Split tables require the record index in the leftmost column.
defellipsis() correctly rejects "..." when the table doesn't have one.
It fails to reject it when it has one that is NSC_EXTRA, and thus not
permitted in a dump. This is the case for table sect. defellipsis()
happily succeeds, then chkflds() demands column "uid" if it's missing,
and rejects it if its present.
It missed those with more flags than just NSC_EXTRA set: table sect
name uid, table nat names passwd, xorg, yorg, contacts, rejects.
Since xundump() doesn't provide space for these, the bug could lead to
buffer overruns. Fixes flawed commit 726a8e3d, v4.3.12.
xubody() neglected to check ef_truncate()'s return value. Two failure
modes: invalid arguments, and ftruncate() failure. The former
shouldn't happen, and the latter can happen only for file-backed
tables, hence only in empdump -i.
Tables with a file name are: any game state, and any table that's
initialized from a .config file.
Tables that are no longer customizable: "updates" (customization had
no effect, because update_get_schedule() overwrote it), "table",
"meta" and the symbol tables (customization couldn't change them
anyway), and news-chr (customizing r_newsstory[] was kind of neat, but
unsafe because they are format strings for sprintf()).
"xdump updates" believes there are always 15 (UPDATE_TIME_LEN - 1)
scheduled updates. When fewer than 15 updates are scheduled, it shows
whatever crap update time happens to be in the unused part of
update_time[]: the initial zero or a previously scheduled update.
Root cause is that table EF_UPDATES has always UPDATE_TIME_LEN - 1
entries, which is incorrect when fewer updates are scheduled. Only
xdump is affected, as the other users ignore the length and stop at
the sentinel.
Fix update_get_schedule() to resize table EF_UPDATES.
Makes ef_verify() check carrier UIDs are sane. Partially protects
unit_cargo_init(), which oopses on bad carriers.
This has become possible only since commit 64a53c90 (v4.3.17) set
their values to -1 in newly created units. Before, they were zero in
units that had never been used, and a proper ca_table would have made
ef_verify() fail when unit#0 didn't exist.
The only unit# selectors left without a proper ca_table are ship's
follow, lost's id and trade's unitid. Document why.
The NSC_CONST flags added in commit fa63f87b have always been missing
here. The previous commit changed xdump meta meta. Other than that,
it's just different encodings.
The C identifier permits looking up the table in the source. The
table name permits lookup with xdump.
Coders should know how to go from table name to C identifier. Deities
aren't all coders; we shouldn't ask them to guess table names from C
identifiers.
These are commonly timestamps (no verification implemented), or
aliases for a non-extra column (which gets verified). Commit 49780e2c
(v4.3.12) added the exception: EF_SECTOR's uid. Proof by example that
ignoring these columns is wrong. Fix: ignore only virtual columns.
To enable that, make build_ship() & friends all take the same int type
argument instead of each one its own pointer. Passing pointers
triggered "may be used uninitialized" compiler warnings (the code was
safe despite the warnings).
For drnuke_const 0.33, research level 92.4 now suffices for a tech 280
nuke. Before, you needed 93, which was inconsistent with what
version's promise "need 0.33 times the tech level in research".
This was probably neglected when the techlists feature was added in
v4.0.0, because compiled-in nukes were sorted by tech, unlike ships,
planes and land units. Customization can break that.
Add bug reporting instructions.
Drop the bugs documented as fixed. File was last changed in Empire 2,
so these have been fixed for a while...
Remaining bugs:
The classification scheme used by report is dumb.
It still is.
You can make a sector temporarily useless by filling up all its
fields with delivery and distribution information. This is useful
when an enemy is trying to capture the sector (his mil don't have
room to move in :-) You have to halt some of the deliveries or
distributions to make room for the military to move in. (Mostly
fixed by changing the number of available fields)
Fixed since 4.2.14 eliminated `variables'. Delete.
