BTS crashing when re-loading a previous save problem

[Bleys]

I know this subject has been discussed, and that there are other threads, but a quick search didnt show my specific problem (although I confess to not reading many of the threads thoroughly). Here are my personal experiences on the "Game crashes when reloading a save" issue.

First of all, I have Civ IV: Complete. Not sure if that matters, since it does install all 3 "versions", allowing any of them to be started separately. I then installed Bhruics patch, then a week or so later I decided to try some HoF action and loaded the BTS HoF mod. When I got the "save file has been protected . . ." crash, I checked the boards, and found Bhruics patch wasnt compatible with the HoF mod for BTS, so I just replaced it with the original .DLL, and everything seemed fine. Note, I did NOT re-install the HoF mod for BTS. Everything seemed OK, I was able to load BOTMs, and other saves formatted with the HoF mod, etc, no worries, or so I thought. Then, while playing an RPC from the strat board, which had to be loaded without the HoF mod, I noticed some of the bugs that Bhruic fixed popping up. So, I re-installed Bhruics .DLL file, and that seemed to work, and I was still able to load HoF games and such.

Then, I noticed that GOTM #27 was my fav Vanilla leader, so I decided to try it out. I loaded the Vanilla HoF mod, and that was fine. I was even able to re-load vanilla practice games normally. However, since I enjoy the HoF mod so much, I started using it for my casual BTS games, and discovered the "crash". Anytime I tried to re-load a save while in a game, I crashed to desktop. This applies to BTS only, though, I can still re-load Vanilla without crashing (I think anyway, when I lost GOTM 27 and decided not to submit, I re-loaded from a really old save and re-played part of the game).

I have also noticed that if I "Exit to Main Menu" in BTS, then choose "Load Game", I can avoid the crash as well.

So in a nutshell, BTS crashes if I use the mod and try to re-load a save while in-game. BTS wont crash if I drop to Main Menu, and load a save from there. I have not checked non-HoF games yet, in either BTS or Vanilla, since I have no plans to play many non-HoF games in Vanilla, but I still may want to load a posted save for educational/advisory purposes.

Has anyone found the reasons for these crashes? I was able to play and re-load normally in BTS using the HoF mod in casual games, but the instant I installed the Vanilla HoF mod, the crashes in BTS started.

Maybe I should just totally clean out the whole game, and re-load it. Civ IV: Complete is really easy, 1 disk, and it installs the latest "official" versions. What order of install is recommended so I can use the HoF mod for normal games, yet still be able to use Bhruics fixes for loading games not saved in HoF-mod format? Can I play RPCs and other non-HoF challenge games and still use the HOF mod somehow? I love the Lonely Hearts Club series, but I cant play those games using the HoF mod because I get the "this game requires MOD = none" message.

Sorry if this is confusing, or in the wrong place, but there are a LOT of threads about crashing, and a lot of LONG LONG threads that are hard to find pin-point answers. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[Denniz]

I don't know what would be causing the crashes. I assume that you are not changing the DLLs around mid stream or loading non-HOF mod save from a HOF Mod game.

The other possibility that comes to mind is something to do with vista. If you have vista you might try the "Vista Fixes" on the HOF Mod web Page.

I recall that someone had a problem where the save file wasn't being created properly but in that case they couldn't load the save at all.

 

[BLubmuz]

I experienced the same problem, but it's not a big issue, IMO.

Often when i got an apparently good spot to start i save and i begin a game to explore the surroundings: often a good spot goes with horrible surroundings, or some particularly bad luck with GHs makes me decide to abandon the game.
Thus i reload the (untouched) save to regenerate and repeat, and here can happen an error, and the game crashes.

It's enough double-click the save and the game starts without problems.
It's a bit annoying, but it's a question of few seconds.

 

[Bleys]

I have some more data on this, and it is apparently my own fault.

When I went to play the LHC this month, I wanted to be sure I had Bhruics patch in place. So I put it back in before loading the game, which cannot be loaded with the HoF mod.

I then did not try to play any specific saves from BOTM, I only played my own starts, and they played fine, except for the re-loading issue.

