Replies: 10 comments 14 replies
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Hello, these are not build errors. The build succeeds at 100% without errors. The gcc compiler has different set of diagnostics enabled by default on linux, windows and macos. The observed compiler warnings are false positives, wrong assumptions made by the compiler. GitHub Actions builds are available here that you can try out without building the source code yourself. There are asset files in the assets folder of the source tree that you may have skipped to copy to your M.A.X. installation folder when you followed the build instructions. The last sentence in the guide does not explicitly say what to copy where, sorry for that. The linux deb installer from the Actions page installs the assets so you do not need to copy anything manually if you use it. It does not install any dependencies though. If the language file is missing, the game executable terminates at startup. Probably this is what you observe. The localization module executes at the static global object initialization step of the C++ run-time initialization. At that time the SDL library is not yet initialized and SDL's logging services to the standard output are not available. I agree that user feedback on why the executable terminates prematurely would be useful. I will try to find a solution to that. I will also check whether I could add an install command to the cmake configuration file which would be able to copy the appropriate assets together with the executable, and dependent dynamic link libraries on select platforms, to the user provided installation folder where M.A.X. v1.04 resides. On why there are no releases on the front page, please read the latest blog entry or this discussion thread, thanks. If the provided feedback resolves your issue, please close the bug report. |
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Thank you DOS/32A used, but not fixed |
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Could you attach your save file? |
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The reported linux specific segmentation faults and file system problems are resolved on latest master. I cannot analyze the DOSBox issue further without the requested saved game file. Based on the screenshot the DOS/32A DPMI server reports an unhandled division by zero exception. State of the art static analysis tools ran on the current M.A.X. Port source code did not report division by zero related findings. I will close the bug report in a couple days. |
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Thank you. Sorry for delay. DOSBox seems error gone. Maybe because small movements in end of turn or this connected that DOS/32A and unchecking improved graphics was used not from the beggining, but after error appeared. #160 https://github.com/klei1984/max/actions/runs/4058197103 runs game. Now I see my saves OK. Open included save. Seems everything OK, but end of turn and crash |
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Not sure that for issues, but can move after to better place some feedback about M.A.X.:
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I agree that the game design is somewhat unique. It surely was back in 1996. Even game critics praised M.A.X. for being different than the usual C&C (Dune II) clones of the time.
I have a work package in my backlog to implement a socket based Inter Process Communication (IPC) interface for M.A.X. similar to the one which was created for the PCSX 2 PS2 emulator. This allows external automation where the human player is replaced by a bot. I have a work package in my backlog to implement a scripting interface using AngelScript or similar. I do not like Lua. This would allow scripting of the computer players. I have a work package in my backlog to unify the game logic interface for human and computer players. Such an architectural change could establish a formal interface for computer players to be realized as plugins by end users, to create a networking architecture that uses the unified interface allowing the creation of dedicated servers that could host computer and human players alike in network games. I want to improve the AI in M.A.X. although I have no clue how to approach the topic. The current AI is cheating at and above expert level since the original patch v1.04 as players did not like that the AI is too passive. Players like to bunker up and wait for the AI to attack the impenetrable fortress of awesomeness they build and wonder why the calculating AI thinks that attacking such a base does not worth it when the game's winning condition is not mass destruction of the other, but getting the highest score that is calculated from team points generated by eco-spheres and gross value of a team's assets.
Vegetation and other terrain features are hard coded into the map tiles. They are just aesthetics. In M.A.X. 2 the developers added 3D terrain with parallax scrolling, actual forests that can be traversed by units and can be burnt to ashes. Back porting these features into M.A.X. would require years of development by a capable team.
Experience is gained after the vitality of units (hits + defense). The higher the vitality the bigger the experience gain. An alien plane is disabled by default thus attempts can be made to capture them twice as fast compared to normal units and have relatively low vitality compared to other units. It is true that the algorithm for deciding these stealth actions also contain pseudo random factors.
As far as I can remember in M.A.X. 2 the authors made this design choice. All units have mood, kind of moral, and gain experience.
