MP Research

[norb]

In 1.3 I think that I finally got the right logging information in the game to debug this issue. How most people see it is that they are waiting for a player. This can be caused by a disconnect and waiting for the system to recognize they are gone could fix it. But I've found another cause in the game code.

The logging is hard to nail done, too much information and the logs grow so big that people can't send them. Too little info and I can't find what I need.

Here are two things that I believe cause issues in MP and they will both be addressed in another small patch just for MP.

1. Too many orders too quickly given. This really only happens when people are clicking the wheel button. It's something that I can and will handle in the code.

2. Large courier messages. Not that the message size is really the issue, but the command to run the message sometimes happens before the message arrives in really big games. This also will be fixed and will allow the player to wait until the message arrives before running that frame.

Thank you everyone for sending the log files. We will be testing these changes ourselves soon, then will put out another patch.

[Leffe7]

That's excellent news! Keep up the good work.

[Garnier]

Good!

One thing that would be helpful as well, is if the "Waiting For ___" messages could show up in game somewhere, so whenever it freezes we immediately know who it is. Sometimes the game continues after the freeze with all players, so it's not always a complete disconnect.

[Monty]

Excellent news indeed.

[Leffe7]

Good!

One thing that would be helpful as well, is if the "Waiting For ___" messages could show up in game somewhere, so whenever it freezes we immediately know who it is. Sometimes the game continues after the freeze with all players, so it's not always a complete disconnect.

Hi Garnier.
In your sowgb.ini file, you can add the following:

[Debug]
DbgLvl=2
MPLog=1

This will also dump a log file of the MP game packets into your work folder.
work/sowgb.log
work/sowmp_*****.log

Then you will see in-game who your are waiting for. I think the "dbglvl" line should be enough for this.
Press "u" in-game to minimize the debug info bar on top of the screen.

[Garnier]

OK thanks, that could work.

[Garnier]

Another minor request:

Apparently the last two MP battles ended early and no one knows why, presumably someone clicked End Battle, but no one knows who.

If it could be recorded in a log file or displayed somewhere who clicked end battle, that would be helpful when this happens.