Aredhran's Challenge: SHOW STOPPER - Alpha Centauri Forums

  Alpha Centauri Forums
  Multiplayer
  Aredhran's Challenge: SHOW STOPPER

profile | register | prefs | faq | search

Author Topic:   Aredhran's Challenge: SHOW STOPPER

Aredhran posted 07-07-99 08:18 AM ET
Attention people:
*********************************
MAJOR SHOW STOPPER !
*********************************
I'm sorry, I'll have to unveil a bit of information about the game setup, but can you probably pick up most of it from the story thread anyway. Anyway, here goes the situation:
Gaians and Hive started on the same continent. After an uneasy initial contact, a treaty lasted for a few years, then vendetta was declared. The Hive's military, being well prepared and on the march, quickly annihilated the gaian defense force, and as of MY 2144 captured all bases but one.
When his turn comes, Chairman cousLee is in a position to capture the last remaining Gaian base. If he does that, it sends ViVicdi to the punishment sphere as expected, but after that, THE GAME STOPS !
Yes, you read it right. All I get is the Alpha Centauri score sheet, saying "DEFEAT, MoShnu wins" (because he has the highest score). Then, replay and back to main menu.
I see two ways out of this, one easy (if it works) and a tedious one (for me). Actually there's three, but the last one is probably unacceptable :
1. ViVicdi being doomed anyway (sorry dude), I replay his turn and turn over the faction to the AI. cousLee can then either eradicate him or submit him to his will.
2. I manually edit the starting positions to match the current one, but without the Gaians. This will probably take me a while.
(and 3. give it up, MoSe wins, and start a new game. I think our Italian friend will agree, but that will be a 5 voices against one kind of deal )
I will give it a go tonight, and I'll let you know if this works. cousLee, if #1 works, I need to know what you want to do with ViVicdi: submit or kill.
Your devoted CMN,
Aredhran

Bingmann posted 07-07-99 10:44 AM ET
I have verified this bug in a 7-player hot-seat game. As soon as a human player is eliminated, the game ends.
JAMstillAM posted 07-07-99 11:32 AM ET
This is not a bug, it's a feature.
It was put in MP, because of all of the complaints of SMAC not being a builder oriented game and to counter those whose tastes run to overrunning the planet.
Just kidding folks, put down your flameguns!
JAMiAM
The Firaxian Psychophant.
Goobmeister posted 07-07-99 12:28 PM ET
Do we know if this is general to all MP games or to scenario generated ones only?
Is it specific to 7 player or does it happen with 6, 5, 4, and 3 player games.
This could be that final straw.
Goob
Bingmann posted 07-07-99 01:11 PM ET
My 7-player hot-seat game was just a plain game, not a scenario. I would assume that the number of players doesn't matter. Also, I think we would have heard somehting by now if the bug were in IP multiplay, too. My guess is that it is probably isolated to hot-seat/PBEM games - it was not part of the original game which could explain any problems. Seems like it treats hot-seat/PBEM the same as SP as far as human player elimination goes.
Here's how the end sequence went: Moved unit into only base, capturing it. Got popup saying faction eradicated. Got score screen for current faction. Got book screen for current faction. Got replay screen. Got high score screen (with score for current faction). Then it went to the password screen for the next player. Entered the password and the game exited.
Goobmeister posted 07-07-99 01:37 PM ET
This sucks beyond compare.
Aredhran posted 07-07-99 05:17 PM ET
I managed to (hopefully) resolve the problem by replaying the Gaian turn and "wimping out" (ie. turning over the faction's control to the AI).

However, this little trick caused a "bump" of the MY from 2144 to 2145. I haven't noticed any consequences for this in the other factions. I couldn't get around this, and I don't know why it happened. I hope it will not cause other problems.

I have sent the modified save to cousLee. Please ignore any "reload" warning messages for both Gaians and Hive, as they are part of my resolving of the problem. Let me know if you notice anything weird in your factions.

