ACK/NAK Bug...

[Acolyte]

One of the biggest problems I have had with EQEmu so far is the ACK/NAK bug where the client stops sending data but NPC's can still attack you... you can't do anything yourself.

RangerDown said this:


This is an ongoing issue that they're trying to resolve as they come across these situations. Basically, we believe the client is programmed to expect some kind of ACK from the server that it's not getting, and when that happens, the client sits there perpetually waiting for an ACK that will never come.

Examples of where it needs an ACK are when you loot. As you try to pick up each item in the loot window, the client expects the server to send a packet back stating that either you are clear to pick up the item, or for some reason (duplicate lore, or otherwise) you aren't. If that ACK/NAK never came, then you might be able to close the loot window and start running around again, but the client will be hung on waiting for that ACK and not pay attention to any of your other actions until it gets it. That's not to say that looting is the cause of the issue; I'm just giving one example of the many places the client needs an ACK/NAK, and evidently in some areas the server either isn't giving one or the data in its packet is not what the client was expecting.

The best thing you can do is try to see if there's some pattern to all this -- do you seem to get hung up after you do *this* or *that*? That will better help them chase down where the missing ACKs are.


Any input?

[fathernitwit]

unfortunately, I do not believe what ranger was talking about is in fact the problem. It can exhibit the same results, but unless somebody can find an action which seems to be commonly done before this hanging occurrs, then I aim inclined to believe it is not related to the client expecting something at the app layer as described above. I personally believe it is a network layer problem.

The common crap people do all the time, move around, fight, and cast... do not require any sort of ack from the server. Its only interactive crap like tradeskills and merchants, etc.

[cavedude]

The only times I can think of when I encounter this bug is when I either beg or use Rogue's pick pocket. Both seem to work in that they tell me whether I was successful or not, but the client hangs up and no coin is exchanged. Since both actions deal with coin, could that possibly be a clue?

[wize_one]

also when trying to loot a lore item if you have one already locks you.. there is also a merchant bug that does the same thing.. but its been a while since i did that one

[fathernitwit]

these are all good examples of the ACK problem. But unless people tell me otherwise, this is NOT the current issue in question. The problem that most people are having is unprovoked. They are doing regular crap like fighting, walking, casting, etc, and then out of the blue, they can no longer send to the server.

[cavedude]

Couldn't it be possible that it is povoked in some way? Maybe in some cases the player did something so small and routine that bugged them that since it was routine, they automatically dismissed it as an action. Casting I could easily see, many spells aren't fully implimented and AAs bug my client all the time since they are a mess atm. Fighting, maybe they tried using a skill not fully implimented. And walking... well something may have bugged them earlier, but since they were just walking they wouldn't know about it until they tried to do something.

[Acolyte]

Here is what I was told by someone that actually got it working (name is omitted because of confidences):

The problem is that the mobs are getting assigned entity IDs that are beyond what the client likes, 10k+ or so is bad, so you need to reuse previously used IDs.

For npcs, objects, clients and corpses.

Not sure if that helps.

[Acolyte]

these are all good examples of the ACK problem. But unless people tell me otherwise, this is NOT the current issue in question. The problem that most people are having is unprovoked. They are doing regular crap like fighting, walking, casting, etc, and then out of the blue, they can no longer send to the server.


In my case, this is what I am talking about. There may be other ACK/NAK issues, however the one we're running into most frequently is just an eventuality. You could be standing there AFK, or in the middle of fighting.

[fathernitwit]

Here is what I was told by someone that actually got it working (name is omitted because of confidences):

The issue of large entity IDs was resolved almost a year ago (when the issue was reported to me). Nobody could possibly claim they "actually got it working" because nobody can repeat it well enough to even know what was wrong.

[Acolyte]

The issue of large entity IDs was resolved almost a year ago (when the issue was reported to me). Nobody could possibly claim they "actually got it working" because nobody can repeat it well enough to even know what was wrong.


SoD doesn't appear to have this problem. I know it's on older code, but something changed for the worse.