W:A v3.6.31.0 Released

[CyberShadow]

This update contains mostly fixes for regressions found in 3.6.30.0, as well as the new map complexity slider. Enjoy.

Download Page

MD5sums:
25a49bd36c7a938319dc234f3b305910 *WA_update-3.6.31.0_Beta_Installer.exe

Fixes

• [DC] In emulation, /version messages, and Export Log output, W:A v3.6.30.0 incorrectly called the test versions "v3.6.30.0[BattyRope8]" and "v3.6.30.0[TestStuff8]" "v3.6.30.0[BattyRope7]" and "v3.6.30.0[TestStuff7]", respectively. It incorrectly called "v3.6.30.0[BoomRacing]" simply "v3.6.30.0", whereas it incorrectly called "v3.6.30.0" itself an empty string, "".
• [CS] Some features specific to internal testing (alpha) builds were accidentally left in v3.6.30.0.
• [CS] The game would sometimes crash during the worm death explosion animation, if the Russian language was selected.
• [CS] Sometimes, when exiting from a network game as a client, W:A would ask for a confirmation after switching to the front end. This only occurred if the "Back" button has been clicked (without actually leaving the game) since joining the current network game.
• [CS] On some systems, there was no sound in the front end in W:A v3.6.30.0. Starting with v3.6.30.0, W:A checks if the sound parameters requested by W:A are supported by the sound card's DirectSound driver. On some systems, the DirectSound driver incorrectly reported the sample rate used by W:A as out of range of its hardware secondary sound buffer sample rate specifications. W:A now does not check if the desired sample rate is within these specifications.
• [CS] If front end audio initialization failed, minimizing and restoring the game in the front end would result in various graphical artefacts, such as a mostly-black screen with white text and missing mouse cursor. This problem appeared for all users affected by the above problem.
• [CS] A redundant display mode change is now avoided when launching replay playback.
• [CS] On some systems, attempting to extract videos from replays at certain resolutions failed with a front end video initialization error message.
• [CS] The Russian file type description for .WAgame files was not being correctly registered.
• [CS] The Hungarian characters introduced in v3.6.30.0 could not be typed in the front end.
• [CS] The WormNET news window was being cleared when returning from a game.
• [CS, DC] LAN games hosted by v3.6.30.0 were only joinable via Direct IP due to Game ID checks and the fact that all versions before and including v3.6.30.0 did not send a correct Game ID for LAN games. Both problems have been fixed — v3.6.30.0 LAN hosts are now joinable by v3.6.31.0+ clients, and v3.6.31.0 LAN hosts are now joinable by older (v3.6.30.0 and earlier) clients.
• [CS] On some systems, the smooth background gradient was not being rendered properly on very tall maps.
• [CS] Map complexity and randomness
  • [CS] In v3.6.30.0, loading a particular .BIT or .LEV map caused mouse-click terrain generation to iterate through the same sequence of random maps every time that same map was loaded (either by the local user, by another user who downloaded that map, or by the host of an online game which the user joined). This behaviour is now changed — the sequence of generated maps will be different each time the respective W:A screen is opened, regardless of the initial map.
  • [CS] Worms Armageddon will no longer store the RNG seed used for map generation and other tasks in the registry. Instead, a new seed is generated on each start, using a cryptographically random buffer. This removes any possibility of persistent effects on a W:A installation's RNG.
• [CS] When trying to connect to a v3.6.31.0+ game with a v3.6.31.0+ client using an incorrect Game ID, W:A will now show an appropriate error message instead of "Max Players".
• [DC] The "team (player) forced out by reason" message that is printed in red in the in-game chat, and also printed in Export Log, is now more descriptive in cases where the cause may be a HostingBuddy bug or message injection.
• [CS] The Italian translation for the "Prod" weapon has been changed from "Pungolo" (in the front end) and "Bastone" (in-game) to "Spintarella".

Features

• [CS] A slider has been added to the map editor, which allow controlling the range of complexity in randomly generated maps. This slider affects map generation outside the map editor as well, but not for Quick CPU and Deathmatch games (which will continue to be generated at maximum complexity). By default, the slider is set to the maximum complexity level, similar to the behaviour in versions v3.6.20.1 to v3.6.29.0.
• [CS] A new registry script, ResetRegistryOptions.reg, has been added. Importing this script will reset all Worms Armageddon options from the Windows registry. The Reset button in Advanced Options (added in v3.6.30.0) also does this, but also clears the options stored in win.ini.

[franpa]

Nice work, a great list of improvements and fixes.

[GrimOswald]

It fixed my problems, so I'm happy. The complexity slider is a great little addition too; simple maps all day every day.

Keep up the good work!

[Explorer]

This one is so fast. Good job!

