MOST HELPFUL way to handle your bugs/issues w/ ZenDesk

Archive NMS Beyond - Bugs & Issues
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(Right off the bat, a quick shout-out to @bcatrek, whose reply to Doopa inspired me to create this thread.)

(Quoting bcatrek from that post)

I’d like this thread to become a USEFUL RESOURCE and, hopefully, a quick “go-to” for anyone having issues, with useful jump-off points / links, and tips regarding 3rd party utils such as DxDiag, CPUinfo, etc, etc.

In order for you to do which, THE most important & relevant link is to the ZenDesk itself, here.

Here’s a list of recommended steps:

See especially Hello Games’ own article about Bug Reporting and what they ask for…
<<<This list will be Edited / Updated as necessary, to streamline this post for Everyone.>>>

(0) Preparation / Play/Crash Capture / Game Saving in NEXT 1.5+

(0.a) Capture VIDEO / SCREENSHOTS / take NOTES whilst you are playing & experiencing issues.
— – If your game CRASHES, try to film / take screenshots while trying to RECREATE the same situation.
— – Be sure to also note down the file location of the Crash Dump file, for later.
(0.b) If not a video, be sure to make note of the GAME-CONTEXT in which the issue occurs.
(0.c) For BEST results, SAVE your game, and EXIT NMS. (Backup your Save files, preferably.)
— – — Difficulties SAVING? Check out this RECENT (Jul.'18!) article.
(0.d) Use your favourite media site (e.g. YouTube / imgur / DropBox, etc) and save a SHAREABLE LINK.

(1) & (2) Check for Existing Solutions

(1) Check the ETARC Community’s own Bugs Thread.
You never know – it’s quite possible someone else has suffered similar, and maybe there’s a solution!

(2.a) Visit the Hello Games ZenDesk, linked here.
(2.b) Use the SEARCH box FIRST & ALWAYS, to see if your issue may have already been Solved.
(2.c) Be sure to CHECK THE EXISTING ARTICLES. (Click on “See all…” for more.)

*** (ZenDesk Articles pages - Direct Links)

Direct Link to 11 (possibly older) existing articles re “PC issues”, at ZenDesk
Direct Link to 7 OLDER “General issues” (seems only up to 1.3), at ZenDesk
Direct Link to 17 OLDER “update logs” only going up to v1.31, at ZenDesk

On PS4:
(with thanks to @Mad-Hatter for having shared this link elsewhere)
This link for Saving Data from PlayStation’s System Storage may be useful…

On PC / Windows:

(3) Using DxDiag for PC System Diagnostic Info

(3.a) Run ( [Win]+[R] ) DxDiag(.exe) – it comes with DirectX / is included with MS Windows.
OR ===>>Start ; :mag_right: (Search) ; type “DxDiag” (no quotes) into the Search box ; select “DxDiag.exe”
(3.b) The “Save All Information” button at the bottom saves to TXT; pick a handy location (e.g. Desktop).

*** DxDiag (How-To article links)

Direct Link: HowToGeek’s DxDiag help page / how-to guide.
(Microsoft’s own DxDiag help page is only v brief, but still useful…)
Here’s another handy guide to using DxDiag and what info you can get with it.

(4) NMS Save files

(4) Have a Folder (process) OPENED to where your Save files are located.
Typically: C:\Users\ [username] \AppData\Roaming\HelloGames\NMS
(If you copy-paste the above, be sure (a) to use YOUR system username, AND (b) ensure there’s No SPACES.)
(If for any reason you’re not sure which system username you’re using, open just C:\Users and look.) :wink:
Try also – Open a Windows Search bar, type in %appdata%, find the HelloGames folder, & NMS sub-folder

Please do not submit multiple tickets for the “same” issue.

… Please DO submit separate tickets for separate issues (rather than cramming all into one ticket!)

for BOTH PS4 & PC:

(5) Reporting Form -- Full Steps + Link

(5.a) At the Top Right of the ZenDesk page, click “Submit a request”
(5.b) On the “Submit a request” page, under “Enter instructions here”, select “Report a bug, crash, or issue”
(5.c) Complete the form carefully; all boxes are required. Submit any media links (URLs) under “Description”
(5.d) At the bottom of the form is a box for “Attachments” – click here to select, or drag-&-drop files here.

(6) What To Do NEXT :P

(6) Breathe. Relax. You have done your part – Thank You.

If your game is “unplayable”, you might want to take a break from NMS . . . :frowning:
During this down time, you can take the opportunity to participate further in our forum Community. :smiley: :+1:

New-ish to our Community? Welcome!! Be sure to come and Introduce Yourself, here.
There’s a thread for all your 1.5 NEXT screenshots, if you’ve some to share; one for pictures of “Sentinel Surfing”, if you’re not sure what it is; a LOT of info on Crafting & Refining in here; and a brilliant “Advice, Tips, & Tricks” thread here . . .

Meanwhile . . .

Please do not expect an individual reply to your ticket…

You MIGHT get one, but more likely you will not.
The time is better spent addressing the bugs, not its reporters. :wink:

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You forgot to add “please do not cram multiple issues into one ticket” :wink:

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A very important point – thank you! Updating next…

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I reported 4 cheats, each in an individual ticket, even though they are executed in similar ways.

