Topic: There is something seriously wrong with the server but it is getting better

[KBF-Kurok]

Bonk dont let this stop you from what your doing. OP rocks this server is gonna rock.and any others you put up will rock. Keep up the good work sir.Its people like you and others that keep D2 alive and kicking.
Kurok

[KAT J'inn]

I don't know what it is, but it keeps crashing constantly. Even when there is hardly any people on. It is becoming quite frustrating for all players alike. At peak times it is expected that its going to crash eventually, but during the night it should not be hapenning, and it is.

The gf settings do not seem to be set properly either, there are AI characters being generated attacking hexes, random news stories are switched an as well. At least one mission I know of (a patrol, no idea which one) is generating a nebula in an asteroid hex. The extra AI and news stories, I suspect, are filling the database with junk, making a database clean necessary far more often than normal. Also, it appears we do not have enough people with access to the server who know how to do this.

I have also received many complaints about the Dockyard Raid mission. This mission has a lot of defence platforms, and these platforms have been much more powerful than usual (more so than the mission was designed for, I suspect).This is causing players to avoid this mission like the plague.

Additionally, the mission difficulty generally seems too high. The 1v1 patrol almost never shows up, and often you are fighting 2 or 3 ships. This is fine for veteran players, but on this server we have a lot of inexperienced and relatively new people playing, some of whom have never played on a D2 campaign before. Many are being killed by the AI. Even I've found some missions to be particularly tough, and I've been playing this game for years. A large part of the problem appears to be caused by bad AI ship matching. (I get a freighter for an ally against an ISC CL and an ISC CA).

Just some constructive comments from your friendly neighbourhood Federation RM.

I will say only this: After SG4 I will run SFB-OP on the flatfile on ODIN on its gfs as is. I resent the implication of my incompetence here. Nothing pisses me off more. The SGO4 shiplist has basic YFA issues, missing classes... I can make it work, but not for this server. It took over two years to get the SFB-OP shiplist to work perfectly on a D2 server... see?

With regard to mission difficulty, we have pulled almost all the missions. Keep this strategy up and we'll be down to a one mission server.  The difficulty seems fine with the missions used on SFB-OP. Mission issues internal to the missions themselves I can do nothing about. The reason you are seeing more NW5fleet battles is that all the other patrols have been pulled due to one little bug or another.

So, in the interest of remaining amicable, I say to you again: get busy...

Chill Bonk.    Remember J'inn rule . . .


No good deed goes unpunished.   By doing all this work for free you are doin a HUGE good deed.  This means two things:

1)  Yer nuts.  (About the free part that is)

2)  Yer punishment will be substantial.

Just do it for yourself.  Screw everyone else.  Those that like it will play.


Dr. J'inn
University of Screwing Everyone Else
Holder of the Presitigous Lyndon B. Johnson Chair

[KAT Chuut-Ritt]

I am one of the newbies.  I survived last night, and, to be honest, the missions are really tough, but not unbeatable.  Not trying to tick anyone off, but, when you are taking on the AI, this isn't like a PS2 game.  You go in trying to knock them silly, they are going to do the same  to you.
   Fighting with tactics, rather than just weapons, was what made the difference.  Of course, we have to figure out the tactics as we go along.
   PLEASE don't change the settings and make it easier.  Let us continue to get better this way, because if my fellow newbies and I are getting squirrelly over the AI, the Human Players are going to hand us our butt's on a plate, and that is NOT what I want.
   Better AI means we can do better against real live opponents.  And that is what really matters.

+1 for joo!

+1 more 

[el-Karnak]

I don't know what it is, but it keeps crashing constantly. Even when there is hardly any people on. It is becoming quite frustrating for all players alike. At peak times it is expected that its going to crash eventually, but during the night it should not be hapenning, and it is.

The gf settings do not seem to be set properly either, there are AI characters being generated attacking hexes, random news stories are switched an as well. At least one mission I know of (a patrol, no idea which one) is generating a nebula in an asteroid hex. The extra AI and news stories, I suspect, are filling the database with junk, making a database clean necessary far more often than normal. Also, it appears we do not have enough people with access to the server who know how to do this.

I have also received many complaints about the Dockyard Raid mission. This mission has a lot of defence platforms, and these platforms have been much more powerful than usual (more so than the mission was designed for, I suspect).This is causing players to avoid this mission like the plague.

Additionally, the mission difficulty generally seems too high. The 1v1 patrol almost never shows up, and often you are fighting 2 or 3 ships. This is fine for veteran players, but on this server we have a lot of inexperienced and relatively new people playing, some of whom have never played on a D2 campaign before. Many are being killed by the AI. Even I've found some missions to be particularly tough, and I've been playing this game for years. A large part of the problem appears to be caused by bad AI ship matching. (I get a freighter for an ally against an ISC CL and an ISC CA).

Just some constructive comments from your friendly neighbourhood Federation RM.

