A modder's guide to CTDs

[khelvan]

My hope is to generate a long list of exactly what can cause errors throughout all of RTW. I would love to be able to compile and update this list. I hope we continue to have participation, even if only adding a few here and there.

EDU = /data/export_descr_unit.txt
DMB = /data/descr_model_battle.txt

RTW Loading CTDs:
- Mismatch between descr_names.txt and names.txt

Loading Screen Slowdowns:
- campaign_descriptions.txt must have less than 1000 characters per line and less than 20 lines per faction, or file load time is increased by 85%

Faction selection screen:
- Lack of campaign descriptions.

Campaign Map Loading Kick to Main Menu:
- Typographical error in descr_strat.txt
- Overwriting rather than deleting and then copying an update of map tga files
- Resource not defined in EDB
- Typo in building capabilities in EDB

Campaign Map Loading CTDs:
- Landmass ratio problem causes a CTD when loading the campaign map.
- A named character has an invalid name in descr_strat.
- The game is loaded but the screen is centered onto a buggy region (see the campaign map scrolling CTDs).

In Campaign Mode CTDs:
During play/AI turn:
- A family member being generated without a general_unit for the faction.
- A new character is generated and not given a valid name.
- Some building bonuses in the same building level as certain unit recruitment strings (this will happen both during AI turn and when the building is right-clicked).
- Units able to be recruited in EDB but no faction "ownership" for a faction in EDU.
- Units added to descr_rebel_factions.txt but no slave faction ownership in EDU.
- Units added to descr_mercenaries.txt but no mercenary_unit in EDU.
- Bad defined type of unit for army spawned via script file
- Mismatch between export_desc_character_traits.txt and export_VnVs.txt entries causes CTD when viewing the portrait of a named character with the bad trait.

Scrolling over campaign map:
- Not enough province/settlements on a too large map (fix : add provinces on the map/may be fixed with BI) causes CTD while scrolling the map.
- Error with the rebel faction/settlement owner and or creator (when you scroll over a given settlement)
- Some hidden resources can cause CTDs when you scroll over the region.

Custom Battle Menu Selection CTD:
- If you forgot to put in the second (or first) skeleton to units with secondary attacks in EDU.txt, the game CTDs the moment your mouse arrow reaches that unit in the menu.

Battle Loading CTDs:
- A unit with the attribute mercenary_unit in EDU that has no texture line for "merc" in the soldier, officer, and other related models found in DMB.
- A non-mercenary_unit in EDU that has no texture line in DMB for any faction given ownership of the unit in EDU, for the soldier, officer, and other related models.
- A sprite defined in DMB with no distance value.

In Battle Mode CTDs:
- Bad defined formations for Human Player (i.e. mainly changing names of formations in "descr_formations.txt" file)

BI specific:
- A reference to spawn event in descr_sm_factions and have modded the game to include those factions at the start date will CTD on AI's turn.

[Dol Guldur]

Excellent idea - and something I was thinking about myself just over the last 2 days. I hope some KTMs can be included too...

CAMPAIGN KTMs (Kick-back To Menu)

- typographical error in descr_strat.txt

- faction/culture applied to inappropriate building tree or level (only Carthaginian has thus far been identified as causing this)

- overwriting rather than deleting and then copying an update of map tga files (don't ask me why!)


In this regard it might be an idea for someone to list the order in which files are processed or part-processed/compiled...

[khelvan]

Updated.

- faction/culture applied to inappropriate building tree or level (only Carthaginian has thus far been identified as causing this)

Can you explain this in more depth? I am afraid I don't understand.

[Dol Guldur]

Add the Carthaginian culture to either of the top two levels of health buildings and you will see what I mean - it will kick you back to the menu; it is strange because if the game does not expect it there it usually - with other cultures at least - provides the default description and card.

EDIT: This KTM has been resolved and should be emended above to indicate the solution: the Carthaginian culture needs a fallback folder for those buildings/levels not catered for in its original folder settings in the descr_ui_buildings.txt file. For more on this see: https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=58677 - and a big thanks to Nikolai.

[Chaotica]

Very useful, this one!

