(partially solved) All Battles end after One Minute! Can't fight any battles.

Anyone else came across this problem?

In campaign when I engage an enemy fleet the battle will start but after one minute, and before a shot can be fired, the battle will just end and say that I've lost. If they attack me it will end and say I have won. Then the enemy or my army/fleet retreats without loss on the campaign map. This happens every single time.
It also happens on land battles too.

I have checked and quadruple checked the preferences.txt to make sure battle time limit is off, i have it also set to read only so it cannot reset. It stays at unlimited (-1) but still the damn battles end after a minute.

I can play custom battles fine

What the hell is going on here? Any ideas?

EDIT: I have discovered that if I can change the battle timer in game to 60 minutes it becomes unlimited again. I have to do it every time I load though.... STRANGE as all hell but it'll do as a fix for now.