Fixing SMACX Bugs

[Russia4Life]

Isn't it possible foe the facility to be destroyed during capture? I know for certain they can be destroyed by mindworms, so I'd guess that the same would apply for other factions as well.

As for the facilities appearing in your core colonies I have no explanation for that.

[scient]

For a defender in a base, morale_fin starts out as unit's current morale so 0-6

• if bases has CC, +1 to morale_fin
  -> retrieve morale SE value, if < -4 set to -4.
  -> if > 0, set to 0
  -> if < -1, +1
  So range is from -3 to 0, it now takes this value and calculates: morale_fin = morale_fin - moraleSE_mod. Where moraleSE_mod is the bounded morale SE value.
  After this check, if unit is native and Brood Pit is present in base: +1 to morale_fin
• If base doesn't have CC but does have a BP and defending unit is native, do following
  -> retrieve morale SE value, if < -4 set to -4.
  -> if > 4, set to 4
  -> if < -1, +1
  So range from -3 to 4, it now takes this value and calculates: morale_fin = morale_fin - moraleSE_mod. Where moraleSE_mod is the bounded morale SE value.
• If base doesn't have BP/CC or BP/CC checks are done, do the following.
  -> If morale SE value is 2 or 3, +1 to morale_fin
  -> If unit is Aliens (red) faction, +1 to morale_fin

It then merges into code if unit isn't in base where it checks if attacker has Sorophic Gas ability.

Can anyone clarify as to how BP/CC should work. Even if it is just a sign error, if you're running negative morale SE you'd be better off not having a CC at all. Or maybe this is to offset the morale bonus units get from CC? Then why does BP range from -3 to 4 rather than -3 to 0 like CC?

Urg what a mess. Also missing is if base has HQ, it should give +1 to morale_fin. This plus my other two posts is basically how the base strength value is generated before any bonus modifiers. Please, please someone give me an outline on how this should work. There was some stuff posted earlier regarding this but I'd appreciate if someone would take my outline and modify it how it should actually work including HQ etc.

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@vyeh: I agree about very green units should be part of the range. And you are correct, they would get -25%. GooglyBoogly, based on what yves has posted regarding attacking, do you still think this was intended? Based on location of code, I would highly doubt it was meant for bases only and got messed up. If anything it was a 0/1 mistake or on purpose. Anyone else have thoughts regarding this?

[scient]

The attack code is pretty much the same general idea as defensive code with a few changes and different pathing. Actually, few bits I'm even more perplex about then defense code. Tomorrow I'll put together a step by step like I did for defense code.

On another note, while working on defense code I located global then linked me to area in code that generates unit morale panel with '+' and '-'. After combat functions are sorted, I'll have a look at it since it may shed some light on other potential problems. Same goes for drone riots however I think that's partly due to bugged CC/BP code.

Also, has anyone ever seen "(d)" attached to unit morale display like below? I forced code to set it, I've just never seen it before.

[vyeh]

Edit: See post #371. I've changed my thinking in several regards.

Page 166 of manual:

Children's Creche. ... All negative morale effects are cancelled for units in the base square; instead such units receive a +1 morale modifier.

Page 9 of manual on SMAX CD:

Brood Pit. Acts as a Children's Creche for native units, if there is not already one at the base.

I believe that the CC should have the same values as BP/no CC, i.e.

no + 1 to morale_fin at the beginning of if base has CC (I think this addition should only occur if base has HQ)

-> if > 4, set to 4 (Otherwise BP is not acting like CC for native units when there is no CC)

-> if < 0, +1 (this is what the manual says should happen, negative morale is canceled; instead there is +1)

This is what I think should happen:

If base is HQ, +1 to morale_fin (this gives the HQ bonus)
If base has CC,
-> retrieve morale SE value, if < -4, set to -4 (lower boundary of morale SE, p. 159)
-> if > 4, set to 4 (upper boundary of morale SE, p. 159)
-> if < 0, + 1 (this cancels out the negative morale effects and gives the unit a +1 morale modifier, p. 166)
So range is -3 to 4, it now takes this value and calculates: morale_fin +moraleSE_mod, where moraleSE_mod is the bounded morale SE value.
After this check, if unit is native and BP is present: +1 to morale_fin (undocumented addition so BP still adds something if CC is present)
If base doesn't have CC but does have BP
-> retrieve morale SE value, if < -4, set to -4 (lower boundary of morale SE, p. 159)
-> if > 4, set to 4 (upper boundary of morale SE, p. 159)
-> if < 0, + 1 (this cancels out the negative morale effects and gives the unit a +1 morale modifier, so it acts like CC for native unit, p. 9 of SMAX manual)
So range is -3 to 4, it now takes this value and calculates: morale_fin +moraleSE_mod, where moraleSE_mod is the bounded morale SE value.
If base doesn't have BP/CC or BP/CC checks are done, do the following
-> If morale SE value is 2 or 3, +1 to morale_fin (p. 159 of manual for additional morale on defense)
-> If unit is Aliens (red) faction, +1 to morale_fin (undocumented penalty for letting mindworm into your undefended base)

If you're running negative SE, CC is big benefit because negative SE becomes +1 SE.

