[Known Issue] Terrain Rewriting (MD5 Issue)

[Clare]

NOTE: THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL POST ONLY!

- IF YOU WISH TO SHARE YOU INFORMATION ABOUT THE ERROR YOU EXPERIENCED, PLEASE DO SO BELOW

- IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR ME, OR WISH TO REPORT A BUG I WILL LIKELY MISS IT AS I DO NOT CHECK THIS THREAD OFTEN OR CHASE THINGS HERE

- IF YOU WOULD LIKE A DIRECT RESPONSE OR DIRECT CONTACT, PLEASE CREATE A NEW THREAD IN THE MAIN BUG REPORTS SECTION. ANY DEVELOPMENTS WILL BE UPDATED HERE AND IN "NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS"

[sTATUS: LOGGED - IN PROGRESS]

 

Note: This issue can occur all over the world, but it is most noticeable when a base is wiped.

 

A strip of the terrain may have some trouble loading and it defaults to the Day 1 state.

 

There are no known workarounds, however the odds of it happening in the same area twice, is very small.

 

EDIT: It appears it is becoming more common and repeating in areas since the original post was made.

 

POTENTIAL WORKAROUND:

Player IBKillingFools has mentioned that hard resetting console after as crash has helped them avoid MD5 errors.

 

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UPDATE: The below message was given to me to pass onto you guys in regards to the issue with terrain regeneration.

The team call them MD5 errors - we've been calling then terrain rewrites and regens on the forums and this is where an area can revert to the Day 1 state.

 

Hi all!

We know you’ve been encountering a few MD5 errors recently and we wanted to explain a bit about them and what we’re doing to combat them.

Unfortunately, MD5 errors have a large number of different causes. In essence, though, they flag any part of a saved game’s map that is different than the world generation algorithm expects it to be. This can happen when the game crashes while it’s trying to save or if any of the changes we make or features we add impact the terrain generation pipeline. As we work to improve the game’s stability and fix any issues we find, you should encounter these MD5 errors less and less.

This has been—and will continue to be—an ongoing focus of ours. We really appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve your experience with 7 Days to Die.

 

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UPDATE: We've recieved some reports of POIs changing from one to another. This is possibly caused by an MD5 error triggering in the area. The team are investigating this possible MD5 trigger now too.

 

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UPDATE: A lot of players have asked about adding in a manual save option to the game. Which this sounds like a simple task that could temporarily help the issue. This is not as simple or temporary as it may seem. Not only would the UI need to changed to accommodate this new option but the team would need to dig into the core code of the game and change how the game saves. They would also need to work on how the game saves to the consoles and be sure Sony and MS approve of this. This is something that would take a considerable amount of time and resources. Afterwards the game still has the MD5 errors. It may not seem like it, but it is actually a lot quicker to hunt and fix the MD5 errors rather than digging into the core of the game and changing something so big.

 

Side note: Roland made a good point that adding a manual save also changes the design of the game and changes how it is played - Possibly one of the reasons manual save option was not added to PC. So if this was added in it would likely be removed afterward, which again is digging back into code to undo all that was done.

 

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Update: 04/08

 

Copy of post: [04/08] Message from the Team - MD5 Info

 

Hi all,

 

Below is a message from the team regarding MD5 Errors

 

First, let us say thank you for your patience as we work through the issues with MD5 resets. We are continuously looking for ways to improve stability and tracking down causes for MD5 resets is at the forefront of those efforts. To help us track down these issues, we’ve added analytics to the game to capture as much data as possible when an MD5 mismatch is detected. With this data, we have been able to find and fix several causes of MD5 errors. In the last few patches, we submitted fixes for several of these issues and the early results from analytics shows that the number of MD5 errors has decreased dramatically. That said, we will continue tracking these issues and look for ways to fix them as we find them. Once again, thank you for your patience and for being an awesome community.

 

Thank you guys for continuing to pass on your MD5 error info, I would recommend those who want to share their details continue to do so, having information from all sides gives us more chances to catch and fix these issues!

