Bug - no alien bases show up (sav attached)

[bukimi]

Hello!

I decided to submit a bug report here and not via Bug Tracker because here I can attach my .sav file which has a problem.
The problem is: alien bases don't appear on Geoscape map. Even when I get pop-up message "alien base was found" with map centered, there is still no alien base. The bug appears on both my newest Nightly version on PC and on Android version of Open X-Com (apk).
I attach my .sav game:
There is "alien base" hidden in Eastern Asia in my .sav game - on small island south from Manila (more south from Hong Kong). Instead of alien base there are two "terror sites" that appear only when you click exactly on them. They are not visible otherwise and they can be started when sending a team. They don't disappear with time.
I tried finding other alien bases (skipped a month), but effect is always the same (none of them appear).
I didnt download any external additional mods and it happens even after I restore mod options to default.

I'll be grateful for any tips about solution. I can even start over if that would mean for 100% that it won't happen again.
Thank you in advance!

[Meridian]

Where did you start your campaign? On Android version or on PC version?

Did you move your save between the two versions? If yes, did you move it only now to test, or do you move it regularly?

[Meridian]

Attached is a fixed save with both bases visible.

I strongly suggest not switching between Android and PC versions, especially in direction from PC to Android.
They are different versions (Android being older) and are not compatible!

[bukimi]

Thank you very much! I tested it and bases are visible. (wow, there are 2 next to each other!)

Yes, I did transfer saves from PC to Android once (at first not knowing about existance of the latter) - they were standard Geoscape saves (whole folder ones), which can be loaded by .apk version. Later .sav files were not transfered anywhere.
I didn't know about uncompatibility as there is a switch to load standard PC saves on Android version - looks like made specifically to continue a game from PC.
I'll bear that in mind when starting another campaign or Terror from the Deep game.

Can you tell me how did you fix that save? I wonder if bases will show up in the future or it will need fixing every time

Thank you again and have a nice day!

[bukimi]

Unfortunately as game goes on the problem persists - new bases don't appear on the map. Sometimes you can find them hidden as undescibed terror sites just like before.
I don't know what is causing this and if restarting whole campaign will help. To make Android version of game you have to load X-com game from PC. I loaded the newest version available...
How to fix my save? If nothing helps I may "fix' save from time to time only to find bases and then play normally for some time.

[Meridian]

I replaced STR_TERROR_MISSION with STR_ALIEN_BASE_ASSAULT in the alienBases section in your save.

If you're using just one platform now (really, don't mix them if you don't know exactly what you're doing)... and still experiencing the issue, your installation might be broken. Try reinstalling the nightly on PC, it does work there. I can't say if it works properly on Android, I haven't used it.

[bukimi]

Thank you for your advice. I'll try reinstalling everything later on (need lots of time, because it needs installation of X-Com, ten Open X-Com then apk on Android then importing the installation from PC...).

Do you edit .sav files in specific program or can I do that just in WordPad? (I see everything normally opening it with that)
I want to continue with my saved game if possible. Restarting it is a little demotivating when my progress is so nice.

One more question: shouldn't alien bases be conquered in 2 phases? First you land outside and fight your way inside the base and then again you fight inside the base with another set of enemies. When I started attack of alien base I was already inside at the beginning.

[Meridian]

Thank you for your advice. I'll try reinstalling everything later on (need lots of time, because it needs installation of X-Com, ten Open X-Com then apk on Android then importing the installation from PC...).

I'm not sure exactly what do you mean by "importing the installation from PC"... but if you are moving data files from your nightly PC installation into your Android installation... that is the root of your problems, most probably.
You can't just take nightly data files and mix them with the Android version... they are not compatible... Android version is more than half a year older than currrent nightly! You need data files compatible with that specific Android version.

Do you edit .sav files in specific program or can I do that just in WordPad? (I see everything normally opening it with that)
I want to continue with my saved game if possible. Restarting it is a little demotivating when my progress is so nice.

I use Notepad++.
But you can use almost anything I think.

One more question: shouldn't alien bases be conquered in 2 phases? First you land outside and fight your way inside the base and then again you fight inside the base with another set of enemies. When I started attack of alien base I was already inside at the beginning.

It's like that in Terror from the Deep.
In the first xcom, it's just one phase.

[bukimi]

That may me it. I just followed instructions on installation of Android version and it mentioned just a PC version of Open X-Com, not a specific one.

