Progressive MP game thread

[MagnusIlluminus]

I've just found an interesting thing, due to adding the ".svn" folder to C2C MP Prgsv. There are two files in that folder that have blue circle with question mark in them. The files are:
C2C MP Prgsv
C2C MP Prgsv.ini.bak

These files are NOT found in the main mod that we downloaded, and that the game was (presumably) started from. Could this be having an effect?

Also, there is a content (nearly) identical file in the folder called "Caveman2Cosmos" which is also a Configuration Settings file. The only difference in content it the listed "Game Name" being identical to the file name in both cases. Could having conflicting Configuration files be having a negative effect?

Oddly, the mod used for the UP MP game has several such files and it has no problem.

 

[Thunderbrd]

I've just found an interesting thing, due to adding the ".svn" folder to C2C MP Prgsv. There are two files in that folder that have blue circle with question mark in them. The files are:
C2C MP Prgsv
C2C MP Prgsv.ini.bak

These files are NOT found in the main mod that we downloaded, and that the game was (presumably) started from. Could this be having an effect?

Also, there is a content (nearly) identical file in the folder called "Caveman2Cosmos" which is also a Configuration Settings file. The only difference in content it the listed "Game Name" being identical to the file name in both cases. Could having conflicting Configuration files be having a negative effect?

Oddly, the mod used for the UP MP game has several such files and it has no problem.

Maybe? I don't know... I'm not sure how to test it either. Maybe we need to all launch a game with the same parameters so as to establish default expectations or some crap... I don't know... we've never struggled like this before and I'm just flat out confused.

I'm seriously under the weather here and this is proving to be too much for me at the moment. I'm stressing the hell out over this, pissed off and upset about it and I've got a splitting headache and sniffles from hell. I just slept more than half the last 24 hrs. I'd desperately praying someone with real skill can take a look at this because as I'm looking into this as deeply as I can, I feel I'm drowning in it. No solutions are coming to mind at all. No suspicions as to what may have gone wrong here are coming to mind either, except perhaps to say that I suspect it has something to do with the new NPC teams upsetting some expectations in the core programming somewhere, but even that doesn't sit well when the system that initiated the game can take every turn in it without a hitch. It feels like a puzzle that the answer to is probably right there in front of my blind eyes.

 

[Spirictum]

So whoever starts the game save and load normally?

 

[JosEPh_II]

So whoever starts the game save and load normally?

Yes to both.

JosEPh

 

[MagnusIlluminus]

Thunderbrd, now that your game mod folder has those configuration files in it, make a new game and we will see if other people can load it.

As a note to people trying to load a save game for one of these games, do start a single player game before trying to load the save for the PBEM game, so that you will already have the configuration file in there.

I'm thinking that the game starts to load, has to create the config file, then fails as it just changed the mod folder. Alternatively, the game was created so as to require a mod folder that does not have those config files in it, but as each player's mod loads it creates the files and thus invalidates the mod folder from the perspective of the save game file. It is a longshot, but it seems possible.

An additional note, since Thunderbrd has the .svn folder in his mod folder, that may be required to load the save game file.

 

[olduser]

The .svn folder is hidden so Civ 4 doesn't care about it. It wasn't hidden in earlier SVN versions and that increased the Civ 4 startup time alot because it scanned all the files inside that folder. That is the reason why the SVN instructions include the step to export the files into a empty directory but that isn't necessary anymore.

 

[Thunderbrd]

The .svn folder is hidden so Civ 4 doesn't care about it. It wasn't hidden in earlier SVN versions and that increased the Civ 4 startup time alot because it scanned all the files inside that folder. That is the reason why the SVN instructions include the step to export the files into a empty directory but that isn't necessary anymore.

Both awesome points to bring up. Thank you!

Thunderbrd, now that your game mod folder has those configuration files in it, make a new game and we will see if other people can load it.

Sorry, but how is that any different than the game I've provided in the Progressive MP game folder? It's in the act of generating the game that those config files get automatically generated. I MAY need to supply them to others who wish to load this game and if they replace theirs with mine in the Progressive folder then maybe they'd be able to load the save. I'll try that.

EDIT: I think it actually generates as soon as you open the mod with that mod folder...

 

[Thunderbrd]

Here... I had to 7Zip it.

I'm pretty sure the .bak file is an automatic backup generated but isn't an actively utilized file. Either way, for the sake of continuity, both are included here.

EDIT: Interestingly, a compare of this ini to the Caveman2Cosmos.ini comes up with these 2 differences, one of which sounds to be touching right on what our problem may be:

in the C2C MP Prgsv.ini:
; Custom XML and Python from user folder are not loaded
NoCustomAssets = 0

and
; Allow public maps to be used with this mod
AllowPublicMaps = 1

Whereas in the Caveman2Cosmos.ini:
; Custom XML and Python from user folder are not loaded
NoCustomAssets = 1

and
; Allow public maps to be used with this mod
AllowPublicMaps = 0

Very strange, though. I would've expected NoCustomAssets to need to be 0, and that's what it IS at... odd.

The Conservative Ini compares exactly to the Progressive one though.

 

[Toffer90]

@TB: Sounds like you hit the core of the issue in that .ini file comparison.
I'm sure you and et al will figure it out soon, even if the problem is bigger than changing some ini booleans.

 

[olduser]

Here... I had to 7Zip it.

I'm pretty sure the .bak file is an automatic backup generated but isn't an actively utilized file. Either way, for the sake of continuity, both are included here.

