TESTING PHASE of the game before publishing offiial build: please, testers, specify here (YOU CAN START TESTING!)

[rafmc1989]

mhm, ok while we await Gig's response...
apart the 2018 files, again always for steamers (i didn't in dvd ver) try to delete as well all edited december 2017 .txt.strings, apart descr_shortcuts.txt.strings which has to remain...
I think also the romans should start now.

[jimbomen95]

nothing, always crash, and this time there are 4 missing string bin files, the battle, shared, strat and tooltips

[selv]

Well the problem don't come from romans themself, just tried them and they work. Don't delete the battle, shared, strat and tooltips bin files as they say they don't regenerate on steam. Wait I am gonna put the bin files on attachment in case you didn't back them up.

Done.

[jimbomen95]

Alright, I was able to launch a roman campaign, I save, I exit the game, then I re-launch it, try to begin a new roman campaign and crash.

and now there is something strange, if I load the save file that campaign work, but start a new one with romans now is randomic instead of always 100% crash

[selv]

Alright, I was able to launch a roman campaign, I save, I exit the game, then I re-launch it, try to begin a new roman campaign and crash.

I just tried this sequence and it worked without crash. Except, before saving and exiting, did you answer the yes/no events from turn 0, the one on not presently included historic scripts?

Always check the messages before saving and exiting, even if they are failsafes, simply don't let unread messages before exiting, and always answer yes/no events right away.

[jimbomen95]

I answered yes to that event choice and no message box was remaining when i save

Now seems to be randomic if it crash on start of campaign or run normally, anyway now I need to sleep, If I met new things I will let you know

[selv]

Alright, wathever answer to that event make no difference in the released content for the time be but I just wanted to check. Let's try this, delete only the historic_event string.bin file, as a problem with that file often crash the game at start. Though I am puzzled because if that's the problem, then there is something wrong in how steam regenerate it.

I never need to constantly delete it, or a other bin file for them to recreate properly...

[selv]

I spied for posts on steam mess and windows 10, and found these that might be helpful:

The renaming of the executable is required when playing 'old' mods in steam. CA in their wisdom decided to merge the two executable in Steam, leaving all mods stranded that use the kingdoms executable. The simple procedure is explained here.

Some tips to overcome (not guaranteed) window10 update FUBAR with Steam (if ain't broke - don't fix):

Apply admin and compatibility to the executable (helps with disk version as well)
Move your game library

My take on Steam: it works just as well as the disk version (one minor quirk I know of, more later) provided you keep the virtual store issue in mind, as you do for the disk installation, and apply the rename guide if you want to play older mods ("kingdoms.exe not found" will be your clue).
Admin\compatibility solves a number of issues, especially graphic related ones.

As to the quirk: that's a modder issue - steam does not generate new string.bin files for data\text\battle, strat, shared and tooltips. Which means a modder will have to provide the updated string.bin and cannot just provide updated txt files as is the usual practice.

With the new bat file provided separetly in my post or moddb, you shoudn't need to rename the exe but follow the others links for start problems if you have some.

[rafmc1989]

ok about the graphics issue at romans game start, I have a Gig comment:

Doing the admin\compat routine could help. Excessive monitor resolution and TV monitors are known to cause a similar problem. Providing a default CFG file (which only gets generated after the first start) helps as well.
Here the thread about the compatibility issue:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?755286

Keep us informed about.. hence yes, those four strings have not to be deleted for Steam-users, they dont regenerate..


Edit:
ok, feedback from other Moddb Steam testers: after using the provided bat file, the 4gb patch and deletion of 2018 .txt.strings and December 2017 .txt.strings (apart the aforementioned 4 which have to remain as well as the descr_shortcuts.txt.strings) campaigns work...
any news about the romans for Steamers?