We link both the 32-bit and the 64-bit executables with lld-link. These executables will try to write all exceptions flying out of main() to stderr, which is closed because we suppress the console. Therefore, we see Lix terminate seemingly without error.

When we link a test project with Optlink (instead of with lld-link) and again suppress the console, we get the desired error box for exceptions flying out of main().

Is it possible to route the uncaught exceptions to error boxes even when we link with lld-link? I've looked through lld-link's command-line switches, and none of them look related. I'll ask on the D forums these days.

-- Simon

I call a replay oneframediff if and only if both of the following hold:

• During mass-replay verification in NL 12.12.5, it shows the same high-level result (pass, fail, undetermined, ...) as during mass-replay verification in nl-2024-04-08.
  
• Mass-replay verification in NL 12.12.5 takes exactly one physics update longer to run this replay than the mass-replay verification in nl-2024-04-08.
  

See my earlier long post for why I expect oneframediff replays.

Now:

• All 208 replays in Lemmings United (excluding Bonus rank) are oneframediff.
  
• All 120 replays in Lemmings Introduction pack are oneframediff.
  
• I have 3 more Icho replay collections that I'll test for oneframediff-ness. Expect more results in the next 0-3 days.
  

Thus: Excellent so far!

Here is a Bash script that takes two NL output files (pass them as argument 1 and argument 2 to this script) and tells me if the replays are oneframediff:

#!bin/bash
paste "$1" "$2" \
    | sed 's%[^(]* (%,%' \
    | sed 's% [^(]*(%,%' \
    | sed 's% .*$%%' \
    | grep ^, \
    | grep -v "none" \
    | grep -v "TALISMAN" \
    | awk 'BEGIN { FS="," } { print $2 - $3; }'

The script prints the difference (see item 2 in my first enumerated list in this post) in run frames of the replay between the two NL versions. For a oneframediff replay, the script will print 1. If everything is oneframediff, you get a long stream of 1s.

The NL replay results format isn't the nicest to parse. But this script isn't particularly smart either; I should have relied on the consistently-appearing "... frames" in the NL replay format. Instead, the script cuts at open parentheses (, which will occiasionally appear in the level names. The script won't halt on such extra parentheses, but will produce garbage results over 1,000 or under −1,000 that we must examine by hand. All were fine.

-- Simon

Right.

First, #488: Logging (user/log.txt): Exceptions during init aren't logged. This will be easy to fix. I'll fix this in the next release, Lix 0.10.23. I've already put the fix in my unstable repo's master.

Second, on Windows, years ago, the D runtime used to generate a dialog box for unrecoverable errors (exceptions/errors flying out of main). Only after clicking away that dialog box, Lix would exit. Nowadays, we don't get this dialog box anymore. I don't know why we don't get the dialog anymore.

Third, on Windows, we suppress the console. This is correct. We'll ask people to look in user/log.txt for errors. The above #488 has prevented this during initialization, it won't prevent it from Lix 0.10.23 on.

---

We can investigate why there is no dialog box (above "Second, on Windows ..."). Possible relation with suppressing the console? Although we have suppressed the console for years, too.

-- Simon

Quote from: WillLem on April 18, 2024, 11:47:38 AM

We should catch up again properly about this soon, let me know when you're available.

I'll be busy this weekend. Which of the following suits you best?
[...]
Wednesday, April 24, 20:00 UTC

I can't do much more than offer these times. I expected you to agree on one or propose something else.

Friday, 26th, 17:00 UTC I can make. Otherwise it will have to be next week.

-- Simon

Thanks. I'll call that executable nl-2024-04-08.

Icho has sent me his replay coverage for Lemmings United. I've looked at his 208 replays for what is not in the bonus rank of United. These 208 replays are mostly 1 per level, sometimes 2 per level.

I've ran those 208 Lemmings United replays separately through each of the following:

• NL 12.12.5 stable,
  
• nl-2024-04-08 with the option: Always Exit to Postview,
  
• nl-2024-04-08 with the option: Exit if Save Requirement Met,
  
• nl-2024-04-08 with the option: Never Exit to Postview.
  

Find attached NL's text output. First findings:

All 208 replays pass (solve their level) in all of the 4 runs.

Your nl-2024-04-08 produces output independent of the 3-way option. In more detail: When I run mass replay verification in the nl-2024-04-08 with the option to Exit if Save Requirement Met, I get the same output (i.e., identical text file) as when I run mass replay verification in the nl-2024-04-08 with the option Never Exit to Postview, or with the option Always Exit to Postview. This is good.

Your nl-2024-04-08 produces different output than NL 12.12.5. In NL 12.12.5, most (all?) replays run for exactly 1 physics update longer than in nl-2024-04-08. It's drudgework to check this claim for all 208 lines, I haven't written a script to verify that claim for me.

For example, NL 12.12.5 produces:
Pacifism 8:  10000 B.C..nxrp   (1882 frames) LvV 0000000000000000 / RpV: 0000000000000000
nl-2024-04-08 produces:
Pacifism 8:  10000 B.C..nxrp   (1881 frames) LvV 0000000000000000 / RpV: 0000000000000000
The only difference here is that NL 12.12.5 runs for 1882 physics updates ("frames") and nl-2024-04-08 runs for 1881 physics updates before both conclude that the replay passes its level.

We can explain this with the reworked end-of-level behavior: NL 12.12.5 must start a new physics update before it can conclude that the map is over. nl-2024-04-08 can test for completion in between two physics updates. Therefore, nl-2024-04-08 needs one physics update fewer. Thus, I believe: There is nothing to worry here. Do you agree?

The high-level result (pass or fail) is identical across NL 12.12.5 and nl-2024-04-08. All levels pass.

This doesn't conclude the testing of mass replay verification yet. Reason: I've only tested solving replays. I haven't tested a big bucket of failing replays, of indeterminate replays (that run for too long after final skill), of weird nukes in the replays, ...

And I have replays for 4 more Icho packs. That's for next week.

-- Simon

More state that a lemming carries around. How does it relate to existing such state? Can you be a neutral rival? Or are you exactly one of regular, rival, neutral, etc.? How do neutrals count in the different exits?

Do you have different skillsets per such tribe? Clones had this; it's an elaborate feature, but again with unique level design possibilities. Neutrals would dissolve nicely into this idea, too; neutrals are then yet another such tribe that never gets skills.

Take care with using only color to mark things. Blue athletes are now harder to differentiate from the red athlete.

There is a natural burden on this feature. You must make it pull its weight. It's not enough to play existing 2-player levels; most of those are boring in singleplayer by design. For perspective: Even zombies feel like they're not pulling their weight; their complexity weighs a lot, see our nuke/exiting worries from last month. Neutrals have been more lightweight than zombies.

-- Simon

lem hitting a steel block
fall (potentially fatal), or propel safely back down?

You can copy what the jumper does: Allow a queued shimmier assignment to execute here, otherwise fall. Then your two upwards-flying skills (propeller and jumper) are consistent with each other.

Feeling: NL/SLX allow climbers to jump off walls, swimmers to jump out of water, ..., then why not propellers to shimmy, too.

Yes, the skills should be about one thing and have few rules (as WillLem says), yet be able to play roles of swiss army knifes (as mobius says). The potential falling (with or without allowed shimmier assignment) has its uses, too: Combine with floater, combine with a higher lemming splatforming underneath in the meantime, ...

-- Simon