Guild Wars 2

Gaile Gray.6029:

I assure you, we have an extensive QA Department. As you may have noticed, this is a quirky bug, in that it doesn’t affect everyone, and those it impacts are seeing different outcomes. For instance, I had my auto-loot turn off, someone else had his double-click reset… It’s not a simple “This happens for everyone, all the time” situation.

Testing is more challenging than more players realize. I hope you’ll be understanding about this, and note that this is an odd situation that will be addressed as soon as possible.

This happens exactly the same every time. The bug resets the first tab of options to it’s defaults. The “random” part is not everyone changes the same options.

You have a code repository. The bug was introduced in a recent patch. A source code diff will tell you the areas to look. The error will stand out like a sore thumb.

Please can you provide us with an estimation of time to patch, thank you.

Conundra.1920:

Gaile Gray.6029:

I assure you, we have an extensive QA Department. As you may have noticed, this is a quirky bug, in that it doesn’t affect everyone, and those it impacts are seeing different outcomes. For instance, I had my auto-loot turn off, someone else had his double-click reset… It’s not a simple “This happens for everyone, all the time” situation.

Testing is more challenging than more players realize. I hope you’ll be understanding about this, and note that this is an odd situation that will be addressed as soon as possible.

This happens exactly the same every time. The bug resets the first tab of options to it’s defaults. The “random” part is not everyone changes the same options.

You have a code repository. The bug was introduced in a recent patch. A source code diff will tell you the areas to look. The error will stand out like a sore thumb.

Please can you provide us with an estimation of time to patch, thank you.

that is, if there is actually a version control software being used, which i dearly hope so… otherwise i dont know what i am supposed to think of this anymore.

re: missing patch notes – This (IMO) is also an indication of poor code documentation. If code was being properly documented, complete and accurate patch notes would be much easier. Ensuring good communication is one of managements primary functions. And the view from out here makes it look like good communication is not happening at Anet.

Elden Arnaas.4870:

re: missing patch notes – This (IMO) is also and indication of poor code documentation. If code was being properly documented, complete and accurate patch notes would be easy. Ensuring good communication is one of managements primary functions. And the view from out here makes it look like good communication is not happening at Anet.

I agree… there have been plenty of “hidden” changes not documented in the patchnotes in the past. there isn’t much of a point in patchnotes if you don’t list everything that has been changed. It doesn’t have to be in vast detail, but it should be mentioned if tempering with the options of any kind took place.

re: if there is actually a version control software being used – For a project the size of GW2 they would have to be using version control software, or GW2 wouldn’t even work at all. Either it isn’t very good version control software, or developers are not making good use of it.
Either way it’s a management problem. Get better version control software, or make people use it, and use it properly.

Logged on this evening and it has NOT lost my settings. This morning it had lost them.
Fixed? Quirky? Reset daily? No idea…

[quote=5862657;Gaile Gray.6029:]

I’m really glad that a fix for this is in the works. It isn’t a game breaking issue but it certainly is annoying. Thanks for the update on this!

AysonCurrax.3254:

that is, if there is actually a version control software being used, which i dearly hope so… otherwise i dont know what i am supposed to think of this anymore.

ArenaNet is a multi-million dollar game development company. The Guild Wars 2 source code is hundreds of thousands of lines (that’s a conservative estimate, by the way). No one does serious software development with millions of dollars on the line and teams of programmers without version control. Even open source projects use it. ArenaNet is using version control. It’s absolutely ridiculous to even suggest that they might not be.

And while it might be easy to figure out where something went wrong in a small code repository, when you have a game as large and as complex as Guild Wars 2, it isn’t just a matter of using a diff command or examining every single line of code that’s been changed. For starters, there are likely way too many changes to go through them one at a time unless you know exactly which system the problem is occurring in.

Without knowing exactly what’s causing the bug, it’s also impossible to look at code changes and expect to see something useful. Sometimes if you happen to look at exactly the right section of code something might stand out to you as wrong. But if you’re dealing with a very large program (e.g., such as GW2), that isn’t the most efficient approach to solving the problem. The various subsystems in GW2 interact in very complex ways. Extensive testing needs to be done to isolate the bug first. Then the code can be more closely examined and a fix can be written.

If you don’t do that, then you run the risk of breaking even more stuff or not truly fixing the bug you set out to fix. And then you’ve just wasted valuable programmer and QA time accomplishing nothing particularly useful.

For those of you who haven’t worked in the software programming/developing industry, this is what all the “version control software” and “proper documentation” stuff is about:

Version control software is what companies use so that multiple developers can work on the same project, and not be tripping all over each other.(ideally) But they have to use it, and use it properly.

