Problems with version 9.1
 

Hello everyone.

I have updated my modified version of the game to 9.1 from 8.0 and it appears my old scenarios - developed in 8.0 don't seem to work in 9.1 . When I zoom in to the maximum on some of the maps I made the game freezes and I get an error message telling me the game has stopped working.

When I zoom out on others the same thing happens.

Examples of maps known to all incl. the Stalingrad map "beyond the barrikady" as well as the map "Ratonades".

A dense jungle map with rivers, hills (up to elevation 80) (100x110) also does not seem to like the maximum zoom.

I am playing in windowed mode and the resolution is set to desktop. I have a windows 7 machine (64bit).

I did not have these problems in version 8.0. In all of the scenarios I have tested units include icons I made myself. They work fine outside these scenarios.

The problem seems to be limited to old maps/scenarios of my own design. Zooming in and out is a problem. The game crashes. In all screen modes (full/windowed and even basic resolutions).

Anyone know what the problem might be?

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

I noticed also that the mini-map in the bottom left hand corner displays as black when one of my old maps is in use.

My screen resolution is 1200x800.

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

Are you having this problem with the stock game as issued or a version of your mod ?

I was not aware that the map beyond the barrikady was included with MBT but I can tell you it works perfectly in a stock version of SPWW2.

All maps I test work for every zoom level without a problem with MBT ver 9.1

Suggest you delete your installation and re-install fresh if this persists as you and only you are having this problem

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

All the regular maps provided with the regular game are fine.

Its just my old scenarios that I made in 8.0 using my mod.

Strange thing is when I load the maps separately from the scenarios they don't cause the game to crash either.

I've also tested units out from my mod on other maps and they work too.

I've been able to narrow it down to the deployment phase. I did a test now and I changed the map. Went to zoom in with the new map in the deployment phase and the game crashed again. "Stopped working", actually.

I guess my old scenario files are corrupted. Wish I knew how that happened and what to do. I don't suppose you guys have had any experience rescuing corrupted scenarios?

Could icons cause the game to crash? I know for instance that some of my unit icons are not 100% symmetrical - what I mean is the turrets are not perfectly centred. Could that be causing the trouble?

I also noticed that in some cases the red outline that denotes that units are selected is not showing up.

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

I figured it out. The little unit flag was missing for OOB44. It was not properly set up in the shape file. Fixed that and now everything seems to be in order. What a ride.

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

There are a lot of "gotachas" like that in this game and yes it really doesn't like faulty SHP files

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

Hi,

I have a Acer 7560G running Win7, game(s) are installed on a SSD. Since upgrading to 9.1 I have started to get a lot of crashes ("Program has stopped working, Windows is looking for a solution"), as far as I can tell only during the campaign repair screen or the campaign support unit purchase screen (and the map editor opened from there).

I installed the 9.1 by making a copy of the game directory of version 8.0 and installing 9.1 there. Did this for the previous two upgrades, too, and didn't get any crashing problems then.

I do have custom OOBs and use them in the campaign I continued after upgrading to 9.1.

Anybody else get a lot of crashes? Are the custom OOBs to blame?

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

problems with custom OOBs can crash the game - especially if the creator used non-English ASCII in any of the text fields (unit information - I recall someone put in Spanish accents, so if the user brought up info for those particular units - BOOM!). Unit info is usually seen in the upgrade screens, as well as the encyclopaedia. Missing SHP file info on custom OOBs (if the user has not loaded these) can also crash things, as can weapons data that does not match.

Corrupt/incorrectly formatted third-party SHP files can also crash the game. So can LBM picture files that are incorrect.

Therefore, I'd suspect your custom data - either OOB or LBM or SHP files (if any).

So to test the theory:
Either - Remove the custom OOBS, and especially any custom SHP and LBM files you may have. Then try the game again.

Or, install the stock game (and patches) to a different installation folder, and see if you still have the problems when playing stock.

Either way, you will soon know.

