GC: Corruption and lack of support

[AngelAlys]

This is a subject close to my heart because it has affected both myself and also my friends.

A couple of months ago I had a RAmarl character called AngelAlys that was corrupted on lvl 127, my good friends Tiny D [corrupted at lvl 151], Data 1a [corrupted in the 140's], Fomite [corrupted in 130's] and believe me I could go on...

In trying to get some answers from Sega as to why characters corrupt I got no where, in fact I got an "it could happen again at any time" and "there is a problem with the servers, but we dont know what!". Not very reasuring is it???

I dont dupe, but i do trade a lot and I have no doubt that items I have are duped. Tiny doesnt dupe etc... etc... If Sega want longevity with this project then why arent they trying to support the players. If i get corrupted again I dont know if I will go back online, and for that matter why are we paying our respective hunter licence fees???

I'd just like to know what other people's feeling are on this matter.

[Vitamin_D]

Well plain and simple...The Double Save needs to be removed. Especially since it's possible to dupe offline. It's hurting too many people, and isn't helping at all =/.

[Zuna]

Hello nice to meet you,

in the list of person you mentioned, i know tinyD and Fomite too, that really sux to hear friends got corrupted especially when they are so high lvl

I trade a lot too, and many many of my things are duped (i admit), but as a friend said, owning dupes wont make you getting corrupted, even if you own hacked item like 200 mind sato, or flame garment, once they can pass on the first online, that means they 'pass'... but i am not sure if sega will track them one day , but owning dupe items wont get you corrupted.. (thats what my friend said)

i havent been corrupted ... yet, but i am afraid also. Actually I think is the busy server or the double save causing this.. what I can do is just not to go to US ship esp Vega, or even polaris during peak hours, never join game as 4th player..etcetc..

if ppl get corrupted..what they do will be just to seek help at dupers.. most of them wont care if it is legit or not as long as they can gain back their chars and lvls real quick...

duping casing the double save and double save causing corruption, and corruption will create more dupes.. this is what a bad cycle..

but i just wonder... are they all using official nintendo mem card??

[AngelAlys]

You brought up some very good points there, especially the vicious circle of getting back to a high level by whatever means necessary.

I know for a fact that Tiny, Data, Fomite and myself all use offecial mem cards when we experienced corruption. Thankfully because we are all friends and helped each other out and passed on what we could.

But like you said people are starting to become afraid of going online because they worry they might get corrupted. There is no doubt Vega is an accident waiting to happen and Polaris seems to be going that way too now. I spend virtually all my time on Spica now because it is normally low in numbers [quick plug for tonights c mode night for EU ppl in Spica 3-1... lol]. This fear [quite rightly] will effect the community and begin to stop online gamers.

[Dime]

Thing is, SEGA won't do anything. You paid for the game. That makes SEGA very happy, SEGA doesn't care about much more.

[Zuna]

True, sega wont do anything as long as they have money received in their pockets http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif

still many ppl pay to play, like me, at least.. and tons of japanese out there...

my highest lvl char is not on an offical card, and i heard that this is very dangerous.. but my bro keep saying that my card is super good quality (i use datel MM16) really it saves kinda fast (compare to my offical card now), but i still bought an offical card, now with 2 more chars.. at least one day one card corrupts, i wont lose 'everything"

so even offical card corrupts... who wont corrupt then??

[Katt]

On 2003-06-04 04:51, Zuna wrote:
True, sega wont do anything as long as they have money received in their pockets http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif

still many ppl pay to play, like me, at least.. and tons of japanese out there...

my highest lvl char is not on an offical card, and i heard that this is very dangerous.. but my bro keep saying that my card is super good quality (i use datel MM16) really it saves kinda fast (compare to my offical card now), but i still bought an offical card, now with 2 more chars.. at least one day one card corrupts, i wont lose 'everything"

so even offical card corrupts... who wont corrupt then??



ok i really think this is getin confusing. the problem is the double save,it has nothing to do with a faulty card. but i also think it could involve your connection as well(seeing as most of the people i know who currpted almost always have a bad connection)

if people are scared to go online i say good,stay offline if you dont have the brains to stay off a block that has like 100+ people 100% of the time. common sence can be ur best friend.

[Ryo_Hayasa]

WHAT?! Fomite was Corrupted. he was one of the newer people i met. whoa he was such a happy HUcast. i'm going to miss him.

