Internal Error

A general error returned by the TS engine and it's derivates. The message itself doesn't say much, and can be caused by almost anything you do wrong, so it's impossible to say where exactly it came from when it hits your screen. If you get an internal error, all you can do is try to track down what changes you have made to cause it. Review your latest rules-changes and play again to see when it occurs. Make sure you always know what you have changed, the more things you change simultaneously, the harder it is to see what caused the IE. Also, just because you found a mistake and fixed it, that doesn't mean there can't be a second one that's still causing the error.

List of known reasons for Internal Errors (please expand)

As you will see below, most Internal Errors seem to be caused by weapons and/or warheads.

1. Missing warhead on a weapon.

2. Typo for a weapon entry on a vehicle/infantry/aircraft/building so that it points to a non-existent weapon. Allied General - most common of the Internal Error (IE)

3. Cluster/shrapnel weapon not attached to another unit.

4. A warhead with CellSpread bigger than 11.

5. A weapon that is used in a game mode but not attached to another unit in the main rules file.

6. Setting off a warhead with a CellSpread that is also Temporal=yes.

7. An MCV becomes neutral: Mind-control of an MCV is relinquished to a defeated player (RA2/YR only). The workaround is to make MCVs unable to be mind-controlled (this is done in the YR 1.002 UMP). Neutral Construction Yards do not seem to be a problem.

8. If a falling paratrooper (who has nearly reached the ground) is killed by an area-effect mutation weapon you will get an internal error. Point based mutations seem to be okay and the GM superweapon seems incapable of killing falling paratroopers. If you have an area-effect mutation weapon then you should ensure that all paratroopers are immune to it.

9. HoverPad=yes. If the AI uses a Weather Storm or Nuclear Missile superweapon and a building with HoverPad=yes exists, the game will suffer an IE. Basically, don't use HoverPad=yes.

10. Omitting MakeInfantry=X on InfDeath 9's animation (InfantryMutate=GENDEATH) can sometimes cause an internal error. See the final note on MakeInfantry for more information.

11. Using the 'sell unit' super weapon on a Tank-Bunkered unit breaks the Tank Bunker. Attempting to sell or destroy the broken Tank Bunker causes an internal error. The moral of the story? Don't include the 'sell unit' super weapon.

12. Adding new harvester and not making AI Trigger for it.

See also: Reconnection Error

Software used to find Internal Errors

INI Checker is a very useful program that can check your rules, art and sound ini files for typos and missing references.