Hard Light Productions Forums

Hosted Projects - Standalone => The Babylon Project => Topic started by: IPAndrews on March 21, 2008, 03:04:06 pm

Title: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: IPAndrews on March 21, 2008, 03:04:06 pm
Please report your experiences with the TBP 3.4b release candidate release here. If you are reporting a bug here please note that not all bugs can or will be fixed. Check the list of unfixable bugs below. Also, don't post requests for new features, or new ships in this thread. Thanks all.

Unfixable:

1. Black square over buttons (game engine bug)
2. Skullar's epsilon 3 background (promised but never sent)
3. "Drums of War I" mission 3 "Dropping the Sledgehammer" and a background planet had a black square around it (I don't have the knowledge or tools to fix alpha channel issues)
4. Ships (inc B5) don't rotate in multiplayer
5. the RW Mission1 briefing (last stage) has still a incomplete voice file,
6. Asteroid model doesn't display when clicked in briefings.
7. Inferno build crashes in Multiplayer.
8. No rotation in subobject Multiplayer.
9. Cannot assign orders to DH Mothership (supercap object type hardcoded limitation)
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: karajorma on March 21, 2008, 03:43:25 pm
Quote
9. Cannot assign orders to DH Mothership (supercap object type hardcoded limitation)

Huh? If that's true I want that fixed for more than just TBP. What exactly is the issue?
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: IPAndrews on March 21, 2008, 04:08:34 pm
Quote
9. Cannot assign orders to DH Mothership (supercap object type hardcoded limitation)

Huh? If that's true I want that fixed for more than just TBP. What exactly is the issue?

Supercap modified in objecttypes.tbl to allow it to accept all orders. Has no effect.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Vidmaster on March 23, 2008, 08:42:11 am
Primus Encounter and GQuan Encounter are missing  :blah:
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: IPAndrews on March 23, 2008, 10:21:55 am
Primus Encounter and GQuan Encounter are missing  :blah:

Won't be fixed. Remember you can release as many multiplayer missions as you like yourself in the future.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: IPAndrews on March 23, 2008, 11:43:20 am
Won't be fixed. Remember you can release as many multiplayer missions as you like yourself in the future.

Actually I say "fixed" but that implies a bug or an oversight and it's neither. I included the missions I was presented with as Final at the cut-off time.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on March 23, 2008, 12:54:14 pm
Found a bug with shockwaves.  Mantis 1638 (http://scp.indiegames.us/mantis/view.php?id=1638)

Basically if there is a shockwave the damage doesn't work correctly.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Vidmaster on March 24, 2008, 02:06:12 pm
TBP claims that I am out of Discspace and fails to create a new pilot  :confused: :confused: :confused:
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on March 24, 2008, 02:10:25 pm
Did it create the player directory?  If it's not there create it manually.  I remember reading about this in some FS2 installs.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: IPAndrews on March 25, 2008, 03:01:12 am
Please uninstall. Delete the TBP directory. Reinstall. And ensure the player directory is created without error. If it is not then we have a confirmed installer program bug and the installer links will need to be pulled while it is fixed.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Vidmaster on March 25, 2008, 10:23:19 am
The player directory WAS there.   

Reinstalled. Problem gone. Lucky me.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: hip63 on March 25, 2008, 10:31:28 am
Pretty sure it is NOT an installer bug, A- more that one person would having the issue and B- I tested this on several PCs including an XP 32-bit  system, a XP 64-bit system and a vista system, none of them had the issue mentioned.

hip63 :p
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: IPAndrews on March 25, 2008, 10:48:09 am
Ok. I would appreciate some comments from people who have had no issues with the new release. I would like to be confident before I promote this to the final version.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Vidmaster on March 25, 2008, 11:17:06 am
no more problems
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: hip63 on March 25, 2008, 11:37:50 am
cool, thanks VM :)

hip63 :p
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on March 25, 2008, 12:48:32 pm
No problems on the install but I did copy my pilot and misson directories over before I tried to play.  Have about 4 more computers to install it on.  I'll try to get to at least two of them today.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Vidmaster on March 25, 2008, 04:53:06 pm
about the shockwave bug: is that the one preventing my Shadow base in 2260 M12 from being shattered apart by shockwaves? I remember this one worked some TBP versions ago  :confused:        FUBAR, mind taking a look? I am out of clues  :blah:
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on March 25, 2008, 05:12:05 pm
I'm in the process of installing right now and just deleted all the TBP directories over here  so I can't check.  Easy way to check is to edit the mission and turn off the shockwave flag.  If they blow up like they are supposed to then that is the bug. 
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on March 25, 2008, 07:16:00 pm
Ok. I would appreciate some comments from people who have had no issues with the new release. I would like to be confident before I promote this to the final version.

