mogthew

Join Date 07/2007

Desync fix progresssion status?

I've read that there's problems with desync with both the old(trinity) and new version of the game. I was looking through the dev fixes, and last patches, and there's no mention AT ALL about any potential desync fixes. Approx ~50% of the games I've played have desynced.

To the Devs - are there any changes or improvements to desync issues? Has there been any progress at all with this? Why is everyone so quiet about solutions to it?

Is it fair to assume at this point that the game will be released broken, that the problem can't be fixed, and that it's considered OK?

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Judging from the lack of responses on the issue and that they say it is rare (which it's not) and hard to reproduce (easy, play a large map) it will be released broken.

Very disappointing IMO. Otherwise, if you can stomach short matches on medium size maps, great game.

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I get desyncs on small (~22 planets) maps with just 2 people =\

My friend and I are both new, but have realised that when playing a game with pirates, you can tell when you desync because the player bounty is different (for both players) for him than it is for me - ie I'll see 1,000, 1,000 and he'll see 2,500 1,500. Also, apparently pirates spawn on different Z-levels sometimes? I've seen my Kol rotate downwards to shoot at them before =\

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Yarlen

Join Date 01/2005

+367

We spent today trying to reproduce desync issues in Rebellion and were unable to do so. After we release the next update - anyone who is willing/able to help us out - I'd be happy to set aside some time to try and repro this with those who say they encounter them frequently.

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Yarlen, count me in to help with the desync issue. I will definitely make the time to assist you. This is something that I definitely don't want to see make it to final release. I'll PM you my phone number so that we can set up a time that's convenient.

I have to make time because I have to go to a wifi place. I have Primecast and they are going bankrupt tomorrow, ending all foreseeable internet usage at home. I live in the country, so there is no alternative.

Fortunately, I still can update at the Barnes and Nobles and play there, just need a day's notice so I can bring my laptop to work with me and go there straight after work. I'll be available to help after 3:30 pm EST. Weekends anytime.

It shouldn't take long to reproduce the crash. However, as I posted in the sticky, changing the settings you asked created massive amounts of lag, so I can't do it that way.

I'm re:ing this too your PM in case you don't stop by here again.

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Yarlen, although I have never encountered it it seems that for the most part it only effects people who do lan with friends. Im not sure if thats the reason im just saying I noticed it as a common theme in their posts.

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Huge maps, 2 people, 8 AI..... will desnyc. happens all the time. I play lan connect....tried with local people (less than 15 miles) as well as far away people (Seattle to LA)....still craps out with a desnyc or minidump.

in asking questions (on the phone, skype, etc.) as to the status it would not match up to what I knew I had, or the other person knew he had. My guess is that it minidumps when the the desync gets way too out of whack and no one noticed yet.

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Quoting MayallCommunion,

reply 5

My mate and I had this happen but it wasn't via lan, we were playing from NZ - Sydney. We have had a few games since and since we turned off autosave as suggested in other threads we haven't seen it happen again yet.

On the downside there still is a large amount of lag happening in medium+ sized fleet battles, and every time I game with him I seem to have continuous stuttering right from the start... every second ill get a split second freeze which is visible in the movement of.. everything.

If there are any suggestions for this, router settings etc? I may have missed I would be keen to hear about them. Apparently the lag was only happening at my end and I have the faster PC, also our pings were roughly the same but seem around 200 - 300. Is that a bit high?

Thanks.

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Thanks for your reply Yarlen, it's good to hear you guys are still trying to reproduce it, but it sucks you can't. I'm wonderinf if it's related to different operating systems or network differences, wiFi vs Connected etc.

My first game I played desync'ed, but if you guys are making time to try to get this sorted, I'll help out as well. When I desynced, I on hamachi with my friend. Does anyone know if hamachi causes issues? Is it possibel it;'s related to NAT or port fowarding?

Thanks again for replying, I'll do what i can. I submitted a bug report last week from my friend and I with a reproduceable crash too. Hopefully you guys can fix it !

Yarlen: Have many people sent in checksum info yet? I really want this to be fixed because the games I've played so far have been really enjoyable

EDIT: I'll start recording checksum info too.

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Yarlen

Join Date 01/2005

+367

We haven't gotten much checksum info, though what we have gotten lead us to resolve a couple issues.

Playing with Checksum logging on will severely slow down the game, so what I suggest is this:

In your rebellion.user.setting file:

0) Run the dev exe (you'll need to run this manually from the install directory). You should only play using it, not the release exe for this for now (dev exe flags desyncs a bit better).
1) Exit the game.
2) Set SaveCheckSumSnapShotsOnSave to TRUE.
3) Set AutoSaveTickFrequency to 60.
3) Start a new game, use the same maps, same races, all the same settings, etc.
4) Try to replicate your play pattern each game.

If you desync, exit the game and in your rebellion.user.setting file:

1) Set IsCheckSumLoggingOn to TRUE.

Load up your autosaves until you find one where you're not desync'd. Play until you do.

Send the first good autosave and all the ones in between that and the desync, along with your CheckSum files (in the CheckSum directory in My Games) for each player (zipped) to rebellionbeta@stardock.com. Also include any steps you may have found that reproduced the desync along with game settings.

We really need to have the files from every player involved - one person's logs won't help. But this way you can play the game with good performance and then only need to deal with the checksum slowdown once you've hit one.

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Hey Yarlen,

Couple things. Unfortunately I dont have any checksum logs for these but I have 2 very frequent desync situations:

1) the first pirate raid. I played, or tried to play, several games with a friend after the most recent update where as soon as the first pirate raid went out we would immediately desync on the bounty on pirates and the games would diverge from there.

2) my laptop is, or seems to be, far more likely to desync (usually within the first 5 minutes of the game) than my desktop.

I'll try to remember to turn the checksum monitoring on next time and I'd be happy to try to repro any of these on my own or in a test game with you.

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Quoting Yarlen,

reply 9

2) Set SaveCheckSumSnapShotsOnSave to TRUE.

3) Set AutoSaveTickFrequency to 60.

Yarlen doesn't say where to change these settings. I believe its here: (as described his Submitting Desync Information post):

"modify your diplomacy.user.setting file located at:

XP: C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\Settings

Win 7/Vista: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\Settings"

Is this correct? Or Rebellion.user.setting?

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Yarlen

Join Date 01/2005

+367

It's in My Documents\My Games\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion\Setting\rebellion.user.setting

It's strange that a laptop would desync more, but any data would be useful.

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Blair Fraser

Join Date 10/2006

+292

Status: much better!

No way to verify 100% that we caught them all but the desync situation for launch should be much improved. We've tracked some really nasty desyncs and stomped them into the ground.

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