CTD problem

**Teleklos Archelaou** · 12-03-2006, 17:12

Well, there is one CTD that is bugging us. It has only started developing in our newest builds and we are having a difficult time figuring out what can be causing it. If we have more people thinking about the problem, we might arrive at a solution quicker also, so we're pondering what to do. Here is the CTD issue:

Many battles (we don't have stats here, but certainly not all of them) are CTD'ing in the battle load screen, *but* if you saved right before the battle, when you reload the game it works every time. Don't change anything else, but it still works. So usual issues like unit problems and sprite problems seem to be ruled out. We haven't messed with the sky files lately either, and ctd's in mid-battle have been limited to one reported one so far (and it might have been that person's system having problems), so the sky or weather changes don't seem likely as the problem.

We're still thinking about the situation, but we might go ahead and release it and give a stern warning that it should only be downloaded by folks willing to either put up with it till we can fix it or folks willing to help us fix it.

There were a of corrections and problems solved between the 0.72 and 0.74 release and patch, and this one will be pretty similar in that respect. A few other problems have been reported (one specific ctd was repeating and one happened mid-battle), but we've had a lot of success eliminating most all of these that have to do with units. This is the one we need more minds thinking about. The rest of the mod at this point is at a stage where we think people will really enjoy it, so that is what we are facing right now.

I'm not really soliciting opinions on release now or not (sorry, but that's a decision we are comfortable making ourselves) - but if anyone has any ideas about the CTD or experience with a similar one, please let us know.

**-Praetor-** · 12-03-2006, 17:55

Have you found any patron, or an increase in the number of times of the CTD, when a certain faction is a combatant on the battlemap? If not (If it doesn`t happen with a certain faction only), might it be a problem of a placeholder unit/horse (a captain for example, or a placeholder mount)?

If you have solved the problem with the palm trees sprites, perhaps the solution might be causing it, or maybe even the palm forests themselves are causing the CTD... if you ask me why, dunno, it`s a hunch.

Good luck!

**Teleklos Archelaou** · 12-03-2006, 18:04

Here is the chief point: a battle may crash while loading, but the exact same battle will work upon reload. Same terrain, same units, same everything as far as we can tell.

**abou** · 12-03-2006, 18:24

Would it be the EB script? Unless you are the attacker, you can't reload the script if you save at the battle screen (load, exit screen and restart the script); thus, if you reload, no script.

At least that is all that I can think of.

**Dram** · 12-03-2006, 18:47

i get a loading ctd the same as you described, in the current release of EB, in both campaign and custom battles, more commonly in the custom battles. strangely though i used to get it really often (like 20% of the time i loaded a battle) when i first installed the game, but then over time its happened less and less, now it occurs rarely, like 1 in 20 times. the only changes i made was installing the reinforcement ctd fix and the new resources mod, but i dont think they have anything to do with it. i havent heard anybody else complain about getting these kind of ctd's so its kind of strange, but i never got them in vanilla or rtr/spqr so i dont think its my hardware/software.

im afraid i dont know what would cause it

**Dram** · 12-04-2006, 05:32

Originally Posted by Dram

i get a loading ctd the same as you described, in the current release of EB, in both campaign and custom battles, more commonly in the custom battles. strangely though i used to get it really often (like 20% of the time i loaded a battle) when i first installed the game, but then over time its happened less and less, now it occurs rarely, like 1 in 20 times. the only changes i made was installing the reinforcement ctd fix and the new resources mod, but i dont think they have anything to do with it. i havent heard anybody else complain about getting these kind of ctd's so its kind of strange, but i never got them in vanilla or rtr/spqr so i dont think its my hardware/software.

im afraid i dont know what would cause it

bzzzt some other people mentioned they installed that sprite pack, i forgot to mention i had that installed from the first time i installed EB too. i think it was bonny's sprite pack.

**Birka Viking** · 12-03-2006, 19:11

Originally Posted by abou

Would it be the EB script? Unless you are the attacker, you can't reload the script if you save at the battle screen (load, exit screen and restart the script); thus, if you reload, no script.

At least that is all that I can think of.

It sounds like you are on the right track....

**Teleklos Archelaou** · 12-03-2006, 19:21

I think it is happening regardless of whether scripts are running or not, but it certainly is something to keep in mind while testing it.

**Kull** · 12-03-2006, 21:13

Originally Posted by abou

Would it be the EB script? Unless you are the attacker, you can't reload the script if you save at the battle screen (load, exit screen and restart the script); thus, if you reload, no script.

At least that is all that I can think of.

The script - at least when looked at as "loaded or not loaded" - has no effect. I ran an 80 game test this weekend, and 70% of "first battles" CTD. On reload, half the time I'd start the script, the other half I just forgot. No difference. No CTD on the second time around.

**Tyfus** · 12-03-2006, 21:24

I have this exact problem in the current build of EB. While playing campaigns I will regularly get a CTD while loading the battle. I've delt with it simply by saving before every battle. It doesn't seem to care if it is a siege or pitched battle because mine CTD's equally for both. I personally thought it had something to do with the script since usually when I reloaded I forgot to start it before the battle and it worked fine. But I confess to having zero modding skills so it could be anything I guess. I would think about things that weren't changed between mods maybe? Obviously it is the same problem in both builds.