Feature request: Additions to .WAGame logs

[yess]

Is there any chance that more actions could be added to the *.log files exported from *.WAGame recordings?

For example, crate/health/utility pickups, mines being triggered/fired, worm deaths, etc.

Or possibly even some minor details in the header of the log detailing what health the worms start with and how many worms on each time.

I am putting together a log analyzer that examines, color-highlights and records stats from logs generated from a *.WAGame for the purpose of officially recording clan matches and easily publishing them on the web.

http://wa.eleethal.com/games.php

I'm guessing CyberShadow will be the one replying to this question, I hope that at least some of these requests will be deemed useful in the next update.

As for 3.6.29.0, I love it, you are on the right track with all the new changes/fixes as far as I can tell! :)

On another note: Possible bug report.
I recorded several games thismorning (August 4th) and the filenames of the .WAGame show a timestamp of August 5th, and I am 100% sure my system clock is accurate, currently showing Mon Aug 04 22:27:46 2008.

2008-08-05 02.25.28 [Online] @pE-YESS.WAgame
2008-08-05 02.36.04 [Online] @pE-YESS.WAgame
2008-08-05 05.44.16 [Offline] YESS.WAgame
2008-08-05 06.07.45 [Offline] YESS, xSQDx.WAgame

Thanks for all your hard work improving everyones Worms experience and keeping this great game alive!

[CyberShadow]

I'll look into it.

Replay timestamps are in GMT time.

[yakuza]

This is very interesting, but do you have any plans to make cheat-free?

[yess]

Yakuza;

The way the analyzer will work is a clan member will upload the actual .WAGame to the site, and a admin such as myself or another high ranking clan member will review the .WAGame, extract the .log and post it. That does still leave the slim possibility of the .WAGame being modified, I don't know how hard that would be, but another player could challenge it and submit their .WAGame if they claim the one posted is false. This is the only way that I can see to prevent false posts, any feedback would be appreciated.

[bonz]

Yakuza;

The way the analyzer will work is a clan member will upload the actual .WAGame to the site, and a admin such as myself or another high ranking clan member will review the .WAGame, extract the .log and post it. That does still leave the slim possibility of the .WAGame being modified, I don't know how hard that would be, but another player could challenge it and submit their .WAGame if they claim the one posted is false. This is the only way that I can see to prevent false posts, any feedback would be appreciated.
What if two players use two modified replay files to challenge a third players valid one? :rolleyes:

[yess]

Hopfully our clan won't attract the kind of members that would get together and do that, not to mention I think it would take quite a bit of effort to falsify a single replay, let alone replays recorded from two different sources... Although I could be wrong. Has anyone seen any replays that have been significantly modified to show false information? Simple things like chat could probably be edited without much trouble, but I imagine editing the actual gameplay actions would be quite a feat.

[KRD]

Yeah, editing replays just results in a mass of checksum errors being displayed in red throughout the chat. Not a feat to spot, heh. :p

[yess]

Speaking of Checksum errors, I've noticed quite a few in the logs even when playing offline practicing proper, no idea why, I set my log analyzer to drop those lines because they were just too frequent.

[robowurmz]

How do people edit replays anyway? I don't see how it's possible unless you know the complete ins and outs of worms so you can use a hex editor...

[Run]

I'd quite like to see crate stats in logs, it would be useful for comparing arsenals in T17 games.

[CyberShadow]

Speaking of Checksum errors, I've noticed quite a few in the logs even when playing offline practicing proper, no idea why, I set my log analyzer to drop those lines because they were just too frequent.
That could be related to the following bug in 3.6.28.0, now fixed in 3.6.29.0:Replays of "online" games that were actually played offline would play back with checksum errors.
Normally, checksum errors when playing back replays indicate that the replay file has been tampered with.

[yess]

That could be related to the following bug in 3.6.28.0, now fixed in 3.6.29.0:
Normally, checksum errors when playing back replays indicate that the replay file has been tampered with.

Ahh thanks for the heads up, actually I think that offline game I played was hosted from the 'Direct IP connection' in multiplayer menu so that would explain the checksum errors, cool.

[robowurmz]

I still don't understand: isn't it ridiculously hard to edit a replay or something? How are they able to do it, because AFAIK Deadcode and Cyber are the only ones with sufficient knowledge...

[KRD]

There are publicly-available utilities out there that make it less than impossibly hard. The two I've heard of so far are still quite a pain to get anything more than changing grenade fuses done in, though. Luckily.

[robowurmz]

There are publicly-available utilities out there that make it less than impossibly hard. The two I've heard of so far are still quite a pain to get anything more than changing grenade fuses done in, though. Luckily.

Where do you get them? I'd love to make insane-looking replays like the ones Lex has made.

[yakuza]

Where do you get them? I'd love to make insane-looking replays like the ones Lex has made.

Don't we all? They're not public, though, for the reasons explained in this thread amongst others.

[robowurmz]

Don't we all? They're not public, though, for the reasons explained in this thread amongst others.

There are publicly-available utilities out there

Um... are we thinking of the same things, or are you talking about special versions of worms or something different?

[yakuza]

Um... are we thinking of the same things, or are you talking about special versions of worms or something different?

I was responding to your "Make insane replays like Lex did", but come to think of it, that has little to do with replay editing.
This thread is mostly about replay logs - round time, players involved, etc. Not editing it so it shows the worm roping around like a cyborg, that's something completely different.

Edit: AFAIK

[robowurmz]

I was responding to your "Make insane replays like Lex did", but come to think of it, that has little to do with replay editing.
This thread is mostly about replay logs - round time, players involved, etc. Not editing it so it shows the worm roping around like a cyborg, that's something completely different.

Edit: AFAIK

Oh, I see now. Lex and DC and Wyv seem to have a special edition of W:A.
I understand now.

[yess]

If you want to see insane roping set up wkRubberWorms with /rubber255 and /ts3, load up a fairly open, (but sealed all around,) cavern map, latch rope onto a cieling or wall, hold up key and either side arrow until your worm is bouncing real fast, (Careful not to do it too long, it will start eating cpu very fast,) then doubletab spacebar as fast as you can :P Almost looks like the worm teleports all over the map. The replay will not show this unless you fire the replay using WormKit.exe (EDIT: with wkRubberWorms.dll), example:

"C:\team17\WA\wormkit.exe" "c:\team17\wa\WA.exe" /dir "C:\team17\WA" /play "C:\Team17\WA\User\Games\2008-08-03 00.14.39 [Online] @pE-YESS.WAgame"

EDIT: Paths assume you installed worms to c:\Team17\WA

[KRD]

If I was one of the people who spent massive amounts of time creating tool-assisted roping replays for the community to enjoy, comparing them with random, risk-free wkRubberWorm antics would insult me. :eek:

[Etho.]

Yeah, editing replays just results in a mass of checksum errors being displayed in red throughout the chat.

This is true for the most part. However, to my understanding, CRC checksums are not really intended to be used for file security. They are meant to be used to check if a whole file is still intact and built properly after being transfered.

So I believe it is possible to edit or even create replays if a person was to follow the replay file format properly and generate the correct CRC checksums for the data. (not that anyone has, or is likely to ever do such a thing)

[CyberShadow]

W:A checksums are neither CRC nor checksums of replay data. They're checksums of the internal state of the entire game (including positions, velocities and other properties of all objects). This is why if you use memory editing to edit a worm's health, the game will desynchronize before the worm loses its original amount of health points and dies on the other end.