Crash to Desktop: Support and Debug

[seebs]

One interesting data point. I have one saved game where any attempt to use misisonaries produced CTDs, and now I have one where any attempt to build cottages produces CTDs, even though I have some existing cottages! But now something Happened, and any new attempt to build a cottage CTDs.

I have noticed something. When this happens, the UI sound effect for clicking on the action button repeats four times. "Chunk chunk chunk chunk", and BAM, back to the desktop. I wonder whether this is relevant or merely a side-effect.

[Nil-The-Frogg]

Well, I experience CTDs, without graphical corruption. I have sounds interruptions from time to time though: that's the game trying to learn Morse!

My stats:

Athlon 2000+
512 MB DDR
Ge-Force FX5200

A little weak, I know, but then I finished my first game on a small map without much problems (maybe one or two CTDs, but I'm not even sure of that). Then I tried standard maps and played without problem up to about 1500 AD. From that point CTDs appear and become more and more frequent to the point that I quit the game before 1850 AD. I would try to continue, saving 2 or 3 times a turn, but loading a saved game is so long...

I guess I'll have to try small maps again, but given the general inconsistancy you described, I'm rather pessimist about that too.

I've not checked logs yet.

[Markgraf]

RESMGR: Texture PlayerColor01.tga failed to load
RESMGR: Texture PlayerColor02.tga failed to load

My only issue with the game is that I experience quick random CTD's (w/o graphical corruption) when fairly late in a game after a lot of the map has been discovered. I get no error messages. When I ran logs, the above quoted problems were the only things that looked amiss. I wonder if this indicates a particular problem?

P4 2.66 gz
nVidia FX5600 AGP 256 mb (81.85 dvrs)
1 gb DDR RAM

[way2fast4u 67]

From reading the boards it sounds like there are a couple separate problems that people are dealing with. One definately seems to be graphcally related where the correct drivers seem to fix the problem. However the other problem seems to stem from the enormous amounts of memory the game uses, especially late in the game. The problems I am having seem to be from this problem. My specs are well above the recomended, and again have no other problems with anything else on my computer.

People report changing virtual memory or clearing caches and being able to play with no problems. My guess is they haven't played long enough to get to the problem areas late in big maps. I got all excited when I changed the virtual memory, because it does get rid of the CTD's, however the game gets painfully slow late in the game(4-5 hours of solid play), not as bad as before, but none the less unexceptable for dropping 50 bucks and hours of wasted time.

Basically I have come to the conclusion that, with moderate programing knowledge, that there is a problem with the code. Whether there is a farm on a square or a blank terrain square the computer needs a value to know what is there. Granted as the game progresses there are more characters added, but I would highly doubt that this would be enough to cause the major slow downs on more than adequate machines. If you look at a saved file for the game they gradually get larger as the game progresses. From what I have seen they start in the 350's Kb and the largest i have seen is 684 Kb's for a game in the 1920's ad ( huge map continents, epic time, 9 comps 1 hum). All a save does is take the information need to generate the map at that "snap shot" in the game. From that point on the game engine takes care of the rest, or should. Random generations, calculations, so on so forth.

To me, it seems like the game is not dumping un-needed files. Because, like alot of people have noticed, the commit charge creeps up the entire game, and for whatever reason late in the game keeps it higher than earlier.

Like I said earlier, I only have moderate knowledge of programming and such, so I'm gonna shoot probably many holes in my theories. If this were the case a reload should fix the problem. It kind of does, but after about 15 minutes it's already slowed down again. This is not to mention the long ass load time. Any where from 5-10 minutes all the way to 23 (yea, I timed it) to get back into the game.

Too bad the taste of the game that I have gotten is so sweet.

P.S. Friaxis and 2k can kiss my ass, then anyone else's ass that is pissed, and then reimburse us for all of the emotional damgaged suffered by this poorly writen game.

From a business point of view, right idea for a before the holidays launch, awful execution though. (Note the mix up in CD's and Tech trees in wrong languages) When you can't even get the easy stuff right, I guess I shouldn't have expected much from the part that requires a hint of skill.

[nogard666]

AMD 64 3000+
1GB DDR400 in dual channel
ATI Radeon X700 Pro 256MB AGP8X video
SATA 7200RPM 8MB Cache hard drive (no raid yet, but comming soon to a comp near me, Raid-0)
256MB AGP Apature
Win XP Pro with all current updates
System monitored Swap

I have absolutly no errors running the game with any size map at any game speed except for one. Randomly the game just exits to my desktop. But when it does that my system only runs slow for about 30 seconds then starts runnging fine. I re-load the game and it works fine. Game never slows down. I have sat and played for 12 hours non-stop with not crashing once, and other times it went to desktop after 1 hour, then worked fine after reloading the game. I dont know what CDT (or whatever it is) is and dont know how to check my error log so I can not post any of that stuff here.

All of my gameplay problems are on my laptop.