Aredhran
Aredhran posted 07-07-99 05:19 PM ET
Bingmann, have you noticed the Firaxians of the problem ? Let me know, there is no point in me preparing a bug report if you have previously done it.
Thanks,
Aredhran
jimmytrick posted 07-07-99 08:46 PM ET
I am a beta tester, you are a beta tester, we are all SMAC beta testers, we just didn't realize it.
Sorry half finished shoddy product.
SORRY HALF FINISHED SHODDY PRODUCT!
tfs99 posted 07-07-99 09:21 PM ET
I don't know if it is worth notifying FurXs just yet. It seems like they virtually ignore reports unless they are sent "Yin" style.
We should put this as #1 on our new Yinlist of bugs for v5.0.
SMAC n ... Ted S.
Aredhran posted 07-08-99 02:02 AM ET
I sent a message to Jeff Morris about the other bug (where I retired everybody's scout patrols from the DW), and the reply was:
[quote]
Thanks. I'll check it out.
jkm
[/quote]
No promises or anything, I agree, but at least there is a response...
Aredhran
Aredhran posted 07-08-99 02:02 AM ET
Oh yes, no UBB...
Aredhran posted 07-08-99 02:08 AM ET
I wanted to add (in addition to the fact that I would love to have Editing capability ) that what I usually send to Firaxis is not a "Yin-style list".
What I do is write a short description of the bug, the steps necessary to duplicate it, and if possible I attach a .SAV file to illustrate the problem.
Aredhran
tfs99 posted 07-08-99 03:46 PM ET
That's cool Aredhran. I just wanted to emphasize that most of the fixes for v4.0 were as a result of the Yinlist.
I don't have any idea how many hearty souls did as you have done and directly e-mailed bugs to JKM and FurXs. But I'd venture there were quite a few. And how many ended up in v4.0?
You do the math ...
SMAC n ... Ted S.
cousLee posted 07-08-99 06:59 PM ET
I also have submitted a lot of bugs that way. I also still have copies of the bugs. Of course, now I have to re-Orkin the game and make new save of the still present bugs. I also think Yin's list would have been better, and a lot more fixed, if it would have stuck to bugs. (there were a lot of enhancements mentioned).
Bug result: I had the option of accepting surrender. The AI offered a level 1 tech and 90+ energy. But I captured the base, and the fix worked. I only received 61 energy (same as before). This time the base survived. (I have seen this happen in SP. When you capture a 1 pop base, and you still get the base.) I say we move on. (of course I do, I get a shiney new base) .
To close this thread, click here (moderator or admin only).


Hop to:

Contact Us | Alpha Centauri Home

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Version 5.18
© Madrona Park, Inc., 1998.

