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I'm getting errors from this in A21.1 (not tested in A21) running 2.2.0, and it doesn't seem to be doing the scheduled backups at all either: 2023-08-13T16:37:23 320.697 INF Executing command 'backup list' Fallback handler could not load library C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/7 Days To Die/7DaysToDie_Data/MonoBleedingEdge/data-00000129730EF010.dll 2023-08-13T16:37:23 320.719 WRN (ERR) [BackupMod]: An unexpected exception was occured during executing a command 2023-08-13T16:37:23 320.723 EXC It's unable to find checksums.txt Parameter name: worldName Parameter name: worldName at BackupMod.Services.Resources.GetMd5HashForWorld (System.String worldName) [0x0007f] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Services.WorldInfoFactory.CreateFromManifests (System.Collections.Generic.IReadOnlyList`1[T] manifests) [0x0012c] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Services.WorldInfoService.GetWorldInfos () [0x0013c] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Modules.Commands.ConsoleCmdBackup.LogAvailableBackups () [0x00000] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Modules.Commands.ConsoleCmdBackup.BackupListInternal () [0x00000] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Modules.Commands.ConsoleCmdBackup.Execute (System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] _params, CommandSenderInfo _senderInfo) [0x002c7] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 UnityEngine.StackTraceUtility:ExtractStringFromException(Object) Log:Exception(Exception) BackupMod.Modules.Serilog.GameConsoleSink:Emit(LogEvent) Serilog.Core.Sinks.RestrictedSink:Emit(LogEvent) Serilog.Core.Sinks.SafeAggregateSink:Emit(LogEvent) Serilog.Core.Logger:Dispatch(LogEvent) Serilog.Core.Logger:Serilog.Core.ILogEventSink.Emit(LogEvent) Serilog.Core.Logger:Dispatch(LogEvent) Serilog.Core.Logger:Serilog.Core.ILogEventSink.Emit(LogEvent) Serilog.Core.Logger:Dispatch(LogEvent) Serilog.Core.Logger:Write(LogEvent) Serilog.Extensions.Logging.SerilogLogger:Write(LogEventLevel, EventId, FormattedLogValues, Exception, Func`3) Serilog.Extensions.Logging.SerilogLogger:Log(LogLevel, EventId, FormattedLogValues, Exception, Func`3) Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Logger:<Log>g__LoggerLog|12_0(LogLevel, EventId, ILogger, Exception, Func`3, List`1&, FormattedLogValues&) Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Logger:Log(LogLevel, EventId, FormattedLogValues, Exception, Func`3) Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Logger`1:Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.ILogger.Log(LogLevel, EventId, FormattedLogValues, Exception, Func`3) Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.LoggerExtensions:Log(ILogger, LogLevel, EventId, Exception, String, Object[]) Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.LoggerExtensions:Log(ILogger, LogLevel, Exception, String, Object[]) Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.LoggerExtensions:LogError(ILogger, Exception, String, Object[]) BackupMod.Modules.Commands.<Execute>d__14:MoveNext() System.Runtime.CompilerServices.AsyncVoidMethodBuilder:Start(<Execute>d__14&) BackupMod.Modules.Commands.ConsoleCmdBackup:Execute(List`1, CommandSenderInfo) SdtdConsole:executeCommand(String, CommandSenderInfo) SdtdConsole:ExecuteSync(String, ClientInfo) GUIWindowConsole:EnterCommand(String) UnityEngine.Events.InvokableCall`1:Invoke(String) UnityEngine.Events.UnityEvent`1:Invoke(String) UnityEngine.UI.InputField:SendOnSubmit() UnityEngine.UI.InputField:OnUpdateSelected(BaseEventData) UnityEngine.EventSystems.ExecuteEvents:Execute(IUpdateSelectedHandler, BaseEventData) UnityEngine.EventSystems.ExecuteEvents:Execute(GameObject, BaseEventData, EventFunction`1) UnityEngine.EventSystems.StandaloneInputModule:SendUpdateEventToSelectedObject() UnityEngine.EventSystems.StandaloneInputModule:Process() UnityEngine.EventSystems.EventSystem:Update() 2023-08-13T16:37:23 320.723 ERR Full exception info: System.ArgumentException: It's unable to find checksums.txt Parameter name: worldName at BackupMod.Services.Resources.GetMd5HashForWorld (System.String worldName) [0x0007f] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Services.WorldInfoFactory.CreateFromManifests (System.Collections.Generic.IReadOnlyList`1[T] manifests) [0x0012c] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Services.WorldInfoService.GetWorldInfos () [0x0013c] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Modules.Commands.ConsoleCmdBackup.LogAvailableBackups () [0x00000] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Modules.Commands.ConsoleCmdBackup.BackupListInternal () [0x00000] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Modules.Commands.ConsoleCmdBackup.Execute (System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] _params, CommandSenderInfo _senderInfo) [0x002c7] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 plus, when trying to create a backup in game: 2023-08-13T16:37:23 320.723 ERR Full exception info: System.ArgumentException: It's unable to find checksums.txt Parameter name: worldName at BackupMod.Services.Resources.GetMd5HashForWorld (System.String worldName) [0x0007f] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Services.WorldInfoFactory.CreateFromManifests (System.Collections.Generic.IReadOnlyList`1[T] manifests) [0x0012c] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Services.WorldInfoService.GetWorldInfos () [0x0013c] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Modules.Commands.ConsoleCmdBackup.LogAvailableBackups () [0x00000] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Modules.Commands.ConsoleCmdBackup.BackupListInternal () [0x00000] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0 at BackupMod.Modules.Commands.ConsoleCmdBackup.Execute (System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] _params, CommandSenderInfo _senderInfo) [0x002c7] in <c26c2529e60f4a6e94cd7a44379cd05c>:0

