1.3.6 Bugs

[NiteHawk]

Status Update:

I've narrowed the bug from about 40 code changes to 6 code changes.

Still continuing the check.

[NiteHawk]

I finally figured out where the bug came from, now I must solve it I should be releasing it tommorrow if all is well. Apologizes for people who are having trouble atm with crashes.

[Rivard]

This isn't a bug exactly, but when I try to get on a server, it says "Wrong Version" and I can't get on. I can play offline fine, but not online. :S

I initially downloaded the update, and when that didn't work, i just did the full reinstall.

[Sandtrooper]

SF bombs if I try to add a module that won't fit into a ship (IE, Cruiser trying to add a Cloak, instead of the "Can't Fit" message, game crashes).

[NiteHawk]

SF bombs if I try to add a module that won't fit into a ship (IE, Cruiser trying to add a Cloak, instead of the "Can't Fit" message, game crashes).

Yeah I found out theres an issue with the modules, mainly the changes to the lasers, which caused this/rapid fire crash.

As for Rivards problem, I may of accidently put the wrong exe in there, I will fix it when 1.3.5.1 is done, it should be up today!

As for the explode sound crash you thought it may be its not, if anything your game will use the original (Hard hit one done by ATC) sound. Explode2 is a medium version and Explode3 is a quicker/light version. Modders however should change there guns to reflect this in the design. For me, heavy guns like cannons use explode, missiles use explode2, and generic guns use explode3.

[Sandtrooper]

Technically someewhat a bug, but can you make SF stop trying to "contact" a server that won't show once OK has been pressed on the nexus screen? (Its been like that since 1.2x). It also annoys me to "wait" for the game to stop pinging a server that won't show if there's only one or more servers that won't show up if I pressed cancel.

[NiteHawk]

Technically someewhat a bug, but can you make SF stop trying to "contact" a server that won't show once OK has been pressed on the nexus screen? (Its been like that since 1.2x). It also annoys me to "wait" for the game to stop pinging a server that won't show if there's only one or more servers that won't show up if I pressed cancel.

Generally I think the nexus shouldn't refresh at all unless you hit a button to refresh all severs or something. So one connect, check, then done.

The waiting thing happens in most games, try Continuum for example. If you log out quickly, theres a delay because if you try to close the port unproperly, next connect will cause a crash. Which happened alot in 1.2. There are ways around this, but not with the current network coding.

I'll see what I can do to make it more well, but might have to wait for the 2.0 version where we recode. I will see what I can do though. I think it should only check up to 1000ms technically, since you can't play with lag that high. Most games will do a 500+ms lag for example & have multiple threads checking (Like CS) We can do something like that. It would reduce the checking because I think it checks for a good awhile.. And perhaps have it only check once every minute.

What do you guys think is a good MS time to stop pinging? 500?600?800?1000? MS

[Ditch]

Possible bug? Do AI have the same power constraints as us? Playing just now they never ran out of power. It was a constant stream of at least 3 tubes of torps. Looked like they were firing more than I could with the same power 5. Could also just be a graphic thing, their power bar never dropped either unless they were shot.

[NiteHawk]

Possible bug? Do AI have the same power constraints as us? Playing just now they never ran out of power. It was a constant stream of at least 3 tubes of torps. Looked like they were firing more than I could with the same power 5. Could also just be a graphic thing, their power bar never dropped either unless they were shot.

3 tubes of torps? Rapid1's maybe? With power 5/power 6 it should be a pretty large amount of firepower. They do have constrants but they also stop firing on empty. Either way I'll make sure its okay, But I've seen a 'more constant' amount. With rapids however, you don't lose much enemy and you can fire alot more.

[Eklei]

I think power works properly for AI. Note that the bar you see in targeting is not energy, but damage.

If you've ever danced with an enemy starbase, you'll notice its attack starts very rapid and aggressive, and then slackens substantially when its power reserve bottoms out.

[NiteHawk]

Topic now for 1.3.6

[Sandtrooper]

Oh FFS, first my internet is being leached by my bro. Now I get booted off for the 1200 no contact thing on your server.

[11]

new round these parts but from what i've seen in 2 days:

Now I get booted off for the 1200 no contact thing on your server.

this, not often but often enough.
no crashes yet though, huge improvement from yesterday.
also:

laser2 (didn't test 1) has an impossible firing arc. does not work at all, did in 1.5 //// seems to be working now

blockaded planets occasionally track and fire upon when cloaked (also an issue in 1.5)

boots don't autosave before dropping you. not sure if this is a feature or a bug, but it's annoying for a newb nonetheless

cash is still set to 0 when you're boarded/captured by an enemy station

also a legacy bug and a little difficult to explain so bear with me: as the display changes while upgrading the loadout, buttons will sometimes update the click action but not the label. IE, click upgrade, improve shield, click upgrade, you're back at the loadout but now the button labeled upgrade is actually remove. was confused as hell last night trying to figure out how my shield/booster/whatever after the first upgrade kept disappearing.

and I understand this is a core networking/latency issue to be corrected in 2.0, but gonna vent anyway: seeing an entire volley hit its mark but doing no damage at all is extremely frustrating, made worse by the varying lead distance. is there a trick to this? like 80ms fire 1/4ship ahead, 160ms fire 1/2ship, on?

cyan dock tractor isn't working, yellow does. couldn't test red (no dock, no planets)

[AdmiralTigerclaw]

Leading a ship by distance is a starter way of doing it.  But you have to think of it AS time.

You lead for distance in straight shots, but what you want to do is learn to read how an opponent moves.  Then you predict what you think he'll do in about one second, and fire in that location.

[NiteHawk]

I think the SF.NET server has issues with no contact, its not because of you but the actual place where it is being hosted on isn't server friendly apparently.. I'll have to see what else I can do.

Blockade planets can see you while your cloaked yes, as might some ships when your nearby. If you are near a ship normally they reveal themselves. Planets can see you when you blockade for the fact at the moment that you can cap a planet cheaply that way. I'm not sure at the moment where the coding is involving them 'seeing' you, but in the future I'll just have it so that you cannot remove 'supply' while being cloaked.

Edit: Oh you mean being booted doesn't save connection, I'll see about fixing that.

I'll check the credits thing and see what's up when captured. Might be something I've missed involving starbases.

Yeah aware of the buttons too but I have ignored those at the moment as it is messy as hell. Since the interface is changing in 2.0 I haven't bothered doing this either because theres no point to fix this right now when the whole displayengine is being changed.

The network coding I feel doesn't even work well but yeah, you'll have to try to 'predict' where there going infront, anyone over 300ms is very tough to kill with the current coding. Will be all fixed though. I might even release a sub version when its complete just so its playable. Reason why I haven't advertised is becuase I still don't think the games ready for it yet. Would be mostly due to lag and bugs.

For some reason AI sometimes doesn't tractor you until you tractor them to get them out of there limbo. This isn't a AI docking bug like previous fixes, its actually something to do with there duty. I'll have to see what can be done about it. But yeah, if a race doesn't have any planets there basicly useless until they can get one, you can always 'blockade' and get one back and they'll respawn again.

As for lasers, it depends where you equip it. Some slots have a small firing arc while others might have a larger one, in the future perhaps need to put the 'arc' somewhere so you can tell what has a larger arc etc.

Thanks for the input though. I'll get on the bugs and see.

Again, for the no contact bug, its the server, I'll see what I can do about it but the actual server where the SF server is being run on is being stubborn.