[Bug 1.05+1.09] Phase stabilizers aren't always considered the shortest path

from Sins Forums

(This occurs in at least 1.05 and 1.09)

Playing as Vasari, I cover my entire empire with phase stabilizers as a means of defense.  Often, when I need to get from point A to point B, and both have "Phase Stabilizer Node" in their gravity well, the ships will choose REGULAR star-lanes (using more than one jump) instead of taking the single phase-stabilized jump.  In-system maneuvering and group jumping makes multi-jumps ALWAYS take longer than a single jump.

The same bug appears to affect the Antorak Marauder's Level 6 ability to create a temporary phase stabilizer node (assuming you don't give the Marauder different orders afterwards -- this cancels the effect).

I've been trying to use the Marauder's ability to quickly move a lot of my attack fleet back to my own planets that are being attacked.  I move most of my ships (except for the Marauder and some backup) to the edge of the gravity well, activate the "Stabilize Phase Space", wait for the "Phase Stabilizer Node" text to appear on the gravity well's infocard, then tell the other ships to jump.  Most of the time, they use regular starlanes instead of the single phase stabilized jump.

3,895 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
Update: The bug appears to happen *much* more often when I try to use a stabilizer (or the Marauder's ability) to/from the most recent planet that I've captured.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
I've noticed this in every version, aswell... there may be a hard cap on a maximum number of phase stabilizers that work together as a group that needs to be raised. I noticed after I get a lot of planets with phase stabilizers in the same system, eventually they have to jump to a closer near by stabilizer (even though not using a regular phase lane, using a phase node to jump there) and then jumping to the destination also via phase node.
Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
A save game of this would be great, or a replay.
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
Ok. Autosave is in a perfect spot:

Autosave-20.stats
Autosave-20.save

Hotkey group #1 has my entire fleet. About 60% of my planets have phase stabilizers. Select the Marauder and activate 'Stabilize Phase Space'. Then order the rest of the fleet (NOT including the marauder) to one of my more distant planets that has a phase stabilizer node, and observe the path.

It should try to jump to an asteroid to the south before using that stabilizer to go to the final destination.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
Okay, I tried out the save game and I can confirm that it's funky. I know in the previous patches there were some cases where it took a few seconds to kick in, but in your save I tried sending out one ship at a time all through the duration of the ability and it didn't work. They would jump through the desert and volcanic to get to the asteroid, and then they would jump to the target, just as you said.

Thanks for posting it :)
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
I can also confirm that the save shows funkyness.

At first, it worked exactly as stated. Ships went to the asteroid several jumps away despite being at a stabilizer node. When I built a stabilizer at the desert planet in between, they jumped from there.

However, when I built a stabilizer at the asteroid directly below the planet the fleet was at, it worked like it should. Ships would jump through the entire system using the stabilizer where they started.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
My hunch (which is consistent with other previous observations), is that when the game has a lot to deal with, it tries to cut corners a bit for the sake of performance.

There used to be issues in battles where ships would shoot, but no damage was done for a while and then it would come in spurts - almost like the CPU was too busy to do all the calcs in a timely manner.

So I suspect this is related - the phase gates work as they should, but the game takes a while to actually process this and apply it. Unfortunately in the case of this save and the Antorak, that "while" is longer than the duration of the ability, so it never kicks in.

Just my guess, though.
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
Often, when I need to get from point A to point B, and both have "Phase Stabilizer Node" in their gravity well, the ships will choose REGULAR star-lanes (using more than one jump) instead of taking the single phase-stabilized jump.
End of quote


I did a few hours of testing using the saves provided above and what I found is a bug that is definable and repeatable. The Phase Stabilizers all work as they should except for the last planet or planets that you colonize. Eventually even they work correctly, that is the only part that I was unable to pin down. I tried and eliminated half a dozen possible triggers . The closest I can come to a conclusion is that after a certain amount of time (somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-15 minutes) they begin to work correctly.

Nypyren confirms this with his update, which got me started on this investigation.

