This is ridiculous!

[theexbrit]

Hi all, I originally started this in the "Roma Surrectum" threads, but now it's got worse

Ok, I have played RTW for a couple of years (vanilla & mods) & I had some problems one time with my Soundblaster drivers causing the game to ctd. I removed the Soundblaster & played fine with AC97 until now. I built a new gaming rig installed RTW & modded it to Roma Surrectum. It played fine for a week or two but then it started ctd during battles. After a while it would ctd anytime. So I did all the usual stuff (updated drivers, reinstalled, etc, etc, etc) & still had the problems. I also got the same ctd with M2TW.

On my last install of RTW I couldn't even start the game, it would just ctd during the very first load screen This last install was a clean install of XP Pro sp2, no updates, no other programs installed, etc, & it still ctd

I'm at my wits end

My original computer was an AMD x2 4800+, Asus A8N32 SLi Deluxe, 2gb Corsair XMS ram, 74gb Raptor, Enermax 550w psu, 2x7800GT's in SLi, XP Pro sp2.

My new rig is an Intel E6850 Core 2 Duo, Asus Striker Extreme, 2gb Corsair Dominatro ram, 160gb Raptor, Antec Quatro 850w psu, 1x 8800GTX, XP Pro sp2.

I'm removing the HD audio that comes with the mobo & I'll see if that affects anything, but does anyone have any ides? Is there something in the chipset (680i) that could be affecting something in the game? Is anyone else having problems like this? I Googled this & it seems there ARE a lot of people having ctd problems with several different games due to things like sound drivers, etc, not install related problems :hmmm:

Meanwhile, I'm going nuts

[theexbrit]

Okay, I installed a different copy of XP (Home), used the latest drivers from Nvidia, didn't install any other programs or updates & then installed RTW.

I STILL got a crash or 2 at different times during my first campaign

Then yesterday I played with no crashes at all :hmmm: Go figure

I noticed something though, when I start the game, sometimes I don't see the "Activision" splash screen (where the letters twirl around) or the intro video with the Carthiginians marching, onagers firing at city walls, etc. It just goes straight into the saved campaign! When this happens, I get the crashes.

When I get the regular start up (with the Activision splash screen & the intro video) I don't get the crashes

[Brusilov]

When you don't see the Activision logo and you go straight into the saved ampaign - is that without going onto the main menu (ans then selecting load game)?

You can avoid the movie by using the -nm switch (or pressing escape) but I've never heard of a load game being launched......

[theexbrit]

You know, I can't remember.

When I get home tonight I'll load a game & if it misses the logo I'll make a note of exactly what happens.

This crash issue must be something to do with the install, but I've used my Rome disc several times to install the game & the last couple of installs have been with all these problems. I wonder if something could be up with the disc? It looks fine, no scratches or anything, so can it be corrupted somehow? I mean the info is burnt into the plastic, so how could it get corrupted if it's not scratched?

[Brusilov]

I would think that if the disk is scratched then you won't be able to install it. I'd expect an error message - there should be some error checking going on.

[theexbrit]

Ok, when I start the game & get the "Activision" splash screen & the intro movie, the game plays fine. It's when it loads & it goes straight to the main menu (where you select to continue the campaign, etc) that it crashes. Another thing, maybe just coincidence, but I started the game yesterday from the cd & it worked fine (strange because isn't it the same executable? Just the shortcut is different right?). My whole question about all this is, why would I get the same errors after numerous installs. Surely a reinstall would be fine or cause different errors because it's another install???

Why is it the same error, but on different installs?? It must be something to do with a driver or something thats a constant with my setup. It's not the sound as I'm running AC97 now & it's still crashing. I guess it's not the OS either as now I'm using a different version of XP & it's still the same. I really am having to use a process of elimination here!

Another update..................

Last night I played with the sound disabled & it did a weird thing. The game loaded without the "Activision" splash screen, so I was expecting a crash. Sure enough, It crashed but not to the desk top......... it minimized to the task bar!

Anyway I just clicked on the task bar & the game came back & played fine all evening with not one crash!!!! Go figure.

I DO think it has something to do with the sound drivers or something. I'm going to re enable the sound & play tonight to see what happens. I'm getting quite intrigued to see if I can pin down the causes of these crashes

[Hellmut34]

Just out of interest do u have Eax enabled in the game?

Also do u have Anti-aliasing forced in the Nvidia control panel.

Yes i know that your rig warrants full settings, but if these are both enabled then try the game with these settings disabled.

Might not work, might work...........great games deserve the time

[theexbrit]

Not sure about the EAX setting, I'll have to check. But I have played around with the AA in the game settings &Nvidia control panel, didn't seem to make any difference. Here's the latest update though....... I think it was some bad XP installs & I'll tell you why I think this. I noticed that on each of the previous XP installs, there were some odd things happening in Windows itself. Things like, I would set the "View" in Win Explorer to "Details" & then set the
"Apply to all folders" but it would keep reverting back to "Icons" view. Also, I couldn't get "chkdsk" to run on reboots & some other odd stuff was happening. Now, as I said, I'd installed 2 different version of XP (Home & Pro) & still had these problems, so I'm figuring maybe the discs or the DVD RW drive has a problem :hmmm: Over the weekend, I did a 3rd install of XP but this time I used the DVD RAM drive instead of the RW drive & low & behold it looks like I got a good install of XP!!!!!

