Help test Buffy 005 (Beta Gauntlet)

[Noble Zarkon]

We have a new version of Buffy available for testing - 005 which can be downloaded from here.

This version is based on the stable versions of BUG (4.4) and BULL (1.2) and incorporates the HOF code including the check for Espionage victories. This is intended to be the last major release of Buffy. Please only report Bugs in this thread, we are not looking to add any new features at this moment. It would be helpful if you could verify whether or not any bugs you are reporting are also present in BUG 4.4.

EDIT: We need more testing of Buffy 005, until then this will remain a BETA version.

In order to encourage you to test it out we are running a special BETA Gauntlet over the festive period, these games may or may not end up in the main tables depending on what bugs etc are found.

Settings:

• Victory Condition: Score (though all victory conditions must be enabled)
• Difficulty: Monarch
• Starting Era: Any
• Map Size: Any
• Speed: Any
• Map Type: Any
• Civ: Any
• Opponents: Any
• Version: 3.19.005 Beta
  
• Date: 10th December 2017 to 9th January 2018

Must not play as Inca.
The highest score wins.

The more people who take part in this and the more varied settings they use the better!

Details of the changes and known bugs can be found here.

 

[elitetroops]

A while ago we were discussing the continents map script. Flat world wrap continents (allowed by HoF) is broken and produces mostly pangaeas. This is a shame, since otherwise it is the only map script that is guaranteed to require astronomy, which would be good for certain challenges. When we last discussed it, one option considered was to disable the flat world wrap option in the next BUFFY release. Shouldn't be hard to implement, though it isn't yet. Any possibility that could still be done?

 

[Noble Zarkon]

I didn't think Continents was guaranteed to require Astronomy even if that broken set of options was barred?

I definitely think a script like that is a good idea and even had one created but it wasn't accepted.

I'll look into the options, thanks.

 

[elitetroops]

I'm 99,9% sure it's guaranteed to require astro on other world wraps, at least on standard sized maps and up. I've rolled a ton of them in world builder when looking for NC maps, and I've never seen anything close to a map that doesn't require astro to meet everyone. Not sure about duel maps.

Domination is not guaranteed to require astro. Continents can be of very different size.

 

[WastinTime]

compulsory after March 10th, huh?
There is usually a very long period where games in progress can still be submitted with the current version.
For example, what if someone has a BC Deity space game going?
Not sure I can finish it by March 10th given the current G-Major and the upcoming SGotM.

I suppose I'd just have to finish it without submitting to the HoF.

 

[Noble Zarkon]

We felt 4 months was a long enough time but I understand where you are coming from, no final decision has been taken yet though so thanks for the feedback.

 

[Fippy]

Can we see the known changes & improvements in this new Buffy somewhere yet?

 

[lymond]

NZ may have more to add, but basically the changes/improvements would be the same as the BUG 4.4/BULL 1.2 changelogs, which you can find in the corresponding folders, if installed. However, I'm attaching them here as well. Additionally, 005 will include the verification protocols for the Espionage VC.

Of note, the BUG Options button will now be present, and the overall performance enhancements of the 4.4/1.2 versions. Note that turning off PLE Style in options (Plot List tab), helps with performance some as well.

 

[Noble Zarkon]

Can we see the known changes & improvements in this new Buffy somewhere yet?

They are included with the install (Edit: As noted by lymond) but I've added the Release Notes to the first post.

I think the biggest visible changes are that hidden diplomatic modifiers are no longer hidden and the new Espionage screen.

 

[WastinTime]

The two bugs in .004 that made me stay with .003 are:

1) With just one unit, you can attack a worker AND (if you have movement left) attack another worker or a city.

2) Before .004, when you build culture and borders expand, culture is removed from the queue and hammers go into the next thing in the queue. I realize this is probably the buggy behavior, but that's how it's worked for years. Don't change it. Have .005 work like .003 and earlier versions.

Has anyone checked that these are fixed?

 

[elitetroops]

1) With just one unit, you can attack a worker AND (if you have movement left) attack another worker or a city.

I heard about this when .004 was released, but never noticed that this would be the case. Just tested again, doesn't work. Any more specific circumstances when this happens?

2) Before .004, when you build culture and borders expand, culture is removed from the queue and hammers go into the next thing in the queue. I realize this is probably the buggy behavior, but that's how it's worked for years. Don't change it. Have .005 work like .003 and earlier versions.

You mean overflow should go into the next build? For example, if building culture would put you at 12 culture, it should instead put you at 10 and the remaining two hammers go into next build?

 

[Noble Zarkon]

The two bugs in .004 that made me stay with .003 are:

1) With just one unit, you can attack a worker AND (if you have movement left) attack another worker or a city.

Yes that is fixed.

2) Before .004, when you build culture and borders expand, culture is removed from the queue and hammers go into the next thing in the queue. I realize this is probably the buggy behavior, but that's how it's worked for years. Don't change it. Have .005 work like .003 and earlier versions.

.005 works correctly like .004 so the bug is fixed. You can certainly argue over the merits of fixing a 10 year old bug but I'm not sure if there are other consequences of re-introducing the bug. I'm not even sure we have the knowledge or capability to unfix it, many of the people who worked on BUG are no longer about. The view of the HOF staff was that it was worth it to get BUFFY up to the latest stable version of BUG/BATBULL even if that means living with some choices we don't agree with.

If any code divers can find the code in question we'd certainly be willing to have another look at it.

 

[WastinTime]

You mean overflow should go into the next build? For example, if building culture would put you at 12 culture, it should instead put you at 10 and the remaining two hammers go into next build?

it currently gives you 12 culture and then all the hammers that contributed to some of that culture are also put into the next thing in the queue. I suppose if it gets fixed, it's not a big deal as long as we all know not to rely on this effect. I rarely remember to take advantage of it.

 

[lymond]

I'd l like to re-emphasize Noble's comment on getting BUFFY to the latest stable release of BUG/BULL (not BAT). 005 is not related in any way to 004. 004 unfortunately was using an unstable/unreleased version of BUG/BULL due to a miscommunication. 005 is using the last stable release of BUG/BULL which most of us have used at some point. Therefore, some of the previously identified issues with 004 should not be present - not that folks should not still test for those issues.

(My grand idea was to include BAT assets as optional install components of BUFFY, since they are purely aesthetic, but not sure how popular that would be or not. Basically, a glorious marriage of all the unaltered gameplay goodness out there in one beautiful HOF mod.)

 

[Noble Zarkon]

I've moved the details of the changes and the known bugs to a new thread, please still discuss them here - the new thread is meant as a reference point.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

(My grand idea was to include BAT assets as optional install components of BUFFY, since they are purely aesthetic, but not sure how popular that would be or not. Basically, a glorious marriage of all the unaltered gameplay goodness out there in one beautiful HOF mod.)

Y'know... I could make that happen...

Just sayin'.

 

[lymond]

Y'know... I could make that happen...

Just sayin'.

Oh..we have no doubts

 

[Fippy]

More Lemon, better Buffy (just what i auto thought)

 

[Deckhand]

from change list

- BUFFY
Barbarian Uprising events require Priesthood

It was my understanding that BUFFY 3 disabled the more egregious events, including barbarian uprisings. Can they happen now? All events?

Also, I think BUFFY nerfed Global Warming. Has that nerf been removed?

And there were some gotm qol changes planned for BUFFY 4, like allowing more cities in a OCC. Did any of them make it into 5?

 

[lymond]

gotm changes planned for BUFFY 4?