Umm could you give him this message please?

That Ryo Hayasa, Kitzy's FOmar Friend will not be online again. and to tell kitzy that she was by far my favorite and best RAmarl i've ever had the pleasure to play with.


thank you.
i wish you the best of luck, quit PSO, take a break, start a new. it's up to you, do what is suited for you, i can understand the loss.

once again

"Best Of Luck"

[Mystil]

On 2003-06-04 01:53, Vitamin_D wrote:
Well plain and simple...The Double Save needs to be removed.

But like most companies. They wont give us what we want all the time.

Anyhow, I've never been corrupted on the GC version, but I've been FSODED like hundreds of times. The second save does scare me sometimes, especially when it takes more seconds to come up..

Alot of my friends got corrupted. I know this much though, if it happens to me..I might not play anymore.

[Malkavian]

Well they do things with the license fee. Some are dumb like the double save. Is there because the fee. But now they should hear us and remove it. Maybe is their game but we are the ones who paid it and play it.

[Frozencookies]

BBA users do not get corrupted. Or at least it is incredibly hard to, seeing as they rarely FSOD. I think they said its best if you have a router as well, because it filters out "bad patches" which seem to be a cause of FSODs. All I know is, I've been corrupted, I bought a USB memory card, which you all know, is how people dupe... While I don't dupe with it, I do back up my items and rares every time I gain a new item. It really eliminates my fear of online play. I could care less about losing my levels, seeing as my goal in this game is to get every rare in the game.

[Zuna]

On 2003-06-04 07:40, Frozencookies wrote:
BBA users do not get corrupted. Or at least it is incredibly hard to, seeing as they rarely FSOD. I think they said its best if you have a router as well,


i am using BBA and router as you said , i really hope it wont happen to me..i will ask those friends if they are using other like modem and they got corrupted

[Soukosa]

On 2003-06-04 07:40, Frozencookies wrote:
BBA users do not get corrupted. Or at least it is incredibly hard to, seeing as they rarely FSOD.
I know someone that uses broadband and has FSODed a few times, two of which, corrupted his character. Yet, his internet hardware has some problems with the game, so that may be what causes it.

[gallaugher]

On 2003-06-04 07:40, Frozencookies wrote:
I think they said its best if you have a router as well, because it filters out "bad patches" which seem to be a cause of FSODs.

You mean "bad packets" & I do believe a router helps. I've FSOD'd a few times & I use a BBA w/a router. I've got a friend that consistently lobby FSODs w/a BBA & router. This isn't on a crowded server either. I have a feeling it has a lot to do w/your ISP. Crowded servers don't seem to help though.

[Logical2u]

SEGA and SONIC TEAM aren't about to call in a recall because 99% of everyone on PSO got corrupted and lost a character close to their heart. That is because they say 1% of the people never get corrupted. You just are doing it wrong...

Well enough is enough! I darnnear cried when my level 56 character got FSODed. No more! To the online petition site!

[Rated_Lexxx]

OK I am not going to start a flame, but does this spefic problem happen on the x-box. I mean is the harddrive safer then the mermory card. The only problem i have had is on epsiode 2 where it has froze 3 times. Luckly I only lost what was not equipped on myself and nothing on the bank

[saffaya]

No, corruption does not concern the Xbox.
Unless you switch off or lose power while your Xbox is saving at the end of the game.

[TinyD]

Yeah, as alys has said, I got corrupted at level 151, losing over 16 million exp in the process!

I didn't really let this unduly bother me as I've enjoyed levelling again with friends, although it did bother me that I lost all my cards and so have lost track of a lot of my friends online http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif Still, this has been good in a way too, as you know your real friends as they are the ones that mail you http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

It got me just as I was entering a game and it froze up. There was space in the game, so it was definitely the double save that got me. I also use official cards and while I do only have a regular modem connection, I do know people with BB who have corrupted too.

The trouble is, SEGA have written such tight security controls into the software that it's destroying perfectly legitimate files if even the slightest things go wrong. And in the end this has been of no use in the end because people always (ALWAYS) find a way to hack a system.

The same goes for losing items just to the regular fsod. This happens because it is physically written into the code of the game, not because of any network or hardware problems.

