Game Unplayable - Staff please respond

Jason2 · #1 November 14th, 2001, 09:45 PM

I feel frustrated. There should be a post included with SEIV's advertising that reads:

This product is incompatible with Dell laptops using Windows ME

I feel ripped. I love the game, and played it on my old computer (now given to charity) and eagerly anticipated many hours on my Inspiron 8100 laptop. Oh well. The game won't run unless I'm willing to let my computer sit for a half-hour first while on.

Urgh. I am a professional and often only have an hour a day to play (lunch)... at home I'm a new dad and that pretty much kills any playing.

I hope this will be addressed in a patch. I feel ripped off.

Jason

Richard · #2 November 14th, 2001, 10:17 PM

You might want to send your save games into se4@malfador.com but I can tell you I play the game just fine on ME and I also play it just fine on several different machines and laptops I use with no issues.

One thing you may want to check is that your drivers are DirectX compliant and up to date.

------------------
Sarge is coming...

Richard Arnesen
Director of Covert Ops
Shrapnel Games
http://www.shrapnelgames.com

Dracus · #3 November 14th, 2001, 10:28 PM

I also play on winMe with no problems

Alpha Kodiak · #4 November 14th, 2001, 11:44 PM

I would bet that it's some type of driver issue, as Richard said. I am running on an HP laptop using ME.

I'm curious, are you saying that the game will play if the laptop is up and running for about half-an-hour beforehand? That sounds almost like some kind of hardware issue where a connection is flakey until the system heats up and something expands to make a better connection. Don't know, but it sure sounds strange.

Atrocities · #5 November 15th, 2001, 12:25 PM

Are you using a fresh install with the latest patch? Your not copying saved games from your previous computer?

Do this:

Insure you have enough HD space.
Defrage, and or Scan disk. Also check for viruses. Update all of your drivers for Direct X, and video card.

Uninstall the game completely.
Do A fresh install.

If the game still will not play, then go to your local guns shop, pay the guy 50 bucks to borrow a shot gun, and one round. Go out side and shoot your lap top. J/K. Call Dell support and see what they say.

One other thing too,

if it is warezed . . . . . **** happens.

[This message has been edited by Atrocities (edited 15 November 2001).]

LLB · #6 November 16th, 2001, 03:07 AM

I think Jason2 may be referring to the "Range Check Error" problem that I and a couple of others have discussed in other threads. This problem does not appear to be due to out of date drivers or DirectX compliance, nor is it simply an OS incompatibility with ME, nor does it appear to be fixable with the uninstall/reinstall exercise. (I get this error on a Dell Inspiron 4000 under WinME, but not on a Dell Dimension 4100 desktop under WinME.)

The workaround appears to be to start the computer, load the game, let it crash, close the game, do something else (I haven't investigated whether the time spent doing something else is a factor), then restart the game -- at which point it appears to run.

Jason, I hope this helps. I certainly second your plea for a fix, because this appears to be a real bug and it's real annoying.

L

Richard · #7 November 16th, 2001, 04:18 AM

As far as we know all of the Range Check errors have been resolved but that doesn't mean they all have.

Just drop Aaron a note at se4@malfador.com with the exact error, what was going on when it occurred and the zipped up save games files.

Also if this is a modified Version of the game let us know that.

------------------
Sarge is coming...

Richard Arnesen
Director of Covert Ops
Shrapnel Games
http://www.shrapnelgames.com

Puke · #8 November 16th, 2001, 05:16 AM

I am still getting range check errors when simulating large combats. i posted the details on the Last request for bug reports.

to rehash, i can re-create RCEs anytime i simulate a combat involving a sphereworld loaded with (a) more than 1000 fighters or (b) more than 200 WPs filled with organic or crystal armor

depending on the configurations of the WPs, the errors can be generated with alot less.. but basically this means that it is impossible to fully defend a sphereworld, making it a very hard investment to keep.

it also could have some repurcussions for large fleet engagements.

------------------
"...the green, sticky spawn of the stars"
(with apologies to H.P.L.)

LLB · #9 November 17th, 2001, 03:01 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Richard:
As far as we know all of the Range Check errors have been resolved but that doesn't mean they all have.

Just drop Aaron a note at se4@malfador.com with the exact error, what was going on when it occurred and the zipped up save games files.

Also if this is a modified Version of the game let us know that.

Richard,

In my case the RCEs are occurring in all unmoded ver 1.41 games whenever I try to select or move a fleet of any size or any single ship. Unless this has been fixed in ver 1.49, which I haven't had a chance to install, it's one RCE that hasn't been fixed (it wasn't listed as a fixed problem in the Last history file I looked at for that patch); and I *did* email Aaron about it (with a savegame file, although it hardly matters in this case) -- three months ago.

As Jason2 pointed out, it makes the game unplayable (aside from the workaround I mentioned in my previous post) on those machines on which it appears.

L

Richard · #10 November 17th, 2001, 04:53 AM

Part of the problem sometimes is making the problem recreate so we can catch it with the save game files. Without the recreation it's very hard to see where the problem is.

But just in case you can always check with him to see if he missed your email.

------------------
Sarge is coming...

Richard Arnesen
Director of Covert Ops
Shrapnel Games
http://www.shrapnelgames.com