Morai: "Invalid Skill" error in instances, possible fix

Evryn - Morai · June 2014

Since 2 maintenance cycles ago, I've noticed I am getting a lot of "Invalid Skill" errors while trying to use skills. Other players have also reported similar issues. After some testing, a few conclusions:
- Fault ONLY occurs in instances (FSP, Secret Passage, EU, Lunar... probably more)
- Fault ONLY occurs if the skill in question was on cooldown while you entered the instance
- Fault will clear on it's own in a few minutes.

I suspect the issue is actually related to the server clocks not being in sync. I know the instance and main world server are on seperate systems (remember the "character stuck in Morai" debacle from a few months back?), and I've also noticed that long timer quests such as the daily sign-in, show a discrepancy of a few minutes between being in instances, and in the main world. I suspect the game, in an attempt to prevent area load times from interfering with the cooldown, passes the timestamp of last use on any skill on cooldown along while handing over a character from one server to another - which then results in the client and server not being in sync when the timers are simply not equal.

Recommended fix on next maintenance: Resync both server clocks to any NTP server, so long as it's the same one.

RankNine - Momaganon · June 2014

the difference increases every day, its currently 2minutes and 50 seconds.
lost 3(!) pv runs today.
i really dont understand how such a problem on the games most active/populated server stays unfixed for 2weeks straight b:sad

Evryn - Morai · June 2014

Probably because this is a Morai specific server bug. I've reposted it on the french forum, hopefully Enelimm will pick it up and pass it on to whoever does maintenance tomorrow.

hunaradir1 · June 2014

Today i died several times in TT cause some of my assassin skills are frozen or i dont know. My inner harmony and maze step and potions are stucked or something. Maybe there is something bug in the new patch? I spoke with ppl, and some of them have that totally same bug first for today like me. b:surrender

Mosz - Heavens Tear · June 2014

hunaradir1 wrote: »

Today i died several times in TT cause some of my assassin skills are frozen or i dont know

really, "are frozen or i dont know" how the hell are the GM suppose to test that?, did you not read either of the sticky at the top of the page? gives pretty good guidelines how to make a post here...theyre not much more than common sense though...

from your post i can only conclude there is no bug just gross incompetence

eraldus · June 2014

Mosz - Heavens Tear wrote: »

really, "are frozen or i dont know" how the hell are the GM suppose to test that?, did you not read either of the sticky at the top of the page? gives pretty good guidelines how to make a post here...theyre not much more than common sense though...

from your post i can only conclude there is no bug just gross incompetence

Look at me, mom! I'm a keyboard hero!

Annalyse - Heavens Tear · June 2014

Mosz makes a good point here.... you'll have to explain what is actually happening or nobody will be able to help you. Are the skills not firing at all when you click/press them or are they just firing late? Do they ever work or are you completely unable to use particular skills? Or is it in just certain situations that they don't work? Do they work if you click multiple times but they just aren't working the first time? Are only certain skills affected and not others?

The only way for GMs to test and see if something is wrong is for you to explain how to replicate what is happening to you, so they can try it and locate the possible problem. I'm guessing at this point you are having lag issues, but with your lack of explanation it is impossible to say.

SylenThunder - Twilight Temple · June 2014

hunaradir1 wrote: »

Today i died several times in TT cause some of my assassin skills are frozen or i dont know. My inner harmony and maze step and potions are stucked or something. Maybe there is something bug in the new patch? I spoke with ppl, and some of them have that totally same bug first for today like me. b:surrender

Have you verified your files?

Is it happening just in the instance, or everywhere?

Have you heard quantifiable reports of other people having the exact same issue?

Personally, I'm going to bet that the first and last answers will be "No", and the second will likely be "Everywhere". Based on that information, I'd recommend that you verify your files. They probably got corrupted when you were patching because you haven't excluded your client folders from your antivirus software.

I could go on, but I think it would mostly just end up being an insult to your intelligence, that would be based on your current post's lack of objectivity, information, and your failure to read about how to post properly or post coherently.

Start by reading this Sticky Thread, and then post your issue in the appropriate forum, with the appropriate information.

hunaradir1 · June 2014

The skills just simple not responded. I tryed from the normal skill menu from "R" and tryed to refresh on skillbar too. And it's not just in instance, cause after when i died from the bug, i couldnt use my skills again until 5-6 mins, i know cause i wanted to run back to the instance and fill my chi bar, but neither of inner harmony and neither of maze steps are not responded. Its not like, when i click on it, and the skill going to dark, its not did anything. I heard from an another sin, he wrote a ticket too.