I've been gaming since the 1980s (showing my age now), does that count for knowing more about game design? 😛

Yes it is a matter of opinion, your opinion is that it's broken, mine is that it's not and is correct, infact it's also how I'd design it, because I understand risk/reward ratio. The higher the risk, the higher the reward you should hope for. Otherwise there's no point in it - that's what dictates motivation along with ambition. Might as well get rid of the wasteland cos that offers higher rewards than you can craft too.

I have read all the comments, and I disagree with you. This is not a problem in my opinion, I think it's correct, it might be too much perhaps, but I think it's correct. Traders SHOULD offer better items than you can craft yourself, not all the time, but definitely some of the time. I know this, and what they're doing here, is simply making sure that a tier 1 baseball bat is better than a T6 wooden club - that doesn't say anything to the fact that different parts of the game should offer different levels of reward. I do understand this, but I don't think you're correct. That doesn't mean I think it's perfectly balanced, just that I think the quests/traders should offer better items.

No it's not, you can go around looting mailboxes, trash, buying them, nerd polling to the end loot, cars etc etc. I didn't say it was zero risk, and you should be crafting level 1 stone axes, whilst being offered purple steel axes at the trader, just that it shouldn't be equal. Infact it's a bit like why you'd have a chance at better loot from breaking into cop cars, or looting the wasteland - higher risk, higher reward, that's it really. Now whether they've got the balance of risk to reward correct, that's another question, but I'm really pointing out to the people who think crafting should be the same or better than questing.

No that's not the point I'm making AT ALL. There's levels of risk, and crafting is one of the lowest, and so should lag behind something that is higher risk/higher reward etc.

Come on, I did say in there that it's reliant on resources including the magazines - the point I'm making is that it's purely just time involved in that, not really much risk compared to questing. It also sounds like in a lot of cases we're comparing MP to SP, I don't really play MP at all, so getting one quest reward per quest for me doesn't seem that bad - perhaps it is a much bigger issue in MP, I don't know? An example I could offer that is available to everyone to see, would be watching IzPrebuilt's latest series on youtube - it seems to me on there, his crafting ability is WAY ahead of what the trader is offering, just because he seems to be pretty damn good at cheesing almost all the mechanics of the game to his advantage including the magazines, he's being very strategic about point placement, double looting, and going to specific areas etc to get exactly all the magazines he's wanting - he's been crafting blue iron tools in yesterdays episode (I think it was by day 8 or 9), well in advance of what the trader has been offering, and he was also one of the people pushing for quest rewards to be good as well.

Yes I can see the comparison you're making there, but I would add to it, by saying that I do think the trader should be able to offer better things than you can craft - bear in mind, that you can craft whatever you want, whenever you like, dependant only really on your resources (which aren't difficult to get, wrench a few cars, loot magazines, do some mining - all very easy tasks)... Questing is more of a challenge, you are spending ammo, risking your life, taking time out of the day, and obviously getting paid for it, but you can still only select one loot reward for each quest (or two when a tier is completed - which btw I do think should be extended out, like a week of tier 1 or something - if they're aiming for around 4 weeks plus, then 1 tier per week makes some sort of sense with the tier 6 being the hardcore endgame to do after that time), and you're still limited to what you can buy from the trader either having it in stock, and the amount of dukes you've saved up, and perhaps some perks and other items to help make things more affordable. So there's far more investment in that, so you'd expect something better. Now just to be clear, I'm not saying it's not unbalanced at all, all I'm saying is that it's not as dramatic as people are making out, I think it's more of a slight issue than a major one. I'm also trying to give a counter balance to the argument, cos we've all seen it before, where some loud voices speak up in the forums, then something gets nerfed to hell lol.

