BMAD-METHOD/docs/modules/bmgd-bmad-game-dev/troubleshooting.md

BMGD Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions when using BMGD workflows.

---

Installation Issues

BMGD module not appearing

Symptom: BMGD agents and workflows are not available after installation.

Solutions:

1. Verify BMGD was selected during installation
2. Check _bmad/bmgd/ folder exists in your project
3. Re-run installer with --add-module bmgd

---

Config file missing

Symptom: Workflows fail with "config not found" errors.

Solution: Check for _bmad/bmgd/config.yaml in your project. If missing, create it:

# BMGD Configuration
output_folder: '{project-root}/docs/game-design'
user_name: 'Your Name'
communication_language: 'English'
document_output_language: 'English'
game_dev_experience: 'intermediate'

---

Workflow Issues

"GDD not found" in Narrative workflow

Symptom: Narrative workflow can't find the GDD.

Solutions:

1. Ensure GDD exists in {output_folder}
2. Check GDD filename contains "gdd" (e.g., game-gdd.md, my-gdd.md)
3. If using sharded GDD, verify {output_folder}/gdd/index.md exists

---

Workflow state not persisting

Symptom: Returning to a workflow starts from the beginning.

Solutions:

1. Check the output document's frontmatter for stepsCompleted array
2. Ensure document was saved before ending session
3. Use "Continue existing" option when re-entering workflow

---

Wrong game type sections in GDD

Symptom: GDD includes irrelevant sections for your game type.

Solutions:

1. Review game type selection at Step 7 of GDD workflow
2. You can select multiple types for hybrid games
3. Irrelevant sections can be marked N/A or removed

---

Agent Issues

Agent not recognizing commands

Symptom: Typing a command like create-gdd doesn't trigger the workflow.

Solutions:

1. Ensure you're chatting with the correct agent (Game Designer for GDD)
2. Check exact command spelling (case-sensitive)
3. Try workflow-status to verify agent is loaded correctly

---

Agent using wrong persona

Symptom: Agent responses don't match expected personality.

Solutions:

1. Verify correct agent file is loaded
2. Check _bmad/bmgd/agents/ for agent definitions
3. Start a fresh chat session with the correct agent

---

Document Issues

Document too large for context

Symptom: AI can't process the entire GDD or narrative document.

Solutions:

1. Use sharded document structure (index.md + section files)
2. Request specific sections rather than full document
3. GDD workflow supports automatic sharding for large documents

---

Template placeholders not replaced

Symptom: Output contains {{placeholder}} text.

Solutions:

1. Workflow may have been interrupted before completion
2. Re-run the specific step that generates that section
3. Manually edit the document to fill in missing values

---

Frontmatter parsing errors

Symptom: YAML errors when loading documents.

Solutions:

1. Validate YAML syntax (proper indentation, quotes around special characters)
2. Check for tabs vs spaces (YAML requires spaces)
3. Ensure frontmatter is bounded by --- markers

---

Phase 4 (Production) Issues

Sprint status not updating

Symptom: Story status changes don't reflect in sprint-status.yaml.

Solutions:

1. Run sprint-planning to refresh status
2. Check file permissions on sprint-status.yaml
3. Verify workflow-install files exist in _bmad/bmgd/workflows/4-production/

---

Story context missing code references

Symptom: Generated story context doesn't include relevant code.

Solutions:

1. Ensure project-context.md exists and is current
2. Check that architecture document references correct file paths
3. Story may need more specific file references in acceptance criteria

---

Code review not finding issues

Symptom: Code review passes but bugs exist.

Solutions:

1. Code review is AI-assisted, not comprehensive testing
2. Always run actual tests before marking story done
3. Consider manual review for critical code paths

---

Performance Issues

Workflows running slowly

Symptom: Long wait times between workflow steps.

Solutions:

1. Use IDE-based workflows (faster than web)
2. Keep documents concise (avoid unnecessary detail)
3. Use sharded documents for large projects

---

Context limit reached mid-workflow

Symptom: Workflow stops or loses context partway through.

Solutions:

1. Save progress frequently (workflows auto-save on Continue)
2. Break complex sections into multiple sessions
3. Use step-file architecture (workflows resume from last step)

---

Common Error Messages

"Input file not found"

Cause: Workflow requires a document that doesn't exist.

Fix: Complete prerequisite workflow first (e.g., Game Brief before GDD).

---

"Invalid game type"

Cause: Selected game type not in supported list.

Fix: Check game-types.csv for valid type IDs.

---

"Validation failed"

Cause: Document doesn't meet checklist requirements.

Fix: Review the validation output and address flagged items.

---

Getting Help

Community Support

• Discord Community - Real-time help from the community
• GitHub Issues - Report bugs or request features

Self-Help

1. Check workflow-status to understand current state
2. Review workflow markdown files for expected behavior
3. Look at completed example documents in the module

Reporting Issues

When reporting issues, include:

1. Which workflow and step
2. Error message (if any)
3. Relevant document frontmatter
4. Steps to reproduce

---

Next Steps

• Quick Start Guide - Getting started
• Workflows Guide - Workflow reference
• Glossary - Terminology