If you use Autosave-20 above (Reply 4) and follow the instructions, you find the fleet on a world that appears to be newly colonized. It already has a phase stabilizer constructed on it, so there is no need to select the Marauder and if you attempt to phase jump off, exactly what Nypyren says will happen does happen, its jumps 3 times to get to the nearest phase stabilizer and goes to its final destination from there.

Annatar11 and Kitkun both confirm this.

So a Phase Stabilizer built on a newly colonized planet will not work for outbound jumps, eventually it starts working. It started working for Kitkun after she built two more stabilizers, but like I said this wasn't repeatable.

The same bug appears to affect the Antorak Marauder's Level 6 ability to create a temporary phase stabilizer node (assuming you don't give the Marauder different orders afterwards -- this cancels the effect).
End of quote

This does not appear to hold true, it again has to do with the planet. If you take a Marauder to any planet that has been colonized for awhile, or any uncolonized or enemy world. It works perfectly 100% of the time. However if you colonize the world that it just seconds before worked, wait for its cooldown and try again. It reacts the same as a “Phase Stabilizer Node” it exhibits the buggy behavior. It appears that to the game, they are the same, whether its a physical satellite node or a temporary node created by the ship. It shows up the same in the info card.
I've noticed this in every version, aswell... there may be a hard cap on a maximum number of phase stabilizers that work together as a group that needs to be raised.
End of quote


I was unable to confirm or reproduce this. I jumped from every stabilizer on that map and never saw this behavior. I am not saying this isn't a part of the bug. But if I had to guess, I would say that because of the way the bug is, always at your newest planets and probably where you are most active it could easy appear this way.
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
The closest I can come to a conclusion is that after a certain amount of time (somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-15 minutes) they begin to work correctly.
End of quote

If that's it, then it certainly doesn't happen all the time, or we would've heard sooner, I think.

For example, the stabilizer I built at the desert planet. (As mentioned in my last post) Ships started using that one immediately instead of going to the far asteroid.

What has me confused is that it started working only when I built the stabilizer at the close asteroid. Though I didn't do a whole lot of testing, so I don't know if anything else happened.
Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
If that's it, then it certainly doesn't happen all the time, or we would've heard sooner, I think.
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I am not sure I understand what your saying here. Why would a theory be incorrect because you hadn't heard it sooner?

For example, the stabilizer I built at the desert planet. (As mentioned in my last post) Ships started using that one immediately instead of going to the far asteroid.
End of quote


That planet was already colonized for some time before you built that stabilizer. They work immediately on those planets.

What has me confused is that it started working only when I built the stabilizer at the close asteroid.
End of quote


I followed the procedure in your post as part of the testing. It is not repeatable it doesn't happen right after that consistently. I had a similar experience with building a stabilizer on the planet next to it on the left. It worked immediately after I did it, but I couldn't get it to repeat.

Though I didn't do a whole lot of testing, so I don't know if anything else happened.
End of quote


Even though I did do hours of testing I can't say with certainty, what makes them start to work eventually. They do though, load the map, don't do anything else and come back in a half hour. They all the work.

Eventually even they work correctly, that is the only part that I was unable to pin down. I tried and eliminated half a dozen possible triggers . The closest I can come to a conclusion is that after a certain amount of time (somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-15 minutes) they begin to work correctly.
End of quote
I did not mean to infer that this was the final answer to this bug. It was just the closest I could come after repeated testing looking for a consistent trigger.

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top
I am not sure I inderstand what your saying here. Why would a theroy be incorrect because you hadn't heard it sooner?
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Didn't say it was incorrect, just that it didn't happen all the time. Which is now moot as I misunderstood you.

That planet was already colonized for some time before you built that stabilizer. They work immediately on those planets.
End of quote

Now I understand. I was thinking you meant some time after the stabilizer was built.

I followed the procedure in your post as part of the testing.
End of quote

Happened twice in a row for me, but now that I check a third time, it didn't happen. :NOTSURE: Darn you, need to sleep!