Fair enough, they want to stop duping etc. but in the end there should be more checks made as to what state the game was in when a problem occured. For example the game saves when you enter the lobby, also when you drop items and take stuff out of the checkroom. So in theory the double save shouldn't be needed :

You could just keep track of these different types of save in a memory byte, I reckon. If the software checks and says 'well the game was stopped without quitting here, and the person had started to go online (you would have to save before it attempted to connect), but not dropped any items or gone to a checkroom, therefore it would have been impossible to dupe any items so I won't delete any items here' then that would do it. There would have to be a safety check too in case you had trouble dialling. But I'm sure you get the idea.

Well, maybe this will get along to SEGA. I hope so. I love pso to bits and it's a beautifully crafted game with just this one minor glitch in what I'd really call the non-game coding (the security part of the code) so I hope they don't take this as an overall criticism, but just a hint on how things might be better.

k, seeya then,

Tiny D

[-LordNikon-]

Hmmm I mean, I guess I really don't fear corruption as much as I should. The gamecube PSO Lvl's far faster than the dreamcast PSO's. Plus there are so many different characters I havn't even tried yet.

One thing's for sure, I don't think that players who game fairly and only play with legit players, should have to suffer a character loss, so the amount of dupers on PSO can drop a fraction of a percent.

For the amount of money we are spending per month for our HL's. And the fact that we still have not recieved download missions yet. I think sega should impliment an internet ready character backup system.

-LordNikon

[WEBSTER]

On 2003-06-05 01:14, saffaya wrote:
No, corruption does not concern the Xbox.
Unless you switch off or lose power while your Xbox is saving at the end of the game.




I got FSoD or what I call FBSoD (Frozen Buzzin Screen of Death) online, had to turn my box off, lost all my unequiped but kept the 4 lvls I gained. But what usually happens is while I am in a room with other players I am playing with, they just suddenly vanish ( meaning I got booted) that is when I know to save and quit. Offline I got FBSoD while entering a quest but lost none of my unequiped.

I did loose power in my house while online a week ago, only lost my unequiped (mostly fluids) but kept the lvl's I gained.

If the lvls are saved ( without actually manually saving the game) why not the unequipes. Do they still fear that old DC duping trick!?

[tehkao]

Or even a simpler question, why does the game FSOD at all?

Why would a failed network connection, crash the entire software program? I've never heard of such poor/unprofessional software coding before. I thought Sonic Team were supposed to be the best in the field?

No other network game I've ever played, would crash the entire game because of a bad connection. What makes PSO different?


Or a even better question: Sonic Team knew this problem existed since DC PSO. Why have they not fixed it by now, when they've already released like what, FIVE versions of the game??

Can Sonic Team really have an excuse for that? I can't think of any.





<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tehkao on 2003-06-05 17:21 ]</font>

[rhymmney]

my question is... does anyone out there know how to fix a corrupt card?... ive heard rumors the usb can do it... ive also heard it cant... whats the true answer??... if anyone out there knows you can edit files with a usb let us all know... this corruption stuff needs to stop... so... come up with a program to fix it.. later guys

[bordering]

i too would like to know if there is a way to fix a card. i've heard it's possible...

mine just corrupted a few days ago on an uncrowded ship and block on jp. i was always VERY careful to avoid crowded ships/blocks and games with 3/4 ppl in them... yet the beast still got me. i'm also using cable bb.... it can happen to anyone...

sega does NOT give a damn. i emailed them straightaway and have yet to hear a reply. i also called them and the woman i talked to DID NOT show even the least bit of compassion, even though i was crying my ass off. all she said was that there was no way to fix my card, and that there is no way to avoid it. "there's a problem but we don't know what it is AND WE DON'T FUCKING CARE" is more like it.

i know that my experience with this game has sincerly turned me off of sega. 1000 hours of my life into a black hole, just because they can't be bothered to get their coding right. bastards. it's a great game... it's just too easily and arbitrarily ruined by FSOD X. there's no way i'm starting over...

[elfin]

I know the feeling... Though, i did start over... After shreeding my game magazine to pieces and a couple of days in grief... It has turned out alright... But i will never ever have the same feeling about PSO again, thats for sure.

