4.1 Bugs

[rdgam]

When I finally beat the NPR, I got the following several times during the surrender cycle.
Error in CreateNPRTeam
Error 3021 generated by DAO.Field
No current record.

I did get all their tech and commercial ships, plus a few geosurvey ships.   I don't think they had any gravsurvey ships left (They kept trying to explore my entry system

All the commercial ships had high maintanence clock settings but they cleared up after a few cycles (they did not change after the first visit to a planet, but later they were OK).

I've just run into some warships that were following one of my civilian merchents in the system.  Interesting that they still fight on without any colonies.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

When I finally beat the NPR, I got the following several times during the surrender cycle.
Error in CreateNPRTeam
Error 3021 generated by DAO.Field
No current record.

Interesting - not the area in which I would have expected a problem. I'll look into it.

I did get all their tech and commercial ships, plus a few geosurvey ships.   I don't think they had any gravsurvey ships left (They kept trying to explore my entry system

All the commercial ships had high maintanence clock settings but they cleared up after a few cycles (they did not change after the first visit to a planet, but later they were OK).

I've just run into some warships that were following one of my civilian merchents in the system.  Interesting that they still fight on without any colonies.

The warships won't surrender because there is a chance they can regain the planet. They will surrender though if they out of ammo when the planet surrenders and they have no other place to replenish their magazines. The commercial ships probably updated their clocks during the 5-day increment.

Steve

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

When I finally beat the NPR, I got the following several times during the surrender cycle.
Error in CreateNPRTeam
Error 3021 generated by DAO.Field
No current record.

If this problem is what I think it is, you may get the same error during every 5-day cycle until you defeat the NPR and delete the associated alien race information.

I think the NPR is trying to create a diplomatic team to negotiate with you and it is failing because they have no planet on which to base it. I have changed the code so no team will be created if no planet exists.

Steve

[sneer]

i clicked field "no orders possible ..."  and went into loop

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

i clicked field "no orders possible ..."  and went into loop . I have fixed it for the next version

Steve

[sneer]

i decided to refit missile fire control on pdc
got divide by zero and loop on error in production ....

p.s. no more from me tonight
getting sleepy

[sloanjh]

Good idea. As you suggested, I have released a small update program that runs a few SQL queries to fix the data problem causing this bug. I'll try to use the same method in the future when possible. However, be aware that it won't fix any games that are already affected; it will only fix new games or games that haven't been affected by the bug yet. It's a vaccination, not a cure :-)

John

[SteveAlt]

i decided to refit missile fire control on pdc
got divide by zero and loop on error in production ....

p.s. no more from me tonight
getting sleepy

Found and fixed. Unfortunately the bug affects all PDC refits so you will be unable to refit PDCs until the next version is out.

Steve

[Randy]

Actually, running with 2 DBs is _very_ easy.

You just need to link tables from one DB into the other, and then use the DB with local tables and linked tables as the equivalent to the current stevefire.mdb.

eg. have stevefire.mdb that has all the config/application info (the stuff you'd change in an update such as tech definitions, system generation tables, name lists, etc) and a second MDB "gamedata.mdb".

  In the stevefire.mdb, you add a link to all tables in gamedata.mdb, and then your code just connects to stevefire.mdb.

  You will also need to provide for relinking the tables after the install since access stores complete path instead of relative path in the link information (this is also very easy to do

[SteveAlt]

Actually, running with 2 DBs is _very_ easy.

You just need to link tables from one DB into the other, and then use the DB with local tables and linked tables as the equivalent to the current stevefire.mdb.

eg. have stevefire.mdb that has all the config/application info (the stuff you'd change in an update such as tech definitions, system generation tables, name lists, etc) and a second MDB "gamedata.mdb".

  In the stevefire.mdb, you add a link to all tables in gamedata.mdb, and then your code just connects to stevefire.mdb.

  You will also need to provide for relinking the tables after the install since access stores complete path instead of relative path in the link information (this is also very easy to do

Is all the relational linking possible as well? Aurora has a fairly complex set of relational links and cascade deletes.

As far as 2 databases go, I am not really certain it would help much. There is just as much chance of modifications to the structure of the application tables as the game tables so splitting them isn't that useful. As far as data modifications go, I now have a data update program for minor changes which I will try to use as much as I can.

Steve

[Randy]

I'm pretty sure relations work too. Not certain, because I prefer to handle most of that (cascade deletes, etc) in code and only use relations for referential integrity...

Splitting the data from the system will help in 2 ways - the updating process becomes easier (only replace data part when it is needed), and your applet could very easily be modified to perform a data side update with a new release (when it is possible).

  I've done this for several applications, one of them even using dynamic data tables (ie the user could create their own table designs at run time). The company I worked for at the time had something like 100 clients using the app (paying up to a few hunrded K for it).

  something to explore. If you are interested, I could try and modify the existing databse (4.25 er 4.26) to see if I can get you a workable split database...

  Randy

[IanD]

I don't know whether this has been reported or not but I had three tugs, one in Sol moving a recovered Shipyard from Titan to Earth, the other two, two systems over recovering wrecks, when I went to link them to the wrecks the Tractor Link displyed linking to the Shipyard, as did the Task Group screen, I dont think this is intended or whether its still in 4.26.  :cry: .

Regards

[SteveAlt]

I don't know whether this has been reported or not but I had three tugs, one in Sol moving a recovered Shipyard from Titan to Earth, the other two, two systems over recovering wrecks, when I went to link them to the wrecks the Tractor Link displyed linking to the Shipyard, as did the Task Group screen, I dont think this is intended or whether its still in 4.26.  :cry: .

Oops

If you want to transfer between ships and planets use the Load/Unload from Population section just below the magazine contents on the Ship window. The add/remove (no other ship) is for the SM to create missiles out of thin air or destroy them.

Steve

[IanD]

You can only tow Ships or Shipyards, not wrecks, although that is an idea for the future. It still shouldn't show the shipyard though if you aren't actually linked to it.

The two tugs were not linked to it but I was able to "link" them to it. The fact that they were not even in the same system fazed me!

If you want to transfer between ships and planets use the Load/Unload from Population section just below the magazine contents on the Ship window. The add/remove (no other ship) is for the SM to create missiles out of thin air or destroy them.

I realised I should have used Ship Window when they disappeared

Regards

[GDS_Starfury]

ok so I have this Null error thats the result of a mineral packet having zero minerals and zero speed.  I deleted the asteroid after taking off all of the installations and didnt notice this packet was in mid flight.  now Im stuck at 1 day increments.  any idea on how to correct it?