AoW: Planetfall - Xenoplague infection can spawn unit for random player

[The Founder]

One line summary of your issue
Xenoplague infection can spawn unit for random player

What platform are you running the game on?

Steam

What operating system do you use?
Windows 10
Which version of the game are you running?
1.005.36738

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
I was playing the Amazon Campaign on Zemestrian-4.
One of the quests (secret Lab?) gives you an option to get a Xenoplague Plague Lord.
This unit has builtin Infection ability, when the player may not have Xenoplague.

Infention still spawns Units. It jsut spawned the Pustule for the hostile Kirko AI that has Xenoplague, rather then me who did the infection.
This seems off.

Have you tried verifying your files?
Yes

Steps to reproduce the issue


Attach DxDiag (PC) or System Info log (Mac)

Attach screenshot / video

 

[The Founder]

A small correction: The mission was of course on Thanakiwa. Zemestris is Dvar Nr. 2. My bad.

 

[Clopen]

Happened to me too, and I'd like to add that this can happen in a battle in which the Kir'Ko player does not participate, and in a neutral sector.
I've included a save file following a battle where this happened.

 

[Vind7]

Playing as Dvar xenoplague hero got pustule from presumably AI on the other side of the map. Weird thing there is no visible AI armies nearby then i got the unit.

 

[Clopen]

Playing as Dvar xenoplague hero got pustule from presumably AI on the other side of the map. Weird thing there is no visible AI armies nearby then i got the unit.

If you mean that you played with the Xenoplague as your secret tech (second Dvar campaign) and you got a new Pustule after you won a fight, that's probably because you researched the Pustule skill in the military research branch.
Once you do that, every time you win a fight in which you infected an enemy unit with the Xenoplague there's a chance that this enemy will turn into a Pustule under your command when the fight ends. That's kind of the whole idea of that secret tech.

What we mentioned here are Pustule units under enemy control that spawned when you infected an enemy unit even though that enemy player didn't have anything to do with the fight.
A bit reminiscent of the Age of Death spell in AoW III, though most likely unintentional.

 

[Vind7]

Yeah but unit was spawned not on my turn and at the unexplored part of the map. I think AI killed someone but unit was given to me somehow.

 

[Clopen]

Oh, ok.
That actually sounds very much like the same bug, only it happened to the AI instead of the player.

 

[Vind7]

Destroying AI capital with assembly Ellen Shaw leader after battle report show pustule "gained" in city garrison slot - i actually got one without any tech. Not me nor AI posess xenoplague secret tech both celestial so why it is spawned is unknown. I got xenoplague random hero in my army slot but thats it. Got save file before battle's end and will create separate bug report.

 

[Triumph Jordi]

Hey Guys, thank you all for your reports. I've been keeping an eye on this thread in case it indeed got bigger. Currently things are getting a bit busy over here preparing the V1.006 Patch for consoles so once I get the time for it I'll start looking into this. In the meantime, any save where this occurs is welcome.

 

[The Founder]

Hey Guys, thank you all for your reports. I've been keeping an eye on this thread in case it indeed got bigger. Currently things are getting a bit busy over here preparing the V1.006 Patch for consoles so once I get the time for it I'll start looking into this. In the meantime, any save where this occurs is welcome.

Save is a bit hard, as it happens in post combat resolution and is propabilistic.
With the scenario editor it should be forceable. Just give a commander a Xenoplague Plague Lord only starting army, when he does not have Xenoplague. 8 to 12 strength on every attack should be enough to force this in 1-3 combats against Neutrals.

 

[Vind7]

Save file in this bug report https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...ned-after-battle-without-secret-tech.1240992/ - it works for me every time to produce enemy AI pustule.

 

[The Founder]

I got an example. 2nd Kirko Mission. Got a Plague lord from one of the Xenoplague/Terrarech Labs.
The Plague Lord is the only vector for Parasitic Infection, as I am Voidtech.
I attacked a group 3 Pickup Guards. Spawned 3 pustules for my Ally Chekto, wich is Xenoplague.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1855396120

My guess is when spwaning pustules it goes:
1. For the player itself, if he has Xenoplague
2. For another Xenoplague player anywhere on the map
3. For for a random palyer.

 

[Clopen]

Save is a bit hard, as it happens in post combat resolution and is propabilistic.

If you get it from auto-battle then I think the results will always be the same if you load the game just before starting the battle and then do it again (same random seed).
Anyway, I think a save file right after a battle would help them too, since there's a record of the battle you fought inside the save file.

 

[Triumph Jordi]

All right, it's been a long time but I have finally had time to look into this issue. I had a talk with the lead designer and this is actually intended behavior, however due to a bug it only happens in a few circumstances, usually if the defeated player is Xenoplague. I can't tell you when but the fix for that bug is planned to release down the line, making Xenoplague units spawn more consistently for Xenoplague Players if they are not in the combat and you yourself are not a Xenoplague Player.