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Author Topic:   "Urgent message from..." bug

Guynemer posted 05-06-99 10:43 PM ET
A number of people over at Apolyton have noted an annoying bug that only seems to occur midgame or later. A popup with present itself saying "An urgent message from (whoever)," and if you click to put it on the vidscreen, the only thing that happens is that the popup reappears, then appears again if you say you want to talk. Long story short, the popup appears three times in a row, and nothing else happens. I can remember it happening only when the faction in question has PBs, and a state of Truce exists between me and the faction in question, but I can speak for the other people who've seen this.
Anyone else notice this problem? Does it cause any issues that I've missed? Will this be addressed in 4.0?
Guynemer
Guynemer posted 05-07-99 05:26 PM ET
So I'm the only one then? Come on, someone else must have noticed this; has this issue been addressed by Firaxis? Anyone, anyone? Bueller?
Guynemer
Warp Warrior posted 05-07-99 06:39 PM ET
I was the one that started that thread over there about not being able to talk to Yang. I don't think it really had anything to do with PB's because the last game, playing the Spartans, almost totally destroyed his military in a single turn with a massive conventional missile attack and I know he did NOT have any PB's left, that much I made sure of otherwise he definitely would have used it. I usually got the pop-up when I was in a state of war with Yang, (so far only Yang - at least on my computer), and I had just taken over one of his cities. I think he wanted to see if I was ready to quit fighting and give him a tech to stop the war - the main reason we went to war in the first place after telling him to go screw himself. The only reason I usually talk to him then after I have him by the throat is to see if he will sign a much needed truce so I can have my troops go lick their wounds and go back to building infrastructure before I get attacked from a different direction. I'll have to see if it happens again with a different faction since I am now playing the Hive just to be different.
Guynemer posted 05-07-99 11:14 PM ET
Well, I saw it happen with Deirdre too; I don't know if it's necessary that they actually have a PB in their possession at the time. The only times I've had the presense of mind to note the problem was when they had built a PB--it may or may not have been destroyed, I'm not sure.
narf posted 05-08-99 05:59 PM ET
I've seen it a few times - always Yang, usually after he has PBs, usually when I'm attacking him. Sometimes after the three "urgent message" screens I get a fourth where he promises to wipe me out. There isn't any interaction on any of them, though - just an "OK" button.
Warp Warrior posted 05-10-99 01:22 AM ET
Playing the Hive, had trouble speaking with Spartans. They do have a PB and we are at war. Got the message right after I took over a city of theirs. I'll have to see if happens again after I destroy the PB. In previous game playing Spartans attacking Hive, they did have a PB in inventory before the missiles went flying that destroyed it on the same turn I took over the city, so maybe the computer still was thinking it had it yet and doesn't update its database or whatever until it gets its turn. If this is the case than it would have something to do with PBs - PB in inventory at being of turn causes communication problems.
Warp Warrior posted 05-12-99 10:26 AM ET
I'll have to wait and try it in a different game. Had to destroy the Spartans before the time ran out, and could not contact them them during the communication blackout. Had no other problems with any other faction that game. Next game I try PK - never played them yet.
Treehugger One posted 05-12-99 10:44 AM ET
I got this too, from Miriam while I was
playing UoP. I never noticed if it was
after a PB - I'll try to check that out
next time...
th1
Warp Warrior posted 05-14-99 10:31 AM ET
I forgot I still had another 100 years to go yet before time ran out so I really didn't have to rush and take everybody over so quickly, of course it was good practice for the next higher level.
Playing PK now, Yang has a PB. Yang declared war after I said "OK" three or four times. Yang was probably just going to ask for a tech to keep him happy, but since it looks like I ignored him, he declared war. I'll keep you posted, it may be awhile, his only PB is at present not quite within reach of conventional missiles.
drako posted 05-15-99 01:45 AM ET
Have this problem too. Think it is related to the AI having PB. If they have a PB and want to initiate contact with u midway through your gameturn ( ie after u conquer one of their cities), the urgent message bug appears and the end result is the same as if u have ignored them.
Note that having PB means that they start the turn with a PB, if u dstroy all their PBs, this bug still appears. Only on the next turn would everything return to normal.
One way to get over this bug is to initiate contact with them instead after taking over their city instead of the other way rund.
Warp Warrior posted 05-15-99 10:00 PM ET
Well Miriam took over Yangs city with the PB and ever since then I have had no problem talking to Yang. Now I can't talk to Spartans because they have a PB and they declared war when I "okayed" 3 times. This bug almost seems like its getting worse the more I play this game.
brad posted 05-18-99 10:15 AM ET
I have the same problem - it is the start of a late game turn and Yang has PBs. I get the 3 pop-ups with him telling me that he is going to attack. Which he does - and my 8 OPDs are enough to stop the attack. THEN I get the TERRAN.EXE event, and my system crashes.
