weapon group issues continued

[Spooky]

Yes, that would be awesome! (Although each time you boot up the game you have to set it up again because nothing gets saved. But that's only a minor inconvenience, right?)

It is saved, but the configuration gets lost sometimes. Sometimes even between map loads. The configuration is saved in an XML file. One workaround is to define the weapon groupings there and then simply write protect the file.

[Cygma]

I honestly can't image the code being too complex to just revisit all of it, if necessary.

If it was that easy or obvious we'd have fixed it already. We can't even reproduce it properly.

[Bobby]

Well, from my experience, I seem to lose my weapon grouping settings, more often than not, when I decide to clear my shaders. It's odd, but that's when it happens most to me.

[Waffnuffly]

I always thought this was a per-map, per-side setting (maybe even a per-mechbay setting). I noticed my groupings would revert whenever I played a map I hadn't run for a while, or played a map on a team I hadn't been on in a while. Example: set up groups in Owens B in Sandblasted on Inner Sphere, switch to another map, play as Inner Sphere, buy Owens B again, and have to set groups again. Play Sandblasted again as Clan, have to set groups again in Owens B. Play Sandblasted again as Inner Sphere or Clan (this isn't all happening in a row, obviously) and buy Owens B again, it might already have the groups set like it should.

[thEClaw]

It is saved, but the configuration gets lost sometimes. Sometimes even between map loads. The configuration is saved in an XML file. One workaround is to define the weapon groupings there and then simply write protect the file.

I know, this pops up in the forum every now and then. Without a proper tool i won't be able to set up all the weapon-groups i want. Maybe it would be a good idea to create an external program for this. The XML-file doesn't even look like a good use of XML, it's all only name/value-pairs with something that looks like a class-structure underneath. Even a bit-array would be more instructive (or maybe some ini-format).

(This is supposed to criticize, but nothing more. Every rudeness is caused by the lack of better words on my part and the laziness to search for them.)

I honestly can't image the code being too complex to just revisit all of it, if necessary.

If it was that easy or obvious we'd have fixed it already. We can't even reproduce it properly.

I did forget that the problem might not be caused by the saving-algorithm itself. Is there any slight clue how to reproduce this? I suppose i could delete my XML, only change the groupings for a single asset, use that asset until the file breaks and look what i've done. Can you give out any information about the reasons that trigger a save?

[Cygma]

I have no idea how to reproduce it and of course it doesn't happen for me at all. Saving weapon groups is done on leaving a vehicle/dying/...
Edit: Don't know when Wars actually flushes the settings to disk though.
The fun part is that AFAIK weapon group settings for all assets are lost when the bug occurs, so it's very unlikely to be triggered by that.

Hm, what would be interesting is wether non-sense entries that are used by neither Wars nor MWLL are also lost. Something like

Code: [Select]

<Attr name="Moo.Meh" value="0"/>... shouldn't get touched at all.

[thEClaw]

I fiddled around a little bit. Maybe a thread in the bug-section would be appropriate? For now i'll just share my little insights here:

Uller C
-standard-configuration (after I deleted my XML) only says "5 weapons in total", although all 6 (respectively 7) are listed -> standard-config has an error
-I set groups; this should happen (the lines refer to the MGuns, used only in group 2):
 <Attr name="Multiplayer.MWLL.FireGroup.CL_Uller_Mech_C.Weapon_0.0" value="1"/>
 <Attr name="Multiplayer.MWLL.FireGroup.CL_Uller_Mech_C.Weapon_0.ActiveCount" value="1"/>
 <Attr name="Multiplayer.MWLL.FireGroup.CL_Uller_Mech_C.Weapon_1.0" value="1"/>
 <Attr name="Multiplayer.MWLL.FireGroup.CL_Uller_Mech_C.Weapon_1.ActiveCount" value="1"/>

 but this happens, every single time the file is saved (regardless of whether i used an Uller or not)
 <Attr name="Multiplayer.MWLL.FireGroup.CL_Uller_Mech_C.Weapon_0.0" value="1"/>
<Attr name="Multiplayer.MWLL.FireGroup.CL_Uller_Mech_C.Weapon_0.1" value="2"/>
 <Attr name="Multiplayer.MWLL.FireGroup.CL_Uller_Mech_C.Weapon_0.ActiveCount" value="1"/>
 <Attr name="Multiplayer.MWLL.FireGroup.CL_Uller_Mech_C.Weapon_1.0" value="1"/>
<Attr name="Multiplayer.MWLL.FireGroup.CL_Uller_Mech_C.Weapon_1.1" value="1"/>
 <Attr name="Multiplayer.MWLL.FireGroup.CL_Uller_Mech_C.Weapon_1.ActiveCount" value="1"/>

 two useless lines, they do not cause any problems (but there seems to be something wrong somewhere else)
-XML seems to be saved after a profile was loaded, after a map was loaded, after a death, and probably at other points (leaving the map when still alive or even crashing, i guess)
-"<Attr name="Moo.Meh" value="0"/> " does not seem to cause trouble and is not included in the next save (so it is "touched")

PS: What kind of line would even cause the weapon-groups to reset? Have not found any of those yet. (Ok, maybe it is not an error while saving, but has to do with the following text.)

EDIT: Something very interesting just happened!
After playing on an empty server for about half an hour with only three assets in use (Uller C, Uller B, Sulla Prime) i joined a populated server. I crashed my plane twice, nothing of interest happened. Then i left the server and my file got saved again. Two formerly unused assets were written: The Hollander B and the Bushwacker D. I did watch a Bushwacker D for a while ingame. Maybe i also watched a Hollander B (do not remember it, but i'll double check), the game had only run a couple of minutes, so that would be very likely.