CTD during splash screen:
- Missing entry in export_buildings.txt

[Teleklos Archelaou]

Ok, what about a CTD when exiting a particular faction's campaign? When the loading bar is moving about halfway through and you are heading back to the main menu? But it's not doing it on other factions' campaigns when you exit them?

[rorarii]

Very useful, this one!

CTD during splash screen:
- Missing entry in export_buildings.txt

and don't forget the blank definition otherwise you'll get a CTD

<building level name>_
<building level name>__desc
<building level name>__desc_short





R

[Myrddraal]

Ambitious, but potentially very useful. It might be an idea to split it into four categories:
In Battle Mode CTD
In Campaign Mode CTD
Battle Loading CTD
Campaign Map Loading CTD

off the top of my head: doesn't the landmass ratio problem cause a CTD when loading the campaign map?

[wlesmana]

Custom Battle menu selection CTD: if you forgot to put in the second (or first) skeleton to units with secondary attacks in EDU.txt, the game CTDs the moment your mouse arrow reaches that unit in the menu.

[PatWest]

For KTM's I have, resource not defined in EDB?, not exact quote, in descr_regions.txt, german should have been germania. In the mercenary txt file, merc merc lancers does not exist, it should have been just one merc.

I also had 2 KTM's in EDB, trade_base_bonus should have been trade_base_income_bonus, and one faction misspelling gaul should have been gauls. That came from using gaul as the region name and mixing them up.

[Meneldil]

1 - CTD during AI turn :
a - A new named character is generated and given a not valid name.

2 - CTD when scrolling over a region on the campaign map :
a - Not enough province/settlements on a too large map (fix : add provinces on the map) - This CTD doesn't happen anymore with BI I think
b - Error with the rebel faction/settlement owner and or creator (when you scroll over a given settlement)

3 - CTD when the campaign is loaded :
a - A character (spy, diplomat and general included) has a not valid name in descr_strat (not sure about this one, it might CTD while generating the .rwm)
b - See 2-a- The game is loaded but the screen is centered onto a buggy region.

[Hans Kloss]

double post

[player1]

Faction selection screen:
- Lack of campaign descriptions.

Not in 1.5/1.6
Only problem with 1.3 or 1.4

[Arbaces]

Something new for your guide...

Campaign Map Loading CTDs:
- Problem with map_features.tga which may block access to certain areas of the map and cause a pathfinding problem. Also adding 4 river pixels in a 2*2 area might affect the river's geometry and also causes CTD. So.. take care with rivers.

Thanks to Muizer for this valuable hint for this CTD.

[nikolai1962]

If for some reason you remove a faction completely from descr_strat but forget to remove them as faction creator of a region in descr_regions then the game crashs when you scroll over that region on the campaign map.

[edyzmedieval]

Something new for your guide...

Campaign Map Loading CTDs:
- Problem with map_features.tga which may block access to certain areas of the map and cause a pathfinding problem. Also adding 4 river pixels in a 2*2 area might affect the river's geometry and also causes CTD. So.. take care with rivers.

Thanks to Muizer for this valuable hint for this CTD.

Thanks for this. I have some problems with my modded campaign map. I hope this is the problem for the CTD.

[Teleklos Archelaou]

Here's a neat new one:

CTD when one faction seems to be attacking another faction only. The CTD occurs at the moment where the intermediate battle initiation screen should pop up. For example, you click an enemy faction settlement to attack, and you might get the "Attack Neutral Faction?" pop up, but then as it should next load the screen that judges both armies, and lets you choose whether or not to fight the battle yourself or auto resolve it, at that precise moment there is a CTD. This does not seem to occur when fighting against rebels of any sort.

I'll try to update this as progress is made.

[Dol Guldur]

So you are saying this does not occur when the factions involved are at war as there would be no pop-up attack-confirmation box? So the error is attached to diplomacy or to the generationof the "at war/broken alliance" event? Events would be my first port of call I think.

[Monkwarrior]

I'm not sure if this is the best thread to ask for help with a CTD problem, but just in case...

I'm having a non-systematic CTD when clicking the end-turn button. Of course, without any error message.
With non-systematic, I mean that loading the autosaved game (previous turn), CTD doesn't happen again at the end of turn, but several turns later (with no rule about how many turns are needed).

