Instructions on how to help us find some errors.

[dvk901]

We've gotten to a point where most if not all of the really obvious errors have been found....missing textures causing CTD's and stuff like that. What I'm seeing now are some CTD's with no errors. I have found one of the possible causes for this.....three factions:

Parthia
romans_scipii (Scythia)
romans_julii (Belgae)

Had starting characters that had traits they shouldn't have had. This can surely cause unexpected CTD's with no errors. But there are others that seem unit related...and yet aren't producing errors, so I'm going to provide a guide for how you can help find these nasty buggers:

1. Before any battle where you go to the battlefield, save your game. This will ensure that if the game CTD's, you'll be able to go back to that spot and find out exactly what units are in BOTH armies. (Make sure that AUTO_SAVE is set to FALSE)

2. Write down all of the units in both armies and post them. Please be careful to spell them correctly, it helps me a lot when searching thru the 500 units we have.

This is an important 'nominal' step to help out. If you want to go an extra mile, do this:

1. Go into custom battles and choose the ONE of the two factions involved in this CTD.
2. For the other faction just use Carthage, and choose a 'Celtiberian Spearman' (which I know always works fine).
3. For the 'other' faction, try to choose the exact same units that were involved in the Strat Battle.
Load the battle, and see if it CTD's.
4. No CTD? Do the same thing, but load the second faction's units involved against the Carthage spearmen. Still no CTD?
5. Load the two involved factions against each other with all the same units and load the battle.

Still no CTD? Then it may have something to do with the characters involved, if any...or be totally unrelated.

If you GET a CTD at any point:

1. Load the same faction (faction 'x' against Carthage unit), but this time, only load one or two of the units from faction 'x'. Load battle, and confirm CTD or no CTD.
2. If it doesn't, load the next two, and in the same fashion load them all until you find the one that's causing the problem. By narrowing it down this way, you can usually pin-point the unit that has a problem.

[Ketchup]

Can someone please tell me where to set "autosave" to 'off'. I always thought that it was in a preferences file but I don't have that is my folder... I think this feature is responsible for the errorless CTDs I've been getting when I click "End Turn".

Thanks

[Maximus Macro]

yes me to i've run into 5 ctd without errormessage so it could be because off autosave i would like to know that to and how to let reinforements joine the fight cause they never do in my games and my computer is good enough to handle at least 4 full stacks

[dvk901]

(your RTW folder)\preferences\

preferences.txt

If it isn't in there (which it often isn't) add the following at the end:

AUTOSAVE:FALSE

[jerjes]

ketchup, probably is placed like AUTO_SAVE

[dvk901]

ketchup, probably is placed like AUTO_SAVE

Sorry, you are correct:

AUTO_SAVE:FALSE

[Brusilov]

Will it be easier if the player includes the save game (compressed) with the post? That means the devs will be able to see all the units in the battle (some of the unit names are complex)?

I presume the only variations will be which exe is being used (RTW or RTW BI) and maybe the graphical settings.

[King Nud]

Will it be easier if the player includes the save game (compressed) with the post? That means the devs will be able to see all the units in the battle (some of the unit names are complex)?

I Like that idea

[Ketchup]

Thanks guys,

But the problem is that I don't have a Preferences folder or file in my RTW folder. I'm using Vista if that helps...

[dvk901]

That would be fine. I have both BI and RTW, so it wouldn't matter as long as the person states what they are using.

There should be a 'preferences.txt' in the 'preferences' folder in your RTW install. It gets created as soon as you set any preferences in 'Options'.

[Ketchup]

Thanks guys, I've found it - I had to click "compatibility files" for it to appear. God knows why! stupid Vista...


EDIT: I've turned AutoSave off but it doesn't seem to have solved my problem. I'm still getting random CTDs as I click the End Turn button as Carthage. They're still errorles and seem to be completetly random yet continuous.

[rory o'kane]

i get those - i used toggle_fow to see if there was a specific faction - with me it's always after the Free Greeks move that the problem arises. It could be whilst switching to the following faction, or something about the Free Greeks themselves...

[Ketchup]

i get those - i used toggle_fow to see if there was a specific faction - with me it's always after the Free Greeks move that the problem arises. It could be whilst switching to the following faction, or something about the Free Greeks themselves...

I don't think it's one of those CTDs. It always happens the instant that I click end turn. I'm baffled - it's really stopping me test.

[Brusilov]

I don't think it's one of those CTDs. It always happens the instant that I click end turn. I'm baffled - it's really stopping me test.

You can do the following;

Edit Preferences.txt
change FOG_OF_WAR:TRUE to FOG_OF_WAR:FALSE
change LABEL_CHARACTERS:FALSE to LABEL_CHARACTERS:TRUE
change CAMPAIGN_MAP_CAMERA:SKIP_AI_FACTIONS to CAMPAIGN_MAP_CAMERA:FOLLOW_AI_FACTIONS

The first and last can be changed in game.

Then start the game, load your save game and watch the action. With Windows XP I used to start FRAPS up and record the action so I could always replay the movie (I paid for the one-off license). However, with Vista I've found that the recording is corrupt.

Remember there won't be a preferences.txt until you've launched the game for the first time.

[genko]

I don't think it's one of those CTDs. It always happens the instant that I click end turn. I'm baffled - it's really stopping me test.

im wondering if its anything like sparta on rop i used to find that if you removed all units and buildings from the que then you could continue to the next turn without it crashing however i dont know why that worked or if its even the same case

[knight of virtue and valor]

and that's why I am wiping them out, the free Greeks, I mean. CTD is the MOST powerful unit in ANY mod for total war, their is no way to counter it!

[apple]

That's why you should save EVERY turn.

[dvk901]

The instant you click 'end turn' the icons appear at the top and begin to scroll thru. It could be the next faction after your own causing the issue. Regardless, if the icons scroll to a particular icon and then it CTD's...that's what I need to know...What faction that is.

[Ketchup]

Right, I've set it to follow Ai characters and always play the beta with fow off. However, I'm getting the same random CTD. It occurs literally immediatlely as I click "End Turn" - the faction icons don't even have a chance to appear at the top of the screen. Again it is errorless...

[Brusilov]

Right, I've set it to follow Ai characters and always play the beta with fow off. However, I'm getting the same random CTD. It occurs literally immediatlely as I click "End Turn" - the faction icons don't even have a chance to appear at the top of the screen. Again it is errorless...

If it's the same CTD then it's not random.....

Post a save game. Compress it first though. Are you playing with RTW or RTW BI?