[ShadowNINJA007]

My whole memory card got corrupted yesterday. I didn't go online, just I popped in my memory card at the start screen and POOF the screen says "The characters on this memory card are coorupt and must be deleted." I got pissed off. It might have been these weapons I got online from this ranger 'cuz he just dumped me with about 5 nine star weapons, though I doubt it 'cuz they're only nine star weapons. This is the second time my whole memory card was deleted. The first time was when my two younger bros were playing, found a rare weapon, started fighting and arguing over who should get it, even though one of them picked it up, then one tryed to save and get off, but when it said "Saving , please don't turn off the Gamecube or unplug the memory card" the other turned off the Gamecube. Now obviously, you can see why my memory card got corrupted the first time, but the second time is vague.

I use BBA and have a Offical Nintendo Memory Card, one of those old gray ones that first came out with 1/4 of the memory capaicty as the new black ones.
I have been FSoDs once, but I wasn't corrupted. I too think that this can happen to any one and Sega should get of it's lazy butt and do somtine about it.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ShadowNINJA007 on 2003-06-06 08:12 ]</font>

[saffaya]

Or even a simpler question, why does the game FSOD at all?
Why would a failed network connection, crash the entire software program? I've never heard of such poor/unprofessional software coding before.

PSO is indeed the most buggy console game I ever played.


I thought Sonic Team were supposed to be the best in the field?

Some Sonic Team members left for other studios. It is my guess that they were the good programmers.
They still have excellent graphics designers.


No other network game I've ever played, would crash the entire game because of a bad connection. What makes PSO different?

monopoly.
Say you really like PSO's type of game (action/RPG, online, multiplayer action with foreign people), but really get fed up with FSOD and the like.
Which game would you turn to ?

There is none.
So, why would ST take time and effort to clean their game ?


Or a even better question: Sonic Team knew this problem existed since DC PSO. Why have they not fixed it by now, when they've already released like what, FIVE versions of the game??

All versions based on the same programming code, which they don't want to touch anymore.
Just add graphics, repackage it and make it run so we get more $$.


Can Sonic Team really have an excuse for that? I can't think of any.

As a computer programmer, I can't either.

[saffaya]

I have always thought about a simple method to LESSEN the damage done by character corruption.

Use 2 files for characters instead of one.
If one of the files gets corrupted, the games falls back to the previous one.
When it happens, it deletes inventory to prevent easy duping.
At least doing so would save your char from oblivion.

[FO-RA-HUnightv]

y dont you guys do what i did and use the usb memory card and edit your data file back to were it was

i dont play much online now but 50 for usb was worth my lv 127 char FOmar lv 87 HUcast and lv 54 RAmar

you can get the program some were on google i think i cant remeber

the items i did not care about it was the char that i need

i set my techs back to were they were(almost all lv 30 exept granits lv 29 and rafoie lv 28.)

go find it and have fun agean and i say f*** it and take back what is yours!

[KILLERSHOCK]

On 2003-06-04 01:53, Vitamin_D wrote:
Well plain and simple...The Double Save needs to be removed. Especially since it's possible to dupe offline. It's hurting too many people, and isn't helping at all =/.



Funny how something that's supposed to prevent cheating actually harms more people that are trying to play legit isn't it?

[satoshi1]

On 2003-06-04 07:40, Frozencookies wrote:
BBA users do not get corrupted. Or at least it is incredibly hard to, seeing as they rarely FSOD. I think they said its best if you have a router as well, because it filters out "bad patches" which seem to be a cause of FSODs. All I know is, I've been corrupted, I bought a USB memory card, which you all know, is how people dupe... While I don't dupe with it, I do back up my items and rares every time I gain a new item. It really eliminates my fear of online play. I could care less about losing my levels, seeing as my goal in this game is to get every rare in the game.



BBA users don't get corrupted?? HAH! I use Broadband AND a router, yet I've been corrupted once. Havn't even been online for 2 months yet.

[bordering]

On 2003-06-06 08:53, FO-RA-HUnightv wrote:
y dont you guys do what i did and use the usb memory card and edit your data file back to were it was

i dont play much online now but 50 for usb was worth my lv 127 char FOmar lv 87 HUcast and lv 54 RAmar

you can get the program some were on google i think i cant remeber

the items i did not care about it was the char that i need

i set my techs back to were they were(almost all lv 30 exept granits lv 29 and rafoie lv 28.)

go find it and have fun agean and i say f*** it and take back what is yours!


well, i would gladly do that. PLEASE detail how you did it. how do you even get your characters onto a usb card?

