Problem with 1.3 MPI games locking up

[BZZERKER]

MH, Are you clicking on the "internet thru gamespy" button to change your game to "LAN" when you play solo?

[EternalDamned]

Is it all maps that freeze up, or is it just G66 maps?
I've frequently had G66 maps freeze up at 20 or 40 minutes depending on when the first wave of Interceptor's is due to show up. I believe it sometimes can't make them and freezes. What I noticed is that if you stick with only the G66 maps, you will pretty much get a freeze just about every map the first time...but if after the freeze, you go back and replay the same map it's ok, and subsequent plays are ok too, untill you go play non G66 maps..then you may have to go through the whole process over again!

  And I also enjoy playing the MPI alone...so just turn joins off if you can remember at the start  

[Red Devil]

Just saw this...  

[Bonks MH about the head and shoulders with a Nerf(TM) Bat]

No wonder it's locking up on you!!!

Hey guys -

I found out that this freeze up problem does NOT happen when I am playng single player maps - only when I am in multiplayer mode.  

Speaking of multiplayer - has anyone tried (like I have), starting a multiplayer game and then "hanging up" the modem/DSL/Cable? I find that the multiplayer games offer much more variety and challenge than the instant games, but I am wondering if disconnecting from the Gamespy server might contribute to the freeze up problem?  Perhaps there is a better way of playing multiplayer games - any ideas?

Mother's Helper

[APCs r evil]

If you don't want any joiners in your game just set the player limit to 1. That will let you keep your F8-10 slots open.

[Spawn]

you jsut could do lan only and people cant join, or type /gsoff and your game wont be reported to gamespy

that may be a problem, but probablly not...

[Mother's Helper]

Red Devil -

I am not using a software firewall at this time, so that is not the problem.

I tried using Zone Alarm at one time when I still had Win98SE, but it slowed things down so much on multiplayer (both BZ and BZII), I stopped using it.  This is not due to a slow computer, but a slow internet connection (yes, I am on a crappy dial up).

Someone said that the lock ups might only relate to Core66 maps, and I think they might have a point there, because those particular maps are basically the only MPI's I have been playing.  In any case, I'll try playing a regular multiplayer MPI tonight and see if I have a lock up problem, and get back to the group.

Thanks -
Mother's Helper

[Commando]

Mother's Helper, are you ingame when the lockups occur or are you in the shell?  If its ingame, I suggest trying standard mpi maps to see if they lock up too.  If its in the shell, its most likely a driver issue or a heat issue.

[Red Devil]

He said above that he is disconnecting while in BZ (doesn't matter if its MP setup or in-game) by pulling out the phone line.  That's the killer right there.  Any computer waiting for a response from a hard device will lock up a computer, be it on a mainframe or on a PC.

Edit: Performed gender reassignment

[Mother's Helper]

Hi Gang -

Well, I played a standard MPI game on line last night, and nothing locked up at all - so I am thinking that perhaps only the Core66 MPI games are effected by the lock up problem.

In any case, I'll try a Core66 MPI tonight and if and when it locks up, I'll post the error file.

By the way Red Devil - I'm a GUY   - I don't remember how I came up with this goofy name, but it's too late to change now (lol).

Mother's Helper

[Red Devil]

Sorry about that.  I've made a man out of you now.  

BTW, did you keep the phone line connected last night while playing?

[Mother's Helper]

Hi gang -

Yes Red Devil - I kept the game connected on the internet, but I kept the players to "1', so no one else could join.

Anyway, tonight I played the Core66 MPI game Spiniflex II and played it without any problems whatsoever for an hour and a half.  The game I was playing when I had the lock ups was X-Bones II.  I don't know if there is an indemic problem with that particular map or not, but I had no problem at all with the Spiniflex II map.

Frankly, I had hoped to have a lock up and be able to share an error message text to all of you tech/guru types but it just didn't happen.  Tomorrow I will try another X-Bones II game and see what happens.

Mother's Helper

[Spacecomber]

Mother's, you might note what races you were playing, both for yourself and the computer team, if you do run into a lock up.  I vaguely remember that one of Square Eyes Maps did tend to lock up on me when I tried to play it, but I think it was only if I tried to play a certain combination of races.

Space

[Mother's Helper]

Hi Space - It's good to see that you still hang out here.

I'll be getting home late tonight, but will try a couple of different Core66 MPI games and see if the lock up problem happens.  In most cases, I just play NSDF against NSDF.

Regarding multiplayer games, it is difficult to find a standard 1.3 game to join.  It seems that most players are trying out one of the various 1.3 mod games, and frankly it is difficult to keep track of which mod is currently in vogue (lol).  I think I'll wait until some ultimate mod comes out that everyone is happy with before I install it.

Mother's Helper

[Spacecomber]

I think that G66 is about the only mod that is really ready for public consumption that currently is running under BZ2 v1.3public.  (I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong.)  Even G66 is really still in beta and being worked on by Natty and others.  

I mentioned SquareEyes maps, because he is the author of the XBones map and a couple of others that are part of the G66 series.  While Natty gets credit for the whole G66 experiment, the files he's tinkered with are available for others to use to create their own G66 maps, which is what Square Eyes and other map makers have done.

I think that most of the other completed mods would all be for BZ2 v1.2.  These include the Forgotten Enemies and the Uler mods to mention a couple that I'm familiar with.  There is also a earlier version of G66 for BZ2 v1.2, which has a pretty sizable collection of maps made by other map makers, beyond the original ones that Natty released.

Space

[Red Devil]

MH, now run the maps and unplug your phone line from your modem as you did before and see what happens.