i macine, gm and host: error: Could not load ruleset root file base.xml

[balth]

Hi guys,

Nothing changed. It worked last night, now it doesn't.

I am using a single machine to GM from using the full license, I open a second instance for a local player, and this is the error it gives me.

My non-remote players can connect just fine.
It's just the local instance that is giving me this.

Could not load ruleset root file base.xml.
Do you want to try reloading the data?

No matter how many times I click Yes, it just keeps popping up again.

I tried disabling the box call, that doesn't do anything either.

I need to get this running in just a few hours for a game, any help is mucho appreciated!

Also, the base.xml code of my ruleset:



<!-- This file is provided under the Open Game License version 1.0a
-- For more information on OGL and related issues, see
-- https://www.wizards.com/d20
--
-- For information on the Fantasy Grounds d20 Ruleset licensing and
-- the OGL license text, see the d20 ruleset license in the program
-- options.
--
-- All producers of work derived from this definition are adviced to
-- familiarize themselves with the above licenses, and to take special
-- care in providing the definition of Product Identity (as specified
-- by the OGL) in their products.
--
-- Copyright 2007 SmiteWorks Ltd.
-->

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<root version="2.0">
<!-- the_box -->
<includefile source="thebox/thebox.xml" />
<!-- end -->
<includefile source="bmpfonts.xml" />
<includefile source="graphics.xml" />

<includefile source="gameelements.xml" />

<includefile source="common_templates.xml" />

<includefile source="charsheet.xml" />
<includefile source="adventure.xml" />
<includefile source="utility.xml" />
<includefile source="library.xml" />
<includefile source="reference.xml" />

<includefile source="desktop.xml" />

<desktopframe>desktop</desktopframe>

<script name="ChatManager" file="scripts/chatmanager.lua" />
<script name="GmIdentityManager" file="scripts/gmidentitymanager.lua" />
<script name="ModifierStack" file="scripts/modifierstack.lua" />
<script name="ExportManager" file="scripts/exportmanager.lua" />
<script name="WindowManager" file="scripts/windowmanager.lua" />

<tokenroot source="tokens" />

<importinfo>
<acceptfrom ruleset="d20" />
</importinfo>
</root>


Like I said, nothing has changed in it.
I AM using a different name, and apparently my wireless keyboard sucks because it made me misspell machine in the title ;)

[mr_h]

I ran into this problem a while ago and I can not recall what fixed it. I think basically redoing the ruleset or reinstalling it.

Do a search on these forums too, I think some other folks ran into it as well and they may have other solutions

[balth]

reloading the ruleset did NOT work.

Just tried it.

P.S. I have attempted to search, and the answers are all vague if best. Someone fixed it, but then didn't post how, which wasn't very helpful ;)

[Griogre]

This is just a guess but try commenting out the box include and see of that fixes it. If it does seem to fix it I would try rewrite the path like:

<includefile source="thebox\\thebox.xml" />

Having the path like that is usually a good thing but I have to wonder if "/" is being read as the end of the attribute.

Make sure you don't have any XML files open either. :p

[balth]

Hi guys,

...

No matter how many times I click Yes, it just keeps popping up again.

I tried disabling the box call, that doesn't do anything either.


As you can see, I mentioned I already disabled the box call.

Now, for those who run into this problem also, let me tell you what I did to get around it. It is not a permanent fix; it's more like a patch job.

What I did is to create a new campaign. I copied all the relevant folders from my glitchy one to the new one. This did allow me to connect locally, but did also force all non-locals to redownload the files; which is a lengthy process.

So now, there is a clear answer of how to skirt around the issue, but this still does not fix my original campaign, and I do not think people want to end up with 47 campaigns just to run a single campaign, so I'm definitely interested in finding the root of this problem.

As I also mentioned, I tried a FRESH install of the ruleset with no The Box. That returned the same problem. I would have thought it was a problem with the campaign db, but I copied that over!

Devs, any help? Anyone else have insight into this?

[joshuha]

Do you get this issue with the default d20 ruleset?

What are the exact steps you are taking to log the local client on the same machine?

[balth]

Ok, here goes:

I do NOT get this issue on the default d20 ruleset (I've never used the default ruleset).

