[BUG]BULL Destroys Multi-Player

[majesty101ne]

I've been lurking around for a while and have been very interested in this fix in particular, i dont mind testing builds as its pretty easy for me to reproduce the error (hosting with pitboss and attacking an ai). Im not sure if i followed correctly all the updated files you posted, however i did try replacing the dll from your last post into the mod folder (this was the only file i replaced on the 2.1 release) and the oos error still presists... let me know if there was any other files that i needed to replace or a different mod build i should be using and I'd be more than happy to help out with what I can.

 

[EmperorFool]

No, the CvGameCoreDLL.dll files is the only file that needs swapping out. This file isn't intended to work in BAT 2.1, though. In fact, I would expect it to cause a crash during startup if installed into BAT 2.1.

 

[majesty101ne]

heh well i defiantly managed to get my turn in with 2.1 : D
what mod/build should i use then? Is the dll for bull standalone or a previous revision of BAT?

 

[EmperorFool]

You can use that DLL in an empty Mods folder:

Mods\
  OOS Test\
    Assets\
      CvGameCoreDLL.dll

 

[ZippyDan]

BAT 2.2 will be a while. First, we need to make sure that BULL is fixed. Second, we need to get the installer completed. Third, we're all pretty slammed on time.

That DLL is ready to go, and AFAICT the problem should be solved. The bug I found and fixed would definitely cause the OOS problem being seen. Now, is that the only cause of the problem? I dunno; that's why we need more testing. People have said that the OOS happens as soon as any human attacks any rival AI. If you can test that tomorrow, that would help a lot.

OK, so if I use BATmod 2.0 combined with this DLL (assuming it is fixed), will I run into any known issues?

 

[EmperorFool]

The DLL I posted has Fractional Trade Routes turned on which may cause display issues on the City Screen since BAT 2.0 has an old BUG. It will work fine for testing, but I wouldn't play a real game with it.

 

[ZippyDan]

The DLL I posted has Fractional Trade Routes turned on which may cause display issues on the City Screen since BAT 2.0 has an old BUG. It will work fine for testing, but I wouldn't play a real game with it.

Then I must retire dejected and defeated. This is probably the last Civ4 game I will ever play (a 10 player marathon-length game will probably last the entire year or more and leave me burnt out of Civ until Civ5 ever comes out). I wanted to end it on a BAT note!

I only just discovered BAT a couple months ago, and it reignited my interest in Civ, even though I never got to actually play with it. I guess I never will............ :'(

 

[EmperorFool]

You can upgrade BAT 2.0 to the latest BUG by installing BUG as a mod and then copying BUG's Assets folder contents into BAT's Assets folder, overwriting all files (Yes to All). Then use the DLL I posted. See the FAQ for more information.

 

[ZippyDan]

You can upgrade BAT 2.0 to the latest BUG by installing BUG as a mod and then copying BUG's Assets folder contents into BAT's Assets folder, overwriting all files (Yes to All). Then use the DLL I posted. See the FAQ for more information.

oh ok, so

1. Install BAT 2.0
2. Install BUG 4.2
3. Copy BUG 4.2 Assets folder into BAT 4.2 Assets folder
4. Overwrite .dll with the one posted in this thread

Rejoice?

 

[EmperorFool]

Yes, except that for 4 you aren't replacing the DLL since BAT 2.0 doesn't have a DLL--but you are copying it in there.

 

[ZippyDan]

Yes, except that for 4 you aren't replacing the DLL since BAT 2.0 doesn't have a DLL--but you are copying it in there.

1. I installed BAT 2.0 to its default location: C:\Users\Username\Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword\MODS\BAT Mod 2.0\

2. I installed BUG 4.2 to its default location: C:\Program Files\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\Beyond the Sword\Mods\BUG Mod 4.2\

3. I then copied the entire C:\Program Files\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\Beyond the Sword\Mods\BUG Mod 4.2\Assets folder into C:\Users\Username\Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword\MODS\BAT Mod 2.0\ and told Windows to merge all folders and overwrite all files

4. I then downloaded the DLL from this thread, and copied it to C:\Users\Username\Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword\MODS\BAT Mod 2.0\Assets\ where there was in fact already a CvGameCoreDLL.dll that I had to overwrite

 

[phungus420]

Did you have BAT 2.1 installed before? Uninstall BAT and start over, this time making sure there is no BAT directory to install into (the installer will create one, this time clean). When done, if you plan on using this for MP, make sure you move BAT into the Program Files path instead of My Documents.

