Why aren't error messages more explicit?

johnno56

I have just started using Twine2 and spent the last 2 hours setting up a story on an 8x8 grid of rooms.

All the rooms have one or two word 'title' : ie: secret room. all the rooms have had all available directions added. A 'start' room has been defined. At the moment none of the 64 rooms have a description (not sure if THIS is the problem) and just wanted to test the map.

Pressed play and was immediately given a completely useless error message, "An error occurred while publishing your story. ()"

I can understand that I have done something wrong, but not being informed of the location of the error, is very frustrating. How am I supposed to correct the fault if I do not know what the fault is? I feel a though the last two hours have been a complete waste of time.

J

greyelf

You need to state which Story Format you are using when you ask a question, as answers can be different for each one.

Can you use the Archive option to export your Story and upload it so that someone can take a look at it to see if they can determine the issue?

johnno56

My point is that, the error message is so useless, I cannot figure out the problem myself. I wasn't asking for someone else to fix it. I want to fix it by myself. I could probably do that "IF" the error system was more informative. I wasn't asking for my story to be fixed. I was asking why the error message system isn't more explicit. I appreciate your offer to help fix my story. But please try to answer my question?

J

greyelf

The problem is that the error message may of been generated by the Twine 2 Application or it may of been generated by the selected Story Format, without knowing exactly what caused the error it is hard to say which component (the Twine Application or the Story Format) is not supplying enough detail or which developer (Twine's or the select Story Format's) needs to be informed.

johnno56

As I stated from the beginning, this is my first attempt, at using T2. I know absolutely nothing about Story Formats or which application is generating the error. I even thought it was the number of rooms. I reduced it down to 3 rooms with the same error. All I did was to start Twine; Selected '+story'; A grid is displayed; and started adding 'passages'. I was not asked to select a 'story format'. An empty 'passage' is placed on he grid for the purpose of editing and adding more 'passages'. Ok. How to I send you my 'stories'? I will send both the 64 room and the 3 room. If you guys then have to examine the stories to find the error, how does that help someone like me who has no clue as to what the error is? What do you need from me?

johnno56

I will attach the archived file of the stories. I hope that this will be enough.

johnno56

Also, just for giggles, I went to http://twinery.org/wiki/twine2:how_to_create_your_first_story and entered 'exactly' everything the wiki mentioned. You will never guess what happened when the 'play' button was pressed... same error.. One room. By the book...

greyelf

The Twine 2 application uses the Harlowe story format by default.
The story format you use defines the basic look of your story, the syntax of it's macro language, the default list of macros available, the basic HTML structure / core CSS of your story, and the default features available to the Author.

I downloaded your archive and tested both stories using the hosted release of Twine 2 in Firefox/Chrome/Edge/IE on Windows 10 and they both worked correctly when using the Test or Play options. I did the same tests on the installable release of Twine 2 and they also worked correctly.

What Operating System (brand, version, edition, 32/64bit) do you use?

If you used the hosted release of Twine 2 then which web-browser (brand, version, 32/64bit) did you use to access the application?

If you used the installable release of Twine 2 then was it the 32 or 64bit version?

johnno56

Greyelf, you have struck the nail on the head!! I use Linux Mint 17.2 (64 bit). I had just fired up my wife's 64bit Win7 machine, and just as you experienced, everything ran as it should.... It appears there maybe a problem with either my machine or the 64 bit version of T2. I have the 64 bit version installed on both machines.

johnno56

... oh forgot to mention ... we both use google chrome ...

stray

I also got this error on 64-bit Linux with Twine 2.0.10. But Twine 2.0.8 and 2.0.11 work fine on my system.

johnno56

stray. Thank you sooo much. I thought I was going nuts trying to figure this out. Both my wife's win7/64 and my Linux MInt/64 are running with 2.0.10

As I have not used Twine before, when and if you get any errors, do the error message make any sense? Just curious... lol

J

greyelf

@johnno56
Version 2.0.11 is the latest version of the installable release of Twine 2 and you should think about upgrading to it, besides the fixes/enhancements to the application itself the Harlowe story format has also been updated.

stray

>As I have not used Twine before, when and if you get any errors, do the error message make any sense?

Nope. It uses CSS after all : )

johnno56

I went back as far as version 7 (7, 9 and 10) and none of them worked. Downloaded version 11 and it ran like clockwork. No errors. No confusion. No. worries. All smiles here!!! Many thanks for your help. Now to get the grey matter working on a reasonable story...

klembot

Version 2.0.11 fixed several problems on Linux -- see this bug for exact details. No, the error message in this case wasn't helpful.

In general, I recommend always using the latest version of Twine. The 2.0.x releases are intended to be backward compatible with each other, so you should not run into any trouble using the latest.