I have noticed a couple timed mission bugs. I'm running a Debian linux (sarge).

:~$ uname -r
2.6.8-2-k7

First is kinda minor. When doing trade runs where you'll get a bonus for completeing it in a certain time the time left as shown in the mission tab is incorrect by some number of seconds by the end of the mission, so that often I am pulling into the final destination with 12 secs or so left as i get the message that I'm "sure taking a long time..."

Checking the error.log it appears that the mission is timing out at the correct time, even giving a few extra seconds, its just the time in the tab is wrong. I think the tab isn't accounting for the loading screens, as the more jumps involved the longer behind actual time-remaining the mission tab seems to be. Perhaps after each jump the client should verify with the server as to how much time remains.

The other bug is with the second Reconnoissance/Spy mission, "Anomalous Materials". I just had this one time out after about 6 minutes. Here's the relavent (maybe) info from my error.log:

====error.log
[Wed Feb 23 15:54:34 2005] Kill the waste handling bots in the Azek System, Sector I-3 but don't kill the one with the highly volatile chemicals. You have 30 minutes before the chemicals hit critical mass and explode.
[Wed Feb 23 15:56:10 2005] You are entering Azek I-3
[Wed Feb 23 15:56:32 2005] That is not a malfunctioning bot. Keep looking.
[Wed Feb 23 15:57:16 2005] Flight-Assist mode disabled.
[Wed Feb 23 15:58:05 2005] That is a malfunctioning waste handling bot! Kill it!.
[Wed Feb 23 15:58:23 2005] Kill 4 more malfunctioning waste handling bots to scare them away.
[Wed Feb 23 15:58:23 2005] Light Weapons +20
[Wed Feb 23 15:58:23 2005] UIT standing increased slightly
[Wed Feb 23 15:58:23 2005] Hia-Watha destroyed *DenTek Collector ZC-9846f
[Wed Feb 23 16:00:03 2005] That is a malfunctioning waste handling bot! Kill it!.
[Wed Feb 23 16:01:08 2005] That is a malfunctioning waste handling bot! Kill it!.
[Wed Feb 23 16:01:48 2005] That is not a malfunctioning bot. Keep looking.
[Wed Feb 23 16:01:52 2005] Kill 3 more malfunctioning waste handling bots to scare them away.
[Wed Feb 23 16:01:52 2005] Heavy Weapons +20
[Wed Feb 23 16:01:52 2005] UIT standing increased slightly
[Wed Feb 23 16:01:52 2005] Hia-Watha destroyed *DenTek Collector KT-4430n
[Wed Feb 23 16:01:52 2005] Kill 2 more malfunctioning waste handling bots to scare them away.
[Wed Feb 23 16:01:52 2005] Heavy Weapons +20
[Wed Feb 23 16:01:52 2005] UIT standing increased slightly
[Wed Feb 23 16:01:53 2005] <CLICK!> Out of missiles!
[Wed Feb 23 16:01:55 2005] Oh no! The chemicals reached critical mass and exploded, polluting the entire area!
====end cut

I'm pretty sure I didn't hit the wrong bot because it gives a different message when you do that (did that in my previous attempt)

This mission is hard enough, I think I'm really gonna need more than 6 minutes :)

edit:

Well I wasn't able to duplicate the second problem. Whenever I shot the bot with the chemicals it gave me the correct message "Oh no! The malfunctioning bot with the chemicals got hit and the chemicals polluted the area!"

Maybe if you hit the bot with the chemicals before you scan it you get the wrong message?

Anyway I've done this mission now so can't try to dublicate the problem anymore.

heh, the problem with the bots isnt a timeout problem.

that bot is REDICULOUSLY sensitive to damage. if it flys into anything else it explodes.( anything else including but not limited to the following: an asteroid, another bot, one of your shots, occasionally another bots shots, a tiny little bit of splash damage from a missile, you)

it used to kill everything in the sector when it exploded, its good to know it just pollutes the sector now.

But it said "Oh no! The chemicals reached critical mass and exploded, polluting the entire area!" not the "Oh no! The malfunctioning bot with the chemicals got hit and the chemicals polluted the area!" It says when the bot gets hit. Though I think you're right and the bot got hit but I just got the wrong message.

It destroys all the other "malfunctioning waste handling bots" when it explodes but not the other regular (Aputech Guardians etc) that are there (shooting at you no doubt!)

hmm, did you by any chance warp out of the sector since you were out of missiles?

that also used to cause the bot to explode.

No I had not warped out yet. I suspect the bot with the chemicals got hit, but I had not scanned it yet so I didn't know which bot it was. I'm thinking maybe it gives the wrong message when the bot gets destroyed before before you scan/ID it.

I had a second bank of missles and I stayed and destroyed the 2 A. Guardians that where also there (the malfunctioning bots all disappeared)

All the other times the chemical bot got hit I had scanned it, all those times it gave the correct message.