 

[ZippyDan]

Did you have BAT 2.1 installed before? Uninstall BAT and start over, this time making sure there is no BAT directory to install into (the installer will create one, this time clean). When done, if you plan on using this for MP, make sure you move BAT into the Program Files path instead of My Documents.

I did have BAT 2.1 installed before; however:

1. I did an uninstall using Programs and Features before installing BAT 2.0. This seemed to empty out the \BAT 2.1\ directory, but left the directory standing.
2. Should be irrelevant as BAT 2.1 installs everything to a \BAT 2.1\ directory, whereas BAT 2.0 installs everything to a completely different \BAT 2.0\ directory

Why should I move BAT into the Program Files path? it seems to work fine where it is. Would I have to uninstall and reinstall to get it into the Program Files path?

 

[EmperorFool]

BAT 2.0 did not come with a DLL. Either you installed BAT 2.1 and renamed the folder or you copied the DLL from BULL or BAT 2.1 to that new BAT 2.0 folder. But your process was correct.

 

[EmperorFool]

People have said that network multiplayer games only work when the mod is installed into the Program Files folder rather than the My Games folder. I haven't confirmed it yet. If it doesn't work in My Games, you can move it manually--no need to uninstall and reinstall.

 

[ZippyDan]

BAT 2.0 did not come with a DLL. Either you installed BAT 2.1 and renamed the folder or you copied the DLL from BULL or BAT 2.1 to that new BAT 2.0 folder. But your process was correct.

Well... I've installed BAT 2.0 to three computers now using the BAT 2.0 installer. In all three cases, a \BAT 2.0\ folder was created that did not exist before. In one case, no BATmod had ever been installed before. In all three cases, the DLL in the \BAT 2.0\Assets\ folder showed a creation date from July, 2009, which seems to be the month that BAT 2.0 was released. According to sourceforge, BAT 2.1 was only released in November, 2009, so all the evidence points to the DLL not coming from a 2.1 install.

Unless I have some special version of BAT 2.0, I can pretty much guarantee you that the BAT 2.0 that can be found on sourceforge comes with a DLL in \BAT 2.0\Assets\.

People have said that network multiplayer games only work when the mod is installed into the Program Files folder rather than the My Games folder. I haven't confirmed it yet. If it doesn't work in My Games, you can move it manually--no need to uninstall and reinstall.

Well, I just started a PitBoss game with two clients using the combined BAT 2.0/BUG 4.3/New DLL in a C:\Users\Username\Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword\MODS directory. The game has successfully started and both clients are in the game. I'm using Direct IP on a LAN right now. Do you have any better definition for "doesn't work" ? Will the failure be immediately apparent, or is there some insidious version of "doesn't work" that I will only notice later?

Also, if I move the install manually from My Games, how will Civ4 know where to look when I try to load the BAT 2.0 mod that appears in the Advanced -> Load a Mod menu? I'm guessing that if I just put it in the \Program Files\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\Beyond the Sword\Mods\ directory that it just automagically looks for sub-folders in that directory and then ini's in the sub-folders?

 

[EmperorFool]

Maybe Alerum had a pre-release version of the DLL in BAT 2.0, but BULL was officially released alongside BAT 2.1. No worries, if it's there just replace it with the new one.

The problem was that the two players couldn't connect or see each other in the lobby or something like that. It doesn't crop up later; it will be immediate.

 

[EmperorFool]

I haven't heard anything back about the "fixed" DLL, so I went ahead and committed the fix (r121). The bug I found was absolutely a problem and would cause an OOS as soon as a human player attacked an AI unit on a plot that was not currently visible to at least one other human player.

Hopefully that is the only OOS bug outstanding, but we won't know until someone can test it out.

 

[Afforess]

I haven't heard anything back about the "fixed" DLL, so I went ahead and committed the fix (r121). The bug I found was absolutely a problem and would cause an OOS as soon as a human player attacked an AI unit on a plot that was not currently visible to at least one other human player.

Hopefully that is the only OOS bug outstanding, but we won't know until someone can test it out.

I'll update the latest AND and announce the possible fix. I'm sure there are willing MP testers over there; at least I hope so...

 

[EmperorFool]

I'll update the latest AND and announce the possible fix. I'm sure there are willing MP testers over there; at least I hope so...

I recommend taking only the r121 changes (or everything up to it) as I just committed a bunch of merged BUFFY code in r122 and beyond that hasn't been thoroughly tested yet. Everything before r122 should be okay, but r121 contains the entire OOS fix.