Mosz - Heavens Tear · June 2014

still super vague so ill have to assume you just had no mana to cast skills

Medaka - Morai · June 2014

There actually isn't much known about this bug but it was a known one a while back during NW. The OP is most likely referring to the "Invalid Skill" bug that used to occur in NW's randomly (it mostly affected my seeker's Master Li's, Numbness and Unfetter). I haven't figured out the cause nor the fix for this but the basic explanation is that when you attempt to use a skill you get a "Invalid Skill" message and cannot use that skill until some time passes from what I've noticed. It has nothing to do with low mana nor with distance or lack of target, since it happened to me with my buffs for the most part.

I heard a few people mention recently that they get this bug in some instances, and have gotten it myself today when I was doing BH SoT / Abaddon. It was the same as before, just fixed itself after a few minutes (the skills didn't all start working at the same time though, they did one by one). It is fairly common as I speak, though it only came back after the latest patch.

That's my guess on what he's talking about anyways. It was worth reporting either way.

Mosz - Heavens Tear · June 2014

Medaka - Morai wrote: »

There actually isn't much known about this bug but it was a known one a while back during NW. The OP is most likely referring to the "Invalid Skill" bug that used to occur in NW's randomly (it mostly affected my seeker's Master Li's, Numbness and Unfetter). I haven't figured out the cause nor the fix for this but the basic explanation is that when you attempt to use a skill you get a "Invalid Skill" message and cannot use that skill until some time passes from what I've noticed. It has nothing to do with low mana nor with distance or lack of target, since it happened to me with my buffs for the most part.

I heard a few people mention recently that they get this bug in some instances, and have gotten it myself today when I was doing BH SoT / Abaddon. It was the same as before, just fixed itself after a few minutes (the skills didn't all start working at the same time though, they did one by one). It is fairly common as I speak, though it only came back after the latest patch.

That's my guess on what he's talking about anyways. It was worth reporting either way.

youre morai thats why, its actually decent documented with the explanation

http://pwi-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=1697851

OP still hasnt posted his server, we shouldnt assume its morai based bug cause who cant check the first page of QC page right? and cause hed rather rage than make a decent submission

hunaradir1 · June 2014

Yes its on Morai, and its that bug, btw i dont rlly think my text looks like i raged, i just posted this bug. I dont checked the full page, cause its looked like for me its a new bug, so i just checked the last 4-5 topic, and i dont find there. I dont know why ppl have to be so mean...

enelimm · June 2014

Hi everyone,

I reported this bug to our QA & Engineering team. They're investigating the cause of the issue and will let me know what we can do about it.
However, you shouldn't expect it to be fixed by next week already as it might be more complicated to fix/implement than you think. But we are definitely looking into it, and I will keep you updated as soon as I have more information

Thanks for reporting ! b:kiss

hunaradir1 · June 2014

Ty Enelimm

opkossy · June 2014

hunaradir1 wrote: »

Yes its on Morai, and its that bug, btw i dont rlly think my text looks like i raged, i just posted this bug. I dont checked the full page, cause its looked like for me its a new bug, so i just checked the last 4-5 topic, and i dont find there. I dont know why ppl have to be so mean...

Long story short: People here don't take very kindly to folks not making an honest effort to check for their issue before asking the same thing that's already been covered multiple times. And as that's basically what happened here and it happens often enough that folks get tired of redirecting people/repeating themselves all the time... well... you got the type of response you were given.

Anyways, merging this with the other thread since it's the same issue.

PooEA - Lost City · June 2014

As title states the in-game time on world map is off by over 4 minutes to the actual time on Morai.

On Lost City the time is correct, so I assume this has only happened to the Morai server.

There is a major bug that many in faction have noticed as a result of this:
- It seems that instances don't follow the world map time, but the actual time.

So when you enter an instance from the delayed world map your skills that were used in the last 4 minutes are instantly cooled down. I believe this is because the game thinks enough time has passed because the instance is running on a clock 4-mins ahead of world map. Thus the skills are always immediately available again (if CD time is less than the difference in instance and world map time).

Another bug is that when you use an non-target skill i.e. most buffs or sage chi gain on the real world map and afterwards enter an instance, those skills are not useable anymore inside that instance, this applies for apothecary too.

Evryn - Morai · June 2014

To anyone and everyone who wants to avoid this bug, workaround:
Make sure that NONE of your skills are on cooldown before you enter an instance. Only skills which are on cooldown at the time you enter are affected by this bug. Run your pre-buff routines only after you get into an instance and your buffs will follow the instance server timers, and you'll not have any problems.

... also, i'm not sure what the problem is with re-syncing both the instance and main server system timers to a single time source, Enelimm. The cause of the bug is rather obvious, and the fix, provided someone has remote server access, isn't that hard to do. It's just a failed NTP client service I bet...

Try to sneak this in with maintenance next wednesday? Pwetty please? b:pleased

Morai: "Invalid Skill" error in instances, possible fix

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