3 more installs without a problem. 
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Col. Fishguts on March 25, 2008, 07:22:00 pm
Finally got all 8 parts, installed without a hitch (nice installer btw), no problems so far.

Just one thing I'm not sure. Did the command briefings for the EMW demo have voice acting or not ? Because I'm not hearing any, but the briefings work fine.

Anyway, major kudos for putting this highly polished release together :yes: So much for retiring as project lead, eh ;7
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on March 25, 2008, 08:09:27 pm
Confirmed.  Briefing voices play but not the command briefings. 

Just took a look in FRED.  While the sound file are referenced they are not in the VP.  So they are either missing or were never made. 
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: IPAndrews on March 26, 2008, 04:30:29 am
Ok I have no confidence in this release candidate anymore. Pulled.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Tiponey on March 26, 2008, 08:03:50 am
Yeah i confirmed the missing voices too. I noticed one thing too I can install all the game even if the installer says i haven't enough place(i only have 2.5g of free space when i do it).And for the planet in Drum of War i can send you the fixed planet becoz i redone the the vp core (becoz i got an old fx 5200) to check the missing mipmaps the problem i'm too lazy to check the filename
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Vidmaster on March 26, 2008, 12:57:57 pm
hey guys, the EMW command briefing voices did not play since 3.3  :rolleyes:   I never even knew they had voice-files:lol:

FUBAR, what do you mean by shockwave flag? Under special explosions? If yes, problem is I also have some extra sexps creating more shockwaves which are not displayed...
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on March 26, 2008, 01:25:27 pm
Yea that is the flag I meant.  I never tried using the sexp.  If there is a problem with that add what it is doing to my Mantis report.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Col. Fishguts on March 26, 2008, 02:48:43 pm
hey guys, the EMW command briefing voices did not play since 3.3  :rolleyes:   I never even knew they had voice-files:lol:

Ah, then my memory wasn't failing me. What seems to be the problem, are the files not included in the VP or in the wrong directory ?
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on March 26, 2008, 03:26:08 pm
I took a look in both the EMW VP and the Core VP and didn't see them in any directory.  I guess that would make them MIA.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Col. Fishguts on March 26, 2008, 05:48:53 pm
Ok, I'm digging up my old backup CDs with R1 and R2, they have to be somewhere.

EDIT: I checked R1 and there are no CB voices as well, so there probably never were any and my memory was tricking me.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: IPAndrews on March 26, 2008, 07:51:43 pm
I just checked EMW version 2.0 and there are no command briefing sound samples. The command briefings are text only.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: IPAndrews on March 27, 2008, 04:54:18 am
Reinstated downloads since at this time we only have one trivial bug (shockwave).
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: hip63 on March 27, 2008, 10:40:39 am
so are we gonna fix the shockwave bug or no?

hip63 :p
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: gerrish on March 28, 2008, 09:23:16 am
Hello, not sure if this is the right thread to post this on but I've got a problem with the 3.4b release in that the game freezes shortly after the arrival of the breaching pods, in the 2nd (boarding party) mission of raider wars. I've tried reinstalling it, and tried using the TBP 3.4 release but the same thing occurs.
    I would be really grateful for any help as shooting bad guys in outer space is my favourite pastime.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Vidmaster on March 28, 2008, 02:09:33 pm
does it freeze every time (PLEASE TRY BEFORE TELLING ME "YES, IT DOES")
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on March 28, 2008, 02:59:52 pm
Just gave that mission a run through and while I manged to screw up the mission again (disabled the carrier) it didn't crash.

If you do crash again post you system specs.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: IPAndrews on March 28, 2008, 03:46:37 pm
so are we gonna fix the shockwave bug or no?