I thought that it was related with rebels, but the AI has no time for movements. Even the AI factions icons don't appear in the top of the screen.

Any idea?

[Stuie]

I thought that it was related with rebels, but the AI has no time for movements. Even the AI factions icons don't appear in the top of the screen.

Any idea?

Double check you names files - that sounds very much like a name file problem.

Now for mine: the current beta of TFT has a CTD problem when reloading the campaign map after a battle - sometimes the loading bar will finish and then a CTD occurs. This has only been reported about mid-way into one campaign, but that might just be a result of limited testing thus far. I thought traits or ancillaries would be to blame, but I have checked both file pretty thoroughly and see no errors.

Anything else that might cause this?

[alpaca]

@Monkwarrior: This could also be caused by traits or ancillaries, in fact any randomized part of the game could show this behaviour.
@Stuie: Returning from the battlemap? I'd say t&a too, especially if the error is infrequent. You could also have a problem with adoptions (man of the hour), or does it only happen when you destroy a faction or something?
I can't think of anything else that happens on returning to the campaign map that might crash the game.

[Stuie]

@Stuie: Returning from the battlemap? I'd say t&a too, especially if the error is infrequent. You could also have a problem with adoptions (man of the hour), or does it only happen when you destroy a faction or something?
I can't think of anything else that happens on returning to the campaign map that might crash the game.

Named characters have been involved every time. Guess I need to go through t&a even MORE carefully.

[Zuo_Yi_Long]

Hello. I seem to be getting a frequent CTD after the conclusion of a battle (if enemies sally or send reinforcements to break a siege and I wipe them out) precisely after the 'settlement occupied' message - no matter which option I choose the result is a ctd, even trying to save the game at this point c'std. Any ideas? Some suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Monkwarrior]

@Monkwarrior: This could also be caused by traits or ancillaries, in fact any randomized part of the game could show this behaviour.

I've been comparing the original and the modded files export_descr_ancillaries and export_descr_character_traits.

The only changes are:
- inclussion of nomad as one of the cultures in ExcludeCultures line (I've imported this culture from BI)
- vanilla temples in triggers replaced by new temples or other buildings (tavern, bardic_circle, etc). The names must be ok, as this type of error is shown by -show_err.
- some triggers have been deactivated by putting a semi-colon at the beginning of each line.
- There were no priests for spain faction, and I've changed some from (non-used) scythia.
- I've imported the traits required for night battles from BI following the corresponding tutorial. I've already played some of those battles.
- Finally, some traits have been included to increase the movement points of agents, etc.

I can't find any mistake here. Any other idea?

[Hans Kloss]

Does any of guys knows how can read/decode DMP files usually left after RTW crashes on the campaign map.I'm beta testing new version of INVASIO BARBARORUM: FLAGELLUM DEI and have been experiencing CTD's at various stages of playing campaign.I guess there might some information there as to causes of that

[Sir_Lysander]

In Campaign Mode CTDs:
During play/AI turn:
- A family member being generated without a general_unit for the faction.
- A new character is generated and not given a valid name.
- Some building bonuses in the same building level as certain unit recruitment strings (this will happen both during AI turn and when the building is right-clicked).
- Units able to be recruited in EDB but no faction "ownership" for a faction in EDU.
- Units added to descr_rebel_factions.txt but no slave faction ownership in EDU.
- Units added to descr_mercenaries.txt but no mercenary_unit in EDU.
- Bad defined type of unit for army spawned via script file
- Mismatch between export_desc_character_traits.txt and export_VnVs.txt entries causes CTD when viewing the portrait of a named character with the bad trait.

I'm consistently getting an unreported (unreported through -show_err) CTD on the Slave faction turn. The game can last a random number of turns before the CTD; I suspect that the "new character generated without a valid name" is occurring, but no way to "prove" it.

I have been over "names.txt" and "descr_names.txt" several times to ensure that they match. (They do, at least the areas I modded.) However, the names I have added to names and descr_names I have reserved for one faction only, yet see that the rebels/slave faction use those names when near territories held by the player faction.

If the rebels/slaves use other factions names, why have a separate "Slave" names list in descr_names?

Any thoughts?

