Points and unlocks

[icarus]

Hi,
I've started playing this mode and i really think is a great one !
I think that the system remembering earned points are very importants on sc2 modes and specially on this one.

I would like so much to see the points system up on this game and as i'm developper my self i offer you my help if needed :)

[Dark.Revenant]

Banks are completely fucked right now. I'm just wiping everything for the upcoming release version. And yes, there are points and unlocks.

[icarus]

when will be the release ? i just cant wait :p

[icarus]

Hi again! i've been saving mafia.sc2Bank while playing at the sametime to see how the xml file changes within the game.
Each tag <key> keeps a stat info named by the attribute "name", and the system updates the file each round. (but mostly the inner <key name="Time at Leave"> is the onlyone that changes, i guess thats made to record acurately at what time you leave if suddenly rage quit ;D.
There is a encrypted md5 signature at the last tag that changes with each update of the xml file.

The game system should get this information and give those values to the variables at the start of the game, as the file erase it self at begining... well i know that my investigation doesnt help much as i only have access to the xml file, but i have a good new !

Even if you change the <key name="points"> you cannot cheat :P

Well i dont know how to help you ive never made a sc2 mod but i know java xml, xslt and php ... maybe some source code could do it

Cheers !

[Dark.Revenant]

I reset your bank at the beginning if the validation (signature) fails. The problem is the signature depends on lots of things, some of which are dependent on a packet from the battle.net server, which is probably written badly so it has a low probability of failing each time.

We're constrained within the limits of Blizzard's modding tools and galaxy language. The code does not really compile or get encrypted, meaning it's a choice between:
1. Buggy signature system (wipes stats often, but is very difficult to crack)
2. Custom encryption system (does not wipe stats, but can be easily cracked by copying the map's code and running your own numbers through the encryption system)

[icarus]

Its maybe because of the size of your bank files.
Blizzard sets a file size limit and your files are bigger than other custom mods.
I read that the limit of all banks loaded together is limited to 80 values.
So its possible to load 50 values for a single player but when there are 12 players you cannot send more than 6 values per bank.

Have you tried to reduce the qty of data stored ?

[Dark.Revenant]

If it was size, it would error and consistently fail for everyone in the game, not just some people.

Banks are increased in size; each one can hold over 1,000 integers.

[icarus]

Well as i said i dont have experience on sc2 mods dev, so i cannot say for sure whats the reason.
I just see that in other mods (that have a bank working fine) the file isnt updated during the game. The biggest bank file i've seen is 90 lines (usually they are lot smallers) and mafia goes around the 250 lines.
By other hand there is a guywho wanted to dev a multi RPG complaining about the data limit :
(http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/starcraft-ii-editor-help-zone-647/sc2-bank-files-critics-167005/)
i know is an old post and maybe they have make limit bigger, but how bigger exactly ?

When i develope my programs i have often problems that i cannot solve and the best way i think is to simplify the situation. For example creating a VERY simple mode (just a chat during 1 minute that records random numbers) and using the banks trigger with 12 players and see when it works and when it doesnt to get a clear idea of the limits. I dont think that the signature system is so buggy, i play other mods with signature systems and never resets.

I hope you dont get my comments bad, i think Mafia is one of the best sc2 mods ever !

[icarus]

Mafia RuLeZ !!! ;)

[Dark.Revenant]

Mafia has nowhere near 250 entries. More like 60-70.

The new limit is over 1000 integers; it's been tested.


Other maps don't save their banks until the very end. Mafia, however, saves it throughout the game, meaning there is more chance for failure. Larger banks like Mafia's also are more likely to fail the signature check because more information has to be hashed.

[icarus]

Users wants to compare their stats and get more skins at the begining of the game. A single int for points would be enought for that.
To know if you won beeing SK or Survivor is secondary information not so relevant.

[Dark.Revenant]

The variant save slot, however, is relevant and takes up a bunch of bank space as well.

Even if I remove thirty hours of my fucking work and just have points as the only thing in the bank and save the bank only once, a few players every once in a while will lose all their stuff and complain.

[icarus]

Sure thats a lot of work :'(
But is better to have a simple and well working point system than a evolved system that doesnt works... right now i never got more than 15 points then reset... never seen someone having more than 20 points in game. So the reset is not something happening time to time is happening to everybody all time (i play european sc2, maybe the us version has less bugs with that). Thats why i think is better to make it simple. And after if one or two persons have a bug... who cares ?

[Dark.Revenant]

Looks like I'll have to throw away a combined total of 60 hours of work.

The AES system is basically useless due to these other issues:
1. The individual banks are well under the limit, but with FOURTEEN people, occasionally exceed the limit.
2. Even with bank validation disabled, people are experiencing lost stats (though not at the same time; they might lose points but keep other things).
3. This means the sizes are exceeded to some extent and that I have to remove the stats. Stats took me about a total of about 30 hours to build up to this point.
4. However, SAVE SLOT variant also takes up a lot of space and will cause these issues just as badly as it has before.
5. Save Slot is finished but unreleased, but was a pain in the ass to make. AES took about 25 hours to make and is nearly finished but unreleased. The Save Slot took me about 4 hours.
6. Bank validation won't fail if it's just one save at the end for points, making AES pointless.
7. I can use starcode to probably keep Save Slot and maybe the stats, but that's a violation of my principles (plus I would no longer be the primary map author -- there are five authors of starcode that, in total, have worked more hours on that library than I have on Mafia)

[icarus]

if you use starcode, they will be the creators of starcode and you will be the creator of mafia... is not like if they stole your work. They just ask to put their names on credit (under starcode). When making a dev there are usually many people working on different things dont see the problem about that. Anyway i think the most important is the result not the method (and its what sc2players want)

I think you should consider that right now there is a lot of ppl interested in this mod and they know stats are bugged. When they will work it can push people to get addict in some way. I would suggest to push the unlock with 10 or more skins, and the last one needs loooots of points to unlock.

[Dark.Revenant]

Even if I add starcode, it's a very time consuming change. And I have to add at least 5 people to the credits.

Also, there are only 5 skins in the game. Any more and I need an artist.


I map to learn better gamemaking. Cheating myself by adding a huge, useful library makes me learn nothing. I should write it myself, but that's going to take 3 weeks.

[Deolrin]

If it was size, it would error and consistently fail for everyone in the game, not just some people.

Banks are increased in size; each one can hold over 1,000 integers.


It errors and constantly fails for everyone on the EU server. :P
I never saw someone with points since a few updates back.

[Elixir]

If it was size, it would error and consistently fail for everyone in the game, not just some people.

Banks are increased in size; each one can hold over 1,000 integers.


It errors and constantly fails for everyone on the EU server. :P
I never saw someone with points since a few updates back.


I'm on 0 points, 0 games finished an like 19 wins/7 losses on NA. -- It definitely not working right now for anyone and it's known. It will be fixed and wiped in the 1.0 launch update. :)

[icarus]

DR, have you uploaded last update to the EU server ? maybe you are talking about the US mafia mod and me about the EU