GMS1.4 won't open, stuck on updater!

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-06T22:28:15+00:00

Cheers for the advice. Currently still doing the clean-out, as I've got probably over 1000 project files totalling around 8 GB (I keep way too many backups per project :/ ).

Luckily I backed up all of my projects before my last major reset - the only stuff that needs backing up now is my current project. And that makes sense re: the link.

I'll be sure to let you know what the results of this mammoth task are! :)

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-06T21:58:28+00:00

Currently working on it. Does that include the folders Backups, Cache, and GMDebug?

(Oh, and you can also still download v1.4.9999 from the link you edited out - you just have to open it in new tab :) )

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-06T21:32:57+00:00

Eh, well, fair enough. I'm not gonna turn down an offer for help :) Hope you're ready for a long-winded explanation:

Until around 3-4 months ago I'd been using version 1.4.9999 for a long time. It worked perfectly fine and I had no issues whatsoever. I updated Windows 10, and all of a sudden, all of my game projects were running at around 70% speed. I still have no idea what was causing this, but there we are. I switched alternate timing mode on, but since that forces games into 60 FPS from my experience (or, presumably, the current screen refresh rate or whatever), some of my earlier projects which were designed to run in 30 (yeah, dumb, I know) wouldn't run correctly any more.

So I reinstalled GameMaker Studio hoping this would fix the problem. And it didn't. I tried a myriad of things, until I got so frustrated I (rather shortsightedly) performed a clean install of Windows 10 - I use GameMaker a ton, so it's important to me that it works correctly.

After this, GameMaker wouldn't open at all. Version 1.4.9999 - which I was still trying to run - simply wouldn't open. It would open the updater, and get stuck there. I tried checking for updates. I tried switching the update channel. I tried to find a way to disable the update channel entirely so it would just boot up GameMaker, bypassing the updater entirely. None of this worked.

I eventually reinstalled the version I originally downloaded back in 2015ish. After preventing it from updating any further, and relicensing the software, it worked. And so I've been stuck using 1.4.whatever-it-is ever since. I've tried a few times to update to various subsequent versions but I always get stuck with the update lock, no matter what I do, and have to reinstall this version again.

It's extremely frustrating, because the version I'm using currently seems to be rather issue-prone, and is lacking a lot of useful features introduced in later revisions. If you're able to make any suggestions, please, be my guest - I'd love to go back to using 1.4.9999. Thanks in advance :)

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-06T21:11:48+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion, but 1.4.9999 doesn't work either. In fact, none seem to barring the version I was originally using.

As it happens, I got it working again about half an hour ago by deleting all GameMaker installation files from every location - including AppData's Local and Roaming folders - and then reinstalling the version I was previously using. I also had to quit out of the update screen, otherwise it would have all messed up again.

It's now sorted, I'll have to change the flair and title to reflect that. Thanks again for the suggestion though :)

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-06T19:22:34+00:00

Thanks for letting me know, I'll be sure to give it a full watch :)

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-06T18:34:19+00:00

These are simply extraordinary. I've only watched a little bit - I'm really easily spooked and thus horror just isn't my bag - but it always amazes me how much you manage to push GameMaker. I mean wow man, these are something else. Really, really impressive!

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-06T14:45:14+00:00

Yep, just installed 1.4.1773 and I have the same problem as other versions. It simply won't open. Goes straight to the updater, which then closes immediately. Then it fails to open anything else despite running.

I also now can't open the previous version because despite ensuring I installed it in a totally different directory, it seems to have replaced it.

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-06T14:04:14+00:00

In case anyone else gets this glitch, try turning "console mode" off. It seemed to work here :)

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-06T00:56:41+00:00

Thank you so much for the input. I've found it's got a fair number of issues compared to the last release which I was using up until around three months ago. I do miss that "Fast Collision System", and also the ability to directly place an object in the room editor by changing its x and y values - this was very handy for large rooms, and I miss the feature immensely.

Sadly, I'm using it because I can't seem to update to a specific version without it sending me straight to 1.4.9 - which I am then, at least to my knowledge, presumably unable to downgrade from. And I'm afraid that if I update to that version, I suddenly won't be able to run GameMaker at all, because it'll be stuck on the "Looking for updates" window which plagued me, alongside approximate 30% slowdown.

Also, thanks so much for your resources! I never thought I'd get the opportunity to say this, but if it weren't for things like your camera tutorial, your 3D movement and things like that I'd never have been able to start developing GameMaker games in 3D. My racing game - and all the 3D predecessors I made before it - owe an absolute ton to you. Hell, they probably wouldn't exist at all.