From the way you've said this, you make it sound like you expect the trader to ONLY have items for your perk tree - like finding an iron spear made all your points in agility worthless, why does it? You decided you wanted to use knives, not spears, so who cares what spear he has? It hasn't stopped you aiming to be able to craft knives. Also if the trader only has stuff from your perks, to around the level of what you can craft, then there's zero point in traders - why would you bother with them? You'd just craft the items because it's cheaper to do that than going out of your way to quest and earn money to get decent stuff. I've just spent the past two hours playing to day 17, in the intellect tree, and the trader has had some ok stuff, but nothing that's made me want to jump trees, I've just ignored those items because I'm focussing on the intellect style. Rewards and items are also not that amazing that I'm seeing either. I don't see this as a big problem in the slightest, I've not been skipping parts of the game, I've been doing various bits of crafting, certain mods, some weapons, some armour etc. I've been looting for some stuff, and buying other things - I've been basing my decisions on my character, and where I can currently get the best items. Sometimes that's been crafting, other times it's been looting, other times it's been quest rewards, and other times that's been buying from the trader. I don't see that as unbalanced, as I've been doing all of it. And I still don't think I have anything really special or anywhere near end game. He's had a steel club for sale recently, but why would I pick that when I'm playing for the stun baton, and all my skills are in that? And how do you know the magazine system is the full intended line of progression in terms of time? You are making an assumption there. What if it's exactly what I'm doing?, Where I'm using a mixture of different parts of the game, to get whatever I need/want at that particular time. I've only just got onto iron tools btw, which I think is reasonable, one I bought, one was a quest reward, and the other one I crafted.

Yeah this, so everyone will just do T1 quests all the time cos they're easy, whereas T5 quests you don't really get enough ammo back from what you spend out on already. I think making each tier of quest longer than what it is would be a good start. But to go with what meganoth says, but in a slightly different way. You could distribute the trader stage points, much like they do with the party XP distribution, so that each player receives a share of that total to increase the trader stage - that would slow it down for multiplayer, and also not let single player be so badly nerfed.

Agreed on the average thing, it doesn't negate the point that traders should be able to sell you better things than you can build yourself, and questing like in all other types of questing games should offer you something you actually want and not just junk - look at all the discussions for b317, when everyone was complaining all the rewards were a load of crap. There's also plenty I'm buying like food, liquids, ammo, cobble/concrete etc, so I can't just focus on saving every penny for the best weapon he offers - it took me several days of questing to save up what was needed to buy that pump shotgun - yes that one was from the trader. The AK I looted. Also something to consider here, is that I'm currently playing the intellect tree - they don't even have a gun you can spec into - so in that playthrough I'm entirely reliant on the traders/questing/looting to get anything good at all. During experimental I got to day 40 or so I think with b313 - and I was buying stuff and crafting stuff. In single player it does seem ok, not perfect, but not far off either, like some people are saying it's a major issue. I think it's more of a tweak than anything major, at least for single player. I have no idea how you could stop people teaming up in MP, and just churning out 20 quests per day, that's no wonder the traders are showing them good stuff early on in that case. Doing tier 4 quests with rads coming in now, I also do need some decent weapons - and don't say the double barrel is decent, most people skip that if they can cos it'll likely get you killed when there's a lot of zombies. Infact looking at it like this, perhaps it's the crafting side not keeping up with the rest of the game, cos I certainly feel with the enemies I'm getting that the equipment I've got to deal with them is about right.

Realism is part of the simulation of it though, we're "pretending" he's got his stock from somewhere, and not just magic, yes technically he didn't but still, in the story side of it, it makes some sort of sense. Ok I did think this when typing out the timing bit, but 3 weeks is 21 hours, I'd hope I'm not on stone tools after that amount of time lol... I still think if crafting is ahead of trading/questing, then no one will bother to buy things, cos it's cheaper to make them - so you want some incentive to quest and/or buy things, so imho you do want them to offer better things than you can make yourself. Otherwise what you'll probably see is people just going for the end loot again, and just looting mailboxes constantly to speed up their crafting, and never bother with the trading/questing side of things. Now I do agree it's a bit too fast, though with single player, I'm on day 15 right now since it went out of experimental, and I would say I have mid tier stuff, pump shotgun (which I bought for 10,000 dukes after using better barter, daring adventurer, sugar buts, and awesome sauce - so i had to invest to get that) and an orange AK-47. I'm on tier 4 quests right now. So yeah might be an issue with multiplayer, but single player seems ok, but like I said, I do think you go through the quest tiers a little quickly. I'm also now starting to see radiated in the quests, so I kind of need those items now too.

I don't think this is that far unbalanced (maybe a little), like maybe you could spend a bit longer in each tier perhaps to drag the game out a bit longer... But firstly I'd expect a trader to have better stuff than I can make myself, other people are selling to him and has other suppliers - if you can just make it all, why bother questing or using your dukes for anything? Imho you want them to be ahead of the curve. Secondly, after 2 or 3 weeks, I think most players would expect to have some decent weapons by that amount of time - that's like 20 to 30 hours of gameplay, how long do you want it to last before you start getting decent stuff?

Yeah that was another thought actually, like 1 extra inventory slot just to hold a canteen for gathering water or something like that, but probably too far into development for that now. Tbh I actually think the water balance is about right, it just seems odd from that realism perspective that a survivor wouldn't know how to get water, considering that's probably the first thing someone like that would learn.

This doesn't make magazines bad, it just means the balance is slightly off, and maybe needs a bit of fine tuning, that's all.