winSPWW2 v4.0 -- 3 CORRECTED OOBs

[Sgt_Walrus]

Hi Andy.

Ok..interesting data.

Imp and I just tested v4.0+OOB fix but using Full security.
No error. I am P2 and just played T1.
USSR v USMC

I upload the file as I got it to play that turn. pw=axel.
By now the other tests had error messages.

Possible Basic Security issue?

We just created the exact same situation where we got an error...and changing just the security setting, we got no error.

Anyway...hope that helps.

Cheers
Jason

[Imp]

To Clarify.

Test game against opponent with only diffrence being security basic fails after deployment phase.
Full security as only change seems fine.

Playing against self on same install again full works fine.
Basic works fine so long as you keep the game open.
If you shut the game between loads it fails
"BASIC SECURITY WARNING! - Changes have been detected in Player 1's Obat file"

Hope that helps does seem its Basic security thats messing about.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by Imp

To Clarify.

Test game against opponent with only diffrence being security basic fails after deployment phase.
Full security as only change seems fine.

Playing against self on same install again full works fine.
Basic works fine so long as you keep the game open.
If you shut the game between loads it fails
"BASIC SECURITY WARNING! - Changes have been detected in Player 1's Obat file"

Hope that helps does seem its Basic security thats messing about.

basic security is already subject of a spurious OOB error in the recently released EXE. The published work around till we release a new EXE is to ignore OOB errors in basic mode for now. The new EXE already fixes the BASIC mode OOB checksum error.

What I hae been trying to sort out is the assertion that secure mode is showing an unexplained OOB error.

Now - please tell me if you guys have been using SECURE mode PBEM and seeing the problem?. Because all my testing has been in SECURE mode since that was the reported error (as I read the posts)...

(The current 4.05 EXE certainly has no problems in either SECURE or BASIC security as determined by my testing & debug tracing. But it has the routine for storing basic mode OOB checksums called in the correct places)

Andy

[2ndLt_Fjun]

Originally Posted by Mobhack

(The current 4.05 EXE certainly has no problems in either SECURE or BASIC security as determined by my testing & debug tracing. But it has the routine for storing basic mode OOB checksums called in the correct places)

Andy

Hi Andy. Just so I get this right - what you are saying is that these bugs are already known and there is an unreleased .exe file where the problems have been solved already. So this is a really a non-issue and we only have to wait for the next release/fix to come out?

A follow up question - is this bug causing any harm/problems in the actual gameplay, apart from showing the error message?

[Sgt_Walrus]

Hi Andy

All my errors in recent PBEMs, and all my tests...excluding the very last one with Imp...have been using Basic Security.

I am sure that we mention this earlier in this thread. Appologies if we didn't.

If there is a fix coming for this, excellent.
I will post at The Blitz to just ignore the error messages when using Basic Security and that there is a fix on the way.

Cheers
Jason

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by Sgt_Walrus

Hi Andy

All my errors in recent PBEMs, and all my tests...excluding the very last one with Imp...have been using Basic Security.

I am sure that we mention this earlier in this thread. Appologies if we didn't.

If there is a fix coming for this, excellent.
I will post at The Blitz to just ignore the error messages when using Basic Security and that there is a fix on the way.

Cheers
Jason

I think the confusion started with your paragraph

Games set up using Basic Security can be played by just ignoring the messages...but if the players wish to use Full Security...then they are stuck.

Which looks like you already knew about the basic mode PBEM workaround published in the post at http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=44539 ( "Games set up using Basic Security can be played by just ignoring the messages").

The highlighted part makes it seem as if you were having a similar brand-new and unreported OOB checksum problem with secure mode. And that is why Don and I were debugging secure mode (which works fine) and not basic mode.

The basic PBEM mode security OOB mismatch error is already known and reported in the forums - and has already been fixed for MBT and WW2. The WW2 EXE with the fix will be released some time after the MBT patch which we are currently working on is out the door.

Andy

[Sgt_Walrus]

Hi Andy

I have to disagree.
The confusion started when I started to get a bunch of players reporting security error messages and no-one seemed to have an answer for the issue, neither at the Blitz nor at Shrapnel.

I agree that my general confusion as to what was happening didn't help you guys when you were trying to help me / us out...but your assumptions were as wrong as mine...therefore we both contributed to that being an over long and pointless exercize.

In the end, you two had the information I needed all along. I was in the dark from moment one.
That's life I guess...and I am happy to cop half the blame (and Imp and Fjun I guess).

As for the link to the published work around for the issue.
I think the link is the wrong one as it doesn't mention the quote you gave.
Anyway, it is buried in the TO&E page and in that thread there is only this mention of a resolution to what seemed to be being discussed as a PBEM Campaign problem. In fact, the first line of your quote below (post #11) is completely incorrect and if I had read it before my initial post...I would have been none the wiser and probably more confused.


Stand-alone PBEM games (in simple mode security) - system is working OK.
PBEM campaigns - the checksums are not being passed. Bug confirmed .
So for PBEM campaigns, ignore the message for now till we fix it.

When you say..

The highlighted part makes it seem as if you were having a similar brand-new and unreported OOB checksum problem with secure mode.

In reference to me saying..

Games set up using Basic Security can be played by just ignoring the messages...but if the players wish to use Full Security...then they are stuck.

..I completely understand what you are saying. However, that was an assumption on your part as I know for a fact that I was just referring to the generally known fact that Basic Security just messages you with error, whereas Full Security will actually stop the game. A great example of the fact that language will often be the greatest barrier to communication. Sad but true.

So...instead of trying to absolve yourselves from all blame as to who has wasted who's time (which this thread seems to have become now), how about looking from a fresh angle?

A community of experienced SP PBEM players who do not normally visit the Shrapnel site experienced a sudden issue with their games after patching up. The problems occurred slowly (over days) and sporadically (thus the confusion as to the exact nature of the problem) as everyone was playing PBEM games, rather than against the AI.

After failing to get a resolution in the Blitz community, we came to you.
Looking in the forums did not give any answers (I never found the thread you have previously mentioned) and there were no stickies mention the issue.

So...we / I did the obvious thing and made a new post asking 'anyone' if they had seen a similar issue.
What else were we supposed to do?

If you, as Fred suggested, had a Sticky called "Known Issues with latest patches", that would have been the first place I would have looked.

For PBEM players (the entire Blitz Steel panthers community) a security error is a big deal. Thus our attempts to resolve it.

I am happy to hear it is sorted (as i said earlier) and I appreciate your excellent work over a long time with this, my favorite game...as I have often said before.
I never came here to harass, or waste time or be a pain...even though Don might think that...I came here to help my friends at the Blitz, that's all. I certainly didn't come here to be treated like a dunce.

Anyway. The correct information has come to light. That make me happy.
Thank you for your help with everything

Jason

[Mobhack]

No problem - we got there in the end - after talking at cross purposes !

A "current known issues" sticky thread may well be a good idea. (Locked so nobody adds confusing random posts to it, and deleted when it is out of date).

Andy