Connection Issue in AI only Games.

[Questarian]

I've run in to a issue when playing AI only game (Just myself against AI players) where about 10 or so minutes into the game I get an error message about the connection and the game hangs as it counts up. If I start the game with my net connection disable I can play an AI only game without a problem.

when I play against just the AI, I've usually turned advertising off, set all other players to AI, and set the spectators to zero.

[Montyphy]

Version? Platform? Steam? System Specs?

[Questarian]

Version: Retail patched to 1.4
Platform: DELL XPS GEN 5, 3 Gigs Ram, ATI Radeon 850XT Platinum
Steam: No

[Weps]

A screenshot of the message would help too (alt-printscreen, start paint, ctrl-v, save as etc etc)
as well as the text in the blackbox.txt file to be found in your defcon folder.

[Questarian]

I think that it's also may happening shortly after going to defcon 4... the sound stutters (repeats) for a little bit and then returns to the game... I do seem to remember seeing it stutter before, but recovering on other occasions either when I started it offline, or during games with live players.



blackbox.txt:
=========================
= BLACK BOX REPORT =
=========================

Defcon 1.4 built Apr 19 2007
Date 21:15, 21/4/2007

ERROR : 'DirectSound ERROR
..\..\contrib\systemIV\lib\sound\sound_library_3d_dsound.cpp line 263

Direct sound couldn't create a secondary buffer
Error Code : E_FAIL
An undetermined error occurred'

=========================
= STACKTRACE =
=========================

retAddress = 00410E85

Thanks

[Montyphy]

Defcon 1.4 built Apr 19 2007
Date 21:15, 21/4/2007

Is that the date and time of the problem in the screenshot?

[Questarian]

Is that the date and time of the problem in the screenshot?

No . I believe was the install date. The screen shot is new, 4/28/2007 9:45 EST... just tested it this evening.

[frenchfrog]

blackbox.txt is for crash reports.

What you want is the debug.log file, since it get erased everytime Defcon start you need to get the file right after you get the problem.

[DanMan]

Same problem here with v1.42, keeps asking me for internet conenction

[Feud]

It has given me this problem since the very begining. I think it has something to do with how even AI games connect to the metaserver at first, and so if your connection to the internet drops or hiccups then it thinks you disconnected (but you cannot rejoin since you are the host, and quiting shuts down the game). I have experianced it both with "broadcast online" turned on and off.

The system that I had problems with it on was a:

AMD 64, 1 RAM, 120 gig hard drive (80 gig free), ATI X800 Pro video card. British Retail Version (purchased in September)

As for the error screen, it really isn't one. You will be playing against an AI, when the game will stop, and the red Reconnecting letters will appear on screen with the reconnection clock. However, once it brings it up it NEVER reconnects. My old connection would hiccup from time to time, so i had it happen often. I could get MAYBE 50% of my single player games to play all the way through.

[LordSturm]

Originally to fix this problem, I had to block DEFCON's access to the meta-net servers.

NOTE: If you have previously authenticated with a key, you show up as UNKNOWN ( and not DEMO ) when you play offline.

You can still play with 1-6 AI... ( If you are spectator )

That should fix the problem. ( Block the meta server in windows host file. )

This will not let you play without authenticating you key, you need to have authenticated a key in the first place.

[xander]

This will not let you play without authenticating you key, you need to have authenticated a key in the first place.

Not entirely correct. The authentication keys used by Defcon have algorithmic properties. Thus, the client can validate a key. So, even if your key has never been validated by the metaserver, it will work, so long as it is a valid key in the first place. Defcon has three authentication states (that I know of):

• Demo -- the client assigns itself a demo key, and operates with the demo restrictions.
• Unknown -- the client thinks it has a valid key, but cannot authenticate with the metaserver; it will play as though you have the full version.
• Authenticated -- the client has authenticated your key with the metaserver, and will allow you to play without restriction, assuming that another client with the same key is not online.

From the perspective of the player, the Unknown and Authenticated states behave in the same manner, though NeoThermic assures me that there are low level differences.

xander