Macromedia Projector Bug=Constant Crashes

[Lord Hammer]

Everything i load, tutorial or campaign ends up with a different ctd...usually "macromedia projector" or "index". My Windows XP sp 1 Alienware rig is up to date with a fresh install of the OS & drivers.
This is the release version, got it today and it is unplayable.

[Richard]

Did you have the same problem with the demo?

[Lord Hammer]

Nope, not the first demo, i never tried the "improved demo".
Update: 5 minutes is the most i can play, some Campaigns crash before they even start with the Macromedia Projector Error.
Alienware P4 2.8 ghz Intel WinXP sp1
1024 DDR Ram
GeForce FX5700 Ultra 128mg video card
Audigy 2ZS Platinum Pro 5.1 soundcard
Latest drivers on fresh OS

Very dissappointing, i hope the MAC users get their moneys worth...i haven't had such a bad software experience since the dos days.I paid for my pre-order months ago, January?, to think i waited all this time for nothing .

[Richard]

Unfortunately this error did not show up during test. Couple of things:

Have you changed any drivers or installed any new hardware or Operating System patches since you tried the previous demo?

This will help us eliminate a problem with your PC versus a problem with code that has changed since the first demo.

Can you get us a screenshot or the exact text of the error?

Does it happen when certain things happen in the game (ie when a specific sound is being played, etc).

Andrew should be joining us shortly and can help you figure this out a little bit further.

Again this is the first report of this but we will make sure we find the root cause so you can play the game ASAP.

Thanks for your patience.

[Lord Hammer]

Richard said:
Unfortunately this error did not show up during test. Couple of things:

Have you changed any drivers or installed any new hardware or Operating System patches since you tried the previous demo?

This will help us eliminate a problem with your PC versus a problem with code that has changed since the first demo.

Can you get us a screenshot or the exact text of the error?

Does it happen when certain things happen in the game (ie when a specific sound is being played, etc).

No changes other than possibly Nvidia drivers released 6/15/2005. It seemed to ctd when i used the arrow keys to change view the most but now it happens anywhere, anytime. The only thing that doesn't ctd in less than 5 minutes is the tutorial...the campaigns won't run. I am unfamiliar with "screenshots" and don't have any clue although i have been PC gaming some 13 years now and know how to get things to run...until now. Soon enough we'll know if it's just me...sorry to say i doubt it .

[Andrew Lonon]

Lord Hammer:

This did not show up in the testing, and I know (from your activity here and on other forums) you are not the type of user likely to be at fault. Add to that that other PC users do not seem to be having the same trouble, and I think it adds up to some sort of a incomparability between the Gold Salvo code and something in your system, or some combination of things in your system. Since the Demo worked on your system, we can find a solution, even if you get our own “Lord Hammer” build of Salvo. Suffice it to say, I will work with you to find the solution.

Please check the screen size that you are playing Salvo at. There may be a connection between the screen size and the error. Try running Salvo in the default “windowed” mode and see if that helps.

Another thing to try is a full uninstall and reinstall of Salvo. Uninstall the Demo if you have not, and then uninstall the final Salvo product, and reinstall. It is important that you not change anything after you reinstall, but that you go ahead and try to play the game. Then if the game works, you can try customizing the setup.

That’s it for now, but I would like to reiterate that I am committed to making Salvo work for you, so you can either continue to post notes here, or send Email to me at:

andrew2@spruegames.com

[Andrew Lonon]

Lord Hammer & McBan

I still can not recreate the error on my development system , so this may be a shot in the dark, but here is a link to a file that may (or may not) help. All I have done is changed the sequence of a few elements and tweaked some things.

It is important to note that there are no improvements or new features in this code. It is just an alternate for the standard Salvo PC excitable. If it turns out that this file helps some users, it will be added to the Salvo downloads page.

Salvo_July11.exe is just under 30 MB and should be placed in the main Salvo directory where salvo.exe is. You can create a shortcut if you desire.

www.spruegames.com/Salvo/download/Salvo_July11.exe

[McBan]

Sorry; the new Salvo exe crashes the same way. For me at least, the game is quite playable as long as I set the fog override at 5 and avoid clicking on the two options while a ship is selected. It would be nice to not override the fog, however. I also haven't had any crashes in non-fog battles. I played the first two battles of Huzza! without trouble and have started the third battle.

I don't understand the fog override. When the fog override is off, then what range of fog does that correspond to in the 1 to 5 setting? For the Edward Teach battle, it seems like 3. Is it the same for each battle with fog?

[McBan]

Some follow up tests. With the fog override set at 5 and playing a foggy battle, I can use the arrow keys to shift my view around OK except that once I have done so for about 6 or more times (all in one turn or even pressing an arrow key only once per turn), the game crashes if I select the ship list icon and click to return to the main screen, and the game crashes sometimes immediately after I click the options icon from the main screen. For this crash, it doesn't matter whether a ship is selected or not, unlike the crash that occurs with fog override at 0 and simply using the arrow keys. The other options and screens seem to work OK so far. This makes playing a foggy battle somewhat crippled since the ship list screen cannot be used.

I just updated Windows (though I am still using WinXP SP1) and I have a current driver for my Nvidia 6800 GT. The Macromedia Projector crash details indicate that the crash occurs with iml32.dll and it leaves a log that I can email you if you want or I could go through Shrapnelgames Customer Support if you prefer.

[Lord Hammer]

No change here...sorry.