API Scripts Stop Mid-Session and Between Sessions

Topic says it all.  It's a server side issue, so I'm assuming my system details are irrelevant, but I'm using chrome on a windows box.

Basically, I have to keep restarting the API scripts.  All I'm running is kryx's shaped scripts.  If we're lucky they'll stay up a whole session, but sometimes I need to restart several times.  Mostly the message is that they've been disabled, error message is below, but the message is blank.

To be frank, this issue is likely to be the dealbreaker for me continuing with my Pro subscription next year.  My players want to be able to log in and use the scripts between sessions, and I want to know they're there for me when I need them in game.  At present that's the only value of a Pro membership to me.

If there's a workaround to keep it up when I'm not there, I'm all ears.  Otherwise please fix.  Hell, I don't care if you let me tick a checkbox to say restart if not running whenever someone joins the game, anything would be better than manual restarts.

How should I interpret the lack of response?

Sredni Vashtar said:

How should I interpret the lack of response?

Coupled with the fact that the problem persists, it seems the mods are neglecting their duties. Our group is having the same problem and it is crippling the game. As well as more than one member not being able to even get in the room, those that are in the room experience shoddy connection and random errors.

Roll20, fix your shit I paid for.

I can only speak for myself Sredni, I would never rely on scripts to run 24/7. Scripts are written by the community and are updated often(some more than others...) so there's no guarantees.  Updates to roll20, other scripts, as well as user macro's that may include who-knows-what can crash scripts instantly, makes running any script consistently problematic.  Running games on the Dev server can compound these issues as well.
I don't mean to bash your dilemma.  I've experienced similar issues with the API and have learned to keep the API console running on another browser tab while playing.  As soon as I notice something is amiss hit "Save Scripts" and 99% of the time everything's up and running again.  You may want to try Aaron's APIheartbeat script.  I used this during an API "rough patch" a while back.  Just works as an in-game indicator that the API is still running.  Adding an in-game button(with assignable player permission) to restart the API might be a nice feature.  There may be a suggestion for this already.
Anyhow, sorry you are having issues.  Hopefully the Devs can look into any API issues and get them smoothed out for you.  Cheers

The lack of response is because the Devs have been extremely busy with rolling out and bugfixing the latest code release, and this isn't really an issue we Mods can really troubleshoot. However, you shouldn't have been ignored and for that I can only offer our heartfelt apologies.

There's two separate issues here:

A) Scripts stopping between sessions: There's no current workaround for this. After a period of inactivity (and I don't know how long or what qualifies as 'inactivity' to the API server) the sandbox for that game shuts down until a GM restarts it. It is wildly frustrating, I have felt your pain as a player wanting to work on API-linked macros between sessions. All I can suggest as a way of dealing with this issue is to have an official 'macro day' between sessions where your group works on maintenance tasks and macros.

B) Scripts stopping during a session: Have you discussed this with the script author? A script that is disabled is generally disabled because it received input it doesn't know how to deal with and thus errors out, which is a script issue not a Roll20 issue.

As GenKitty said, these seem like two separate issues.

On the first point, we do realize this is a major issue and the reason it hasn't been fixed sooner is that it will require a major infrastructure change to the back end server side to revamp how API sandboxes are spun up and managed. This change is the focus of our next major update and something we are currently working on improving. 

As for the script failing mid session, that in my experience is unrelated to the sandbox's long term stability issues and is probably script dependent. Are you having mid session errors with all scripts or just Shaped ones?

Thanks for the replies.

Duck: Harsh, but not entirely unfair methinks, as ultimately this is functionality that we are specifically paying extra for as Pro users.

Vince: I wasn't aware that user macros could stop scripts.  I don't run on the Dev server at present.  I find it a bit odd that I often have to Save Scripts more than once to get the single script working again (I don't make changes to it once it's working the first time.)  Thanks for the API Hearbeat links - I did install those scripts and give it a go, but I suspect it may have been degrading my overally Roll20 performance.  Roll20 lag is pretty bad here in Australia at the best of times (any plans for a local mirror server or two?)  I'll keep testing, but there should really be a Roll20 status indicator for this.

GenKitty: Do you know why the inactivity timeout is there in the first place?  And is there a reason the previously enabled scripts can't be restarted when activity is detected?  I take your point about problems with script input potentially causing crashes mid-session, so I'll monitor that more closely.  I guess I wasn't sure whether the random "inactivity" effect was causing this too.  Thanks.

Steve: Can you give me an idea when this revamp will occur?  I might hold off on renewing my Pro membership until then.  I really only run the Shaped scripts.  I used to use more, but I initially thought the reliability issues might be related to multiple scripts.  Sure, uncaught exceptions may cause a script to fail, but isn't the currents response - bringing all the API scripts down without restarting - overkill?  What needs to happen for more graceful failure?  Thanks.

I can't be any more specific than it's the focus of our next major update. The update will focus on the issues you're having. Namely API sandbox stability and longevity. 

Sredni Vashtar said:

Thanks for the API Hearbeat links - I did install those scripts and give it a go, but I suspect it may have been degrading my overally Roll20 performance.  Roll20 lag is pretty bad here in Australia at the best of times (any plans for a local mirror server or two?)  I'll keep testing, but there should really be a Roll20 status indicator for this.

For your suggestions, we offer the Suggestions & Ideas forum, which is based on voting from the whole community.

Please review our Forum Voting wiki page for more information on how voting works, and our Suggestions & Ideas Posting Guidelines for the added expectations above and beyond our standard Code of Conduct.

GenKitty: Do you know why the inactivity timeout is there in the first place?  And is there a reason the previously enabled scripts can't be restarted when activity is detected?

I can't claim to know why, as I'm a Mod and not a Dev, and I won't speculate.

As this thread is dealing with one issue that will be addressed in the next major update and a different issue which needs to be taken up with the script author, I will go ahead and close the thread.  If you're still having issues after the API update, please don't hesitate to open a new bug report.