Author	Topic: Aredhran's Challenge: SHOW STOPPER
Aredhran	posted 07-07-99 08:18 AM ET Attention people: ******************************* MAJOR SHOW STOPPER ! ******************************* I'm sorry, I'll have to unveil a bit of information about the game setup, but can you probably pick up most of it from the story thread anyway. Anyway, here goes the situation: Gaians and Hive started on the same continent. After an uneasy initial contact, a treaty lasted for a few years, then vendetta was declared. The Hive's military, being well prepared and on the march, quickly annihilated the gaian defense force, and as of MY 2144 captured all bases but one. When his turn comes, Chairman cousLee is in a position to capture the last remaining Gaian base. If he does that, it sends ViVicdi to the punishment sphere as expected, but after that, THE GAME STOPS ! Yes, you read it right. All I get is the Alpha Centauri score sheet, saying "DEFEAT, MoShnu wins" (because he has the highest score). Then, replay and back to main menu. I see two ways out of this, one easy (if it works) and a tedious one (for me). Actually there's three, but the last one is probably unacceptable : 1. ViVicdi being doomed anyway (sorry dude), I replay his turn and turn over the faction to the AI. cousLee can then either eradicate him or submit him to his will. 2. I manually edit the starting positions to match the current one, but without the Gaians. This will probably take me a while. (and 3. give it up, MoSe wins, and start a new game. I think our Italian friend will agree, but that will be a 5 voices against one kind of deal ) I will give it a go tonight, and I'll let you know if this works. cousLee, if #1 works, I need to know what you want to do with ViVicdi: submit or kill. Your devoted CMN, Aredhran
Bingmann	posted 07-07-99 10:44 AM ET I have verified this bug in a 7-player hot-seat game. As soon as a human player is eliminated, the game ends.
JAMstillAM	posted 07-07-99 11:32 AM ET This is not a bug, it's a feature. It was put in MP, because of all of the complaints of SMAC not being a builder oriented game and to counter those whose tastes run to overrunning the planet. Just kidding folks, put down your flameguns! JAMiAM The Firaxian Psychophant.
Goobmeister	posted 07-07-99 12:28 PM ET Do we know if this is general to all MP games or to scenario generated ones only? Is it specific to 7 player or does it happen with 6, 5, 4, and 3 player games. This could be that final straw. Goob
Bingmann	posted 07-07-99 01:11 PM ET My 7-player hot-seat game was just a plain game, not a scenario. I would assume that the number of players doesn't matter. Also, I think we would have heard somehting by now if the bug were in IP multiplay, too. My guess is that it is probably isolated to hot-seat/PBEM games - it was not part of the original game which could explain any problems. Seems like it treats hot-seat/PBEM the same as SP as far as human player elimination goes. Here's how the end sequence went: Moved unit into only base, capturing it. Got popup saying faction eradicated. Got score screen for current faction. Got book screen for current faction. Got replay screen. Got high score screen (with score for current faction). Then it went to the password screen for the next player. Entered the password and the game exited.
Goobmeister	posted 07-07-99 01:37 PM ET This sucks beyond compare.
Aredhran	posted 07-07-99 05:17 PM ET I managed to (hopefully) resolve the problem by replaying the Gaian turn and "wimping out" (ie. turning over the faction's control to the AI). However, this little trick caused a "bump" of the MY from 2144 to 2145. I haven't noticed any consequences for this in the other factions. I couldn't get around this, and I don't know why it happened. I hope it will not cause other problems. I have sent the modified save to cousLee. Please ignore any "reload" warning messages for both Gaians and Hive, as they are part of my resolving of the problem. Let me know if you notice anything weird in your factions. Aredhran
Aredhran	posted 07-07-99 05:19 PM ET Bingmann, have you noticed the Firaxians of the problem ? Let me know, there is no point in me preparing a bug report if you have previously done it. Thanks, Aredhran
jimmytrick	posted 07-07-99 08:46 PM ET I am a beta tester, you are a beta tester, we are all SMAC beta testers, we just didn't realize it. Sorry half finished shoddy product. SORRY HALF FINISHED SHODDY PRODUCT!
tfs99	posted 07-07-99 09:21 PM ET I don't know if it is worth notifying FurXs just yet. It seems like they virtually ignore reports unless they are sent "Yin" style. We should put this as #1 on our new Yinlist of bugs for v5.0. SMAC n ... Ted S.
Aredhran	posted 07-08-99 02:02 AM ET I sent a message to Jeff Morris about the other bug (where I retired everybody's scout patrols from the DW), and the reply was: [quote] Thanks. I'll check it out. jkm [/quote] No promises or anything, I agree, but at least there is a response... Aredhran
Aredhran	posted 07-08-99 02:02 AM ET Oh yes, no UBB...
Aredhran	posted 07-08-99 02:08 AM ET I wanted to add (in addition to the fact that I would love to have Editing capability ) that what I usually send to Firaxis is not a "Yin-style list". What I do is write a short description of the bug, the steps necessary to duplicate it, and if possible I attach a .SAV file to illustrate the problem. Aredhran
tfs99	posted 07-08-99 03:46 PM ET That's cool Aredhran. I just wanted to emphasize that most of the fixes for v4.0 were as a result of the Yinlist. I don't have any idea how many hearty souls did as you have done and directly e-mailed bugs to JKM and FurXs. But I'd venture there were quite a few. And how many ended up in v4.0? You do the math ... SMAC n ... Ted S.
cousLee	posted 07-08-99 06:59 PM ET I also have submitted a lot of bugs that way. I also still have copies of the bugs. Of course, now I have to re-Orkin the game and make new save of the still present bugs. I also think Yin's list would have been better, and a lot more fixed, if it would have stuck to bugs. (there were a lot of enhancements mentioned). Bug result: I had the option of accepting surrender. The AI offered a level 1 tech and 90+ energy. But I captured the base, and the fix worked. I only received 61 energy (same as before). This time the base survived. (I have seen this happen in SP. When you capture a 1 pop base, and you still get the base.) I say we move on. (of course I do, I get a shiney new base) .