Wondering if Someone could help, been waiting for a long long time

[dragula42]

I bought Medieval Total War in a Total War Eras Pack and haven't been able to play it for 2 years! I used to play it on my brothers laptop and I loved it. strangely enough I can play every total war game even Medieval total war 2, but not this one

I have sent the following e-mail to both Sega AND the Creative Assembly several times, but neither of them care enough to help me.

Complaint medieval total war

I bought Total War Eras and all of the games work except for one, medieval total war. It doesn’t work in Campaign mode or Campaign Tutorial, for the other games to work in campaign mode I had to go to the options menu and switch to software mode, however medieval total war does not have this option. I need to know how to resolve this issue in order to play campaign mode. When clicking on campaign mode it shows the loading screen then exits/freezes/shuts down the program (it did this with the other total war programs before I switched them to software mode as well.) I have recently purchased medieval total war 2 and it works fine so I am sure it has nothing to do with my sound card or graphics card.
---- Aaron F.



The game seems to work in custom battle mode, and that seems to be the full extent to which I may enjoy the game... which is a downer...

I don't have this Nvidia card everyone is talking about...
My graphics card is an ATI Radeon Xpress 1150

I read Martok's post, but my card isn't the one you're talking about, or at least I don't think it is... I'm not very good with computers or the lingo used, (for example, I'm trying to figure out what a ctd is?)

[Knight of the Rose]

Hello Dragula, and welcome to the Guild. Perhaps we will be able to help you. Sadly, once you've bought the game it can be difficult to get game publishers to help you. I could never get Battle Isle 2 to work and never heard from game support. Ah well,

CTD means Crash To Desktop, IE closing the game without warning or error message.

As you can play the battles but not the campaign, I suspect the campaign map. Try

1) Altering the solution of the campaign map in the options before starting a new game - try different sizes, though I belive 800 x 600 is the most propable resolution.
2) Anti-aliasing: Please check the manual of your video driver. Or wait for someone to show you pictures of how you force it to always use 2 x (its usually not that difficult once you've located the button)
3) Exchange of problematic files. Two .bif files sometimes causes problems for video cards. You can replace them with two from a mod - say Napoleonic Total War. The link is in the stickied topic. Sticky means it stays at the top of the forum even though the last post is a year old.

We hope you enjoy your stay,

:bow:

/KotR

[dragula42]

Thanks I appreciate the help!

Yes CTD is what it seems to be doing then..

1) tried that doesn't seem to work
2) I never got a manual from Dell for anything, so I guess I'll have to wait for that thing you said, because I don't understand any of that stuff lol.
3) I downloaded it and extracted them, then I got lost looking for this "campmap" folder. No matter how many times I download the game I can never get this folder to appear... I've searched my entire computer... hidden files included I can't seem to find such a folder in existence... is this really bad?
So I'm not sure where to insert the files


Sorry to hear about your experience, it really boggles me (customer 'service') I'd think that they'd still want to help so you are encouraged to buy more of their products in the future... Eventually (after the 100th time not getting a response) I even told them I would not be buying anymore games from either sega or the creative assembly because they would be useless without support... they didn't seem to care -.-;
Don't think that will be a problem now that I know there are places like this though.

[dragula42]

Oh nvm I found the folder... had to check a box in search options.. trying it now

[dragula42]

I guess the button thing wasn't the problem

[dragula42]

One thing I've noticed, is that when I mouse over "test display mode" in the options, "stratagey map resolution" blinks...
so I changed it from 800x600 to 1024x768 (these are the only 2 options it gives me....) and niether of them work, could that be the problem? also I was wondering what is "software mode" and why doesn't MTW have it, where as every other total war game does have it?

[dragula42]

I've been looking around and I think this may explain everything http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Legacy/Pages/integrated_vista32.aspx?type=2.7&product=2.7.5.3.1&lang=English&rev=9.3&ostype=
But I'm not sure what it means, or what I should do, or if I should download one of these things... or which one to download...

[dragula42]

Does anyone know?

