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So I opened the "Tech Tree" tab, entered "102" (the number of belts) into the pre/def window and then I started systematically deleting all entries having 102 as pre. After each deleted entry, I saved as new file and tested, whether the server loads it or not.

After some testing, I arrived at conclusion, that the following entries cause problems when deleted:

- Factions: Belters
- Ships: Lifepod (544)
- Stations: Garrison (310)
- Stations: Starbase (315)
- Drones: Constructor (526) (doesn't have 102 as pre, but was linked to from belter Ship: Constructor)
Note: The other "Drones: Constructor" entry allowed itself ti be deleted without problems.

Anything else having 102 as pre is gone, in this state, the server loads the core just fine (successfully creates the game). Deleting either of those entries results in failure to do so, so does deleting all of them (error message pops up after clicking "Create Game").

Any insight as to what am I missing?

EDIT:

- The constructor that cannot be deleted is the one associated with building Garrison/Starbase

I figure that those above are somehow critical, but what am I supposed to do with them if I want to get rid of the entire faction?

While trying to come up with a workaround and looking on BSG and SW cores (as cores with less-than-five factions), I found out that my AllegServer refuses to load those too...?

Is there some assembly required after installing the "Allegiance Server Pack (R5)" from downloads?

belters has some weird pre's def's, i would try deleting something else and see if that goes easier

You can't just delete stuff at random out of a core and expect it to work.

The faction entries have lifepods and starting bases that they have to find.
Parts, bases and ships have successors that they have to find.
Ships have items in their default loadouts that they have to find.
They also have part mask sets that they have to find.
The core itself has artwork it has to find.
And the game has to be able to find that core and the artwork inside the artwork folder.

If any of the above are missing then your core is going to cause a crash sooner or later. There's probably even more than whats above but I cannot be bothered to reinstall Alleg & ICE to look. Your best bet is to start over from scratch and actually look at how everything is connected together before fumbling around smashing bits out of it.

Edit: Added emphasis.

Tried the same with Iron Coalition, with the same results...

If I had to guess, I would say that there must be some special procedure to changing the number of factions... But I cannot see how would I achieve that through ICE...

What really confuses me is the aforementioned inability to load BSG (bsg0.35) and SW(sw_a100; sw_a101; sw_a102; sw_a103) cores... I haven't changed anything in those and as far as I know, they work on online servers...

Maybe there is a problem in some settings of AllegServer or the way I installed it?

In any case, that message is starting to get on my nerves:

------------------------------------------

Error: Allegiance Game Server

An error occurred while creating a new game:

Na serveru do

------------------------------------------

Note: The language in the last line is obviously not english. It's czech (based on my computer language settings? Language of the installation?) and it's weirdly cut off. There's no error report or anything, so I don't really know where the problem might be...

Xeretov wrote:QUOTE (Xeretov @ Feb 5 2011, 10:51 AM) You can't just delete stuff at random out of a core and expect it to work.

The faction entries have lifepods and starting bases that they have to find.
Parts, bases and ships have successors that they have to find.
Ships have items in their default loadouts that they have to find.
They also have part mask sets that they have to find.
The core itself has artwork it has to find.
And the game has to be able to find that core and the artwork inside the artwork folder.

If any of the above are missing then your core is going to cause a crash sooner or later. There's probably even more than whats above but I cannot be bothered to reinstall Alleg & ICE to look. Your best bet is to start over from scratch and actually look at how everything is connected together before fumbling around smashing bits out of it.

Edit: Added emphasis.

Please understand, that this was no "Hey, I don't like Belters, let's delete them and call the result My_Superawesome_Core". I am trying to learn my way around ICE. I started with simple things as adding my own gun, changing rixian scout the way it is in zone_core (SR scout is default rix scout for free) to the model in CC (Rix has non-SR scout for free and SR scout for money) and adding new part with a new devel as it's prerequirement.

Now, I wanted to try to delete a faction.

By that time I knew, that if I leave there something pointing to something that does not exist, it will make problems. That's why I tried to first identify everything that has something to do with said faction and delete said everything.

I thought I thought of everything - All the faction specific ships, stations, devels, drones, parts and even the faction entry itself got deleted. No matter how hard I looked, there was nothing left of that faction.

The process was quite long, so it was in a no way some impulsive action - I took it seriously.

Of course I was ready for the possibilty the server would crash when I try to join the game, but I didn't even get as far as that - The server refused to load the core and create the game.

Now, I am stuck in trying to find out what is wrong and what did I overlook, and I am politely asking for any insights that might actually help me. Sure, you can go ahead and dismiss me like some stupid over-excited newbie who discovered a new shiny toy in ICE, but I fail see how is openly expressing this opinion of yours going to help anyone.

So please, either take me seriously and try to help me, or don't let yourself be bothered by reacting to anything I write here at all.

Jersy,

It could be your server version. There are differences in server files' ability to load certain cores saved with different versions of ICE. I wasn't here during the development, but simply try a different server version. It should help.

He is starting from scratch, Xer. He's loaded up MS 1.25 and toyed with a bunch of things, now he's found something that doesn't work and doesn't know why not.

I don't know why not either, frankly. I just re-installed the R5 server and fired up sw_a103 and it worked, so it's definitely possible.

Spunkmeyer wrote:QUOTE (Spunkmeyer @ Feb 5 2011, 02:53 PM) Jersy,

It could be your server version. There are differences in server files' ability to load certain cores saved with different versions of ICE. I wasn't here during the development, but simply try a different server version. It should help.

I see... Where can I get the older server versions? I was already looking around on allegwiki and all I found was a link to R4 server binaries, which I am unsure if it will be of any help, since it's in the section dedicated to upgrade from R3 to R4, not downgrade to R4 from R5...

nm...link no workie.. let me dig around, see what I can find.