Problem with modified equipment file

[captainjack]

I was updating one of my modified equipment files - adding s afew SE units, changing a few specs here and there, but I can't get the game to accept it.

I tried another test where I took a modded equipment file that I often use, changed the name, changed only one cell (movement for one infantry unit), updated the GUID, checked it was in the right folder and enabled it using GME but nothing.

If anyone has any top tips to fix this I'd appreciate it - I'm probably missing something really simple but it's driving me nuts at the moment.

[cw58]

A few questions: Is the game crashing or you're just not seeing the file changes show up in your game? Is the game still using the old eq file? And are you starting a new scenario with your updated file?

[captainjack]

Thanks for teh response.

Is the game crashing or you're just not seeing the file changes show up in your game? Not seeing the changes

Is the game still using the old eq file? Yes. It's one I've been using for a while, originally from 2019 and successfully updated a few times since)

And are you starting a new scenario with your updated file? Yes, I've also tried starting a new game and a new campaign.

[cw58]

Hmm, very curious. Only other thing I can think to try would be to make the file changes manually (not using GME). Meaning, rename or move the original eq file (the one game insists on using) and then add in your modified file manually. Then start up a new scenario and see what happens.

If you're willing to post the suspect file here, I could take a look at it and see if I notice anything amiss.

[Locarnus]

Thanks for teh response.

Is the game crashing or you're just not seeing the file changes show up in your game? Not seeing the changes

Is the game still using the old eq file? Yes. It's one I've been using for a while, originally from 2019 and successfully updated a few times since)

And are you starting a new scenario with your updated file? Yes, I've also tried starting a new game and a new campaign.

Make sure there are no other equipment files that have priority.
Eg deducter mod used different equipment files within the grand campaign folders, thus those had priority over the general one in the main data folder.
Not sure what the GUID has to do with it?

What program do you use to make changes to the equipment file?
Personally I use "Notepad++" (important: 32 bit version!) with "ElasticTabstops" 1.3.1 plugin. Last time I checked, the 64 bit version of Notepad++ did not have a properly working ElasticTabstops plugin, making it absolutely unusable (extreme stuttering when scrolling).

If you are using libre office, excel, or similar, make sure the equipment file is read and then encoded properly when saving (UTF-16 LE BOM). Unfortunately those "proper" table editing programs make it very annoying and inconvenient to save a file in another format than their preferred one.

[captainjack]

Thanks for that.
I suspected it might have been an issue saving with Libre office, but it also happened with Excel, which used to be much more robust for editing.

I'll have a go with the suggested Libre Office fixes and Notepad++ fix.

[captainjack]

Editing with Notepad++ seems to have done the trick. It was probably something to do with the saving format not being UTF-16.
Notepadd++ has a few quirks that were a bit frustrating initially, but I'm getting the hang of it and changes are now showing up in game, so it's just a matter of sitting down with my list and updating things.
Thanks for the help.

[terminator]

Editing with Notepad++ seems to have done the trick.

Notepad++ is a very good freeware

[Vintage]

Now its my turn to face the problem with equipment file from my mod, and the behave is very strange: game crashes in some (but not all) scenarios if I choose HOTSEAT or try to play myself vs computer as ALLIED side. When I play basic campaign or separate scenario as AXIS then everything is fine. I did examine equipment file many times and fixed several misprints, but it still acting as badly as before.

Some examples: Norway - crash, Low Countries - ok, Sea Lion 40/42 and Greece - crash; from Barbarossa to Bagration - ok, Germany(East) - crash; USA scenarios - all ok. So looks like the problem is with British and late Soviet units but I can't figure out what's wrong...

[nikivdd]

Now its my turn to face the problem with equipment file from my mod, and the behave is very strange: game crashes in some (but not all) scenarios if I choose HOTSEAT or try to play myself vs computer as ALLIED side. When I play basic campaign or separate scenario as AXIS then everything is fine. I did examine equipment file many times and fixed several misprints, but it still acting as badly as before.