 

Thanks,

Clare

 

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UNOFFICIAL WORKAROUND - USE WITH CAUTION AND AT OWN RISK - https://7daystodie.com/forums/showthread.php?69218-Possible-work-around-and-or-solution-to-md5-crashes(base-wipes-resets)

[Ayala2007]

Wipe out

 

This is very frustrating so whichever game mode we use we run the risk of losing builds with all of its contents?

[SaucyJack]

Hello all.

 

I know this is a known issue, just had it occur so I wanted to add my details to hopefully assist QA.

 

Platform: XB1 digital download.

 

World: Single Player. Random Gen.

 

Settings: All default with two exceptions (18 hours daylight, 60 minute days

 

Character: Chang

Day: 53

Time: appx 20:00

 

Summary: World terrain reset to day 1 state, wiping out player made structures.

 

Details: While digging a 3x3 hole straight up from appx 20 blocks deep, the game crashed as I hit the surface. However, instead of just instantly dropping me, the game seemed to hitch for appx 10 seconds and as I attempted to pull up my inventory I appeared to have a UI bug where the inventory screen came up, but did not actually show my inventory. Then the game crashed. I have never experienced that UI bug during crashes before. May be a coincidence but I thought it was worth pointing out.

 

Upon rebooting my character was standing in the same location and the last 4 or 5 blocks I had placed were rolled back/not there. They were placeable however and I was able to complete my structure. At this point I noticed my other player made structure which stood roughly 10-15 blocks away had been essentially cut in half. Part of it stood as it had been, part of it was reset to day 1 (loot able objects had returned that I had removed, etc).

 

Underneath this structure was a cave I had built that had storage and this was cut in half as well. Part remained with my player made objects, part was reverted to solid underground blocks.

 

I reloaded the game and the world was still in the reset state.

 

I believe that is all the detail I can provide, if clarification is needed please let me know. Thank you for all the work you guys and gals do on this project.

[Clare]

Thank you for your info SaucyJack, I shall pass it onto the team!

 

Clare

[xUnitedStatesx]

XBOX One Game Wipe

 

Just wanted to add my frustration. I've had four games in which terrain was wiped. I can't share specifics (location, days, settings) because I've deleted every single map since I'm only allotted four game saves. Besides, I can guarantee the settings have been different every time. What I can tell you is, I had specific items such as forge, cement mixer, workbench, multiple safes, storage containers, many guns, nail gun, augers, chainsaws and minibikes to name a few. Now, not all of the area was wiped but it centered around the areas that required a lot of rendering and map generation. So basically, my main area of operations.

 

This is a major issue that needs fixed. I'm on a fixed budget and even a reasonably priced game requires saving for purchase. I've also encouraged others to invest their money and time in this game. I can also tell you that I played consistently with 6 other XBOX live users who will not touch this game anymore due to the same issues. This game has tons of potential and the developers would be fools to settle on an unfinished product. I'm not accusing the developers of this but I've seen it done before. This is why so many studios come and go and only the strong survive. I have a solution but not sure if it's feasible. Offer multiple save points. Allow me to load a stinking save point that occurred before the game crash. Otherwise I'm done with 7 days to die and will not support this developer in their future endeavors. Please don't waste my time or money. I'm patient but not a fool.

[dragoness]

actually ,it happens often in same area. my friends and i have learned to move base once it has happened because it does affect the same area more than once. if possable can we get a cause of fill in ,so we can stop doing whatever triggers it till a fix is found?

[Clare]

Unfortunately because it occurs when the game has trouble loading an area, it is not necessarily something the player has done to trigger it. For example some players notice it after a crash.

 

The team are making progress on this however and are working on making sure they are grabbing all potential causes of the issue.

 

Clare

[dragoness]

ok that makes sense ,kinda wish there was a trigger so we could avoid it lol

[xUnitedStatesx]

Unfortunately because it occurs when the game has trouble loading an area, it is not necessarily something the player has done to trigger it. For example some players notice it after a crash.

 

The team are making progress on this however and are working on making sure they are grabbing all potential causes of the issue.

 

Clare

 

If the teams are making true progress with a fix for this issue, please pass on that there are users out there that truly appreciate their dedication to delivering a quality product.