Well Kara didn't send me any code. I don't have time to set up CVS and become a proper coder. Kara doesn't know how to fix the bug. None of the other coders will touch Kara's TBP/BTRL specific build. So the answer is no.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: karajorma on March 28, 2008, 06:40:25 pm
If it's fixed in 3.6.10 I can probably port it. The problem with sending the code is that I'm not even certain that the null vector is the cause. It might be a completely unrelated bug.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on March 28, 2008, 08:50:09 pm
I was doing some more thinking.   You said that the error is in FS2 as well but for some reason it works in FS2.  Could it have something to do with the 2D style shockwave effect in TBP?  The shockwave in FS2 is pretty much a sphere.  Think I'll try rotating that mine and see if it produces a different result.

Well that had no effect except changing the shockwave path.  Damage worked the same.

Does the special explosion data come from a table or is it just in the code? 
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: taylor on March 29, 2008, 05:57:37 am
If it's fixed in 3.6.10 I can probably port it. The problem with sending the code is that I'm not even certain that the null vector is the cause. It might be a completely unrelated bug.
A patch that should fix it is now attached to the bug (http://scp.indiegames.us/mantis/view.php?id=1638).  I'm still testing it myself, so I'm not 100% sure about what breaks or not (explanation of the problem is in the bug report now).  It's not going to be an issue for retail data, just for mods, but I'm going to play wait-and-see with it before committing.  If there doesn't appear to be any negative reports in an Xt build or two then I'll commit the fix at that point.


Oh, and null vector warning will never break anything (well, there is a 0.0001% chance I suppose).  It's something that happens constantly in the code but it's really not a big deal.  It gives us clues into some issues, but the warning message is just an indicator that the code automatically fixed any possible problem already.  It's annoying, but otherwise harmless.  In this particular case it's simply an issue of the the shockwave center being almost directly on the ship position.  Just FYI. :)
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: IPAndrews on March 31, 2008, 02:24:07 am
What's this ai_lethality fix Taylor? Just so i know what else we took onboard with this latest fix. ;)
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: karajorma on March 31, 2008, 02:51:42 am
I didn't actually include it since I didn't know what it was for either. :D
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: IPAndrews on March 31, 2008, 03:14:57 am
Good I think our AI is lethal enough. Thanks.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: taylor on March 31, 2008, 06:11:52 am
What's this ai_lethality fix Taylor? Just so i know what else we took onboard with this latest fix. ;)
"lethality" is used by the AI pretty much only for turrets at the moment.  It's used as a modifier to determine how dangerous a target is, so that greater priority can be applied to that target as something to be fired at.  It's basically saying that for a capital ship under attack, bombers should be a higher priority target than fighters because the bombs are doing more damage to the capital ship and destroying the bombers is of more importance than just the closest ship.

The fix was to a bit of code that scales damage from weapons.  Weapon damage was being scaled after the lethality was updated, meaning that a hostile ship could end up being more or less of a threat than it really was.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: karajorma on March 31, 2008, 07:04:16 am
Yeah, I figured that it was doing something along those lines, but I didn't want to introduce any balancing issues at this late date.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: taylor on March 31, 2008, 08:13:31 am
That's fine, I don't plan to commit it until after it's been in a Xt build anyway.  I was just too lazy to remove it from that diff.  :D
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: gerrish on March 31, 2008, 01:04:04 pm
does it freeze every time (PLEASE TRY BEFORE TELLING ME "YES, IT DOES")

yeah tried it several times and the same thing happens
using a Dell inspiron 2200, intel celeron M processor 1.50GHz, 504 RAM and 20Gb free memory
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on March 31, 2008, 01:20:08 pm
Are you running in Direct3D or OpenGL?  I'm not positive on this but I'm thinking it's the Intel video card not being able to handle the program.  If it supports OpenGL you should be using that.  Try getting the latest drivers for the video card. 
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Jeff Vader on March 31, 2008, 01:24:13 pm
On several occasions I've heard that people with Intel graphics cards have problems getting the game to run under OpenGL. Most likely due to poor drivers by Intel. Usually Direct3D, as terrible as it is, is the only option for them.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: karajorma on March 31, 2008, 02:18:04 pm
Are you running in Direct3D or OpenGL?  I'm not positive on this but I'm thinking it's the Intel video card not being able to handle the program.  If it supports OpenGL you should be using that.  Try getting the latest drivers for the video card.

