FreeOrion

You probably should have uninstalled FreeOrion, rather than just deleting its folder, but I don't think that's relevant to these issues.

Did you have any similar issues with AI after installing v0.3.16?

DLLs are supposed to be loaded from the directory in which an application was started, and the AI clients should be started in the main FreeOrion directory, so I assume it's finding the Python27.dll that's there. What happens if you rename that file to Python27.dll.bak and try starting a game with AIs? Any change in the log files or is there an error message popup?

Does installing Python 2.7 on your machine help? http://python.org/download/releases/2.7.2/ Probably: http://python.org/ftp/python/2.7.2/python-2.7.2.msi

error message pops up when Python is changed to a BAK file. I'll try the python install next.

edit: After installing Python 2.7.2, Uni generation went through to completion. Logs will follow, and I'll check to see if the Python install has caused any problems with Civ.

also, I ran a search for "python" on all of my HDDs. Apparently, Civ IV uses Python as well. Any possibility of issues with that?

edit again: No apparent issues with Civ's implementation of Python.

See attached logs.

What error message? The same (exact) one as before (without the rename to .bak)? Also, could you clarify what OS this happens on? (Both?)
I don't think so. If Civ IV having a few Python files within its directory was an issue, I assume it would have affected FreeOrion v0.3.16 as well. I'm assuming there's some issue with the Python27.dll I provided with v0.3.17 that prevents it from loading or working on either 64-bit Vista or 32-bit XP...
Could you clarify which operating system(s) this problem happened on? Just 32-bit XP, or also 64-bit Vista? Did you try copying the OpenAL DLL files from the v0.3.16 install? If not, could you delete the OAL files in System32 and try that method instead? If there was no OAL issue on 64-bit Vista after installing FreeOrion v0.3.17, could you try copying the v0.3.16 OAL DLLs over the ones that came with v0.3.17 and see if it still works?
What situation are those logs for? Which OS, with what done after installing FreeOrion? It looks like things are working fine for a turn, and then the human player disconnected.

What error message? The same (exact) one as before (without the rename to .bak)? Also, could you clarify what OS this happens on? (Both?)
I don't think so. If Civ IV having a few Python files within its directory was an issue, I assume it would have affected FreeOrion v0.3.16 as well. I'm assuming there's some issue with the Python27.dll I provided with v0.3.17 that prevents it from loading or working on either 64-bit Vista or 32-bit XP...
Could you clarify which operating system(s) this problem happened on? Just 32-bit XP, or also 64-bit Vista? Did you try copying the OpenAL DLL files from the v0.3.16 install? If not, could you delete the OAL files in System32 and try that method instead? If there was no OAL issue on 64-bit Vista after installing FreeOrion v0.3.17, could you try copying the v0.3.16 OAL DLLs over the ones that came with v0.3.17 and see if it still works?
What situation are those logs for? Which OS, with what done after installing FreeOrion? It looks like things are working fine for a turn, and then the human player disconnected.





Sorry,

The test with Python is on Vista 64. The error message was the same as before, except that it indicated that "Python27.dll" could not be found, which made sense.

As for OpenAL, that's also for Vista 64. I will not be able to check the issue with AI on XP until tomorrow.

Do you think that there will be any issues with installing two copies of FO, or can I grab the files from pd's archive?

What did the error message say before, if not that the DLL couldn't be found?

Multiple versions of FO can be installed; just change the install directory to have the version number in it. Your start menu links will point to the latest installed version.

Grabbing files from the archive won't help with testing, as the issues relate to versions of libraries that come with the installers.

understood on the multi-version install.

The error message was the same format as the one I got in XP in reference to the OpenAL file that was for the wrong OS. When Python "stalls", there's no error message to indicate that anything's wrong. The program simply stops, with zero CPU or HDD usage.

Would it be helpful to basically start from a clean slate in both Vista 64 and XP 32, meaning uninstall OpenAL, Python, and FO (all versions), and start testing from square 1? If so, let me know and i'll get started.

It would be useful if you could delete the OpenAL files that that OpenAL installer created (the two DLLs) on the XP 32 machine, and then try copying the DLLs from the v0.3.16 release over the same DLLs in the v0.3.17 directory, and see if the program will start on Vista 64 and on XP 32.

Uninstalling things besides OpenAL isn't necessary.

Thanks...

I've posted a new Alpha installer, which I think fixes the Python issues, or at least the main one. It also should include the v0.3.16 OpenAL DLLs, so hopefully that will work as well.

Could that get tested on a system without OpenAL or Python installed (or the Python directory temporarily renamed, and the OpenAL DLLs removed from System32) ?

(XP 32, no Python, OpenAL, or FO files installed)

1) downloaded new installer from S.F.
2) Install to C:\Program Files\Free Orion317A2\ directory
3) Start Program at completion of install
4) Use "quick start" option.

FO ran flawlessly using the Alpha 2 installer. No issues with OpenAL or Python. I ran three turns, then resigned. Do you need the logs?

I will run this same test on my Vista machine when I get home this evening.

edit: ran Alpha2 a little more, and it appears that colonization and planetary assaults are no longer working properly. I see that there are systems with inhabited planets that don't appear to be associated with any of the AI players, but can't take control of the system. I've saved these logs as well if you'd like to see them.

You need to park your attack ship (not troop ship) in those systems for a few turns until those planets' shield meters drop to 0 before you can invade.

I got the troop ship to work, but still can't colonize, even in the system where I've gained control of a planet through invasion. In addition, For some reason I'm unable to build any colony ships (either type), but am able to build anything else as long as the prerequisites are met. I am attaching a recent save that demonstrates these two issues.

The problem is that you're playing a species that can't colonize, and thus can't build colony ships. Why you're able to play this species, I'm not sure, as you're not supposed to. Likely it's an issue with quickstarting...

Ok. I've noticed that Quick Start uses the same settings that you see when using the regular start function.

Also, tried the Alpha2 installer on Vista 64 with no Python, OpenAL, or FO present. Ran flawless save for the species issue.

-Henry

I'm now uploading v0.3.17 Alpha3, which should hopefully fix the issue of starting with non-playable species. If there's no other problems with that, I'll rename it to make it the actual v0.3.17 Windows release. It's build with 4282.