Campaign Map Not Loading....

[Makanyane]

Common Causes of Problems
The same sort of error will normally produce the same crash / message at the same point in the loading process. Where problem occurs in loading process is therefore important to bug hunting. Common problems are listed below in order of 'crash' occurrence.
Where error messages are mentioned they are only obtained if you have -show_err enabled.
NOTES: This list is very unlikely to cover everything please note any more you find in replies. The initial tests for this were conducted under BI. There may be variations with RTW if found please advise. Most of these error messages also occur in M2TW but they will be found in the error log file and not via. the -show_err system.

Please also refer to a Modders Guide to CTD's
This section is based on wiki page here which may/may not be more up-to-date.

Symptom: Game CTD's with no message when arrow is clicked to start campaign - no map.rwm generated.

• Landmass Crash - actually caused by having too large an individual sea area.
• Too large an area of impassable terrain - actually same bug as above (if area doesn't work as sea it won't work as mountain or dense forest either).
• Rivers incorrectly drawn in map_features.tga. Possibly also river without ford completely dividing a region.
• Incorrect height or width listed in descr_terrain.txt - dimensions must match map_regions.tga
• More than 200 total 'regions' - note regions include different colours used for individual seas, so you can have 199 land regions and 1 sea, or 198 land regions and 2 different coloured seas in map_regions.tga etc...

Symptom: Game Freezes after arrow is clicked to start campaign - new map.rwm is generated but loading bar is not reached.

• Problems with large areas of impassable ground type in conjunction with lack of land area on a large complex map (map.rwm size approx 13MB) see here.

Symptom: Game CTD's with no message shortly after arrow is clicked to start campaign - new map.rwm is generated.

• Width or height of map exceeds maximum. (Maximum = 510pixels map_regions, 1021pixels map_heights size.
• Misspelt character name in descr_strat.txt, or use of name which doesn't belong to faction you have assigned it to - check in data/descr_names.txt for faction specific names.
• An elephant or chariot unit which is included in the descr_strat.txt file has an 'officer' assigned to it in export_descr_units.txt. Those types of units cannot have an officer and unlike other unit related bugs this one causes CTD on trying to load campaign.
• Having the Romans able to horde "and" have the senate as their super-faction. (under BI.exe)

Symptom: Game CTD's with no message about 3/4's way through campaign loading bar.

• Having a radar_map1.tga which is too large, the radar_maps should be in same proportions as map_regions.tga to avoid a stretched effect, but making them same size as the map_regions.tga for a larger map causes crash.

Symptom: Game CTD's with no message at the end of the campaign loading bar.

• Using a rebel type in descr_regions.txt that does not have proper entries in data/descr_rebel_factions.txt and data/text/rebel_faction_descr.txt

Symptom: KTM's with message on exit: 'Script error in .../descr_strat.txt, at line xxx, column x. Expected faction - must add at least two factions to the world

• Most varieties of typing error above the level of the second faction in descr_strat.txt - the game stops reading the descr_strat file when it meets an error so doesn't get as far as reading second faction. If error message gives line number look it up using 'edit' 'go to' function in Notepad.
• Having the win_conditions section from a v 1.2 descr_strat file at the top of a descr_strat.txt file you are trying to run under v 1.5 also gives this error.

Symptom: KTM's with message on exit: 'Script error in .../descr_strat.txt, at line xxx, column x. could not create settlement at script line xxx

• Mis-match between colour on map_regions.tga and colour listed in descr_regions.txt for affected settlement.
• Using identical colour for two different regions.

Symptom: KTM's with message on exit: 'Script error in .../descr_strat.txt, at line xxx, column x. You have chosen an invalid tile(0,0)for the settlement of
If line xxx is the bottom of the descr_strat file and the settlement name is not specified.

• Pixels on map_regions.tga of a colour that do not belong to any region colour specified in descr_regions.txt - watch out for merged colours when editing map_regions.tga as that is usual cause.

If settlement is named and line xxx is it's listing in descr_strat.txt

• Settlement is actually placed on invalid terrain. This may include being over river location, over impassable forest, or mountain ground types, or being over area marked as sea in map_heights.tga. The last includes areas of 'land' which are true black RGB 0,0,0 as the game takes them as sea unless a map_heights.hgt is created.

Symptom: KTM's with message on exit: 'Script error in .../descr_strat.txt, at line xxx, column x. You are trying to place zzzz in this region(yyyy), but it already has a settlement(zzzz).

• Using an almost black pixel for the effected cities location on the map_regions.tga - the pixel must be RGB 0,0,0

It Loads But...
So you saw the map come up and thought all your problems were over? Not quite:

Symptom: Strange overlay effect when viewing parts of campaign map, often including diagonal lines across map.

• Too few regions on a large map, or excessively large single regions can cause this. Some graphics cards tolerate the problem and display it, on other computers it can cause CTD at end of loading bar. May only occur in one area of map - so may explain CTD when loading with faction centred in the effected area.

Symptom: Bright pink / purple areas on map

• Using invalid colour in map_ground_types.tga
• Misnaming or pathing of texture files referenced in descr_aerial_map_ground_types.txt so texture is not found.

Symptom: CTD without message immediately after pressing end turn button for first time.

• Having a faction included in descr_strat.txt which has 'shadowed' line in descr_sm_factions.txt and not also including the corresponding shadowing faction.
• Setting too high a starting number of movement points (eg 300) in descr_character.txt
• Having a faction as faction-creator in descr_regions and not having it in descr_strat. (if it lets you get that far - this can give a KTM with message instead)
• Bad character name file. To check for this, try Saving before End Turn. If it crashes then it is the bad name file as it creates an error during creation of a saved game and End Turn is (on default) auto-saved.