Apologies for the recent extended outage which was due to a rather spectacular hardware failure affecting multiple systems in the same rack as the main server. Fortunately I had up to date backups of most things including, most importantly, the server vault. The only thing I couldn't find a recent backup for was the contents of this forum. I had naively backed it up onto a raid array stored in the same rack as the server thinking that would be fine. Of course, the raid array was another of the casualties of the outage.
I did manage to recover an older backup I had tucked away in the cloud and fortunately this forum hasn't seen much activity since that backup was taken. Apologies if you had posted more recently and your post has disappeared.
The module is now up and running again on other hardware for the mean time. I noticed a few glitches that I think I've now sorted out. If anyone spots any problems please let me know.
Major Hardware Failure
Re: Major Hardware Failure
Thanks for getting the server back up so quickly!
The biggest thing I have noticed is that we lost immortality on our characters due to way the server flags immortality. Kind of unfortunate since a few of us just got our first immortal in a long, long time this last weekend and due to the timing it's already gone.
Otherwise, just some minor things like a character has been undeleted, and one character lost a few levels (from level 5 down to 2). No big deal on these for me as I can just delete that character again, and 3 early levels is easy enough to get. I figure it is worth mentioning on the off chance some other players have had similar things happen to a larger degree.
Thank again for hosting this server for everyone, even if we don't constantly play, it's really nice to have a home to come back to whenever we get that NWN/PoA itch.
edit: Turns out the character deletion doesn't work, you just get the "DeleteMe" item and it doesn't actually remove your character. I would imagine the script is directed to the incorrect folder now.
edit2: The server didn't restart, I logged in and it was at -19 minutes until restart. Rods/wands/other spellcasting gear has had level requirements reverted so they are all much higher level. Wand of Fireballs level 8, Instrument of the Winds level 16, etc.
The biggest thing I have noticed is that we lost immortality on our characters due to way the server flags immortality. Kind of unfortunate since a few of us just got our first immortal in a long, long time this last weekend and due to the timing it's already gone.
Otherwise, just some minor things like a character has been undeleted, and one character lost a few levels (from level 5 down to 2). No big deal on these for me as I can just delete that character again, and 3 early levels is easy enough to get. I figure it is worth mentioning on the off chance some other players have had similar things happen to a larger degree.
Thank again for hosting this server for everyone, even if we don't constantly play, it's really nice to have a home to come back to whenever we get that NWN/PoA itch.
edit: Turns out the character deletion doesn't work, you just get the "DeleteMe" item and it doesn't actually remove your character. I would imagine the script is directed to the incorrect folder now.
edit2: The server didn't restart, I logged in and it was at -19 minutes until restart. Rods/wands/other spellcasting gear has had level requirements reverted so they are all much higher level. Wand of Fireballs level 8, Instrument of the Winds level 16, etc.
Re: Major Hardware Failure
Thanks for pointing out the problem with deletions. I think I now have a fix in place but testing looks to have temporarily broken server restarts. I've made a few tweaks and things should be working again. I had to move onto a newer version of the operating system I use on the server and I overlooked a compatibility issue with some code I had witten a long time ago.
When you said that immortality had been lost on characters, do you know if that applies to all characters or just the recent batch of immortals?
Update to say I've just seen another problem with the deletion side of things and am working on it. The restart problem is connected with the code that handles deletions crashing out.
When you said that immortality had been lost on characters, do you know if that applies to all characters or just the recent batch of immortals?
Update to say I've just seen another problem with the deletion side of things and am working on it. The restart problem is connected with the code that handles deletions crashing out.
Re: Major Hardware Failure
I did hop on and see that the server did restart not long ago, though I assume that was you.
I only have proof of Tian and I's immortals losing immortality as I haven't seen anyone else to ask. But from my memory of how immortality is tagged, it is most likely every immortal character on the entire server.
I remember back in the days of AW PoA, I had Scorp delete one of my immortals, only to remake it with the same name and find out that my newly created character was immortal. Talking with Mana the other day, it also seems if you log in with a different account name you lose the immortality on your characters while on that account, but you get it back with the account name you earned it with. Tres scripted it in such a way that immortality is tied to your account name and character name, and that may have been reset as it is not stored in the character data files, but it's saved server side somewhere.
I only have proof of Tian and I's immortals losing immortality as I haven't seen anyone else to ask. But from my memory of how immortality is tagged, it is most likely every immortal character on the entire server.
I remember back in the days of AW PoA, I had Scorp delete one of my immortals, only to remake it with the same name and find out that my newly created character was immortal. Talking with Mana the other day, it also seems if you log in with a different account name you lose the immortality on your characters while on that account, but you get it back with the account name you earned it with. Tres scripted it in such a way that immortality is tied to your account name and character name, and that may have been reset as it is not stored in the character data files, but it's saved server side somewhere.
Re: Major Hardware Failure
I think the the character deletion and restart problems are now fixed.
That leaves a few other open problems. I'm still wondering if the last backup before the crash caught the immortality change on the characters involved. If anyone on that run can check whether they still have the associated loot items on their character, that would help answer that question.
The item level changes on things like the Instrument of the Winds have me stumped. I'm guessing this would have been done by a .2da file but I can't remember the details. I checked that the iprp_resistcost.2da file that lowers the level of Ancient Gear with high damage resistance is still in the override folder and that the gear is still equipable by level 20s, but I can't remember having to do anything similar for other items. Any of you remember what I'm missing?