Warehouses can't distribute all commodities simultaneously, due to
limited fields for this information. This becomes a problem if
you have a countrywide network of warehouses distributing to each
other. (Mostly fixed by changing the number of available fields)
Fixed since 4.2.14 eliminated `variables'. Delete.
You can sometimes move small quantities of certain items from
warehouses at no mobility cost, even into mountains (this is my
favorite bug, I'd hate to see it fixed :-)
Feature; delete.
Guerrillas don't seem to carry the plague.
They still don't.
You can sometimes trick someone into paying a huge price for
commodities by changing the price suddenly. Therefore one should
always check prices when buying commodities.
You can't increase prices anymore. Delete.
When two countries are attacking each other simultaneously, you
can sometimes move into a sector he is in the process of
attacking. If you get the timing right, he will take the sector
but you will get it back, along with all his military.
Can't reproduce; delete.
If a plane is out to trade, and gets shot down, it can still be
bought until the next update. If another country builds a new
plane that gets the number of the plane that was shot down, the
new plane will go on the trading market automatically. Then if
that plane is bought, the money goes to the country whose plane
was shot down, not the country that built the plane. I stole
numerous planes (including nuclear missiles :-) this way (by
deliberately putting low numbered planes up for trade, then having
them shot down).
Planes on a trading block can't get shot down, because they can't fly.
They can get destroyed on the ground, though. A new plane with the
same number still goes on the market automatically. Same for ships,
land units and nukes. check_trade() deletes a trade when the object's
owner changed. Reword the paragraph accordingly.
If a plane has negative mobility, then gets traded, mobility goes to 0.
Still correct.
Firing on sectors with land-locked sunken ships does strange
things.
Can't reproduce; delete.
If two countries are cooperating, its possible to raid an enemy
airport and steal the planes by putting them out to trade.
Still correct.
You can also strip enemy sectors of commodities using "sell", if
you have military control temporarily.
Requires mobility now. Delete.
One can make work go back to 100 everywhere in a country by moving
all civil- ians in low-work sectors onto a bridge, then collapsing
the bridge. Work then goes to 100 at the next update, if you
leave some mil in the vacated sectors. Or you can move mil out
too, letting the sector ownership change to the Deity, then move
back in from a 100% working sector, and work goes immediately to
100.
Feature; delete.
Two cooperative countries can move commodities around at no
mobility cost using the market.
Still correct.
You can collapse enemy bridges by making a lightning raid on his
bridgeheads and redesignating them, even if you only hold the
bridgehead for a short time. (In this games, bridges work
differently, see info build, info bridges")
Still correct. The parenthesis is cryptic, though; delete it.
You can map out enemy territory by raiding his radar stations.
Feature; delete.
Condition checking is very treacherous. Global commands with
conditions are unreliable. I never figured out exactly what was
wrong, although I think your method of putting conditions towards
the front of the line helped sometimes.
Can't reproduce; delete.
You can have more than 26 ships in a fleet, but only the first 26
will move when you navigate the fleet (I think 26 is the right
number, but I'm not cer- tain. It might be 32).
Can't reproduce; delete.
"Look" only spots subs (from destroyers) at a certain distance.
If you are too close you won't see them (unless you are in the
same sector).
Can't reproduce; delete.
You can only fly as many planes on a mission as you can fit on the
command line (so low numbered planes have an advantage this way).
USE WINGS
The real issue here is truncation of long input lines. Replace.
When a sector has a visible ship, radar doesn't show whether the
sector is land or sea, just the ship. This has interesting
possibilities for exploita- tion (like land-locking a battleship
in your capital in order to deceive the enemy :-)
Feature; delete.
I don't think you can land planes on a land-locked aircraft
carrier anymore.
Yes, you can. Is that good or bad? Anyway, delete.
Its common to mistakenly set the price of a plane or ship
incorrectly so one should check trade after using set.
Pilot error; delete.
The "must be accepted by" date on offered loans is bogus.
Why is it bogus? The date looks good to me. The offer expires at
that time. Delete.
"Turn off" doesn't stop updates.
Feature; delete.