From game lore point of view this is also justifiable. Humans are just play things of aliens. Human wage war in a battle royal like gladiator show manner against each other for their alien sponsors that dictate the rules of engagement. Humans are just cannon fodder and they have to play by the rules. The aliens designed the human war machine in a way like chess is designed. Each unit has a defined purpose and is balanced not to be too powerful. The game designer of M.A.X. 1, Gus Smedstad, "was shooting for a design where every unit in the game had specific strengths, and an effective strategy would require combined arms. I wanted a design where building masses of a single unit had hard counters. For example ground anti-air units needed to be extremely cost effective against bombers." He also told me that if he would be able to change one single thing in M.A.X. now, it would have be the upgrade system.
That is true. An aircraft or other unit is not intercepted by enemy sentry units while they are moving. I think both designs have merits and could work well in turn based settings. The one we have and another which would react as soon as enemy gets within range. For example the interrupt system in Jagged Alliance 2 would work also in the turn based setting of M.A.X. 1.
Hmm. I do not know, never checked the connector case. I presume you are right and there is no reclamation of resources in that case. If we build a building for several turns and we cancel the build operation just before finishing we also lose all used up materials. Environmental friendly production is probably not a priority for the mechanized war machine. If a building is in the way, just blow it to pieces and move on... It would be a useful game mechanic to deconstruct buildings normally without blowing stuff to pieces. I think it would also be an interesting game mechanism to be able to steal cargo from disabled enemy storage units.
We can build a material storage unit next to a turret and fill the storage with cargo from a supply truck. But I agree if we can transfer cargo from a supply truck to a storage unit, why is it not possible to provide the required cargo from a supply truck to upgrade or retrofit a stationary unit. Even though... if we allow supply trucks to upgrade stationary units, why do not we allow mobile units to be upgraded too in which case depots would become useless and it would not be needed to go back to the base for upgrades.
There is no line of sight in M.A.X. 1. I think M.A.X. 2 implemented this feature, but I am not sure. Under water torpedoes are only used by two units in the game and they do need straight line of sight. It would add an interesting layer of complexity to plan with rockets that need no line of sight and normal guns that do need it. This would also make concrete blocks much more powerful as they would block every attack from guns till they are destroyed. This would also make infantry units more interesting as they have rocket launchers that would not be constrained by line of sight. Gus Smedstad told me before that "There was a lot of back and forth on game balance. At one point, for example, I implemented "soft" vs "hard" targets, based largely on my experience with Panzer General. I wanted some weapons, such as missile launchers, to be much more effective against hard targets. That was eventually removed because Ali felt the results were not intuitive." Balance between manageable complexity and cool personalities of units could be difficult.
I have a work package in my backlog to support higher resolutions. The biggest blocker for this to happen is that the entire game is hard coded to 640x480 resolution. Half of the source code needs to be modified to support arbitrary resolutions and aspect ratios. Not to mention that the game only utilizes a single CPU core and does not use any GPU acceleration. To support Full HD 1920x1080 resolution 650% more CPU power would be needed or a complete rewrite of the rendering pipeline using OpenGL or Vulkan API. And of course the in game user interface graphic assets would need to be recreated with high DPI displays in mind. I do not have a working asset pipeline yet and have no skills in 3D modeling nor texturing.
SHIFT + Left click does not move the unit, only draws the planned path.
This mechanism was introduced late in the game design. In early demo versions of the game only 1x build speed was possible. I like the feature a lot. Even though if I remember correctly the AI cannot fully utilize this feature which puts the AI in a disadvantage.
I agree, I see this in many other games too.
