bugfix(behavior): Prevent fallen Angry Mob members from respawning at the Barracks after loading a save

[Stubbjax]

Closes #11

This change fixes an issue where fallen Angry Mob members respawn at the Barracks after loading a save.

Angry Mob members spawn from the Barracks if m_initialBurstCountdown is greater than 0. As m_initialBurstCountdown is not saved in the retail game, it is always reset to its default/retail value of 5 when loading a saved game. This results in up to 5 Angry Mob members respawning from the Barracks and attempting to run across the map to join the nexus, where they often die again in the process due to being too far away.

Before

Fallen Angry Mob members respawn at the Barracks

BAD_SPAWN.mp4

After

Fallen Angry Mob members respawn at the nexus

GOOD_SPAWN.mp4

[greptile-apps]

Greptile Summary

This PR fixes a bug where fallen Angry Mob members respawn at the Barracks instead of at the nexus after loading a save game. The root cause was that m_initialBurstCountdown was not serialized, so it reset to its default value (from SpawnBehaviorModuleData::m_initialBurst) on load, causing up to 5 mob members to re-exit from the Barracks.

• Bumps the SpawnBehavior::xfer save format from version 2 to version 3, adding serialization of m_initialBurstCountdown
• Uses the established RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_XFER_SAVE preprocessor guard to maintain backward compatibility with retail save files (version stays at 2 when enabled)
• Identical changes applied to both Generals/ and GeneralsMD/ codebases
• Follows existing codebase patterns for versioned xfer serialization exactly

Confidence Score: 5/5

• This PR is safe to merge - it's a minimal, well-scoped bugfix that follows established patterns exactly.
• The change is small and surgical: it adds serialization of a single field (m_initialBurstCountdown) to the save format, using the exact same versioned xfer pattern used throughout the codebase. The RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_XFER_SAVE guard ensures backward compatibility with retail saves. The xferUnsignedInt call matches the field's UnsignedInt type, consistent with how m_selfTaskingSpawnCount (same type) is serialized in the same function. Both Generals/ and GeneralsMD/ versions are updated identically.
• No files require special attention.

Important Files Changed

Filename	Overview
Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Behavior/SpawnBehavior.cpp	Adds version 3 xfer serialization for m_initialBurstCountdown with RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_XFER_SAVE guard, following established codebase patterns exactly.
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Behavior/SpawnBehavior.cpp	Mirror of the Generals/ change for Zero Hour - adds version 3 xfer serialization for m_initialBurstCountdown with RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_XFER_SAVE guard.

Flowchart

%%{init: {'theme': 'neutral'}}%%
flowchart TD
    A[Load Save Game] --> B{Check xfer version}
    B -->|version >= 2| C[Deserialize m_initialBurstTimesInited]
    B -->|version < 2| D[Skip m_initialBurstTimesInited]
    C --> E{version >= 3?}
    D --> E
    E -->|Yes - New save format| F[Deserialize m_initialBurstCountdown\nfrom save data]
    E -->|No - Old save or retail| G[m_initialBurstCountdown keeps\nconstructor default value]
    F --> H[Countdown reflects actual\ngame state at save time]
    G --> I[Countdown resets to m_initialBurst\ne.g. 5 for Angry Mob]
    H --> J[Mob members respawn\nat nexus correctly]
    I --> K[Mob members respawn\nat Barracks - BUG]

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_{Last reviewed commit: f350626}

[greptile-apps]

_{2 files reviewed, 2 comments}

_{Edit Code Review Agent Settings | Greptile}

[greptile-apps]

Inconsistent brace style with surrounding code (line 1007-1009 uses braces)

Suggested change

	if (version >= 3)
	xfer->xferUnsignedInt(&m_initialBurstCountdown);
	if (version >= 3) {
	xfer->xferUnsignedInt(&m_initialBurstCountdown);
	}

Context Used: Rule from dashboard - Always place if/else/for/while statement bodies on separate lines from the condition to allow precis... (source)

_{Note: If this suggestion doesn't match your team's coding style, reply to this and let me know. I'll remember it for next time!}

Prompt To Fix With AI

This is a comment left during a code review.
Path: Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Behavior/SpawnBehavior.cpp
Line: 1011:1012

Comment:
Inconsistent brace style with surrounding code (line 1007-1009 uses braces)

```suggestion
	if (version >= 3) {
		xfer->xferUnsignedInt(&m_initialBurstCountdown);
	}
```

**Context Used:** Rule from `dashboard` - Always place if/else/for/while statement bodies on separate lines from the condition to allow precis... ([source](https://app.greptile.com/review/custom-context?memory=16b9b669-b823-49be-ba5b-2bd30ff3ba6d))

<sub>Note: If this suggestion doesn't match your team's coding style, reply to this and let me know. I'll remember it for next time!</sub>

How can I resolve this? If you propose a fix, please make it concise.

[xezon]

Prefer adding curly brace

[greptile-apps]

Inconsistent brace style with surrounding code (line 1092-1094 uses braces)

Suggested change

	if (version >= 3)
	xfer->xferUnsignedInt(&m_initialBurstCountdown);
	if (version >= 3) {
	xfer->xferUnsignedInt(&m_initialBurstCountdown);
	}

Context Used: Rule from dashboard - Always place if/else/for/while statement bodies on separate lines from the condition to allow precis... (source)

_{Note: If this suggestion doesn't match your team's coding style, reply to this and let me know. I'll remember it for next time!}

Prompt To Fix With AI

This is a comment left during a code review.
Path: GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Behavior/SpawnBehavior.cpp
Line: 1096:1097

Comment:
Inconsistent brace style with surrounding code (line 1092-1094 uses braces)

```suggestion
	if (version >= 3) {
		xfer->xferUnsignedInt(&m_initialBurstCountdown);
	}
```

**Context Used:** Rule from `dashboard` - Always place if/else/for/while statement bodies on separate lines from the condition to allow precis... ([source](https://app.greptile.com/review/custom-context?memory=16b9b669-b823-49be-ba5b-2bd30ff3ba6d))

<sub>Note: If this suggestion doesn't match your team's coding style, reply to this and let me know. I'll remember it for next time!</sub>

How can I resolve this? If you propose a fix, please make it concise.

[Skyaero42]

Question: Are they supposed to respawn at all?

[Stubbjax]

Question: Are they supposed to respawn at all?

Yes; see SpawnReplaceDelay and ExitDelay fields in the data. See m_spawnReplaceDelayData and m_replacementTimes in the logic.

[xezon]

Looks technically correct. Code style can be improved.