PROJECT: Playtest

[Peter Triggs]

I think I know what's causing the diplomacy bug and should be able to fix it later tonight.

[Solver]

Peter, can you elaborate?

[Solver]

Another bug: emptying the build queue by double clicking on items in it causes a bad effect, if there is more than one item in the queue (at least I think so).

The effect is that the game apparently crashes, but its process remains running, so it hogs the CPU resources and slows down the computer unless terminated.

Update: doing that with one item in the queue, for me, really crashes the game, with its process properly gone.

[Peter Triggs]

It's in one of those SLIC AI functions that were recently added. I was getting it, too, but just commented a line out rather than fixing it. The original Activision code should work; I'm checking it now.

[Martin Gühmann]

Originally posted by Colwyn
I know Ive asked this before but since things are moving along nicely now one of the first things that will improve the games AI by about 1000% is to define the code change to reduce the max # of units in a stack to less than 12.

Ie I think 5 or 7 would be best as once the human player creates 2-3 super stacks they clean up b/c the AI will never optimise their stacks and once lost their 2 defenders in each city will fall like domino's esp with mv>1 stacks.


The code is open, can anyone get back to us on if it can be done, i would hope/expect it to be a simple script maxstacksize=12 or something.

If so lets playtest I'd be very surprised if this doesn't improve CTP2 AI alot.

And I should now answer this, I don't think it really improves the game the AI nevertheless does not know how to stack its units properly. So in that case we should remove stacking ability entirely, the AI also don't know how to use diplomacy, so let's remove it as well, it has also no idea how to use sea transporters, so let's remove them to improve the AI, the AI can't use air units so let's remove them, they AI can't use the other sea units either so let's remove them, also it can't use entertainers and the other specialist so let's remove them, etc...

Well I could continue for ages, but all I want to say with it is if the AI can't use a feature properly then we have to change it so that the AI can use them and not just remove them. Because taking away features means taking away fun. And you have to wonder why the makers of CTP2 increased the stack size from 9 to 12, of course to make the player happy, the opposite would of course make the player less happy.

-Martin

[Solver]

BTW Martin, you have yourself proved that the AI can actually use transports properly for moving its troops to where required - with the GoodMod SLIC it appears to do just that.

[Fromafar]

Originally posted by Peter Triggs
It's in one of those SLIC AI functions that were recently added. I was getting it, too, but just commented a line out rather than fixing it. The original Activision code should work; I'm checking it now.

Peter,

In case you want to test it: the following save file has the diplomacy error: move the warrior south and press end turn. The turn of the second player (orange) will never finish.
diplomacy_error_save.zip

[Maquiladora]

Well me and EPW just tried to play a MP game with bad results. Same bug as i mentioned a few playtests ago.... sometimes i dont receive any pw from the tax i set, i went back into lobby and rejoined (epw was hosting) and the EXACT amount of pw i shouldve been collecting was all there as it shouldve been when i collected it. Rejoining does work every time probably because it resynchs from epw's side and he doesnt get the bug.

EPW also got crashes to desktop, once in the middle of his turn, and one in the middle of mine, but only epw crashed. We played with a small mod to some units and tile imps and if only epw was CTD it could be that we have different installations, but if that was so, id be the one to get kicked because i wasnt host. Im thinking this was the bug Solver mentioned by double clicking to delete items from the build queue, when i did that then epw got kicked IIRC.

[Colwyn]

But is it possible

Originally posted by Martin Gühmann

And I should now answer this, I don't think it really improves the game -Martin

I knew my opinion would raise a few eyebrows but i'd still appreciate it if someone in the know(like you) could let me know if it is possible, have a look a the code, that way once its been figured out we all will have the choice to decide what we as players might like.

I loved CTP but found CTP2 increased stack not to my liking, if you can fix that for me with a code change you will have a CTP2 player again!

[Gilgamensch]

Originally posted by Solver
Another bug: emptying the build queue by double clicking on items in it causes a bad effect, if there is more than one item in the queue (at least I think so).

The effect is that the game apparently crashes, but its process remains running, so it hogs the CPU resources and slows down the computer unless terminated.

Update: doing that with one item in the queue, for me, really crashes the game, with its process properly gone.

Solver,

are you talking about normal or our version?

I never had any problem with this on either...........

I used it quite a lot, or better to say only...........

[Fromafar]

Double-clicking on a build queue with only 1 item will cause a crash with the latest playtest release (source 2004.04.10 or later). I have located the problem, and will work on a fix this evening.

[Gilgamensch]

Originally posted by Fromafar
Double-clicking on a build queue with only 1 item will cause a crash with the latest playtest release (source 2004.04.10 or later). I have located the problem, and will work on a fix this evening.

Ahhhh, OK.......so it is a bug we introduced so we can't blame Activision.........

[Solver]

Double-clicking on a build queue with only 1 item will cause a crash with the latest playtest release (source 2004.04.10 or later). I have located the problem, and will work on a fix this evening.

Clicking on a city in National Manager if its production queue is empty produces the same crash.

[Martin Gühmann]

Re: But is it possible

Originally posted by Colwyn
I knew my opinion would raise a few eyebrows but i'd still appreciate it if someone in the know(like you) could let me know if it is possible, have a look a the code, that way once its been figured out we all will have the choice to decide what we as players might like.

Of course it is possible, we have the source code actual it is just a constant defined in ..\ctp2_code\gs\utility\gstypes.h:

#define k_MAX_ARMY_SIZE 12

And a remark suggesting to decrease the army size for everyone and suggesting to allow the player to select the army size are two different things, epeacilly if you know that noone would like it. Allowing the user to select the army size is definatly a good thing, that means the player should be allowed to select a army size from let's say 6 to 32 or whatever for the whole game. For that idea you find someone to implement it, but understand that this may not has top priority.

Originally posted by Colwyn
I loved CTP but found CTP2 increased stack not to my liking, if you can fix that for me with a code change you will have a CTP2 player again!

That leads me to the question why don't you like the increased army size limit.

-Martin

[epeterson]

Originally posted by Maquiladora
Well me and EPW just tried to play a MP game with bad results. Same bug as i mentioned a few playtests ago.... sometimes i dont receive any pw from the tax i set, i went back into lobby and rejoined (epw was hosting) and the EXACT amount of pw i shouldve been collecting was all there as it shouldve been when i collected it. Rejoining does work every time probably because it resynchs from epw's side and he doesnt get the bug.

EPW also got crashes to desktop, once in the middle of his turn, and one in the middle of mine, but only epw crashed. We played with a small mod to some units and tile imps and if only epw was CTD it could be that we have different installations, but if that was so, id be the one to get kicked because i wasnt host. Im thinking this was the bug Solver mentioned by double clicking to delete items from the build queue, when i did that then epw got kicked IIRC.

Hi Maq,

I believe this is inherent to the Activision code as both my brother and I experience it quite often playing the 'Vanilla w/ Sprinkles' version. It only happens to the non-host and your 'fix' seems to work. However, to do that kind of fix you have to wait until all TIs and Terra is done so you don't end up with the 'other' problem--CTD. If you play long enough it WILL give you all of your PW though. Somehow it tracks how much you have and will EVENTUALLY give it back. Even if you are accumulating it for like 10 turns!