Refit "sizes not identical" bug

derb · #1 May 21st, 2002, 07:51 PM

It seems even in 1.67 Gold if you try to refit ships you often get told you can't because they are not the same size when they are. Very annoying! Does anyone know why this happens and if there is a work-around?

Wardad · #2 May 21st, 2002, 08:44 PM

That happened to me too, with a small transport,a few turns back in a PBW game. I'm Curious, I just thought it the types (behavior) was different, a POP transport being refit to a Cargo transport.

Suicide Junkie · #3 May 21st, 2002, 11:59 PM

Are you are trying to retrofit to a design you have JUST created on that same turn?

If so, when the game gets processed, the design ID of the order is probably pointing to the wrong design.

For example (this is likely not how Aaron implemented it, but it shows the problems that the game has to face)

Player #1 has 5 designs, A,B,C,D,and E.
Player #2 (you) has 5 Designs, z,y,x,w, and v.

The host sees these designs as #1, through #5, and #6 through #10.
If both players create a design on the same turn, they will think their own design is #11 until they are told about the other player's design.

So, if you give a ship an order to retrofit to your new design, it will be an order to "retro to design #11"

When the host processes the turn, it will have to pick one of those designs to be #11. Say it picks Player #1's. Your design is given #12.

Now, your order is followed. "Retrofit to #11".
Whoops. That's player #1's design. And it happens to be a fighter or a base, or a different size ship.
Thus, the order fails.

If Player #1's design happened to be of the same size, and within a 50% price difference, you could quite possibly succeed in retrofitting to a wierd design that you can't build.
You will then end up with a useless ship containing big gaps that you do not have the tech levels to repair.

derb · #4 May 22nd, 2002, 12:50 AM

I am almost certain that this is a design I had made a new turns ago but I will try again this turn to refit and see what happens...

Wardad · #5 May 22nd, 2002, 01:51 AM

I think Suicide Junkie came through again.

edit: So why aren't new ship builds having this problem?

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We live for the WALK, we die for the WALK. ...Dog Rangers...

[ May 22, 2002, 00:53: Message edited by: Wardad ]

Suicide Junkie · #6 May 22nd, 2002, 03:28 AM

Well, retrofits are one of the first things to occur each turn. Ship construction comes later.

It may be that the retrofits happen before the host takes a look at the turns and sorts out all of the new designs.

It could be that the build queues are referenced by design name, or some other method.

As I said below, I have no way of knowing how Aaron actually went about implementing all that code; the examples are to show how very easy it is to have wonky things happen when you're doing things simultaneously.

DirectorTsaarx · #7 May 22nd, 2002, 05:19 PM

Something just occurred to me while re-reading this thread... why is there even an error message for retrofitting to the wrong size? The retrofit window should only show choices that match the hull size of the ship you're trying to retrofit, so why bother with an error message for retrofitting to a different size?

Wardad · #8 May 22nd, 2002, 06:40 PM

There are too many possible errors and never enough error codes. I never take error codes at their face values.

edit: I was wondering about a possible work-around. Like placing the design in the back of a build que (but not building it), since it would then become locked in as new design. Possibly allowing retrofit to work on first turn. But.. I guess this will have to be tested.

[ May 22, 2002, 17:47: Message edited by: Wardad ]