Problem while adding faction from Kingdoms to a Med2tw mod

[=NF= Vasileios_the2nd]

Problem: Getting unspecified ctd, while starting the game. The game won't load.

Short story: I had a version of my Med2TW mod working, then added Wales from Kingdoms in, and got the above problem.

Condition: I have spent 2 days now, to find the problem, I cannot so far. I am pretty sure that
- battle_models.modeldb (or however is called) ,
- edu ,
are working fine. I have cecked them throughoutly, and they don't have any problem. Also EDB seems to be ok as well, but I'm not completely sure.

Since I cannot find a tutorial for adding a faction from Kingdoms to Med2TW, can anyone tell me if there is any tricky part, any tip I should know? I heard that retrofit mod has done such a thing. Have those guys written any tutorial or smthing btw?

I can post to you the log files if you think they will be of help. Also note that, I have double checked every entry concerning Wales and seems to be ok, as it should be. Which confuses things even more

[Moon]

Try this.

http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=77806

[=NF= Vasileios_the2nd]

Thanks, but I have already tried it, didn't helped much. *scratches head*

Btw, my current log file is this:

11:10:07.156 [system.rpt] [always] CPU: SSE2
11:10:07.156 [system.rpt] [always] ==== system log start, build date: Jun 25 2007 version bld-medieval2-update2.1-30 (43169) ===
11:10:07.156 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_0.pack
11:10:07.156 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_1.pack
11:10:07.156 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_2.pack
11:10:07.156 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_3.pack
11:10:07.156 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_4.pack
11:10:07.171 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/localized.pack
11:10:07.828 [data.xml.tag] [error] File:[HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/descr_movies.xml]Error: empty tag.(4:26)
11:10:07.843 [data.xml.tag] [error] File:[HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/descr_movies_tracks.xml]Error: empty tag.(6:20)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction sicily (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction scotland (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction byzantium (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction russia (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction moors (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction turks (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction egypt (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction denmark (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction poland (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction hungary (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction papal_states (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction aztecs (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction mongols (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction timurids (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction normans (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction saxons (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction slave (bdg town vs clt huge_city)
11:10:08.390 [system.rpt] [error] Medieval 2: Total War encountered an unspecified error and will now exit.

All these factions listed are not in the mod. In previous versions I took the very same message, still the game could run normally, with no problems at all. *scratches head again*

[Gigantus]

How about checking this tutorial?

[=NF= Vasileios_the2nd]

Unfortunatelly, I have checked that too before some time. I am pretty sure it is something not important, something really hard to detect. I have checked 100 things that could create such a crash. Anyway, i have made up my mind. I will take the mod's last working version and re-put Wales from the beginning (as well as some other minor changes that were made).

ps> btw, the mod I am talking about is the one in my sig. Oam's "Hundred Years War"
ps2> I greatly appreciate your bothering. Thank you. Oh, and nice tutorial there, gigantus. Helps the process a lot.

[Gigantus]

11:10:08.281 [script.err] [error] Script Error in HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/export_descr_buildings.txt, at line 3482, column 2
Building DB error - culture db max settlement level differs from building db max settlement level for faction slave (bdg town vs clt huge_city)

Can you compress your EDB and post it here? Maybe something with the city conversion. Looks like you might have for example 5 levels in your EDB but only 4 levels in the descr_settlement_mechanics file. The reason why all those factions are listed might be because it uses "all" as faction criteria.

[=NF= Vasileios_the2nd]

Ok. I will post it within the day.

[=NF= Vasileios_the2nd]

Here is my 2 EDB files. The first is from the current version of the mod, which has Wales in, and is broken, as said.
The second is from the very previous version that worked.

The reason I don't think this is the problem, is that even the working version returned a similar log file as the above I have posted, still it could run perfectly. Any ideas greatly appreciated.

[Gigantus]

Your problem lies in the faction requirement for the building core_building line. You have cultures there that are not listed at the bottom where the conversion from city to castle and vice versa is.

wooden_pallisade city requires factions { northern_european, southern_european, mesoamerican, eastern_european, middle_eastern, greek, }

instead of

wooden_pallisade city requires factions { hre, england, france, spain, milan, venice, portugal, }

[=NF= Vasileios_the2nd]

I understand what you say, it is logical ofcourse, and I have tried this already several times. The result is the same behaviour (exactly same ctd), and this log file:

11:10:07.156 [system.rpt] [always] CPU: SSE2
11:10:07.156 [system.rpt] [always] ==== system log start, build date: Jun 25 2007 version bld-medieval2-update2.1-30 (43169) ===
11:10:07.156 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_0.pack
11:10:07.156 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_1.pack
11:10:07.156 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_2.pack
11:10:07.156 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_3.pack
11:10:07.156 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_4.pack
11:10:07.171 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/localized.pack
11:10:07.828 [data.xml.tag] [error] File:[HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/descr_movies.xml]Error: empty tag.(4:26)
11:10:07.843 [data.xml.tag] [error] File:[HundredYearWar_0.8.9/data/descr_movies_tracks.xml]Error: empty tag.(6:20)
11:10:08.390 [system.rpt] [error] Medieval 2: Total War encountered an unspecified error and will now exit.

