THE HIDEOUT IMPORTATION BUG EXPLAINED

FOR THE RECORD, THIS HAS BEEN NINJA-FIXED IN 3.11, FINALLY =]

Welcome, exile.

If you intend to rely on hideout importation for your project, you might wanna know about this.
Note that exportation isn't affected by the issue, only importation.
Before you ask why this is posted in this forum section, it's because that bug has been reported countless times, and is still regularly to this day, so this might save you a useless bug report.
Additionally, you'll find a workaround at the end.

First of all, there is a distinction to be made between mandatory and optional decorations.
Mandatory decorations are always present in each hideout, and can't be removed from it.
Here is a list of all of them, as they are called in each hideout file (*.hideout):

Optional decorations are everything else, and they're not affected by the bug at all.



WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN WHEN YOU IMPORT A HIDEOUT FILE

1) All decorations from the hideout file are copied to the hideout instance, which is what you're actually seeing when you're in the hideout.
2) All decorations from the hideout file are also copied to the hideout database, which is where your hideout is actually stored.
So, basically, it ensures that when you enter your hideout for the first time (when there is no existing instance of it), the game copies the data from the database to a fresh instance.



WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING

1) All decorations from the hideout file are copied to the hideout instance, as expected.
2) Only optional decorations from the hideout file are copied to the hideout database.
So, in appearance, everything works fine when you just imported the hideout, because there is a 100% match between the file and the instance.
However, when that instance gets deleted (either if it expires, or if you load another hideout), the data for mandatory decorations is then recovered from the database upon next entry, so they don't necessarily match what was last imported any longer.
The side effects are decorations changing by themselves, waypoint entry point not matching the waypoint location, etc.



WORKAROUND

Because the importation algorithm never writes mandatory decorations to the database, you have to do it manually by performing a dummy decoration movement.

Right after you just imported a hideout :
1 - Click the RECLAIM ALL button, then OK. (optional, makes 3 easier)
2 - Click the EDIT button.
3 - Move each mandatory decoration one unit away, then back where it just was.
4 - Click the EDIT button again.
5 - Import hideout again. (optional, only if 1 was performed)

That's the paranoid way to do it of course, but if you do that after each importation, you're guarenteed to never see the effects of that bug again.

"

bvanharjr wrote:

Already a known bug.

It's not because you know about it that everybody does.
More importantly, it's not because you know how to fix it that everybody does.

EDIT:
Still nothing in the known issues list, no fix, and people continue to report consequences of this bug.

Thank you for this very informative post.
I tried the suggested temporary fix, it seems like it worked. Thank you.
I hope GGG looks into this at some point.. I think it's been years since I first encountered this issue.

Sticky this!

OMG yes, thank you so much. What a frustrating bug. My hideout is all situated now. Thank you thank you thank you!

Nice i will redirect people here :)

Thanks for the thread!

I would like to raise the profile of this issue, get it on the list of known issues with a view to getting it fixed.

Please add your support and feedback to this thread in the bug report forum https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2870051