When something goes wrong

The left column is empty and nothing works#

Roller is locked (there's a red ! next to the password field). Type your password and click set. This is needed every time Roller starts.

"Pick a model first"#

No model is selected. Pick one in the list at the top. If the list is empty:

  • With LM Studio: make sure LM Studio is open and its server is running (Developer tab, Start server), then click the reload button ↻ next to the list.
  • With Local: there are no model files in Roller's models folder (or LM Studio's) yet. See Download a model from Hugging Face.

"LM Studio not reachable"#

LM Studio isn't running, or its server isn't started. Open LM Studio, start the server in the Developer tab, and click ↻ next to the model list. Or switch to Local.

Loading takes very long#

Big models (around 20B and up) can take several minutes the first time, especially on a Mac with less memory. The loading window shows the progress; it closes only once the model has given a first test answer, so it is really ready. Loading the same model again is usually much faster. If the status line then says Reading the play… for a long time, the model is loaded and busy reading a long game: see The status line.

If it never finishes, or your Mac becomes very slow, the model is probably too big for your Mac's memory. Cancel, and pick a smaller model or a smaller context size.

"This game doesn't fit into the model's context"#

The game has grown too long for the model's context. Make the context bigger (Make a long game fit), or summarize the game and go on in a new one (Continue a long game). See How long can a game get? for the background.

The characters say something completely unrelated#

If the characters suddenly talk about something that has nothing to do with your story, the model probably didn't see the whole play. Check the token gauge: if it's red, the game doesn't fit (see above).

If it happens even in a brand-new game, the model file itself may be faulty. Try a different version of the model (for example from another publisher in LM Studio), or a different model.

"The reply was not in the turn format"#

The model didn't answer in the form Roller needs. Click Back and Send to try again. If it keeps happening:

  • Open Config and make sure Enforce JSON schema is ticked in your preset.
  • Some models must "think" before they answer and fail when that's switched on. For those, make a preset with Enforce JSON schema unticked.
  • Or try another model.

The characters all sound the same#

  • Make their descriptions more different: what they want, how they talk. See Write characters that come alive.
  • Use a bigger model: small models (7–8B) tend to blur characters together.

Listen doesn't write anything#

  • Check that your browser is allowed to use the microphone (Safari asks the first time).
  • The first phrase after starting Roller takes a few seconds longer.
  • Dictation needs a speech model and a small helper program. Double-click Setup Speech.command in the Roller folder (it needs Homebrew); it installs whatever is missing, including the speech model (about 550 MB, into the models folder). Then restart Roller.

There's no Speak button#

Speak only appears while text is selected, up to about three sentences. Select a shorter piece. If it still doesn't appear, the voices haven't been set up yet: double-click Setup Speech.command in the Roller folder, then restart Roller.

"roller.db is for a different version of this app"#

Roller found a database file it can't use. Move roller.db out of the Roller folder and start Roller again; see Database.

A world file won't import#

  • "This is not a Roller world file": the file isn't a world exported from Roller (or from an app built on it), or it was changed by hand and is no longer complete. Export the world again.
  • "…follows Roller baseline 2; this app only knows baseline 1": the file was made by a newer version of Roller. Update Roller, then import it again.
  • "Locked": enter your password and click set first.

I forgot my password#

Unfortunately, there's no way to recover it: your worlds and games stay locked. Scripts you exported earlier are still readable, and worlds you saved with Export legacy can be imported again once you've chosen a new password.

To start over with a new password, move the file roller.db out of the Roller folder; Roller then starts empty and asks for a new password. See Database.