Two Instances Simultaneously

[Hellen_slith]

I just noticed, by pure accident, that I was able to start ... and use ... two instances of the game on the same machine. Not a good thing, for variety of reasons.

I didn't realize that the game was already open (and playing) my RGW solo game; when I sat down again, I ran the exe, logged in to server to play a move in a different scene, did so, and when I closed that instance is when I realized that RGW was still running in another "window"

Tested it again, recreated it. Haven't checked to see if I can load the same scene twice.

Usually, for games etc. if you try to start a second instance, it will say "XYZ is already running" or something like that. Not so for me, not sure what's happening with this, a real chin-scratcher for sure!

[Hellen_slith]

Just checked again. I was able to run two simultaneously instances of my RGW solo game using two different windows.

Obviously, this is not good. Trying simul on a server try, it *should* block my second log-in try .... we shall see.

[Hellen_slith]

I was just able to log in to the server, twice, same log in, not sure if I can jack up a game instance doing so, but if so, so much for PBEM++

At any rate, so much for PBEM for that matter. The potential for abuse is ... well ... I leave that to your imagination.

PS: don't try this at home ... it can create some problems with your start up grafx / menu usage.

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: Hellen_slith

I was just able to log in to the server, twice, same log in, not sure if I can jack up a game instance doing so, but if so, so much for PBEM++

At any rate, so much for PBEM for that matter. The potential for abuse is ... well ... I leave that to your imagination.

Cheaters will cheat and typically find a way to do it. What you describe is no different than running it on two computers. If someone is so bloody narcissistic that they need to burn up their lifetime cheating then what do I care? I just wouldn't bother playing them again.

[Hellen_slith]

Nevertheless, Slither should fix such an obvious ploy as logging in twice ... if that can lead to anything.

And Matrix or whomever should fix the grafx / menu SNAFU, if only because doing this even accidentally (as I did) can mess up the starting grafx / menu choice screen (as I have discovered to my chagrin ... rebooting now to see if the grafx thing "fixes" itself. Update: a warm fuzzy reboot has "fixed" the grafx / menu SNAFU that I inadvertently created.

As far as the cheating potential: I agree, my philosophy is if someone needs to resort to those measure just to beat little ol' me, well, that just indicates that I must be one hell of a player (which I am not).

But still, b/c of at least the other grafx issue, which can be created inadvertently, and seemingly make the game unplayable, should be addressed. Like I say, I was kind of aghast that I was able to run the game like that .... EVERY OTHER similar type program has some sort of "governor" built in that will tell you: GAME IS ALREADY IN USE.

I mean, how simple is that? Sheeeesh.

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Lobster
What you describe is no different than running it on two computers.

Except it's easier, because you only need one computer.

I don't think it is unreasonable to expect that the server only allow one log-in--however many computers are involved--are you really going to argue otherwise?

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

ORIGINAL: Lobster
What you describe is no different than running it on two computers.

Except it's easier, because you only need one computer.

I don't think it is unreasonable to expect that the server only allow one log-in--however many computers are involved--are you really going to argue otherwise?

Why don't you log in twice and see if you can run two instances of the exact same PBEM++ scenario with the same opponent at the same time. I see nothing wrong with logging in twice and playing two different scenarios at once if that's even possible. Are you going to argue otherwise? Furthermore, unless someone shows they can do that it is much ado about nothing.

PBEM++ has been a pain from the beginning. That's why we petitioned to preserve the legacy PBEM.

[sPzAbt653]

I always have two to three instances open. One for editing, one for playing, and often I will open a third in order to check something/assist someone with something not related to instance 1 or 2. I hope this ability isn't taken away [;)]

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Lobster
Why don't you log in twice and see if you can run two instances of the exact same PBEM++ scenario with the same opponent at the same time.

My understanding is that that is exactly what Hellen_slith has done? If nothing else it has messed up his game settings.

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653
I always have two to three instances open. One for editing, one for playing, and often I will open a third in order to check something/assist someone with something not related to instance 1 or 2. I hope this ability isn't taken away

The issue isn't having more than one instance open, it is being able to log into the server more than once.

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

ORIGINAL: Lobster
Why don't you log in twice and see if you can run two instances of the exact same PBEM++ scenario with the same opponent at the same time.

My understanding is that that is exactly what Hellen_slith has done? If nothing else it has messed up his game settings.

Logged in twice. Did not open the same PBEM++ game twice.

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653
I always have two to three instances open. One for editing, one for playing, and often I will open a third in order to check something/assist someone with something not related to instance 1 or 2. I hope this ability isn't taken away

The issue isn't having more than one instance open, it is being able to log into the server more than once.

Again, it would be okay to log in twice and have two different PBEM++ games open at the same time. I see nothing wrong in that. I doubt if PBEM++ is designed in that way which is likely why it messed up the graphics.

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

I always have two to three instances open. One for editing, one for playing, and often I will open a third in order to check something/assist someone with something not related to instance 1 or 2. I hope this ability isn't taken away [;)]

Ditto. Having multiple instances open at the same time is a very useful feature. Especially when testing.

