Fix autolobby sending invalid game states to the server (#6567)

docs/_posts/2024-11-29-3815.md

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Game version 3815
+permalink: changelog/3815
+---
+
+# Game version 3815 (29th of November, 2024)
+
+Fix the autolobby messing with the expected server state. We hope the autolobby functions as expected now.
+
+With thanks to Nomander for investigating the issue and deciphering a procedure to test the autolobby changes on the test server. Previously the changes were only tested locally by running multiple game instances on the same computer. When testing locally there is no server, and therefore we did not detect this issue sooner.
+
+Apologies for the inconveniences,
+
+With kind regards,
+
+Jip

lua/ui/lobby/autolobby.lua

@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ local AutolobbyCommunicationsInstance = false
 ---@param natTraversalProvider any
 ---@return UIAutolobbyCommunications
 function CreateLobby(protocol, localPort, desiredPlayerName, localPlayerUID, natTraversalProvider)
+    -- we intentionally do not log the 'natTraversalProvider' parameter as it can cause issues due to being an uninitialized C object
     LOG("CreateLobby", protocol, localPort, desiredPlayerName, localPlayerUID)
 
     -- create the interface, needs to be done before the lobby is
@@ -64,8 +65,6 @@ function CreateLobby(protocol, localPort, desiredPlayerName, localPlayerUID, nat
     AutolobbyCommunicationsInstance.LobbyParameters.LocalPlayerPeerId = localPlayerUID
     AutolobbyCommunicationsInstance.LobbyParameters.NatTraversalProvider = natTraversalProvider
 
-    AutolobbyCommunicationsInstance:SendGameStateToServer('Idle')
-
     return AutolobbyCommunicationsInstance
 end
 

lua/ui/lobby/autolobby/AutolobbyController.lua

@@ -746,7 +746,6 @@ AutolobbyCommunications = Class(MohoLobbyMethods, AutolobbyServerCommunicationsC
         self:DebugSpew("LaunchGame")
         self:DebugSpew(reprs(gameConfig, { depth = 10 }))
 
-        self:SendGameStateToServer('Launching')
         return MohoLobbyMethods.LaunchGame(self, gameConfig)
     end,
 
@@ -820,7 +819,6 @@ AutolobbyCommunications = Class(MohoLobbyMethods, AutolobbyServerCommunicationsC
         -- start prefetching the scenario
         self:Prefetch(self.GameOptions, self.GameMods)
 
-        self:SendGameStateToServer('Lobby')
         self:SendLaunchStatusToServer('Hosting')
 
         -- update UI for game options
@@ -855,8 +853,6 @@ AutolobbyCommunications = Class(MohoLobbyMethods, AutolobbyServerCommunicationsC
         self.LocalPeerId = localPeerId
         self.HostID = hostPeerId
 
-        self:SendGameStateToServer('Lobby')
-
         -- occasionally send data over the network to create pings on screen
         self.Trash:Add(ForkThread(self.ShareLaunchStatusThread, self))
         -- self.Trash:Add(ForkThread(self.CheckForRejoinThread, self)) -- disabled, for now

lua/ui/lobby/autolobby/components/AutolobbyServerCommunicationsComponent.lua

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 --#region Game <-> Server communications
-
+-- 
 -- All the following logic is tightly coupled with functionality on either the
 -- lobby server, the ice adapter, the java server and/or the client. For more
 -- context you can search for the various keywords in the following repositories:
@@ -32,6 +32,36 @@
 --
 -- Specifically, the following file processes these messages on the server:
 -- - https://github.com/FAForever/server/blob/98271c421412467fa387f3a6530fe8d24e360fa4/server/gameconnection.py
+-- 
+-- ## How to test game communications
+-- 
+-- You cannot test the game <-> server communications using the launch script to
+-- launch local instances of the game. This requires a bit of effort.
+-- 
+-- Prerequisites:
+-- - A Lua development environment
+-- - Two separate instances of the FAF client
+-- 
+-- Procedure:
+-- - Start the FAF client and then logout to view the login screen. 
+-- - Choose the test server. 
+-- - Navigate to the leaderboards. 
+-- - Navigate to the last page of the leaderboards. 
+-- - Both clients should pick a player with almost no games. 
+-- - Back in the FAF client login screen, click on 'login'.
+-- - - Sanity check: it should state somewhere on screen that you are logging into the test server.
+-- - Use the nickname of the player as login. Use `foo` as the password. Not all accounts that exist 
+-- in production also exist in the test server, so you may have to try a few to find one that works.
+-- 
+-- Once logged in:
+-- - Via the hamburger menu (top left) go to Settings -> Forged Alliance Forever
+-- - Update the command line format to `"%s"  /init init_local_development.lua`, it auto saves
+-- - Start searching
+-- 
+-- The procedure applies to both clients. By updating the command line format you override the 
+-- game files that the client is loading. Using this approach you can launch the game from
+-- any pull request. Just make sure that both clients use the same pull request and have gone
+-- through the same procedure.
 
