[SOLVED] In GAE 0.31 some factions can't be loaded ('Techtree can't be loaded')

[McGyver008]

This message I get, when I try to start a game with all the factions, which I used on 0.2.13 (I transfered the complete folder, which I also named <megapack>, into techs).

I didn't change a single bit - everything ran without problems under 0.2.13.

Does anybody have an idea or did it happen on other machines?

My system WinXP SP3, 3GB RAM

The same error I got on GAE 0.3, I forgot to tell.

[John.d.h]

Can you reproduce the crash, then find a file called glestadv-error.log and paste the contents here?  That should help a lot.

[McGyver008]

The file you asked me for follows:

Glest Advanced Engine: Error log file.

XML Error in techs/megapack/resources/resources.7z/resources.7z.xml:
 Missing or wrong name of XML file.

I've made copies of some folders and packed them using 7z, but left them in 'their' directories. Seemingly GAE tried to 'interprete' this 7z file as a resource, what, of course, causes an error. But why is a packed file treated as a folder (as all resources are located in folders, as far as I remember and see)? Will I also get an error, if a similar security copy exists (for example) for all my factions?

[John.d.h]

I think this is an issue with PhysFS.  There's something currently in the works that will allow the game to load content from 7z archives but it isn't fully functional, so it seems that's what's happening.  See if changing the extension of the archives to something other than 7z or zip, like tar.gz, works.  Otherwise, you might just have to move them to somewhere else.

[McGyver008]

Correct. After removing all 7z's from GAE's folders everything worked. But one 'problem' I found... atually it's no bug at all, but:

In the list of factions on the 'start up screen' there is no scroller, so that with enough factions (and especially for the players with higher inices - player's 4-8 at least) only the first factions can be chosen.

[Omega]

Actually, you can't have an empty folder in resources, units or upgrades. When the units, upgrades, and resources are loaded, GAE simply looks for the folders to find out the names of the corresponding unit, upgrade, or resource By having a folder that does not contain a XML (in your case, the 7zip) causes it to be read by GAE, which notices the lack of an XML.

Because PhysFS CAN load 7zips (but it currently doesn't work right, and has been disabled for the addon folder), I assume that it is reading your 7z as though it were a folder (if this is so, then zips can be used for factions too, not just for things in the addons folder...).


If this is solved, please edit your first post and change the thread title to include [Solved] somewhere.

[McGyver008]

Right, Omega.

But what do you think about the missing scroller on the screen where you choose the factions for the gameplay?

My list is long enough, so that only the first 5-10 factions can be chosen. The others are 'hidden' - as I told: Someone forgot to include a scroller on the screen for the 'skirmish mode', especially for the factions. When somebody has more than 25 factions (most of the known and working factions) installed, he/she can choose only the first ones...

The first player 'sees' 24 factions, player no. 8 sees only 10 factions...

Please add a scroller (like all versions of GAE, Megaglest and Glest had).

[Omega]

What??? There's a scroll bar on the side... Though, you can't use the MMB to scroll it, and have to manually click either the arrow or scrollbar.

[silnarm]

Please add a scroller (like all versions of GAE, Megaglest and Glest had).

 ?

Glest never had scrollbars. GAE never had scrollbars until 0.3, and Megaglest does not have scrollbars.

Point taken though, I had never used more than 5 factions in a single tech-tree, so it never occurred to me to set a limit on the size of the drop list.

Fixed.

What??? There's a scroll bar on the side... Though, you can't use the MMB to scroll it, and have to manually click either the arrow or scrollbar.

He was referring to the faction selector drop-list, there was no height limit on that one, so no scrollbars... it just grew to be as big as needed, even if that took much of it off-screen.

[Omega]

Ah, I see... Though, how much factions could one need in one techtree? The megapack has the most at 6 (tech, magic, persians, indians, egyptians, and norsemen), but most techtrees  are 1-4 factions. Relatedly, is there a hard limit to the number of factions one can have? I know that there's a SUBFACTION limit (16 or something?) which is more than reasonable, and what about normal factions?

[McGyver008]

Ok, let me say it clearly: I tried to combine all the factions I was able to run.
What does mean 'reasonable'? Sorry to say this, but such a word is a very 'German'  invention. Anyway I asked myself, why one should only use a few factions, when a lot of are available?!?
Ok, if one thinks the gameplay is not 'balanced' enough, he/she needn't use such a faction or realize a balancing for him/herselves - if he/she does know enough about it. But around that all I still see no reason for decreasing the number of factions to reasonable number... (everyone has it's own understanding of 'reasonable' - you should consider.

And right, there was no scrolling in other Glest's, but there was also no selectable list. Nonetheless I can not understand, that nobody included such a simple thing like a scrollbar at the early beginning when the list was planned.

[John.d.h]

And right, there was no scrolling in other Glest's, but there was also no selectable list. Nonetheless I can not understand, that nobody included such a simple thing like a scrollbar at the early beginning when the list was planned.

Originally, Glest only had two factions, and I doubt they anticipated that there would ever be so many.

[McGyver008]

I agree, John.d.h, but is it negative for you or positive?
I claim: The more activities, the more interest, the better for this game at all. Other games sometimes became uninteresting ... then they died.
Think on Total Annihilation... there's still work on it today - but it's the fan community, which work on it.

So what kind of future do you wish for Glest?  ? Or  ? Therefore better than  ...

[silnarm]

Nonetheless I can not understand, that nobody included such a simple thing like a scrollbar at the early beginning when the list was planned.

Simple oversight, the DropList component supports scrolling, but only if told it should not exceed a certain height, because I never tested with/used a tech-tree bigger than the megapack, it never occurred to me to set such a limit.

I'm human, I can not anticipate everything anyone might want to do, is that really so hard to believe ??

[McGyver008]

Silnarm, I read your point of view, but...

Megapack consist of 5 factions, right. But in the 'Glest-Community' one can find 5  additional - vbros - packs yet - you know them, I'm sure. So I wonder, you really consider nobody would at least include all these packs, but combining them into one single pack. There are only some little 'works' to do in a few XML's, and all works fine.

But sorry, if you really expect me to believe, nobody ever tested to include at least the factions listed on https://docs.megaglest.org/Mods, then I must admit ... I don't understand it. There are 24 factions listed (which, of course, belong in their majority to several packs)... as I told, I know, that they are not balanced for a usual gameplay, but is this really a reason for not even trying it?

If there would be no scripting (and so no easy way to modify configuration files), this would be reasonable to understand, but in the actual way?!?

Fact is, that scrolling for 5 factions doesn't make any sense (You wrote

the DropList component supports scrolling, but only if told it should not exceed a certain height, because I never tested with/used a tech-tree bigger than the megapack

)

I'm not angry - there's no reason (sorry if it looks like for you). I only can't see any sense, that let you decide this way.

[John.d.h]

I wasn't saying it was good or bad, just justifying why nobody thought of it before.  It's like building a house with only two bedrooms because you never anticipated having thirty more people move in.

I'm sure it will get fixed soon, so I think we can all chill.

[Omega]

No worries, it's just an overlook, so it will be solved in the next version.

Point taken though, I had never used more than 5 factions in a single tech-tree, so it never occurred to me to set a limit on the size of the drop list.

Fixed.

Silnarm fixed it the moment you pointed it out.

Seeing this has been resolved, I'm changing this to [SOLVED] and locking the topic.