That leaves a few other open problems. I'm still wondering if the last backup before the crash caught the immortality change on the characters involved. If anyone on that run can check whether they still have the associated loot items on their character, that would help answer that question.
The item level changes on things like the Instrument of the Winds have me stumped. I'm guessing this would have been done by a .2da file but I can't remember the details. I checked that the iprp_resistcost.2da file that lowers the level of Ancient Gear with high damage resistance is still in the override folder and that the gear is still equipable by level 20s, but I can't remember having to do anything similar for other items. Any of you remember what I'm missing?
Re: Major Hardware Failure
Character deletion has worked and I have successfully been able to delete my character. Sometimes you do need to have the Rowan tree guy kick you multiple times for the deletion to actually kick in.
It definitely did save the completion of the Abyss. We have all the loot, and we lost the Crown, and I even notice the total XP difference my character has. Given progression and whatnot on other characters, the last vault snapshot was very close to server (I'd say within less than 24 hours) and we completed the Abyss 3-4 days beforehand.
Regarding item level restrictions, this is one I'm not really sure about. AW PoA originally used to be like it is now, then one day it just changed and I have no idea why, or remember it ever being mentioned. I want to say it happened from the 1.69? patch that had the first Implosion changes to make it go through death immunity, but I'm not 100% sure.
edit: After looking at some rods/wands, I believe the item cost for spell charges on items is 500% of what it was previously, which has raised the level requirements of these items significantly. I don't believe items with spell use/day have been effected. It should be fixable by changing the way spell charges gold cost is calculated, likely it'll be a single line in the iprp_chargecost.2da file.
It definitely did save the completion of the Abyss. We have all the loot, and we lost the Crown, and I even notice the total XP difference my character has. Given progression and whatnot on other characters, the last vault snapshot was very close to server (I'd say within less than 24 hours) and we completed the Abyss 3-4 days beforehand.
Regarding item level restrictions, this is one I'm not really sure about. AW PoA originally used to be like it is now, then one day it just changed and I have no idea why, or remember it ever being mentioned. I want to say it happened from the 1.69? patch that had the first Implosion changes to make it go through death immunity, but I'm not 100% sure.
edit: After looking at some rods/wands, I believe the item cost for spell charges on items is 500% of what it was previously, which has raised the level requirements of these items significantly. I don't believe items with spell use/day have been effected. It should be fixable by changing the way spell charges gold cost is calculated, likely it'll be a single line in the iprp_chargecost.2da file.
Re: Major Hardware Failure
Well maybe this is something i can solve if you send me the .mod file.
You still have my email kal?
You still have my email kal?
Re: Major Hardware Failure
Hi Alor,
Could you send me your email address in a PM please? The module running is the last version that you worked on. Happy to send you a copy if you can help, but since it is the same module that was running on the failed server, I don't think it is the module that is modifying the level requirement of items with spell casts on them. Instead I think it is down to one of the 2DA files that lives in the override folder. Unfortunately I didn't have a backup of this folder so can't confirm that was how it was done. I've been tweaking the iprp_chargecost.2da file and was having some success, but got distracted by other things the last few days. If you or anyone else can come up with a version of this file that replicates the required level requirements for the fireball wand and the instrument of the winds, then I'll be happy to use it here.
Could you send me your email address in a PM please? The module running is the last version that you worked on. Happy to send you a copy if you can help, but since it is the same module that was running on the failed server, I don't think it is the module that is modifying the level requirement of items with spell casts on them. Instead I think it is down to one of the 2DA files that lives in the override folder. Unfortunately I didn't have a backup of this folder so can't confirm that was how it was done. I've been tweaking the iprp_chargecost.2da file and was having some success, but got distracted by other things the last few days. If you or anyone else can come up with a version of this file that replicates the required level requirements for the fireball wand and the instrument of the winds, then I'll be happy to use it here.
Re: Major Hardware Failure
Ok when i host an original NWN poa module and look at prices and item lvls it seems like Wand of Fireballs level 8, Instrument of the Winds level 16 is correct in 1.69 atleast. Same when i look att all my papers with notes from all the rebuilds. But i do remember it being lower then that for a while. tho if i recall right people used to remove a few charges on instrument of the wind with a high lvl char to use on lowbies or use summon scrolls.
Re: Major Hardware Failure
I actually just tested each charge/level requirement of Instrument of the Winds to record for my own use about a day or two before the server went down.
1 use = level 2
2 use = level 3
3 use = level 4
4 use = level 5
5/6 use = level 6
7/8 use = level 7
9/10 use = level 8
Currently an Instrument of the Winds with 1 use is level 6 requirement. 10 uses is level 16 requirement.
Wand of Fireballs is similar but I didn't record because a fully stacked one was level 3 or something. Now it's level ~8.
This only affected items with charges. Items with spell use/day or scrolls did not change at all.
1 use = level 2
2 use = level 3
3 use = level 4
4 use = level 5
5/6 use = level 6
7/8 use = level 7
9/10 use = level 8
Currently an Instrument of the Winds with 1 use is level 6 requirement. 10 uses is level 16 requirement.
Wand of Fireballs is similar but I didn't record because a fully stacked one was level 3 or something. Now it's level ~8.
This only affected items with charges. Items with spell use/day or scrolls did not change at all.