 -- upvalue scope for performance
 local GpgNetSend = GpgNetSend
@@ -107,6 +137,11 @@ AutolobbyServerCommunicationsComponent = ClassSimple {
     ---@param self UIAutolobbyServerCommunicationsComponent | UIAutolobbyCommunications
     ---@param value UILobbyState
     SendGameStateToServer = function(self, value)
+        -- any other value seriously messes with the lobby protocol on the server
+        if value ~= 'Launching' then
+            return
+        end
+
         GpgNetSend('GameState', value)
     end,
 
@@ -124,7 +159,7 @@ AutolobbyServerCommunicationsComponent = ClassSimple {
         GpgNetSend('EstablishedPeer', peerId)
     end,
 
-    --- Sends a message to the server that we disconnected from a peer. Note that a peer may be trying to rejoin. See also the launch status of the given peer. 
+    --- Sends a message to the server that we disconnected from a peer. Note that a peer may be trying to rejoin. See also the launch status of the given peer.
     ---@param self UIAutolobbyServerCommunicationsComponent | UIAutolobbyCommunications
     ---@param peerId UILobbyPeerId
     SendDisconnectedPeer = function(self, peerId)

lua/ui/lobby/changelogData.lua

@@ -1,8 +1,29 @@
 ---@type number
-last_version = 3814
+last_version = 3815
 
 ---@type PatchNotes[]
 gamePatches = {
+    {
+        version = 3815,
+        name = "Hotfix",
+        hasPrettyGithubRelease = true,
+        hasPrettyPatchnotes = false,
+        description = {
+            "# Game version 3815 (29th of November, 2024)",
+            "",
+            "Fix the autolobby messing with the expected server state. We hope the autolobby functions as expected now.",
+            "",
+            "With thanks to Nomander for investigating the issue and deciphering a procedure to test the autolobby changes on ",
+            "the test server. Previously the changes were only tested locally by running multiple game instances on the same ",
+            "computer. When testing locally there is no server, and therefore we did not detect this issue sooner.",
+            "",
+            "Apologies for the inconveniences,",
+            "",
+            "With kind regards,",
+            "",
+            "Jip",
+        },
+    },
     {
         version = 3814,
         name = "Hotfix",

lua/version.lua

@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ local Commit = 'unknown'    -- The use of `'` instead of `"` is **intentional**
 
 --#endregion
 
-local Version = "3814"
----@alias PATCH "3814"
----@alias VERSION "1.5.3814"
+local Version = "3815"
+---@alias PATCH "3815"
+---@alias VERSION "1.5.3815"
 ---@return PATCH    # Game release
 function GetVersion()
     LOG(string.format('Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance Lua version %s at %s (%s)', Version, GameType, Commit))

mod_info.lua

@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 -- - https://github.com/FAForever/fa/blob/deploy/fafdevelop/lua/MODS.LUA
 
 name = "Forged Alliance Forever"
-version = 3814          -- needs to be an integer as it is parsed as a short (16 bit integer)
+version = 3815          -- needs to be an integer as it is parsed as a short (16 bit integer)
 _faf_modname='faf'
 copyright = "Forged Alliance Forever Community"
 description = "Forged Alliance Forever extends Forged Alliance, bringing new patches, game modes, units, ladder, and much more!"