Allied AI Movements and endless AI Sieges

[Disclaimer]

Not sure if bugs are involved but playing the 4 player Grand campaign as Austria I have the following problems:

- All movements by my German allies are shown, taking up a lot of time when I can't do anything. Can these movements be turned off?

- Some German sieges result basically in a freezed game. I can still move the mouse, but can't exit the siege screen. The German AI keeps thinking but not doing anything. The only "solution" I found was killing the game and starting over. Since that happened now for the second time, I don't think the game is playable as Austria without a real solution. Is there one?

Thanks!

[calvinus]

- All movements by my German allies are shown, taking up a lot of time when I can't do anything. Can these movements be turned off?

They are your allies, so it should be very useful for you to see their moves.

- Some German sieges result basically in a freezed game. I can still move the mouse, but can't exit the siege screen. The German AI keeps thinking but not doing anything. The only "solution" I found was killing the game and starting over. Since that happened now for the second time, I don't think the game is playable as Austria without a real solution. Is there one?

It sounds an old bug fixed with 1.05f (or G, but probably even before 1.05f, I do not recall, sorry). Which version are you playing?

[Disclaimer]

They are your allies, so it should be very useful for you to see their moves.

Not saying it can't be useful, but I would prefer more of a summary, not seeing all movements as they happen. After playing a little longer, I think this might even apply to my own forces... In Civ you have the option to see animated moves of your, your allies and your enemy's forces - or to disable that. Probably not easy to do, but I'd say that could be a real time saver.

It sounds an old bug fixed with 1.05f (or G, but probably even before 1.05f, I do not recall, sorry). Which version are you playing?

The demo, patched to 1.05h.

The game just froze again, just after I (2 player campaign, central powers) beat a Russian army, killing 12 of their units with minimal losses for me... Sigh...

[calvinus]

For the siege freeze it's very strange. Nobody has reported them since the end of november.

Can you please post here a zipped savegame (both .MAP and .SAV)?

[calvinus]

Not saying it can't be useful, but I would prefer more of a summary, not seeing all movements as they happen. After playing a little longer, I think this might even apply to my own forces... In Civ you have the option to see animated moves of your, your allies and your enemy's forces - or to disable that. Probably not easy to do, but I'd say that could be a real time saver.

I will evaluate the opportunity of doing that. Thanks for the suggestion.

[calvinus]

The game just froze again, just after I (2 player campaign, central powers) beat a Russian army, killing 12 of their units with minimal losses for me... Sigh...

Freeze in 2-players campaign ... looks very very strange... Antivirus? AI logs not disabled? Sound engine giving problems?

[Disclaimer]

Here the save file for the siege freeze. Juster after "End turn" the siege of Epinal should pop up.

As for the 2 player campaign freeze just after my most successful battle to date, I was thinking Murphy's Law...

But seriously, what is the AI log? The sound sounds fine. My antivirus (Norton) could be a problem, but it never was with another game...

EDIT: Err, and now actually with the save file...

[calvinus]

Ok, reproduced. Linked to the 4-players mode only. Working on it.

[calvinus]

The bug is fixed. Next patch.

Edit: thread moved to a more appropriate section.

[Disclaimer]

Just started a new game with 1.05i, 4 player campaign as Austria and unfortunately the siege freeze bug is still there. Difference now is that I get three buttons in the siege screen, Delay, Engage and Go to next battle. But sadly the go to next battle doesn't work, nor does anything else but kill the game...

[quiritus]

Just started a new game with 1.05i, 4 player campaign as Austria and unfortunately the siege freeze bug is still there. Difference now is that I get three buttons in the siege screen, Delay, Engage and Go to next battle. But sadly the go to next battle doesn't work, nor does anything else but kill the game...

you can hit Delay. Then go to next battle. the siege became without end but you can go without kill the game

[calvinus]

Just started a new game with 1.05i, 4 player campaign as Austria and unfortunately the siege freeze bug is still there. Difference now is that I get three buttons in the siege screen, Delay, Engage and Go to next battle. But sadly the go to next battle doesn't work, nor does anything else but kill the game...

I just tested your savegame on three different PCs with version 1.05i: the Germans perform "besiege operation", then they delay the siege and the game automatically goes to the Diplomacy phase.

I tried in WEGO mode.

[Disclaimer]

Hey guys, just tried the savegame again, but it still doesn't work, I'm afraid. I see the buttons, I click them, but nothing whatsoever happens. The brain still hovers over the German flag, that's it.

How long am I supposed to wait for the next phase (it feels abnormally long and the buttons are unresponsive)? I play with strict turn movements turned off (that's WEGO, right?), AI logs off, sound on.

[calvinus]

The AI is paused?

[Disclaimer]

I had to unpause to end the turn, so I don't think that's that...

BUT: I tried to recreate the bug, and this time it was gone. Reloaded, still gone (yes, I had 1.05i all along). Went automatically to the diplomatic phase, as it should be. Don't get it, but I'll start a new game and see what happens (don't want the Conrad Plan I chose in this game). Thanks!

[calvinus]

Good news, well!

Indeed you have to unpause the AI, because your German allied AI must choose to "delay the siege" and if it's paused, he can't.

[Disclaimer]

And I thought the Germans were just a little slow (kidding, I'm German myself).

But seriously, the game was unpaused, if not I wouldn't have seen the siege screen, since the game wouldn't have let me end the turn without unpausing (my very first problem, since I don't have a dedicated pause button on my Macbook). So far it works though, so fingers crossed...

[Nial]

I am getting the endless siege bug on occasion as well. Though with me it is always an AI nations siege. It just sits there and never goes to the next phase. Very intermitent and usualy fixes itself on reload. So not a huge issue, but annoying just the same.

Nial

[calvinus]

I am getting the endless siege bug on occasion as well. Though with me it is always an AI nations siege. It just sits there and never goes to the next phase. Very intermitent and usualy fixes itself on reload. So not a huge issue, but annoying just the same.

Nial

Does this happen in 4-players mode? Some particular play config?

[calvinus]

I am getting the endless siege bug on occasion as well. Though with me it is always an AI nations siege. It just sits there and never goes to the next phase. Very intermitent and usualy fixes itself on reload. So not a huge issue, but annoying just the same.

Nial

Mmmh... are you sure the AI was not in pause mode???
It may happen, during battles preparation procedure, that on-screen messages notifications must force the AI in pause mode, so when you close all messages windows, the AI remains paused. I think you did not see the "AI is paused..." white text.

So I'm wondering if I should make it blinking red/white...

[Nial]

Yes, 4 player mode.

*chuckle* Yes I'm sure it is not paused. 1/2 inch tall white lettering is a dead give away when my game is paused.

As said in last post. It is a rare occurance. It has only happened two or three times in my last 2-3 games.

Nial

[Disclaimer]

Started a new game, 4 player campaign, Austria. There it happened again, in early August. Germany vs Belgium, siege of Liege. WEGO mode, sound on. Now it's the enemy, Belgian AI that is endlessly thinking. Game is not paused. In fact while hanging I paused / unpaused several times to see if it makes a difference. It did not.

Bug is not always happening to me, but easily often enough to make playing the 4 players campaign too risky for me.

Could upload the savegame, if needed.

[calvinus]

I will try to reproduce the same circumstances.