I just went to play BOTM #1 for practice (I notice its excellent practice to play this "like real" then go back and read the spoilers to see how my decisions stack up vs the other players) and I got the "save has been modified . . . " message, and crash. So I took Bhruics patch out, put the original DLL in, and played fine. I also was able to reload my other HoF-mod games, even my personal casual ones (I use the HoF mod for casual play).

So it seems the problem is in the DLLs. I suppose I will just use my current work-around, and replace the DLLs when I want to play generic saves from the RPCs on the Strat board, and re-insert the old DLL when I want to play HoF level games. Seems a shame, I know the HoF mod incorporates most of the fixes from Bhruics patch. Is there ANYTHING I can do so that I can have it both ways without swapping DLLs in and out?

 

[mabraham]

I know this subject has been discussed, and that there are other threads, but a quick search didnt show my specific problem (although I confess to not reading many of the threads thoroughly). Here are my personal experiences on the "Game crashes when reloading a save" issue.

:snip:

So in a nutshell, BTS crashes if I use the mod and try to re-load a save while in-game. BTS wont crash if I drop to Main Menu, and load a save from there.

I've been having a similar problem in the last 24 hours. I've been using BtS 3.1.3 for ages, and have now been using the HoF mod for about 2 weeks with no problems. Currently, any time I reload a saved game from inside a game it crashes back to the desktop. I can exit to the main menu and reload the same saved game just fine, however. I found another thread that suggested editing CivilizationIV.ini and post some log files, so I've done that here. I can't see anything in them that suggests the reason for the crash, but maybe someone else can.

I haven't be using any other mods, or messing with any DLLs. The only thing I'd been toying with lately is using dual-monitor, but BtS-HoF had been working fine with that. I've only been observing crashes after no longer using that second monitor. The crashes happen whether playing in fullscreen mode, or not.

 

[Denniz]

I've been having a similar problem in the last 24 hours. I've been using BtS 3.1.3 for ages, and have now been using the HoF mod for about 2 weeks with no problems. Currently, any time I reload a saved game from inside a game it crashes back to the desktop. I can exit to the main menu and reload the same saved game just fine, however. I found another thread that suggested editing CivilizationIV.ini and post some log files, so I've done that here. I can't see anything in them that suggests the reason for the crash, but maybe someone else can.

I haven't be using any other mods, or messing with any DLLs. The only thing I'd been toying with lately is using dual-monitor, but BtS-HoF had been working fine with that. I've only been observing crashes after no longer using that second monitor. The crashes happen whether playing in fullscreen mode, or not.

I looked at the log files but since it was a hard crash to desktop during a load I didn't expect to see anything. It would have to be a C++ error either in the DLL or the exe. The crash message, assuming there was one, might be helpful.

@Bleys, you might try a dual install to avoid switching things around.

 

[mabraham]

I looked at the log files but since it was a hard crash to desktop during a load I didn't expect to see anything. It would have to be a C++ error either in the DLL or the exe. The crash message, assuming there was one, might be helpful.

There's no crash message, apart from the XP-standard dialog about sending Microsoft an error report. I will take the machine back to the dual-boot setup and see if that triggers any change.

 

[Bleys]

Thats when this particular crash happens. If your in a game, and try to load a save, you get "Initializing . . . (1/5th of the bar fills) . . . CRASH (to desktop)".

Mab, try this. Instead of loading the save directly, try "Exit to main menu" then load. That seems to work fine.

I have been having all kinds of problems these days, there is a new Lonely Hearts up, I want to try the new GOTM with Asoka, and I still want to play the latest WOTM (fantasy map). To be honest, "problem" is too strong a word, as I said, its a minor PITA that I can work around without too much difficulty.

@Denniz, I have considered the dual install, I just kind of wish that Firaxis would release a small patch to incorporate all of Bhruics stuff. One thing that suffers is the folks who post saves and ask for advice or play-alongs. I have stopped doing those for the most part, but I really really love the LHC series, rolo rocks. Maybe I can talk him into creating HoF mod versions of the save! Hey! Can I do that myself? He doesnt lock assets, its just for fun, so I could save the WB map as a scenario, then re-open using the HoF, right? Then I would never have to swap again. Heck I could do that with all the saves folks post (starting ones, anyway, those are mostly the ones I look at).