[Stolid gotam]

What can you do for me ?

 

I'm french and i'm having same problem on my party. For the second time and i spent like many other players lot of hours ( more than 120 hours)... I don't ask you to tell me it's really happening to other players. I've seen it's 'known' issues. I just want to know what you can really do for me, like find a way to refound all of our creations/equipements etc or if you can't how could i have my money back please ?

I understand your work and that you are trying to do the best, however you have to get your responsabilty on players and then i'm simply asking you to explain me how can i get refound ?

Sorry for my english... Hope i've been enough clear with the words i"ve used...

Thanks...

[Black Iron Bull]

Part of base rest

 

Im hosting a private multiplayer game on xbox one. Its a Navezgane. Our base is the hardware store just outside Diersville. Two of the four were out scavenging while another buddy were doing odds and ends around the base. My game just crashed which has also been a big issue that occurs several times a day when we play, i load back in and id day a 10 by 10 chunk of the building and its surroundings reset to how it was day 1. Our trench full of spikes gone. Walls down graded. But the worst of it was the furnace full of materials, the box full of materials for the furnace including the 10k of concrete mix, the concrete mixer, and work bench are all gone. Its 19:00 day 35 and we are completely exposed to the horde with no way to fix it quickly because we lost all the materials to fix everything. Though it could have been a lot worse for us, we did lose a lot of progress. Its depressing to spend days playing a game and to just have hours of progress ripped away from you. Please fix this asap! I honestly don't want to play till then in fear that ill lose more of my loot and base.

[The Machine]

Needs to be fixed now!

 

This is getting ridiculous!! Reading these posts make me so sad!! I'm sick of losing hours upon hours of hard work. This game is stressful and always tense. I have lost 5 worlds now! Day 39, Day, 40, Day 67, Day 107, and Day 33. All on 120 minute days. Nomad diff, max spawn. This is a massive problem on Xbox one and it needs to be fixed asap. 7dtd was not ready for a console release and I'm regretting ever buying the game. I'm so sad about everything I've lost in this game. Please guys. Please fix this problem. You guys are so awesome and you have made the best game ever but this problem is really bad. Every second I'm playing I can't enjoy the game because all I'm doing is waiting for it to crash and delete my world. I know you're all working really hard but this problem should be at the very top of the priority list

[TreeTopTigger]

My workaround

 

I run the host on 2nd xbox. 1 to 3 other players. If we all exit session, and I restart the game on host xbox every ONE HOUR, I do not have problems. Complete exit of game, shut down game then restart it. Just exiting on host will not save it, must completely shut down game. It has to be every hour. Literally had an area reset by going over by 10 minutes. I have over 24 hours real time in game sticking to this without incident.

 

BUT PLEASE FIX!

[ClassicFont]

Corner of Base disappeared and I can't rebuild on this spots

 

I play on PS4 and use Navezgame

 

I destroyed the barn at the farm and build my 9x9x6 bunker there. All blocks have been upgraded to Steel. My forges and bedroll are stored at bedrock below the base (thankfully). Last night I was playing and went up to my base on day 69 at 4:00 and went to the rooftop to see if there were any zombies in the area. The base began to collapse. An entire corner of the base (next to my vault door) has been removed. I cannot rebuild on those spots as the blocks (wooded frames, concrete blocks, etc.) collapse and break as soon as they are placed. I need to now abandon this base as zombies can walk in with no defenses as I am unable to fortify this base any longer.

 

Would be great to see this fixed as I am not out loads of Forged Steel

[Lastdon6585]

I've had this happen to me 3 times so far. Each time I had just completed a TOTALLY fortified base, I RE-acquired a lot of guns, ammunition and food supplies and the map where my bases are reset to Day 1. It's BRUTAL! And I pretty much play by myself 98% of the time so that much progress takes quite a long time.

I'm probably not playing this game again until I hear that a fix has been implemented. Once it has, feel free to send me a game invite! GT same as my username: LastDon6585.

Good luck, and fingers crossed for a fix soon!

