Segmentation Error Honch Expanded Fall Weiss PDE mod

[Ludi1867]

Not sure if this is the proper place for a tech error report on a mod, but will start here and hope for guidance. I have been playing the second Honch mod (creation date in Aug 09) PBEM for a while now, and have experienced two segmentation error crashes. The first occurred when France surrendered (Vichy armistice selected). Replaying the turn got past that crash. A second crash - Yugoslavia surrendered this time - has been more troublesome. The segmentation error has occurred again after reloading and trying again.

This is using version 1.03 of PDE as the base engine.

The mod is quite different from the base game, and quite well done in many ways, so having this error is a tad frustrating. Any suggestions that may salvage the game are welcome.

[Ludi1867]

On my third attempt at playing the PBEM file I succeeded in avoiding a segmentation error. Greece and Yugoslavia both surrendered again, but I did try something different.

The major change in the replay was that, when the decision event to “prepare for Operation Barabarossa” question was asked, I answere “No” this time. I had answered yes the first two times (and I really am getting close to invading Russia, so WANTED to answer yes this time but thought I should check to see if answering differently would avoid the segmentation error.)

So perhaps the error is more related to decision events than surrender scripts. In any event, the errors are certainly unwelcome.

[Cantona66]

Hello Ludi, i am the one that has done the modificaion of Honsh original mod and added these decison events, i used to get segmentation faults also some times when France and Yugoslavia surrendered, i thought i had found some of the faults, i was a croatian flag that was shown when Croatia was activated, but other that that i do not know why it happens and i have not had any segmentation faults when i answered yes.

[Hubert Cater]

Ludi, can you send me the saved turn where this is a repeatable crash, I'd like to take a look, thanks!

Send to support@furysoftware.com

Hubert

[Ludi1867]

Hi Hubert

Thanks for even wanting to have a look – I have sent off a file, and certainly hope that you can recreate the error.

Hi Cantona66

Thanks for your response as well. As you can see, at least one of the errors seemed to be happening because I was answering “yes” to a decision event (DE), so perhaps it is not quite as simple to fix the problem as you suggest.

The Mod overall is very interesting, but does seem to have some unusual or anomalous events. At one point there was a DE to invade Cyprus with Axis paras. I did answer yes to this DE (as the Axis player), Turkey became markedly pro-Allied as a result of my yes, but Cyprus remained Allied controlled. Not sure what all that was about.

A more serious issue is that Liverpool seems to have dropped dramatically in value at some point in the spring of 1941. I do not recall seeing a DE relating to that, but the consequence was that all convoys to the UK stopped – a very serious loss to the Allied player (which I also am in one of the games). Even more alarming was an announcement at the end of one turn to the effect that the “Demise of the UK causes the US to raise its preparations for war.” Now, no Axis unit has as much as set foot on UK soil, so the UK remains very much alive – although Liverpool is very weak. But otherwise the UK seems to be in good shape, with a number of land units, three fighters, a bomber and at least half a dozen destroyers, as well as some heavier units (just had a major naval battle in the channel, sinking all the remaining German BB units, but leaving two RN BB’s in poor shape and possibly open to sinking). Whatever the exact state of the UK, “demise” seems completely unwarranted as a description.

In any event, I have certainly found wrestling with the challenges created by the more detailed approach in this mod fascinating, but some of the events have caused me quite a bit of confusion!

[Cantona66]

Hmm, yes there are some issues with this mod, but i have turned my attention to next one (1938 Calm before the storm), the Cyprus problem is one i believe i have solved for that one.

[Ludi1867]

Hi Cantona66

The bugs are getting more serious. The unwarranted "Demise of the UK" report (the UK has NOT been forced to surrender or even invaded) in my mirror PBEM games has resulted in the USA entering both games fairly early - 12 July 1941 in one game, and 19 July 1941 in the second game. This is a pretty serious impact, and represents a jump in preparation for war by the USA of over 70% in about two turns for one game (not sure how much it was in the other game, but it was probably over 60%). This is a clear, and very serious, DE error.

If you do not intend to address the bugs in this interesting mod, then you should place a warning that very serious errors that will significantly affect game play have been discovered in this mod on your repository post.

[crispy131313]

The USA activation bug can temporarily be fixed in the Advanced Options in game. Just disable the Activation script that the USA is using in regards to "Demise of the UK". This may work, just a friendly suggestion

[Ludi1867]

Hi Crispy

Not a bad suggestion at all, although it is not much help in the games where the USA has already entered! I might try this with a second PBEM series I have on the go, though - thanks for taking the time to make the suggestion.

However, this mod seems to be rather badly bug ridden. One of the other bugs I forgot to mention is that German land units that enter Denmark cannot be moved or transferred out. The ONLY way I have found for getting them out is to place them aboard a transport. Not sure what that is all about, and it is only "another minor matter", but the bugs begin to add up after a while.

The convoy bug seems to be related to moving a naval unit into Liverpool. I just had Liverpool drop down to strength 4, stopping all convoys, in August 1940. There was no Axis activity that caused this, but I had moved a destroyer unit in the turn before. Again, this is just a guess, but losing convoys is a rather painful issue for the British at this stage of the game. To have it happen for what are clearly arbitrary reasons unrelated to game play is a tad frustrating.

So far I have only played the game up to late July 1941, so it is rather a concern how many more 'features' are lurking in the game. Experience to date is not reassuring.

All the bugs are irritating, as the mod does have immense potential. However, all these random occurrences really undermine game play.