Messages

1

Mac / Re: 2.4 Stable crashes on start up

« on: May 01, 2012, 02:18:01 pm »

Process:         ufo [6247]
Path:            /Users/parlarsson/Desktop/UFOAI.app/Contents/MacOS/ufo
Identifier:      net.sourceforge.UFOAI
Version:         2.4 (2.4)
Code Type:       X86-64 (Native)
Parent Process:  launchd [109]

Date/Time:       2012-05-01 08:11:56.597 -0400
OS Version:      Mac OS X 10.6.8 (10K549)
Report Version:  6

Interval Since Last Report:          408111 sec
Crashes Since Last Report:           1
Per-App Interval Since Last Report:  12 sec
Per-App Crashes Since Last Report:   1
Anonymous UUID:                      8C6E195B-6D48-416B-BC90-1830407F565B

Exception Type:  EXC_CRASH (SIGABRT)
Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000
Crashed Thread:  0

Application Specific Information:
abort() called

Thread 0 Crashed:
0   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86fe80b6 __kill + 10
1   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff870889f6 abort + 83
2   libintl.8.dylib                  0x000000014453e764 _nl_load_domain + 6020
3   libintl.8.dylib                  0x000000014453cf13 _nl_find_domain + 467
4   libintl.8.dylib                  0x000000014453fbce libintl_dcigettext + 1326
5   net.sourceforge.UFOAI            0x0000000142097b33 UI_RegisterFont + 19
6   net.sourceforge.UFOAI            0x0000000142097b0b UI_ParseFont + 619
7   net.sourceforge.UFOAI            0x00000001420d31ae Com_ParseScripts + 2894
8   net.sourceforge.UFOAI            0x00000001420c23e4 Qcommon_Init + 1188
9   net.sourceforge.UFOAI            0x0000000142178e7c main + 412
10  net.sourceforge.UFOAI            0x0000000142062484 start + 52

Thread 1:
0   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86fb2c0a kevent + 10
1   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86fb4add _dispatch_mgr_invoke + 154
2   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86fb47b4 _dispatch_queue_invoke + 185
3   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86fb42de _dispatch_worker_thread2 + 252
4   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86fb3c08 _pthread_wqthread + 353
5   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86fb3aa5 start_wqthread + 13

Thread 2:
0   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86fb3a2a __workq_kernreturn + 10
1   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86fb3e3c _pthread_wqthread + 917
2   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86fb3aa5 start_wqthread + 13

Thread 3:
0   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86f99dda semaphore_timedwait_signal_trap + 10
1   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86fd8772 _pthread_cond_wait + 1015
2   com.apple.audio.CoreAudio        0x00007fff83e2d68c CAGuard::WaitFor(unsigned long long) + 168
3   com.apple.audio.CoreAudio        0x00007fff83e2fc1b CAGuard::WaitUntil(unsigned long long) + 185
4   com.apple.audio.CoreAudio        0x00007fff83e2dd85 HP_IOThread::WorkLoop() + 1369
5   com.apple.audio.CoreAudio        0x00007fff83e2d827 HP_IOThread::ThreadEntry(HP_IOThread*) + 9
6   com.apple.audio.CoreAudio        0x00007fff83e2d755 CAPThread::Entry(CAPThread*) + 125
7   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86fd2fd6 _pthread_start + 331
8   libSystem.B.dylib                0x00007fff86fd2e89 thread_start + 13

Thread 0 crashed with X86 Thread State (64-bit):
  rax: 0x0000000000000000  rbx: 0x000000011ae31a10  rcx: 0x00007fff5fbff508  rdx: 0x0000000000000000
  rdi: 0x0000000000001867  rsi: 0x0000000000000006  rbp: 0x00007fff5fbff520  rsp: 0x00007fff5fbff508
   r8: 0x0000000144545280   r9: 0x000000011aefc0a4  r10: 0x00007fff86fe40fa  r11: 0x0000000000000202
  r12: 0x0000000100110830  r13: 0x000000010011ade0  r14: 0x00007fff5fbff770  r15: 0x000000011ae31a10
  rip: 0x00007fff86fe80b6  rfl: 0x0000000000000202  cr2: 0x000000014453d000