Yeah. This works well with DOSBox. M.A.X. Port also requires just ~26 MiB of RAM. But it is throttling the CPU and the game logic uses the system timer which does not handle well if the game is paused. The original game was designed for MS-DOS which did not support true multi tasking. It was not a design goal to be able to pause the game or to put the CPU to sleep when there is nothing useful to do. I have a work package in my backlog to modernize the source code so that it implements a modern event dispatcher instead of the old MS-DOS game loop. But it will not happen any time soon as to be able to redesign the game loop I need to fully understand the architecture that is not documented at all. |
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Thank you. That's help a lot. It can be even better of use numbers help understand distance +- cost of move (sometimes near shore probably pathfinding isn't optimal, but need to check more) |
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The reported crash is resolved on latest master. |
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https://github.com/klei1984/max/actions/runs/4067917705 I tried - crashes. Also If create new custom game - maps not visible, but games create and start. I select 3 AI. End of 1st turn - game over |
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The reported issues are resolved on latest master. |
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Thank you! |
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In the attached save file the enemy scout at grid cell 87, 49 under a connector bumps into the infiltrator at 74, 44 which cannot side step as it has no speed points left. This reveals the infiltrator and then the enemy gun turret at 78, 44 kills it. The reported issue that was reproducible is resolved on latest master. |
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Hello @segatrade , I converted the bug report into a discussion. I tried to elaborate on each of your points on game design ideas. Supreme Commander is one of my all time favorites that realized everything I wished to have in M.A.X. 1. Truly different factions, energy shields, 3D terrain, nice particle effects that leave impact on battle field, epic scale level battles, seamless high resolution zoom, scripting capabilities, ability to implement mods and new units by end users, and a well designed campaign game. Oh well... M.A.X. will never come close to SC :( My only priority goal for M.A.X. Port for the time being is to make it stable and even that goal is far far away. |
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Expert and higher difficulty computer players capture alien units. Dumber ones destroy the disabled alien units on sight.
Originally M.A.X. 1 wanted to implement shields, but later they turned down the idea. Then in M.A.X. 2 they realized the feature for a new alien race. Based on this my assumption is that either the M.A.X. 1 designers could not implement the feature in time or they had to remove this feature as the game lore was changed in the last minute. Originally there was no Concord in the M.A.X. universe, there were only human Mech Commanders and their mechanized forces that fought for mega corporations that wanted to extend their mining operations to win big money. In this alternative lore humans were able to achieve light speed travel, building huge spaceships and robotic constructors in which case it would not be that far fetched that humans are also able to create electromagnetic force fields similar to the ones we humans already have in tokamak reactors. Any ways, I think you are completely right that future tech would have ruined game balance if done wrong. I still would like to see such stuff in campaign missions.
Stability is the most important as that is the biggest issue of original retail M.A.X. 1. M.A.X. 2 realized terrain elevations. This is an early M.A.X. 2 flyer from before the time they decided to change top-down rendering to isometric: The same one year later in isometric style which sadly went into the final product: I like the original top-down rendering style much better. In gaming magazines some of the top-down renders were like photo realistic imagery and it was very impressive at the time. The above flyers are not that impressive. Of course M.A.X. 2 does not look anything close to the false advertisement materials released by marketing. Top-down parallax scrolling still creates the impression of a 3D environment.
All M.A.X. assets are lost to Interplay. They have no source code, nor the 3D models they used to render the 2D sprites from. The original M.A.X. 1 sprites are limited to about 80 colors, and a typical unit size of 64x64 pixels. Shadows and light reflections are baked into the sprites. Scaling up these low resolution, low quality (few colors, loss of detail) sprites is not really an option. For high resolution 2D sprites the 3D models and textures would need to be recreated, shadows, light reflections, and particle effects would need to be redrawn. I am convinced that nobody is willing to do this as long as Interplay reserves all rights even if their assets are actually long gone. If anyone would be able to get their hands on M.A.X. 2 alpha demo builds, then we would have true color top down rendered sprites. But those legendary builds from before the public beta test are nowhere to be found either. |
