Unable To reverse Engineer Captured

[GooglyBoogly]

I am playing a game as The Hive and am a bit behind in tech. I thought I could delay NonLinear Math and just steal a unit from the Uni. However, when I capture the unit (an impact Squad) I am unable to build more and thus cannot reverse engineer at all. Even after the turn ends, it still doesn't show up. What am I doing wrong?


I have attached the save - there are two probe teams (rover chassis) near the uni base at the bottom, just move them towards the lone uni impact squad sitting next to the base and capture to recreate my situation

[Darsnan]

Re: Unable To reverse Engineer Captured

Originally posted by GooglyBoogly
I am playing a game as The Hive and am a bit behind in tech. I thought I could delay NonLinear Math and just steal a unit from the Uni. However, when I capture the unit (an impact Squad) I am unable to build more and thus cannot reverse engineer at all. Even after the turn ends, it still doesn't show up. What am I doing wrong?

I'm at work right now so can't review your attachment. Quick question: is the unit your MC'ing a pre-designed unit (i.e. its included in the #UNITS section of the alphax.txt file)?


D

[vyeh]

Darsnan,

After being mind controlled, the impact squad does NOT appear in the Command Nexus.

It is not included in the #UNITS. The units that appear under Basic Units in the Datalinks are SMAX standard.

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by vyeh
Darsnan,

After being mind controlled, the impact squad does NOT appear in the Command Nexus.

It is not included in the #UNITS. The units that appear under Basic Units in the Datalinks are SMAX standard.

Hmm, interesting! Can't think of anything else off the top of my head. I've dl'd the file and will take a look at it this evening.


GooglyBoogly,
are you using a modified alphax.txt file? If so can you post that as well?


D

[GooglyBoogly]

alphax.txt

The only thing I have modified is the ECONOMY rating entry, to account for the display bug. But feel free to take a look. The save is for a standard game - no scenario funny business

[Darsnan]

OK, I was able to confirm on my machine that the Uni Impact Infantry did not show up as an available build option after it was MC'd. A turn later I MC'd a Uni Impact Rover, and it then did show as an available build option!

At this point I don't know what else it might be. I'll give it some more thought, though. It'll be very interesting if someone comes up with an answer on this ("cough" - Petek - "cough").


D

[Petek]

Well, I spent quite some time looking at the save file and using the scenario editor. Bottom line: Can't figure out what's gone wrong.

The problem is isolated to the Uni 4-1-1. As already noted, when this unit is subverted it neither shows in the design workshop (DW) nor the F7 screen. I tested most of the other Uni units, and they all behaved as expected when subverted. I also had a Morganic probe team subvert a Uni 4-1-1. The subverted unit behaved the same way as for the Hive. Also had the Hive subvert a Data Angel 4-1-1, and this worked as expected.

Interestingly, when the Uni turned over control of a 4-1-1 to the Hive, it now appeared in the DW and the F7 screen.

I also retired the 4-1-1 in the Uni DW, pressed TURN COMPLETE several times and then redesigned the 4-1-1. Same result: A subverted 4-1-1 was not in the DW, etc.

I upgraded the 4-1-1 to a 4-1+-1 (ECM Impact Squad). The subverted 4-1+-1 behaved normally.

I tried to reproduce the situation in a new game, but was unable to do so.

AFAIK, the only units that don't appear in the DW are those whose tech prerequisite is set to "DISABLE" in Alphax.txt (e.g., Unity Rovers, and so on). However, when subverted, those units do appear in the F7 screen.

I examined the Uni 4-1-1 in the Uni DW, and saw nothing unusual. Even looked at the save file in a hex editor, but nothing jumped out at me.

So, this appears to be a previously unreported bug. However, it's unclear what causes it. Perhaps a good night's rest (preceded by a couple of beers) will reveal the answer.

Petek

[GooglyBoogly]

Wow, after 10 years still discovering new bugs. Who woulda thought?

[Nims]

Happens sometimes to me too, I think I had it happen with gifted units also.

[GooglyBoogly]

Capture Bug found!

I have done a little bit more testing.

If the hive buys out the nearby base (Planetary Archives) which contains a (4)-1-2, a 4-1-2 and a 4-3-1 and a 4-1-1 and a 1-3+-1 all of the designs are copied over EXCEPT the 4-1-1.

It couldn't be that the 4-1-1 design itself was captured by the Uni from another player, as only the Data angels and the spartans have the requisite Non-lin math techs, and neither player has ever constructed a 4-1-1, (checked via F7 and workshop)

I restarted another game and had the hive build another probe, while the uni made another 4-1-1.
If the 4-1-1 is independant then the unit shows up in the workshop.
HOWEVER, if the 4-1-1 is retired, and later another 4-1-1 is captured the design will not show up, not just in the workshop but also not under F7 list even though it is plain that one unit is controlled.

I have attached a testbed save where there are a number of hive probe teams surrounded by 2 of each 4-1-1, 4-2-1 and 1-2-1. Capturing any combination of them correctly updates the workshop and f7, but once retired .

This is not the same bug I experienced, as in that case I had never Mind-Controlled a 4-1-1 previously, let alone retired the design. But this does however, show a repeatable bug. any further captures will not display on neither the security nexus, nor the unit workshop


Bug Report:

Description: Captured units do not show up in the workshop or the security nexus (F7).

Requires: Captured unit to have been previously been retired

Fix: No known fix - Do not retire any captured design to prevent this bug

[GooglyBoogly]

testbed

Opps. Forgot the testbed. File attached below