Crashing during multiplayer scenarios

[Quintillus]

I know this would probably fit better in the multiplayer forum, but I figured there's about an order of magnitude better chance of getting an answer here, so....

I've been playing some Civ3 multiplayer recently. This isn't that unusual; I've had at least three LAN games with simultaneous turns in the past twelve months, versus at most one in years past. Those games were all the standard epic game, and they all worked flawlessly.

Recently, I started playing the WWII in the Pacific Conquests scenario with a friend on a LAN using simultaneous turns. I'd only made two very minor changes to the scenario - increasing the victory point limit to 55,000 from 40,000, and changing the AI difficulty from Regent to Emperor in the Game Settings so we'd have more of a challenge. At first, it went well.

But in August of 1942 (turn 8 or so), the game crashed to desktop during the AI's turn on my computer (which was hosting), though it didn't on my friend's. We re-did the turn, saved at the end, and the same thing happened. So, we copied the file to his computer, loaded the end of turn save, hit enter... and it didn't crash. Cool beans. But in December 1942, during the AI turn, his computer (which was now hosting) had Civ3 crash to desktop, again with mine not doing so. At that point it was getting late, so we decided to call it a night.

The configuration during the crashes:

Crash 1: Both using Steam version, my computer with XP 32-bit (hosting), his with Vista 64-bit.
Crash 2: Both switched to using No CD, No Raze patch on top of Steam install, still XP hosting.
Crash 3: Back to Steam version, Windows Vista now hosting.

I'm not sure what's different with this scenario. We've both played on LAN with these computers before without problems (although in years past I was using the pure Vanilla + C3C CD version, perhaps with No CD at times). We also had played Civ3 twice in the previous fortnight at the same location without issue, although in an epic game. The only thing I could think of was maybe there was a Sub Bug or something like it causing the crash - e.g. maybe the British are running a battleship into a Dutch submarine, and the game panics and crashes in multiplayer as a result. That would be different, as none of the previous games I played made it to the late industrial age.

Thoughts? Ideas? Has anyone else tried this scenario in multiplayer with simultaneous turns? I've been wanting to play this scenario in multiplayer for a long time, but it's rather disappointing that now that I am it's being unusually crashy. I haven't tried other scenarios in multiplayer, but I wouldn't figure this is a general problem?

 

[Puppeteer]

I don't think I've played multiplayer at all, so my ideas may be worthless.

First, when in doubt, get as close to a new, unaltered install as you possibly can. So to go all-the-way, uninstall on both PCs, install new and clean, test, make mods.

Second, try to make sure both installs are exact as can be: same mod files, even same .ini settings; I am specifically thinking of NoAIPatrol setting.

Next (or maybe first), the Vista and later PC(s) should avoid any VirtualStore issues. My preferred method is installing to an alternate location. Some run the game as administrator.

Last, and most painful, try to figure out if a civ is learning a new tech, building a new unit, changing eras, etc. during the interturn. Anything that would cause a new graphic (leaderhead, unit, specialist, resource, etc.) or game rule to be used for the first time. One time I had a corrupt Egypt MA leaderhead, and it took a while to figure out she was trying to contact me after going MA, and that was causing my crash.

 

[Quintillus]

Thanks for the ideas. I hadn't thought to check .ini settings, and have no idea what our AIPatrol options are. I'm pretty sure my friend had UAC off, and thus wouldn't have virtual store issues, but next time we try this game I'll try to remember to bring my CDs over so he can install a non-Steam copy to a location that totally avoids virtual store no matter what. The CD-based re-install should also solve any problems due to currently-corrupt files.

 

[timerover51]

For what it is worth, I have played the Pacific scenario in Hot-Seat format on my Mac with CD installed in a pretty heavily modded version and never had problems. I have been playing the US, the British, and the Netherlands, with China on AI, along with Japan. To get the Netherlands into the game, you have to unlock it and set the Netherlands to Human player. What bugs me is how hard it is to Tech-Trade with myself. The other headache is the time lag for the Japanese and Chinese turns.