[NiGHTS]

Well, I'm using Internet Connection Sharing through my PC to get on PSO with a broadband adapter. And yesterday, the FIRST DAY online i got corrupted. I joined a team with 3 other people, and to be honest it was a busy ship, and i got that Buzzing FSOD screen when it was saving.
I lost my characters, etc...

Now, this was on the first day. Is it even worth trying any more?

[rhymmney]

Ok so there is a guy posting in this forum about using the usb card to fix corrupt cards.... please explain the process of doing this with the usb.. i have a corrupt card now... ordered usb and am ready to give it a shot... how easy is it to edit the files and how do i get the files from my corrupt card to the usb mem card..


As for corruption... i lost a level 150 on DC ver2... when i called customer support i was told someone stole my access numbers.. after a heated debate with customer support i finally got a manager on ths phone... his exact words to me towards the end of the phone call was "Move On".... move on?? wtf... u guys are called SUPPORT... i now have a corrupt card with 2 chars 120+ & 1 char 176 sitting somewhere in TN right now waiting for some computer guy to fix it with usb.. i didnt even bother with customer support this time... funk them

[Droid]

Sega referred me to Xbox. They see it as an Xbox problem, your paying Xbox not Sega. You want support you talk to Xbox.

[FO-RA-HUnightv]

well i cant the mod would yell at me sry but go on google and search for it. there are to i think so just look. i think one is jp thou.other works ok but i would only keep the file on your usb card
o and you can not save a crupted char any more the double save provents you from saving you hard erned char, go fig.....

[Jkid]

Actully,I'm thinking of doing a boycott against Sega for giving us poor customer service.

[Sonicjsg]

I have to say that SEGA really dosn't seem to care. They add a double save to stop duping, but they found ways around it, so if duping is still a problem, the remove the double save and live with it. There isn't a way to stop duping, so SEGA should get rid of it and deal with it. It causes FSOD and corruption but when we ask for help, they don't care. If I had an USB Card, I would like to know how to copy charater data. COuld someone tell us where to get one, how much it cost, and how to make backups?

[ar]

here we go....
im not sure if any one posted this information but i will explain when your chars can be "corupted"
there are a few instances where you can be corupted
A. a mod chip owner sends a packet that causes a game to crash(for you programmers out of range packets...pinging etc not going to explain but little kid exploits)
B.some one joins a game at the same time as you and your packets to join the game are sent but delayed after a certian point if it thinks the packet got there and it didnt you will be stuck in fsod:) if it does realliaze this it will just return you to the lobby
example:
game: i wanna join this game
other user: so do i
server: ok both of you i got your info let me process it
now if for some reason any packet after that is delayed or stop the game fails(if this occuars any where else you will recieve a msg saying you have been disconnected and it will save)
C.your internet dies at any loading screen what so ever

in conclucion all it would take to fix this whole delima would to just have a little sub that makes sure it stays online. it would take about 3 mins to make the proper changes to the code for the game to fix it yet in like 5 version of the game they havent changed any of the coding mechanics........sorry if this doesnt make any sense if any one would like any clarafaction on the subject just pm me or send an icq to 308041883

[Interceptor]

I had a high-level HUcast, offline only.
When i got my connenction i checked it out. (first time!) I was in the lobby for about 1min, when i quit (dinner), it said that corruption bullshit!
Wasn't crowded either, it was the 50Hz server.
Got corrupted again 2 hours later...
So i started on a new mem card, i'm lv 103 now, so i think its allright now.
But still, isn't there a way to back up your saves on the Gamecube? I don't think the action replay can.

I hope Sonic team has finaly fixed the problem with EP3, and if they haven't, the least they can do is include a back up option or something...

I hope sega's attitude towards gamers won't catch on by the other consoles, only your money mathers...
But why should they care anyway? Sega is allready as good as lost, they just try to keep the compagny running by producing for other consoles, or by making sequels of excisting games as cheap as possible. Let's keep in mind they probably don't have a great budget left. Just look at EP2, no quests, first 2 levels same old enemies and an update of the old enemies in Central control and seabed. Graphics are great tough.

Oh well, let's give them another chance with EP3. They clearly made efforts to change the game, right?
Hopefully for the best...