So this is something bad, but not the reason for the ctd.
I took the last working version yesterday (without wales), and remoded Wales in. Unit-wise, I put only one unit so that I keep things simple: "Rhylewyr" (whatever they are called).
As a result, I now take a new ctd, slightly diferent than the one before. The game crashes again at the very beginning (at the first splash screen), but the screen does not stay black, it goes to desktop and gives the familiar window: " Medieval total war has experinced an unspecified error an will now exit" (something like this) with the "ok" button below.

Finally, Is there any list around, listing all the things that can cause a ctd? Because it would greatly help to know that eg. the data\text folder cannot cause a ctd at startup, something like this would save up much time.
Even though I suspect the usual suspects (.modelsdb, EDB, EDU, descr_strat, unit texture/meshes/sprites), couldn't there be a tiny, nearly undetectable, mistake in text-that-appears files, or similar minus files?
(btw I'm not talking about this: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=142374 )

[Gigantus]

You might get a better idea if you use the trace option in your log. That way you will see the last files processed.

How do you know your modeldb is ok?

As a guide line you should only mod one file at a time, that way you avoid long chases like this. Adding a faction has go a lot of pitfalls, that's why I wrote the tutorial. It might be one of those cases where starting from scratch again is easier than chasing the error.

[=NF= Vasileios_the2nd]

I also just noted this:
When I change in the .modelsdb the number of the entries readed:
22 serialization::archive 3 0 0 0 0 701 0 0
to any number above 680, I get the ctd I lastly described. When I change that number to 680 or below, it ctd reporting that there is an unmodeled entry in the edu.
Before wales, it was 701 and the game ran normally. Logically this number after the Wales in, should be 703, for the 2 new entries (rhelwyr and rhelwyr_up1). But even then it gives ctd.

[=NF= Vasileios_the2nd]

How do you know your modeldb is ok?

I don't. I am just searching it and cannot find any mistake. Maybe I should use KnightErrant's checker. Do you know if it works with even unformatted .modelsdb?

As a guide line you should only mod one file at a time, that way you avoid long chases like this. Adding a faction has go a lot of pitfalls, that's why I wrote the tutorial. It might be one of those cases where starting from scratch again is easier than chasing the error.

I ran the mod every time I made a change to put wales in, but from the very first changes I took this ctd, so I thought I should finish first, sine it was normal for the game to not be able to run without every file in place.

Do you think it could be descr_strat btw? Or it is known that it does not create such ctds?

[Gigantus]

I don't. I am just searching it and cannot find any mistake. Maybe I should use KnightErrant's checker. Do you know if it works with even unformatted .modelsdb?

Works quite fine. You just have to edit it to add Wales into it. Fairly simple affair - right click, choose edit, scroll down where all the factions are listed and add a part for Wales. Get all the formatted modeldb (kingdoms campaigns) files from my thread.

I ran the mod every time I made a change to put wales in, but from the very first changes I took this ctd, so I thought I should finish first, sine it was normal for the game to not be able to run without every file in place.

Once again I would like to recommend that you go through my tutorial, step by step. Editing the EDB and EDU is actually the very last step AFTER you have got the faction working.. Your crash can be caused by anything - from a missing entry in descr_sm_faction to a line in descr_strat. Literally dozens of possibilities that the log will not document.

[=NF= Vasileios_the2nd]

Once again I would like to recommend that you go through my tutorial, step by step. Editing the EDB and EDU is actually the very last step AFTER you have got the faction working.. Your crash can be caused by anything - from a missing entry in descr_sm_faction to a line in descr_strat. Literally dozens of possibilities that the log will not document.

Last time I added Wales, was through your tutorial. I now went and carefully reverted all changes in
EDB
EDU
modelsdb
descr_strat
and yet it gives me the same ctd!
Wtf..

side question: How many religions can be in vanilla med2?

[Gigantus]

Either 7 or 9. I think it is the first, never tried more than that.

[=NF= Vasileios_the2nd]

Ok thank you. I'm going to try anything I can, maybe remod Wales for another time. Please, if you have the time, check back this thread, since it seems I will have news.
(how could I thank you for your bothering so far?!)

[=NF= Vasileios_the2nd]

Hey Gigantus, I am posting to inform you that the problem with wales is resolved, via changing tactics: I turned an existing vanilla faction into Wales. Everything worked ok, thank you for your help. I couldn't post earlier, since I couldn't browse twc at all. Dunno why, I know another one guy who couldn't at the same time either.

Anyway. I have a new problem, here it comes:
After turning Moors into Wales, and after making all the other needed changes to go from moors to wales, there is something I can't find how to change it. That is the dialogues the characters use in the game. They are moorish. Is there a way to give the northern euopean, or the wales/english ones? Can't find a tutorial, nor the files that control the character dialogues. Could this be hardcoded?!

Ps> Don't think I'm a masochist, hehe. The reason I chose moors is that they have the same namelength (5) so editing in .modelsdb is much easier

[Gigantus]

Change the culture in descr_sm_factions:

faction                        moors
culture                        northern_european

Did you check my tutorial regarding new factions?

[Taiji]

I also just noted this:
When I change in the .modelsdb the number of the entries readed:
22 serialization::archive 3 0 0 0 0 701 0 0
to any number above 680, I get the ctd I lastly described. When I change that number to 680 or below, it ctd reporting that there is an unmodeled entry in the edu.
Before wales, it was 701 and the game ran normally. Logically this number after the Wales in, should be 703, for the 2 new entries (rhelwyr and rhelwyr_up1). But even then it gives ctd.

I appreciate that it's too late to help but the problem described here indicates that entry 681 is faulty.