I will say only this: After SG4 I will run SFB-OP on the flatfile on ODIN on its gfs as is. I resent the implication of my incompetence here. Nothing pisses me off more. The SGO4 shiplist has basic YFA issues, missing classes... I can make it work, but not for this server. It took over two years to get the SFB-OP shiplist to work perfectly on a D2 server... see?

With regard to mission difficulty, we have pulled almost all the missions. Keep this strategy up and we'll be down to a one mission server.  The difficulty seems fine with the missions used on SFB-OP. Mission issues internal to the missions themselves I can do nothing about. The reason you are seeing more NW5fleet battles is that all the other patrols have been pulled due to one little bug or another.

So, in the interest of remaining amicable, I say to you again: get busy...

TraceyG,

If you can't hold your temper and ego enough  to put these kind of posts in a PM instead of in the public domain then why are you playing on this dyna?  Why is it that I remember you pulling the public whining stunts on SG3 almost 2 years ago.  I also remember an incident on SS2 with the KBF that you chose to go public instead of being a professional and being discrete.  I guess you have not learnt much since then. This is not what one would call appropriate RM behavior. 

Bonk,

Sorry, you have to deal with this #@##@ from a RM.  From players it's expected but a RM?   

As for the last minute server changes. If Die Hard had not be so stubborn about missions from the get-go then all the missions that Dizzy wanted to put in his dyna would have been tested from the beginning of the beta test server phase instead of at the last minute.  You want to complain to someone. Go rake DH over the coals, not Bonk. DH likes that kinds of stuff anyway. 

[GDA-S'Cipio]

I honestly didn't read any of Tracey's post to be an attack on you, Bonk.  Just a list of odd behaviours on the server last night.  I am sure she didn't mean to upset you.

Definitely you are doing a great deed for all of us.  I greatly appreciate it.  You always go further than anyone should expect to do a fantastic job.  You have my thanks.

-S'Cipio

[FPF-SCM_TraceyG_XC]

Bonk: I said this to you on Teamspeak and I will say it again here. I have made criticism of the current SG4 server. It is not a personal attack against anyone, not you, not Dizzy, not anyone at all. Without constructive criticism and feedback, we get nowhere. Please do not take my comments as a personal attack, they do not in anyway make any comments about the competence or otherwise of any person.

+1 karma to Bonk for his hardwork and to Dizzy for trying to make this server work. Also to DH as well for his efforts.

Karnak: You say the same old rhetoric every time I make a post that offers criticism. Once again you twist my words describing them as made in anger and I should behave better, etc etc etc blah blah blah. It gets old. The only one making personal attacks here is you. We all know you have some personal problem with me, and no one is going to take any notice of you making these kinds of posts. I don't know why you do it.

-1 karma to Karnak for his inciteful comments

+1 karma to Angel slayer for his excellent attitude

[OlBuzzard]

I think I agree at least in part with Tracy G ..  particularly with all of the crashes.  I know I'm more of just a visitor ..  and most of ya don't really give a rats XXX about what I think for the most part.

But please take it for what ever its worth ..  my observations are simple:

1.  Obviously there was a LOT of work that went into this
2.  There has to be an explanation for the excessive crashing  ( I can't remember ever seeing it this bad in 3-1/2 years any where.)  This is not a slam to anyone ( at least it's not intended to be) ..  but there MUST be an explanation for it.
3.  Dont stop communicating  ...  goodness guys  (and ladies ) ...  that is the ONLY way you can get this resolved.

Many of the missions are excellent ..  and I'm certain that once this gets resolved the "fun" will return to the D-2.

just my 2 cents worth !!

thanks

[madelf]

It's like most things in life, Corbomite.  Ali, Tyson, Catfish Hunter, et al, didin't become the best at what they did by taking on only what they could beat with certainty.  They pushed themselves beyond, and challenged everything.  They never viewed a loss as the end of the world, or demanded easier competition, they simply worked harder to become able to beat it.
   Obviously, a computer game isn't life consuming, (at least to sane people.  Myself, I  am really getting to like this!), but the same principle applies.
   Push yourself or buy a spare set of teeth, because you are going to get them kicked down your throat with human intelligence.  Push yourselves or grab a binkie.  I am going to get my rear kicked, and I know it...but every time you kick my rear, I am going to get closer to kicking yours, so in the long run, you WILL lose.  At least once. 

I gotta make some time fer this new guy.  Great posts Angel Slayer.

[KBF-Crim]

Bonk...please ignore this obvious attempt to instigate some kind of dispute between you and Tracy...

[Bonk]

Bonk: I said this to you on Teamspeak and I will say it again here. I have made criticism of the current SG4 server. It is not a personal attack against anyone, not you, not Dizzy, not anyone at all. Without constructive criticism and feedback, we get nowhere. Please do not take my comments as a personal attack, they do not in anyway make any comments about the competence or otherwise of any person.

+1 karma to Bonk for his hardwork and to Dizzy for trying to make this server work. Also to DH as well for his efforts.

Karnak: You say the same old rhetoric every time I make a post that offers criticism. Once again you twist my words describing them as made in anger and I should behave better, etc etc etc blah blah blah. It gets old. The only one making personal attacks here is you. We all know you have some personal problem with me, and no one is going to take any notice of you making these kinds of posts. I don't know why you do it.

