Topic: SFC:OP 2.5.3.8 Patch now available and at SFCx.org!!

[CptCastrin]

Grab it now at:
http://www.sfcx.org/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=2

See the Taldren Announcement forum for more details!

OOOORAHHHH!  

[Dizzy]

What does the change from 64 ships per class to 128 have to do with the shiplist? Does that mean you could previously only have 64 CA's and now you can have 128 per race?

And someone tell me why OP D2 still sucks ass? What are the major differences between the OP D2 and that of EAW?

[Maxillius]

WOOHOO OP servers, here we come!!!! YAY

EDIT: BTW... is FireSoul's shiplist included with the patch?

[Maxillius]

Quote:
What does the change from 64 ships per class to 128 have to do with the shiplist? Does that mean you could previously only have 64 CA's and now you can have 128 per race?

And someone tell me why OP D2 still sucks ass? What are the major differences between the OP D2 and that of EAW?  

The only difference is the addition of the 8 pirate cartels.  Everything else should work the same as EAW.

[Scipio_66]

Quote:

And someone tell me why OP D2 still sucks ass? What are the major differences between the OP D2 and that of EAW?  

The cartel/imperial map interaction is still hosed.  At least, the release notes don't say that it has been fixed.

*Imperial players still can't boost the DV of their own hexes unless an allied pirate cartel owns the same hex on the pirate map.
*Imperial players still can't boost the DV of conquered hexes, unless a cooperating and allied pirate cartel conquers the same hex on the pirate map.
*Pirates still can't see the DV of hexes on the pirate map, and thus have no idea if they are "winning" or "losing" the fight for a key hex.

I think that's all; which is still pretty fatal for any aspiring OP dyna.  Thus OP will continue to collect dust on my shelf for a while, but I don't want to minimize the results of this patch.  It's a big step.    The fact that they FINALLY FIXED THE PATROL BUG!!!! alone is worthy of praise.  (Now they need to put that fix into an OP dyna that works.   )

There is also the neutral coop bug (you can't flip a neutral hex to your color if you fly with a wingman)  but that one exists in EAW as well.

-S'Cipio  

[FireSoul]

Castrin (SFCx.org) is currently running a unreleased test server..  .. work on D2 issues has already begun.

.. These things take time.. a lot of man-hours. .. and as far as I can tell, DavidF hasn't mentioned any one else working on SFC:OP.

-- Luc

[CptCastrin]

Quote:
What does the change from 64 ships per class to 128 have to do with the shiplist? Does that mean you could previously only have 64 CA's and now you can have 128 per race?

Yes.

Quote:
And someone tell me why OP D2 still sucks ass? What are the major differences between the OP D2 and that of EAW?  

Other than the pirate cartels not much. Of course that has been the sticking point for OP D2 all this time. The implimentation of the cartel "layer" has fubared the DV / control system since it was released.

We are working on a new D2 server kit that  is  supposed  to deal with this (and destroyable bases) but the testing is still on going at this time.

I invite any and all that are interested in giving feed back on D2 issues to visit the SFCx Test Server and have a little fun beating on each other as we test issues that are remaining in the kit. Some are well known but some have been partially addressed. We need a bit of help to find out what remains.    

[FireSoul]

Quote:
I invite any and all that are interested in giving feed back on D2 issues to visit the SFCx Test Server and have a little fun beating on each other as we test issues that are remaining in the kit. Some are well known but some have been partially addressed. We need a bit of help to find out what remains.      

.. lack of information is the issue. Help the testers.

-- Luc

[Dizzy]

Not being able to reinforce your own DV is the killer.

That one thing will keep SG3 EAWside.

[FireSoul]

Quote:
Not being able to reinforce your own DV is the killer.

That one thing will keep SG3 EAWside.  

Well.. Let me list what I know. This may cheer you up.

1- The test server .EXE (available to testers)
  - does eliminate bases
  - DV *CAN* be reinforced.
  - It looks like the neutral coop bug is definitely still present, but some scripting should be able to solve the issue. The EvilDave missions probably already have that issue solved.
(I just played a couple of missions)

2- the patch prevents Pirate AIs from attacking Empire Hexess and vice-versa. This prevents unwanted pirate plagues.

3- the patch fixed the pirate hex interaction problems when taking sectors.



It looks like Castrin's current "SFCx Test Server" is actually PLAYABLE.
The test EXE is not open to the public for downloading, but maybe we can ask DavidF to help out on that. (using testers as proxy to the public).