<SNIP>

Model: iMac7,1, BootROM IM71.007A.B03, 2 processors, Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.8 GHz, 4 GB, SMC 1.21f4
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro, ATI,RadeonHD2600, PCIe, 256 MB
Memory Module: global_name
AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x14E4, 0x88), Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (5.10.131.42.4)
Bluetooth: Version 2.4.5f3, 2 service, 19 devices, 1 incoming serial ports
Network Service: AirPort, AirPort, en1
Serial ATA Device: WDC WD5000AAKS-40TMA0, 465,76 GB
Parallel ATA Device: OPTIARC  DVD RW AD-5630A
USB Device: Keyboard Hub, 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.), 0x1006, 0xfa200000 / 2
USB Device: Apple Keyboard, 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.), 0x0220, 0xfa220000 / 4
USB Device: Built-in iSight, 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.), 0x8502, 0xfd400000 / 2
USB Device: Bluetooth USB Host Controller, 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.), 0x8206, 0x1a100000 / 2
USB Device: IR Receiver, 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.), 0x8242, 0x5d100000 / 2
USB Device: USB OPTICAL MOUSE, 0x093a  (Pixart Imaging, Inc.), 0x2510, 0x1d100000 / 2


Hoping to get a Windows PC or laptop soon, that should help, lol.

2

Mac / Re: Game does not start at all

« on: April 07, 2012, 04:34:09 am »

2.3 startup crash


Process:         ufo [7099]
Path:            /Users/parlarsson/Desktop/UFOAI.app/Contents/MacOS/ufo
Identifier:      net.sourceforge.UFOAI
Version:          ()
Code Type:       X86 (Native)
Parent Process:  launchd [110]

Date/Time:       2012-04-06 22:33:32.796 -0400
OS Version:      Mac OS X 10.6.8 (10K549)
Report Version:  6

Interval Since Last Report:          1177426 sec
Crashes Since Last Report:           4
Per-App Crashes Since Last Report:   1
Anonymous UUID:                      8C6E195B-6D48-416B-BC90-1830407F565B

Exception Type:  EXC_BREAKPOINT (SIGTRAP)
Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000002, 0x0000000000000000
Crashed Thread:  0

Dyld Error Message:
  Library not loaded: /opt/local/Library/Frameworks/SDL_image.framework/Versions/A/SDL_image
  Referenced from: /Users/parlarsson/Desktop/UFOAI.app/Contents/MacOS/ufo
  Reason: image not found

Binary Images:
0x8fe00000 - 0x8fe4162b  dyld 132.1 () <A4F6ADCC-6448-37B4-ED6C-ABB2CD06F448> /usr/lib/dyld

Model: iMac7,1, BootROM IM71.007A.B03, 2 processors, Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.8 GHz, 4 GB, SMC 1.21f4
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro, ATI,RadeonHD2600, PCIe, 256 MB
Memory Module: global_name
AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x14E4, 0x88), Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (5.10.131.42.4)
Bluetooth: Version 2.4.5f3, 2 service, 19 devices, 1 incoming serial ports
Network Service: AirPort, AirPort, en1
Serial ATA Device: WDC WD5000AAKS-40TMA0, 465,76 GB
Parallel ATA Device: OPTIARC  DVD RW AD-5630A
USB Device: Keyboard Hub, 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.), 0x1006, 0xfa400000 / 2
USB Device: Apple Keyboard, 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.), 0x0220, 0xfa420000 / 3
USB Device: Built-in iSight, 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.), 0x8502, 0xfd400000 / 2
USB Device: Bluetooth USB Host Controller, 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.), 0x8206, 0x1a100000 / 2
USB Device: USB OPTICAL MOUSE, 0x093a  (Pixart Imaging, Inc.), 0x2510, 0x1d100000 / 2
USB Device: IR Receiver, 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.), 0x8242, 0x5d100000 / 2

3

Mac / Re: OS 10.7.2 - 2.4_dev crash logs

« on: April 07, 2012, 04:29:30 am »

Startup crash log attached.

EDIT: Sorry, I'm still on 10.6, planning a move to Windows PC.

4

Tactics / Re: Big City tactics

« on: June 05, 2011, 11:50:33 pm »

A few different ways to go about this:

1. Maximize your chance of winning with no injuries or deaths by using your knowledge of bad AI and bugs to your advantage. After all - sometimes the game is buggy to their advantage, might as well return the favour, right?