-1 karma to Karnak for his inciteful comments

+1 karma to Angel slayer for his excellent attitude

Thanks Tracey, sorry I reacted badly to your post.

Bonk...please ignore this obvious attempt to instigate some kind of dispute between you and Tracy...

Of course! (not that there really is one) Tracey is one of the few women active in the SFC community - we should count ourselves lucky every day she is here! 

[OlBuzzard]

Bonk: I said this to you on Teamspeak and I will say it again here. I have made criticism of the current SG4 server. It is not a personal attack against anyone, not you, not Dizzy, not anyone at all. Without constructive criticism and feedback, we get nowhere. Please do not take my comments as a personal attack, they do not in anyway make any comments about the competence or otherwise of any person.

+1 karma to Bonk for his hardwork and to Dizzy for trying to make this server work. Also to DH as well for his efforts.

Karnak: You say the same old rhetoric every time I make a post that offers criticism. Once again you twist my words describing them as made in anger and I should behave better, etc etc etc blah blah blah. It gets old. The only one making personal attacks here is you. We all know you have some personal problem with me, and no one is going to take any notice of you making these kinds of posts. I don't know why you do it.

-1 karma to Karnak for his inciteful comments

+1 karma to Angel slayer for his excellent attitude

Thanks Tracey, sorry I reacted badly to your post.

Bonk...please ignore this obvious attempt to instigate some kind of dispute between you and Tracy...

Of course! (not that there really is one) Tracey is one of the few women active in the SFC community - we should count ourselves lucky every day she is here! 

Agreed...   additionally she has made numerous contributions that most note worthy ...

That was why I said what I did ...

keep things moving forward ...  keep communicating ....

[Soreyes]

Well some of the Hickups that some of the missions are having, can make the mission VERY Interesting. Had a mission last night with Agave in a Nebula. The only problem was that there was a Very large Sun in there. And my starting position was at a range of 35 from the sun   By the time I could power up and move to a safe distance from the sun. I was down to 1/3 hull and all my weapons were destroyed

Thank the Great Frog in the sky that the AI flew into the Sun

[FPF-SCM_TraceyG_XC]

Another observation I wish to make regarding the incidence of server crashes. GW4 would also crash, quite a lot, as much as SG4 when it was being run on the d.net server, yet for some unknown reason, when it was run on DieHard's computer, it would not crash anywhere near as often. We never did figure out why this was the case.
Bonk has identified an issue with the shiplist, not all eras and hull classes actually have ships for the server to use. This causes problems with the server and is a known factor of instability, I am told they will rectify this problem.
Good work for figuring this out.
I would also suggest trying to duplicate the SG4 server on another computer, perhaps Bonk's or DieHard's to see if there is a difference.

[Dizzy]

lol @ soreyes! Never seen that b4. You are truly unlucky. I hope to see you in combat to pad my kill list... which is... at zero, ::cough, cough::.

[Bonk]

I just ran the second db clean this morning at 7 am my time - the server has been up no crashes since (3.5 hours - only six on tho...), lets see what happens today. (home for the storm)  If it keeps crashing so frequently I'll try moving it to my server. If that doesen't work, Dizzy is working on a YFA fix. It's year 2272 now too which may help...

[Dizzy]

ur home for the storm? Get on ts u!

[GDA-S'Cipio]

Well some of the Hickups that some of the missions are having, can make the mission VERY Interesting. Had a mission last night with Agave in a Nebula. The only problem was that there was a Very large Sun in there. And my starting position was at a range of 35 from the sun   By the time I could power up and move to a safe distance from the sun. I was down to 1/3 hull and all my weapons were destroyed

Thank the Great Frog in the sky that the AI flew into the Sun

Agave flew into the sun??!!    

-S'Cipio

[FPF-DieHard]

I just ran the second db clean this morning at 7 am my time - the server has been up no crashes since (3.5 hours - only six on tho...), lets see what happens today. (home for the storm)  If it keeps crashing so frequently I'll try moving it to my server. If that doesen't work, Dizzy is working on a YFA fix. It's year 2272 now too which may help...

Mine is available tonight as well if you want to try it out.

Gotta remember, we're getting 40+ players for most of prime time.  We're almost at old school CW player numbers and those servers used to crash all the time running stock.

[Bonk]

Cool, thanks, I'll give ya a shout if we need to use your server.

[FA Frey XC]

We've ran many a campaign on ODIN, and there's been some expected crashing but nothing extreme.

The main difference between ODIN and THOR is the memory type. I suspect this was the reason for some of the issues on THOR.

Either way, we've already began work in the OP Server Development Team to create a "GF Bible". This will identify what settings can do what in the OP serverkit, and cause possible unpredicatable behavior.


Funny thing is, the SFC3 Campaigns run GREAT on THOR. We've had many different campaigns with 40+ people on it, and no ones ever had any issues regarding lag, etc.