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Updated: Bug crash seems not in gold refinery. It's happen when constructor builded it stop in any hex (to just wait or to build). If always give him new orders - game doesn't crash. Stop, automove doesn't help I thought about turn-based vs real-time and decide to try M.A.X. 2 in real-time mode. I'm surprised, but it's interesting for first time with maximum number AI and maximum difficulty. But seems it's crash when I finish gold refinery. Tried to turn off all settings, but didn't helped. There is no info about M.A.X. 2 bug fixing in google at all( Seems game not interesting for anybody Real-time fixes problems from M.A.X. 1 with intercepting fast units (air and scouts) when they completely jump through enemy attack range in one turn. Also this remove desync when one unit spend all his move to scout enemy units and after this other friendly units start they turn and fire. But in real-time they can start fire only after scouting moment Also height map nice. And radar problems from it |
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The latest M.A.X. 2 patch is v1.40. There are half a dozen M.A.X. 2 retail CD-ROM releases. The CDs may contain v1.0, v1.1 or v1.2 of the game. If you have v1.0, you shall install v1.3r patch first, then v1.40. If you have v1.1 you have to install v1.2, then v1.3 (not v1.3r !!!), then v1.40. If you have v1.2, then install v1.3 (not v1.3r !!!), then v1.40. Some say v1.40 is more buggy than v1.3... All patches can be found on the Internet. If you do need help I could upload them to google drive. YES! M.A.X. 2 is ugly as hell compared to M.A.X. 1. Shame on the original producers for letting it happen. |
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Thank you very much! I have 1.0 GOG. Strange that they didn't patched to 1.3 at least AI more challenging. But anyway not best. If survive and build 2 new mining station - it's getting less surprises and AI cannot invade with big group to destroy defence. Most interesting AI waves: 3 missile cruisers - not bad, but only 1 time. 1 submarine periodically. Infiltrators sometimes, but nothing serious. Infantry, tanks, scouts, assault guns even cannot reach to attack. Nice tries in begging with air transports in unprotected mountains with missile crawlers - but exploit helped: Exploit - one repair unit can keep 2 buildings alive under fire of 2 enemy missile crawlers |
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M.A.X. 2 v1.0 has save game format version 135. All further patches have save game version 137. Conversion is not supported by the game. This is the reason why you need patch v1.0 video (Europe release): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paMDwx3c1ek v1.1+ video (USA release): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lxf2_eyKMs According to cut story elements from M.A.X. 2 after the great exodus of various human factions in M.A.X. 1, humanity that actually remained on Earth grew strong over the passing centuries. With over population resolved and famine behind their backs they entered an age of technological and cultural wonders. In an attempt to create a second sun out of Jupiter, just because they can do it not that it was a necessity, the star "accidentally" blew up and the debris wave that hit Earth devastated the entire western hemisphere of the planet. The USA version of the intro shows that Paris is completely destroyed, well this is the reason for it. As the story line was completely cut from the game the intro's segment on this does not make any sense at all though... The repair unit of the human / concord side was a very late addition to the game, it is hacked back in due to player feedback months before release from the open beta. That is the reason why the unit art is taken as-is from the first game while most other units got new portrait images. AI is 90% the same as in M.A.X. 1. It cannot handle a lot of scenarios and due to this it feels weak. Here are the English patches. The patches are already unpacked. No need to run any installer, just copy over content in the correct order and done.
In your place, I would copy over 1), then 2) then 3) and would attempt to play single player with that setup. |
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You know so much about M.A.X.1 and M.A.X.2 as part of dev team
Lore often not too much important. Atmosphere in M.A.X.1 and M.A.X.2 is nice from visual and music.
Yeah. AI is weak in middle and endgame. It's even cannot handle all free mineral and gold deposit. I thought that AI doesn't research, but just several times slower than me (+20% approx, when I had in the end +100% almost to everything) I like that Infiltrator can control unit only one. So not big sense. But possible to acquire sheevat (I turned on Autofire threats to get Sheevat constructor). But seems their units don't have serious benefits vs human. Biobombs worser than missiles. Generals/commander doesn't benefit for human units. Seems harder to play with sheevat, but maybe next time I will try
Thank you very much! |
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thank you so much Sega for the in-depth information on MAX 2... do you know if any of these patches will fix the issue of music tracks not being played on GOG version of MAX 2? I noticed that the music tracks won't be played on MAX2 GOG, and I read somewhere else that each patch has to be installed for the game to be patched correctly, one cannot just install the latest patch otherwise missing features, is that correct? I will try patching the game |
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Hello, is it possible to make a flight effect with bullets like in missilent for artelerie and air defense? it looks more spectacular. |
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It is technically possible, but would be a lot of work. |
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Operating System
Linux
M.A.X. Port Version
latest
Source of bug?
