PROJECT: Playtest (Thread No. 6)

[Martin Gühmann]

Originally posted by Maquiladora
I thought the problem might just be with my scenario save, as it has been saved on many different playtests. But if the problem looks familiar then I'll wait for the next AE to see if it fixes it.

Probably it is a problem inside the executable, here is an updated executable , so that you can check it.

Originally posted by Maquiladora
Also the new civ selection window with the scroll bar is confusing when starting a scenario, because the civs you can't choose are no longer greyed out like they used to be.

Yes, E hadn't finished his work when he committed this change to the repository. So it's actually his task...

-Martin

[Maquiladora]

Thanks Martin.

I'm still getting that error, it appears to be related to some unit movement somewhere on the map at the start, but I haven't tracked it down yet.

I disbanded everyones units and the turns runs fine when they build and move their built units, so it could be some immovable or non-buildable unit that is only placed at start.

I also got a crash.txt when I left only Germany (AI) and Russia (me) with units, I didn't move any of mine and the game CTD on Germany's second turn. I don't know if the log is useful by itself but here it is anyway:

Version 2007-12-05
  0x007d12c3  [?Rollback_All_Agents@Plan@@QAEHXZ + 0x23]
  0x007d3c08  [?Remove_Matches_For_Goal@Scheduler@@IAEXABQAVGoal@@@Z + 0x38]
  0x007d2e24  [?Match_Resources@Scheduler@@QAEX_N@Z + 0xc4]
  0x007eef3e  [?GEVHookCallback@CtpAi_ProcessMatchesEvent@@EAE?AW4GAME_EVENT_HOOK_DISPOSITION@@W4GAME_EVENT@@PAVGameEventArgList@@@Z + 0x8e]
  0x0057a847  [?Activate@GameEventHook@@QBE?AW4GAME_EVENT_ERR@@PAVGameEventArgList@@HAAH@Z + 0x37]
  0x0057b208  [?ActivateHook@GameEventManager@@QAE?AW4GAME_EVENT_ERR@@W4GAME_EVENT@@PAVGameEventArgList@@HAAH@Z + 0x28]
  0x0057932d  [?Process@GameEvent@@QAE?AW4GAME_EVENT_ERR@@XZ + 0x2d]
  0x0040c61f  [?Process@CivApp@@QAEHXZ + 0x1cf]
  0x00406fa4  [?CivMain@@YGHPAUHINSTANCE__@@0PADH@Z + 0x394]
  0x00406a05  [WinMain@16 + 0x65]
  0x007fda8c  [WinMainCRTStartup + 0x134]
  0x7c816d4f  [__onexitbegin + 0x7be53297]

I can upload the scenario if you want to check. I'll keep investigating anyway.

[Martin Gühmann]

Originally posted by Maquiladora
I can upload the scenario if you want to check. I'll keep investigating anyway.

That would be nice, and if you can reproduce the crash it would be nice to have the savegame, preferably right before the crash happens, i.e. I have just to press the end turn button, but don't hurry to much, since I don't have the time for that tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.

-Martin

[Maquiladora]

Is there some specific way to load a scenario save?

I have a save before the crash but when I try to load it (to test it repeats the crash) it can't find the scenario directory, to load the sprites, tile file etc, and it drops to the desktop saying it can't find the sprites etc.

EDIT: Nevermind, I've saved the scenario itself instead from the scenario editor, and it now produces the crash consistently after two turns. I'll see if I can find the reason for the crash, if not I'll upload it in a couple of days.

It's still weird that you can't load a saved game of a scenario though.

[Martin Gühmann]

Originally posted by Maquiladora
Is there some specific way to load a scenario save?

I have a save before the crash but when I try to load it (to test it repeats the crash) it can't find the scenario directory, to load the sprites, tile file etc, and it drops to the desktop saying it can't find the sprites etc.

I thought when you play a game, you make in between saves and you have the autosave option, well you already figured it out.

Originally posted by Maquiladora
EDIT: Nevermind, I've saved the scenario itself instead from the scenario editor, and it now produces the crash consistently after two turns. I'll see if I can find the reason for the crash, if not I'll upload it in a couple of days.

To me it sounds wonderful. So I can test it if you upload the scenario and the savegame.

Originally posted by Maquiladora
It's still weird that you can't load a saved game of a scenario though.

The proper way as it should be is probably to load it from the scenario editor, there you have a Save Scenario button and space for another button. This button is outcommented in the according *.ldl file. And if you uncomment it in that file the Load Scenario button does nothing.

-Martin

[Maquiladora]

I have a suggestion. I noticed that many terrains share the same battle view, for example the grassland one is used for swamp, jungle, forest, mountains and hills. Would it be possible to put in code to enable extra views?

Or to go even further, perhaps an overlay like the city one except for tile improvements like forts, air bases or even roads, farms etc? Perhaps in terrain.txt under each terrain like for example grassland:

Battleview upbg001.tga
Cityoverlay upbo001.tga
Fortoverlay upbf001.tga
Airbaseoverlay upbab001.tga

Of course if it's a city with an airbase underneath it should always show the city at the top. Although tile improvements should be deleted when a city is built on the same tile anyway IMO.

[cue]

Originally posted by Martin Gühmann


Well, you can disable the wonder movies from the advance options.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to reproduce one of these errors. Maybe I will encounter them in the future or when, I set up my Windows XP64. By the way what are the advantages of this operating system?



That doesn't guarantee that you doesn't have the problem on a 32 windows, either. It could also be caused by some other program running on your computer. You may use msconfig to disable programs that run on startup and in background. For instance the Adobe Acrobat reader thinks it needs to be loaded into memory on startup even if you don't open any pdfs in the current session. However you should google for the programs you don't know.

