Game crashing when loading after editing descr-files.

[Kaffe]

I was wondering if someone could help me with an issue I've experienced. I've previously been able to alter the descr.strat file in order to unlock all factions, as well as using the Caligula editor to edit units without much trouble. After trying to use the Hadrian editor, however, I encountered the problem that the game crashed to desktop when attempting to start up. I tried to paste back in the original descr-files which I had copied beforehand as a backup, but the game still kept crashing. I therefore decided to reinstall the game.

After doing this i tried to unlock the factions again as I had done before, but now the game crashed when I altered that file too. The Caligula editor is also unable to edit the descr.units file as no units are loaded when i load the file in the editor. I am at a loss to find the cause of this, as I am a complete amateur at editing files. Any help with this predicament would be very much appreciated.

[Kaffe]

After adding -showerr it is apparently my export_descr_unit which causes the trouble (in line 1, column 1 nonetheless). only problem is i haven't done anything to it except attempt to load it with Caligula :S

[Kaffe]

I'm getting that there is an "unknown identifier when new type expected."

[Kaffe]

It seems caligula can load and edit my backup file of export_descr_unit.txt when it is in my backup folder, but it can't when I copy the very same file into the rome data directory. After attempting to load it from the data directory, I can not load the one from the backup folder either until I've restarted caligula. I am dumbfounded to say the least.

[Makanyane]

what are you trying to change?

I normally recommend altering the files directly by opening them in Notepad or similar, rather than trying to use Caligula type programs.

Some of the Caligula / Time type editors leave a
"edited by..." message at the top of the file, if its done that without 'commenting out' the line that would give you a problem at line 1

[Kaffe]

Thanks for taking the time to give me some hints. I've been trying to make cavalry and chariots more expensive (and thusly more balanced imho) as well as fleshing out the spanish in campaign mode. Now it appears that the game crashes just because I copy the export_descr_unit.txt file to another location. That's just ridiculous, no?

[Kaffe]

It now seems that vanilla rome will start once when it has recently been installed, but not a second time, regardless of editing. It would seem that the export_descr_unit.txt file is botched even when freshly reinstalled from cd, and causes the problem described earlier when I attempt to start vanilla the second time... Any clue as to what this could be caused by?

[SubRosa]

Are you using Windows Vista by chance? If so Windows is only removing the files in your Program Files folder, not those in your Virtual Store. You probably need to clean out your Virtual Store. To find it do the following:

Go to your control panel.
Switch it to "classic view".
Select "folder options".
Part of the way down on the "view" tab is an option to "show hidden files & folders", select that.
Now go to "my computer", then your hard drive, then "users" & select your user directory.
There should be a folder called "AppData", select this.
Inside the "local" folder, there is a "VirtualStore" folder.
Inside this there is a "Program Files" folder and you'll find what looks like a copy of your game folder.