[Knight of the Rose]

Hmm, I should have warned you that the turnaround time of this forum is somewhat slow. Not many people playing M:TW & even fewer discussing it on the boards. More activity in other sections. Once we get here, we're friendly though :yes:

If I were you, I'd chose the first download option: Full package. Download the thing and install it.
Once you have the "catalyst" center, you have the option to run through the settings. One of these is the anti-aliasing thing. You can even set anti-aliasing without running the "catalyst" center, just right click on the red ATI icon in your lower right corner, next to the clock.

I had an ATI card on my desctop and it worked no prob.

In my current setting I also do not have "software mode" Can't remember if I have ever had it in M:TW. When I mouse over "test" Strategy Map also blink. Yet it runs perfectly...

/KotR

[dragula42]

Ah, yea, I guess that makes sense, it's a bit old and I guess some gamers may have written it off as inferior by now... I still love it though. Thanks for the tip.

So I finally got around to installing the full catalyst thing and set my anti-aliasing to 2 x.
I loaded up the game and tried to start the campaign and it CTD'd again...

I can think of anything else to do.

Should I try installing the "additional" updates? it doesn't explain very well what they do, so I don't know if I need them.

The only other option that I can think of is this idea I read on one of the stickies, and that is to troubleshoot the problem with the napoleon total war mod. Or can I do that with any mod? I've never actually used a mod before, for anything, so I'm not too sure about how to go about using them.
The link given in the sticky only shows the option for those 2 files, where do I get the full mod?

I figure since the nvidia has trouble with those files, maybe my card has trouble with certain files, but since my card is different maybe it has trouble with different files?

Thanks Again, I really appreciate it.

[Knight of the Rose]

Sorry to hear it isn't working, though I'm not surprised.

Some versions of Windows give you the opportunity to run programmes in a "combability mode" - try that by right clicking on the games' .exe file and choose "combability" tab. I'd go for Win98 first.

Alternatively:

It's a long shot - but do you have both a graphics card and an onboard video card. You can tell by looking at the back of your cabinet - if there are two places to put the cable from your monitor, then yes.

As the computer boots up, you can press a button to acess the startup system. Usually it's F2, but it says so on the screen. Here you can choose the other card under "video" options. Once you save changes and exits, the screen go black as you've switched to the other card. Plug in the cable in the other slot and you'll see the computer open whatever operating system you have (my guess is Windows). Now you run with a inferior video card and can't do many of the things you could before, but maybe you can play MTW. You can always go back to the fancy video card afterwards.

Good luck - you'll need it,

/KotR

[dragula42]

Yea, I have windows Vista, It wouldn't start up in windows 98.
It started up in 2000 but then it did the same thing as always.
No I only have one of those things on my laptop.

You think a mod might work?

[Knight of the Rose]

It's worth a try, as the issue is some graphical error, and many mods change some of the graphics...

:shrug:

Overall I'd say it's a lot of hassle for an old game, so only do it if you have a lot of spare time

/KotR

[Axalon]

“The link given in the sticky only shows the option for those 2 files, where do I get the full mod?”

Hello dragula42,

Here are the links to the two only mods that have the files you need. I know little of NTW, but I can say this about redux; if MTW-redux does not work after a successful install, probably no version/mod of MTW will ever work for you either. Then the problem is most likely to be located on your hardware and drivers to this hardware – most likely to be the GFX-card.


NTW-Mod: (Napoleon theme)

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=75309


MTW-redux: (Medieval theme)

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=106497


In a general sense there are a few solutions to these problems you have, but I would image that these are not solutions you prefer….


Change OS (Operating System) to WinXP or Win2000. Then download omega-drives (there are none for Vista) for your card and it probably works – if you include all the regular fixes. Might work with compatibility mode, I don’t know….
Buy a new ATI GFX-card - that is only if you don’t want to change OS at all.
Try it on an auxillary PC, if you got any available….
Check again if you “button-files really replaced the old ones for sure… The exact path is this: “C:\Program Files\Total War\Medieval - Total War\campmap\buttons” – usually anyhow. It can vary depending on what version you have. “Gold/Era”-versions are different.
Now you pretty smoked and out of options….