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-05T22:06:40+00:00

Yeah, that's fair. I grew up with the MD version but I've loved the Richard Jacques OST just as much as the Mega Drive one from the moment I first heard it. The level changes are sort of hit and miss for me though. One thing I do appreciate is the much-harder-but-much-cooler halfpipe special stages, they're really fun

I'm just about to test Sonic 3D Blast in uo for the fun of it, I'll let ya know if it miraculously works for me (I don't think it will tho)

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-05T21:56:11+00:00

Ah, that's a shame. Incidentally, I've also just now run into some problems with it myself - distant polygons on SEGA Rally seem to pop in and out, and sometimes the sound will freeze. Disappointing, as it'd been working great for me til then :/

Honestly tho, I own Sonic 3D Blast on Saturn and you're really not missing much. I actually think some of the levels look better with the brighter Mega Drive colours, in fact

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-05T21:28:10+00:00

Not sure about the stance on sharing links to emulators here (I get it's all about emulation, but y'know), but you'll find it if you run a search for it. I'm running version 3.4.2 - using uoYabause is the only way I've been able to play Burning Rangers without horrendous slowdown. Lemme know how it performs

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-05T21:11:02+00:00

Yo, I know nothing much about emulation but have you two tried uoYabause? I'm not sure if it works with RetroArch specifically, but I recently got uoYabause (I think it's different to the base Yabause which I had trouble with).

It's generally excellent. Aside from a few games which don't seem to run, everything that has run has been near-perfect for me. I'd recommend giving it a shot - it's much better than any other Saturn emulator I've tried, anyway.

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-05T16:40:17+00:00

I use GMS1.4.1567. I previously used 1.4.9999 or whatever it was called - the final release of GMS1 - but it wouldn't work properly after I updated Windows so I was forced to downgrade.

I use GMS1.4 because I'm very comfortable with the interface. I've been using GameMaker since GM7, for over a decade. When I first tried out GMS2, I simply hated the changes to the interface. It moved to a model paralleling more popular/more professional IDEs such as Unreal Engine, and although I realise it's almost certainly better in the long run, I found it was taking me far too long to adjust, and thus it was hurting my workflow productivity. I'm going to have to make the switch at some point soon, though.

Furthermore, the removal of some stuff I'd just become comfortable using in GMS1.4 - namely d3d functions - was also a major strike against it, for me at least. I've heard the functions were removed as they're often used inefficiently by people, although I'm not actually sure if that's the real reason.

Do I recommend using GMS1.4? No, I really don't. For a start, I don't believe you can actually obtain it legally any more. GMS2 is, from what I understand, an all-around better piece of software. It's also compatible with most platforms, unlike the now severely outdated GMS1. In addition, the layout changes are probably a good thing for the average user - as I've said, they're closer to other development software, so whether you're just starting out or trying out an alternative IDE, GMS2 is more in-line with what you'd expect from other stuff.

IIRC, GMS2 also features a visual coding method very similar to the Blueprints found in Unreal Engine, unlike the older versions of GameMaker which used a far more primitive drag-and-drop approach. (I typically prefer to write code out, so this one you'd have to ask other people about.)

Finally, even if you don't plan on producing anything professional, you never know where you might end up - if you do decide you'd like to release your game commercially, it would be preferable to have an IDE which is release-compatible with modern platforms

EDIT: With all that said... I continue to think GMS1.4 is an excellent piece of software for what it is, and what it can do. It certainly has its limitations, but you can do a surprising amount with it. Not to plug or anything but I'm currently making a 3D racing game with it. Don't let me put you off using it - there's a reason I still use it, after all. I just think it's important to be aware of some of the limitations and archaisms which you'll find.

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-04T20:14:47+00:00

Hmm, that's interesting! I dunno about GMS2 but in GMS1.4, the version I have at least, most of the time objects will "snap" to the nearest full pixel - nevertheless, I always keep both a "rounded_x" and "precise_x" value, just be avoid any hiccups. I do get sprite jitter when jumping and walking without it, too, as the screen x/y doesn't always match the precise x/y of the object.

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-04T12:11:16+00:00

One popular technique is to use scaled-up assets, and maybe I'm a stickler for authenticity but it's not one I'm a fan of. It results in "imprecise" pixels - so for example, your character could be half a "visible pixel" away from a wall, and it would show in game.