What is the issue you encountered?
builded maxrun like here https://klei1984.github.io/max/build/ today, but it doesn't run not from terminal, not direct. also got errors in build
[ 86%] Building CXX object CMakeFiles/maxrun.dir/src/paths.cpp.o
/home/usr0/max/src/screendump.cpp: In function ‘int screendump_pcx(int, int, unsigned char*, unsigned char*)’:
/home/usr0/max/src/screendump.cpp:61:30: warning: ‘MAX’ directive writing 3 bytes into a region of size between 1 and 4096 [-Wformat-overflow=]
61 | sprintf(filename, "%sMAX%4.4i.PCX", ResourceManager_FilePathGameInstall, file_index);
| ^~~
/home/usr0/max/src/screendump.cpp:61:16: note: ‘sprintf’ output between 12 and 4114 bytes into a destination of size 4096
61 | sprintf(filename, "%sMAX%4.4i.PCX", ResourceManager_FilePathGameInstall, file_index);
| ~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[ 87%] Building CXX object CMakeFiles/maxrun.dir/src/threatmap.cpp.o
[ 88%] Building CXX object CMakeFiles/maxrun.dir/src/main.cpp.o
[ 89%] Building CXX object CMakeFiles/maxrun.dir/src/aiattack.cpp.o
[ 89%] Building CXX object CMakeFiles/maxrun.dir/src/adjustrequest.cpp.o
[ 89%] Building CXX object CMakeFiles/maxrun.dir/src/terrainmap.cpp.o
/home/usr0/max/src/inifile.cpp: In member function ‘void IniSettings::Init()’:
/home/usr0/max/src/inifile.cpp:245:25: warning: format not a string literal and no format arguments [-Wformat-security]
245 | fprintf(fp, format_string);
| ^~~~~~~~~~~~~
/home/usr0/max/src/gamesetupmenu.cpp: In member function ‘void GameSetupMenu::LoadMissionDescription()’:
/home/usr0/max/src/gamesetupmenu.cpp:343:25: warning: ‘%s’ directive writing up to 4095 bytes into a region of size 100 [-Wformat-overflow=]
343 | sprintf(file_name, "%sdescr%i.%s", ResourceManager_FilePathText, game_file_number,
| ^~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/home/usr0/max/src/gamesetupmenu.cpp:343:12: note: ‘sprintf’ output 8 or more bytes (assuming 4103) into a destination of size 100
343 | sprintf(file_name, "%sdescr%i.%s", ResourceManager_FilePathText, game_file_number,
| ~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
344 | SaveLoadMenu_SaveFileTypes[game_file_type]);
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/home/usr0/max/src/textfile.cpp: In member function ‘void TextItem::FatalError(const char*)’:
/home/usr0/max/src/textfile.cpp:44:12: warning: format not a string literal and no format arguments [-Wformat-security]
44 | SDL_Log(string.GetCStr());
| ~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/home/usr0/max/src/textfile.cpp: In member function ‘void SmartTextfileReader::FatalError(const char*, ...)’:
/home/usr0/max/src/textfile.cpp:593:12: warning: format not a string literal and no format arguments [-Wformat-security]
593 | SDL_Log(message.GetCStr());
| ~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/home/usr0/max/src/game_manager.cpp: In function ‘void GameManager_MenuClickChatGoalButton()’:
/home/usr0/max/src/game_manager.cpp:3831:31: warning: ‘descr’ directive writing 5 bytes into a region of size between 1 and 4096 [-Wformat-overflow=]
3831 | sprintf(file_path, "%sdescr%i.%s", ResourceManager_FilePathText, GameManager_GameFileNumber,
| ^~~~~
/home/usr0/max/src/game_manager.cpp:3831:16: note: ‘sprintf’ output 8 or more bytes (assuming 4103) into a destination of size 4096
3831 | sprintf(file_path, "%sdescr%i.%s", ResourceManager_FilePathText, GameManager_GameFileNumber,
| ~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3832 | SaveLoadMenu_SaveFileTypes[game_file_type]);
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[ 90%] Linking CXX executable maxrun
[100%] Built target maxrun
Anything to add?
Ubuntu 22.04.01
Maybe it's good to publish latest build release
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