Steps to log on a local client:

1. Launch Full Version, host a game as 'balth' with my campaign loaded.
2. Open 2nd instance of Full version, choose 'Join a Game as a Player'
3. Change the name to 'Andy' (for example)
4. Put in my local IP addy (192.168.2.100) OR instead of 3&4 I can also doubleclick a name/IP combo from the history (assuming it is correct)
5. It does a check the first time you do this and downloads the files.

Now this is where I think something goes haywire, over time, is with #5. Because once this has occurred once, the local player instance doesn't download anything anymore unless you change files. When I see downloading start again at a later point and time in the future, I know almost automatically that it is going to give me the error (because so far it is 100% success rate).

The files do not change; the content of the base.xml does not change; if I reload the ruleset, the error still occurs; which leads me to believe the problem actually doesn't lie within base.xml at all.

I am beginning to think it is a parsing problem that occurs prior to base.xml; base.xml is simply the last file to attempt to load during the download, and perhaps is a default error message for something?

What boggles my mind tho, is I am again currently running the old campaign in a 'Create New Campaign' template, and it works, The Box and all. Yet if I try to load my 'Keep on the Shadowfell' campaign, it errors out.

I hope I've been thorough enough! And thanks in advance!

[Astinus]

So does this mean the problem is in the campaign.dat file, in the cache folder? And the repeated over writing of that file eventually results in some kind of corruption?

I've recently had the same problem that you've described. In my case, I'd make a change to the ruleset, reload it from within the GM client, reconnect a character (locally), watch the new files transfer into the campaign.dat, and then sometimes the corruption occurs.

I always fixed it by deleting campaign.dat. Your step of creating a new campaign does effectively the same thing, creating a new campaign.dat. So maybe if you go into cache/<your original campaign> and delete campaign.dat that might work? Caveat: I'm just guessing based on what worked for me.

[Griogre]

It might be. But I think the more likely answer is that typically there are CRC checks of the ruleset to determine if the ruleset has changed and whether a new copy needs to be pushed out to the client. It might be that because the machine is the host the CRC for it is always validated or something. Thus after a change to the ruleset you might have a problem when you open the client on the same machine. Deleting the campaign.dat would force another stream of data.

[Rugburn]

I'm having the same issue. I downloaded the program just earlier this week and haven't been able to get in as GM yet. Every time I try to load a campaign or start a new one, the error message pops up and I can't do anything. I have version 2.1.1 of FG, full version. Not really sure what the problem is.

I kind of feel like an ***, I convinced 6 people to buy into this after a month of talking about it, and now it doesn't work... frustrating. :(

[Foen]

I'd go with Astinus' suggestion: deleting the campaign.dat file on the local (host) machine, which will not cause remote users to re-download but just forces a new local copy to be created. You also won't need to create a new version of the main campaign.

It doesn't explain/fix the problem (that is, why is campaign.dat corrupted in the first place?) but it is low-effort work-around.

Foen

[Griogre]

I'm having the same issue. I downloaded the program just earlier this week and haven't been able to get in as GM yet. Every time I try to load a campaign or start a new one, the error message pops up and I can't do anything. I have version 2.1.1 of FG, full version. Not really sure what the problem is.

I kind of feel like an ***, I convinced 6 people to buy into this after a month of talking about it, and now it doesn't work... frustrating. :(
What's your error message? And the problem is happening when you try to stream a non default d20 ruleset to your second instance of FG on the same computer?

[Sorontar]

I'm having the same issue. I downloaded the program just earlier this week and haven't been able to get in as GM yet. Every time I try to load a campaign or start a new one, the error message pops up and I can't do anything. I have version 2.1.1 of FG, full version. Not really sure what the problem is.

I kind of feel like an ***, I convinced 6 people to buy into this after a month of talking about it, and now it doesn't work... frustrating. :(

Well that sounds like a different problem to be honest as the issue above was concerning a local instance on the same machine as the DM.

I'd suggest you send a screenie to [email protected] explaining the issue in full.

[Rugburn]

I posted here because it's the same error message.

"Could not load root ruleset root file base .xml. Try reloading the data?"

The error message occurs as I'm trying to load up the program. Double click the icon -> Host Game as Gamemaster -> Load Campaign (Or start new one) -> error message kablammo. Click yes, error message again, immediately. Click no, program closes.