Ok, that’s it. Hopes it helps some.... :wink2:


- Cheers
----------
KotR, is quite right, only do this if you got time on your hands....

[dragula42]

Oh cool thanks, I'll try them both

because unfortunately the Samurai Mod didn't work

[dragula42]

On Redux

I got an error with the rar. something about not recognizing the people of Norvgord, so it wouldn't run the program.

So I decided to try the zip file
Yea I got the same error
This is what it says:


COLUMN_building_faction_association x <----- the close window button
Unknown faction specified: column 20, row 8
NOVGOROD
OK

Anyone know what that means?




On NTW

I can't seem to access the site leading to the download? anyone else have that problem?




Response to further suggestions

I've tried the compatibility mode for 98 - present, the problem exists in all of them, with the exception of 98 which for whatever reason won't even start the program

1. How do I change my OS? if I did change it would I ever be able to change it back?
2. I guess that's possible, kinda a bummer though.
3. All I have is this one Laptop, unfortunately
4. Yep that's where I put them
5. That would really suck

[Axalon]

On Redux

I got an error with the rar. something about not recognizing the people of Norvgord, so it wouldn't run the program.

So I decided to try the zip file
Yea I got the same error
This is what it says:


COLUMN_building_faction_association x <----- the close window button
Unknown faction specified: column 20, row 8
NOVGOROD
OK

Anyone know what that means?

...

Response to further suggestions

I've tried the compatibility mode for 98 - present, the problem exists in all of them, with the exception of 98 which for whatever reason won't even start the program

1. How do I change my OS? if I did change it would I ever be able to change it back?
2. I guess that's possible, kinda a bummer though.
3. All I have is this one Laptop, unfortunately
4. Yep that's where I put them
5. That would really suck


Have a look at this thread…. That should sort things out for you. Further redux related-install
problems should be posted there as well (not here). :wink2:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=109049


- Good luck
-------------
To change OS you install another one.... :mickey:

[dragula42]

Aha! yes :D ty I got it running..
but then it CTD'd again..
Well at least I know it's not a file problem?
which leaves....
I guess I need to buy a new card :(
I thought I had the best one possible for my laptop though
It's so strange that the problem is with the card! Even MTWII works, I just don't like it... it gets all glared, with the sun and what not.
Thanks for the help though

[Knight of the Rose]

The problem isn't that the card isn't good enough, the problem is it isn't compatible with older games. So you do not need a better card, you need an older one...

/KotR

[dragula42]

Oh...
Is there one that you think would work really well?

The card I have is currently attached to the motherboard in m computer, (embedded?) I think is what the Dell people told me, so I think I'll need to be careful about replacing it.

[Knight of the Rose]

AFAIK it's quite difficult to replace items in a labtop... I wouldn't go there.

Last shot, taken from the official "known issues"

"If you are experiencing graphical issues running Medieval, it is recommended that you are set to 16 bit color"

Right click on your desktop, choose properties. Then choose the tab settings, and there you'll find the box for bit color

/KotR

[dragula42]

Nope, 16 bit didn't seem to work.
I can't help but notice that the only changes happening when I mess around with the ATI stuff occur on my desktop.... am I doing this wrong or something?
Does Vista have some special way I'm supposed to go about to mess with it?

[caravel]

1) Set MTW to use 1024x768 resolution for both battle and campaign, also set the AGP memory to none or maximum (test it with noth). Set your desktop resolution to the same and also to 16 bit colour.

2) You don't need to mess with AA on an ATI card. The 2x AA fix is for Nvidia cards only.

3) I don't think you've applied the button fix. Ensure that the files are going into the correct folder, overwriting the originals. Read the thread again and go through it step by step to ensure it's done correctly. This fixes a large proportion of campaign map CTDs.

[dragula42]

I don't know what a "clean vanilla install" means.

Here is what I have been doing though...

