Robo Rally Expansions, Enhancements, and BUG list

[RobEng]

We actually have been looking into some of these bugs.

C1 (scrambled registers), C7 (high power laser not working unless next to wall or robot), C8 (map editor-new maps needing to update before being playable) have code fixes in place. They still have to be tested and deployed but they may be up on the live site as early as August 3.

C6 (alternate scrambled registered problem) may be fixed along with C1 fix but that has not been confirmed.

C5 (mechanical arm snagging a 2nd option card) is actually implemented correctly per a direct email from Wizards of the Coast.

C2 (when looking at another bot who is powering down, you power down) has been logged but not fixed.

C3 (choosing starting options w/ roborally window in background) needs to get verified.

C4 (register cards revealing before choosing to use an option card) will have to be a question we forward to Wizards.

[timmonte]

That's great news! I'd be more than willing to help test if you'd like some other eyes on the fixes....

[RobEng]

We recreated the situation for C3 but were unable recreate the bug. We will keep our ears open for additional reports.

[Work_Bane]

Is the effect of Tractor and Howitzer/Pressor Beam -- where one shoves it off the board/into a pit and the other pulls it out/vice versa,
the correct implementation of the cards --

Was pushed off the top of a map by pressor and was pulled back on by the tractor ---
Heard of bots being pressor/how into a pit and tractor pulling it across --

[timmonte]

For bug C3, here is what I did:
1. I opened the Robo Rally launch screen myself.
2. I select the "Tricksy" board and some AI's.
3. I clicked on start and then immediately clicked on another window to force the Robo Rally window to the background.

When the Robo Rally game window came up, I got the popup to choose which options to discard, but there aren't any option cards listed. I have seen this on occasion in games with other bots. I can send a picture if that's useful.

Of the remaining reproducible bugs, the power down switch being set wrong is clearly the highest priority. It also can change who wins a game.

There are still some intermittent bugs that are very annoying (such as double clicking on cards causing them to disappear), but I realize without any known scenario's to reproduce them. they are very difficult to fix.

[timmonte]

In regard to Work_Bane's bug post, I have also seen strange behavior with the interactions between the Mini Howitzer, Pressor Beam and Tractor Beam option cards. Besides the issues that he raised, if the options are fired at the same bot from different angles, the target bot sometimes moves in strange directions (i.e., not a cummulative effect of the actual option cards).

There is also some potential rules ambiguity here that seldom (if ever) comes up such as:
1. What if a bot is hit by pressor beam and tractor beam from opposite sides? Should the bot be moved 2 spaces (or just 1 space VERY QUICKLY)?
2. What if a bot is hit by pressor beam and tractor beam at 90 degree angles (which theoretically should move the bot diagonally), but there is another bot already in that spot?

Because it is very difficult to reproduce these kinds of combinations (since obtaining specific option cards is not controllable to the average user), it is hard to actually run different scenarios.

[Work_Bane]

Some of the option interaction issues could be solved like move cards -- with Priorities --

If that wasn't the intent of the designers to start with --

[RobEng]

So I got a non-answer from Wizards customer service on bug C4 (reveal all Program cards then choose option usage or choose options before revealing other players' r Program cards for that register) but it did get me to re-read rules and some of the option cards involved with it. The text on the Brakes and Fourth Gear cards start off, "Whenever you execute a Move 1/3 [respectively] you may move your robot..." The moment of executing your move is dependent on the order of the registers being put in play which is dependent on revealing all registering to determine the order of play. Of course, you could argue that the server could create a fog of war situation where you do not know not know the programmed actions of cards activating after the player with options but we feel this would be in unnecessary deviation from how the board game must be played.

The short story is that we are identifying Bug C4 as invalid.

[timmonte]

Thanks Rob. I marked C4 as working as designed. Any word on when the existing code fixes that you've been working on might get deployed?

[RobEng]

Thanks Rob. I marked C4 as working as designed. Any word on when the existing code fixes that you've been working on might get deployed?

I expect those fixes to go up either August 10th or the 17th.

[timmonte]

I just completed initial testing of the code drop this morning. A number of the defined code bugs are now FIXED including several variations of the swapped cards. I'll do some more tests when I get a chance, but I've posted the results of my testing in my online document:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/143-jLdmGhRkTjLU4KYLKuL4dblstDuRiTj9lxaoLy94/edit?hl=en_US&authkey=COLFg9sP#

Many thanks to the GTO team for these fixes!!!!

timmonte

P.S., Can we think about some of the enhancements next?

[timmonte]

I have to say that Robo Rally has been playing MUCH better with the last set of fixes. There are a lot fewer problems and unpredictable results now. Thanks again!

[timmonte]

I just updated the document that I had previously posted in Google Docs listing a collection of possible enhancements to Robo Rally.

Here's the link to the document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/143-jLdmGhRkTjLU4KYLKuL4dblstDuRiTj9lxaoLy94/edit?hl=en_US&authkey=COLFg9sP

GTO had fixed a number of bugs a while back. Hopefully we'll get some enhancements in the not to distant future.