If by BP/CC, you mean both BP and CC, it looks like there is an (undocumented) bonus of +1 to morale_fin (the minimum bonus) for having both which makes sense.

One thing that we haven't included is the effect of a drone riot , but I think it is the home base of the defending unit that gives it a (-) rather than the base the defender is in.

Edit: See post #371. I've changed my thinking in several regards.

[vyeh]

The attack code is pretty much the same general idea as defensive code with a few changes and different pathing. Actually, few bits I'm even more perplex about then defense code. Tomorrow I'll put together a step by step like I did for defense code.

According to Maniac, there are major problems with attacking units and CC's.

On another note, while working on defense code I located global then linked me to area in code that generates unit morale panel with '+' and '-'. After combat functions are sorted, I'll have a look at it since it may shed some light on other potential problems. Same goes for drone riots however I think that's partly due to bugged CC/BP code.

I think + are generated by CC's and BP's, - by drone riots.

Also, has anyone ever seen "(d)" attached to unit morale display like below? I forced code to set it, I've just never seen it before.

(d) is designated defender. See p. 96 of manual. You can also use the menu>action>designate defender

[Nims]

@scient

Example:
Playing Gaia, I don't have Information Networks yet and thus no Network Nodes in any of my bases. Upon conquering University Base, Gaia's Landing now has a Network Node.

This doesn't happen always but with a high frequency, the base on my side that receives the NN seems random and whether the conquered Uni base retains its NN seems random too.

Same applies to Hive bases and Perimeter Defenses (which is usually easier to recognize due to the changing base graphics).

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

If you find the time...

scient, I understand that it's outside your current purpose, but I'm sure modders would love to have the option of changing/inserting art into interludes. If feasible, it might be something to do when you get around to taking on the scenario editor- or something.

Darsnan can tell you more if you're interested, as I don't really know what I'm talking about.

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?t=157081&page=4

Thanks.

[vyeh]

Example of Nim's Bug from ACDG5 (SMAC):

Look at Bay Area (6, 54)

At 2167, no perimeter defense.

At 2168, there is a perimeter defense.

[scient]

Units not attacking from a base tile:

• Obtain attacking unit's morale + 6, so range 6 to 12 -> store in morale_fin
• Obtain attacking unit's weapon value
• Check if unit is native
  -> check if attacking faction has Dream Twister and if so give 50% bonus to armor_val
• strength = ((armor_val * 8) * morale_fin) / 64

Units attacking from a base tile

• Obtain attacking unit's morale -> store in morale_fin
• If CC is preset:
  -> +1 to morale_fin
  -> retrieve morale SE value, if < -4 set to -4.
  -> if > 4, set to 4
  -> if < -1, +1
  So range from -3 to 4, it now takes this value and calculates: morale_fin = morale_fin - moraleSE_mod. Where moraleSE_mod is the bounded morale SE value.
  After this check, if unit is native and Brood Pit is present in base: +1 to morale_fin
• If base doesn't have CC but does have a BP and defending unit is native, do following
  -> retrieve morale SE value, if < -4 set to -4.
  -> if > 4, set to 4
  -> if < -1, +1
  So range from -3 to 4, it now takes this value and calculates: morale_fin = morale_fin - moraleSE_mod. Where moraleSE_mod is the bounded morale SE value.
• +6 to morale_fin, so range from 3 to 10
• Obtain attacking unit's weapon value
• Check if unit is native
  -> check if attacking faction has Dream Twister and if so give 50% bonus to armor_val
• strength = ((armor_val * 8) * morale_fin) / 64

Notice something missing? There is a whole section of code that gets skipped over compared to defensive code. It's the area that handles the bounds before +6 to morale_fin and like defensive code it is 1 to 6. So the only reason why attack code gives the -25% is because this is never accessed. Also skipped are checks if morale SE value is 2 or 3 to +1 and if attacking unit has soporific gas. All of these are only if unit is attacking from a base so maybe you were right vyeh when you said the 1 to 6 bounding was base only. I've got to do more analysis on the root combat bonus code to determine what toggles this area being accessed because so far I haven't been able to get the toggle to be set.

[vyeh]

Not attacking from a base tile:

I think you mean weapon_value for attacker

Attacking from a base tile (CC present):

This +1 to morale_fin if CC is present must be an undocumented effect of CC. If this is the case, then it should also occur for defenders and should be included for defenders. I noticed that the additional +1 morale also affects units that start movement in a base. A commando in a CC base was bumped up to elite in an ACDG6 game and received an extra movement point.

I'm confused about moraleSE_mod. morale_fin starts at 0-6. After we add +1 to morale_fin, it ranges from 1-7. What are the ranges for moraleSE_mod? Is this the correspondence between morale SE and moraleSE_mod?

morale SE, moraleSE_mod
-4,-3
-3,-2
-2,-1
-1,-1
0,0
1,+1
2,+1
3,+2
4,+3

If so, then subtracting moraleSE_mod from morale_fin should give values running from 7-(-4) = 11 to 1-3=-4. And why is it a subtraction rather than an addition? Shouldn't 4 morale SE add 3 morale levels to the unit's morale?

