trade/gift bug???

[Vezzra]

I'm experiencing difficulties when doing gifts/trades, and it seems to get worse. The "Accept gift/trade" Messages often do not come through, and even if, the gift/trade does not take place, the items gifted/traded are not transferred. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/confused.gif

I searched the forum and found some threads where this problem has been discussed, but only briefly, and already some time ago, with no solution offered. So I want to know if there has been done anything about it?

It has been repeatedly stated that it is difficult to reproduce (and because of that to track) this bug. Well, not for me in my current game (NGC3). It's far more diffcult *not* to reproduce it, that is to get a trade/gift through http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

This is extremly annoying, as this bug renders the gifting/trading feature of the game almost useless. Any idea what can be done to get the gifts/trades through?

[Andrés]

This bug seems to be more often when sending the message is one of the first things you do in your turn.
If you get used to send your Messages as one of the Last things you do evey turn it's unlikely you'll see ths bug.

[Asmala]

I had a lot of those message vanishings once. I've no clue why they disappear, but I think it's something you do when you play the turn which destroys the message, because I used to send Messages as soon as I opened the turn. Now it's the very Last thing I do and I haven't encountered the problem for a long time.

[Asmala]

I have to type faster... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Roanon]

I had that feeling too, that the message gets damaged by something you do later during the turn, or if too much data is entered after it. I just did not test it extensively. It never happend to me at the start of a game when turns are pretty short, so this seems to confirm it too.
Unfortunately, reading Messages is one of the first things I do in a turn, and having a habit of doing the easy things first means accepting the gift/trade as one of the first things is kind of a reflex for me http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif .

[Slick]

If not already done, someone who can describe this in detail should submit this to MM.

Slick.

[Ruatha]

I always send Messages Last in the turn, as things I do might affect the content of the message.
And I've almost never had any problems with gifts/trades... seems to verify what's already stated.

[Vezzra]

Ok, I'll do my diplomatic stuff at the end of the turn now. Problem is, I tend to forget that when I've done everything else... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

However, this doesn't solve the problem completely. Last turn I offered a gift, and this message didn't come through, although sending it was one of the very Last things I did (just sending one or two other Messages after this one). Unfortunately, only *one* message can be the very Last one... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Maybe I should report this to MM... what's the proper procedure?

Anyway, thanks for the help http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Ruatha]

Hey, maybe I could do your trades/gifts and you do my retrofitting?? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ December 12, 2003, 09:26: Message edited by: Ruatha ]

[Vezzra]

Hmmm... interesting idea http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif All we need is some tech to instantly beam our ships across the galaxy, and of course, you'll have to gift all your techs to me so I can do your retrofits http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Wait... gifting things does not work with me http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif ...looks like we are stuck... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

[Slick]

Maybe I should report this to MM... what's the proper procedure?
<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Feedback can be sent via email:
se4@malfador.com

Slick.

[capnq]

I have summoned this thread from the misty depths of time because a current PBW game is reporting the same problem. Several players are affected, and they are definitely trying to do diplomacy last during their turns.

Has anybody else run into this recently? Has anybody found a solution? The PBW admins are stumped.

capnq
PBW admin

[Nomis]

Well, I noticed that when you send a message, save the game, and load again... diplomatic message will lost and you will not be able to send again message in current turn.

[Captain Kwok]

A good rule of thumb is to do your diplomacy last right before you upload/send your turn due to the missing message bug.

[PvK]

I do all diplo messages last and then End Turn, and haven't seen a problem since doing that.

Supposedly there is another problem if the Tribute message is used instead of the Gift or Trade message, too.

For the sake of completeness: There is an intel mission that can destroy diplomatic messages (as an intentional feature) too.

PvK

[Alneyan]

And for the sake of completeness, you probably want to stay away for Ask/Demand messages, and instead make a Trade when requesting something (just give them something pointless).

[Slynky]

Had this problem before and the only cure I finally got to work was what was said before...message(s) last.

As to reporting...not sure if MM plans to spend any more time on SE4.

[geoschmo]

In the game Capnq is refering to it doesn't appear Intel is a factor. And the players claim they are doing the messages at the ends of their turns.

[douglas]

Are they saving after doing diplomacy? If so, that could be the problem.

[geoschmo]

Is the problem that you can't save at all after doing diplomacy, or that you can't save and then load after doing diplomacy?

[douglas]

No idea. I just know that very little is known about this bug except that saving might be involved and that doing diplomacy last usually avoids it.

[Slynky]

I can almost assuredly say that I never saved when I found success at using diplo at the end.

Recommendation for a work-around? Do your turn. Save it (if you think that's necessary). Open it back (if you saved it off), do diplo and run/upload your turn without saving again.

[PvK]

Ya, what Slynky just said is exactly what I do, and I haven't seen this problem since I've been doing this. (For whatever that datum is worth.)

PvK