[tired gamer]

I've had this happen to me 3 times so far. Each time I had just completed a TOTALLY fortified base, I RE-acquired a lot of guns, ammunition and food supplies and the map where my bases are reset to Day 1. It's BRUTAL! And I pretty much play by myself 98% of the time so that much progress takes quite a long time.

I'm probably not playing this game again until I hear that a fix has been implemented. Once it has, feel free to send me a game invite! GT same as my username: LastDon6585.

Good luck, and fingers crossed for a fix soon!

 

I seem to get most of my crashes when i've been playing for at least an hour, i don't know if this has anything to do with it, but in the last week i've been playing in short bursts and so far have had no problems (fingers crossed).

 

I'm still enjoying the game and trying to spread my stashed items so as to lose as little as possible, but unless there's a fix incoming hopefully soon i fear that the next loss of bases/items will be my last.

[DoucheVader]

Question are any of you loading up after you play in a Random Gen World?

 

I was reading on Reddit someone theorized that this issue seemed to happen when you were in a Random Gen World and then loaded up another world. The "work around" was always shut down your application before loading your world.

 

I can't verify this at all, so please don't take this as Gospel.

[tired gamer]

Question are any of you loading up after you play in a Random Gen World?

 

I was reading on Reddit someone theorized that this issue seemed to happen when you were in a Random Gen World and then loaded up another world. The "work around" was always shut down your application before loading your world.

 

I can't verify this at all, so please don't take this as Gospel.

 

I've only had these problems occur in the last couple of weeks, and i've always been using the navezgane map, i hadn't been playing the game for a little while and just recently got the bug again and was initially pleased how smooth it was running, but also noticed it was crashing a lot and stuff like my killpits and bases were being wiped.

 

I play with 'zombies never run' and the longer '18 hr days' and also 'tool belt drop only' on death, apart from that everything is on default.

[Megafreakintron]

after a single player or multiplayer game crashes. a section of my world resets back to default. not the whole world just a section. in this section is part of a pit trap and the entrance to my underground bunker that is inside a pre generated house.

 

the house and bunker were generated by the game. i however have upgraded the house up to concrete and replaced front door to a max upgraded hatch, about 5 sections in front of that is the boundary of my permiter pit trap. it is 4 squares wide and 20 deep. then there is a 1/4 block wall and then below that is a tunnel retrieval section. for getting drops.

 

after almost any multiplayer or single player crash. a section of the world resets. a section about 15 x 15 wide resets back to the default generation. it refills in and removes all the concrete blocks of my pit, reverts part of the house back to default, removes my vault doors and replaces them with the wooden boards. so far it has happened 3 times. two of the times i have rebuilt it. now it is left just how it was when the reset happened minus me having to bust my way back out of my own vault. everything inside that section reverts in straight lines the first half of the house is trash and the other half is fully upgraded. and about the time i fix it all back. the game will crash soon after reverting it all back. to the point ive abandonded the game totally.

[Boidster]

For what it's worth, my friend and I got hit with the MD5 bug this weekend. New random world, 60m days, 18hr daylight, Scavenger difficulty I think, max zombie spawns.

 

We found an army compound (? - maybe 20x20 area fenced with towers) and used it as a base for days 1-2. Collected a bunch of resources and put them into a secure chest.

 

Day 3 we went to the city to start up an apartment complex base. His game (host) crashed to Xbox desktop. My game disconnected a few seconds later. After restarting the game, he went back to our bedroll waypoint at the original base, but it wasn't there. Or rather, the bedroll waypoint was a half-click south of where the army base actually was, and the army base was completely reset.

 

It was annoying, but I'm not here to shout and complain. I trust the pimps & Telltale will get it worked out eventually.

 

I think we survivors should look at it as...enhanced realism! The nefarious forces behind the zombie epidemic are trying to thwart you at every turn, including ransacking your base and taking ur stuffs. So you need to be clever and hide stashes of resources and weapons and mini-bikes in various places. Overrun by zombies or magicked out of existence by the MD5 bug, it doesn't matter. You have to plan to survive even if your main base is lost!

