Space Empires V PBEM game

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-12-19 08:54pm

I haven't isolated the offending turn yet because it's a PITA. I'll update to 1.20 and try again, and then start excluding turns.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-12-19 09:02pm

E-mailed the turn files to IB. Host pass is mastur if you forgot.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-19 09:53pm

Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:E-mailed the turn files to IB. Host pass is mastur if you forgot.

No, I think IB wants your PBW password and login so he can execute turns when you're away and he's on.

Unfortunately, I think Tuxedo has the same problem as his friend, that is they use sensitive passwords for games

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InnocentBystander · Post by **InnocentBystander** » 2006-12-20 07:48am

Is there supposed to be any sort of loading bar that hints as to the progress during host turn execution? Even when I try to load the game as master with no other save files present the game appears to just sorta sit around with a black screen (I admit, I've never run turns before and don't know if this is just the way of things. I'm kinda expecting something more than just a blank screen.)

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-20 08:26am

InnocentBystander wrote:Is there supposed to be any sort of loading bar that hints as to the progress during host turn execution? Even when I try to load the game as master with no other save files present the game appears to just sorta sit around with a black screen (I admit, I've never run turns before and don't know if this is just the way of things. I'm kinda expecting something more than just a blank screen.)

Sits around with a black screen. Fuck that doesn't sound too good. Is our saved game file corrupt?

Yes there's supposed to be a loading bar. And you try it, with no .plr files present? Damn.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-20 08:36am

Nothing. It's supposed to give you a blacked out version of the interface, with all the buttons disabled. When I load the file, it's just a black screen. The current .gam file is corrupt.

We'll have to roll back to the turn before this one. I just hope it has nothing to do with the versions... apparently Steam users don't have an option to run the game without updating it to the latest.

Someone send me a link or e-mail of the turn file before this one if they've got it stored in their e-mail please.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-12-20 10:43am

I have them all. I'll try running the previous turn.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-20 10:48am

Apparently logging in to game master in the steam version of 1.20 is fucked. I just tried with a brand new game, and it did the same thing, black screen.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-12-20 10:56am

Hmm. Said it was backward compatible. Guess not. Since Steam users can't downgrade, I suppose we'll either have to start a new game or wait for a hotfix that may or may not arrive to restore compatability.

Personally, the prospect of starting a new game doesn't bother me at all. With so many missed turns and botched starts, it was pretty much borked anyway, and stock is ridiculously unbalanced. We also had a lot of empires starting right next to each other. My three homeworlds were in a system with only one WP leading out into one of Trog's home systems.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-20 10:56am

Okay someone without the steam version try loading this game as game master, password master

And someone with the steam version too. It's a blank game with two random empires, and still can't log into game master.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-20 11:00am

Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:Hmm. Said it was backward compatible. Guess not. Since Steam users can't downgrade, I suppose we'll either have to start a new game or wait for a hotfix that may or may not arrive to restore compatability.

Personally, the prospect of starting a new game doesn't bother me at all. With so many missed turns and botched starts, it was pretty much borked anyway, and stock is ridiculously unbalanced. We also had a lot of empires starting right next to each other. My three homeworlds were in a system with only one WP leading out into one of Trog's home systems.

If game master can't load at all even with brand new games, it may not be a compatibility issue but just an issue. A major issue. I'm not willing to start a new game until it's resolved, because not being able to login to the game master is a game killing problem. I have no problems restarting, because apparently this isn't a compatibility issue and through six or seven patches they've always been backwards compatible and Aaron wouldn't suddenly make a patch non-backwards compatible later on for no reason at all, he cares about his fans. Looking around the shrapnel forum and the spaceempires5 forum there's only a couple mentions of a BSOD, so it might be a very specific problem. I've got integrated graphics on a laptop. But before we restart, got to look at the game master problem and see if we can fix it for me and IB.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-12-20 11:35am

I had the same problem as soon as I updated to 1.20, so it's not just the two of you.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-20 12:43pm

I created a bug report.

Hopefully the shit gets fixed soon. If everybody could try and login to game master, and post their systems specs in that thread, hopefully they pay attention more if more people are complaining.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-12-20 06:04pm

Tried the previous turn with the same result, blank screen upon entering the host password and hitting enter. I know that 1.17 turns can be loaded into 1.20 because the Golden Eclipse PBW game has updated without a hitch, so it must be particular to our game.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-20 06:07pm

Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:Tried the previous turn with the same result, blank screen upon entering the host password and hitting enter. I know that 1.17 turns can be loaded into 1.20 because the Golden Eclipse PBW game has updated without a hitch, so it must be particular to our game.

Well there is one big shit, that is when I make a brand new game it creates the same problem.

