[Map bug?] Lock-Up bug on SpaMov.wad

[HotWax]

This one unfortunately comes with no error message and will probably end up in Vexing Bugs straight away, but here it is anyway.

I was playing SpaMov.wad (Cutman's 4th jumping map) and had just reached the first checkpoint. I leaped to the next platform which has 3 shooters that fire 6 fireballs in sequence. I got a little overzealous and slammed right into the last fireball of the sequence on the first shooter, then stupidly took my hand off the controls (stopped late) and got smacked by the first two fireballs of the second shooter. The first one took me down to 45% health. The second one hard-locked the game.

No error message or anything, the screen just froze and the sound started repeating rapidly. CTRL-ALT-DEL worked just fine and I was able to shut the program down without affecting anything else on the computer.

Win XP SP1, all critical updates
P4 2.6GHz
512MB PC2100 DDRRAM
GF4 TI 4600/128MB, latest Detonator driver

Good luck with this one, Randy.

[Xaser]

VEXING BUGS!!!

[Enjay]

I got a complete lock up with the same map when watching one of the demos. I think it occured in an area where there were a lot of spawning caco firballs in a vertical curtain. However, I just got pissed off and switch off my computer when it happened, and I was on my way out anyway, so I didn't pay much attention to the exact circumstances.

However, judging by the comments in the thread for the map, other people have been able to watch the same demo.

[Giest118]

There should be another forum called "CUTMANMAP BUGS".

[Cutmanmike]

Enjay is right, one of those demo's crashes. Well I spose it can't be a bug in zdoom, but in my map... right?

Oh well, I promise to have less shooters in the next map

[Sticky]

I also had said lockup at said place. That's also one of the places the rainbow effect has started a few times. I think you cursed it when you summoned the manc there! We must make a sacrifice to appease him.

Also, since this is a vexing bug anyway, I'll add this to the mix:
Sometimes zdoom crashes and reverts your .ini file (or the .cfg--it happened to me on 1.22, too). I've noticed, thanks to the lovely spacemov.wad that it happens frequently if you quit the game at the same time you teleport. I have my ini backed up (as EVERYONE SHOULD!), and then I just switched it to read only after it the 3rd time,
But that's just mean, it shouldn't do that. What did I ever do to it?

Under normal operation, it happens very rarely; but while recording demos on that wad, I would frequently fall off, curse, then reach to my button "[" (bound to quit) right as I got down to the teleport level. Happened several times before I changed my ini to read only.

[David Ferstat]

... I think it occured in an area where there were a lot of spawning caco firballs in a vertical curtain...

Is that a cacodemon, or a catodemon?

[Enjay]

Is that a cacodemon, or a catodemon?

I have my ini backed up (as EVERYONE SHOULD!)

Did you know that if you have an ini in your Zdoom directory with all the settings that you consider important called zdoom.ini (it doesn't have to be a full ini - just the bits you want) if you ever lose/ delete your main ini, Zdoom will automatically write a new one using any parameters you have set in the zdoom.ini file. The new one will have the usual zdoom-username.ini name, but will have all the important settings from the zdoom.ini transferred into it.

[David Ferstat]

On the other hand, the idea of a ball made up of a tangled mess of large trees is rather frightening.

[HotWax]

Sticky: Despite loading and reloading spamov.wad about a thousand times and quitting right as the player teleports just about every one of those times, I have never had an issue with my ini. I'd say it's just you.

[Sticky]

Meh. This isn't the only time it happens, just one I was able to "reproduce" several times. It's the only time it has happened for me playing SP though; It used to happen a lot in csdoom and zdaemon (the old 1.22 versions) when a server would crash. Not every time, but frequently, and I know I wasn't the only one because everyone would reconnect as a default green "Player". Mine just yells at me that it can't find the iwads now, but the backup is mere clicks away.

Oooh, thanks Enjay for the tip. Are you sure it works that way though? The zdoom.ini in my folder is identical (or at least, same size--and it does have the correct iwad path) to my normal config, and I'm pretty sure it has been like that throughout the troubles... ? I think this crash, vexing or otherwise, sort of, err, skips that step when it makes the new ini. Either way, I've got my bases covered, I was just looking out for others when I said have it backed up.

And, umm, rainbow colors and stuff... just to be on topic.... Try loading heretic monsters over the doom2 iwad... similar result, though not as red-yellowish.

[Enjay]

Are you sure it works that way though?

Absolutely. I have a zdoom.ini sitting in my zdoom dir. It is cut down, in as much as it only contains the settings that are important to me (edited with a text editor), but it is there. If I have been trying out a bunch of binds or something else that has written a whole load of guff to my zdoom-username.ini, the easy way to restore things is delete zdoom-username.ini and run zdoom again. All the important stuff from zdoom.ini gets used and a new zdoom-username.ini is written with all the game settings, including my important ones.

@David - Enjay casts a worried glance at the fir tree wood a few fields away from his back door. Are those trees moving?

[Sticky]

Awesome. Thanks again for the tip.