Multiplayer shifter bug

[Legacy_Lazarus Magni]

               I know this is an old issue, but a server I play on has recently been having problems with this again. A previous dev had fixed it for a while, but somehow the problem has partially returned (it is sporadic, sometimes is fine, and sometimes starts bugging out again.)

Specifically the bug in question is the on server save, causing a remorph, resulting in loss of merged stats (although the weapons getting permantely merged has also happend at least once recently.)

I found this on the Vault;
http://nwvault.ign.c....Detail&id=2450
but I am wondering if you all have any other suggestions?
Thanks, Laz
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Shadooow]

               As stated there, I tried it and doesnt seen any effect. Most devs doesn't save (ExportSingleCharacter) a character if he is polymorphed. Didn't seen/heard better solution.


IDEA: It would be possible to fix this completely via total polymorph rewrite to use SetAppearance and with NWNX (funcs) but thats not easy. First it takes some time to script it second months to balance it...
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Lazarus Magni]

               Thanks for the reply Shadow. So how do you set it up so the server dosen't save/export a PC that is polymorphed?

It's also quite odd that it happens inconsistantly. Sometime I get the server message in the combat logs "Your character was not saved because it was polymorphed, will try again later" when everything is working properly. But then when the bug occurs I get no message, and just the bug (loss of merged stats.) I think your right on too with it being related to exporting the PC because even when I am not experiencing the bug I can cause it to happen by manually exporting my character while shifted.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Lazarus Magni, 08 avril 2011 - 07:21 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Shadooow]

               Well by default NWN will not save a character. That must be some custom script in your module. The manual saving via Export Character button should be avoided, if players uses this as a way to save their character thats really bad, personally would disable it via NWNX because it allows exploits and then replaced by a save without export character but only when not polymorphed.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Lazarus Magni]

               Well I don't know if it is a custom script or something in the server settings, but the servers do save the PC's every 5 or 10 min and everytime the player rests. The characters are on a shared server vault though (not local, and shared amoungst all the servers for the PW.) It does not export the saved character to the players vault, but sounds like it does to the server vault. There was a fix put in place for shifters which may have utalized part of Guillies (?) shifter system (although I can't seem to find that on the vault now), and it has been working fine for months, but just recently has been working only some of the time.

As I said when it is working, and the servers autosave the player gets a message in the combat log saying something to the effect "Character was not saved because it was polymorphed. Will try again soon." When it is not working however, which seems to happen sporadically, it looks like it is exporting the PC, and the bug occurs. I am not sure if I am really explaining it suficiently...
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Shadooow]

               send your OnModuleLoad event script
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Lightfoot8]

               As ShaDoOoW Stated.  The Game does not save the characters except for when they log off. So you may want to put a check there to see if they are shifted or not.  I myself do not see a problem with players exporting there own character since they get saved to there local vault when they do it, and not to the server vault.  

Any other saving of characters is going to be happening from custom scripts added to the module.  You should go through them with a fine tooth comb.

As far as using any of Guillies's scripts. I would suggest going through them with a fine tooth comb.  Or having someone look at the scripts before using them.   Not all of his systems are the best scripting in the world.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Shadooow]

               

Lightfoot8 wrote...

and not to the server vault.

They do.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par ShaDoOoW, 08 avril 2011 - 11:08 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Lazarus Magni]

               Thanks again for the replies guys. As far as the onmodule load event script, I dont currently have access to it, although the host might give it to me if I asked.

As far as the manual export, that's not really the problem. Was just a way I could force the bug to happen. If I don't want that to happen I just won't export when polymorphed. The problem is it happening when I don't want it to (sporadically on server saves).

Light, your right, I suspect it is something with the custom scripts, or whatever derivation of Guillies our previous Dev used to try to fix it. Just not sure what to do about it since I am not much of a scripter myself.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Lazarus Magni, 08 avril 2011 - 11:47 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Lightfoot8]

               

ShaDoOoW wrote...

Lightfoot8 wrote...

and not to the server vault.

They do.

Well, I know that the export to the player vault, That is the way I have gotten copys of serveral of my characters that I have played on server vault servers.  As far as it also saving it to the server vault, I guess I have to say that I dont really know, I have never tested to see if it saved there also just assumed that it didn't
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_the.gray.fox]

               Hello.

Have a look at my Fox Spells package.
There is a script in it: fox_export_chars.
Its purpose is to export a player (or also all players).
If a player to export happens to be polymorphed, the script will ensure he retains all item properties.
The opening comment of the script explains its usage.

Hm. That script is practically stand-alone.
You may want to rip it and use it for your module -- no problem.
At best you have to delete a couple references to a constant I define elsewhere.
Nothing you can not handle on your own, I am sure.

-fox
               
               

               

                     Modifié par the.gray.fox, 09 avril 2011 - 04:04 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Lazarus Magni]

               Thank you for the suggestion gray fox. Ever thought about a) uploading your spell system to the vault, and uploading that export script as a shifter bug fix to the vault?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Lightfoot8]

               He has the system up loaded on this site.   The link is in his sig. 


Fox Spells
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Lazarus Magni]

               Yep I saw that I was just asking if Fox would consider uploading them to the Vault. I am sure many in the NWN community would be interested in both the spell system, and a shifter fix.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_the.gray.fox]

               I thank you for the kind words, Lazarus.

And sorry for the delay. I am not very much active in internet. But eventually I creep around :-)

The reason I am not releasing my files on the vault is because they are not for everyone. Which is sad.
My project is essentially a framework (or "engine", big fad term everyone likes to speak) to do stuff with the spell system.
So you see, given the nature of Fox Spells, my scripts end up touching "delicate" spots of the game. Good knowledge (at times deep knowledge) of NWN is required to mod Fox Spells.

This is a scripters forums. Of all the users in here, few can effectively take on my project and mod it as they wish (we got two of them right here, I believe. But they are an exception, not the rule). All others will end up asking for help -- or even *much* help.

On top of that I am not the best writer of documentation (english is not even my first language).
I just am not gifted in that department. Although I have stuffed my code with comments, often the comments will not tell all the "fine prints" of the matter at hand. Comments can be no substitute for experience.

Now move all this onto the vault.
Of the large user base there... how many are modders and/or scripters to begin?
And, out of that group, how many are capable ones?

Haha -- Most of them (if not all) would be the same capable people from this very forum.
As far as I understand Fox Spells is already in the best fitting place, you see.
The link is accessible to anybody, and anybody is welcome to mod my project for their own needs.


-fox