I thought more people would complain if black screen happened with all games. What we need are the command line commands.

Eclipse is using a mod. There's a whole bunch of talk of extra lines being added to certain files and causing stock SE:V to crash. Unfortunately Steam users can't just go in and edit the stock data files, and I don't know what lines to add or remove anyway. The chances of it being our saved game when three people using totally different platforms can't get game master to work with brand new games is pretty remote I think.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-23 01:58pm

Well we're now at a crossroads. It could take forever for a patch, and given the tone of voice of my bug patch request and no replies, I don't think they'll be any fix forthcoming.

Someone with a lot of free time has to create a new game, create a game on PBW, and test it and see if the autoexecution works if only for one player. If someone convinces me that stock execution works with 1.20, I'm in for a new game.

My suggestions are a larger galaxy, and 36 hour turns. The B5 game is rapidly coming to a close, and takes 5 minutes anyway. Meanwhile, it's the holidays, and I want the game back up to speed as soon as possible. Also disable technology trading through the diplomacy window.

Trogdor · Post by **Trogdor** » 2006-12-23 03:09pm

I'd be totally behind a restart if we can make it work (I haven't colonized a planet since I finished with my home system

). We could use Shep's flags and do WWII in space.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-23 04:09pm

I've went ahead and created the new game. I want to get up and running as soon as possible... probably Boxing Day. For Americans who don't know what the hell Boxing Day is (do you? I don't know) it's the 26th of December, the day after the fat man gives you free shit. However if everybody uploads an empire faster, we can get rolling faster. Taking the load off of Tuxedo, who has to manage the SE:IV B5 games too. The only fast rule is no ancient race, everything else goes. If you try and make a race with more than 0 starting racial points (which means racial traits allowed as long as you take the -500 traits ahem) it won't work either so I feel no need to specify anything other than 0 racial traits. I will look at your empires to start out with, so do -not- use a password for SE:V that is a sensitive password. To make sure everybody is using a unique shipset and a legal race, I'll look in. And even if I didn't look in, you'd be stupid to trust a sensitive password to a stranger, so even if it's abc123 pick something unique for your SE:V game. Thank you peons, upload fast so the game can start.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-12-23 05:14pm

If we're going to start a new game, shouldn't we do something other than stock? I recommend Balance Mod or even better, Gritty Galaxy.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-23 05:51pm

Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:If we're going to start a new game, shouldn't we do something other than stock? I recommend Balance Mod or even better, Gritty Galaxy.

What the fuck is gritty galaxy? Sounds gritty.

I have no experience playing those mods so decide fast, I'll kick everybody and sign them back up. No recommendations, orders please, and if there's no contradictions we go with gritty galaxy.

EDIT: Just took a look, enhanced graphics, carrier battles style fighters, directional armor, fuel ports... fucking looks like king, if there's no objections we'll go with gritty galaxy.

EDIT2: PBW implemented a version change command. Excellent, won't have to kick everybody and restart. I just changed it to gritty galaxy.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-23 06:24pm

We have a problem. With GrittyGalaxy.

In the GrittyGalaxy mod download, there's also a components.txt outside the data folder. I tried moving it in too, to see if it would work, but it doesn't either.

InnocentBystander · Post by **InnocentBystander** » 2006-12-23 06:44pm

Once you guys have all this stuff working and set feel free to post links and such for how we can get these nifty mods. I think it is a fair bet that more than a few may be a tad busy during over the holiday weekend.

In addition, if we're starting up a new game we should consider making a new thread and hopefully get more people involved (even if we have to push back the start date)

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-23 06:47pm

Hey okay. Some time next year then?

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Someone will make the new thread. If we can get GrittyGalaxy working for 1.20 that'd be great, but it looks like it's bugged. Oh well.

Oh by the way GG I win u los no re

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Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2006-12-24 11:36am

Well, I just bought this game yesterday and I'd definitely be interested in playing with you guys. Long as you don't mind playing with a total noob, that is. All I'd ask is a little bit of slack.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-12-24 12:23pm

There is no slack in space.

Don't worry nobody will ever know you are a "noob." They'll just know they killed you. It's not like it's an MMO where if you aggro the wrong group of critters the whole team gangs up on you, or like an FPS where if you don't work well in a team they instantly know. Your opponents won't figure out you're a newbie until they come with a huge fleet to decimate you, and even then they won't really know that you made a whole bunch of small mistakes, because that's what usually loses it. All the small mistakes you make nobody would ever figure out, except yourself after you lose. Hope that makes you feel better

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I'll make a new thread in the new year. Merry Christmas and happy new year Earth Monkies, and if a moderator is really bored could he please lock this thread.