I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Twice now I spent a very long time doing my turn in a multiplayer game and I log in again to make some changes and all of a sudden the server goes from having no X on my flag to having an X. I log in to my nation, none of my actions were saved. This happened twice now and I am just so freaking pissed off right now on how much time I spent thinking of all the things I need to do.

I copied dominions3 installation folder and created dominions3_2. That's so the "3" folder can be the server folder and "3_2" can be the client folder. I am running my own server. This has happened twice and I am extremely pissed off right now. I wish I could curse at the top of my lungs but I don't like to curse.

Edit: Oh great, now that I deleted c'tis 2h and trn files it looks like I can no longer take my turn alltogether. Any help?

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Sorry, wish i could help but its a little over my head. All I know is that some servers really do not like it when you quit without saving. you haven't been doing that?

Could it be caused by using the same copy of dominions as both the server and the client? Copyright protection?

You deleted ALL the C'tis files? In both 3 and 3_2?

I don't know.

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Always prepare your turns offline, never do them online. Just let the client fetch the turn file after you enter your password when you connect, then immediately disconnect and don't reconnect unless you are done preparing the turn offline. I don't really understand your "no X / an X" comment but if it has to do with you wanting to do some last-second changes to your turn, it might be that the server already hosted when you wanted to do that because you were the last one to play his turn.

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

You know if you don't take your turn the server has an X over your flag until you take the turn?

It went from having no X (I took my turn) to showing an X (I never took a turn.)

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Apologies in advance for asking something obvious, but did it host?

And, sorry, a second obvious question: Is this the game which you are hosting, where you deleted the .2h file from the savedgames/<game> directory? That would reset your status to unsubmitted.

When I ran servers in the past, if I was also a player in the game it was very difficult to do a partial turn. I couldn't connect, download, disconnect, work offline, reconnect, upload. Whenever I managed to screw up and not have enough time to finish a turn, I had to disable quickhost (and turn off the timer).

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Yep, the sequence of events that just ensued were orchestrated perfectly for me to not be able to take my turn... what luck... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/mad.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/mad.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/mad.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/mad.gif

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

it did not host, i control the server. I didn't delete the .2h file when this occurred (going from no X to with an X)

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

All i can suggest is looking in the recycle bin if your running windows. once its gone from both server and client I think its gone for good.

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

The only thing I can think of is to disable quickhost and the timer on the game while you work on your turn. Copy the C'tis .trn file back into the real game directory, you need that to do the turn.

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Arrite, with your suggestions it's clear that I gotta stale this turn. :\

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

In my experience the server stuff is at least a little bit crazy. Definitely best in future to take your turns offline I think.

Sorry for your misery though.

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Now I understand what you are talking about, using two copies of the game and your own server - you are trying to set up a network game on a single computer, playing it locally, yes?

I am not surprised to see that this runs into problems. You should play a local game, not networked, if you want to play and host at the same time.

If you still want to do both on the same computer, then just to avoid strange things like those that you are experiencing, you should set the savepath's of server and client to be different directories when you start them up. Dominions uses these environmental variables when starting:

DOM3_DATA
DOM3_TEMP
DOM3_CONF
DOM3_SAVE
DOM3_MAPS
DOM3_LOCALMAPS
DOM3_MODS

You should use different values of DOM3_SAVE for your server and client, with a batch file / shell script for example. Using different directories for the game files doesn't do anything, as the save directory should depend on the user running the game, not the game installation. You can run with one installation, so long as you change the savepaths.

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Quite a predicament: CLIENT wants to upload the 2h file. SERVER accepts the connection and awaits the data from CLIENT. CLIENT starts sending the data, which SERVER writes to its savegame directory. But uhoh, the file that CLIENT wants to send and SERVER wants to overwrite are the same! In case the file is read in chunks one can see that this easily leads to trouble, I don't know how it looks it in reality. If the client would read the whole contents out of the file before sending it over then it might work. I think that for the trn file the client never actually asks the server to download it, since they're the same, so it's always at the latest version and the client doesn't bother to download it.

No wonder. Those files are essential for your game. The 2h file for your orders - deleting this will let you stale. The trn file is the game state - deleting this will let you stale aswell, I'd expect. If you deleted them then you'll have to host the game so that the server generates new ones.

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Yep, thanks for your replys Ich. One thing I just discovered though is that there's no difference between logging into your own server and hitting the "play existing game" button. When you end your turn offline, since the game is in the same folder, it registers on the server.

Get what I'm saying? So I'm just going to "play existing game" instead of connect to my own server via "network."

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Oh, is the server on the same computer? Using the same Dominions directory?

If so, I suspect you can avoid this issue just by having another copy of dominions (simply copy the whole directory), and call it "Dom3Server" or something. Then always run the server from that directory, and play your games from the original one. I think it will then show normal behaviour.

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Llamabeast, you came a bit late into the discussion and have come to a wrong conclusion. The original problem was because I was using two different directories. Thus your suggestion would actually cause the problem again. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Make sure you turn off quickhost when you do your turn though.

If you save your game on the server with your turn halfway done (even without clicking 'end turn') and all other players have submitted their turn, and it's on quickhost, then the game will host.

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Yes, that was what I meant when I said you should "play your game locally". I didn't have the game window nearby when I wrote that so I didn't know what the correct name for it was, but "Play existing game" is exactly what you should do.

Re: I am getting really fed up... server problems.
 

Ah, apologies for that, I skim-read. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/redface.gif