Infinitely sized BATTLEZONE.LOG file

[stinky]

I can't quite pin point how this bug occurs but on one time I was loading an IA level. It took quite long to load through stuff like objects and terrain, but when it got to Mission DLL, the bar wouldn't fill up, took a very long time. ( I went to the loo and came back!!) When I got back, it was still loading something. I fired up taskmgr and killed bzone.exe. I noticed that all my hard disk space was gone!!!. I checked my bzone directory and there was a 2gig BATTLEZONE.LOG file. I couldn't get a program to open it so I have no idea what could've caused it.

I do have some experimental ships, buildings and weapons in my addon folder though.

Anyone got any ideas about this bug?

[Black Hunter]

Wow. Chalk one up for BZ2's pool of odd occurences. :p

Maybe it got stuck in a loop of some kind. I bet if you took a look at the file in question (With one of those old DOS Hex editors.), you'll find lots of repetition.

Which map were you trying to load anyway?

[stinky]

If I remember correctly I was loading Defense from the IA menu. If i get round to actually playing some bz2 I will try and get this same 2 gig log file bug to be generated.

[Huscar]

Could it be the dll is linked incorectly? I had that many times, start up the editor and check the link. If it doesn't find the dll it will check forever and the log file will probably record all of that info. Only thing I can think of.

EDIT: If it's this you got lucky. My on/off button didn't even work (crappy safe version or something) so I had to press the restart button (yes I know it sounds strange, kind of situation: had to shot it down, pull the plug out).

[Bull Dog]

Have you tried holding the power butten down for ten seconds?

[Huscar]

I simply don't link wrong anymore.

[stinky]

Ok I managed to get a peek at the battlezone.log file only 130megs since i stopped it fairly quickly. Notepad still won't open it, so I resorted to using  the command prompt's edit feature to view the file and this is what I got when I was trying to load "Counterattack". (Same problem trying to load "On thin ice")

ERR |GLOBAL          |      FileUtil:561  :19:36:51|71438   |SAVEGAME CORRUPT AT OFFSET 101270. Game stability may be compromised

This line just repeats infinitely for the rest of the file I think (the edit feature of the command prompt has a limit to the number of lines it can load)

Thing is, I have deleted all my save games. I am still using my experimental ships and buildings. I have just assigned my ships substituting the original stock ODF file names. Something else that I think may be the cause of the problem is that I have replaced the archer with an assault tank. Replaced the ISDF assault tank with a walker.

However I have managed to play IA and Multiplayer games without this problem. Would it be related to the pre-placed objects in the campaign?

[Huscar]

Much likelly, does it lock up when loading the dll or do you get a black screen first?

[stinky]

The game locks up and there is constant activity on my HDD when the "Loading Mission DLL" line is on the screen.

[Commando]

Stinky the easiest way to reproduce that bug is to load up the mission "Get Help."  Once you start, make a save game.  After the game is saved, load that same save game.  You will run into the same problem you reported.  The cause is unknown.  I personally didn't discover this bug, it was pointed out by others.  Hopefully this bug will get addressed in the future.

[Slaor]

You're probably missing an object. Look above all the repetetive crap for the last referenced ODF - that is what caused all the repetetive crap.

[Commando]

Stinky's crash may be caused by a missing asset, if it occurs initially.  If it occurs when he/she loads a save game, it may be the same bz2 1.3 bug that affects "Get Help."  The following is repeated in the log file created when a save game is made at the beginning of the mission, then it is almost instantly loaded.  I will only paste a few lines, since the boards can't support 80mb worth of text .  Internet explorer has a hard enough time with 10mb .  


ERR |GLOBAL          |            FileUtil:561  |21:25:10|48221  |SAVEGAME CORRUPT AT OFFSET 539272. Game stability may be compromised

Farther down the text file comes the following errors.

aponClass:454  |21:25:10|48229  |ERROR: Weapon "Ã"Û¤(;¤(;¤.odf" does not exist
WARN|GLOBAL          |         WeaponClass:454  |21:25:10|48229  |ERROR: Weapon ".odf" does not exist
WARN|GLOBAL          |         WeaponClass:454  |21:25:10|48229  |ERROR: Weapon "T¬…hu(;¤Ã"Û¤f.odf" does not exist
WARN|GLOBAL          |         WeaponClass:454  |21:25:10|48229  |ERROR: Weapon "ÖÛ¤.odf" does not exist
WARN|GLOBAL          |         WeaponClass:454  |21:25:10|48229  |ERROR: Weapon "Ã"Û¤(;¤ÖÛ¤«¤I.odf" does not exist

ERR |GLOBAL          |          GameObject:2491 |21:25:10|48231  |ERROR: Configuration ".odf" does not exist

ERR |GLOBAL          |          GameObject:2491 |21:25:10|48231  |ERROR: Configuration ".odf" does not exist


No missing object errors preceed the corrupt save game message.  The mission will load correctly, but any save games saved on the mission won't load.  I don't know if what stinky posted is related or not.

[stinky]

Actually I think I found some odf file references earlier in the file. Possibly incorrect odf params for certain ODF object classes. Will need to generate the error again and fix those ODFs. FYI - I'm male  

[stinky]

Commando - that code appears to be the similar to what I found in my 300+mb battlezone.log file. I found those unusual characters in my log file preceding - GameObjectClass (instead of FileUtil:561). Then 9 lines later I have Configuration ".odf" preceding GameObject (instead of FileUtil:561)

I will try this by accessing the missions without using the Archive. i.e. make a new pilot.

[stinky]

Well after going through the campaign from the start bzwinnering my way through, my bzwinner streak ended at "Rumble In the Jungle".......I'm guessing it may be due to the significant number of pre-placed objects when starting the mission. Any other possibilities?