[Sir_Lysander]

More information on the "unreported" error:

I have been saving the game immediately before ending the turn; most times when the game CTDs on the Slave turn I can reload and play through. This weekend, however, I have "replayed" the same end turn over half-a-dozen times, both straight through on a reload and with fog of war turned off. The only hint is that the Slave settlement of Chersonesos is displayed in the few seconds before the desktop screen appears.

Running throught the list of items for play/AI turn CTDs, in reverse order:

- Did not modify traits, thus EDCT and EVnV is not an issue (files are vanilla).
- Have not scripted (yet), thus no spawning from a modified or created script (possibly a vanilla script, but it is still unmodified)
- Did not modify descr_mercenaries.
- Did not modify descr_rebel_factions.
- New units listed as owned in EDU; units for only one faction added.
- Some building bonuses in the same building level as certain unit recruitment strings (this will happen both during AI turn and when the building is right-clicked). <-- not sure exactly what this means, but no building bonuses were changed (other than to allow units to be recruited).

"- A family member being generated without a general_unit for the faction.
- A new character is generated and not given a valid name."
I did change character names for the faction (not the slave faction) and removed some names from the slave faction in descr_names. I've been over both files several more times since the above post, but cannot find a type mismatch. I even re-copied the names listed in "names.txt" into descr_names.
(A side note: I haven't located where the general_unit is assigned, so I have made no edits to this part of whatever file it is in.)

Other than a naming issue, I'm not sure what is causing the CTD. Since there's a list, I can't be the only one running into this; any solutions, or did it "go away" by itself?

[Sir_Lysander]

I found the error - it was a spelling mistake after all. There's two variations of the name that look very similar, so when scanning (read: eyeballing) the files side by side, "ia" and "ie" in the middle of the word got "lost".

[Wundai]

Hey People,

Some new useful information.

Meliritos and me were testing the Polygon Size for Battlemap Buildings on RTW.
Everytime we tried to load a building above the Estimate number of 4500 Polygons it gave an instant CTD when loading in Custom Game.

Anything below the Estimate 4500 number seems to work.

[Quinn Inuit]

Here's one I haven't seen before.

So I've finished altering the RTR (or ExRM, in this case) EDB to use only one building for unit recruitment. Units may require an additional building, but now only the barracks tree allows recruitment of them. So I copied all of the units from the other build trees to separate text files in Notepad++, then did a lot of complicated copy/pasting to organize them and some more to put them back into the EDB. End result: the practice field tree and stables trees have nothing under their capabilities, and all of the units are in the barracks tree. (Originally, all mounted units were recruited via the stables tree and ranged units via the practice field tree, dependent on the presence of a barracks of level X or higher.)

The game worked prior to making the change to the EDB, and I just double-checked and it still works if I revert the change. However, with the change, I get a CTD after the campaign loading bar finishes filling up (the one after the campaign selection screen).

There were a couple of typos in the EDB, but those caused CTDs with errors earlier and I fixed them.

Any idea what causes a typo at that stage? I didn't change any of the other recruitment conditions, just the building requirements. As a result, no city should now have any more or less units capable of being recruited there.

Here's a sample of the recruitment code. It's from Sarmatia, which is the shortest one.

;----SCYTHIAN----

building barracks_scythia
{
    levels auxilia_phase1 auxilia_phase2 auxilia_phase3
    {

