godot-debugging

Godot Debugging

Debugging Workflow

1. Read the FULL error message — "ON BASE: NULL INSTANCE" matters more than the property name
2. Check scene tree path validity (node names, hierarchy, timing)
3. Use print_stack() for call chain, not just print()
4. Profile before optimizing — Debug > Profiler > Time column

Corrective Lens: What Models Get Wrong

Godot 3 vs 4 API Confusion

Models frequently suggest deprecated Godot 3 APIs. Always use the Godot 4 equivalents:

Godot 3 (WRONG)	Godot 4 (CORRECT)	Notes
deg2rad()	deg_to_rad()	All math utils renamed
rand_range()	randf_range()	Also randi_range() for int
connect("signal", obj, "method")	signal_name.connect(callable)	Callable-based signals
move_and_slide(velocity, up)	move_and_slide()	velocity is now a property
BUTTON_LEFT	MOUSE_BUTTON_LEFT	All input enums renamed
yield(obj, "signal")	await obj.signal	yield removed entirely
instance()	instantiate()	PackedScene method
KinematicBody2D	CharacterBody2D	Node type renamed
Sprite	Sprite2D	2D suffix added
export var	@export var	Annotation syntax
onready var	@onready var	Annotation syntax
set_cell(x, y, id)	set_cell(layer, coords, source, atlas, alt)	TileMap completely reworked

Async/Await Pitfalls

• await on signal that fires instantly → returns immediately (not next frame)
• await tween.finished when duration=0 → hangs forever
• Calling coroutine without await → silently becomes dangling task, no error
• Hot reload + active await → crash (coroutine references freed objects)
• await does NOT pause the caller unless the caller also uses await:

  death_sequence()  # Returns immediately — does NOT wait
  await death_sequence()  # This DOES wait
  

Scene Lifecycle Gotchas

• _ready() is bottom-up (children first, then parent) — NOT top-down
• @onready vars resolved BEFORE _ready() body runs
• instantiate() without add_child() → node exists but NOT in tree (no _ready, no _process)
• _init() runs before tree entry — no access to $Children or get_parent()
• queue_free() doesn't happen immediately — node is still accessible until end of frame

Input Processing

• is_action_just_pressed() in _physics_process() can miss inputs at low framerates
• Use _unhandled_input() for game input, _input() only for UI
• Input.get_vector() returns normalized vector — no need to .normalized() again
• Input actions are case-sensitive — "Jump" != "jump"

Physics

• move_and_slide() modifies velocity (wall sliding) — read velocity AFTER call, not before
• call_deferred() required for collision shape changes during physics callbacks
• High velocity → tunneling through thin walls (>16px/frame at 60fps)
• RayCast2D/3D must be enabled AND force_raycast_update() called for immediate results

When to Fetch Fresh Docs

If unsure about exact API signatures for Godot 4.4+, use Context7:

1. mcp__claude_ai_Context7__resolve-library-id → find "godot"
2. mcp__claude_ai_Context7__query-docs → get current API details

Project Conventions (Wildtide + Chimera)

• gdformat + gdlint on all .gd files
• push_error() for unrecoverable, push_warning() for suspicious but safe
• assert() for debug-only invariants (stripped in release)
• Static typing mandatory: all vars, params, returns