1) Uninstalled Medieval Total War.
2) Located all Total War files in existence and deleted them.
3) Installed MTW Gold Edition from Eras Pack
4) Downloaded the zip file with the two buttons
5) Set up a "new folder" on the desktop
6) Extracted the two bif. files to the 'new folder'
7) Go into 'new folder' cut the files
8) went to(this is in vista)
C:\Program Files\The Creative Assembly\Medieval - Total War - Gold Edition\campmap\buttons
9) Now Vista asks

There is already a file with the same name in this location.
Click the file you want to keep

->Move and Replace
Replace the file in the destination folder with the file you are moving:
button_ipnext.BIF
button_ipnext (C:\Users\Aaron\Desktop\New Folder)
Size: 1.07 KB
Date Modified: 7/17/2004 3:15 PM (newer)

->Don't Move
No files will be changed. Leave this file in the destination folder:
button_ipnext.BIF
button_ipnext (C:\Program Files\The Creative Assembly\Medieval - Total War - Gold
Edition\campmap\buttons)
Size: 3.04 KB (larger)
Date modified: 4/15/2002 4:10 PM

-> Move, but keep both files
The file you are moving will be renamed "button_ipnext (2).BIF"

10) I click on move and replace
11) Vista asks

There is already a file with the same name in this location.
Click the file you want to keep

->Move and Replace
Replace the file in the destination folder with the file you are moving:
button_ipprev.BIF
button_ipprev (C:\Users\Aaron\Desktop\New Folder)
Size: 1.01 KB
Date Modified: 7/17/2004 3:17 PM (newer)

->Don't Move
No files will be changed. Leave this file in the destination folder:
button_ipprev.BIF
button_ipprev (C:\Program Files\The Creative Assembly\Medieval - Total War - Gold
Edition\campmap\buttons)
Size: 3.08 KB (larger)
Date modified: 4/15/2002 4:10 PM

-> Move, but keep both files
The file you are moving will be renamed "button_ipprev (2).BIF"

12) I click Move and Replace
13) And it's vista so of course...

Destination Folder Access Denied
You'll need to provide administrator permission to move to this folder
buttons
Date created: 5/28/2009 7:53 PM

14) I grant administration access...(speaking to Vista) I AM THE ADMINISTRATOR (got to hate that) and click Continue
15) Vista asks for permission for file operation
16) Permission granted continue




Hope that helps you help me, in case I did it wrong
I'm trying the other solutions you have spoken of Caravel.
I'll post back when I am done.
Thanks again everyone! :)

[dragula42]

Tried and I failed.

I am now going to try every possible combination with compatibility mode... will post back when I am done.

[dragula42]

[QUOTE=compatibility mode...[/QUOTE]

* I mean the "compatibility wizard" hope this is what I was supposed to be using

[dragula42]

Microsoft Windows 95 fail never expected this to work, but I figured I might as well try than do nothing.

Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 5) Please insert Correct Cd Rom (Error: Can not locate the cd rom) (note to self, skip and try later straight from cd drive…) (on second thought should ask if that is a good Idea to put the disc through so much trial and error)

Microsoft Windows 98 / Windows Me fail (never even started, this causes confusion for me, wasn't it made for this OS?)

Microsoft Windows 2000 fail (game works every time- but CTDS every time I try to play a campaign)

Microsoft Windows XP (Service Pack 2) fail (game works every time- but CTDS every time I try to play a campaign)

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (Service Pack 1) fail (game works every time- but CTDS every time I try to play a campaign)

Do Not Apply a Comatibility Mode (game works every time- but CTDS every time I try to play a campaign)


* Display settings for compatability wizzard (note) I have tried them all with all operating systems in every possible combination as well as individually, and the OS systems alone by themselves)
256 colors

640 x 480 screen resolution

Disable visual themes
Try this option if you are experiencing problems with menus or buttons on the title bar of the program.
Disable desktop composition
Try this option if you are experiencing problems with the display when running the program.
Disable display scaling on high DPI settings
Try this option if you are experiencing problems with the program display on high DPI settings.