**NOTE: You probably WILL NOT get a reply from Support once your ticket is submitted. They are not obligated to reply or be your friend. -)

I have submitted a bug showing up on their website and it was fixed quickly. SO they are fixing bugs. -)

TQQdles™

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Thanks for a very informative post! With your permission, I’m copying directly from one of your links regarding DxDiag (which I admittedly just threw in my original description without mentioning what it is), which is by far the easiest way to obtain that info:

  • In Windows, select Start and enter dxdiag into the search box on the taskbar. Select dxdiag from the results.

  • In the tool, select Save All Information for an easily shared format. (read: a txt file)

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What a great write-up! Thanks for putting this together so concisely.

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Generally speaking I start feeling bad after submitting three or four bug reports and I start putting further ones grouped up in five or six per ticket to avoid spam…unless it’s a major issue like saves not loading and such I don’t feel like I should be submitting separate 35 bug reports. And the only times I reported the same bug more than once was for major issues after patches that were intended to address those issues…I only did that with two bugs I think, one last year I submitted twice and one this year I did twice in regards to saves not loading.

I do submit aoutomated reports through the PS4 after every game crash where the thing captures the last few seconds of in-game activity and pins them to the crash report…how many of those I submit depends on how much the game crashes…I’ve had maybe 10 of them total or so since 1.5…though 4 of them after 1.53.

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@Dolnor - thanks for your note. :slight_smile:
Yes, I would think that “similar” - but not the same - warrants separate tickets, most of the time.

We can ALL be conscious of how our raised Ticket may take up some of HG’s (Precious / Valuable) TIME…
If as in this example you have 4 different cheats, one thing to consider is “how different or similar” are the cheats?
If they are totally different, then separate tickets allows supplying the various different evidence eg pix / vid.
If they are “similar” cheats AND executed “in similar ways”, it MAY be enough to share into a single ticket.

Don’t forget that, on the Report Form, before the big “Description” box, there is a “Subject” box:
You COULD use this to say, e.g. “4 similarly-executed cheats”, so they know to expect 4 issues raised. :wink: :+1:

… and, yes, I FULLY expect that Hello Games ARE addressing each and every ticket, over time.

I also expect that they will have some sensible way to PRIORITISE reports e.g. in order of URGENCY / IMPORTANCE, and especially however WIDESPREAD the IMPACT seems to be to the player base, depending also on HOW MANY TiCKETS ARE RAISED for certain issues…

Which is WHY it is IMPORTANT – especially for most significant / “game-breaking” issues – to be promptly reported to HG by as many people as are experiencing them, so as to attract the most urgent attention. :sunglasses:

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@bcatrek - You’re Very Welcome! … and, “permission” granted! :wink:
I’ve tweaked the OP (in Sec. 3) to reflect this fair point – makes it “easier” for readers to have it right there, than have to click through to another site for this rudimentary “just gimme the way to run it”. :smiley:
Crediting you – and taking advantage of the fact that Links “colour” the text – I just linked to your post.

@CptJamesHarry - I took the time to think about how best to serve every part of our community, from the absolute newest and/or least-PC-experienced, up to the enthusiast who “knows it all” (or most of it) and could use a “reminder”. :wink:

I remain open-minded, too, that anyone might have further refinements to suggest, so that all can benefit.
e.g. @bcatrek’s post above yours.

Thank you, Captain, for pinning it! :sunglasses: :+1:
It is a pleasure to serve amongst a fabulous community.

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@DarthTrethon - your conscientiousness is duly noted, and much appreciated.
Your PS4 AUTO REPORTS are likely to be very helpful, so it is good that you have them sent every crash.

Please consider, also, that if you compile several differing issues into SINGLE ticket reports, it MAY make more work for HG in having to separate the relevant info, to pass onward to whomever is dedicated in addressing certain issues.

By all means, if you find “varying issues” within the same type / class, e.g. graphics abnormalities / anomalies, and are able to re-create each of them AND supply HG with “steps” to recreate them, then by all means lump them together under a single ticket.

Remember, “Subject” (as for email), separate from “Description”, allows you to state up-front that you have eg.
“A few graphical-error related issues; STEPS TO RECREATE, included”

It may be safe to presume that a single, small sub-team is delegated the task of addressing e.g. graphics issues.

Say you’re having trouble with LOADING times, or World/Item Persistence, then those would not be graphics issues, and would require separate tickets … for example.

Submitting SENSIBLY PREPARED TICKETS can only HELP HG, so do not fear having “too many”.
Sure, take a break between every few, and compile “combination” tickets for SIMILAR bugs or issues, but
try NOT to “group” different issues into the SAME ticket, as that could be counterproductive despite your Best Intentions. :wink:

Finally, you are RIGHT
not to submit multiple tickets for the same bug / issue, …

… as that is Unnecessary Redundancy, and would only burn up Troubleshooting Time for HG (in reading & RE-reading about the same bug) rather than allowing HG to get on with addressing the bug. :+1:

Thank You, Everyone!