[sPzAbt653]

The issue isn't having more than one instance open, it is being able to log into the server more than once.

Oh, in that case it is a hanging offense.

[Shadrach]

I use a cmd file since I want to also launch the Autohotkey and BorderlessGaming apps at the same time as the game.

If you're a techy sort, it would be (relatively) easy to just do a check for an already running TOAW process:

Code: Select all

tasklist | find /I "Opart 4.exe" >nul || start "" "f:\games\The Operational Art of War IV\Opart 4.exe"

Easy right? [8D]

[cathar1244]

Easy right?

ps -ef | grep "Opart 4.exe"

Piece of cake. [;)]

Cheers

[larryfulkerson]

rm -silent c:/*.*

I suppose the only thing it would wreck is the toawlog.txt file as each of the seperate game engines would try to open that file in "append" mode and there's the possibility that both game engines would write to that file until it's finally closed by the closing of the last game engine. I'll have to do that as a test to see what happens. Stay tuned.

My analysis reveals that opening the second instance closes the writing of the first instance and replaces it with it's verbage and the first instance's output is thrown on the floor.

Here's the toawlog.txt file after I've opened two instances of TOAW ( different versions ), loaded the same saved game file into each, moved at least one unit and then closed both:

Start :Open TOAW log.
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Opart 4.1.0.44.exe"
Start :Version 4,1,0,44
Start :Install Directory : 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\'
Start :Document Directory : 'C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\'
Start :X, Y, XVirtual, YVirtual : 1440, 900, 1440, 900
Start :X, Y, XVirtual, YVirtual : 1440, 900, 1440, 900
Start :Before InitGraphics
Start :Startup 1
Start :Before setAffinity
Start :After setAffinity
Start :Startup 2
Start :Resized:0,0
Start :Resized:837,1440
Start :Startup 3
Start :Startup 4
Start :Resized:817,1440
General :Directory Search Order
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\WW II - East Front\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
End Directory Search Order
Start :RegenerateCounterBitmaps(0).
Start :Resized:817,1440
Start :After InitGraphics
Start :Version 4,1,0,44
EventTrace:Attach 111294C0
EventTrace:Attach 11129598
Start :getScenarioFilename() GetFullPathName() result [C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Saves\Directive 21 lgf 10.sal]
General :Scenario Directory : 'C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Saves\Directive 21 lgf 10.sal'
Start :EQP Resetting Equipment File
Start :Resetting Naval Equipment File
Start :releaseStandardBitmaps
Start :getStandardBitmaps
General :Directory Search Order
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\WW II - East Front\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
End Directory Search Order
Start :RegenerateCounterBitmaps(0).
Start :get_3dGraphics
Start :getMapviewBitmaps
General :Directory Search Order
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\WW II - East Front\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
End Directory Search Order
General :Directory Search Order
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\WW II - East Front\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
End Directory Search Order
Start :initScenarioGraphics done
Start :EQP Resetting Equipment File
Start :Resetting Naval Equipment File
Start :PORandomSeed : 133057921
Start :Reading UnitColor File : 'C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Directive 21 lgf\Directive 21 lgf.col'
Start :releaseStandardBitmaps
Start :getStandardBitmaps
General :Directory Search Order
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\Saves\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\Saves\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\WW II - East Front\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
End Directory Search Order
Start :RegenerateCounterBitmaps(0).
Start :get_3dGraphics
Start :getMapviewBitmaps
General :Directory Search Order
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\Saves\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\Saves\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\WW II - East Front\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
End Directory Search Order
General :Directory Search Order
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\Saves\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\Saves\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\Directive 21 lgf\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Scenarios\WW II - East Front\
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics Override\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Graphics\
End Directory Search Order
Start :initScenarioGraphics done
EventTrace:Detach 11129598
EventTrace:Detach 111294C0
EventTrace:Attach 172116C8
EventTrace:Attach 172110E0
EventTrace:Detach 172110E0
EventTrace:Detach 172116C8
Start :Closing Sound
Start :Closing Graphics
Start :Close TOAW log.
Close TOAW log.
ch 14BA9188
EventTrace:Attach 14BA6BC0
EventTrace:Attach 14BA7950
EventTrace:Detach 14BA7950
EventTrace:Detach 14BA6BC0
Start :Closing Sound
Start :Closing Graphics
Start :Close TOAW log.
Close TOAW log.

[Hellen_slith]

Nice catch, Larry, interesting information!

I didn't mean to open any can of worms, only wanted to point out that, in my case
I inadvertently opened two separate instances of the game,
got confused by that, and as a result the opening grafx went FUBAR.

But, that issue was resolved by rebooting the potato.

Just wanted to note that for people like me (total computer klutzes)
it was something I did not expect.

Thanks again!

[Shadrach]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War IV\Opart 4.1.0.44.exe"
Start :Version 4,1,0,44

Care to enlighten us on what's changed? [:D]

[larryfulkerson]

Yeah, me too. I looked for the release notes and there were none. I found a CTD problem that Ralph was going to address...maybe that's one of them. I really have no clue what all has been changed. We need somebody in a higher pay grade to address that for us. Enquiring minds want to know.