Why do we have a range from -3 to 4? Is this morale SE or moraleSE_mod? (Morale SE should run from -1 to 4, while moraleSE_mod should run from -1 to 3, unless I'm missing something.)

Obviously, we are also adding +1 to morale_fin for BP. Is there a bounded value on morale_fin? (If we started with a demon boil, morale_fin is 6. With CC and BP, we would add +2. If we had the highest moraleSE_mod (-3 or 3), that would mean morale_fin could be as high as 11.

Attacking from base (no CC, but BP):

There is no +1 to morale_fin, so if you have a CC, but no BP, you get +1 for a native unit.
If you have CC and BP, you get +2 for a native unit.
If you have a BP but no CC, you get +0 for a native unit.

This doesn't seem to make a BP a replacement for a CC for a native unit.

Once again, it seems to subtract rather than add. Could this be the reason for the big mess that Maniac noted?

If we are talking about a range from 3 to 10 after we add +6 to morale_fin, we must have been talking about morale_fin. So if no CC and no BP, morale_fin started from 0 to 6, then moraleSE_mod runs from -3 to 3 so adding, it should run from -3 to 9. When we add +6, it should run from 3 to 15, unless there is an upper bound. Is there one?

Once again, I think it should be weapon_val rather than armor_val.

The check for morale SE value is 2 or 3 should only apply to defense. p. 159 gives an additional morale for defense only.

Soporific gas only has an effect on the defender so there shouldn't be a check for the attacker.

[vyeh]

I did some work with the scenario editor and I think I understand what is happening.

For a defender in a base, morale_fin starts out as unit's current morale so 0-6

• if bases has CC, +1 to morale_fin

• this gives the +1 morale modifier and is applied to morale_fin, so morale_fin now runs from 1 to 7
  
  

  -> retrieve morale SE value, if < -4 set to -4.
  -> if > 0, set to 0

  this is intended to reverse the effect of morale SE. So we get moraleSE_mod running from -4 to 0.
  
  morale SE <= -4, moraleSE_mod = -4
  morale SE = -3, moraleSE_mod = -3
  morale SE = -2, moraleSE_mod = -2
  morale SE = -1, moraleSE_mod = -1
  morale SE >= 0, moraleSE_mod = 0
  
  

  -> if < -1, +1

  this takes care of the fact that morale SE = -4 only corresponds to a -3 morale drop, morale SE = -3 only corresponds to a -2 morale drop, morale SE = -2 only corresponds to a -1 morale drop.
  
  morale SE <= -4, moraleSE_mod = -3
  morale SE = -3, moraleSE_mod = -2
  morale SE = -2, moraleSE_mod = -1
  morale SE = -1, moraleSE_mod = -1
  morale SE >= 0, moraleSE_mod = 0
  
  

  So range is from -3 to 0, it now takes this value and calculates: morale_fin = morale_fin - moraleSE_mod. Where moraleSE_mod is the bounded morale SE value.

  So this is what we now have:
  
  morale SE <= -4, subtract -3 from morale_fin
  morale SE = -3, subtract -2 from morale_fin
  morale SE = -2, subtract -1 from morale_fin
  morale SE = -1, subtract -1 from morale_fin
  morale SE >= 0, subtract 0 from morale_fin
  
  What this does is reverse the effect of negative morale SE on the unit. So if morale SE was -4 and the original morale_fin (under morale SE = 0) was 3 (hardened), then the morale_fin that we started the calculation (before adding the +1) would be 0 (very green). After we add the +1 and make this adjustment, the morale_fin is now 0 + 1 - (-3) or 4 (veteran). So we have cancelled out the negative morale effects and given a +1 morale modifier, which is what we wanted.
  
  Note that for morale SE >= 0, the effect is only to give a +1 morale to the unit.
  
  So if the original morale (under morale SE = 0) was 3 (hardened) and if morale SE = 3, then the morale_fin that we started the calculation (before adding the +1) would be 5 (commando). After we add the +1 and make this adjustment, the morale_fin is now 5 + 1 - 0 or 6 (elite).
  
  

  After this check, if unit is native and Brood Pit is present in base: +1 to morale_fin

  this is an undocumented benefit to having both a CC and a BP. The SMAX manual says that a BP in a base without a CC acts like a CC for native units. It doesn't mention what happens when a base has both a BP and a CC. Instead of a BP being redundant (like what happens when you have the Virtual World, a network node and a left-over hologram theatre), the BP still contributes. I don't regard this as a bug.
  
  
  

• If base doesn't have CC but does have a BP and defending unit is native, do following
  -> retrieve morale SE value, if < -4 set to -4.
  -> if > 4, set to 4
  -> if < -1, +1
  So range from -3 to 4, it now takes this value and calculates: morale_fin = morale_fin - moraleSE_mod. Where moraleSE_mod is the bounded morale SE value.