Cutscenes from Hell

[John Jr.]

Hi guys.
I can't make my "Allies become controllable" encounter work. I never had any problem with that kind of encounter, so I can't imagine what I did wrong. I already updated the "scripts" folder, but it had no effect.
The "Fight" encounter plays just fine, then I got a dark screen and no "Allies" encounter.
This is the encounter:

Spoiler

Encounter: detetives1
Type: Fight
Allies: jones named ted
villains: mcop, mcop, mcop
Marker: parceiro
Primary Objective: "Help Detective Jones." for 100 prestige and 10 xp
Next: recruta


Alert Cutscene:
red arrow on villain
narrator says, "I need your help now, please follow my directions."
executioner says, "Great! I'll finally get to meet Mr. Telepath himself!"

Start Cutscene:
camera on villain
villain says, "You won't escape this time, traitor!"
villain says, "We'll kill you for your crimes agaisnt our people!"
camera on ted
ted says, "Crimes?! You're the criminals here! You're preying upon innnocent people to get more power!"
villain says, "The earthlings aren't people, they're just animals! We'll use them as we wish!"
camera on executioner
executioner says, "Well, no doubt about who is my enemy here."

End Cutscene:
Fade for 2 seconds
ted is destroyed


#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Encounter: recruta
Type: Custom
Actions: allies become controllable
Allies: jones
Next: guardas1
Marker: duplas

Start Cutscene:
Unfade for 2 seconds
camera on executioner
executioner says, "You have a lot to explain, Mr?"
jones says, "Jones. Detective John Jones. And I wish to thank you for..."
executioner says, "Skip the thanks, just explain what's happening."
jones says, "Follow me!"

And here's the script:

Spoiler

"CS_Destroy('ted')", 'CS_End()']] : "EncCustom_CleanUp(4, ['end', 'villains gone', 'allies saved'])" ... []
CUTSCENE: request to play cutscene.
CUTSCENE:  - CS_Start()
CUTSCENE:  - CS_Fade(2)
CUTSCENE:  - CS_Destroy('ted')
CUTSCENE:  - CS_End()
CUTSCENE: calling PlayCurrentCutscene 9
CUTSCENE: playing ff.CS_Start(9)
GROUP: '4_minion' leader koed
CUTSCENE: playing ff.CS_Fade(9,2)
AI: AISetRunning m25obj_14 to 0
AI: AISetRunning ted to 0
AI: AISetRunning m25obj_10 to 0
AI: AISetRunning m25obj_12 to 0
CUTSCENE: playing ff.CS_Destroy(9,'ted')
GROUP: 'ted' removed from group '4_ally'
GROUP: '4_ally' set to []
GROUP: empty '4_ally' cannot have a leader promoted
CUTSCENE: playing ff.CS_End(9)
AI: AIRun is restarting m25obj_14
AI: AISetRunning m25obj_14 to 1
AI: AIRun is restarting m25obj_10
AI: AISetRunning m25obj_10 to 1
AI: AIRun is restarting m25obj_12
AI: AISetRunning m25obj_12 to 1
CUTSCENE: calling cutscene return function.
ENCOUNTER: Encounter ended 4 with ['end', 'villains gone', 'allies saved']
ENCOUNTER: Setting up encounter 5
ENCOUNTER: Start marker found for ['duplas'] 'duplas'
ENCOUNTER: No markers for 5 [['allyleave', 'duplas_allyleave', 'dist500']]
GROUP: '5_minion' set to []
GROUP: '5_minion' set to []
GROUP: '5_minion' set to []
m25obj_16 jones duplas_ally1
AI: SetupAI() - setting ai for m25obj_16 ('jones')
GROUP: '5_ally' set to []
GROUP: 'm25obj_16' added to group '5_ally'
GROUP: '5_ally' set to ['m25obj_16']
GROUP: '5_object' set to []
GROUP: '5_object' set to []
GROUP: '5_cohort' set to []
GROUP: '5_cohort' set to []
GROUP: '5_cohort' set to []
ENCOUNTER: Encounter spawn complete for 5
ENCOUNTER: Encounter cutscenes complete for 5
ENCOUNTER: Encounter goals complete for 5
ENCOUNTER: Encounter objectives complete for 5
ENCOUNTER: Encounter parameters complete for 5
ENCOUNTER: Encounter post function 'EncStartOnEnterMarker_Setup'
ENCOUNTER: Encounter post complete for 5
ENCOUNTER: Saving encounter data for 5
ENCOUNTER: PlayEncCutscene(): 'alertcs' : None
ENCOUNTER: PlayCutsceneFromList(): None : None ... []
ENCOUNTER: Encounter setup complete for 5
initAttribsForChar: working on m25obj_16 (jones)
initAttribsForChar (jones): looking at attribute coordinator
execInitAttrib: init coordinator attribute
   on m25obj_16 of template jones (jones)
initAttribsForChar (jones): looking at attribute danger sense
initAttribsForChar (jones): looking at attribute disciplined
initAttribsForChar (jones): looking at attribute shake it off
AI: AISetRunning m25obj_16 to 0
GROUP: 'm25obj_10' removed from group '4_minion'
GROUP: '4_minion' set to ['m25obj_12', 'm25obj_14']
GROUP: 'm25obj_12' removed from group '4_minion'
GROUP: '4_minion' set to ['m25obj_14']
GROUP: 'm25obj_14' removed from group '4_minion'
GROUP: '4_minion' set to []
GROUP: empty '4_minion' cannot have a leader promoted

