Here's a headscratcher for you

posted on November 1st, 2012, 6:15 pm

Hello there,

Whilst converting KA2 to FleetOps, I noticed I was using a rather ancient version of FleetOps (3.2.3) so I decided to upgrade. I now have 3.2.7, but ah ha, now my mod crashes the moment I start instant action or the map editor. I have 3.2.3 installed in a different location and my mod runs fine on it.

I've compared the two directories with examDiff and the only differences it finds are in FPQEdit, which I assume therefore was updated for 3.2.7, the ODF pack file, and two SOD files (Borg cubes I think).

I assume there must have been some significant changes between 3.2.3 and 3.2.7 if it renders my mod unplayable on one and fine on the other. Any advice at all?

posted on November 1st, 2012, 7:05 pm

Uploading the crashlog would help .

At least one other change is the ODF of the small blocking trigger. I can't remember that far back, but there might be some FO specific commands that were changed as well.

posted on November 1st, 2012, 8:48 pm

Whence is the crashlog located? I assume it makes one automatically, since it doesn't crash in the same way as the old Patch project does (with that nice error logger and everything) it just does the usual "FleetOps has stopped responding..."

posted on November 1st, 2012, 9:37 pm

Some particular crashes don't call up a crashlog: the crashlog should be stored in %appdata%\star trek armada ii fleet operations\logs or the log folder of your modification .

[Squire James]

posted on November 1st, 2012, 9:43 pm

Last edited by Squire James on November 1st, 2012, 9:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Can't find a sniff of a crashlog anywhere I'm afraid. I have been looking through the changelogs for the versions since 3.2.3 and it seems the newer versions fix some issues where AIPs weren't loading or somesuch. I can't think of anything else that would cause a crash in 3.2.7 and not in 3.2.3.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

EDIT: Removed my AIPs, same crash. Also, thinking about it, AIPs wouldn't even be loaded when using the map editor. I am truly stumped!

EDIT EDIT: I have traced the source of the problem. If I replace the FleetOpsHook.dll and FleetOpsHook.map files with those from 3.2.3 the mod loads fine. Nothing else has any bearing on it. So, it's some change in those files between 3.2.3 and 3.2.7 that is causing the problem.

posted on November 1st, 2012, 9:55 pm

I see. Yes, there was an issue back for 3.2.5 where the AIPs of the mod were not used. It's hard to know what's causing your crash without much more information. For instance:

When precisely does it crash? Prior to seeing the loading screen? Seeing it, and a certain percent?
Does loading a game without using the map editor work?
Have you tried using a map that's from Fleet Ops, versus one from Classic Mod, etc?
Did you remove your Formation Files?
Did you remove all A2 hooks from your folder?

Remote debugging can only work(ish) if all the details are provided .

posted on November 1st, 2012, 9:59 pm

When precisely does it crash? Prior to seeing the loading screen? Seeing it, and a certain percent?

Prior to the loading screen. Immediately upon clicking "edit map" from the map editor or "launch" in instant action

Does loading a game without using the map editor work?

Nope.

Have you tried using a map that's from Fleet Ops, versus one from Classic Mod, etc?

FleetOps maps will not load in my mod period, due to the way it's constructed.

Did you remove your Formation Files?

I did not. Do I have to?

EDIT: Deleted the ODF/Commands folder from my mod. No difference. Crash at same point.

Did you remove all A2 hooks from your folder?

Yes, one of the first things I did when tidying up my mod ready for FleetOps conversion

posted on November 1st, 2012, 11:04 pm

When I get a chance I'll try to port your mod again. I actually did try before 3.2.7 came out and I recall running into crashes too but that's normal when porting things from A2 to FO. It took a week or two for me to port everything from Sigma over before it all worked.

posted on November 2nd, 2012, 1:05 am

Ah, there's an installation available out there? If you could direct me to the appropriate link I can take a look and see what's crashing . That'd be a lot easier than this current methodology.

By formation files, I meant your .frm files in your AI folder . I've found that some other A2 mods had issues there.

When it crashes by making a normal game launch, does it crash in the same way? Details, man

posted on November 2nd, 2012, 2:00 am

Well bugger me, it works Twas the formations after all Must have changed from ignoring the files in 3.2.3 to trying to load them along with the AIPs and crashing in 3.2.7.

There is an Armada 2 version of KA2 out there currently, two in fact (KA2 The General War which is the original release with campaigns, and KA2 Empire at War which is the expanded instant action/multiplayer version) . However I wanted to use some extra functionality in 1.2 which could only be achieved with FleetOps.

Thanks for the assist guys. I never would have figured that one out myself.

EDIT: Oh and Nephalim, the biggest issue you will face porting KA2 is the nasty interaction between the _1 and _2 files in both the original A2 and the STA2 Classic mod. I had to make a special cut down version of the classic mod sans most of the texture files and reference that for KA2 to work properly. I'd eventually like to make KA2 stand alone, since thats how it works (basically) as an A2 mod. It installs like a primitive Fleet Ops really. You download KA2, then copy over the exe file and some dlls from your A2 directory. Essentially all the required files are there in the download.