Snowtile Round Effect Spawns Chasms Under Snow A Monkestation Bug Report

by StackCamp Team 73 views

Hey guys! Today, we're diving deep into a rather chilly issue reported on Monkestation and Monkestation 2.0. It seems like those seemingly harmless snow tiles are causing quite the ruckus, and we need to get to the bottom of it. So, buckle up, grab your warmest virtual coat, and let's explore this snowy conundrum!

Round ID: 13039

Alright, to kick things off, this frosty fiasco occurred during Round ID 13039. For those who are new to bug reporting, the Round ID is super important. It's like the case number for our investigation. It helps the devs pinpoint exactly when and where things went sideways. You can usually find this ID in the game's status panel or on websites like https://sb.atlantaned.space/rounds. Keeping that Round ID handy is the first step in making sure your bug report is crystal clear and actionable.

The Chilling Report: Snow Tiles Creating Chasms

The core issue? Snow tiles are spawning chasms underneath them. Yeah, you heard that right! Imagine you're strolling through a winter wonderland, and suddenly, the ground disappears beneath your feet! That's essentially what's happening to players in this scenario. It's not just a cosmetic glitch; it's leading to player round removals, which means people are getting kicked out of the game due to this unexpected terrain transformation. Nobody wants to be enjoying a round and then poof, they're gone because of a sneaky chasm!

Why This is a Big Deal

Now, you might be thinking, "Okay, a few holes in the ground, what's the big deal?" Well, the big deal is that this isn't just an aesthetic problem; it's impacting gameplay in a major way. When players fall into these chasms, it can lead to a whole host of issues, including:

  • Inconvenience: It disrupts the flow of the game and can be frustrating for players.
  • Player round removals: As mentioned, this is the most severe impact. Players are essentially being penalized for something that's entirely out of their control.
  • Exploitation potential: In some cases, these chasms could be exploited by malicious players to trap or harm others.

Testmerges in Play: Potential Culprits?

Now, let's put on our detective hats and dig into what might be causing these chasms to appear. In the report, there's a section dedicated to "Testmerges." These are essentially chunks of new code that are being tested in the game. Sometimes, these new additions can inadvertently introduce bugs or conflicts. Here’s a breakdown of the testmerges that were active during Round ID 13039:

1. Temporary Fix for Lag Related to Mobs (PR #8495)

This merge aimed to tackle lag issues caused by mobs (that's in-game creatures, for the uninitiated). It's possible, though maybe not immediately obvious, that changes to mob behavior or pathing could indirectly affect terrain generation or collision detection. Maybe the fix inadvertently messed with how the game handles the snow tiles' stability? It's a long shot, but worth considering.

2. Oshan Blast (PR #7761)

The Oshan Blast sounds like a pretty intense feature! While we don't have the specifics here, anything involving blasts or explosions could potentially interact with the game's terrain system. Perhaps the blast effect is somehow triggering the chasm creation? Again, we're spitballing here, but it's crucial to consider any features that directly manipulate the game world.

3. Smooth Movement 5.2: God's Dumbest Code Edition (PR #6632)

Okay, the title of this one is pretty amusing! Smooth movement is all about how characters move around the game world. If there are issues with how the game handles movement on snow tiles, it could potentially trigger some weird interactions with the terrain. Maybe the new movement code isn't playing nice with the snow tiles' collision properties, causing them to glitch out and create chasms.

4. TONIGHT, A STAR OF THE CITY SHALL FALL (adds A* pathfinding) (PR #8775)

This merge introduces A* pathfinding, which is a fancy way of saying it improves how characters and mobs find their way around. Pathfinding algorithms often interact with the game's terrain data, so there's a chance this could be related. Perhaps the pathfinding system is misinterpreting the snow tiles or causing them to be incorrectly rendered, leading to the chasm effect.

5. Refactors Filters to Utilize Binary Insertion Instead of TimSort (PR #8332)

This one is a bit more technical. It's about optimizing how the game filters data. While it seems less likely to be directly related to terrain generation, you never know! Sometimes, seemingly unrelated code changes can have unexpected side effects.

6. Flashes Now Apply a Heavy Screen Blur Instead (PR #8462)

This merge focuses on visual effects. It changes how flashes are rendered in the game. It's highly unlikely that this is the culprit behind the chasm issue, but we can't rule anything out completely.

7. Allow Bloodsuckers to Hide in Lockers/Crates/Etc During Sol (PR #8849)

This one's all about bloodsuckers and their hiding habits. Again, it seems pretty unrelated to terrain generation, but it's on the list of active testmerges, so we're keeping it in mind.

Diving Deeper: Reproduction and Root Cause Analysis

Now that we've identified the issue and the potential suspects (those pesky testmerges!), the next step is to figure out how to reproduce the bug consistently. This is crucial for the developers because they need to be able to see the problem firsthand to fix it. Here's what we need to do:

1. Consistent Reproduction Steps:

We need to nail down the exact steps that lead to the chasms appearing under the snow tiles. This might involve:

  • Specific actions: Are there certain things players are doing that trigger the issue?
  • Location: Does it only happen in certain areas of the map?
  • Timing: Does it occur after a certain amount of time or under specific conditions?

The more detailed we can be in describing the steps, the easier it will be for the devs to reproduce the bug.

2. Root Cause Analysis:

Once we can reproduce the bug, the real detective work begins. We need to figure out why it's happening. This might involve:

  • Examining the game's code: Developers will need to dig into the code related to terrain generation, collision detection, and any of the testmerges we discussed.
  • Testing different scenarios: We might need to try different combinations of actions and conditions to isolate the cause.
  • Debugging: This involves stepping through the code as it runs to see exactly what's going on when the chasms appear.

Reporting Client Information

The bug report also includes some juicy technical details under the heading "Reporting client info." This is the kind of stuff that makes developers' hearts sing! It gives them a snapshot of the player's setup, which can be crucial for diagnosing issues.

Here's the breakdown:

  • BYOND: 516.1664: This tells us the version of the BYOND game engine that the player was using. BYOND is the platform that Monkestation and many other SS13-based games run on. Knowing the BYOND version is important because bugs can sometimes be specific to certain versions of the engine.
  • Key: qbcubed: This is the player's unique key, which can be used to identify them in the game's logs. If the developers need to look into the specific events that occurred around the time the bug happened, this key will be invaluable.

Community Collaboration: Let's Crack This Case!

Bug hunting is a team sport! The more eyes and brains we have on this problem, the faster we'll find a solution. Here's how you can help:

  • Share your experiences: If you've encountered this chasm bug, let us know! Describe what you were doing, where you were, and anything else that might be relevant.
  • Try to reproduce the bug: If you're feeling adventurous, try to recreate the bug yourself. The more data we have on how to reproduce it, the better.
  • Engage in discussions: Talk to other players, share your theories, and brainstorm potential solutions.

In Conclusion: Let's Fill These Chasms with Solutions

The snow tile chasm bug is definitely a frustrating issue, but it's also a great opportunity for the community to come together and help make Monkestation even better. By sharing our experiences, digging into the details, and working with the developers, we can fill these chasms with solutions and ensure that everyone has a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience. So, let's get to work and make those snow tiles safe again! Stay tuned for updates, and happy gaming, guys!