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Author	Topic: "Urgent message from..." bug
Guynemer	posted 05-06-99 10:43 PM ET A number of people over at Apolyton have noted an annoying bug that only seems to occur midgame or later. A popup with present itself saying "An urgent message from (whoever)," and if you click to put it on the vidscreen, the only thing that happens is that the popup reappears, then appears again if you say you want to talk. Long story short, the popup appears three times in a row, and nothing else happens. I can remember it happening only when the faction in question has PBs, and a state of Truce exists between me and the faction in question, but I can speak for the other people who've seen this. Anyone else notice this problem? Does it cause any issues that I've missed? Will this be addressed in 4.0? Guynemer
Guynemer	posted 05-07-99 05:26 PM ET So I'm the only one then? Come on, someone else must have noticed this; has this issue been addressed by Firaxis? Anyone, anyone? Bueller? Guynemer
Warp Warrior	posted 05-07-99 06:39 PM ET I was the one that started that thread over there about not being able to talk to Yang. I don't think it really had anything to do with PB's because the last game, playing the Spartans, almost totally destroyed his military in a single turn with a massive conventional missile attack and I know he did NOT have any PB's left, that much I made sure of otherwise he definitely would have used it. I usually got the pop-up when I was in a state of war with Yang, (so far only Yang - at least on my computer), and I had just taken over one of his cities. I think he wanted to see if I was ready to quit fighting and give him a tech to stop the war - the main reason we went to war in the first place after telling him to go screw himself. The only reason I usually talk to him then after I have him by the throat is to see if he will sign a much needed truce so I can have my troops go lick their wounds and go back to building infrastructure before I get attacked from a different direction. I'll have to see if it happens again with a different faction since I am now playing the Hive just to be different.
Guynemer	posted 05-07-99 11:14 PM ET Well, I saw it happen with Deirdre too; I don't know if it's necessary that they actually have a PB in their possession at the time. The only times I've had the presense of mind to note the problem was when they had built a PB--it may or may not have been destroyed, I'm not sure.
narf	posted 05-08-99 05:59 PM ET I've seen it a few times - always Yang, usually after he has PBs, usually when I'm attacking him. Sometimes after the three "urgent message" screens I get a fourth where he promises to wipe me out. There isn't any interaction on any of them, though - just an "OK" button.
Warp Warrior	posted 05-10-99 01:22 AM ET Playing the Hive, had trouble speaking with Spartans. They do have a PB and we are at war. Got the message right after I took over a city of theirs. I'll have to see if happens again after I destroy the PB. In previous game playing Spartans attacking Hive, they did have a PB in inventory before the missiles went flying that destroyed it on the same turn I took over the city, so maybe the computer still was thinking it had it yet and doesn't update its database or whatever until it gets its turn. If this is the case than it would have something to do with PBs - PB in inventory at being of turn causes communication problems.
Warp Warrior	posted 05-12-99 10:26 AM ET I'll have to wait and try it in a different game. Had to destroy the Spartans before the time ran out, and could not contact them them during the communication blackout. Had no other problems with any other faction that game. Next game I try PK - never played them yet.
Treehugger One	posted 05-12-99 10:44 AM ET I got this too, from Miriam while I was playing UoP. I never noticed if it was after a PB - I'll try to check that out next time... th1
Warp Warrior	posted 05-14-99 10:31 AM ET I forgot I still had another 100 years to go yet before time ran out so I really didn't have to rush and take everybody over so quickly, of course it was good practice for the next higher level. Playing PK now, Yang has a PB. Yang declared war after I said "OK" three or four times. Yang was probably just going to ask for a tech to keep him happy, but since it looks like I ignored him, he declared war. I'll keep you posted, it may be awhile, his only PB is at present not quite within reach of conventional missiles.
drako	posted 05-15-99 01:45 AM ET Have this problem too. Think it is related to the AI having PB. If they have a PB and want to initiate contact with u midway through your gameturn ( ie after u conquer one of their cities), the urgent message bug appears and the end result is the same as if u have ignored them. Note that having PB means that they start the turn with a PB, if u dstroy all their PBs, this bug still appears. Only on the next turn would everything return to normal. One way to get over this bug is to initiate contact with them instead after taking over their city instead of the other way rund.
Warp Warrior	posted 05-15-99 10:00 PM ET Well Miriam took over Yangs city with the PB and ever since then I have had no problem talking to Yang. Now I can't talk to Spartans because they have a PB and they declared war when I "okayed" 3 times. This bug almost seems like its getting worse the more I play this game.
brad	posted 05-18-99 10:15 AM ET I have the same problem - it is the start of a late game turn and Yang has PBs. I get the 3 pop-ups with him telling me that he is going to attack. Which he does - and my 8 OPDs are enough to stop the attack. THEN I get the TERRAN.EXE event, and my system crashes.