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

Haven't used any custom LBM or SHP files. Also, no special characters in unit info or elsewhere. However, the custom OOB was created on 8.0 and then used as is in 9.1, if that makes a difference. (Some LBMs no longer depicted the same unit as they did in 8.0, so changed those as I noticed the discrepancies.)

After restoring the deafult OOBs and loading a campaign from the end of a battle (thus getting the upgrade screen), I could not reproduce a crash at all.

I then reloaded the offending OOB and did get the crash something like 1 time out of 3 tries, however couldn't pin down exact steps to reproduce. Changing units and scrolling the various unit lists were involved, though.

So yeah, the custom OOB is the culprit, maybe it can be fixed...

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

Then it sounds as if at least one of the LBM ID's in that custom OOB is pointing to an illegal entry, or there is some other bad data for some unit or other.

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

Actually, I can confirm a crash when using the "Review" button in the campaign repair/upgrade screen.

It has now been fixed for the next release (both games). But meanwhile - don't use the Review function to inspect your troop's data.

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

Well, finding and reporting bugs is my Real Life (TM) job, too, but I still didn't twig to the fact that it was the Review function that triggered this.

And as in real life, it's still the dev who, using oftentimes a vague and only peripherally helpful description, has to find the defective code and figure out how to fix it without breaking anything else. Glad if I could help, but kudos to you for nailing it down.

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

The review function is hardly ever used by anyone (including me!) - or reports would have come in years ago.

It's a function only called from that one point that almost duplicates the normal view unit data function as used in the game, but minus a little bit of functionality. e.g. it had no call to the database information screen for the unit.

Its crashing on displaying the rank and kill badges for some reason, but the code used to do that is absolutely identical to the regular unit view... And those buttons were changed 5+ years back - at least!.

Anyway, I replaced it with a call to the standard view unit data screen and that works fine, and so the semi-duplicate "review" function can be deleted.

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

An odd little bug turned up in 9.1 tonight. Running under Win 8, full screen, campaign version. In the middle of the battle, quite without warning, there started to be a lag between firing visual effects and sfx, ONLY in the computer's turn, but for both players. Then, when the player's next turn began, there would be no lag, but as soon as the next computer turn started, it lagged again. This carried over from one battle to the next, and persisted despite restarts/reboots. Odd, as it was working fine until that point, odder still it happens only in the computer's turn. Well, actually that isn't true: it also lags on the menu screen when loading/saving or quitting. It applies to other saves as well, and probably to scenarios, although I haven't checked that. Even odder, it has also begun in SPWW2, leading me to think the problem is with my computer, but it certainly is a WTF???

-- Mal

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

If it has been working as expected, and now it is not then I would tend to think it is your computer that may have something going on with it.

On some Pcs, in full-screen mode there can be lags with the sound effects. But that would have happened from the start of playing the game when you first got it. That lag in sound in full-screen does not happen in windowed mode.

Try running in windowed mode, at desktop resolution and see if that helps or has no effect. Windowed mode is actually faster than full-screen 256 colour palleted mode on modern PCs, i.e. the reverse of the old way.

Otherwise - what has happened that is new on your computer?. have you installed any new hardware or software?. Any updated e.g. drivers for video cards, anti-virus program definitions or new "extensions"?.

Perhaps it is happily downloading all 200 odds MB of Windows 10 for you (as MS is pushing hard for W10 now). I put the GWX utility on my windows 8.1 box to remove all the annoying Windows 10 nagging - I'll update when I am good and ready. (As and when W10 can handle old-style windows help files, then I'll update, as the Borland Builder IDE is pants without working help file documentation. The IDE works fine, but having to use Google to find online help instead of it just being there on F1 sucks).

Other than that - maybe a problem with your RAM, either faulty chips, or a memory stick that is coming loose.

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

I DO use the Review screen. In a campaign you often have 2 similarly equipped units with very different exp/morale - The review screen ensures you are upgrading / changing the right one.

I have never had any of the problems described with it.

Re: Problems with version 9.1
 

Same, I'm very selective about which units get repairs/upgrades and sometimes I have to determine if a tank is merely on the brink of destruction (1 crew member left) or totally wasted, and you can't always tell by points to repair.