I have played a few turns of this months edition, but I am going to try that right now. Of course, then if I post a save of my own, anyone wanting to open it would have to use the HoF mod . . . but what the heck, that might bring a few more people over to this outstanding format.

EDIT: Hmm, I am not sure how to create a scenario, off to search I go, LOL.

 

[kovacsflo]

I don't know what would be causing the crashes. I assume that you are not changing the DLLs around mid stream or loading non-HOF mod save from a HOF Mod game.

The other possibility that comes to mind is something to do with vista. If you have vista you might try the "Vista Fixes" on the HOF Mod web Page.

I recall that someone had a problem where the save file wasn't being created properly but in that case they couldn't load the save at all.

I expreinced the same. In my last game, I have had to reload the autosave file (it is set to 1 of course). I hope my game won't be excluded since it takes a long time. My parents' comp is quite slow, I will start to play huge map BtS games only with my own comp.

 

[mabraham]

I've been having a similar problem in the last 24 hours. I've been using BtS 3.1.3 for ages, and have now been using the HoF mod for about 2 weeks with no problems. Currently, any time I reload a saved game from inside a game it crashes back to the desktop. I can exit to the main menu and reload the same saved game just fine, however. I found another thread that suggested editing CivilizationIV.ini and post some log files, so I've done that here. I can't see anything in them that suggests the reason for the crash, but maybe someone else can.

I haven't be using any other mods, or messing with any DLLs. The only thing I'd been toying with lately is using dual-monitor, but BtS-HoF had been working fine with that. I've only been observing crashes after no longer using that second monitor. The crashes happen whether playing in fullscreen mode, or not.

I've no longer been having this problem when I have used the HoF option that means you no longer get prompted for an autolog file name. Presumably popping up that prompt-for-filename window during the re-load was causing the problem.

 

[Denniz]

I've no longer been having this problem when I have used the HoF option that means you no longer get prompted for an autolog file name. Presumably popping up that prompt-for-filename window during the re-load was causing the problem.

Now that's interesting. I have never liked how that initial prompt acts. I don't normally play with it on so the only time I see it is when I am testing a change. I would think that the speed of your machine would affect when it hits. Would you say that your machine is faster or slower than average? I will see what I can do about it for the next version. Good detective work.

 

[mabraham]

Now that's interesting. I have never liked how that initial prompt acts. I don't normally play with it on so the only time I see it is when I am testing a change. I would think that the speed of your machine would affect when it hits. Would you say that your machine is faster or slower than average? I will see what I can do about it for the next version. Good detective work.

Slower, for sure. 1.6GHz Celeron Dell laptop. Graphics card sufficient for play on low details

Mark

 

[Harbourboy]

I've had more crashes with BtS than any other game I have ever owned.

 

[Thrallia]

really? I've had more crashes in KOTOR than in any other PC game I've ever owned. I've only had one crash in BtS. I never liked how the autolog asked for the name either, it always seemed to ask while trying to load the game, and it made it difficult to type in the name I wanted, so I stopped using the autolog till you added a different way to name it

 

[Harbourboy]

BTS crashes EVERY single time I play it. Something to do with nv4_dsp.dll, whatever that is.

 

[Thrallia]

you try updating your video card drivers? that sounds like an NVidia .dll...

 

[Harbourboy]

How do I do that?

 

[Denniz]

How do I do that?

First you need to know which video card you have. You can use run "dxdiag" and look on the display tab if you are not sure. Then go to the vendor's website. (ie. www.nvidia.com). Look for a link to download drivers. It could be under support. Select a download that matches your video card. (Frequently, they have driver download that cover a family of cards.) They should include instructions for running it.

 

[kovacsflo]

With my BtS I had a problem just once, and I think it could be cause that this game was very slow (my parents' comp as I mentioned above). You still haven't mentioned that will that games be accepted to HOF?

 

[Harbourboy]

OK. I have found some new drivers (apparently updated December 2007, so at least this means they are post-BTS). Now to start yet another new game and see if I can make it to the end and maybe be able to submit something for GMinor 36.........