So far, so good XP Pro is behaving perfectly I have all the updates & programs installed & I played "Roma Surrectum" yesterday with no problems at all

So I'm still not sure what was causing these crashes, but I figure that unless the XP install is perfect, you're gonna get problems with the game. RTW must be very sensitive to any Windows problems. That's the only answer I can think of. :hmmm:

[Brusilov]

So I'm still not sure what was causing these crashes, but I figure that unless the XP install is perfect, you're gonna get problems with the game. RTW must be very sensitive to any Windows problems. That's the only answer I can think of. :hmmm:

Did you try and play any other games to see if they were stable?

[theexbrit]

I tried M2TW & that crashed, but that was the only other game I tried. They were the only other games installed at the time.

[AqD]

Hmmm the only thing that crashes my rtw is super-sampling AA, plus some random crashes if I use mass mount skirmishers.

I don't even know when it started. But it worked fine before......


IMHO DirectX driver is really unreliable c**p...... I don't mean to bash but OpenGL games never have any problems with nvidia, and NO random crash.
________
HairyBerry

[theexbrit]

Well, back to square one 2 random crashes last night. This is the 3rd install of XP & about the 7th install of RTW. I lowered the AA, etc, have all the latest Nvidia drivers, etc, still the same crashes. I give up

I'm just going to save VERY frequently & hope for the best.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

Problem with the CD maybe?

[theexbrit]

Problem with the CD maybe?

Yeah, I was wondering about the cd's. I checked the first one & it looks ok, I didn't check the 2nd & 3rd discs though. It seems to install ok, no errors or anything, but something has to be causing these friggin' crashes! I've played RTW since the game came out & on several different systems with virtually no problems, but this is the worst it's ever crashed continuously! If it's not an issue with a sound or mobo driver (& I guess others with the Striker mobo , 8800gtx, etc, aren't having problems) it has to be a problem with the game install. But why would M2TW crash also????? This cd isn't very old.

Does anyone know if anything in my specs is known to have a problem with some part of RTW. My new specs are in my first post on this thread.

It's really frustrating to spend a couple of grand or more on a set up & then not be able to play my favorite game.

I'm going to try to install & play "Silent Hunter IV" tonight & see if that game has the same problems. I just keep thinking that there has to be something like a 2/3D, GL, sound, etc driver that doesn't like 680i chipsets or dual core Intels!!!

I know with my old AMD x2 proc I had to install a special "dual core" driver to stop the crashes on that set up. Does anyone know if the E6850 Core 2 Duo needs a special driver or something? :hmmm: :hmmm:

[Brusilov]

Could it be the CD-ROM / DVD-ROM drive?

[theexbrit]

Could it be the CD-ROM / DVD-ROM drive?

You know, I thought I had it nailed down to that. I have a DVD RW & a DVD ROM drive, all the other installs used the RW drive, so I used the ROM for the last install & it seemed ok the first time I played. Then the next day same crash. I'm used to it now, so I just save the game every few minutes, but I'd really like to find the cause of these crashes just to satisfy my curiosity


It's SOOOOOO weird :hmmm: Different XP installs, different RTW installs, different video & chipset drivers, different drives for the install, etc, etc. It makes no difference, still the same crashes

[theexbrit]

Well, here's the latest.

I use the cd to start the game a a lot of the time it plays ok. I still get an occasional ctd although recently it's started to crash the computer (BSOD).

I turned off "automatic restart" so hopefully I can see what causes the BSOD's. At least I can play for a while, I just have to "save" all the time.

I'll post any causes that I can figure out.

[theexbrit]

It just gets better & better

It started crashing again during the game, so yesterday I thought I'd clean the chipset & vga drivers out then install the absolutely latest drivers for both. So, I go into safe mode, uninstall the existing drivers for the chipset & the vga card, clean them out using "Driver Cleaner Pro" & installed the newest drivers for both

Wellllllllllll, now I can't get past the "Continue Campaign" option on start up of the game



What the f*#k is up with this F@*#ING GAME

It has to be an issue with these god damn **** Nvidia drivers

But why is it only some of us get these problems & not others :hmmm:

I give up with Total War games on Nvidia platforms

[GreatHeart]

I am trying to run Viking Invasion on 2 different computers with two different Nvidia cards and having the same problems. I just ordered a new Graphics card. If that doesn't work I think I'll just quit.

Did you read the readme file at the beginning of the game. I noticed the MTW readme had this as an "issue". It suggested that playing with different resolutions should work, but I think I have tried them all. Re-installed game and graphics drivers numerous times.

Misery loves company. Can no one help us?

[theexbrit]

Well, after many crashes & much testing, I've narrowed it down.

Every crash or debug I have points to a memory or driver problem. I ran memtest for 6 passes (about 2 1/2 hours) & had no errors.

I reckon it may be the soundcard drivers. I'm going to try playing with the soundcrad removed.

It could be the vga drivers but I've tried several different ones. I never got these crashes with my 2x7800gt's in SLi, so it has to be something with the 8800 card, if it's not the soundcard.

Having said that though, I have hooked the 8800 to the water cooling system so now it's running about 50c under load. I increased the voltage to 2.3v & set the AA to 2x, set the video options (in the game) to all the medium settings & I played for about 2 hours before I got a BSOD. That's the longest I've been able to play for a long time, so maybe I'm getting somewhere.