Android build is ga8e05cf (newest one from the list: https://www.openxcom.com/mod/openxcom-android-nightly) published 1st of July 2016...
I'd like to find most compatible version for that one even if it means some features from newer Nightly missing. I don't know which one should I pick. It seems that updates come almost every day, so I'm lost when it comes to finding appropriate one (or just even one from 6 months back). The oldest on the list is from 9th of February? https://openxcom.org/git-builds/

There is a way to play on Android just by starting Nightly installation by DosBox there, but controls are very bad then. With no better solution I may be forced to just edit my sav file from time to time to make alien bases visible. Apk version is sooo much better in terms of interface! (too bad it's not updated anymore, it's a great game for mobile devices!)

Edit: undiscovered alien bases are mentioned anywhere in .sav files too? I mean aliens build bases and it takes some time to find them: are they anywhere in the code of sav file? After defeating 1st base fixed before there is only 2nd one in sav file, but I suppose there should be more still hidden somewhere. Do names of alien base missions (base 3 and base 4) are anyhow related to number of bases already built on Earth?

[Meridian]

That may me it. I just followed instructions on installation of Android version and it mentioned just a PC version of Open X-Com, not a specific one.

I read the instructions, and it doesn't say to copy any openxcom data files, only the original xcom data files.
I opened the .apk and the necessary openxcom data files seem to be included.

Android build is ga8e05cf (newest one from the list: https://www.openxcom.com/mod/openxcom-android-nightly) published 1st of July 2016...
I'd like to find most compatible version for that one even if it means some features from newer Nightly missing. I don't know which one should I pick. It seems that updates come almost every day, so I'm lost when it comes to finding appropriate one (or just even one from 6 months back). The oldest on the list is from 9th of February? https://openxcom.org/git-builds/

Omfg, that was complicated to find.
Why on earth does he put "g" in front of every build name???
Also, a8e05cf (not ga8e05cf goddamnit) does not exist as far as I can say.
Based on your save I can see you're using build 79de8d2 (not g79de8d2 goddamnit sfalexrog why do you put g in front of it??) from July 1st 2016, which is based on nightly from the same date (build dbd3979).

But as I said before, it looks like you don't even need PC version of OpenXcom at all, everything should be in .apk file.
All you need are the original xcom data files.

Can someone confirm?
(I'll try installing it over the weekend and confirm myself.)

Edit: undiscovered alien bases are mentioned anywhere in .sav files too? I mean aliens build bases and it takes some time to find them: are they anywhere in the code of sav file? After defeating 1st base fixed before there is only 2nd one in sav file, but I suppose there should be more still hidden somewhere. Do names of alien base missions (base 3 and base 4) are anyhow related to number of bases already built on Earth?

Yes, both discovered and undiscovered bases are there, on the same place.
There is an attribute called "discovered" (true or false)... visible on the screenshot I posted earlier.
In your save, there were only 2 bases, both discovered.

[bukimi]

Thank you for everything! You sacrificed a lot of time and thought for my case.

Now I'm confused enough to not remember if I transfered original X-Com files or Open X-Com to Android. I'll do that all over again once I find some time (at home it's harder since my wife and son demand a lot of attention  )
I remember having problems with starting apk version at first (it just crashed after opening), but I cleared app cache in Application options and it started running perfectly.

I tried messing with my sav file a little and I successfully added alien base in the middle of the ocean  , so it seems that worst case scenario is sav file editing once in a while. Alien bases don't come too often, so it's not like that much work to do.

If you will bother installing apk version yourself you'll see how pleasant is gameplay on mobile device. Even screen resolution matches enough, so game looks quite modern really (whereas it looks ancient on PC monitor).

One more thing bothers me: when I skip a few monts and fail it shows "final score" where my difficulty rating is mentioned as "beginner", but I'm 100% sure I started playing Veteran difficulty before transferring my sav file from PC (once). Is difficulty rating verifiable in sav file? Can I just edit it just like anything else?

[Meridian]

Yes, difficulty is in the save file.

Code: [Select]

difficulty: 0

Zero means you're playing on beginner.

[bukimi]

Yes, difficulty is in the save file.

Code: [Select]

difficulty: 0

Zero means you're playing on beginner.

Damn, that's very bad! I wonder if I can change it just like that and influence gameplay by that. If 0 is beginner than Veteran would be "2"?

[Meridian]

I wonder if I can change it just like that and influence gameplay by that.

Yes

If 0 is beginner than Veteran would be "2"?

Yes

[bukimi]

It worked! It now says "Veteran" after failure.
My plan is to finish that and then start over on max difficulty. It would be such a shame if I played on 0 difficulty whole time...
I'm glad that you helped me fix that issue, too.
Thank you and have a nice day!