BTW, I noticed that these beta installers are pretty small. 1.44MB ! (Unfortunately this doesn't fit a 3 1/2-inch floppy.)

p.s. I have a flash disk.

[zookman]

hmm, I'm getting a fatal error when joining #AnythingGoes with .31.
not on any of the other channels though.

edit: ah my bad.

[CyberShadow]

Module 17
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microprose\Worms Armageddon\wkRubberWorm30.dll

Nobody (neither users nor module developers) reads our blog posts

[StepS]

zookman, you know some physic-affecting modules will not work on new beta updates. I have said that to Kawoosh, please wait 4-5 hours until he updates it. Thanks.

[CyberShadow]

Originally Posted by Stepanesss

zookman, you know some physic-affecting modules will not work on new beta updates. I have said that to Kawoosh, please wait 4-5 hours until he updates it. Thanks.

Did you also tell him to add a version check so people don't crash when the next Beta comes out and think it's the Beta's fault?

[Husk]

great job! fixed all the front-end problems i had with 30.0 <3

[StepS]

Originally Posted by CyberShadow

Did you also tell him to add a version check so people don't crash when the next Beta comes out and think it's the Beta's fault?

Ok, thanks, I'll tell it.

[CakeDoer]

Lol, didn't expect it to come this fast. Nice.

edit: So does this emulate 3.6.30.0 for Batty, TS and RS?

[Lex]

Originally Posted by CakeDoer

edit: So does this emulate 3.6.30.0 for Batty, TS and RS?

I sent a message to CyberShadow about that just now. Here's how it went.

08:15:54 <Lex> Vladimir: before i post a response, i want to know for sure. batty, teststuff, and racestuff just modifies the current version engine, right?
08:16:06 <CyberShadow> No
08:16:12 <Lex> oh
08:16:13 <Lex> okay
08:16:25 <Lex> good thing i didn't post that then!
08:16:25 <CyberShadow> I'm not sure what you made of that
08:16:42 <CyberShadow> BattyRope, TestStuff are "special" game engine versions
08:16:49 <CyberShadow> which have certain properties
08:17:21 <Lex> i see

[CakeDoer]

That was so epic.

[KRD]

Two Beta Days in such quick succession... a technological singularity is surely upon us!

Excellent work releasing this one so soon, seriously. The map complexity slider is one of my oldest dreams come true.

[wowwow]

I hope I helped you cyber

[bonz]

Originally Posted by KRD

The map complexity slider is one of my oldest dreams come true.

Mine is the laser.
And it hasn't come true yet.

[Ombodi77]

[CS] The Hungarian characters introduced in v3.6.30.0 could not be typed in the front end.
Thánk yőű véry műch!

[bandito]

Wow ultra speed new update

[Balee]

Wow, nice! Awesome work!

[StepS]

the RubberWorm for 3.6.31.0 beta was released with all working features + some laserfix and kaosmod features that are going to be added soon. Make sure you deleted some of the old modules first. Read more here.
The old-rubber players compatibility was fully done, you won't expect any desyncs or so. Have fun!

[Domi]

Great work.

The map complexity slider is particularly awesome.

[The Tor]

I guess this fixed my graphic issue as well. Thank you very much!

[franz]

Love the map complexity slider. it helps for finding elite maps, so thanks for this

as for a problem I've had previously with .30 and .31, here I'll quote my old post:

Originally Posted by franz

I've run into two times where my entire pc locks up completely frozen (unable to exit program, or use any key combinations to force quit), and this has happened while I was using the map editor.. I think cycling through map textures.

then you Cybershadow replied:

Originally Posted by CyberShadow

That's strange. If you press Num Lock, does the light toggle on your keyboard?

When this happens, no, Num Lock's light does not toggle when pressing it. The only active thing going on is the current song in my winamp playlist will finish playing and then nothing. Silence and frozen ;p so I have to hard reset with the button on my tower.

This has happened more times now, and in a new situation, but seemingly dealing with the same underlying problem. After watching multiple replays in a row, it froze right at the beginning of a replay when that color/palette flicker happens (which seems similar to the flicker I noticed in the map editor too).

[franpa]

It sounds like a hard lock which isn't the fault of W:A. Usualy only a hardware fault can cause such. W:A may be doing stuff that stresses components in a way that other programs don't or it could be utilizing RAM addresses most other programs don't. So it could be RAM or something else at fault.

[Introvert]

Originally Posted by franz

Love the map complexity slider. it helps for finding elite maps, so thanks for this

as for a problem I've had previously with .30 and .31, here I'll quote my old post:



then you Cybershadow replied:



When this happens, no, Num Lock's light does not toggle when pressing it. The only active thing going on is the current song in my winamp playlist will finish playing and then nothing. Silence and frozen ;p so I have to hard reset with the button on my tower.