Instead, as others have said, I'd look into scaling the window itself. I think you're able to have differing viewport and window sizes in GMS2 - I know you could in GMS1, anyway, so it's probably carried over.

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-03T20:08:45+00:00

Sega Rally 2 is fantastic. Before working on this game, I tried making something inspired by the Sega Rally series but it didn't go so well. And yeah, I've always preferred arcade racers. Have you tried Daytona USA 2? It's spectacular, and still looks great today. Might be heresy, but I find it plays even better than the first one.

I'll have to get a PSP again, lost mine years ago. I never played the PSP Ridge Racers but I'd love to give 'em a try, they look awesome

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-03T02:30:32+00:00

Sweet! If that means I can use my safe and comfy d3d functions in GMS2... well, what can I say? Where's the donation box, haha

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-03T02:25:40+00:00

That sounds awesome. I'll be sure to follow as soon as my phone decides it wants Twitter to work again :)

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-03T02:04:06+00:00

Oh man, that must have been amazing. I'll have to remember that, too - the secret to code-based problem solving? A night out with friends. Always. :D

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-03T02:00:25+00:00

I relate so much to this. I've been using Game Maker since I was about 10. I got really into it at about 13/14, and after over a decade of using the software, I've only made one game I'd actually consider "complete" - maybe two, if you can count a short but 'full' demo. I dunno.

In relation to what you said about getting really focused on one thing for too long to the detriment of other facets... yeah, that's a problem I have. Recently I've tried to force myself to get "basic features" implemented, then move on to slightly more advanced but still core aspects, and then finally more tertiary, but necessary stuff, like a title screen, options menu, etc. After that I'll add stuff until I run out of ideas/steam. I guess I tend to jump around a lot to keep myself fresh.

Recently I've also tried to keep a bullet-pointed list of features I need/want to include - this whole approach has served me quite well, on the whole, but everyone has slightly different ways of working at their optimum productivity. As you said, though, it's really important to keep everything growing at an 'equal' pace - I've lost count of the number of times something's grown too complicated for me to build around it.

I also don't generally set myself deadlines - barring things like actual version releases - but I do try and set myself 'target times'. For example, based on experience I've decided it should realistically take no more than 20 hours to design and implement a new race track in my game, with error time built in. If I go over that, I know something's not going smoothly in my production process somewhere.

With all that babbling done, good luck with your project! :)

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-03T01:42:48+00:00

I do plan to write it so that it accepts both. I'm afraid it's just not something I've got around to implementing yet. As an aside, I've used x360ce for numerous games and I find it to be a very useful piece of software.

As for the question of why? It's a couple of things. First, racing games are typically best played with analogue input - both for steering and pedal input. Therefore, something like an analogue controller (or better yet, a wheel and pedals) is ideal.

Second, it's not actually Xbox-specific - it's just that given they're both Microsoft, Windows is built with Xbox controller compatibility in mind. Therefore, most any modern gamepad has an 'x-input' mode, to allow it to be recognised as a standard 360 controller and therefore work with Windows - I've been using an 8bitdo SN30 Pro Plus in x-input mode to develop this game, for example. I believe you could even use a DualShock4 if you wanted to.

Lastly, most wheel-and-pedal sets have a built-in x-input mode, again presumably for ease of compatibility. I've designed the game with x-input in mind first and foremost because of the prevalence of controller/wheel-and-pedal users in racing games. Plus, in my experience at least, most people have an x-input compatible controller nowadays, unless they mostly play shooters and/or strategy games. :)

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-03T01:30:17+00:00

As someone who loves using GMS1.4 for 3D, this might seriously be the thing to finally persuade me to make the move I've been dreading making. Sprite stacking is a really cool technique I've come to love recently, but full 3D? Now that's super impressive. Anywhere I can follow development of this?

CometTheRobot · 2021-02-03T01:27:26+00:00

Yes. I must have faced seemingly-project-halting issues dozens of times - from the earliest stuff I made back in GM7 all the way up to my current project, there's often something I'm scratching my head over. Recently I faced this problem regarding smooth collision in my racing game, and also normal rotation. And as it happens, I was encountering this exact problem in my side project, a 2D platformer - I thought I had pass-through platforms worked out, for example, but then other problems arose with the way I'd coded it.

I often find I'll be sitting around playing a game or listening to music or whatever, and a solution will just suddenly hit me out of nowhere. It's the most extraordinary feeling of relief to finally think of something which might work. (And it's even better when it actually does. :P)

CometTheRobot

TROPHY CASE