Unable to join multiplayer sessions from clean install

[Scottbe8]

You know that dreaded "The session or its dependencies are not built-in" error you've undoubtedly gotten in TS12 multiplayer? Well, it's been happening to me, and it's started to piss me off a bit. What I have is a clean copy of TS12 for the sole purpose of playing multiplayer sessions. This copy has no locally-modified content, and the only DLC pack on it is Aerotrain (which obsoletes <kuid:-3:16010> Passengers).

Here's what I think the problem is.

- The route, session, or dependencies reference obsolete KUIDs. These KUIDs have later versions installed from the DLS or built-in to Trainz. However, the specific versions referenced in the kuid-table containers of the offending assets are not available on the DLS due to the cleanup operation currently underway. Unfortunately, content creators are not aware of this or are unsure of how to edit their kuid-tables to get around this quirk. So content updates are continuously being released which reference obsolete, unavailable KUIDs, and the multiplayer session thus bars the player from joining the session because of these bad KUID references.

Here's a possible solution which I hope to be implemented in the next update to Trainz.

- Rather than checking the kuid-table itself, the software should perform, on session initiation, an automatic check much like this manual check which can be done in Content Manager:
1) Revert all local modifications to built-in assets and to any asset that is an update to a built-in asset. Store the modified versions in Userdata/Backups.
2) View the session's dependencies.

a) If any of these are locally modified, attempt to revert; store the modified versions in Userdata/Backups.
b) If any of these are on the download station, attempt to download.
c) If any of these have updates on the download station, attempt to download.
d) If any of these have errors, prevent the player from joining the session.​

3) Filter out any assets that are built-in or are updates to built-in assets.
4) View the dependencies of the remaining assets and go back to 2a).
5) Repeat this process until the asset lists become cyclic.

 

[shaneturner12]

I have a feeling that your issue may also be to do with the Aerotrain DLC. The way I see it is that if any DLCs are installed, it will muck up Multiplayer.

Shane

 

[railventure]

Scott also found that some MP sessions which are described as TS12 also have built in TS10 content.

So if you have TS10 built into TS12 everything runs sweet. But if you only have the TS12 install of the same session it will give the "The session or its dependencies are not built-in" error. I have 2 TS12 games set up one with TS12 only and the other with TS12 + TS10 built in together.

Also an extended data base repair sometimes also clears the error, even with a new clean install.

 

[shaneturner12]

That would make sense. Only thing I am aware though is that by importing TS2010 builtins directly, you are also importing known faulty content in the process.

Shane

 

[railventure]

Seems to ignore the faulty assets when it is fooled into thinking it is built in. As for other non DLS content i have several locos maps etc and does not seem to affect the MP sessions that i have, the only exception was the S&C MP sessions that would load but would not allow others to join.

 

[shaneturner12]

It may do, but it's as bad as having faulty non-builtin assets - the game performance and stability is affected.

Non-DLS content (apart from DLC content) should not affect MP, unless the content from which is used in a MP route/session.

Shane

 

[sniper297]

A KUID table is built using whatever KUID numbers are installed at the time of creation, so any KUID2 update after that it will technically be referencing obsolete numbers - but it SHOULD automatically go to whatever the latest KUID2 version it can find. Where that usually fails is right after the update, near as I can tell the sequence is;
1. I upload a KUID2 replacement, the upload gets approved by the bot.
2. The bot removes the original KUID from the DLS so it's no longer available.
3. The bot uploads the KUID2 replacement.
4. After a 24-48 hour delay content mangler updates the database to display what was new on the DLS one or two days ago.

That's when it works right, there's always a problem between 2 and 4 because content manager is somehow informed immediately that there is a KUID2 replacement and the one currently installed is obsolete, but it's unable to figure out what it's obsoleted by until it gets the DLS update, unknown location. It fixes itself a day or two later when everything is working correctly.

Where it falls down is whenever there's a problem with the DLS, every time the DLS server blows a fuse you have to wait until a day or two after it's fixed and run an EDR to get content mangler to actually look at the download station instead of loading from the cache. At the moment the DLS has been working okay for a couple weeks, so I would do an EDR to see if that fixes it.

 

[Scottbe8]

I should point out that it didn't work before adding Aerotrain, either. And there's no reason why a program should waste 5 hours of precious time per week per user. N3V has to get on top of streamlining database synchronization.

 

[danny5]

Scottbe8 What MP session are you trying to join ? The server was down 3 to 4 days last week,came back up Sat. morning. I had a session up from Sat. 7 am till today at 3 pm EST. UMR & UMR lite was running too.