From this I can on guess one of two things is true....
1) compatability mode has no effect? (so this is not a vista issue?)
or
2) the compatability wizard is not applying the changes correctly?


I guess I'll try some of the more outlandish suggestions I have read.

[dragula42]

strange fix #1? Fail...


Anisotropic Filtering goes to off. <----------can't turn it off, I can only turn it to: application managed, 2x, 4x, 8x, or 16x... So I put it on application managed

Anisotropic Optimization goes to off.<------can't find, and I don't know what that is

Anisotropic Sample Optimization- also off.<----same as above

Anti Aliasing gets set to 4x.<------set to 4x


In game options can be set to whatever you want.<--- done


Happy gaming

Fix #2? Untried

I had troubles with MTW and my Radeon 9800 Pro when trying newer ATI drivers. I had to roll back to the version 2.6.5.3 Omega drivers, which you can find in the archive here: www.omegadrivers.net/archive.php

Those drivers have been extremely stable with MTW, and work well with many newer games as well, on my system.

I have read good and bad things about this, any input on this idea?

Fix #3 Fail

I tried everything on here to no avail. But then I remembered about a problem from the game TOCA race driver 2. (If you had a force feekback wheel, the game would sometimes stutter). I used the same technique for MTW.

This solution at least solved my problem with the game crashing on the campaign map.

What you have to do is start MTW. When you get to main menu, minimise the game. Then bring up task manager (ctrl + alt + delete). Click processes tab. Then right click on the MTW process and set priority to HIGH. Then you can close it and go back into game.
(you have to do this every time you play MTW).

Since doing this my game has worked perfectly.

If this doesnt help I would also highly recommend defraging the disk. That helped me load some @#%$ saves.

Seems logical, and not sure why I never tried it before but the same problem still exists...

Fix #4 Confused?????

I had to increase my virtual memory to play the game... unsure if it would help or not but as it can be easily undone perhaps you can try it?

"right-click on "My Computer" -> select "Properties", click on the "Performance" tab. On this tab, the area we are checking is the bottom one "Virtual Memory". The initial view we get is the size of the paging file or virtual memory. Most people will see that there is a value of "50 MB".

This setting doesn’t actually indicate the total size available, to do this, you need to click the "Change" button. On the next dialog box, you will see a list of all logical drives on the PC (c, d, e & f). You will notice that the D drive is currently set to hold the page file, indicated by the "50 – 150". If you click on the D drive, you can now see that the initial value is set to 50, and the maximum is 150"

- change the lower to 250 the higher to 450 or similar... try increasing the min and max value up a bit... it stopped a load of my gaming problems...

apologies in advance if it's nothing to do with it!!


I cannot find 'virtual memory' under the performance tab, well in vista it isn't really a tab, but you know what I mean


Fix #5Confused???

Thought i'd post this in case it helps some people (I have an ATI card, btw)...
^very good! so do I, could work?

I have been getting a few annoying CTDs after battles recently which meant having to replay them. The last time I got this was with a very small battle with the remnants of a crusade attacking me. As it was a quick battle to replay after a crash, I replayed it several times after tweaking settings to see if I could prevent the crash. The thing that stopped the crashing in the end was reducing the resolution of my desktop. I had had my desktop in 1600x1200. Reducing it to 1024x768 seemed to fix the problem. My monitor shows faint patterns of lines on screen with resolutions between these two so I havent bothered to try those with mtw.

I had also found out previously that setting the strategy map resolution to 1600x1200 caused an instant CTD upon loading a saved game (similar to the crash nVidia users get). So I have my strategy map resolution set to 1024x768 too. Playing battles at 1600x1200 seemed to cause no problems though. The game may have problems with other high resolutions too, when used on the windows desktop or mtw strategy map.

EDIT: I now think the crash I was having was to do with refresh rates. I now dont get those crashes despite putting my desktop back to 1600x1200. I think the crashes were because I had set a 3d refresh rate override in CCC's display options (85hz) that cant be achieved at my desktop resolution of 1600x1200.



