All spells fizzle on server, none cast

[Rodnoldo]

I stood up built a new Windows server using Akkadius installer version downloaded in July 2019. Clients connected and folks used the server for about a month when my Windows 10 system was patched and some Windows function took over the TCP port 9001 causing everything to fail in mid-August. I could not get the server to start.

After reinstalling with a more current installer version (this one includes Strawberry-perl-5.24.4.1-64bit), I still could not get restarted until reading forums, I finally ran across a note someone mentioned a Windows process using port 9001. Sure enough, after changing that to in json file for TCP to 9002, the server came back up.

I updated a fresh peq from that installer with data to account and character tables and some items. Then added all my quests back in and everything seemed to be working from my build and test perspective.

Then I let users on and realized my current problem.
No player character can cast spells, whether GM or not privileged. Existing or newly created character.
Every attempt fizzles, and fizzles until the mana pool is exhausted. No player character can cast a successful spell, at all.
Same issue from any client machine connecting, so I do not think this is a client issue.

My quest NPCs can cast their spells like normal with CastSpell in the perl scripts.

Where can I look in the database for some peculiarity or entry?

How can I turn on more logging to see if an error occurs so I can try to find what is wrong in the server configuration or database?

I'm kind of at a loss here. I have never seen this before and I cannot find any forum topic which describes the same "every character NPC spell fizzles every time."

Thanks, very much.

[ChaosSlayerZ]

A while back - like 10 year back - I had issue with spell casting
I can't tell you exact reasons but check:

that you have .map files for all zones
make sure that client side spell files matches server (specially for Titanium clients)

[Uleat]

I know someone else recently had this problem, too .. just can't remember who or what the fix was :(

[Rodnoldo]

Uleat, I was unable to find any post in forums which specifically referred a full loss of spell casting ability. If you recall or run across any such post, please share it. Thanks!

ChaosSlayerZ,
I read the readme.md in the server maps folder and see that maps are used for LoS related to spellcasting. I'm unsure what the .map files actually do to allow or inhibit "fizzle". My issue is that spells cast, but always fizzle and never complete.

I have checked this in poknowledge and I also have the poknowledge.map file in the base sub-directory of my EQServer\maps directory. I find 508 .map files in the base sub-directory.

The maps folder in the server directory has a number of sub-directories.
I'm pretty sure the Akkadius installer pulls the maps down as part of the installation.

Is there a location I can download from GitHub or SourceForge the full complement of .map directory and contents needed for the Titanium client?

All folks connecting to my server use the Titanium client to do so.
Connection is fine, but spellcasting is the only problem reported by my players or noticed by myself.

Thanks for the help.

[Uleat]

The only thing I can find myself is a comment on Discord:

Originally Posted by [op]

Wasn't there something that the spells fizzled if you had the wrong spells_us.txt on the client?

That might apply to a single client .. but, shouldn't affect the actual server.

Since your npcs can cast, it shouldn't be the database table.

Still have my ears open...


EDIT:

You can try #logs set file 24 3 and see what comes out in the log file. (24 should be spells.)

To turn it off, #logs set file 24 0.

This logging is temporary and will revert back to default once the zone shuts down.

[Rodnoldo]

Uleat,
Thanks for checking.

I don't think it is the spells_us.txt on the client.

I run 2 servers.
1 is set up for easy solo and 1 is the spell fizzle problem server, not such an easy server. Players using the same Titaniam client install can play on my solo server without the fizzle problem or my not-so-solo server with the fizzle problem.

I'll try the logging and see if something comes up.

Thanks for the tip. I didn't know how to create extra logging for errors.

[Uleat]

If you add/modify spells server-side, you will need to export the spells table and make the new file available to anyone that plays on that server.

Not sure if that is the issue..but, something to consider if you haven't already done so.


If you do have to export a spells file, you might consider doing one for the other server as well since the modified spells file may cause issues on the 'solo' server.


As far as I know, there is no easy way to manage spell files between servers.

Only a dedicated install or constantly swapping out the file can alleviate this type of issue.

[Rodnoldo]

Nope.
I have not modified any spell file in client or server (either server).

I have not modified the spells_us.txt on any client, shows date/time stamp of 10/28/2005 7:04 PM on my personal system. I can login my solo server with this client and no fizzles, normal casting. I can login my troubled server and all spells fizzle.
I do not think the problem is client-side.

Everyone accessing my 2 servers run the default Titanium client and have no issues on my solo server. But experience the same spell fizzle issue on my troubled server.

I have modified a few items in the database to use different spells, and I have NPCs which use CastSpell in the perl scripts on both servers.

I'm still digging. Thanks.

[Zandig]

I recently set up a server again after many years. Anyhow I also had this problem. Just get the characters to level 2 and spell casting will work.

Not really sure what the issue is, but at level 2 you will see the skills kick in as well.

[Huppy]

Just thought i would mention some trivial info for people "new" to this that may not have the knowledge, yet. In the database, there is a table called spells_new. It contains all the spells, that your server is using, or going to use.
As Uleat was implying above, it's 'recommended" that your spells_us.txt file (and 3 others) match the table(s) in your database. That is easily accomplished, by running the export_client_files in your server folder. (as long as you have a subfolder named "export" in your main server folder. Running that will generate the 4 client files. spells_us.txt, dbstr_us.txt, basedata.txt and skillcaps.txt. Copy those files over to all your clients. The basedata and skillcaps files go in the client/Resources folder. The other 2 go in your client main folder.
This is not guaranteed to fix anyone's spell problems, but it can help to rule out any conflicts with that issue.

[Rodnoldo]

Thanks, folks (Ulead, ChaosSlayerZ, Huppy), for responding to my inquiry.

Although good and interesting information about the spells_new table and spells_us.txt files and required synchronization, I did not pursue that course. As I mentioned, I have 2 servers and users of 1 cast spells normally. Users of the other all fizzled. Same clients... therefore, the client-side spells_us.txt with DB table did not seem relevant.

While trying to resolve the issue with port 9001, I also mentioned, I had installed and reinstalled the server to see if I could get zones.exe to run. So, I had 2-3 different EQServer install folders. For that port 9001 one I changed the port to 9002 and all is good... except the spells all fizzle.

I went back to a few of the other EQServer installs I had created and used the same database, made a few changes in json to match (including the port 9002). When I start the server, all zones.exe start normally. When I log in, my character is able to cast spells again. No abnormal fizzles.

I cannot clearly state what aspect of my EQServer install was flakey and caused the "every spell fizzles" issue for player characters. But I think a fresh install of EQServer seems to have been the resolution.

Thanks, again. I'll chalk this up to another server mystery.

If I run into any other issues with that same fizzle issue, I'll post here again.