ok so i downloaded the game and now it wont let me play.

[planes4you]

i have a dell laptop with windows.
and i downloaded the planeshift game and when i click to play it
it says this application has failed to start because OpenAL32.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.
but it would make no sense to do that.
what should i do?
please help i really like this game and want to play.

[Millian]

Then go download openAL32  The link: www.openal.org

[planes4you]

thanks alott!!!
  that helped me out abunch.

[Caarrie]

Then go download openAL32  The link: www.openal.org

that is NOT the fix for this problem, it means someone has NOT run the updater. please dont tell people to download external resources

[Millian]

OK sorry but you don't have to scream so loud

[EoN604]

Guys I think this is a superb idea, and I am very excited to try it out.  But in all honesty and politeness, why on earth is the main installer broken?

If you really want this product to take off, can I suggest that perhaps it might be a good idea to fix these problems and do the following:

1. Automatically trigger the update process when the program is first executed.
2. Update the updaterinfo.xml file to have 'true' in the download package, rather than false. (dont expect the user to do it)
3. And finally, if this version of installer doesn't work, then roll back to the previous one!! don't let users download a broken installer.

WHY are these not already done?   I mean honestly, 95% of people who download the product, and experience a problem when running, will simply delete it and never use it again.  Only technical people are going to bother following it up. 

I *COMPLETELY* support this fantastic, positive product, and because of this, I strongly suggest you think about fixing the main installer. Especially for the biggest operating system, Windows! 

So I have done the steps above to fix the broken installer, now i get the message "Failed to load effects" and when I click Ok, it closes.  When I searched the forums I foudn this link and quote
http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=32812.0

Oh, and if this fails to work for some reason then I recommend downloading/installing a copy of PlaneShift 0.4.00 and running the updater.
There are still links on the website for that version.

You serious? After fixing a broken download & installer, you want me to go and download a completely different version?  I think this is not very good. For the amount of effort and work you have put into such a fantastic idea, don't you think you should fix this process?   Given how complex the work you've done is, this part should be very easy for you.  Don't underestimate it!  It's like building a castle, and forgetting to put the door in!!!  No-one is going to enter unless you get that part right.

Anyway - I guess i'll go download an entirely different version now?!    Hopefully it works.

Best wishes,
EoN

[Caarrie]

there are plans to fix all of the above and they are NOT new ideas. we are not clueless. a mistake was made with the installer and it will be fixed in future releases.

[EoN604]

I never meant to say that you are clueless. It is very obvious from what you have achieved that you are in fact very intelligent! I don't doubt this. The product/idea you have developed is incredible, and it would take skill beyond mine to accomplish it.

What I am suggesting is that you should consider fixing these problems and providing the new fixed version for download NOW rather than later.  Why wait for a 'future version'?  In the mean time people are downloading a broken one??  Is that really a good approach?  First impressions are important.  These small fixes = big deal. Is it really that difficult to roll up a new release with some text changed to 'true', instead of 'false'?   And is it that much work to auto-trigger the updater on install?

Of course there may be technical restraints/complications I am unaware of, and if that's the case, so be it.  I'm just trying to provide some constructive feedback   Please, I hope it isn't taken the wrong way.

[Caarrie]

how about it is a big deal for the devs to make and release a new package for each platform that ps runs on. This also has to be approved by talad. Some of what you have suggested will be implemented in future releases. Nothing players can do to change what is, we can only try to give ideas for the future but in order to do that you need to know what is going on by check out SVN or keeping up with the wishes and bug tracker.

[Tuxide]

First off, PlaneShift has made it clear that this is not a polished product.  If someone comes here and expects such a thing then this is not for them.  Second, I can think of better things to do with developer resources than polishing off everything, like implementing more important subsystems.  PlaneShift is not in a stage of development that it needs to worry about stuff like this.

[harrisoncb]

I have the same problem, and if i missed the solution in the previous posts, i'm sorry, but i'm one of the people who would just as soon delete it if the startup didn't work.  i downloaded the installer from some australian mirror site and ran the updater to.  i also uninstalled it and reinstalled it and ran the updater, but it still doesn't work.  what to do?

[Caarrie]

read

[harrisoncb]

i can't modify it.  this game seems to be more trouble than it's worth.  i'll find something else.  thanks anyway.

[Sirus]

read

That helped a lot, thank you 

[Bubba]

I've read through several threads related to the topic of how to fix this updater problem, but none of it is helping me out much. I need someone who knows how to get this thing going to walk me through it like a complete idiot. This is what I've done so far:

1. I downloaded BitTorrent for Windows.
2. I downloaded the Updater Patch for Windows
3. I downloaded PlaneShift for Windows from one of the hosts in the US.

So far, I don't see how I could have screwed anything up.

4. I ran the installer for PlaneShift. Everything installed properly.
5. As instructed on the main site, I tried to run the Updater, which failed (of course).
6. I unzipped the Updater Patch and copied the psupdater file (635 KB) into the PlaneShift directory, replacing the original version.
7. I opened updaterinfo.xml and changed the first value to "true" using an XML editor.
8. I tried running the Updater, which prompted me to close and re-run the application as the administrator.
9. I tried running the Updater as the administrator (which I am), but got the message: "This updaterinfo.xml file is marked as inactive and will not work. Please get another one".
10. I checked the updaterinfo.xml file to make sure the value was properly saved as "true" - and it is - and then tried #9 again. Same error.

I don't know where I'm going wrong here. I've read through the numerous posts, but the advice in them does not change my situation.

As this game looks really good, I am willing to uninstall everything and go through the whole process again if needed. But I would really like to see some step-by-step instructions on how to correct this problem. And I do mean step-by-step. (For example, in the post where we are informed that the XML file needs to be changed, it would be necessary to explain that one needs an editor that can handle XML directly and that, if you do not already have one, you need to download one. Just saying "change this value in the XML file" does not really help the average person.)

I realize that the staff at this help forum is probably bored to tears with this request. But please give one good, detailed explanation of how to get this done, and maybe you will see fewer complaints about it in the future.

Thanks in advance,

Bubba

EDIT: O.K. I found the problem (I think). In one of the posts (http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=32812.0), we are told to change a value from "false" to "true". Sorry, but this did not work for me. Then I took a look at the file that poster mentions that we should use if we "screw up" editing the XML. I didn't think I "screwed up" editing, but I was curious. Anyways, I opened it up and: it's a different file altogether. So, I replaced the old file with this one and, presto, the Updater now works. (Although, quite a few of the update attempts give the result: !!! INVALID target window checksum mismatch -17712 !!! : Failed! I hope that is not going to invaliadate the whole updating process...)

My advice would be to get rid of that post telling people to edit the XML. It doesn't work (at least, maybe it used to work and no longer does, or maybe it just doesn't work for Vista users). Just replace the original file with the one s/he linked to.

Sorry for the long and edited post, but I think it might help people in the future.

-B.