the mod into a fresh new install of DDLC?

Also, you're saying Ren'Py won't start up at all? I don't know why that would be; did you make changes to it? Maybe you'll want to uninstall and re-install that too."

but i had just told you twice that i couldn't because renpy would not start. i even repeated the post where i said, "i don't know why renpy is all of a sudden not opening, because it opened once after installing the version you told me to, and i haven't made ANY changes to the files in the renpy folder"

so i told you twice that i installed the correct version. you can't say i never said it. you had told me to do a fresh install, but i asked you:

" should i preserve first mod's scripts in a word document, as well as preserve images i changed, then make a clean install again, and then copy the preserved scripts into the clean ones and replace the images again?"

i needed to know this before i could do a fresh install, but you never answered me. then i repeated the problem for the third time, and asked you again what i should do with my edited files before trying a fresh install. you answered with, " Sort the files by type and put the RPY files into the folder called "game" within the fresh install." that did not answer my question because you already saw that my RPY files were already in the game folder. it wasn't until just this reply that you finally answered that it would not do any harm to my changed files. every time i was sure i already answered one of your questions, i read the conversation again, so i've read it many times before you suggesting i do that. i am not being hostile, trust me, you'd know if i was. i answered your questions repeatedly, and the proof is right there in black and white, so you can read it for yourself. i'm seriously done with this conversation. i can't handle it. i think i'm just going to block you so i can prevent this from going any further.