30 lines
6.8 KiB
Markdown
30 lines
6.8 KiB
Markdown
# Open questions
|
||
|
||
Each links to the finding that raised it. Promoted to backlog or closed by **re-quartermaster**.
|
||
|
||
- **Compiler archive mismatch** — imports say MSVCR100/MSVCP100 (VS2010), but Ghidra applied
|
||
`windows_vs12_32` datatypes (closest available). Confirm the exact toolchain from the PE Rich
|
||
header; decide which datatype archive best fits. (from [[01-fingerprint]])
|
||
- **Battle-load root cause** — inferred as single-threaded engine + core-count-sensitive code;
|
||
must be confirmed by a `ForceSingleCore=0` vs `=1` diff once the main loop is mapped.
|
||
(from [[00-strategy]])
|
||
- **Save-editor struct coverage** — community editors cover players/tech/systems; fleet/combat
|
||
state coverage may be partial. Treat as strong hints, verify each field against real saves.
|
||
- **Lockstep determinism** — `@SYNC ERROR DETECTED: Frame %d` indicates a deterministic lockstep sim. Big for reimplementation + old-vs-new differential (determinism makes equivalence checkable frame-by-frame). Confirm scope. (from [[strings-and-config]])
|
||
- **Mods override mechanism** — `.gob` = `gobio::ZipFileSystem` with a `NativeFileSystem` loose-file override; this is how `./Mods` wins over archived files. Verify load order. (from [[strings-and-config]])
|
||
- **Battle-load root cause** — the shipped fix is a blunt process-affinity pin (`FUN_0089ee70`) with NO CPU-topology detection, so there is no adaptive branch. The real cause is emergent multi-core contention: which thread(s)? Investigate the 3 `CreateThread` sites (`FUN_00902350`, `FUN_00736e30`, startup `FUN_008a0e50`), the streaming-sound thread, and lockstep sync waits. (from [[ghidra-recon]])
|
||
- **Save-struct contradictions (R1 vs R2)** — field widths (`Abdn`/`Dstyd`/`ltis` Int16 vs Int32; `Bats2`), R2's `OID = PID*16` owner-handle claim, species id 4 (`_NPC` vs 'AI Rebellion'). Resolve against the binary's Streamable read code. (from [[save-editor-structs]])
|
||
- **Unlabeled save blocks** — `CdPlayer` (unknown1..35), empty `SimSystemDetailSpy`, opaque ~2500 B RNG blob. Analyst targets once the Streamable readers are located. (from [[save-editor-structs]])
|
||
- **Missing HUD scripts** — exe references `GUI/Combat/CombatHUD.script`, `SensorHUD.script`, `NoHUD.script` but none ship in the gobs or loose; likely dev-only overrides via the gobio native-FS fallback. Confirm via `CombatScreen` load path. Also: `.script` files are display configs, not widget layouts (corrects round-one note). (from [[ui-screen-map]])
|
||
- **Tech `allows` default per-race %** — `tech_tree.json` edges only carry races written in the `allows` string; the default for an unlisted race (believed 100%) is engine code. Ghidra target in the tech loader. (from [[data-parsers]])
|
||
- **Engine parser leniency** — 12 shipped shipsections are syntactically broken (unclosed `{`, extra `}`) yet load; keys and identifiers are case-insensitive. Reimplementation must match this leniency. `.effect` is its own `TXT`/`BEGIN-END` format, not brace-block (corrects round one). (from [[data-parsers]])
|
||
- **Struct recovery leftovers** — `PlayerColorID` exact on-disk width (writer `FUN_008b9cb0` undecompiled); `ServerSystem+0x10` owner type; `TechTree` per-tech body; `CdPlayer` block. R2's `OID = PID*16` is an id-allocation pattern, not in this code. (from [[struct-recovery]])
|
||
