AI modding: No longer writes any Backup/*.txt log files

Gilmoy · Space Emperor Joined: Dec 20, 2006

My SEV no longer writes any script log files into the Backup/ folder.
It did for about 1 day (and I saved the last batch). Now it doesn't.

I've tried most combinations of all of the following.
In every case, there is absolutely no output at all.
- The Backup/ folder remains empty. 0 files, 0 bytes. Nothing.
- If Backup/ doesn't exist (I moved it), it is not created. (If I move it back, see above.)

I've tried:
1. Editing DebugSettings.txt
1.a) in Data/ (the original one)
1.b) in GameType/<my mod>/Data/

2. In DebugSettings.txt, tried both FALSE and TRUE:
2.a) Generate Game Debug Log
2.b) Generate Engine Debug Log
2.c) Use Fast Debug Log
2.d) Debug Section Script Evaluation Detailed
2.e) Debug Section Script Evaluation Simple

3. Launching method
3.a) double-clicked on se5.exe in the install folder
3.b) clicked the Start Menu shortcut
3.c) clicked my Quick Launch shortcut (a copy of 4.b)

4. Game type
4.a) Standard game (no mod)
4.b) Balance 1.00 (old mod, completely untouched by me)
4.c) My mod (Balance 1.01 + my AI zygote)

5. Game setup
5.a) Load Empire From File (which has worked OK for 2 weeks)
5.b) a new all-random empire
5.c) Load Game Setup (which worked OK for 3 days)
5.d) manually selected exactly same options as 5(c)

6. Started a game and played to turn 2400.1 (second turn)
Normally, the order of output is:
6.a) se5 writes Backup/ScriptExecutionLog_*_Setup_Script.txt, for all AIs
6.b) Your turn 2400.0 begins.
6.c) Switch to Explorer, look in Backup/, see about 15 Setup log files.
6.d) You end Turn.
6.e) All AIs take their turns. End of turn processing.
6.f) se5 writes Backup/ScriptExecutionLog_*_Main_Script.txt, for all AIs
6.g) Your turn 2400.1 begins.
6.h) Switch to Explorer, look in Backup/, see about 15 more Main log files.

I don't see 6(c) or 6(h). I see 0 files, 0 bytes. It writes nothing.
During 6(e), the AIs no longer draw the little blue (or red) progress bars.
(They do seem to be doing their usual thing, because they all propose treaties to me at the start of turn 2.)

What could cause this?
Could a script error or exception before 6(a) essentially disable the entire logging service? (But that doesn't explain why 4(a) or 4(b) also fail.)

7. I've used the ScriptParser.exe IDE a few times. I noticed that it has touched the datestamps of the CodeListing_{BuiltIn,Interface}.txt files. (That must be automatic; I certainly didn't tell it to do that.) Could it have also modified some other system script file automatically (and broken it)?

8. I've searched my entire install folder('s subtree) for *.* modified "within the past 1 week". The only files that have changed are:
8.a) Data/DebugSettings.txt; see 1(a)
8.b) Utilities/ScriptParser/CodeListing_{BuiltIn,Interface}.txt; see 7

I have some new files that presumably the game engine wouldn't even know to look at (unless I explicitly tell it to):
8.c) Empires/<my saved empire>/ and SavedEmpires/<my empire>.emp; see 5(a)
8.d) GameSetups/<my test setup>; see 5(c)
8.e) GameTypes/<my mod>/AI/

That's it. No .csf files appear to have been changed (except in my 8(e) dev dir, and the game doesn't look there).

9. regedit, HCU/Software/Malfador Machinations/Space Empires V/:
All keys look correct. The "Install Directory" key shows the correct path.

How do I restore my se5.exe's ability to write the ScriptExecutionLog_*.txt files?
Not generating those files is a showstopper for AI mod development.

Back to Sanctum until this is fixed ...
--
Eric / Gilmoy

CaptainKwok · Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 4:10 pm Post subject:

These are the settings I use. Only modifying the DebugSettings.txt in the default data directory will work to generate a log.

Gilmoy · Space Emperor Joined: Dec 20, 2006