2. Play sort of like you would if this was your first time in this exact situation, and you were really in control of a real-life squad. More realistic - more fun.

3. You already know exactly where the aliens spawn, what they're going to do and how they will react. You've played the map too many times to still be interested in running around looking at stuff. Just get it over with, maximum speed, efficiency and minimum effort.


Obviously the AI isn't perfect. They don't throw grenades much, even though that might be supereffective from the top of a stairwell or top of a parking building. They don't work together much.

You know where the aliens are before you start. You know where you will start. It's a great map, but it always goes the same way because the rules don't change, the AI doesn't change and the starting variables/parameters are always the same.

But what is fun for you, really? For me, it's the immersion factor. It's the very minor emotional attachment to the guys. So I tend to play sort of aggressive while still trying to keep my guys alive, a bit like I would in the real world. YMMV. To each their own. Eventually I'm sure we'll get around to moving the starting spot around a bit, and moving the spawns to random, and working on the AI stuff.

5

Offtopic / Frozen Synapse

« on: May 28, 2011, 04:37:59 am »

http://store.steampowered.com/app/98200/

Looks slickly produced, well thought through and developed. TotalBiscuit has a nice review.

And always the same-looking terrain and a very impersonal feel for the graphics. Plus my little pet peeves with rocket launchers inside buildings and whatnot.

Oh well. You all might be interested.

6

Mapping / Re: [MAP] Hills - Multiple Issues

« on: May 25, 2011, 07:55:49 pm »

Yay someone else noticed that weird rescue zone.

This map is one of the two big reasons (other being crashed UFO in mining area) why I would advocate a way of not always cutting the vertical level of the shown map to the level that the acting soldier or alien is on - it just looks weird when your soldiers are walking next to a big UFO on a slight incline (is that the "hill"?) and next thing you know *poof* they're walking next to a great big black nothingness.

If you put your soldiers in react fire right below the top level of the incline as the aliens come walking out of the harvester you'll see what I mean.

7

Tactics / Re: Base costruction freguency

« on: May 21, 2011, 01:53:24 am »

Agreed on spacing the numbers out.

Bases: Depends on your cash flow and also maybe difficulty setting. You absolutely have to have a decent amount of research going, and a second base on the other side of the planet if you want to keep all the nations somewhat happy.

On standard difficulty I would build up the first base to be decently secure in the speed of my research the first two months, then add another base on the other side of the globe.

8

Tactics / Re: How often do you find yourself wanting to only make ONE react fire shot?

« on: May 21, 2011, 01:49:28 am »

When you hawe hit that taman with the Sniper rifle and hawe a soldier with say... assault rifle close to that hit alien, so you save ammo and TUs WHAT A DEAL! 

Ammo yes. TUs no - once a new turn starts, all those TUs that you saved during the enemy turn are lost.

9

Mac / Re: Making things a little more newbie-user-friendly.

« on: May 21, 2011, 01:47:57 am »

http://ufoai.ninex.info/forum/index.php?topic=5936.0

try option B in that thread, but also note the date that each of those files were updated

last I checked the Mac 2.4 dev version was way older than the other. It worked for me, though, after 0-5 crashes on start up it almost always works flawlessly once it gets going.

10

Tactics / Re: What's your favorite weapon?

« on: May 19, 2011, 04:28:21 am »

I'm not sure about it.

I've used automatic modes on long range before with many weapons, and only few show this effect, and it happens on any range. On range of about 5 cells, my soldier can put all three rounds from plasma rifle burst into target, but always score jsut one or two hits from burst using bolter or needler. That makes those two weapons a lot worse since their performance on short to medium ranges is terrible.

Ok, sounds like you know more than I. I have mainly only experience using the plasma rifle much.

11

Coding / Re: [SUGGESTION] New accuracy system

« on: May 19, 2011, 04:27:23 am »

To bump this thread, and rehash this stuff again.

Duke: Having not fired an automatic weapon myself, are you confirming there that the grouping showed no gradual trend upwards. I was expecting with a gun firing in a burst, that the recoil of each shot would raise the barrel a fraction each time?

