What Am I'm Doing Wrong ...

usor · May 2003

<div class="IPBDescription">NS quits after loading my map</div> hi there

I'm having a problem with my custom map i'm building.
first of all my config:
hammer 3.5 with model enabled natural-selection FGD file
ZHLT compiler tools (most recent version)
and of course NS

now my problem:
I've inserted all entities that are required using the mapping guidelines.
(http://www.natural-selection.org/MappingGuidelines.htm)

once I compile the map and want to run it, NS starts up and shows the loading screen (the one with the two marines) for a split second and then HL just quits.

did I miss something? I'm not totally new to mapping just NS mapping is giving me some problems right now.

(BTW: english is not my native language so excuse me)

Hypergrip · May 2003

Did you do other things on your computer while compiling the map?
Sometimes the compiler creates errors when the CPU is used by other processes too much, wich leads to a screwed map wich can crash HL.
This happened to me and some others a few times.

Another possibility is that you just have a leak in your map.
It happened to me once... the map loaded and because of the leak the engine tried to render all polygons at once crashing HL.
You should check your compiler log.

RPG_Jssmfulhud · May 2003

Leak is out of the question... If there WAS a leak, ZHLT wouldn't want to compile it...

I had this problem a few times, but can't recall what the cause was... <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'>

usor · May 2003

well it's not a leak, i've checked the log and everything. it compiles fine. (though taking quite some time for such a small map. well i'm not THAT experienced with optimization)

weird thing is that once i build a small map with just 2 rooms and some spawns WITHOUT team_command and team_hive it's starting up. but once i add all 3 hive entities, command chair, resource nodes, spawns in front of the hives it won't start.

i checked some forums about those things but there was no real answer to it. i tried to find some basic maps that i could load up in hammer to analyze what i'm missing or doing wrong, but theres no such basic map out there. do any of you guys know where i could find such a thing or some kind of checklist for 'most-done-errors'?

EDIT: P.S.: no i did not to anything different while compiling.

tseepra · May 2003

I'v had a problem that my map crashes, just as the console is about to go up and start the map. One time I fixed it by going in VHE and then "check for problems" and after fixing those it worked. And the other time I had to replace every texture on the map for some reason untill it worked.

erendor · May 2003

you may need an info_mapinfo and info_gameplay,thats all i can think of that could make that happen

Edit: nvm, i jsut noticed you said you added everything.

Mendasp · May 2003

If you're using an old version of my 3.5 fgd there's a bug with func_resources, try this one instead

When you switch to the new fgd, you'll have to delete all your func_resources and put them back again

BlackSeer · May 2003

had the same problem, something to do with the ns 3.5 fgd. test to remove it and use the one that come with ns. That worked for me for some reason.

Now it just happen randomly <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'>

usor · May 2003

oh i lacked info_gameplay. added it but crash still remains
tried the trick with the FGD file (thanks for reposting) but problem still persists.

i've tried to run it on a different PC and got the error "host error: bad string" after mapchanging to that level.

now what's that?

NerdIII · May 2003

btw... you don't need ANY entities except an info_playerstart to run a NS map. So you can just create a test room with NS textures and run it. info_gameinfo is set to defaults then I guess and you walk around as if you were in the ready room. About the LEAKs: Whenever I have a leak and track it down in-game, as soon as it becomes 'visible' - or a few seconds later - my PC hangs. No matter what render engine I use. Does someone have the same problem? Is it AMD specific? VIA chipset specific? Only happens on PCs with USB mouse? Or my TV-card? Or does this happen to everyone because it is a bug in NS?

NerdIII · May 2003

"host error: bad string" occurs when you try to enter a bad string of characters on some entity <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>
For example you might have typed sounds\roar.wav instead of sounds/roar.wav (<- wrong typing of directories is the most common cause for this error)

usor · May 2003

hmm i did some research on that host_error: bad string message but can't find any entity with a bad filename.
i did not use any custom name on entities and never changed a value (besides ownership of spawns and items)

VHE is always complaining about unused keyvalues in func_resource for example, but whenever i let it be fixed automatically it does not alter anything.

NerdIII: weird thing is that everytime i just do a plain little map with just a spawn the map works. but whenever i add some entities it's fubared and won't run anymore. (even if i remove the ents)

and yes. the problem still remains. i'm looking for a bit of webspace to upload my VHE project RMF so someone could look into it. perhaps it's just plain stupidity on my side.

EDIT: here's my RMF file. hope that's enough to load it up in VHE. please would someone check it?

<a href='http://www.8ung.at/umbrion/ns_1.rmf' target='_blank'>http://www.8ung.at/umbrion/ns_1.rmf</a>

Mendasp · May 2003

Man, read my post, the func_resources on my old 3.5 fgd have no "modelname" so it gives "host error: bad string"

Download the one I attached before, that has that fixed...

amckern · May 2003

my crash bugs with ns

- leek
- alock block : full
- can't find wadname.wad
- ns bots (the main issue - try to compile with a ns installer backed up version ie the "gl003-nsback" folder)

also ns is still beta - so tell them in the bugs forum - also, run msconfig, and uncheck the start up group items box (win 95 alt+ctrl+del close all programs all but systray, and exploer)

usor · May 2003

i've tracked the error down now:

i am using the newest FGD file that was posted in this thread by mendasp
my setup is 2 little rooms with 2 lights and 1 info_gameplay and 1 info_mapinfo.
ready room consists of a info_player_start and an autojoin.
game room is an alien spawn and a marine spawn with a light.

this constellation compiles and starts perfectly. once i add the team_hive entity i get the host_error: bad string:
message.
i am using a freshly installed natural-selection with XP-Cageys 10th version on ZHLT and the FGD file posted on this forum. weird thing is that the func_resource has a model path. but team_command and team_hive don't have this.

EDIT: yes it definately is the team_hive entity that lacks a model key. i've tried func_resource and team_command and both run fine.
i've then manually added a model key to the team_hive entity and pointed it to models/hivet.mdl and it works.
now tell me what FGD file should i use if even the one posted in this thread and considered to be 'stable' won't work? what's wrong here?

Cagey · May 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Mendasp @ May 13 2003, 1:53 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Man, read my post, the func_resources on my old 3.5 fgd have no "modelname" so it gives "host error: bad string"

Download the one I attached before, that has that fixed...</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

Ahhh... the wonderful world of maintenance release propagation <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>

----------------------------

For everybody's benefit: <a href='http://natural-selection.org/Mapping_Guidelines.html#info_gameplay' target='_blank'>info_gameplay</a> isn't listed as a <a href='http://natural-selection.org/Mapping_Guidelines.html#Required_Entities' target='_blank'>required entity</a> in the Guidelines because it isn't required <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>.

The release versions of NS (1.0 up to and including 1.1) only pay attention to two settings (<i>teamone</i> and <i>teamtwo</i>)--and those settings must be kept on the defaults anyway. At this point, adding the entity only supplies redundant information, so you don't need it. If you set any other options that the FGD offers which are not listed in the Guidelines, they'll be ignored anyway.

Mendasp · May 2003

Argh, ok, it was my fault, team_hive had the exact same problem, check <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=32046' target='_blank'>this thread</a> for the new "version"

usor · May 2003

thanks for rechecking that.

btw the link is damaged. remove the http://[URL= out of it <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

Mendasp · May 2003

Thanks for pointing out errors, I think I won't have to update it anymore (not for bugfixes, I hope...)

Just edited the link <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

What Am I'm Doing Wrong ...

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