NOTE: I need more info about the neutral coop bug! I need to know which missions have this problem.
help please



-- Luc

[Corbomite]

Quote:


NOTE: I need more info about the neutral coop bug! I need to know which missions have this problem.
help please



-- Luc  

All of them. There is also a problem in Neutral hexes where you just run off the map and it lowers the DV anyway, even though you get a loss for the mission. This allows people to run down planet and base hexes with only a loss of GLICKO (big deal) and take Neutral hexes with no trouble.  Another mission that needs looking at (if it hasn't been dealt with already) is the Convoy Escort Mission. Most of the time it will generate an ally as the enemy ship, resulting in a drop in the DV instead of a raise.

[FireSoul]

Quote:

All of them. There is also a problem in Neutral hexes where you just run off the map and it lowers the DV anyway, even though you get a loss for the mission. This allows people to run down planet and base hexes with only a loss of GLICKO (big deal) and take Neutral hexes with no trouble.  Another mission that needs looking at (if it hasn't been dealt with already) is the Convoy Escort Mission. Most of the time it will generate an ally as the enemy ship, resulting in a drop in the DV instead of a raise.

THAT should have been fixed for the Patrol missions.. but only in the patrol missions. I need to know what other missions are vulnerable to THAT bug too. (Called the Patrol Bug.)
This bug is EASY to fix, scripting-wise.

-- Luc
FireSoul

[FireSoul]

Id like to add that there is a need for accurate information. I don't have a D2 server set up, nor the ressources to maintain one... so I have to rely on info from other players.

ie:
Convoy Escort mission, Patrol bug not present. Neutral Coop bug *present*.
(faked example.. just to show you what I want)

[Corbomite]

The DV goes down in any Neutral hex that you run out of. Some missions don't penalize PP for it and some do. The Patrol Bug only happens in PvP matches and in any color hex. The DV going down in Neutral hexes for any mission is a product of the Neutral hex, not the mission. I think the problem is that the server doesn't have a clear "owner" of the hex so it gives a DV shift in favor of the only identifiable party in the mission, i.e. the player and shifts towards that players empire, even though they "lost" by running off the map.

[FireSoul]

Quote:
The DV goes down in any Neutral hex that you run out of. Some missions don't penalize PP for it and some do. The Patrol Bug only happens in PvP matches and in any color hex. The DV going down in Neutral hexes for any mission is a product of the Neutral hex, not the mission. I think the problem is that the server doesn't have a clear "owner" of the hex so it gives a DV shift in favor of the only identifiable party in the mission, i.e. the player and shifts towards that players empire, even though they "lost" by running off the map.  

Interesting. Can you confirm on the current test server?
-- Luc

[Corbomite]

Well if you mean the test sever that Castrin is running, I thought I coudn't get on that on as a non-tester. You can try it yourself on any regular server with Neutral hexes on it.

[FireSoul]

Quote:
Well if you mean the test sever that Castrin is running, I thought I coudn't get on that on as a non-tester. You can try it yourself on any regular server with Neutral hexes on it.  

You can currently get on it.

[NuclearWessels]

Just to confirm this Firesoul, the neutral-space DV drops are different than the patrol bug.

Even with the patrol bug fix, practically every mission undertaken in neutral space reduces the hex DV - regardless of mission result.

I've yet to see a working fix for this one, in EAW or OP.  In fact, even getting the mission scripts to return a result of draw still forces a DV drop in neutral space.

I spent a lot of time hacking at this one back when we were first working on the patrol bug, and it seems that if the script reports a result - any result at all - in neutral space then the hex DV is lowered.

That led to some of the EAW campaign experiments on replacing neutral space with pirate space, because as long as the space is owned by SOMEONE you can get mission results working.

dave

 

[FireSoul]

Quote:
Just to confirm this Firesoul, the neutral-space DV drops are different than the patrol bug.

Even with the patrol bug fix, practically every mission undertaken in neutral space reduces the hex DV - regardless of mission result.

I've yet to see a working fix for this one, in EAW or OP.  In fact, even getting the mission scripts to return a result of draw still forces a DV drop in neutral space.

I spent a lot of time hacking at this one back when we were first working on the patrol bug, and it seems that if the script reports a result - any result at all - in neutral space then the hex DV is lowered.

That led to some of the EAW campaign experiments on replacing neutral space with pirate space, because as long as the space is owned by SOMEONE you can get mission results working.

dave

   

Possible work-around for DavidF to consider:
Make "Neutral" someone?

-- Luc

[Cleaven]

Can we now see the Cartel DV's?