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Author Topic:   Major bug found

Aredhran posted 07-07-99 01:27 AM ET
In the Weizen PBEM game I'm in with cousLee, Goob and Jam, there was a problem reported of disappearing Scout Patrol Units garrisoned in bases in two of the factions (Gaia and PK).
Last night I reloaded my most recent turn. The patrols were still there. Then I played around with the DW, checking out the military report (F7) after each change.
After some investigating, I realized what caused the problem: when I select the scout patrol unit type and click on Retire, it deleted the units for *ALL* factions.
I'm going to send the save to Firaxis.
Aredhran

cousLee posted 07-07-99 06:43 AM ET
Must be a week for them. Aredhrans Challange is kaput without repair. When I capture the last Gaian base, the game ends.
Goobmeister posted 07-07-99 12:25 PM ET
I am standing on the edge of the abyss, I see below me all those who have plunged before me as they wail and curse the Firaxis name, I can hear their cry " SMAC Sucks ".
Will the winds blow me in?
Their is a strong downdraft right now.
Goob
jimmytrick posted 07-07-99 08:40 PM ET
I am highly ticked at the PBEM bugs just reported. I can't see the point of continuing with any PBEM games if they are going to end at the loss of the first human faction.
Maybe a workaround can be found to salvage AC, but what happens when more complicated positions are developed in the mid game stage? A workaround a that point will be next to impossible.
I am really, really, ticked off. How the hell can they sell such half-baked **** and then gleefully announce SMACX and CIV3 and SMEG and Antienam. Do they not have a clue as to the fact that there are other game manufacturers out there.
Customer support means nothing to Firaxis if they are not willing to make a commitment to making their games work correctly. And stick to it.
I am really ticked off. If a product does not work correctly a refund is due. We should send in our CDs and demand not just the refund but invoice them for the time we unwillingly spent doing the beta test for SMAC.
tfs99 posted 07-07-99 09:19 PM ET
I guess we can look on the bright side. This bug should be serious enough to warrant another patch.
I think it is only for Do or Die though as the PBEM I played had DoD off and we killed a human player OK.
SMAC n ... Ted S.
cousLee posted 07-09-99 05:46 PM ET
This bug occured while:
I was using V3.0, and I did not lose any units.
(other players respond accordingly)(did v4.0 cause this bug?)(possible v3.0 incompatibility?)(is there any limit on these ()?)(are dumb looks still free? :O)(does Dierdre really run THROUGH the trees?)(or around them?)
Mongoose posted 07-18-99 02:52 PM ET
Similar thing happened to me last night. The difference is it was with the standard transport foil instead of scout patrols.
(Curiously, both are the hard coded * designs in the unit workshop)
Hive player retired the transport foil design. At the end of the player turn preceding his (Spartans-governor) both of my foils merrily exist. At the end of his turn (he has me infiltrated) they do not.
Fortunately, I (UoP) caught it immediately, so we only had to replay one player-turn.
We need to put this in bold letters:
DO NOT RETITRE * DESIGNS IN THE UNIT WORKSHOP IN PBEM!!!