I don't understand? refresh rate? CCC? My desktop only goes up to 1280x800..
Maybe this could help someone else though..

Fix #6fail

turn off screensaver

this never seemed too promising to me, but I tried it anyway... doesn't work

[caravel]

It seems that you've tried what can be tried. You may have a graphics chip that simply doesn't work with that game - and that's not unusual. The game is bugged and this causes it to fail spectacularly on newer hardware. The company SEGA/CA have not attempted to resolve these issues.

I've not seen anyone posting about that particular laptop or graphics chip before so there is nothing to compare. The older drivers won't be much use because I don't think Catalyst 5.7 (the driver version that Omega 2.6.5.3 is based on) supports your chip and you have Vista which those drivers don't support. Most of the drivers for those laptop integrated graphics are provided by the manufacturer anyway and you should only use the reference drivers from ATI if you are having serious problems.

I advise you to simply give up on this. Either install the game on another machine or play the games that do work.

Sorry I cannot be of more help - I don't post here that often these days but I saw your thread and thought I'd drop in.

[Knight of the Rose]

Virtual memory: Irrelevant for Vista

CCC = Catalyst Control Center

Refresh Rate: Every screen refreshes the image at certain "speeds" mesured in hertz (hz). Some videocards has a couple of options, others do not provide an opportunity to change it. At any rate it doesn't apply to you as you've tried more than one resulution.

Which pretty much supports Caravels conclusion, sorry

/KotR

[dragula42]

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to hope someday someone stumbles upon a revolutionary idea or some sort of miracle fix.

Thanks for the help though, we tried...
Can't win every war I guess.

[Prince Cobra]

Currently in exam session with all the sleepless nights and nervousness around, I am trying to think of something(s) more pleasant. Recently, I seriously started thinking of purchasing MTW and playing it again. I mean MTW/VI this classic of classics and who knows I can move to STW one day...(I've never played STW, maybe it will be good idea to give it a shot). Graphics really do not bother me.

After incidentally facing an weird thread about graphics and the inability to properly play campaigns because of too good PC and Graphics card we go to the question... Can my Asus laptop face this challenge?

The prameters:

Computer: 1.86 GHz, 896 MB of RAM; 148 GB of Memory

Graphics: ATI Radeon Xpress 1100, 256 MB

OS: Windows XP

---
Candidate for installment: Medieval Totalwar Gold (MTW + MTW/VI)


Since I am familiar with the CTD problem, I wonder if this PC is ready to handle MTW. Or I will simply buy something that I will not use.

:bow:



Thanks for the info.

Hi, it seems the Apothecary has been quiet place recently. I was just wondering if somebody can help me with my question. (Btw, the version of my graphics card is from 07.2007, though the laptop has been bought later than this date).

Is there anybody else with a similiar parameters.

Sorry, I am too busy to wirte another text. I just pasted it.

Thanks. :bow:

[Knight of the Rose]

Well the OP has Radeon Express 1150, almost the same as yours. So I'd say it would be something of a gamble. Borrow the game from a friend first. If you live nearby you can borrow my disc... For a day, tops

:bow:

/KotR

[dragula42]

Yea, there don't seem to be too many fixes for the ATI cards.
Is yours embedded aswell?
Maybe that's the problem, someone mentioned that they are generic when they are embedded, it wouldn't surprise me if Dell messed me over (again, since they seem to do it again and again... and again...)

I don't think you need to worry about the OS
or the RAM, I have 2 GB RAM and mine doesn't work either so that's probably not the issue here.
You have more than enough memory so that's not a problem either

I don't know what a GHz is.

As for Shogun, try it out for sure, and I couldn't agree more about the graphics quote
"Graphics really do not bother me."
I'll take gameplay over graphics anyday, way too many people seem to want to sacrafice gameplay for graphics. (or complain a ton about graphics)
I truely don't a need for 'exceptional or outstanding graphics'
Especially at the cost of gameplay.