Playthrough Test(2022-10-12)...

[Mystical Panda]

This is a new playthrough test for the latest SS2 release(the last game became unstable after lvl 50+). The load order is the same as last time, with this instance not having any plugins or scripts updated during a current game which I think caused most of the problem(but this is still the test and debug stage).

In this playthrough I'm using the default City Plans that come with SS2 as no other plans are in the load order, and I have Sanctuary, Red Rocket, Abernathy Farm, Starlight DriveIn and Sunshine Tidings Co-op working on their respective level 1. I'll be adding additional beds and push settlers to settlements as they are encountered 'in the wild'.

To start, I'm attaching a text file from the current papyrus log, filtering for 'ss2'. There a few entries at the beginning where a script is missing? or a few properties don't match. Not sure if this will be of use, but your welcome to it.

 

[Mystical Panda]

The ctd pattern has re-appeared and quite frequently with Concord, and while in flight towards the Prydwyn(checking the save shows the same 'suspended' stack frame types). So I rolled back to 2.2.3a- all packages including Workshop, HUD and Chapter 2.The final image gives an 'overall' view including different 'suspended' frame types noting this is after the 2.2.3.a rollback. Let's see if this has any effect on Concord even though it was an 'in-line' update backwards a version.

 

[Mystical Panda]

By rolling back I could make it through Concord twice without a ctd- knock on wood. But... the effect of rolling back still has 'suspended stacks' still in the game saves, but around 1/2 the volume as before, and all the Concord settlers have vanished(probably ref linked to the 2.2.4 esm?)- though the quest npcs are still there. Maybe they'll reappear as new npcs.

Here's another example of the basic city plans and power 'thing'. All plots are connected via wires and everything has power but this plot. So I added a generator and the plot starts building.

 

[Mystical Panda]

This is the first time I've seen this many SS2 hits in awhile- where it looks like it couldn't find a workshop reference and from there 'looped' across npcs, settlement objects, something. Documenting and continuing the test. Unless... this was the log spam that was corrected(code removed) in 2.2.4- now that I think about.

 

[Mystical Panda]

Going to take a break from testing- it's been a long evening. So far, it looks like we're back on the upswing, stability wise, in regards to the 'loose filestream' issue by rolling back to the 2.2.3 SS2 packages. As you can see the longest play time has been just under 4 hours straight(well pretty much, a few respites here and there) with a total without a crash approaching 6 hours. Before the 2.2.4Beta update we were over a day and climbing.

I ran through Concord multiple times, from Abernathy to RedRocket, hanging a right into Concord- before rolling back, that resulted in a crash almost consistently.

 

[msalaba]

Could you give, if you have a moment, a brief synopsis on the actual 'city plan' data? Is it data 'tables' or an 'array' that's referenced by a 'script'? I might be able to programmatically 'break it back down' for ease of viewing(or tracing).

You can think of a city plan as an object with a script attached that acts like a database file. It contains all placed objects, position data and object config.
The city plan placement code loops through these objects and places them in a settlement via WSFW ThreadManager. If Designer's Choice = ON and the object to be placed is a plot, SS2 does some extra checks to make sure the user has the required addon pack installed otherwise it randomly selects a building plan of the same plot type. I can't remember how the code flows if Designer's Choice = OFF.

This is the city plan code in a nutshell. There are several other settings involved and I don't remember exactly how they fit into the above.

 

[msalaba]

Here's a few entries I haven't noticed before. Thought I would post them here just in case the were relevant.

The associated calls are either from a plot or a city plan. SS2 is trying to place an object and turn off havok for that object. Its likely the object is a marker or has no nif defined which would result in the error. I would need the base object ID and the building plan / city plan to investigate further.

 

[msalaba]

Here's some new entries... logging as usual.

Interesting. I have not seen this error before. I wonder if its due to the area not being loaded.

 

[msalaba]

So I rolled back to 2.2.3a- all packages including Workshop, HUD and Chapter 2.The final image gives an 'overall' view including different 'suspended' frame types noting this is after the 2.2.3.a rollback.

If you roll back to an earlier version, you also have to roll back to a save made with that version. All testing after the roll back is invalid if you did not also roll back the save.

 

[Mystical Panda]

You can think of a city plan as an object with a script attached that acts like a database file. It contains all placed objects, position data and object config.
The city plan placement code loops through these objects and places them in a settlement via WSFW ThreadManager. If Designer's Choice = ON and the object to be placed is a plot, SS2 does some extra checks to make sure the user has the required addon pack installed otherwise it randomly selects a building plan of the same plot type. I can't remember how the code flows if Designer's Choice = OFF.

This is the city plan code in a nutshell. There are several other settings involved and I don't remember exactly how they fit into the above.

Is there an example of a source script I could look over? At first thought, it seems it would be using a 'setstage' which would be the level and each step within that level- to encapsulate each stage of the city.

 

[Mystical Panda]

The associated calls are either from a plot or a city plan. SS2 is trying to place an object and turn off havok for that object. Its likely the object is a marker or has no nif defined which would result in the error. I would need the base object ID and the building plan / city plan to investigate further.