In short: It seems that the weapon-settings of assets I merely watch (follow while spectating, that is) are written to my configuration file. I will have to find out whether my own settings can be overwritten that way.

PPS: Is the XML read in while the game is running? Or is it only read in once while the profile is being loaded? The latter one seems to be the case because that Bushwacker D showed up again and again, no matter how often i set it back to its standards (i copied and pasted the standard XML-part, deleting the unwanted settings).

Another result:
It seems that only the assets with wrong standard-configurations are written while i watch them (until now i only noticed wrong amounts of weapons, the rest is just too complicated to get it at a glance). My settings for the Uller Prime for example were not overwritten while watching somebody else pilot one, they already were correct. But if I introduce some kind of mistake into the settings, maybe they will be overwritten by watching somebody else pilot an Uller Prime because the software sees the erroneous settings and replaces them with the standards?
If so, the error-correction in conjunction with the errors that are made during saving the configurations (mentioned the always wrong Uller C before, maybe that already qualifies as an error) would cause personal settings to reset.
I'll continue testing this, maybe it is nonsense.

PP...PS: Sorry for getting that far off topic. I am just not in the mood to find a more fitting place for this, somebody will take care of it.

[Cygma]

In short: It seems that the weapon-settings of assets I merely watch (follow while spectating, that is) are written to my configuration file. I will have to find out whether my own settings can be overwritten that way.

That is weird, it's saved only for vehicles you are piloting.

Or is it only read in once while the profile is being loaded?

That.

It seems that only the assets with wrong standard-configurations are written while i watch them

That in itself is not really a problem, it's just discarding those settings when the weapon count is incorrect. Afterwards they should be overwritten with correct settings (e.g. happens on MWLL updates as well).

[thEClaw]

In short: It seems that the weapon-settings of assets I merely watch (follow while spectating, that is) are written to my configuration file. I will have to find out whether my own settings can be overwritten that way.

That is weird, it's saved only for vehicles you are piloting.

It definitely wasn't. I deleted the XML and did what i said above. After watching the 'Mechs with incorrect weapon-counts (i guess), they suddenly were changed in my configuration. (Of course i had to provoke a save to see it. They were not saved by merely watching somebody else play.)

That in itself is not really a problem, it's just discarding those settings when the weapon count is incorrect. Afterwards they should be overwritten with correct settings (e.g. happens on MWLL updates as well).

But together with the errors introduced when the configuration is saved, this could cause problems.

I could not provoke an overwrite of my own settings yet, by the way. There seems to be a lot going on with the configurations (they are saved pretty often, they may be replaced at some points, who knows what else).

[Spooky]

Some other investigations are also available here: http://forum.mechlivinglegends.net/index.php?topic=13046.0

[thEClaw]

Ah, thanks for the link. Sadly, the mentioned assets are a little bit more expensive than the lights/ASF I have been checking out. That could complicate further tests, because dieing a lot is necessary to notice changes in the configuration-file.

The default configuration of many assets contains a good amount of errors (the one that is written when a profile without the config is loaded). But if you use one of them, these default configurations will be overwritten with correct (or at least better) default configurations. That implicates that there are at least two places in MWLL where these defaults are saved - maybe one of them hasn't been updated in a while?

I got some questions:
1. Is there a file that contains information about the specific weapons the counter in the XML refers to? (so the numbered weapons can be identified without having to boot up the game)
2. Are there any definite information about what kind of error in the XML causes a weapon-grouping to be reset?

[Cygma]

because dieing a lot is necessary to notice changes in the configuration-file.

Just eject.

The default configuration of many assets contains a good amount of errors (the one that is written when a profile without the config is loaded). But if you use one of them, these default configurations will be overwritten with correct (or at least better) default configurations.

That's what i said...

1. Is there a file that contains information about the specific weapons the counter in the XML refers to? (so the numbered weapons can be identified without having to boot up the game)

Not hard-mapped & easy to look up.

2. Are there any definite information about what kind of error in the XML causes a weapon-grouping to be reset?

As i said above, the weapon numbers being incorrect... Errors with individual group/weapon settings leads just to those being lost.

[thEClaw]

Just eject.

That never occurred to me , i have to test it.

1. Is there a file that contains information about the specific weapons the counter in the XML refers to? (so the numbered weapons can be identified without having to boot up the game)

Not hard-mapped & easy to look up.

Sorry? It would be very handy to find the source for the information, maybe somebody would be willing to create a little external tool to change the weapon-groups and wants the user to see what he is doing. (If there is a file like this, i will start tomorrow. If not, i will continue testing until there is at least a clue about the reasons of the settings being overwritten. One does not exclude the other.)

As i said above, the weapon numbers being incorrect... Errors with individual group/weapon settings leads just to those being lost.

Thank you. The only possibility i see for this to happen at the moment is related to the formerly mentioned existence of two different default-settings. If it is more complicated than that, it could be hard to figure it out.

[CGB [Blackthorne]]

I've only lost weapons groupings once for reasons unknown, but most of the time I lose my weapons grouping because when I give someone money the keypress for the transfer turns on/off one of the weapons. I'm not really sure if this post belongs in a different thread, but this seemed like the place for it.

[(TLL)KitLightning]

... but most of the time I lose my weapons grouping because when I give someone money ...

You'll need to reconfigure either the key(s) used to transfer C-Bills or the Weapons configuration in the Actionmapper. Open the MWLL_Launcher and press Config actionmaps > Select Profile > Vehicle. The functions should atm be highlighted in red.