Version control software kindof treats the various libraries, objects, subroutines, etc… like library books – only 1 person can have it “out” at a time. And there are records of who “has it” at any given time.

A software company has developers A, B, and C all working on the same project. So they’re using version control software to help them be more productive:

Dev A is working on Subroutine 999. He has it “checked out”, so when Dev B goes to access it to make his changes, the version control software tells him that he must wait, because Dev A is already working on it. And he can see notes from Dev A explaining why he has Subroutine 999 checked out and what he’s doing. But here is where the library analogy breaks down. Dev C who (like us) wants to get fixes in quickly, accesses Subroutine 999 without going through the version control software. So Dev C makes changes while Dev A is also making changes. Neither one knows about the other’s changes, and they clash and make a bug. Or Dev C does go through version control, but he’s in a hurry, and doesn’t read Dev A or Dev B’s notes about Subroutine 999. Or he doesn’t make notes about his changes. Any of this leads to problems because people are working on code without knowing fully what’s going on.
Dev C is not a necessarily bad guy. He just wants to get his changes out quickly so that stuff gets fixed.(or implemented) So he doesn’t want to take the time to go through all the proper steps – he just wants to get it done.(Quickly!) But then there are consequences. Because the code is so vast, that you can’t just look at it and see the whole thing. You have to rely on other people’s notes to tell you what’s gong on.

Some developers are very bad about documenting their code, or their changes, or both. That’s fine if you’re the only one working on a project, and as long as you continue to work on that project.(Well, not really, but you can get by.) But if you are no longer working on that project, or there are other people working on it, then the code needs to be documented. And if you make changes, they need to be documented. Or it all starts to fall apart because people don’t know what other people are doing, or have done.

Or maybe the version control software is not doing it’s job well. If it’s hard to use, or doesn’t work well, then it can make everything much more difficult. If you make something difficult to do, slow to use, or it doesn’t produce good results, many developers are likely to avoid/skip/go around it. This may be the issue, or may also be the issue.

Hopefully this sheds some light on why we’re harping on this stuff like it’s so important.

Elden Arnaas.4870:

Dev A is working on Subroutine 999. He has it “checked out”

Wow, the 90s are calling. They want their SourceSafe and CVS (the source control, not the pharmacy) back.

Maybe perforce still work that way too? Been too long since i used it.

i logged on this evening about 2 hours ago and it still it resets all my options. even the server time/ targeting and loot options. pretty annoying if you dont notice it at first.

Shados.1306:

Elden Arnaas.4870:

Dev A is working on Subroutine 999. He has it “checked out”

Wow, the 90s are calling. They want their SourceSafe and CVS (the source control, not the pharmacy) back.

Maybe perforce still work that way too? Been too long since i used it.

So you’re a Git user?

Anyway, the tech used matters little. What matters is maintaining change histories, quality programmer notes, and consistent procedures.

The entire PC gaming industry is poor at quality control, as witnessed by the inevitable release day patch.

I will say ANet did a GREAT job doing release day fixes very fast, often more than once a day. Too bad the bugs were there in the first place…

Raedwulf.3712:

In fairness, Yen, whilst that is an interesting analogy, it says only one thing to me – the game architecture is really screwed.

That made me chuckle. Raedwulf, I have one word for you. “Exactly.”

And it does not surprise me one iota. Why? Think about it.

First, the code base. You have a client but also a server. This server has to poll a database. The server also has to link and use multiple 3rd party libraries. So the server is by no means an island unto itself but more like a planet with several moons. (Honestly I was not meaning to come close to any form of a Deathstar reference so I’m stopping there.)

Second, how long has this game been out there? 3 years officially? So does 4 years sound reasonable? During this 4 year time period… Bi monthly updates, developer churn, manager churn, design changes, sudden needs to fix broken stuff FAST, etc.

Third, and I’ll just say this is an assumption. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes. Each developer has their own level of ablity. I’ve seen elegance way over my head and rough shod that I’ve gagged at in the code I have to support. You get these differences in there and it can make things very interesting again.

We have no idea of their process and practices which can bend you over or save you.

At one point the code looks probably good, but after 4 years of constant development it really doesn’t look anything like the original. Stuff happens, and it really does not make kittens happy.

One suggested work around did work for me, knock on Sylvari. Once you set up your settings, log out to character select and then log out to the launcher.

Gaile Gray.6029:

After the last build, a bug developed where some players’ options were resetting. I know in my case, my “auto-loot” option went away, and my choice to not show the Personal Story reset to show the story by default. Nothing major, but a bit noticeable. (In another case, someone got to the end of a jumping puzzle and learned that the double-tap reactivated on his account and he fell to an untimely and messy death. )

Anyway, we wanted you to know that a fix for this issue is being tested right now, and once it passes all the necessary checks and validations, we’ll be rolling out this fix to make sure your settings stay set.

