Possible Login Server Bug

[John Adams]

Y'all are way more patient than I am. If I can't get through after 3 tries, I'm off finding something else to do (read: I switch my server to minilogin tee hee hee).

[xulok]

What is minilogin? This bug is driving me bonkers.

Also, has anyone figured out how to filter out this particular packet with a firewall? I something alluding to it in the thread, but nothing definitive.

[patyrn2k1]

To answer xulok's question concerning minilogin, it's a standalone login server you would have on your local pc that allows access to a standalone eqemu server that you have on your network. When this bug pops up for me ( as it does all the time ) I just log into my own world and play around for a bit, as to your other question, I have no idea if one's firewall could filter this packet out, my quess is that it can't be done with the run of the mill FW, probly need some solid FW software to do this with.

[xulok]

Is it Sony code that is sending the packet or is it community code?

[a6equj5]

I just changed the eqlsUIConfig.ini file section below to Show=0 and it fixed the problem for me after trying to log in 20 times or so.

[PollWindow]
INIVersion=1
XPos640x480=0
XPos1280x1024=320
YPos640x480=0
YPos1280x1024=272
Show=0
BGTint.red=255
BGTint.green=255
BGTint.blue=255
BGType=1
Fades=true
Delay=2000
Duration=500
Alpha=255
FadeToAlpha=255
Locked=true

Hopefully I'm not posting where I shouldn't be. I'm new here, but it was a definitive fix for me related to the poll window.

[zuperzip]

As of yesterday the last of the 6 accounts I often play received the Survey. I responded "Yes" then clicked "Submit" now none of those accounts get the SSSE. The reason I'm posting this is because of when it happened. I was in game with one of my accounts talking in guildchat and heard about someone losing a character to a random disconnection from PEQ, this seems semi-common the last couple days. As they logged their character back in it received the Survey. Also another person who had been fighting through the SSSEs for 20 minutes or so announced that they also just received the Survey. Quickly I fired up another EQ client and logged in my 'uncured' account. Sure enough I got the Survey. I found none of us had used the Quick Connect.

This was the only time I've heard of more than one player getting the Survey at roughly the same time. It could be it was just random luck but it's worth chasing on a small scale. Here are my untested recommendations.

1. If you receive the Survey quickly notify others in your guild so they may try to do the same thing I did. I'm guessing you've got one or two minutes max to catch the wave. If you find similar results post back here and we'll start announcing in /ooc and IRC.

2. Don't use Quick Connect when attempting to catch the Survey.

Originally Posted by xulok

Is it Sony code that is sending the packet or is it community code?

Xulok, as far as I can tell It's all between the player and the EQEmu login server.

[John Adams]

Originally Posted by a6equj5

Hopefully I'm not posting where I shouldn't be. I'm new here, but it was a definitive fix for me related to the poll window.

You're safe. That's an editable data file, so it should be no more illegal than changing eqhosts.txt If anyone else tries this fix and it works, please let us know. Though chances are, you got lucky. This has been a sinister bug for far too long.

[Sakrateri]

Dont know if this has been tried or not but its just another thing those that are having problems can try out , this is from the official SOE Tech forums

Will need to make a point, after following this suggestion, DO NOT attempt to use/go to Full Screen mode until you are completely into game, but even then you may still crash. If so, you will need to play in windowed mode til Devs figure out what they are doing. SMILEY

1. Drill down into Everquest folder, locate and run OptionsEditor.

2. Drill down into Everquest folder, locate and open up to edit eqclient.ini (not eqsclient.ini).

3. In [Default] section, use Find to locate WindowedMode then make sure it is set as WindowedMode=TRUE.

4. And if the line does not exist, insert WindowedMode=TRUE immediately under the [Default] section. This will force all of EQ windows to open up in Windowed mode. (do NOT attempt to alt enter to use Full screen mode, unless you like errors).

5. The scroll down to Video Mode, and replace it with the following lines, making sure to change them to MATCH your current desktop settings (start/settings/control panel/display properties/settings tab). Do not get funny with the settings.

[VideoMode]
WindowedWidth=1680
WindowedHeight=1050
Width=1680
Height=1050
FullscreenBitsPerPixel=32
FullscreenRefreshRate=60

Save and close. Make sure that your windows Display Properties is set to the same. All of EQ windows will open up in windowed mode. This should allow you to get into game. From within the game, you can attempt to go to Full Screen mode.

Report back success or failure.

Report back your video card (brand/model), monitor, whether it is an LCD or CRT, and the type of connection being used, ie analog (old/regular connection) or DVI-D (wierd/new connection type).

For some this may not work, as they have other issues. But for the record I am on 67 people (I have used a bottle of Tylenol so far) who were not able to get into game and play until they followed the above instructions.

Aye, of those only 5 were able to go into Full screen mode while the others would have EQ crash/error. At the moment they are regulated to windowed mode.

[Doodman]

I closed the current login poll, so if this bug is related to the polling system then this should hopefully clear it up.

Let me know if it appears to help the problem. I'll leave the polls disabled at least until I find/fix the problem, if not longer.

Doodman

[patyrn2k1]

I just tried a6equj5's fix, and it seemed to work, no more crashes, where before I would be very lucky not to get a crash, could be on to something here ....

[zuperzip]

Originally Posted by patyrn2k1

I just tried a6equj5's fix, and it seemed to work, no more crashes, where before I would be very lucky not to get a crash, could be on to something here ....

It's worth a try but don't get your hopes up. I found it did not work for me. At times the login server is slow to send the 2nd survey packet and so creates the illusion that something you've done has solved the problem. If you find that this does not work for you be sure to make "Show=1" again.