Any help would be appreciated.

[BentonGrey]

Hmm...pack the mod up and send it to me, JJ.  I'll try and troubleshoot it for you, but it will have to wait until later on this week.

[John Jr.]

Thanks, buddy.
I'll try to fix it myself, but if I can't I'll send it for you in the weekend.

[John Jr.]

I edited the story and made it a team up since encounter 1, removing the "Ally" encounter. It works great now.
Thanks for the offer, Benton, you're a pal!

[BentonGrey]

Awesome!  Glad to hear it JJ!

[John Jr.]

I'm having this problem a lot with this Mod. A lot of Cutscenes don't play and I always receive the same "error" in the script:
File "G:\Freedom Force 2\Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich\.\PCTales\missions\scripts\m25cutscene.py", line 91, in PlayCurrentCutscene
    exec cs_string
  File "<string>", line 1, in ?
  File "G:\Freedom Force 2\Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich\.\PCTales\missions\scripts\m25cutscene.py", line 199, in CS_Camera
    js.Camera_LookAtObject(obj, dist,pitch,yaw,speed,path,action)
SystemError: NULL result without error in call_object

Most of times I just change the camera target (if it was "camera on character a" I change to "camera on character b") and it plays, but it's a matter of time before I have the same problem. If I remove the "camera on..." parameter it works just fine.
It usually happens after I add a character to the DATs. I thought it was some problem with the Rumble Room "Add Character to DATs" feature, so I re-installed it. No luck. I started to make the characters with FFEdit to avoid this problem, no luck again. I had this problem so many times it is infuriating. Any suggestions?

Two CS that had this problem:

Spoiler

Encounter: cerco1
Type: Hunt
Villains: bel_juz named sue
Minions: green, melite
Next: verde1
marker: encounter8
Primary Objective: "Defeat the Pole Martians." for 100 prestige and 10 xp

Alert Cutscene:
yellow arrow on minion

Start Cutscene:
camera on villain
villain says, "You must stop J'onzz now, before he can gather his followers!"
minion says, "It's too late for you, J'onzz. Most of your men were exiled."
minion says, "Commander Blax is the leader of an unified Mars!"


End Cutscene:
camera on superboyj
superboyj says, "I'm sorry J'onn. It must be hard for you."
jonn says, "I never tought my own people could support Blanx, let alone Bel..."
jonn says, "But I can't think about it now! We must stop Blanx! Earth's fate is on our hands!"

