Persistent CTD defending Alexandria

[Sygrod]

I have now tried to fight the same battle 6 times with a CTD occurring roughly at the point where the enemy would normally have had enough and leave.

3 hours of my life wasted. (Yes, I am hopping mad).

First, there seems to be a problem with Alexandria. Some ground squares close to the gates are mirrors of the sky and no troops can be placed there.

The city is in a corner, which seems to frustrate the AI to no end. It wants to go to a point that is below the South East Walls.

I tried to restart my machine. I set options to minimum graphics (unit size huge, but this is not a big battle and I have had no problem with massive battles) and no sound. Basically, I tried everything but reinstall the game (which I really should not have to do with an already clean install only 2 weeks ago), Defrag, turned off non-essential processes, etc, etc.

Still CTD about 15 minutes into the battle.

What the H^%#$&#LL is going on?

If I autoresolve, I'll have massive losses, as opposed to negligible if I fight it out, so I don't even have THAT option.

/Sygrod

[bovi]

I don't really have any suggestions apart from checking your hardware: memory (memtest) and disk (scandisk surface test).

The easier way is obviously to autoresolve. I'm sure you're able to recover from the loss of men incurred.

[Sygrod]

I'm wondering if anyone else has had the funny sky squares in Alexandria.

[Redmeth]

Yes, I believe that's also where that floating temple is. But I remember that the sky showed up around the temple or something like that not everywhere...

[Korlon]

I've seen quite a bit of those "sky squares" in some maps on the custom battles as well.

[Constantius I]

Should I wait until this is fixed before I start my campaign? I do not want to play for a couple weeks, reach Alexandria, and then have the game fail :)

[Korlon]

There's a temporary fix for that thing already up. If it comes down to it, I'm thinking you could just auto resolve it with the auto_win cheat.

[Constantius I]

oh, autoresolve is quite the pan in the arse, but I didnt know about the autowin cheat.


I tried to do the temp fix, unfortuantly I can not get it to work.

[bovi]

This is not what that fix is supposed to help. He's crashing 15 minutes into the battle, while the freeze fix is supposed to allow setting up the armies in the first place; it freezes the game once you start deployment for one of the tiles.

[Sygrod]

I figured that if the AI was going to cheat me out of a well deserved victory, I'll return the favour. I activated create_unit and added the meanest units possible and chased them off. Then I disbanded these units. Campaign continues.

[Sygrod]

It is now confirmed. Alexandreia is the problem.

Try sallying from Alexandreia during a siege. AI has real problems with wanting to go to the SE corner of the map, but the walls are in the way. It becomes too much for the AI and it just goes CTD.

[Sygrod]

Ohhh!! I found a fix in the "1.1 fixes you should try" thread! Let's try it...

...Nope. Still CTD. I still have strange sky tiles at each gate. I had managed to whittle the enemy down by 59% before the CTD reared its ugly head. It really seems to be at the point where the ptollies would decide that it is time to retreat.

[Illian the Mediocre]

Is this a problem which occurs in most people's games or is it only a minority?

[Sygrod]

I know I'm not supposed to, but in order to get past this one, I'll invoke the "move_character" command. I hope they have fun vacationing in India.

[Sygrod]

Well, suddenly move_character did not work. The $%^#$&* ptolly general's name is not a short one, either. "Character not found", was the reply. Really?! I spelled his bleeding name at least 10 times - correctly.

I tried another battle tactic. I sent my entire melee army out so that the AI could not get stuck in a weird position (trying to get to a point below the city walls). I killed many enemies and they were starting to rout - CTD. I am beyond frustrated. THIS is a show stopper. I am out of ideas. Alexandreia MUST be the problem. No other battle has caused any CTDs so far. Only Alexandreia.

[bovi]

I figured that if the AI was going to cheat me out of a well deserved victory, I'll return the favour. I activated create_unit and added the meanest units possible and chased them off. Then I disbanded these units. Campaign continues.
I thought this would have solved it for you?

Anyway, it definitely seems we still have a problem in Alexandria. The sky tiles seem weird, could you run a validation and post the results?

As for the move_character, you might have an easier time teleporting over one of your own captains and auto_win the army away.

[Sygrod]

I had a CTD yesterday where the battle had been won and I selected an Akontistai unit to stop purusing. CTD.

Perhaps there is a problem with a greek sound file for Akontistai (and other units) ??????

[llib]

The skies on ground around Alexandria I have seen before but I was always able to march units through them. That said, I have been always defending to the wider part of map, not to the thin part(although reinforcements were coming from thin part - from Seleucid lands :-)

[Jurdagat]

I have a problem close to Alexandria myself to, just a bit different.

An AI army besieges Alexandria, then I use another army to attack the AI.
This battle takes place on a normal battelfield, with the city far in the background.
But about 5 mins into the battle it freezes, and seizes to respond.

Maybe related, since it's close to Alexandria?

Anyhow this is the first time something like this ever happend to me.

[bovi]

No, it's not related. Try the fix.

[Jurdagat]

Don't have the temp fix, and won't apply it.
Don't like to swap files all the time unless I really have to.
Otherwise all other fixes installd

Anyways this is not much of a biggy, was easy enough to bypass by not attacking the army.

Just wanted to mention it. :)