[Griogre]

Does this error occur on the default d20 ruleset? It sounds like you have a custom ruleset that has a pathing problem. The base.xml file needs to be one level down from FG ruleset folder. It would help if you told us what the path to the base.xml file is.

The error is just saying FG either can't find the base.xml file or that file is corrupt. Usually this means you have an extra folder between FG's ruleset folder and the base.xml file.

[Rugburn]

Okay so here's how it looks. Yes, I did try to get a different ruleset loaded up, the 4e one that the group from Fouruglymonsters is working on. Thing is, the error pops up for the d20 ruleset as well. I click on Start -> Programs -> FG2 -> Application Data Folder. From here I have 8 folders with various names and a .lua file. One of the folders is rulesets. In that folder is a folder that says d20. That folder has 4 folders in it: Fonts, Scripts, Icons, Tokens. I don't see any .xml files in those folders. If this isn't what it's supposed to look like, then I guess that would be the problem. Thing is, I haven't removed or changed anything with that d20 ruleset since I installed the program. The only activity I've had is when I put in then removed that 4e ruleset. I may have accidentally done something, hard to say what, though.

[Sorontar]

Looking in my ruleset folder I can only see my custom ruleset, I think the only time I have had one called d20 in there was when I ran the d20unpak.exe to create a custom ruleset.

I believe the file that holds your d20 ruleset is in

C:\Program Files\Fantasy Grounds II

and is called d20.pak.

Perhaps having that folder called d20 in your ruleset folder is causing your problem? Try moving it out of the folder up a level or somewhere else to see?

[Rugburn]

I emptied out the folder, same problem. I put the .pak file in there, same problem. I ran the unpak.exe, same problem. unpak just moves it to the pexamples folder.

[Rugburn]

I also wanted to say thanks to you guys for the help, I'd be drowning in frustration without you guys at least trying!

[Rugburn]

Not sure what the problem was, but it works now. I uninstalled and reinstalled and now it works fine. Again, thanks to you guys.

[Sorontar]

I'd guess you just had a corrupt file, glad you've got it sorted huzzah :D

Just for reference: You run the unpak.exe to create a copy of the d20 ruleset in the example folder. You then rename it and put it in your ruleset folder so that you can modify it and work on your own custom ruleset.

[balth]

Heh, I'm fairly sure it must be something in the ruleset that is corrupting. thanks tho for the tip about deleting the cache file, if it comes up again, I will be trying that first, as I don't want 900 campaigns just to run one ;)

[TheNecromancerofMirkwood]

I am getting the same error message, but I get it when I try to Create a Local Character using the Castles & Crusades ruleset (which I have not modified in the least). It loads normally if I do the d20 ruleset, but not the C&C set.

[joshuha]

I am getting the same error message, but I get it when I try to Create a Local Character using the Castles & Crusades ruleset (which I have not modified in the least). It loads normally if I do the d20 ruleset, but not the C&C set.

At this time most third party rulesets will not work in "create local mode" due to distribution methods. They would have to be distributed a different way and installed using a windows installer to get it to work locally correctly.

[Oberoten]

*dances the dance of gloating*

Mine does! :)

- Obe

[Foen]

*is very happy for Obe*

The basic choice for ruleset distribution is:

1. Use a PAK file (myruleset.pak)

This method requires an identical PAK file to be installed on all machines in the campaign (not just the host), but allows local character creation. As Joshuha says, it also needs a Windows installer becuase PAK files need to be recorded in the Windows Registry.

Most commercial rulesets don't use this method, because each player would need to buy the ruleset not just the GM and licences would be too expensive.

2. Use a directory-based ruleset (rulesets\myruleset)

The host has the ruleset installed, and players download the ruleset with the campaign information into a local cache. Because a campaign cache is used, the ruleset doesn't support player-side local character creation. I think it is possible, however, to create a directory-based ruleset which would support GM local character creation, but I've never tried.

Clearly Obe has implemented a PAK ruleset, or created a directory-based ruleset with GM-only local character creation, or has marvellous magical abilities.

Stuart

[Foen]

BTW, the d20 ruleset is a PAK file and is present on all machines (clients and hosts).

Stuart

[Oberoten]

*is very happy for Obe*

Clearly Obe has implemented a PAK ruleset, or created a directory-based ruleset with GM-only local character creation, or has marvellous magical abilities.

Stuart

Directory based that works for GM, yes. :)