If this doesn't work it speeds up at least your computer.

Another possibility could be to run the game in compatibility mode. On Windows XP 32, you have the option to run it in compatibility mode with Win95, Win98/ME, WinNT 4.0 SP5, and Win2000. If WinXP64 does not have a WinXP32 compatibility option, hopefully one of the others will do, since the original CTP2 supports Win95.

-Martin

disabling wonder movies did not work, have to try compatibility mode a little better.

There is no gain from Windows XP 64bit, may be some intense graphics programs run a little faster but thats it.
It actually runs slower then 32bit as the drivers are not as developed.
But I dont have time right now to nuke this basdard of an OS.

[Martin Gühmann]

Originally posted by cue
But I dont have time right now to nuke this basdard of an OS.

Fortunately, you don't have time for that, since the culprit isn't the bastard of an OS, but rather Microsoft's mentality of a garage company. They screwed up the standard library of MSVC++ 6.0 and never bothered to fix it, although they released six service packs for MSVC++ 6.0. And a year ago I had to reinstall MSVC++ 6.0 and I followed our Apolyton CTP2 Source Code readme, that did not contain the little detail about the standard library and MSVC++ 6.0.

I corrected the problem and Maq's scenario doesn't crash anymore, now I have to fix the Alex scenario and move the religious stuff to its own scenario. And then I can release the next version of the game.

Originally posted by Maquiladora
I have a suggestion. I noticed that many terrains share the same battle view, for example the grassland one is used for swamp, jungle, forest, mountains and hills. Would it be possible to put in code to enable extra views?

Or to go even further, perhaps an overlay like the city one except for tile improvements like forts, air bases or even roads, farms etc? Perhaps in terrain.txt under each terrain like for example grassland:

Well, this is located in battleview.ldl, if you which you can modify it. Probably I should add an override option to terrain.txt and tileimp.txt.

OK, so far I looked into your scenario and it looks like, that the error message you shoed is caused by the fact that the AI tries to move units that have been disbanded due to insufficient unit maintenance. Of course you could give the AI more production, or change MaxSupportCostPercent in strategies.txt.

Another problem is that the AI can't handle the units that are restricted to certain city styles. The result is that some build list aren't filled.

-Martin

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by Martin Gühmann

Well, this is located in battleview.ldl, if you which you can modify it. Probably I should add an override option to terrain.txt and tileimp.txt.

Hmm, I did do a search for the battle view image names but it didn't show any results. Silly me for forgetting too.

OK, so far I looked into your scenario and it looks like, that the error message you shoed is caused by the fact that the AI tries to move units that have been disbanded due to insufficient unit maintenance. Of course you could give the AI more production, or change MaxSupportCostPercent in strategies.txt.

Thanks, I'll try this.

Another problem is that the AI can't handle the units that are restricted to certain city styles. The result is that some build list aren't filled.

I was wondering what was causing that...

So are these two problems fixed in the next release? I assume the first isn't or it can't be fixed if you tell me to workaround it myself?

Thanks again anyway Martin for your help.

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by Martin Gühmann

Well, this is located in battleview.ldl, if you which you can modify it. Probably I should add an override option to terrain.txt and tileimp.txt.

It seems it's not being loaded from the scenario folder.

[Martin Gühmann]

Originally posted by Maquiladora
Hmm, I did do a search for the battle view image names but it didn't show any results. Silly me for forgetting too.

Maybe that's, because Microsoft broke your WindowXP search:

http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B309173&x=11&y=14

Originally posted by Maquiladora
I was wondering what was causing that...

So are these two problems fixed in the next release? I assume the first isn't or it can't be fixed if you tell me to workaround it myself?

No, they aren't fixed. Simply, because using a working standard library is such an important correction that I cannot delay a release much further.

The issue with the empty build queues is a bigger one that requires some work. The error messages are easier to fix, but I doubt that you add some units to an AI civ in a scenario just so that the AI can disband these units on its very first turn. By the way the civ in question is player 4.

In addition I have the problem with the single player new game civilization chooser.

One thing you may want to add to your const.txt after you have installed the next version of the playtest is the following line:

TurnsAcceptedForOnePop 450

That keeps the AI from maxing out its cities for food.

Originally posted by Maquiladora
It seems it's not being loaded from the scenario folder.

I know, obviously one thing I didn't tell tell you, so I'll go for the terrain.txt approach.

-Martin

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by Maquiladora
I have a suggestion. I noticed that many terrains share the same battle view, for example the grassland one is used for swamp, jungle, forest, mountains and hills. Would it be possible to put in code to enable extra views?

It would also be good to allow extra city overlays for different ages, because the castle walls look out of place in the modern and future eras.

[Ekmek]

Originally posted by Maquiladora
Also the new civ selection window with the scroll bar is confusing when starting a scenario, because the civs you can't choose are no longer greyed out like they used to be.

Originally posted by Martin Gühmann
Yes, E hadn't finished his work when he committed this change to the repository. So it's actually his task...

I have no idea how to do this I looked in all the other UI files and they don't have an automatic update switch.

[Maquiladora]

What would be the best option for the civ selection window at this point? Should/can we just revert back to the old style window?

[Martin Gühmann]

Originally posted by E
I have no idea how to do this I looked in all the other UI files and they don't have an automatic update switch.

So you didn't look into the queue window, were items are added and removed from a list?

And by the way E, get your quotes right, this is still some sort of vBulletin Version 2.0.3.

Originally posted by E What would be the best option for the civ selection window at this point? Should/can we just revert back to the old style window?

There is no change without disabling the extra civs we have now to revert "just" back. The best way is to finish the civ selection window.

-Martin