Free Allegiance Forums

1: How do I test my core?
2: How do I post a core?

Firstly, make sure that you've looked at Zapper's Publication Guidelines and followed those steps. I suggest reading that entire thread if you haven't already. Most importantly, get some reputable people to verify that your core is playable.

zackman0010 wrote:QUOTE (zackman0010 @ Apr 14 2010, 09:59 PM) 1: How do I test my core?

The first step in testing is to check, double check, and triple check ALL OF YOUR WORK in ICE. Everything you've added or changed, go back and look at the item to make sure you did it right.

Then install the core file (and any artwork you made for it) into your Allegiance/artwork directory and fire up a LAN server for testing. You can find instructions on how to set a LAN up on the wiki here (link). Again, triple check everything you've done in the core. Do all the tech research, fly all of the ships, fire all of the guns and test all of the tech trees. Everything. If at all possible, get a friend to help you test. Note that you can test with two teams running at the same time yourself by running Allegiance.exe with the -multi command. **

You WILL make mistakes. I always assume that there's a mistake I've missed and go back looking for it. Most of the time I'm right and find an issue that should be fixed. I suggest you take the same approach.

zackman0010 wrote:QUOTE (zackman0010 @ Apr 14 2010, 09:59 PM) 2: How do I post a core?

I'm not sure what you mean by this.

If you mean host a core for others to download, there are a number of file hosting services you can use to put it up. I don't have any suggestions but a quick search for free hosting should suffice.

If you mean get the core up on a public server for testing, then you'll have to get it hosted somewhere (as above) and then kindly ask the server operators to host it for you. Remember Zapper's guidelines though: They won't want to host a core that hasn't been well tested. I highly suggest seeing about getting your core hosted on the beta servers & lobby first, get some friends in there to help you test and play the crap out of it. The public server ops will be much more happy to put your core up if you can claim it was tested for a month on the beta server with no issues.


**If you don't know how, here are steps:

Find or make a shortcut to Allegiance.exe . Note that this is not ASGSClient.exe which is the default shortcut on an install.

Right click on the shortcut and select properties.

In the Target box, put "-multi" (without the quotes) at the end. If you installed alleg on C drive, this is what it should look similar to:

C:\Allegiance\Allegiance.exe -multi

Run Allegiance from this new shortcut whenever you want to play on your LAN. Use the default ASGS shortcut when you want to play on the main games.

You can now run two instances of Allegiance which you can connect to your LAN server, and play with two separate teams for testing. The only thing you have to do is use two different callsigns when connecting to the server.

Thank you for all that info. If I use the multi thing, will that still assign that calsign to my computer like the warning in the installation says?
Also, I tried those steps, but I could not find the registry keys. Are those keys specific to the R3 version it wants me to download, and, if so, will I have to uninstall the version of Allegiance I currently have on there?
I shouldn't have to test too heavily. I only changed the name and stats of the Dregklar faction, made the Spec mines (Si, Ur, He, and Ca) available to the edited faction, and made a 5th Spec mine that uses the abandoned 4th specialty rock, Thorium (or whatever it was called), to provide more income.
I made a map especially for my core because of the 4th specialty rock. How would I get that map available for use on the servers?

zackman0010 wrote:QUOTE (zackman0010 @ Apr 14 2010, 11:35 PM) If I use the multi thing, will that still assign that calsign to my computer like the warning in the installation says?

Nope, because you aren't using ASGS to connect to your LAN server. I should've mentioned that you have to launch the game through the shortcut you modified to use -multi (Allegiance.exe), and not through ASGS. (Edit: My previous post has been updated with this.)

QUOTE Also, I tried those steps, but I could not find the registry keys. Are those keys specific to the R3 version it wants me to download, and, if so, will I have to uninstall the version of Allegiance I currently have on there?[/quote]
The keys should be placed into your registry when you install the R3 server. (That will be when you run "Allegiance Server Setup.exe") After you've installed the R3 server, unzip the R4 binaries to where you installed the server (I use G:\Allegiance\server as my server folder), making sure to overwrite old files. Then do the same with the R5 binaries. Then go see about the registry as directed in the wiki.

QUOTE I made a map especially for my core because of the 4th specialty rock.

How would I get that map available for use on the servers?[/quote]
I'm honestly not sure. Since you're using thorium its an oddball map and may be incompatible. I'm also not sure if there's a limit on how many maps can be used by a server at any one time, though I believe there is.

I suggest bringing your map - and the thorium issue - up for review in the maps forum (link). The sticky in that forum also tells you how to submit it.

Guys, I followed the directions to set up a LAN game, but it says
"ERROR"
The Server threw an exception.

I am about to try again but this time with the R4 files instead of the R5 files.

Make sure you have all of your artwork and the core file in your Allegiance/artwork folder. If the server can't find the core, thats usually what happens.

I've also seen it happen if there's a major bug in the core, so look through it again.

Edit: You might also be having an issue with the server artwork folder. You need to do one of two things:

1) Go into the registry and edit the "ArtPath" key in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\...\Allegiance\1.0\Server and point it at your main allegiance artwork folder. If you installed on C drive this might be C:\Allegiance\artwork . I'm betting that yours still points to Allegiance\Server\artwork

2) If you don't want to edit the registry, copy your entire Allegiance\artwork folder into your Allegiance\server\artwork folder (or wherever you installed the server). Note that if you do it this way, you will probably have to update your server artwork any time you change the main artwork.

Xeretov wrote:QUOTE (Xeretov @ Apr 15 2010, 05:05 PM) Make sure you have all of your artwork and the core file in your Allegiance/artwork folder. If the server can't find the core, thats usually what happens.

I've also seen it happen if there's a major bug in the core, so look through it again.

I did make sure the core was in the artwork folder. I have it named My_Core. I have in the, core field, typed in, "My_Core" I have also checked in ICE. As far as I can see, there are no problems.

Try adding the .igc extension in AllSrv.

Rock Raider wrote:QUOTE (Rock Raider @ Apr 15 2010, 05:27 PM) Try adding the .igc extension in AllSrv.

I tried both My_Core and My_Core.igc in the field, but neither worked.

EDIT: When I did not add anything to the field, it worked.... When I tried to add My_Core to the field, it said the Server error.

Did you check which artwork folder was being used?