He won't be able to run in D3D with the standard BtRL builds that TBP uses. They let you pick D3D in the launcher but they just run OpenGL anyway. I'll have to make up a pair of D3D enabled builds with the latest fixes. I do have this one (http://www.freespacefaq.com/Misc-Downloads/Builds/BtRL_D3D_Exes.zip) from December though.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: gerrish on April 01, 2008, 06:43:56 am
Thank you for the posting the D3D builds Karajorma, although i tried running Direct 3D with them and the game froze up upon entering the mission. So do you guys think as a guess getting a better video card should solve the problem? I did try up dating the driver but to no avail. 
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: rwm on April 01, 2008, 08:54:37 am
Please report your experiences with the TBP 3.4b release candidate release here.

The number of maximal respawns (only 20) in the Coop MP-map "Ultimate Gauntlet"(FUBAR-MG02.FS2) and other Coop MP-maps is too low. Is there a way to fix this, so that the host has more freedom to adjust the difficulty?
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: IPAndrews on April 01, 2008, 09:07:55 am
To adjust the difficulty. Press F2. And adjust the difficulty.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on April 01, 2008, 12:45:24 pm
The number of maximal respawns (only 20) in the Coop MP-map "Ultimate Gauntlet"(FUBAR-MG02.FS2) and other Coop MP-maps is too low. Is there a way to fix this, so that the host has more freedom to adjust the difficulty?

The 20 respawns in Ultimate Gauntlet is more than enough.  Any more and it turns the mission into nothing more than a a way to rack up easy kills.  Since every ship is available I had to balance it against the most lethal fighters.  I personally have gotten over 200 kills on medium.  Besides there is no way to beat the mission so you would still end up dead even with 99 respawns. 
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Vidmaster on April 02, 2008, 04:09:09 am
well, at least the Vidmaster's Challenge (not the major one) got rebalanced, but did not make the deadline. It's possible, just difficult.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: rwm on April 02, 2008, 11:23:36 am
The number of maximal respawns (only 20) in the Coop MP-map "Ultimate Gauntlet"(FUBAR-MG02.FS2) and other Coop MP-maps is too low. Is there a way to fix this, so that the host has more freedom to adjust the difficulty?

The 20 respawns in Ultimate Gauntlet is more than enough. Any more and it turns the mission into nothing more than a a way to rack up easy kills.  Since every ship is available I had to balance it against the most lethal fighters.  I personally have gotten over 200 kills on medium. 

20 respawns is not enough. We always get killed too fast before we can destroy the Excalibur, because of those Vorlon fighters.
I would like to have the freedom to have 99 respawns like in some other maps. I don't see a problem with that. Those that like 20 respawns can still play with 20, but those who want to play that Gauntlet longer now can't. Is there a way to change this?

Quote
Besides there is no way to beat the mission so you would still end up dead even with 99 respawns.

So how can you say that 20 is enough and why there is no way to beat the mission?
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on April 02, 2008, 12:03:04 pm
What part of unbeatable didn't you understand.  You can't destroy the Excalibur and the Vorlon fighters are endless.  Hence the and now you die message.
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Vidmaster on April 02, 2008, 12:24:15 pm
To my mind, the idea of a gauntlet is to constantly improve the pilot's skills and get harder. This means, a gauntlet cannot be finished. It's like building fortesses out of sand on the beach with extremly complex defensive measures. The goal is to survive as long as you can against the sea, not to beat the sea.
And since I made the (first) gauntlet for TBP and the other ones are based on it, there are no FS2 style gauntlets. You get rated instead, based on your progression.

If you don't like that, everybody is free to create more multiplayer missions. I even urge you to do it  :nod:
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: rwm on April 02, 2008, 06:15:55 pm
What part of unbeatable didn't you understand.  You can't destroy the Excalibur and the Vorlon fighters are endless.  Hence the and now you die message.

You did not say that you can't destroy the Excalibur and that the Vorlon fighters are endless. That's why I asked "why there is no way to beat the mission". :rolleyes:
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: PSI-KILLER on April 07, 2008, 07:43:42 am
Nice looking installer!!!!!
Title: Re: TBP 3.4b release candidate feedback
Post by: Vidmaster on April 11, 2008, 12:17:55 pm
so, official and inofficial TBP team members:
shall we label this release final ?  :rolleyes: