A modder's guide to CTDs

[Seth Krn3ll]

Ok I'm having a CTD which is puzzling me: during custom battle, the precise istant when my modded wardogs reach the enemies, game CTD.

I made lots of Tests to get the point, and finally I think I get it: given I cannot mod the skeletons here (somehow the animation pack can't be unpacked by Vercis' Tool) I rely on existing skeletons for the new units.

'Cause Wargs are pretty bigger then dogs, I am using a horse skeleton (fs_fast_horse) for them. But seems that if I use a horse skeleton something crashes when wargs collides with enemies.

So, if I'm not wrong, heres my in-battle-CTD: game crashes (with no error messages) when wardogs using a horse skeleton collides with enemies.

(any hint to workaround that and have my wargs ready to gnaw elves and gondorians will be mostly appreciated)

[Squid]

You can unpack the animation using the IDX extrator by vercingitorix (different from the paks extrator).

[Seth Krn3ll]

You can unpack the animation using the IDX extrator by vercingitorix (different from the paks extrator).

Thats the one i used, keeps saying:
"file is not a valid animation .idx archive"
:(

[ovidius]

Hello to everybody.
I was trying to create an new map for SQPR mod, but I've run in to some trouble. The game crashes at the end of the loading bar. I know that this crash is asociated with whrong rebel faction used in descr_regions.txt witch is not added in descr_rebel_factions.txt and rebel_factions.txt. But I've checked all those files 3 times, and those are OK. Do u know another bug that cause this CTD? Or there is anybody who can have an look at my files, maybe he can spot errors that I don't. I will be verry thankful if u can help because I am trying to solve this problem for 3 days and have run out of ideea of where to look tor the bug. Thankyou verry much.

[Charge]

Have you looked here?

Or there is anybody who can have an look at my files, maybe he can spot errors that I don't.

Maybe. But you should upload them first ..

[ovidius]

I have looked in there, but didn't find the answer to my problem. I will upload the files, when somedoby will offer to help me. Are u?!

[Charge]

I can take a look, but since I haven't got SPQR, only look..

[ovidius]

here it is: http://www.yourfilehost.com/media.ph...&file=SPQR.rar

[Charge]

77 kb

First say what you have changed,

but having faction in playable/non playable list without entries further gave me CTD (or KTM) in 1.0
(Mak - changed in 1.5?);
and no Segesta, Syracuse settlements. I myself stucked for awhile on it.

Try this
http://files.filefront.com/filesrar/.../fileinfo.html

[Makanyane]

I think Charge spotted main problem, delete the factions from unplayable list in descr_strat that don't actually appear in descr_strat.. it looks like you cleaned the regions file so you shouldn't have any problem removing them.

Only other thing to check is that you have the region names that get used for first senate missions - as you have senate - Charge posted those in earlier post (probably in campaign map loading one)

[ovidius]

U are an genius Charge. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. U've returned 4 filrs in that archive. Can u tell what changes have u made in each one of them.

[Charge]

See Mak' post ^^.

Renamed genua to segesta, syracusae to syracuse without affecting it ingame; deleted factions that not presented in descr_strat. That's all

[ovidius]

K, thanks again.

[Fireward77]

Im not sure if I can be helped but help would be appreciated.I created a unit in Barbarian Invasion version 1.4 non modded in any way (I have Show_Err activated) I try to run the game and it says script error in bi/data/descr_items .txt at line 17 colume 9 include file not found in data/descr_items/: 'di_spot_items.txt

I thought that it would be fixed if I got rid of my unit but it still says the same thing Can anybody help me or do I have to put my modded files someplace else and reinstall?

Sorry If I did not do put this up right I am new to the forums.

[Abokasee]

Found a KTM, having a invalid entry (Ie having an effect that dosnt exsist) will do a KTM

[Dol Guldur]

Just as a clarification, the CTD that occurs on trying to view the faction stats for top 5 factions DOES kick in if you have a shadow faction as one of those five minimum factions *if* it is not resurrected at the time of viewing.

EDIT: And to confirm also what Makanyane and RedSpot have implied - it would see that shadowing (and possibly spawn on event - untested) cannot co-exist in a BI mod along with superfactions. Adding superfaction lines whilst shadow factions are present in the DS.txt file will cause a CTD at the end of the campaign loading bar.

[Makanyane]

Started doing this yonks ago and keep forgetting to do any more about it....

There is more up to date version of the list in first post on the wiki
RTW:_Modders_guide_to_CTD's
which should hopefully include most new confirmed CTD causes that got mentioned in thread.

Please help keep that version up to date and add anything you notice that's missing.

[Luciano B]

I encountered a strange CTD problem I have come across while beta testing our mod "Paeninsula Italica". The game crashes during the loading phase of the saved campaign games. Our mod is based on RTW/BI; I'm using RTW/BI Gold edition, the one which comes with "Total War: Eras"
...suggestions?

[Terrius]

Hello, I was quite lazy to read all 5 pages, so anyway...

Okey, I'm modding Rome: total war - BI 1.6
I have been doing some tests, change town ownership to other faction, this worked well, but then I had big problems with adding units into that town. And mostly because of the generals name, and I don't know why.

I've already tested tons of names from a specific faction from descr_names.txt, yet still, no good.
oh and I've tested to put in that town a Family member that already exists in the game from beginning - works pefectly.

Help!!! Some strange problems with names or whatever....

[Terrius]

Key, sorry for posting, but luckily my problem was recently solved

[Patrizius]

a new error:
CDT if you put volcanes in the sea(at thebeginning of your turn)
CDT if you put non naval unit in pirates slots in descr_rebels

hope it helps ;)

[Squid]

For the pirate CTD, does it CTD if there's at least one naval unit, or do all units have to be naval units?

[Patrizius]

it CDT both if one naval unit is assigned to a non pirates group in descr_rebel_factions.txt and if you assign a non-naval unit to a pirate group.if you make one error and other units are correct you will get random CDT on different turns if you re-load the game.it's very hard to dscover because it depends on what unit is choosen to be spawned and if the bugged unit is not choosen nothing happends

[Patrizius]

i have just finded the bug that destroyed my mod for 2 weeks XD
CDT when AI tries to recruit a special unit that has some animals assigned in a wrong number
For instance if a elephant unit can handle 3 passengers and in the "soldier" entry in the edu you write
"soldier elephant_unit,9,6,1"
(error this should be "soldier elephant_unit,18,6,1".This because 6*3=18 as the elephant can carry 3 passengers each one and they are 6)
you will get a CDT without an error message.

the same is true for handlers(dogs or pigs + men must be less than 60 or you will get a CDT)

[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
    {
    }
}

[Makanyane]

Units may require an additional building, but now only the barracks tree allows recruitment of them.

It'll be the bits that require an additional building that are causing the problem. Building conditioned recruitment is generally buggy, and can't be used in conjunction with another capability in same building, like law bonus. And you can't have more than x number of lines with that capability accessible from same building (think x is about 4, not sure)