Testing, but think bug may have been my fault.

[Dogboy]

I decided that maybe all the bugs I've been seeing might be related to the Balance Mod. Unlikely, but worth checking out. So, my son and I fire up SE V, both v. 1.71, to try to do some play testing to see if maybe SE V isn't buggy.

First thing off the bat: We both choose SEV standard, verify that we have 1.71. Go to create races. He is given choices for points to spend on initial research, which go up to 10,000,000. On my version of 1.71, I can go up to 5,000,000
We have not done *anything*. How can the game, with the identical patch, be showing different options for race design. Hopes dashed. What the hell is going on?????

Honestly, I loved SE IV, but I'm surprised there is not more outrage about how buggy SE V is. What a great opportunity lost.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Atrocities]

Oh there is outrage, outrage that we don't have SE VI yet.

[Suicide Junkie]

You should make sure you've got the same game settings chosen.

When you decide how it should be, save a GSU file (buttons on the bottom right of the game setup window)

Then you can both load that to be sure you're in synch.

[Dogboy]

Thanks for the advice, and sorry to let off steam like that. It's just that I'd really love to host a multi-player game, but know how they can blow up when one player's carefully laid plans are thrown into disarray due to a bug. People sink so much time into planning, and to see it all come crashing down like that is typically a game ender. If I can't satisfy myself that the game is stable, I can't in good conscience start a multi player game.

I don't know what game settings could have changed across the two setups. I believe (but will confirm tonight) that the difference in options for starting research points is present the moment we start SE V, before we set any parameters.

I don't know what a GSU file is, but if that were the explanation, wouldn't we have to load it at game start on one of the machines in order for it to cause the difference?

Also, if it does turn out that we are inadvertently loading a GSU file without knowing it, would a solution be to create a GSU on one machine and then load it into the other? If so, do I need to send GSU files to all my players in any multi-player game to ensure we're all starting on the same page?

Also, do you think this incompatibility could explain the bugs I've been seeing (with fighters flying the wrong way and the game crashing when I run the combat simulator)?? If I could satisfy myself that the game can be set up to be non-buggy, I'd love to host a game for friends...!

Thanks!

[Captain Kwok]

Your son is not using the Balance Mod to create his empire. He is using stock, which has starting tech point amounts of 100,000, 1,000,000, and 10,000,000 points. Make sure you are both running the same version of the mod and are selecting the Balance Mod and not the standard game prior to empire setup.

---

Most of SE5 is bug free, it just happened that v1.71 dropped in a couple of bugs that are annoying and a couple more serious ones that seem limited to only certain users (save issue, combat simulator issue). There will be another patch shortly to correct them.

[Dogboy]

Thank you C.K. for your reply. As a result of your reply, I did some checking and have come to the conclusion that the problem is probably my fault. I did verify that on both PC's I selected standard SE V, v. 1.71. But, then I looked to see if the "Paradise" galaxy type (which is, I believe, specific to Balance Mod) was present as an option on either of the PC. It was, on PC #1 (my PC), but not on PC #2 (son's). I then recalled that during the initial install of the Balance Mod, I copied the Balance Mod files over the Standard SE V files, before creating the correct subdirectory for the Balance Mod. I should have realized that this could cause problems.....

I am now wondering if some of the bugs I've been seeing (beyond this discrepancy in initial research points)
could also potentially be an indirect effect of this error on my part. I don't know how this could cause crashes on the other PC (with Balance Mod installed correctly), but I suppose that given the complexity of the systems involved, it might.

Question: Do others find that the combat simulator often crashes the game? If not, that would be good news, since it augurs well for me being able to resolve that bug by a fresh reinstall.

Over the next few days I will uninstall and freshly reinstall SEV on the PC where I think I made this error. I will then play test to see if the bugs disappear.

So, there is hope, and I am embarrassed to have taken up so much time ranting about bugs.

I will post a summary of what I find on this thread....

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Mistakes are a great way to learn.

[Captain Kwok]

You should never overwrite the stock data files. Mods always go in their own folder in the GameTypes directory. That's why it's there!

From what I've seen/heard, only a small percentage of players are seeing errors with the combat simulator, save bug, and comparison's screen crash.

[Dogboy]

I re-installed SEV on both computers from scratch, applied patch 1.71, installed Balance Mod, and updated Balance Mod. Too early to be sure yet, but I did some limited play testing and so far I have not encountered any bugs. So, I am guardedly optimistic. Thanks for all the help!

[dmm]

I love that you're doing this with your son. Our world needs more of that.