What i think the OP was hinting at:

For any shot, call the a function to calculate the first shot based on soldier's skill, firing mode and the weapon's general accuracy. So in theory, whether you fired a snap shot, burst shot or full auto; the chance of hitting on the first round is equal. But an aimed shot would have a bonus modifier to improve accuracy.
Subsequent shots would then call another recursive function or loop, where by the placement of each additional shot is calculated by moving the original path up a random amount and to the side a random amount. The random amounts would again be scaled by the weapon's accuracy and user's skill. The result would be a gradual zig zag pattern going upwards. On that note, any accuracy reported to the user should always be the first shot. I believe a method like this was used counterstrike for gun accuracy.


EDIT: Having looked into the combat.c code, I noticed that the two spread values included for each weapon correspond to the yaw & pitch deviation calculations. It could be possible to modify that method, and recurse/loop the subsequent shots off the previous shots yaw & pitch. Not 100% confident how it affects other methods in that code. Furthermore, it would require some weapon rebalancing and potentially change the combat tactics (multiple shots no longer as effective at long range).

Different automatic weapons have different recoil tendencies. The FAMAS which I'm most competent with is fairly decently accurate even full auto with a trained, experienced shooter. The M4 even more so.

AK-47 type rifles though - all bets are off, esp. since a lot of them are old and not properly maintained by the people that use them in combat currently. Iirc some of them have upward recoil tendencies even if you hold it well, meaning you have to actively compensate by increasing the downward pressure from your arms/body onto the weapon.

Panicky people with automatic weapon can go insane and spray bullets everywhere while spinning around with no recoil control. Outside of that, you'll never see two bullets go 45 degree different if they're fired at full auto.

But let's not go for full authenticity here. If it looks cool use it. Tracer fire looks cool. A zig-zag pattern might look cool.

Worry about bugs and AI and maps before you worry about small stuff like this, unless it's a pet peeve thing. imho.

12

Tactics / Re: What's your favorite weapon?

« on: May 18, 2011, 06:43:33 pm »

While experimenting with weapons recently, I think I found one, quite weird effect. Some weapons have burst mode where, instead of firing in sequence, all shots are fired simultaneously. This appears to significantly reduce the accuracy, it looks like there can't be even partial overlap of the projectiles, so you get a very wide spread. I wonder if it is just me, or is there really such effect...because it makes some weapons hardly usable, like bolter, plasma blaster or needler.

It's just a graphical bug thing.

Put a Plasma Rifle person on full auto/burst react at long distance and you'll see them apparently fire all their shots at once. Now make the same long-distance shot manually and you'll see the same spread and inaccuracy, but it's shot after shot.

All it means really is that the coding for react burst fire might need some looking into (low priority) and that plenty of weapons are very inaccurate at long distances - which is as it should be, see the wiki for details on spread and how different weapons suffer from deviance at longer distance relative to the point of aim.

13

Tactics / Re: Tutorial?

« on: May 15, 2011, 05:24:48 pm »

http://ufoai.ninex.info/forum/index.php?topic=5927.msg47229#msg47229

http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/Tip_of_the_Day

http://ufoai.ninex.info/forum/index.php?topic=1638.0

The above is about the best you're gonna find. Put the game on easy mode and just start messing around is really the best way to learn. Learn as you go.

14

Tactics / Re: What's the best tech tree path?

« on: May 15, 2011, 04:02:49 am »

As soon as you've researched Plasma Pistols and Rifles the pressure on getting weapons eases dramatically as you can now just do some missions and pick up replacement gear and ammo - which to me kind of outweighs any advantages of Laser Weapons.

15

Tactics / Where/why/how many bases do you build?

« on: May 15, 2011, 03:59:18 am »

Good first placement base seems to be anywhere in the center of a landmass to minimize early UFOs shot down lost at sea. Middle East works. Africa. South America. Tibet area.

Then what?

1st base is gradually built into a research base (as I don't know if the Research needs aliens in THAT base, but it would stand to reason).
UFO yard outside.

2nd base turns into Production and secondary dual Stiletto base with one Firebird.

Then later on in game I have the globe fairly covered in Radar and SAM sites, with the 1st base gradually becoming pure Research while I shift the interception duties to a nearby flight-only base.

Just seems to be a bit overly tedious to have all these different bases, becomes a jumble of micro-management, but maybe I'm doing something wrong. Doesn't help that each base tends to become completely built-up, leaving huge areas to sweep through in overly lengthy base defense missions.

Thoughts?