New test build (b89e) that might reduce lagouts

[GSH]

I've got a test build that seems to reduce lagouts on joins when tested in private. I posted instructions a week ago here to getting logfiles. So far, the only people to do so have been existing 1.3-private testers. I work best with those that can follow instructions. Those that merely whine and don't help, well, you're choosing to remain away from the future of BZ2. There's still time to change.

Changes since b89d, the previous public test build, in more 'human' terms:
- One really rare (I think) crash fix.
- Fix (I think) for a case when server S had clients A,B,C. Client A left, but clients B & C weren't told of A's departure. B & C had a few "uhoh, faking moves" messages then a quit to shell. I think this is better in 89e, but if not fixed, I've upped logging in related code.

Download links:
A) Logging build. If you're going to try and help, download this. Note: this will create files in your 'Logs' folder (Vista/Win7: in $MyDocs/My Games/Battlezone II/Logs; XP, in $InstallDir/Logs). A file per run, sometimes big. Watch your HD space used by this; if you can't dedicate a few dozen MB, then delete logs after successful games.

Notes:
1) This is a .7z file. If you can't install/run 7-zip, please don't bother.
2) This is NOT network-compatible w/ any other BZ2 patch. Including 1.3.6.1. Including b89d, the previous public tests. It can only play multiplayer with other 89d builds.
3) It is best to use Windows Explorer to copy/paste your 1.3.6.1 install folder (all of it). Then unpack one of the builds above into that install folder. If you don't replace some files (e.g. bzone.exe, etc), you're doing it wrong. Also, this will let you switch between 1.3.6.1 and 89e.
4) Users are NOT prompted to get this build, unlike 1.3.6 -> 1.3.6.1.

If tests show an improvement, I *might* make a 1.3.6.2 release that includes these changes. That all depends on what results from this test build.

-- GSH

[General Hoohah]

d was fine, by changing it again... you're going to loose people. I really appreciate the work you're doing GSH, but by changing the version again, you're doing more harm than good. I had a LOT of trouble getting just a few people to download d... and now there's an e? There's going to be so many versions of 6.1 games, no one will be able to join anything.

I'm going to keep linking people to d so everyone's on the same page. It works great, and that's what matters. The game is playable again and there's one version everyone can use.

[General BlackDragon]

*facepalm*

[RubiconAlpha]

*facepalm*

Couldn't agree more.

[Red Devil]

wow...

omg...i...

uhhh...

[Nielk1]

d was fine, by changing it again... you're going to loose people. I really appreciate the work you're doing GSH, but by changing the version again, you're doing more harm than good. I had a LOT of trouble getting just a few people to download d... and now there's an e? There's going to be so many versions of 6.1 games, no one will be able to join anything.

I'm going to keep linking people to d so everyone's on the same page. It works great, and that's what matters. The game is playable again and there's one version everyone can use.

Are you f*cking kidding me?

[General BlackDragon]

I'll elaborate a little, since Hoohah may be puzzled as to why we respond the way we do.

I'm going to keep linking people to d so everyone's on the same page. It works great, and that's what matters. The game is playable again and there's one version everyone can use.

^ THAT, is Counter Productive. It hurts more then helps. It is moving BACKWARDS.

That is == BAD


Another note: The reason private builds move this way, is because it is a LOT harder to make a bunch of small changes, and tell if they helped or not. So GSH often makes 1-5 changes per build, and releases them in alphabeticle order. In this case, the changes are small and narrowed towards fixing lag/resyncs/MP bugs.

It's kind of like going to the EYE doctor. They're going to put one lense at a time infront of you, and ask "Better, or worse?" and wait for an answer before going to add another lense.

So, the sub builds labled a-z, are going to come out on about sometime between weekly, and daily, depending on how much free time, and feedback(logs), GSH gets.

[General Hoohah]

You're not understanding what I meant. As a temporary fix, d is great. It fixes the immediate problems, gets everyone active in the game so they can all play together, and all using the same version so they want to keep playing since they can join games. But now there's three different versions of 6.1...

I saw the new "e" lag fix version being advertised in the game list today and thats when I did a facepalm. It took a lot of effort just to get a hand full of people to get d. I'm not saying lets end it completely at e, and pack it up. No not at all. I'm just saying, stick to one lag fix that you advertise in the game list and tell people to upgrade to. If you keep making different versions and advertising a different one every week or less, it will create a lot of confusion until the next complete version is released. It will do more harm than good and divide the community since so many people will all have different versions and it will cause a lot of confusion. Those 1.2 guys love to find reasons to bash 1.3, I really don't want them to have another one. Please understand I'm not trying to sh*t on the work you guys are doing, I appreciate it a great deal, but its important to fix 6.1 and get it working smooth again without alienating the players in the process with a list of different versions.

Please understand I mean well guys.

[Warfreak]

If I am to assume that the majority of the current BZ2 players think like you, I am glad they aren't beta testers. I ask that they prove me wrong and work with GSH on this rather than act in such a manner as I have seen.

[Commando]

E was released to fix another lagout bug.

[General Hoohah]

*facepalm*

The average player doesn't want to play a different version of their favorite game every week. They want one version that they can play with their friends so they can all have fun together. If someone wants to be a beta tester, they want to be a beta tester, I don't see how comparing the two makes any sense. That's like comparing a banana to an airplane.

E was released to fix another lagout bug.

And I'm very grateful for the work you guys are doing, especially GSH....

Please guys, make 1 lag fix and just advertise that to keep the average players happy. Public relations is something I do well. Trust me.

[TwinShadow]

If y'all don't want to use the test builds, go back to PB 6.1 and play those. A test build is a damn TEST BUILD.

At this point, everyone in the current community is a beta tester because well.. Public Beta.. hence.. BETA in the name. These builds in particular were mostly meant for private testers, like myself for a time before PB6, to test things and make sure some lag bugs and such are fixed. Due to the tester community being about 3-8 active people at a time, coordination of getting any testers on is near next to impossible, hence why these are now made available to the public.

Most everyone won't really care and get the non-logging build so people can continue playing their little games if they want to be on the 'latest' build possible. If you don't like the release schedule, the do us all a favor and go back to the last major build of the public beta phase and just wait for the next sub-build of PB6.

[Zax]

Because it was found D had a critical bug in it that could not be shipped the way it was. If one person left, it could kill the whole game. This was frighteningly reproducible.

[Nielk1]

First of all, this is a TEST BUILD.

Downloading this is the same as downloading an 'unstable' version of something from SourceForge.

People complain about lag and issues so a possible means to fix the issue is supplied, a series of test builds.

People complain about how many test builds there are... (Not just you, I heard a few really bitching about it.)

Look, the 1.3 beta normally goes like this:

b97, b97a, b97a2, b97a3, b97a4, b97a5, b97a6, b97b, b97b2, b97c, etc etc etc ad infinitum.

These builds have a total of on avarage 3 fixes in them, sometimes more, sometimes less, sometimes they are entirely borked and unusable.

This is how the private 1.3 goes. These are not final playable builds. These are testing builds meant for testing. This is why the logging is turned up so high in the first place.

Know that normally the cycle has many many many sub-builds between each letter. This is still only a fraction of the usual private build rate.

[General Hoohah]

Dammit... guess I won't be using d anymore.

And you CAN'T use 6.1 because its unplayable. The lag is so bad everyone's FPS drops to the single digits or worse.

All I want to know is, is there going to be an official lag patch so all this stops?