Troubleshooting
Frequent problems with games in Empo, what causes them, and how to collect logs for a bug report.
Empo cannot start a different game
This is a known limitation on an iPhone or an iPad, and not a defect in the game. Force-close
Empo from the app switcher, and open it again. multi-session.md explains why.
Empo 0.9.0 had a setting to switch games without a restart. Empo 0.9.1 and later do not have it for now. See One game for each session.
The game does not start
Try these steps in order:
Check the engine
Empo runs RPG Maker XP, VX, VX Ace, MV, and MZ games, modern mkxp-z forks, and PSDK games. Other engines, such as RPG Maker 2000 and 2003, do not run.
Check for an RTP warning
If the game asks for a Run-Time Package, Empo warns you before it starts. Empo cannot install an RTP yet. Import a version of the game that ships its own assets.
Turn off the postload scripts
Open the settings for the game, and turn off Postload scripts under Engine. Some games conflict with the compatibility scripts that Empo adds.
Turn on JoiPlay compatibility
Games that were packaged for JoiPlay sometimes expect its behavior. The option is under Engine.
Collect the logs
Turn on Debug logs, start the game again, and attach the log to an issue.
The game starts, but assets are missing
The game probably calls a Windows DLL. Empo emulates the frequent Win32 APIs with
win32_wrap.rb, but a game that goes past that set can fail to load some files. Encrypted
archives from third-party tools have the same effect.
Report the game. A compatibility report with the title and the version helps.
No music, or no sound
Check the volume of the device first. If Respect silent mode is on under Settings → Gameplay, also check that the device is not in silent mode. If the game is still silent, turn on Debug logs, play until the music should start, and attach the log to an issue. The log names each audio file that the engine opens.
MIDI music sounds different than on Windows
Empo plays MIDI music with its built-in sound set, GeneralUser GS. Windows uses its own sound set,
so some instruments sound different. To hear a game as on Windows, copy gm.dls from
C:\Windows\System32\drivers on a Windows PC to your device. Then open Settings → Music and
tap Import Sound Set…. On the Mac, the setting is in Settings → General. You can also
import any SoundFont 2 file (.sf2). A game that ships its own sound set keeps it.
A movie does not play
Empo plays Ogg/Theora movies only. The engine skips MP4 and other formats without a message. A game with an MP4 opening runs, but the opening stays blank.
The text is too small to read
Open the settings for the game. Under Display, raise Font scale. Solid fonts helps when the text renders faint over a bright background.
The game runs slowly
- Turn on Frame skip under Performance.
- Turn off Smooth scaling under Display.
- Close the other apps.
Battle scenes and large maps cost the most. Older devices show it first.
My saves are gone
Empo keeps saves inside the folder of the game, so an app update never removes them.
A defect in versions before v0.6.1 renamed the save files of some games. Empo v0.6.1 and newer restore the newest save for each affected game at launch, and show a Saves recovered sheet. The renamed copies stay in the folder of the game as backups. You can reach them in the Files app. Tap Show in Files in Empo’s Settings.
A card in the library looks broken
Go to Settings → Advanced, and turn on Delete broken imports. Empo deletes the folders that a failed import left behind.
Report a problem
If none of the steps above helps, collect the logs and report the game. Community and support lists what a report needs and where to send it.