Some examples: Norway - crash, Low Countries - ok, Sea Lion 40/42 and Greece - crash; from Barbarossa to Bagration - ok, Germany(East) - crash; USA scenarios - all ok. So looks like the problem is with British and late Soviet units but I can't figure out what's wrong...

I recall having same issue years ago.
In my case, the error was that i used the same #ID for different units.
Perhaps it will help in your case.

[Vintage]

Now its my turn to face the problem with equipment file from my mod, and the behave is very strange: game crashes in some (but not all) scenarios if I choose HOTSEAT or try to play myself vs computer as ALLIED side. When I play basic campaign or separate scenario as AXIS then everything is fine. I did examine equipment file many times and fixed several misprints, but it still acting as badly as before.

Some examples: Norway - crash, Low Countries - ok, Sea Lion 40/42 and Greece - crash; from Barbarossa to Bagration - ok, Germany(East) - crash; USA scenarios - all ok. So looks like the problem is with British and late Soviet units but I can't figure out what's wrong...

I recall having same issue years ago.
In my case, the error was that i used the same #ID for different units.
Perhaps it will help in your case.

Hi, I specially investigated this using filtering rules on column in LibreOffice and fixed founded duplicated ID's, but it kept crashing. I will try to check it again. Thanks anyway!

[Locarnus]

I recall having same issue years ago.
In my case, the error was that i used the same #ID for different units.
Perhaps it will help in your case.

Hi, I specially investigated this using filtering rules on column in LibreOffice and fixed founded duplicated ID's, but it kept crashing. I will try to check it again. Thanks anyway!

Also checked for double IDs with libre office, did not find any.
Did not find the problem while looking at the file.


It could be that those scenarios call for a unit ID that you do not have in the equipment file. Or that is the wrong kind in your equipment file (eg it expects a unit ID to be an organic transport, but in your file it is a non-transport class unit).



Some more general unit file ideas:
1) RoF stat on some units is extremely high, 120 for Calliope, 48 for a Katyusha?
2) Movement type numbers are high as well, does your movement file have 40 entries?
3) Transport categories can be an issue. As far as I remember there is a limit of 30 or so. Though you appear to be below that limit, I highly recommend keeping the number low by unifying categories between different countries (eg using existing german categories for allies where similar).
4) Switchable units not having a primary trait between the modes is something I tripped over, though I could not find a problem with your british roster in that regard. Or switching to the wrong numbers or so, but did not see that either for the british roster.
5) I remember there being a problem with switchable units having the nopurchase date or availability dates in some special combination, but I do not remember the actual issue. Perhaps something to check for if everything else fails?
6) Some eg british units have lots of theater exclusion numbers?
7) Units that have different stats from what would be expected.

Those are the general things that come to mind, though there are probably more.

Some unit specific ideas:
A) The british switchable bridge unit seems to have some of the general idea points from above:
It has different ammo capacities depending on what it is switched to. Availability dates are a range, but both switch states have the nopurchase trait. Both switch states are in the infantry class, but they have a fuel stat (that might be nothing, but with PzC engine you never know).
B) Daimler Dingo has very many theater exclusion numbers.
C) Chevy WB has a transport category for itself (see transport category limit above).

[Vintage]

Wow, such deep investigation, thanks a lot!!! I will examine it point by point.
Right now I can only say that Katusha's high RoF cant be a cause in case that early Soviet maps are perfectly playable with this unit. Also movement file has 40 entries exactly. And every scenario was checked in editor by built-in validator - no errors were found by it.

I'll be back later with a report about other things mentioned above.

[Vintage]

One "funny" thing is that a scenario "BattleOfWesternEurope" from Soviet Corps is perfectly playable even with 4 invalid units remained at map (I first did run the game and only than inspected it in editor and found them).

[Vintage]

Finally, the BUG has been catched and fixed: I'd completely forget that native C-47 was replaced by Avro Anson, so in map's transport assignations there was an empty field in case of wrong ID, so I have exchange these two and all is fine now
Really stupid mistake