EDIT: Interestingly, a compare of this ini to the Caveman2Cosmos.ini comes up with these 2 differences, one of which sounds to be touching right on what our problem may be:

in the C2C MP Prgsv.ini:
; Custom XML and Python from user folder are not loaded
NoCustomAssets = 0

and
; Allow public maps to be used with this mod
AllowPublicMaps = 1

Whereas in the Caveman2Cosmos.ini:
; Custom XML and Python from user folder are not loaded
NoCustomAssets = 1

and
; Allow public maps to be used with this mod
AllowPublicMaps = 0

Very strange, though. I would've expected NoCustomAssets to need to be 0, and that's what it IS at... odd.

The Conservative Ini compares exactly to the Progressive one though.

I would say that NoCustomAssets should always be 1 because why should the XML and Python from user folder be loaded?

 

[Thunderbrd]

@TB: Sounds like you hit the core of the issue in that .ini file comparison.
I'm sure you and et al will figure it out soon, even if the problem is bigger than changing some ini booleans.

I would say that NoCustomAssets should always be 1 because why should the XML and Python from user folder be loaded?

I tried changing that variable in the conservative game and loading the save I have from Joseph there and it sadly didn't work. I'm not sure where this factor even becomes an issue. I mean, as Alberts states, IS there any custom XML or Python in the user settings folder?

I AM curious how these two variables get autoset differently from the core Caveman2Cosmos though. I'm not sure if that's leading anywhere or just a sideshow distraction.

Has anyone tried to make a PBEM game in the core and send the turn to another system yet? To see if this is a problem with renaming the folder or not? I might try that later here since both Whisperr's computer and mine are at the same revision# in the core (9445 still I believe.)

 

[Toffer90]

I tried changing that variable in the conservative game and loading the save I have from Joseph there and it sadly didn't work. I'm not sure where this factor even becomes an issue. I mean, as Alberts states, IS there any custom XML or Python in the user settings folder?

Perhaps save files created with NoCustomAssets = 0 contains data that makes them unusable on a different computer/"User Account"... The error message shown when loading the save said something about protected user assets, did it not?


By the way, this ini variable has nothing to do with the UserSettings folder, it is about the custom assets that can be added in the "Drive:\UserName\My Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword\CustomAssets" directory.
Maybe I'm wrong in the above assumption, but at least that is what makes sense to me.

 

[JosEPh_II]

<Define>
<DefineName>USE_MODDERS_PLAYEROPTION_1</DefineName>
<iDefineIntVal>1</iDefineIntVal>
</Define>
<Define>
<DefineName>USE_MODDERS_PLAYEROPTION_2</DefineName>
<iDefineIntVal>1</iDefineIntVal>
</Define>
<Define>
<DefineName>USE_MODDERS_PLAYEROPTION_3</DefineName>
<iDefineIntVal>1</iDefineIntVal>
</Define>

What the heck do these do? And I thought they All used to be set at "0", not 1.

Edit: In another "GlobalDefines" file these are set to:

<Define>
<DefineName>USE_MODDERS_PLAYEROPTION_1</DefineName>
<iDefineIntVal>0</iDefineIntVal>
</Define>
<Define>
<DefineName>USE_MODDERS_PLAYEROPTION_2</DefineName>
<iDefineIntVal>0</iDefineIntVal>
</Define>
<Define>
<DefineName>USE_MODDERS_PLAYEROPTION_3</DefineName>
<iDefineIntVal>0</iDefineIntVal>
</Define>

The exact opposite of the 1st set found in A_New_Dawn_GlobalDefines.

And finally 1 more messed with Global define:

<!-- Rise of Mankind Multiplayer fix, when set to 1 disables the Colonist and Pioneer units' feature to construct cities with preset buildings -->
<Define>
<DefineName>ROM_MULTIPLAYER_FIX</DefineName>
<iDefineIntVal>0</iDefineIntVal>

Crazy?!

JosEPh

 

[Acularius]

I am now up to speed, and will follow this as it develops.

 

[Thunderbrd]

Perhaps save files created with NoCustomAssets = 0 contains data that makes them unusable on a different computer/"User Account"... The error message shown when loading the save said something about protected user assets, did it not?


By the way, this ini variable has nothing to do with the UserSettings folder, it is about the custom assets that can be added in the "Drive:\UserName\My Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword\CustomAssets" directory.
Maybe I'm wrong in the above assumption, but at least that is what makes sense to me.

Maybe you're right. I don't know what it does exactly. If you are correct, then it should mean a little less than nothing no matter which way it's set.

What the heck do these do? And I thought they All used to be set at "0", not 1.

Edit: In another "GlobalDefines" file these are set to:



The exact opposite of the 1st set found in A_New_Dawn_GlobalDefines.

And finally 1 more messed with Global define:


Crazy?!

JosEPh

I have no idea.

I am now up to speed, and will follow this as it develops.

Thanks! Do stay posted... this is frustrating us all but I think we'll make a breakthrough eventually.

 

[JosEPh_II]

In the CivilizationIV.ini there is a line for Modular xml loading, what is your setting? Mine is set to Modularloading = 0.

JosEPh

 

[Thunderbrd]

Mine is also 0

 

[JosEPh_II]

Hmmm.... I wonder what Harrier's is?

And perhaps it should be 1 for us?

JosEPh

 

[Toffer90]

Perhaps save files created with NoCustomAssets = 0 contains data that makes them unusable on a different computer/"User Account"... The error message shown when loading the save said something about protected user assets, did it not?

If you are correct, then it should mean a little less than nothing no matter which way it's set.

??
If I'm correct then it means that NoCustomAssets has to be set to 1 for a save created to be usable by anyone else than on the computer it was created on.

What you just said holds true if I'm mistaken.

 

[Thunderbrd]

Hmmm.... I wonder what Harrier's is?

And perhaps it should be 1 for us?

JosEPh

Naw... it's always been 0. This one was discussed with AIAndy a while back. I'm not sure what it actually means per se but it's bad if set to 1.