CVS test server

[Z-Man]

There is a bug report for this slow mode, I guess:
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.ph ... tid=106185
I had to ignore it until now because it is one of those anonymous reports without enough information. From nemo's comment I conclude that it appears the brake is permanently on on the server and only a reset of the brake cures it.

Anyway, some new bugfixes on CVS server 2 that actually may be related:
- Client commands are now sorted based on their network message id, which makes them always appear in order. This should fix everything where two commands are passed virtually at the same time: hitting brake and turn simultaneously, tight 180s, small adjustments to a wall.
- Fixed a bug in the cycle_delay code: all values below .001 were in fact treated as exactly 0.

I guess with these fixes, all positive values of cycle_delay can now be considered supported. cycle_delay=0 works, too, but when you do a real 180 on the spot, you're as good as dead, the topology police will kill you shortly after your next turn. cycle_delay values below a certain threshold ( about 10^-5 ) will do that to you occasionally, too.

The bug Iceman reported should be fixed now, too: by using the brake to adjust to the wall and then turning, he issued two commands on the same spot ( time was irrelevant here ).

I'll commit the changes to CVS and update CVS test server 1 at about 21h GMT ( 4 hours from now ). Client changes are not required

Edit: the fixes are in gCycle.h 1.5 and gCycle.cpp 1.13.

[Jonathan]

Jonathan is, by the way, really productive when it comes to finding bugs. He triggered another one causing the server to hit a breakpoint, there must have been a massive wall bend going on ( must... work... harder... to... eliminate... those... ).

I don't know how I do it over and over again... Last time after some maneouvers part of my wall disappeared and I tried to drive through the gap. While doing that I lost the server.

[Z-Man]

Whatever you do... keep doing it. It's a big help!

[Jonathan]

I found one of the stupidest bugs ever... I'll show it to you on CVS 2.

Edit: probably tomorrow (actually today).

[Jonathan]

Not many people get a chance to kick z-man on his own server "by the server admin", and have him wondering how that's possible...

[Jonathan]

Something strange happened on CVS 2. I boxed gcc and ran into his wall because it would disappear quickly. After spending maybe 3/5th of my rubber the wall went down and I could continue driving forward. Then when I turned around (about 1 grid line (not moviepack) sideward - no quick double bind or something) I exploded and was core dumped by gcc??

Edit: did it again.
Another edit: yes, at the first turn after you drive over a collapsing wall you die.

[Z-Man]

That was the topology police. Dammit! The topology police comes into action when two walls intersect on the grid, the topology police then reconstructs who was there first and if the intersection would kill anyone ( it will not, for example, if one wall had a hole ). GCC's wall was still there, it was only inactive, and due to an interpolation inaccuracy, you were framed.

I wanted to make this feature disableable anyway since it is not strictly needed any more, but l'll have to make it more tolerant. Rubber and the real collision detection will need to use different timeout values.

Edit: and indeed, tString is one of the things I wanted to write about in another WWWIA... I'ts a very old sin of mine that enabled the other bug Jonathan talks about.

[Z-Man]

Jonathan's admin exploit is now fixed on both CVS servers. On CVS 2, the topology police is disabled until I can fix it; additionally, CYCLE_DELAY has been put to 0 because you'll survive 180s on the spot now. However, it is not yet specified on which side of the wall you end up after a full 180, so expect random results.

[iceman]

Ive been testing dedicated servers than are running various versions
my findings are

0.2.6.0 Best
0.2.7.0 Garbage
CVS omg !

when completed is this cvs version gonna be as good as 0.2.6.0 ?
Im getting really tempted to make a hybrid server based on 0.2.6.0 with the added functions of admin and deathzone

[Jonathan]

I get best experience on servers of the version I'm running (least mispredicts). z-man's CVS servers have settings for uncovering bugs. An older server with these settings would be much worse. With normal settings CVS servers (at least current versions) are probably better.

[Z-Man]

CVS omg !

The good kind of omg or the bad kind? Can you elaborate what it is exactly that you don't like? I bet you already complained about it in another thread, but what changes from 0.2.6 to 0.2.7 disturb you? As far as I can tell, the core gameplay stayed exactly the same. Except for the deathzone, but you apparently like that.

Im getting really tempted to make a hybrid server based on 0.2.6.0 with the added functions of admin and deathzone

If you really want to do such a thing, I can give you write permissions to the old CVS repository. I already fixed the security bugs in there. But I suggest you wait until you see what REAL server admins do with the next version of AA. As Jonathan points out, the CVS settings are chosen to uncover bugs. That means:
- ultra-high rubber so lots of nearly parallel walls get drawn. Ill side effect: Lots and lots of lag sliding. Edit: and you often die in strange places because your client was way out of sync.
- low cycle_delay
- otherwise lame default settings
Additionally, the rubber code has been modified so you can't get as close to walls as before; this is to protect older clients from getting ripped easily.
And don't forget the CVS servers are running in debug mode inside a debugger, and number one is even on a 266 mhz machine with a 128kb/s upstream connection.
And keep in mind that it is not possible to work around some of the client bugs, like the temporary tunneling through walls. I admit it is not fixed in the current CVS trunk either, but it is in one of the branches.
On the other hand, it seems as if all bugs these settings can uncover are fixed now, so it could be a good idea to switch one of the server to fun settings to uncover leftover gameplay glitches. I'm open to suggestions, best in the form of a complete config file.

[iceman]

ive found this in 2.7

seems more laggy

bikes tend to leap forward at random times and throw you through a wall at lot more regular

grinding against the arena wall and doing a 180 is almost impossible but easy in 2.6

smart cam seems worse but I cant explain exactly why sorry

least annoying but still : name color blocking grrrrrrrrrr
___________________________________________

cvs: i know your testing with high rubber but ! just turning left or right in the server is often making my bike jump crazy distance or stop dead and explode

[Tank Program]

ileast annoying but still : name color blocking grrrrrrrrrr

ive told u a dozen times that this is fixed in cvs

[Jonathan]

I think the rest is the illusion that something happened while it actually did not and low framerates. I'm not saying it is, only that I think it is.

[Z-Man]

grinding against the arena wall and doing a 180 is almost impossible but easy in 2.6

Like what I did on CVS 2 in the screenshot? ( I had to modify it and squish a few floating point inaccuracy thingies first ) The screenshot was taken with 0.2.6.0. Of course, you still die eventually if you continue that ad infinitum.

cvs: i know your testing with high rubber but ! just turning left or right in the server is often making my bike jump crazy distance or stop dead and explode

Probably you got stuck somewhere already. The jumping is certainly only the symptom of you already being dead as soon as your rubber runs out. A fix for that has to be client side and will make it into the version after the next.