 

Lemons + glass jar = Lemonade. Cooling -10F, Hydration +25

[IBKillingfools]

Interesting. Every time I have had this happen to me, the resets only happened where a player was currently standing. Unfortunately, that seemed to be by forges/storages most times.

 

As Clare mentioned in the first post, I was having a MD5 error almost daily on my map, and it was always after multiple crashes and logging back in. Usually 2/3 crashes would occur prior to the error. She is crediting me, but there was another member that said he would do a hard reset on his system every hour or so and was able to avoid it. When I attempted to to do this, we noticed that the first crash on our game was exactly 1.5 hrs after the host logged in. So, as the host, every crash, I would do a hard reset, and now, 2 weeks in I will report I have not experienced any issues. Yet.

 

Do not log in without a hard reset. It will be too late to fix it.

[BunnyMaster]

Looks like this can happen without a crash.

 

SP mode

Mostly defaults, with:

'Never run'

'Max Spawn'

'Max loot'

I did three separate random maps and focused on the central city at the first two story lodge to appear directly north-by-northeast (not sure if you get this spawn but my map literally had the same lodge all three times...if this is due to the game name influencing the rnd seed then I'm just an idiot I guess)

Do normal gathering at various locales on map, head to lodge, then log. No crash. No lodge on reload either. Map markers for both bedroll and lodge exist but no lodge. Move away from area, relog, then the area repopulates.

Day three the last two times, right before the air drop, and day 20 the first time. Not sure if any of that matters. No improvements made to lodge other than replacing bashed-in doors.

I echo other fans of this game in that it is definitely a project worth saving as it's entertaining as hell, but this bug needs to be swatted. Good luck.

[IBKillingfools]

Maybe a completely Seperate bug. The only rewrites I have experienced were after crashes and only where players were at the time of the crash.

[Clare]

It can happen without a crash, the Tree reset that hotfix 6.1 fixed would have occurred without a crash.

 

BunnyMaster could you tell me the name of your save game? This is what determines what spawns, if I name it the same as yours the same map will generate. Did you change your languages between logging in and out or any console settings when doing this?

 

Thanks,

Clare

[IrishRedEyeJedi]

Just some observations

 

Hi Clare,

 

Hope you and the team are doing well so far in the new year.

 

I'd like to start off by saying that this isn't another complaint or "demand" for the game to be fixed. I have been playing since August and remained a loyal player through-out various glitches and patches. The game has improved immensely and I think it's wonderfully done, once the bugs are worked out it will no doubt be one of the best games on the market. With that being said, I thought it may help the team to know what I have personally experienced, as I'm sure every bit of information helps. I'm not sure if the insight or suggestions I provide have been already covered, but I thought it couldn't hurt either way.

 

I have suffered this error (MD5?) around 11 or 12 times across a couple different games. I have noticed it mainly seems to happen in the area relative to where a player spawns and almost always after logging off/on or getting booted. It doesn't seem to effect any areas other than right where players are spawning that I have noticed anyways. Moving around this map after 180-something days I have a pretty good lay of the land and where most things are in the areas I travel. (More so in the last game it happened to me in, as I had explored a good portion of the map in 260 days before the rewrite struck.) It has happened to me:

Once in the city at a ruin I had filled with spikes for horde night.

Once while building a bridge out to a medium sized island I was planning to inhabit.

Once during the building of the base on that island.

Once in/around a POI house I inhabited in the snow biome.

Once in/around a POI I inhabited in the plains/forest/green biome.

Three times at a spot where I had established a large 19x19 Square Base taking most of it each time.

Twice in a tunnel system/somewhere on the top of a mountain (I noticed because of my tunnel obviously) where I had built a large Armory (About 10x10)

In/Around a POI house at one of the 4 way intersections

 

Each time we had either logged out and when we later (sometimes minutes) logged back in or had gotten booted then logged back in, the area near where one of us was standing had reset.

 

As I stated, even though it's been a really frustrating process when it happens, I can't really complain about such a wonderfully playable and addictive game. (I've logged 40 hours of game play since Aug 31.) Keep up the good work and get this game to it's peak so we can see what it's really capable of. Thank you for your time and I hope this helps in some way to further the cause.

 

- Jedi