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File #2394, Example AI Battle Mission

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h3oCharles:
here's a replay as proof that this mission is clearable
I can't upload replay files in missions files separately for some reason

NOTE: this replay (and the one posted by Deadcode below) has Guardmen as CPU5.5, which is no longer the case with this mission now

Deadcode:
There's a reason I have WA range-checking the CPU level to prohibit anything higher than CPU 5.00. Higher levels behave absolutely identically to CPU 5. Apparently the author of wkTerrainSync did not even bother to test that before blindly disabling a range check they did not understand. (It would of course be possible to have higher CPU levels behave differently, but that would require changing more than wkTerrainSync does. As it stands, there is no difference whatsoever between a CPU 5 and a "CPU 6".)

This replay can be easily edited to no longer require wkTerrainSync. It is playable with vanilla WA v3.8.1, while still showing the exact same sequence of events leading to completion of the mission:

2021-08-22 01.17.57 [Offline Custom Mission] @ch4ruzu, Guardsmen, Patrol, Commandos.WAgame

h3oCharles:
Hmm, interesting, i guess that's something worth taking a look at.

What about making a TAS of this mission? Or should I first make a chally for this mission?

nizikawa:
.

Deadcode:

--- Quote from: nizikawa on October 19, 2021, 12:14 PM ---My knowledge regarding "CPU 6" is based on WKB page: https://worms2d.info/Worms_Armageddon_mission_file which, only now confirmed to be wrong, states that "CPU 6" team indeed exists.
A patch to the replay loader was made because WA was inconsistent in handling extra CPU levels - it was possible to start a mission with a WAM file that adds "CPU 6" team, but was impossible to watch a replay from such game. This was enough reason to warrant disabling the range check.

A lot of effort was dedicated to creation and further development of wkTerrainSync and my other modules to implement features previously impossible in WA and probably not present in future WA releases. I've dedicated several weeks reverse engineering WA to understand its inner workings to the best of my abilities to be able to create and share my works with the community as open-source modules. Saying that I did not even bother is disrespectful, especially from someone with access to WA's source code.

--- End quote ---

What is disrespectful is you assuming that a range check, that I put careful consideration into putting into the game, has no purpose and can be removed without consequence. The fact remains that you put no research into checking if CPU levels higher than 5.00 made any difference at all, simply removing the range check and calling it a day. That is deceptive to people using your software, encouraging a placebo effect, and resulting in people wasting time experimenting with higher CPU intelligence levels, thinking it's actually making a difference when it isn't. It also means that if you end up actually finding out how to enable higher levels for real, and do so, this will either result in replay files becoming incompatible (with checksum errors and desynchronized playback) or require you to implement compatibility with earlier versions of your module, perhaps by using the version number field in your embedded JSON data.

As for the WKB page on the mission file format, for one thing, it is a completely unofficial source of information; nobody has asked me to check over it and I have not done so. Nevertheless it does appear at a glance to be of high quality. But what you claim is on it is nowhere to be seen; nowhere does it claim that "CPU 6" is possible, in fact quite to the contrary, it states that "81-100 = CPU5" and makes no mention of any higher level.

If your worst mistake had been lack of research on a range-check, I would have been kinder to you. But you have been reckless and irresponsible in your activities. You released a "TA build" knockoff, without even asking me, which means that now anyone with a basic knowledge of reverse-engineering can take your work and remove its restrictions, making it work online and write replays indistinguishable from the standard build, with far, far less time and work than you put into it. This is because by its very nature your "TA build" must be a patch to the standard WA.exe (and it is, never mind that it includes the patched EXE as a copy rather than making the patch itself), making it easy for another, less scrupulous reverse-engineer to go through each individual patch and determine which ones block online use and which ones encrypt the replay, and undo those patches while keeping the rest. The only safe way to release a TA build is as a full build from source code with the online parts of the game conditionally-compiled out, which is what my TA builds do. And yes, I have been taking a very long time to get around to finishing my TA build to the point that it is publicly releasable, but I have looked forward with great anticipation to that time, when there can be full-out competition between people TA-optimizing various scenarios. It will take some patience, but the wait will be well worth it. The release of your "TA build", however, may just end up throwing the game into chaos with people invisibly cheating online and offline, forcing me to put lots of time and work into cheat-proofing WA when my time would be much better spent adding features and fixing bugs.

You have also released the source code to a module that shows worm numbering, making it even easier for anybody to build a modified version that is completely unrestricted for showing worm numbering online. Compared to the "TA build" this is a small thing, but it is by itself still bad, and has had quite a negative effect on the community.


I also noticed a while ago when you were complaining on Discord about how you were relegated to reverse-engineering and making patches for a "kids' game"...

--- Quote ---August 25, 2021
[1:22 PM] nizikawa: knowing that other cool guys use their skills to hack modern systems like PS4, find 0day exploits, secure commercial systems or write research papers on computer security
[1:22 PM] nizikawa: while you're stuck modding 20+ year old kids game...
[1:22 PM] nizikawa: it's pretty depressing

--- End quote ---
Do you even have any respect for the game you are hacking up to bits?

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