The first 3 seem to be related to 'light' objects? The ONLY city plans that I am aware of are those that are added by SS2 or CH2 as I'm using the basic city plan for all- nothing else.

 

[Mystical Panda]

If you roll back to an earlier version, you also have to roll back to a save made with that version. All testing after the roll back is invalid if you did not also roll back the save.

The problem with that is the inverse is true also- if you upgrade something this large it's not truly a valid test either. That's why I noted that when I updated(posts back) to the 'beta' that the cause could be in-line updating and or data additions or changes also. I always take things like that with a 'grain of salt'.

The ctd problem seemed to 'go away'(at least so far in regards to the 'loose filestream') for the moment despite there still being 'data' from the upgrade in the save. So looking at it from that point... Clean game(so to speak)... ctd's frequency seemed to drop back off... upgrade... ctds appear... rollback ctd's drop back off. Either way the game data is tainted from both the update and the rollback though this symptom remains. Things didn't get worse- at least so far. There's no way to predict that in either direction.

Also, if we look at it from this point- the test really isn't valid since... we've upgraded the scripts 1+ times since your playthrough to keep the data 'clean' and therefore any results may or may not apply since the scripts your using in game more than likely have been updated. That is simply too much time unfortunately to dedicate into that kind of 'loop'.

 

[msalaba]

The first 3 seem to be related to 'light' objects?

That's enough of a clue. I think I know what's going on. Now to do some testing.

 

[Mystical Panda]

That's enough of a clue. I think I know what's going on. Now to do some testing.

I hope it helps! I'm playing around atm with some full-screen capture so I'll be able to link videos that might help see some of this a bit clearer, then I can get back to testing- as most of the day was spent coding(it was a nice change back).

 

[Mystical Panda]

Here's a quick Video of BNS(new version). The 2160p version upscaled by Youtube looks to be the best.

 

[Mystical Panda]

Here's a quick thought on 'in-line' updating... Is there an easy way(usually no) where there is no SS2 or WSFW operations taking place, so when scripts are updated their processing isn't caught between data and or code changes? Like a threading queue- temporarily disable accepting new requests, wait till the queue is clear, show a message updating is ready, allow the gamer to exit the game, update the files, then load the game save up and re-enable request processing?

Something I'm trying here is to do a 'staged' upgrade. First, I'll upgrade WSFW and wait for a bit, doing quests running through settlements, etc.,. Then try SS2 and Chapter 2. Trying to avoid, as much as possible, updating scripts that already have stack frames 'in-play'. The first settlement I stopped at was Abernathy after updating WSFW and when talking with Lucy- instant crash. You can see the cause of the crash is VM de-sync- which I'm guessing is updating scripts that current have open stack frames.

As of now, WSFW has been updated along with Workshop Plus and I can now talk with settlers and trade with them ok. I'll do the 'death-run' from Abernathy -> Red Rocket and into Concord(which I'm expecting another ctd after this).

I'm also attaching screenshots of two power poles at Abernathy- one has indicator icons, the other doesn't. This may or may not be due to updating, partial updating, I have no idea. Just in case it's of use.

 

[Mystical Panda]

The Gunners rolled the Boston Airport settlement as their target; any other settlement I could see the occupants standing down, but NOT the Brotherhood and their arsenal, perhaps wait until the player is there then assault them back. Might be something interesting for Wes to think about- the one faction they might actually fear.

The only problem I've encountered so far, and that includes the 'death-run' from the previous post, is... there was a gunner inside this building with no way in, or out as the doors are locked. So I had to clip in to kill them(or console KAH) before the quest could continue.

 

[Mystical Panda]

Multiple runs through 'death-row' and into Concord without a hitch- thank goodness cause even seeing that place from a distance starts my eye involuntarily twitching! From an earlier post I thought my save might have 10-6'ed itself, but the settlers are back and there are gates now in Concord(looks like it comes after the quest to drop the last beacon) and you can see the SS2 and Chapter 2(ver 2.2.3x) and the latest WSFW aren't really kicking any many papyrus entries. The warning and error columns are the result of script calls from all the mods combined. This way, when I upgrade to the latest public release of SS2/Chapter 2, I can compare it against this.

 

[msalaba]

That's enough of a clue. I think I know what's going on. Now to do some testing.

After a bunch of digging, I am unable to find a bug in SS2. Can you tell me what building plan / city plan spawned these objects?

 

[Mystical Panda]

After a bunch of digging, I am unable to find a bug in SS2. Can you tell me what building plan / city plan spawned these objects?

The only city plans I'm using are the ones that came with SS2- there's no other city plans or city add-ons in my load order, or even installed. I double-checked for any loose files like SS2 addons in the 'data' folder and there were none there. Here is the list of plugins from my last game save from main list + 'light' list- that should be the ordering. I was hoping... coming towards Concord from the quarry, but that gave me a ctd, as the other way it didn't(lopping from Abernathy). Same 'loose filestream', though after reloading I was able to make it through Concord 'un-scathed'.

 

[msalaba]

Are you running an nVidia card? If so check your driver. I had an issue last year where Windows decided to update my driver and I crashed every time Concord tried to load. Its a long shit, but worth looking into. Some authors have stated that the latest nVidia driver causes issues with the render window in the CK.