Beta Limitations

Visual Novel Creator is currently 0.7.0-beta.3 in its public release. You can build playable stories with it, but beta means the safest workflow is to keep projects focused, test the installed runtime often, and expect some authoring surfaces to change.

The 0.7 release line adds responsive in-game UI, the VNC Style Preset, Preview mute, Text Input speaker controls, and improvements to collection editing, large-project authoring, and live warnings. Beta.3 also improves timed Choice countdowns, dialog and audio playback, World Wait pausing, and Scene or Chapter copy/paste. It separates title-screen entry from in-story pause navigation. Read Player Navigation and Visual Styling when testing your story. Existing projects retain their selected style; a new default does not automatically restyle your story.

The changelog summarizes this release. Keep a saved-place backup before testing an upgrade, then update the installed runtime, compile, and start a fresh play session.

This page is the short version of what you should know before relying on a feature in a larger game.

Upgrade beta.6 projects first

Version 0.6.0-beta.11 no longer loads the project format used by 0.6.0-beta.6. Open and save a beta.6 project with 0.6.0-beta.7 before opening it in beta.11 or later. Current releases refuse the older project without rewriting it, so its Dialog Style data remains available for that upgrade step.

What beta means

Story data is real

Projects, chapters, scenes, nodes, variables, characters, assets, preview, compile, and runtime install are active parts of the tool.

Runtime must be tested

Preview is useful, but saves, text filtering, player controls, published-place persistence, and world triggers need installed-runtime play testing.

Advanced seams may move

Runtime extensions support menu button behavior and trusted server functions. Treat them as focused customization points, not a general scripting layer.

Limits are called out

If a feature needs a special condition, VNC should make that clear instead of implying it behaves like final release software.

Current hard limits

• Condition nodes expose up to 4 branches in Properties.
• Each Condition branch can contain up to 8 predicates.
• Choice nodes have no fixed option-count limit; long lists scroll in Preview and the installed runtime.
• Runtime logs keep up to 200 entries.
• Runtime save/load shows up to 100 slots, with 6 slots per page.
• Properties dropdowns become searchable when a field has 6 or more options.
• VNC undo history keeps up to 200 in-session edits for the active plugin window.
• Runtime auto-advance stops after 128 automatic node steps to prevent runaway loops.
• Project typewriter speed is clamped from 0.5 to 2.
• Runtime BGM and SFX volumes are clamped from 0 to 1.

Runtime-only behavior

Some features can be represented in preview, but they are not fully proven until the installed runtime runs inside a place.

Feature	Beta note
Saves and settings	Local Studio runtime saves are memory-only. Published-place testing is needed for real session-backed save persistence.
Text Input	Submitted text is filtered before it enters story variables. Set Filtered Text to Use Filtered Branch to route tagged results into a retry path. Studio may fall back to the local value when filtering is unavailable.
Runtime Action	Works best after Roaming is enabled. Teleports require a part or Model; kill actions depend on normal Roblox character death behavior.
Award Badge	Preview can reach the node, but real awards need the installed runtime and a badge that belongs to the experience.
Prompt Purchase	Preview and unsupported contexts follow Cancelled. Live GamePass and Developer Product prompts need the installed runtime and valid Roblox purchase setup. Developer Products reach Purchased only after the experience’s receipt owner grants and reports the receipt to VNC.
World Wait	Requires a real touch target, click target, or ProximityPrompt in the installed runtime.
Roaming	Uses Roblox’s default character controls. Custom character controllers may need project-specific integration.
Runtime extensions	Button extensions and Run Function nodes are supported. Extensions are disabled by default and should only run trusted code.

Node maturity

No listed node kind is intentionally a dead stub. Every listed node can be inserted, checked by the project, and handled during playback.

That does not mean every node has the same maturity. Dialog, choices, variables, backgrounds, sprites, audio, effects, waits, title cards, and jumps are the core path. World nodes, Roblox service nodes, and extension-adjacent nodes are beta surfaces that need closer play testing.

Do not ship from preview alone

Preview does not prove published-place saves, Roblox text filtering, purchase prompts, real character controls, click targets, touch targets, ProximityPrompt targets, or extension loading. Install the runtime and test in a place before calling a route ready.

Safer beta workflow

1. Build one short route.
2. Resolve Properties warnings on that route.
3. Preview the route from the scene start and key nodes.
4. Install or update the runtime.
5. Play test saves, settings, choices, text input, and any world nodes.
6. Only then expand the route or duplicate its pattern.

This might feel slower at first. It pays off by catching beta edge cases while they are still attached to a small scene.