Full Desktop Sized (not P4 mobil) P42300
778MB DDR400 with 128 dedicated to video
ATI Radeon IGP 345M Ver. 6.14 intergrated graphics
Slow arsed U66 4200RPM 2MB Cache hard drive with system managed swap file
Win XP Home with all current updates

Game installs fine but when I try to run it the loading movies are skippy as heck (sound as well). Once the game loads and I go to make a new game it works fine. But once I get into the game I can see everything fine except for the terrain. All I see is my units on a black screen. I have all graphics settings on low and it does this on any sized map. I am going to go get another 512MB stick of memory to upgrade to full 1GB with 128 dedicated (will have to pull out a 256MB stick) and will be getting a new Travelstar U100 8MB Cache 7200RPM drive for it soon (User tests show a Hitatchi Travlestar has 45% better preformance then my current hard drive). If that fixes the problems on the laptop I will report it here. If not, then I will come back here. I am putting this in this post because I can not seem to find any posts of people having similar problems on their laptops. Also, I installed the game on a friend's laptop and he had same problems.

His system Specs:

P4 Full Sized 1800
1GB DDR400 memory with 128 dedicated to video
Some generic intergrated Intel graphics
5400RPM U100 2MB Cache drive
System managed swap file
XP Home with current updates.

Exact same video problems on his system.

[clem]

Originally posted by nogard666
I dont know what CDT (or whatever it is) is and dont know how to check my error log so I can not post any of that stuff here.

CTD = Crash To Desktop ...

[DocMWood]

New computer, no help

After my first post, something I thought might be a help turned up. My wife's computer died, giving me the opportunity to purchase a new computer.

So, my brand-new, right out of the box Sony Vaio RC110G, 3.0GHz dual processors, 1 gig RAM, 128MB ATI Radeon X300...updated all the drivers...should work. Also, no other programs other than factory installed on the computer, so pretty clean registry and everything.

So, what do you know. Everything works fine, right up to 1600-1900AD once again on huge maps. Then consistant crashes to desktop, more frequent as time goes by to where eventually it's crashing even on the same turn.

Also, I've tried just about everything on the web sites to no avail -- updating drivers, setting virtual memory, deleting cache files, you name it.

Sigh. I've been waiting for this game for years. In reality, if they can get a patch that works, I can wait a bit longer. However, having paid $50 to get it as soon as it came out, only to consider using the discs as coasters....if they're wondering why people are getting mad, it's because their customers now have neither a game that works or their $50. Should have waited until it hit the bargin bin and had a good patch out. I buy about 20 games per year, so I'll know better for all 2K games from now on.....

[marvinkosh]

I've had some success with going back to older graphics drivers. Of course, I'm not going to be sure that it's the case until I play another half-dozen games or so to the sort of era where CTDs were likely.

I know that wisdom suggests that the newest drivers should be good, but your own observations should tell you what you need to know.

[Moquia]

Just an update: I solved my CTDs by increasing the virtual memory from 2GB to 4GB. So playing an epic game on a huge map CIV4 needs more than 3GB (1MB RAM + 2GB virtual memory) !

[SpencerH]

First CTD after windows update

Yesterday I was playing my first 'large' game. I've had no problems at all on normal and had no problems on large up until this morning. After quitting yesterday, XP popped up and said it wanted to install another security update and the malicious program removal tool. This morning the large game was slow and choppy then CTD. Coincidence? Maybe, but I doubt it.

P4 2.8 w hyperthreading on
512 MB RAM
radeon 9800 (not newest drivers-worked fine with next to latest)
XP sp2
onboard sound

[SpencerH]

system event log

[ManX]

Windows XP profesional
Intel Pentium 4 3.0 ghz
Geforce 6600GT Pci express 256mb Nvidia v77
DirectX 9.0C
512 mb ddr2 Ram 667mhz

[SpencerH]

I used system restore to return to before the updates and the same game now had no CTD.

[eenmadcat]

problem:

I have the same problem as you all guys have, the game crashes a lot, it's unplayabe
Sometimes it exits and goes back to the desktop (CTD) where the screen of my primary screen is messed up, and still in the same resolution as what i set the game (1024X768) instead of my desktop (1280*1024)
but unfortunatly most of the times i see a blue screen (not the BSOD of windows!) but just 100% blue, and then my system reboots.
In the beginning i also had some problems with the movies which where not played moothly, but i do not have that anymore since i upgraded my video card drivers.

i realy hope that they come up with a patch for this soon because the game is unplayable and my mind is still saying "one more turn"


specs:
AMD64 3200+
1GB ram (automatic swap)
s-ata HD's (no raid)
ATI radeon 9600SE (latest driver 5.11)
SB live! (latest drivers 8 may 2003, default windows drivers is also no good)
Dual monitor setup
Win pro XP2 (all patched up)


logs:

in de windows application event:
The description for Event ID ( 0 ) in Source ( )
cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or
message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer.
You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description;
see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event: 7.

in the lagancy.log
[Jason] Using old cut tree: Art/Terrain/Routes/Rivers/River05c.nif_clone
[Jason] Using old cut tree: Art/Terrain/Routes/Rivers/River05c.nif_clone
[Jason] Using old cut tree: (null)
[Jason] Using old cut tree: (null)

in Lsystem.log
building:Art/Structures/Buildings/Grocer/Grocer.nif does not contain a node called SHADOW. Its shadow, if present, will be corrupt!
building:Art/Structures/Buildings/Obelisk/Obelisk.nif does not contain a node called SHADOW. Its shadow, if present, will be corrupt!
LSystem failed to place node Leaf_Farm_4x4!

[Coogan]

I've pretty much given up on starting any news games until the patch comes out, due to the fact that 5 of my 7 games developed Crash-to-Reboot problems once I hit the modern age. I don't know if the game is somehow corrupting my savegames, or what is going on. But until a patch comes out that fixes it, my game CD might as well be a frisbee.


Coogan