RTW: Modders guide to CTD's

The original basis for this list was compiled by Khelvan, other additions have been added based mainly on the contents of this thread.

The errors listed are generally those that occur without -show_err message. The ones that do have a message are normally reasonably easy to track down.

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

RTW Loading CTDs:

• Mismatch between descr_names.txt and names.txt
• Some problems with triggers in descr_character_traits.txt - exact cause needs confirmation, possibly too many "Affects" lines in trait triggers
• Modded new buildings/levels in data/export_descr-buildings without a proper reference in data/text/export_buildings.txt. Every building level needs to have a {building}, {building_descr} and {building_short_descr} entry. (added by Seth Krn3ll)
• Corrupt description files (export_whatever.txt), export_units.txt confirmed, others hypothesized. (added by CaesarVincens)

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. - For prior to 1.5 / 1.6 patches only.

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
• Adding new buildings to carthaginian culture without changing descr_ui_buildings.txt - this crash can take other forms see this post

Campaign Map Loading CTDs, without message:

• Landmass ratio problem causes a CTD when loading the campaign map.

similar problem with over large area of impassible land terrain.

• A named character has an invalid name in descr_strat. including;

character name belongs to wrong gender or wrong faction in descr_names.txt

attempting to use same names list for more than two factions in descr_names.txt

• The game is loaded but the screen is centered onto a buggy region (see the campaign map scrolling CTDs).
• Error in map_features.tga;

most common instance = a 2x2 pixel block where river changes direction.

a river completely dividing an region without a ford, or other land route around (pathfinding problem)

• Attempting to have 'superfactions' and 'shadowing factions' in same game, they appear to be incompatible.

In Campaign Mode CTDs:

First Turn CTD's

• Having starting action points too high in descr_character.txt will cause an immediate CTD on clicking the end-turn button at the end of the first turn.
• Having factions in sm_factions with shadowing / shadowed relationship and only putting one of them in descr_strat.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)

During play/AI turn:

- some of these may also occur on first turn if error is triggered early....

• A family member being generated without a general_unit for the faction.
• A new character is generated and not given a valid name. eg a name in descr_names.txt which does not have corresponding entry in names.txt

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-sav.

• Building bonuses in the same building level as unit recruitment strings with building conditional (this will happen both during AI turn and when the building is right-clicked) (for v 1.5 and later)
• Right clicking unit recruitment strings with building conditional (for v 1.5 and later)
• 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
• Trait triggers in export_desc_character_traits.txt with the same name (occurs when 1st trigger fires)
• CTD on revolt to faction - occurs when mercenary unit is present, no garrison, or more than 1 / 2 units garrison is present and no units are recruitable by the faction that will take city after revolt see this thread.
• experience upgrade for ships in EDB causes CTD when higher level port is built, if ships with the lower experience level are in the recruitment queue
• some changes made to sm_factions, require deletion of the map.rwm - failure to do this gives random CTD a few turns in

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) includes;

rebel that is sub-faction of a faction that is not otherwise included in descr_strat.txt

rebel type used that is in descr_rebel_factions.txt but not rebel_faction_description.txt

• Some hidden resources can cause CTDs when you scroll over the region.
• Problem with model .cas file (eg, for resource, special city or wonder)

CTD attempting to view specific item:

• 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.
• Mismatch between export_desc_buildings.txt and export_buildings.txt entries causes CTD when viewing the city which has building missing description for the faction that constructed building.
• Attempting to view the 'Top 5 factions' in graph display, when there are less than 5 factions (including dead factions) in game. Shadowing /spawned factions which have not emerged at time of viewing do not count towards total.

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.
• Errors in descr_daytypes.txt that relate to the specific climate / time of day / season.

In Battle Mode CTDs:

• Bad defined formations for Human Player (i.e. mainly changing names of formations in "descr_formations.txt" file)
• Invalid modded battle-sounds for units (e.g. stereo coded .wav) (added by Seth Krn3ll)

Battle Resolution CTDs:

• For reinforcement battle NumEnemiesInBattle conditional in edct. Apparently the engine sometimes has problems calculating this number in reinforcements battles and crashes.

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.