- **Resolved (R1/R2 contradictions)** — `Bats2`/`rcex` are int64 (R2 wrong); `Abdn`/`Dstyd` bools, `ltis` int; `TRM`/`CstR/E/T`/`shrm`/`RefCap`/`RepCap`/PlayerView `Infra` are floats; `pswd` string; `TShn`/`ETS`/diplomacy counters int16 in memory, int32 on disk; `Nexp` carries `xid/xmin/xmax/xper`; `FtOrig` is Vector3. (from [[struct-recovery]])
|
||
- **Battle-load, narrowed** — sim/combat load run on the main thread; the only other threads are net watchdog, TIME_CRITICAL audio streaming (`g_musicCS`), and a star-map mesh builder. Hypothesis: audio-thread critical-section contention or D3D9 runtime/driver threads on many cores. Needs a dynamic profile (x32dbg / ETW) under the software-GPU stack. (from [[turn-spine]])
|
||
- **Spine leftovers** — `StrategyServer` struct partial (41 fields); static-initialiser region 0x009be000–0x009c1400 undisassembled; `Mars::Stream` vftable not located; several small ProcessTurn phase fns unnamed. (from [[turn-spine]])
|
||
- **Save framing ambiguities (settle on first real save)** — padding joint `[len][name][value][pad]` vs split; bool vs int for names with len%4==0 (no type byte); on-disk tags for Summary/CreateParameters and count/element tags inside framed arrays unknown (positional for now). A real 3-char bool tag (`NPC`,`Dep`,`hsp`) settles padding. (from [[SAVE_FORMAT]])
|
||
- **Strict-parse gaps vs real save (verifier output, round 3)** — (1) `ServerSystem`: 7/28 systems carry `VFlags` where `Name`/`vnh` were expected — a conditional layout (uncolonized/special systems?); (2) `halt[].haltv` is a 31/35-byte struct, not a bool; (3) optional `indi` (IndependenceInfo?) precedes `NVE`/`PID` in some systems; (4) `PrisonerHold.prisoners[]` entries lack `PrNSp`; (5) `/createParams/key` is int; (6) `turnstats.hist.stats.tch` is int; (7) optional trailing `zdsi`/`zdst`. Padding = **joint** (settled). 7 resyncs / 2728 raw bytes ≈ RNG blob. (from [[turn2-strict-issues]])
|
||
- **RESOLVED: strict-parse gaps** — 5/8 were reader bugs (ASCII plausibility test applied to string values; empty string == int 0), 3 real: `PrNSp` only when `PrMax>0`; `indi` unconditional in `NVO` nodes (system-level gated by `hindi`); `zdsi/zdst` pairs under `zdsc`. `Key` is an empty string; `tch` int. Summary/CreateParams tag lists confirmed. Reader patch in flight. (from [[schema-gaps-resolved]])
|
||
- **RESOLVED: save framing** — padding is joint; `"."` = NULL tag (VectorHelper count+elements, Vector3 bodies); empty strings are 4 zero bytes; `CDT` is a tagged frame + opaque `CD` frames. All three real saves parse `--strict` clean. Note: `SvSctOb` IS present in all saves (patch doc §7 was wrong). (from [[SAVE_FORMAT]])
|
||
- **(parked) Combat loader job API** — does tactical-battle loading go through the job helpers `0x8fc160`/`0x8fa5b0` with the `TryEnterCriticalSection→Sleep(1000)` completion poll (`0x0071ea60`)? If yes, that is a plausible many-core stall (lost try-lock = +1 s per poll). End Turn also has a deliberate `Sleep(computed)` ≈0.85 s at `0x00838da9`. (from [[battle-load-profile]])
|
||
- **Ship-design code rules (Ghidra, from SHIP_DESIGN_RULES.md §8)** — hidden default rider designs are built WITHOUT tech gating (where?); is section class-equality enforced or merely unoffered; confirm the turret class-accept table (`standard ← {standard,missile,grapple}`, `strafe ← {standard}`; grapple weakest); hull-class tech injection (`IND_CruisCon`/`IND_DreadCon`) + station exemption; option defaults/auto-upgrade and what `option_cost` multiplies; weapon cost per bank vs per mount; mass/speed formulas; `faiDes`/`dWep` meaning. (from [[SHIP_DESIGN_RULES]])
|