Spoiler

Encounter: final
Type: Fight
Villains: blanx, tank_mars, tank_mars
Minions: melite, green
Primary Objective: "Defeat Commander Blanx and his army." for 100 prestige and 10 xp
Next: sozinho

Alert Cutscene:
red arrow on blanx

Start Cutscene:
camera on blanx
blanx plays animation special_k
blanx says, "You saw that, brothers? J'onn J'onzz is so desperate in his quest for power he enlisted the help of aliens

against ou people!"
blanx plays animation special_c
blanx says, "He is fighting for the Earthlings against his own people! He wants his brothers starving while he and his alien

friends live in luxury!"
green says, "Commander Blanx is right! J'onn J'onzz has betrayed us!"
melite says, "Let's kill the traitor!"
camera on jonn
jonn plays animation active_defence
jonn says, "Please, don't listen Blanx! His war ravaged our planet and now he wants to start another bloodbath! We need

rebuild our homes, no destroy the earthling's!"
superboyj says, "I'm sorry, J'onn, but they won't listen you. Blanx promised them a paradise, and you are asking them to be

responsible and make a sacrifice just because it's the right thing to do."
abin says, "Superboy is right. Unfortunately, Blanx has the people on his hands."
jonn says, "So be it. We will fight them. I will battle my own people..."

[BentonGrey]

I've had that a couple times, and I think I only got around it by rewriting those sections of text.  How are you compiling your language .dats, JJ?

[John Jr.]

I generate the texts with the Rumble Room and then I use FFEdit, Benton. The strange thing is, I have no problem with the text IF I remove the "camera on" option.

[BentonGrey]

Hmm........there may have been a fix that M sent me a while back for this issue.  I'll send you my scripts folder, and we can see if that helps.  Be sure to back up anything you've changed.

[John Jr.]

Thanks, buddy. I would be very grateful.
I only changed the "FFXMulti" to add 2 attributes, nothing else.

[John Jr.]

I changed the camera angles and got it working, for a while...
Replaced the Scripts folder, no luck.

It's so frustrating, I would have the mod ready if I didn't have to fight this damn Cutscenes bugs in almost every mission...

[BentonGrey]

I just don't get this....and adding in M's script fixes didn't help....I don't have much in the way of ideas.  Maybe you could try alternating between cinematic and regular camera commands?

[John Jr.]

Done and done.
I'm lost here.
I just removed the "camera on" parameter on the first CS and it's working now. But I need the camera on Blanx in the last CS. I'll have to change the entire encounter if I can't get the damn camera working.
It almost make me want to give up, almost.

[John Jr.]

It just get better and better:
Now it can't play the encounter without the CS:

Spoiler

File "G:\Freedom Force 2\Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich\.\JLA\missions\scripts\m25cutscene.py", line 93, in PlayCurrentCutscene
    exec cs_string
  File "<string>", line 1, in ?
  File "G:\Freedom Force 2\Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich\.\JLA\missions\scripts\m25cutscene.py", line 201, in CS_Camera
    js.Camera_LookAtObject(obj, dist,pitch,yaw,speed,path,action)
SystemError: NULL result without error in call_object

Spoiler

Encounter: cerco1
Type: Hunt
Villains: bel_juz named sue
Minions: green, melite
Next: verde1
marker: encounter8
Primary Objective: "Defeat the Pole Martians." for 100 prestige and 10 xp


Start Cutscene:
melite says, "It's too late for you, J'onzz. Most of your men were exiled."
melite says, "Commander Blax is the leader of an unified Mars!"


End Cutscene:
camera on superboyj
superboyj says, "I'm sorry J'onn. It must be hard for you."
jonn says, "I never tought my own people could support Blanx, let alone Bel..."
jonn says, "But I can't think about it now! We must stop Blanx! Earth's fate is on our hands!"

[BentonGrey]

This doesn't make any sense.  I really don't get this one JJ.  What I'd suggest is twofold.  First, open the mission in notepad and look for any strange formatting or spacing (EZScript Editor does that every once in a while), and if that doesn't work, your second option is to take out each line of dialog one at a time until it works.  I'll be out of town for the next week, but if you haven't gotten it to work in that time, send it to me and I'll see what I can do.

[John Jr.]

I deleted all the language DATs, copied new ones from the original FFX folder, updated them and presto! It worked. I scripted a new mission, generated the captions and... The bugs started again.
Looks like it's really something in the text, I'll follow your second suggestion, Benton...
Thanks for the help.

[BentonGrey]

Any luck JJ? 

[John Jr.]

I changed the camera, no effect.
Removed the camera, it worked about three times...
Now I removed the entire cutscene, let's see if I got lucky...

[BentonGrey]

I really wonder what the heck is going on with this mission.