Unpredictable crash

[TheSarge]

I've got a brand new Pentium 4 540J (3.20 Ghz, 800Mhz FSB); 2x512MB dual-chanel DDR2-533(1024MB total RAM); Samsung 120GB(8MB cache) Ultra-ATA EIDE hard drive; Radeon 7500 PCI video {temorary video solution until I get a PCI-Express card for this machine}.
I've got Civ3, Civ3PTW, and Civ3-Conq. (I bought them all seperately as they came out.)

On my previous system (An Intel Celeron 1200Mhz clunker) everything ran fine. Of course, I had AGP 4X video on that, but Civ3 isn't graphics intensinve.

On the current system, I keep crashing whenever I get a moderatly sized civilization going. Happens in original Civ3, in PTW and in Conq. There doesn't seem to be any ryme or reason to what triggers the crash, but I get that annoying Microsoft Error Reporting thingy come up, and then it's a Crash To Desktop (CTD) for me. If I saved just before the crash, I crash again at the same point if I re-load. I've got all the Civ3 patches, all the Windows Update, and it doesn't seem to matter if I run with minimal background tasks or not.
I'm baffled.

 

[kris55]

Hi!

I have had this type of problem and it was cos of a unit that was being built wasn't in files right and it was killing civ. Have you added your own units to the game, or edited the ones on there?

 

[TheSarge]

Hi!

I have had this type of problem and it was cos of a unit that was being built wasn't in files right and it was killing civ. Have you added your own units to the game, or edited the ones on there?

Nope. I haven't modded anything.

 

[kris55]

hmmmm....

if its not a file missing problem, then it could be a memory problem or an event that is happening making the game die, what victory settings do you have on? the space race and the UN one can make the game crash for no reason at all.... if you have the game on an other computer copy the TEXT files over to yours, or replace the the patch u have on, it sometimes don't install right and so gives up, thats happened to me 3 times....

And! if you make maps, you set which are human or AI players, if you try to play a AI place it will crash, but thats only at the start of a game.... and multiplayer....

hope this helps
i will keep checking

 

[TheSarge]

Well, I have the default settings, so Space Race is on. However, I haven't gotten there yet in my civ. I'm in the saltpeter age.

 

[kris55]

Ok, right....
I have had this problem so many times in other games, where it just goes back the desktop with no error message. We can work it out, lets think step by step what could be making this happen...

By what you have said you load the game, and after a few turns, randomly, it crashes to the desktop.

You have large amounts of memory that shouldn't be the problem, if XP is up-to-date that shouldn't be the problem...
Do you have directx9c or b?

Its something in game, your hardware is excellent for running civ.

Could you do a test for me in the game? Load the game and go into Multiplayer. Click Host. If it crashes its a patch problem. If it doesn't Host a game (load the map you are on but not the game you have the problem) start the multiplayer game, if it crashes back the desktop, its a patch problem.
If all this works, go into multiplayer, HOST and load your game and start it and see what happens...

IF it doesn't crash at any time in that test let me know
Lets hope it does do something! so then it it can be fixed, at the moment options are getting less and less...

 

[TheSarge]

I have Directx 9.0c
Sorry, I deleted that save game, but I'll start a new game and If I gt the same problem, I'll try taking it into Multiplayer and run your tests.

 

[kris55]

Ok, good luck, i hope it don't happen again for you
Loading you game using the multiplayer screen will speed up the turn time, if you want it to be faster

 

[TheSarge]

Oh, I just got a PCI-Express card (an MSI-Radeon RX800 XL 256MB) so hopefully that will help.