My wife said my “T” button (auto-loot) didn’t feel the same after I got mad at it not working :p

Took me awhile to notice it.

my settings are not reseting.

Envy me!

Gaile Gray.6029:

Here’s some information on this situation for you: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Option-Reset-Bug (There was an earlier thread on these forums, but I had not seen it at the time I wrote the response (but updated when I spotted it).

The original thread is here: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/support/bugs/Options-reset-every-time-I-log-in/5862648

Does your team know about the LOD bug?

re: workaround/ Once you set up your settings, log out to character select and then log out to the launcher. – For clarity, you mean do this every time you exit the game until the fix, right?

re: the 90s are calling. They want their SourceSafe and CVS (the source control, not the pharmacy) back. – Well, it’s not a primer for engineering students. It’s a post on a forum with a quick and simple explanation for forum-goers without a software engineering background. To help them better understand some industry-specific terms and concepts that are being thrown around. To help them understand the issues, and why we may not be able to get fixes as quickly as we all want them.
So the outdated terms I used are okay in this context. Please tell the 90’s I won’t be returning their call.
But if you would like to put up a clearer, more accurate explanation, with more up to date terms, please feel welcome to do so.(I’m totally serious) And if I like your explanation better, I’ll replace my post with a link to yours.

From the update notes, it seems this is now fixed.

I`d like to say thankyou to the Arenanet staff who have been working to tackle this bug, as it seems to have been a tricky one to deal with and was having a big effect on gameplay.

I`d be interested if we could be told some details of why this happened – if anything is safe to share with us – as sometimes dev’s do comment on what the nature of a bug was and why it proved tricky to pin down. I ask just out of curiosity and because it seemed to be quite a surprise issue that had a lot of us puzzled.

Many thanks again for clearing this up though, it has been the first issue in ages that actually made me stop logging in for a while, so I am really glad it is gone.

This is kittening annoying.

re: This is kittening annoying. – Meaning it’s still happening? If so, say that and give details.

My problem(s) with Options resetting to default began when my too smart for his own britches husband “updated” the launcher from 32 bit to 64 bit Beta. I don’t have much, if any insight on game dynamics as a casual player however, this may be useful.

Happy Wintersday to all.

I’m no longer seeing this issue since the “fix” was rolled out. I’ve logged out/in and restarted several times since then. For me it seems consistently fixed.
So if you’re still having this issue, please post. I would also make a tech support ticket.(and they can get whatever relevant details from you)

Thank you for catching this and fixing it! I thought I was losing my mind there for a bit

Zedd.8239:

And while it might be easy to figure out where something went wrong in a small code repository, when you have a game as large and as complex as Guild Wars 2, it isn’t just a matter of using a diff command or examining every single line of code that’s been changed. For starters, there are likely way too many changes to go through them one at a time unless you know exactly which system the problem is occurring in.

Working on exceptionally complex systems with hundreds of millions of lines of code that have service level agreements of hours, not days, repository diffs do come in handy

This is pretty much me while trying to figure out what the heck happened.

https://youtu.be/8M5-7RbOV9s?t=21s

The options (you tick like horloge or “show the cool down”) stopped reseting, but the sliders (field of view and vertical far) reseted again.

i am pretty sure that after the hotfix, i am HAVING this bug, gggrrrrrrrrrrrr

The issue for me was fixed (although I"m having skills not work on first press of button, kinda like how the harp used to do, and even had mouse click reset while salvaging something just now but that’s a different issue >.>), so far, and I change most every option from default. The other thread shows that there are still quite a few people having this issue, plus the few above:
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/support/bugs/Options-reset-every-time-I-log-in

Common possibilities people are expressing is that restarting computer seems to reset it (I don’t restart mine often >.> so idk but if I do restart and see an issue I’ll update), and/or logging into multiple accounts on same computer, other people that didn’t have the issue now report they do,

My settings have not reseted today anymore.

It looks like this has been fixed with todays new build / update.

Windows 7 x64, GW2 x64 client.

Settings like ground targeting [instant] are remembered again even after exit and relog. I’ll keep an eye on it.

Last patch fixed it. all is good.

Runing win 7 64 bit

Well when i do fractals my camera zooms in. So i mess with the field of view settings (modification 1).
And when i relaunch the game, eveything is back to normal (but i have to reset the settings because the “modification 1” is still applied).

Not fixed for me. Whenever I open my inventory it shows the individual bags even tho I keep ticking hide bags. Also the auto loot keeps being unticked as does targeting.

I’m using the 64 bit client in windows 10 pro

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Just to check: Has this bug been totally fixed, or not?

Should I still keep doing charter select & log-out, instead of Exit to Desktop?