Bad news

[drmccoy]

Bad news.
I have fixed the bugs concering our ESM updates. The quest works fine again (to an extend). I'm running a few Quest-Updating scripts on Sammanul. The two Spider references didn't exist anymore, they did appear in the script though. Sammanuls script simply wasn't compiled and run, causing all the trouble of things not happening.

The bad news is, I have been playing it the 3. time now. I always get to the point, where the village shaman "Ardhil" accompanies me to the beach. Her AI is working out really smooth, for which I'm proud. She walks with you without hesitating, she walks you up to the beach, she casts a underwater breathing spell on you and walks merily away, I couldn't be more proud of her (even though she's really ugly). The problem is, everytime I swim up to the riff which holds the Coral Heart, my Oblivion crashes. No error message, nothing. I haven't found a crash log either, I guess either Oblivion doesn't generate one on breakdown, or it simply can't get through to it.

Since this has been happening since the ESM update basicly, I can think of multiple reasons:

-The cell holding the riff is bugged, either compeltely, or by some entities holding it which have been altered during the ESM update
-A script running on one of the items inside the cell is causing trouble, i.e. by refering to no longer exitent entities (even though, Oblivion is known to simply deactivate the script in this case)
-A script concerning the quest itself is causing a crash while being confronted with updated data of the cell?
-A problem concerning my local machine.

So I have a few questions to Deeza and Simon, I hope one of you two can answer them.

- Has the cell itself been altered in any global way: name, heightmap, etc?
- Has the cell contents been updated, either any new content been created or existing content updated (i.e. new models for corrals or a new coral riff)
- Can you guys think of any other possible problems/solutions causing the problem?

There are a lot of possibilites which will have to be tested in order to get this one straightened out I guess. It can be any of the mentioned things, minor mistakes we haven't forseen (just like Sammanuls script not running because of the identifiers), but if not, we're in the middle of big poo. I'll try to trace it down, but I'm really happy about any help, because I can imaginge this one will be a bitch to figure out..

I will upload the current ESP as soon as the newest ESM is up (I'm upping it right now for everybody (hope I haven't forgotten anything)), so if I'm still not able to figure out the problem, I would like every availible tester to check it out yourself, wether your oblivion is crashing aswell.

[simonp92]

Hmm as far as models; I think that Windsurfer added a few new things to the esm Version 1.5; The wrecking stone and a new bow mesh.

EDIT; here are the exsact changes made;
"New Models:
Telescope
Wrecking Stone

Retexs
spider caveset

Collisions added to the orb lights.
Added a new cave
Merged interiors

Probably Loads More"*
*copied from Windsurfers readme on the 1.5 ESM

which version of the ESM are you using?
- the 1.5 is the newest.
(if you need a link i will find it)

[drmccoy]

I using 1.5 and I'm TRYING to upload it for everybody else, but my internet is too damn slow. If you could provide a working link, that'd be great, then I won't have to upload it again.

Alright. I guess it has something to do with the running quest. I just teleported to the shore from cyrodil, with no active valenwood quest, and I was able to perfectly swim near the coral, pick it up, the quest updated. I swam around for 2-3 minutes, no crashes.

So either:
- It's a problem with my machine. Additional beta testing by other players will sort this one out.
- It's a problem with the running quest or it's scripts.

I guess I will playtest for two more times, if it continues to crash on me, I will check all the scripts and quests concering the issue. I'm just relieved it's nothing concering the cells global data. :goodjob:

[simonp92]

here is the 1.5 version of the ESM
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=L422S0Q3

[drmccoy]

Great! :goodjob:
We can use that link on our file library!
Fine work, simon!

Update: Alright, weird. I teleported to the island, but ran through half of the quests (basicly from up the point where the elven guards catch you and bring you to the chief), and everything worked out fine. I'll test it once more, going through the whole questchain again. I really hope it'll work, because if it won't, then I'll be really confused.

[simonp92]

good luck with it.

[drmccoy]

Alright, I am confused.
It crashed again. But why is it only crashing if I do the whole quest chain, and not once I partly do it or I don't do it at all. I guess I'll position myself next to the cell, trying every possible quest status to find the cause.

[simonp92]

well, maybe you should sleep on it.

I wiil,

[drmccoy]

Fine, go to sleep! Now that I have uploaded to ESP for you to testplay and tell me wether the file is corrupt or my machine! Shame on you simon! Shame on you!

Alright, joke aside. Every availible testplayer is free to check out the uploaded file in the forums, any bugs found should be reported to me, especially concerning the crash thing.
Since there's nothing left to do right now, I will lay myself to sleep aswell I guess.