demo simply dies

[Bertibums]

hi, just downloaded, installed and patched the demo (1.05f i think), but so far i haven't been able to play more than 1 or 2 months into the grand campaign as austria. the problem is that after a random amount of turn phases (so far, it ranges from august to october), the game just stops dead (it's like it 'dies' - i cannot even move the cursor). when i alt+tab, the icon in the system tray tells me i have about 1 or 2 fps, and then the game crashes. am i doing something wrong here?

i don't think my pc is the issue here, a quad core with 2 gb ram should do the trick i guess... any known issues with windows vista?
i've tried disabling ai logs, pre-loading the whole map, disabling vsync - doesn't help!

[calvinus]

I'm wondering this could been generated by the problems in the sound engine we recently fixed. Today we will publish a new beta-patch (for the demo version too) that will introduce such fixes. Hope this will help you.

[PhilThib]

1.05l patch published

[Bertibums]

oh i forgot to say, switching off the music didn't help either, although i did have the sound effects active...

where can i download this new patch? ageod homepage only gives me 1.05f

[calvinus]

1.05L is still a beta, so you can find the patch download in the "Help Improve WW1" section: http://www.ageod-forum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=241

Please report if the demo now works fine with musics and sounds.

Thanks,
Calvinus.

[Bertibums]

will do! thx for the quick responses!

edit:
ok, patched and started a new game (grand campaign, 4 p) with sounds and music on, died after first reinforcement phase of the game.

i know i am supposed to play with 2 players, but shouldnt the game ctd from 4 players instead of freezing?


gonna try without sounds later..

[calvinus]

So probably it's an antivirus problem. Which antivirus are you using?

[calvinus]

i know i am supposed to play with 2 players, but shouldnt the game ctd from 4 players instead of freezing?

4-players mode crashes have been fixed a lot of time ago.

[Bertibums]

using antivir... anything i can do to check this except switching it off for playing?

[calvinus]

Avira Antivir? I recall that another player reported problems with Avira. I don't remember if he had to uninstall or simply deactivate it, sorry.

[Bertibums]

k, gonna try then

edit:
deactivated antivir, first game start got me a vista error message (ww1 doesnt work anymore) when the map was being loaded, next try let me play till the end of reinforcement phase september 1914, then the game died again...

[Bertibums]

now i tried without sounds and music and completely without antivir (terminated the process via task manager)

game died after reinforcement phase august 1914

[calvinus]

Do you have a firewall or spybot?

[Bertibums]

no spybot, and only windows firewall

do i need an internet connection to play sp?? (not that my windows firewall had ever said anything about it )

[calvinus]

No internet connection is needed, it was just a question about firewalls that could cause crashes, but the windows standard firewall is not a threat.

So, be sure:
1) the "full-screen" is not locked
2) AI logs are disabled
3) Check the version of the WW1.exe file, just to be sure the latest patch has been properly installed.

Also, does only the beta-patch 1.05L cause crash?
Can you try with 1.05F (official)?

If 1.05F works ok, can you try a fresh install + patch (backup savegames before).

Thanks,
Calvinus.

[Bertibums]

So, be sure:
1) the "full-screen" is not locked - CHECK

2) AI logs are disabled - CHECK

3) Check the version of the WW1.exe file, just to be sure the latest patch has been properly installed. - 1.0.5.9



Also, does only the beta-patch 1.05L cause crash?
Can you try with 1.05F (official)?

- tried both (it died with f, and it does with l)

[Bertibums]

erm.... just reinstalled now... can it have to do with me getting an error message when i want to install divx codec?

[calvinus]

erm.... just reinstalled now... can it have to do with me getting an error message when i want to install divx codec?

Yes probably. Try with no Intro AVI play. Or install correctly the codec.

[Bertibums]

intro avi was off as well - i switched off practically everything in order to be able to play... gonna try to install again with admin account

edit: k, i installed it anew with account manager off, codec is installed, gonna try now with f, if that doesnt work, with l, then i'll report back

and if it doesn't work, maybe there's a demo .exe for me to test?

[calvinus]

Please try with sounds and musics off. Some volunteers (who suffered problems with the sound engine) are trying a new "trial" version of WW1.exe file, which is not good for the demo, sorry.

If you have no problems with sounds & musics off, it means we found the reason. So, just to be sure 100%, I can build a "trial" version of the WW1.exe file also for the Demo, so that you can test it. This not before tonight. If you are interested, send me a PM.

[Bertibums]

ok i tried the new install (f) with sounds on, it died much later (military phase october / november 14 that is :P), not in the reinforcement phase this time but when i clicked 'next battle' - next i'm gonna try without music / sounds!

sorry to bother you about a defunct demo, but i don't want to spend money on a game if i can't even run the demo properly the demo is practically the same as the full game, just with a use limit, right?

edit: this is how i'm gonna try to play next:

all sounds off
ai logs off
vsync off
load map at start
lock full screen off
antivir on

[calvinus]

sorry to bother you about a defunct demo, but i don't want to spend money on a game if i can't even run the demo properly the demo is practically the same as the full game, just with a use limit, right?

I totally agree! If the demo runs fine with no sounds and no musics, send me a PM with your email address.

[Bertibums]

the only thing that really frustrates me is when i get a good start into the game, and then i dies on me last time i had italy join CP, this time i had the russians already on the run, wonder what's gonna befall this time. if i get bashed, it will probably be working

[calvinus]

Save the game in any case. For the sounds matter, do not hesitate in sending me a PM with your email address...

[Bertibums]

this time:

all sounds off
ai logs off
vsync off
load map at start
lock full screen off
antivir on

i was able to play til mar/apr 1915, then it gave me a windows error message (ww1 doesnt work anymore) - until then, there seemed to be no problem of the 'game is dying' kind

btw: i got bashed


new game start gave me the same error message when the map was finished loading, just before 'loading scenario'

[Bertibums]

new game freezes in jan-feb 1915 - the only new thing is i can still move the cursor, and the game doesnt crash when i shift-tab

it's still running in the background, maybe i'll see and give it the time it needs for the political ai to finish working... :/

[calvinus]

If you see tha black window "Political AI is working...", you just have to wait the AI finishes her job.
But if it looks a never-ending job, do not hesitate in posting here a zipped savegame (both .SAV and .MAP), so that i can reproduce the problem.

Also, be sure you did not activate the "Give AI full-time" check-box (Options window).

[Bertibums]

is this .exe you sent me for f or l? (i'll suppose it's for f)

want me to test with or without sounds?

edit: this is the result

[calvinus]

Nooo it's compatible only with version 1.05L.
That's why you get the error...

Edit: test both with sounds and without sounds.

[Bertibums]

sorry no more time...

but i think that it is a sound issue - as i told you, i re-installed yesterday and i never had these freezes again - i only had ctd's but they're different

sooo, f with correctly installed codecs works fine without sounds! (whatever that means... )

i'll try and test the new l .exe when i can, but will probably only be in 1 week