This has happened more times now, and in a new situation, but seemingly dealing with the same underlying problem. After watching multiple replays in a row, it froze right at the beginning of a replay when that color/palette flicker happens (which seems similar to the flicker I noticed in the map editor too).

My computer also freezes with these new versions. May I ask of your hardware? I suspect my hard drive, Western Digital Caviar Green, to be the cause. People have reported similar problems with it.

[franz]

Originally Posted by Introvert

My computer also freezes with these new versions. May I ask of your hardware? I suspect my hard drive, Western Digital Caviar Green, to be the cause. People have reported similar problems with it.

well that's creepy.. I actually have a Western Digital Caviar Blue. how do you know it could be the hard drive's fault? and who reported similar problems.. worms players or just other users?

[sebigut]

I have a Caviar Green and don't suffer of those issues.

Thanks for this, CS =)

[Introvert]

Originally Posted by franz

well that's creepy.. I actually have a Western Digital Caviar Blue. how do you know it could be the hard drive's fault? and who reported similar problems.. worms players or just other users?

I have tried to fix the problem by changing some components but not the hard drive. If I do not reduce the background details while playing, I also experience flickering. When I search on Google, I see that others report problems with their Caviar Green drives.

In the thread called Jerky Display, I see that Ca Ta uses a Caviar hard drive. In the same thread Katie writes the following. Note that she mentions and suspects her Caviar Green.

Originally Posted by rA`xKatiex

Ok peepz


I had this exact same problem But guess what? Found a way to fix it


Symptoms: Your playing a game (with or without insert on/off) and during play it is like it pauses, flickers and jitters as if it is rendering/buffering while you are playing.

Basically this was so damn annoying and i tried everything.. Changing drivers (Id just updated to the new DX11 and as y'all know, Once dx11 is on, It CANNOT come off.. so i tried adding DX 8 and 9 extra updates (its ok to do this) but still the problem wouldn't go away..



How i play worms :

I have the original Disc. I used to use Daemon tools, but now i use Alchohol 120% to create disc Image and then Mount it to a virtual drive. Its the best way to load it quicker + not burn out drive + keep original Disc 100%

So when we install worms we usually just install it onto C: and then go from there, and for a while it works 100% but then this problem happened to me.

Sad to say, While fixing the presets wether you are with nvidia or Ati or whoever, And while going thru windows settings of Priority upon graphics MAY help in the short-term it will NOT fix the problem


NOTE: this fix will help people who use Multiple Hard drives. I you do not Have multiple HDD's it is a sign your HDD is having problems, And may be on the way out.

NOTE 2: When this happened to me i had just replaced a HDD so it was brand new. It was also a WD caviar green drive. DO NOT BUY THEM.

1. To fix this problem, Backup all your team info and maps etc ONLY..
   
2. Kill everything off including Reg keys if any
   
3. Clean clean clean Kill off Virtual Drive (if using one) then restart
   
4. Re image disc..
   
5. Install worms on your Other drive. Make sure this drive is Dedicated for backup.. I.E installing worms on a other HDD with another O.S on it May fix your problem but i only did it on a backup drive so i cannot confirm or deny.
   
6. Install wormkit (if desired) + Updates etc..
   
7. Configure prosnooper/Wheatsnooper to your liking (if used)

Thats it!!!!!


Sounds so simple doesn't it?. And this problem just screams graphics card/driver problem But its not the case.

I spent 3 days working on this and about 1.4 GB worth of drivers on and off trying to fix.. this solution fixed it in less than a hour : )






Katja

[franpa]

Did you check the WD website for a HDD firmware update since isolating the likely issue to the HDD?

[franz]

Originally Posted by Introvert

I have tried to fix the problem by changing some components but not the hard drive. If I do not reduce the background details while playing, I also experience flickering. When I search on Google, I see that others report problems with their Caviar Green drives.

In the thread called Jerky Display, I see that Ca Ta uses a Caviar hard drive. In the same thread Katie writes the following. Note that she mentions and suspects her Caviar Green.

well I have none of those problems with jerky display or really anything else other than my PC completely locking up, so I'm not sure what to think.

I've pinpointed 3 scenarios where my PC locks up, although it does take multiple tries, I haven't experimented how many:
cycling through textures in the map editor
the generate map preview button in the map editor
at the beginning of a replay (this happened only once recently, when watching multiple replays)

in each case, it seems to be related to whatever fix is in .30/.31 for the Windows7 color problem because this never happened with .29 plus that 3rd party registry fix.

Originally Posted by franpa

Did you check the WD website for a HDD firmware update since isolating the likely issue to the HDD?

there's nothing there