I don't know if this happens in online MP.
Anyone?
MoSe posted 07-22-99 11:26 AM ET
I can confirm the bug, playing Sparta in the game Mongoose reported above.
I might add couple of details.
Whilr testing it, I verified that this doesn't happen if you mark obsolete or upgrade the default units (*). It happens only when you retire them.
More important, is that is completely pointless retiring default units. They don't take up a design slot (1-64). They have their own reserved *slots. So, even if you retire the design, it remains there in its *slot.
So,retiring a *default unit, is:
-pointless
-harmful for other factions
Now we can wait for someone coming up telling us it's a feature, not a bug!
This way, you could wipe out the opponents' *default units of that type.
MariOne
- we should test building new units of the retired-but-still-there *default-type, to see how they're influenced.
Aredhran posted 07-23-99 02:00 AM ET
THIS IS A FEATURE, NOT A BUG
[smirk]
Aredhran
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Author	Topic: Major bug found
Aredhran	posted 07-07-99 01:27 AM ET In the Weizen PBEM game I'm in with cousLee, Goob and Jam, there was a problem reported of disappearing Scout Patrol Units garrisoned in bases in two of the factions (Gaia and PK). Last night I reloaded my most recent turn. The patrols were still there. Then I played around with the DW, checking out the military report (F7) after each change. After some investigating, I realized what caused the problem: when I select the scout patrol unit type and click on Retire, it deleted the units for ALL factions. I'm going to send the save to Firaxis. Aredhran
cousLee	posted 07-07-99 06:43 AM ET Must be a week for them. Aredhrans Challange is kaput without repair. When I capture the last Gaian base, the game ends.
Goobmeister	posted 07-07-99 12:25 PM ET I am standing on the edge of the abyss, I see below me all those who have plunged before me as they wail and curse the Firaxis name, I can hear their cry " SMAC Sucks ". Will the winds blow me in? Their is a strong downdraft right now. Goob
jimmytrick	posted 07-07-99 08:40 PM ET I am highly ticked at the PBEM bugs just reported. I can't see the point of continuing with any PBEM games if they are going to end at the loss of the first human faction. Maybe a workaround can be found to salvage AC, but what happens when more complicated positions are developed in the mid game stage? A workaround a that point will be next to impossible. I am really, really, ticked off. How the hell can they sell such half-baked **** and then gleefully announce SMACX and CIV3 and SMEG and Antienam. Do they not have a clue as to the fact that there are other game manufacturers out there. Customer support means nothing to Firaxis if they are not willing to make a commitment to making their games work correctly. And stick to it. I am really ticked off. If a product does not work correctly a refund is due. We should send in our CDs and demand not just the refund but invoice them for the time we unwillingly spent doing the beta test for SMAC.
tfs99	posted 07-07-99 09:19 PM ET I guess we can look on the bright side. This bug should be serious enough to warrant another patch. I think it is only for Do or Die though as the PBEM I played had DoD off and we killed a human player OK. SMAC n ... Ted S.
cousLee	posted 07-09-99 05:46 PM ET This bug occured while: I was using V3.0, and I did not lose any units. (other players respond accordingly)(did v4.0 cause this bug?)(possible v3.0 incompatibility?)(is there any limit on these ()?)(are dumb looks still free? :O)(does Dierdre really run THROUGH the trees?)(or around them?)
Mongoose	posted 07-18-99 02:52 PM ET Similar thing happened to me last night. The difference is it was with the standard transport foil instead of scout patrols. (Curiously, both are the hard coded * designs in the unit workshop) Hive player retired the transport foil design. At the end of the player turn preceding his (Spartans-governor) both of my foils merrily exist. At the end of his turn (he has me infiltrated) they do not. Fortunately, I (UoP) caught it immediately, so we only had to replay one player-turn. We need to put this in bold letters: DO NOT RETITRE * DESIGNS IN THE UNIT WORKSHOP IN PBEM!!! I don't know if this happens in online MP. Anyone?
MoSe	posted 07-22-99 11:26 AM ET I can confirm the bug, playing Sparta in the game Mongoose reported above. I might add couple of details. Whilr testing it, I verified that this doesn't happen if you mark obsolete or upgrade the default units (). It happens only when you retire them. More important, is that is completely pointless retiring default units. They don't take up a design slot (1-64). They have their own reserved slots. So, even if you retire the design, it remains there in its slot. So,retiring a default unit, is: -pointless -harmful for other factions Now we can wait for someone coming up telling us it's a feature, not a bug! This way, you could wipe out the opponents' default units of that type. MariOne - we should test building new units of the retired-but-still-there default-type, to see how they're influenced.
Aredhran	posted 07-23-99 02:00 AM ET THIS IS A FEATURE, NOT A BUG [smirk] Aredhran