        auxilia_phase1 requires factions { scythia, slave, }
        {
            capability
            {
                recruit "sarmatian archer"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_scyth
        recruit "sarmatian horse archer"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_scyth
                law_bonus bonus 1 requires factions { scythia, slave, }
            }
            construction  4
            cost  2000
           settlement_min village
            upgrades
            {
                auxilia_phase2
            }
        }
        auxilia_phase2 requires factions { scythia, slave, }
        {
            capability
            {
        recruit "sarmatian horse archer"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_scyth
                recruit "sarmatian archer"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_scyth
;AOR
                recruit "aor german warband"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_germ and not hidden_resource baltic_coast
                recruit "aor illyria spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_illyr
                recruit "aor eastern spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_asia
                recruit "aor eastern spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_pers
                recruit "aor egypt spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_egypt
                recruit "german clubmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource baltic_coast
                recruit "aor hills spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_hill
                recruit "aor india spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_indi
                recruit "colonial hoplite militia"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_mil or hidden_resource aor_phok or hidden_resource unit_sinope
                recruit "Marsi Spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and not marian_reforms and hidden_resource unit_marsi
                recruit "aor etrurian spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and not marian_reforms and hidden_resource unit_etruria
                recruit "aor spain spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_iber
                recruit "Samnite Light Infantry"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and not marian_reforms and hidden_resource unit_samnite or hidden_resource unit_rome
        recruit "slave briton warband"     0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_brit
        recruit "slave briton swordsmen"   0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_brit
;MU
                recruit "aor german lightcav"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_germ
                recruit "aor thrace light cavalry"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_dacia
;RU
                recruit "slave briton slinger" 0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_brit
                recruit "aor sarmatia skirmisher"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_scyth
                recruit "aor hills skirmisher"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_hill
;
                trade_base_income_bonus bonus 2 requires factions { scythia, }
            }
            construction  12
            cost  3000
           settlement_min village
            upgrades
            {
                auxilia_phase3
            }
        }
        auxilia_phase3 requires factions { scythia, slave, }
        {
            capability
            {
                recruit "sarmatian archer"  0  requires factions { scythia, }
                recruit "sarmatian horse archer"  0  requires factions { scythia, }
                recruit "sarmatian noble cavalry"  0  requires factions { scythia, }
                recruit "sarmatian heavy cavalry"  0  requires factions { scythia, }
;AOR
                recruit "aor german warband"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_germ and not hidden_resource baltic_coast
                recruit "aor illyria spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_illyr
                recruit "aor eastern spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_asia
                recruit "aor eastern spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_pers
                recruit "aor egypt spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_egypt
                recruit "aor punic spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_punic
                recruit "aor galatia swordsmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_galat
                recruit "german clubmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource baltic_coast
                recruit "colonial heavy hoplite militia"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_mil or hidden_resource aor_phok or hidden_resource unit_sinope
                recruit "phocaean nobles"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_phok
                recruit "milesian nobles"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_mil
                recruit "colonial hoplite militia"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_mil or hidden_resource aor_phok or hidden_resource unit_sinope
                recruit "aor hills spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_hill
                recruit "aor hills swordsmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_hill
                recruit "aor thrace infantry"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_dacia
                recruit "aor india spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_indi
                recruit "aor italy hastati"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and marian_reforms and hidden_resource aor_italy
                recruit "aor marsi swordsmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and not marian_reforms and hidden_resource unit_marsi
                recruit "Marsi Spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and not marian_reforms and hidden_resource unit_marsi
;         recruit "aor etrurian infantry"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and not marian_reforms and hidden_resource unit_etruria
                recruit "aor etrurian spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and not marian_reforms and hidden_resource unit_etruria
        recruit "Samnite Heavy Infantry"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and not marian_reforms and hidden_resource unit_samnite or hidden_resource unit_rome
                recruit "Samnite Light Infantry"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and not marian_reforms and hidden_resource unit_samnite or hidden_resource unit_rome
                recruit "aor spain infantry"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_iber
                recruit "aor spain spearmen"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_iber
                recruit "aor thrace infantry"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_dacia        
        recruit "slave briton warband"     0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_brit
        recruit "slave briton swordsmen"   0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_brit
;MU
                recruit "aor german lightcav"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_germ
                recruit "aor thrace light cavalry"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_dacia
                recruit "barb chieftain cavalry scythian"  0  requires factions { scythia, }
        recruit "barb chariot heavy slave" 0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_brit
                recruit "aor thrace heavy cavalry"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_dacia
;RU
                recruit "slave briton slinger" 0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_brit
                recruit "aor sarmatia skirmisher"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_scyth
                recruit "aor hills skirmisher"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_hill
                recruit "aor hills slinger"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_hill
                recruit "aor sarmatia archer"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_scyth
                recruit "aor thrace slinger"  0  requires factions { scythia, } and hidden_resource aor_dacia
;
                trade_base_income_bonus bonus 3 requires factions { scythia, }
            }
            construction  20
            cost  4000
           settlement_min town
            upgrades
            {
            }
        }
    }
    plugins
    {
    }
}