Same thing here. I'm so glad I have a fast machine, because sometimes I've been saving+loading for every movement point of a ship doing multiple attacks.

Okay, glad it's on the todo list

I got the bug again, this time I saved, alt-tabbed to check the debug.err, alt tab back in, saved and quit the game.

I'll post some snippets of the log here:

Debug Message: Version v1.80f Twilight of the Arnor beta 3b last updated on: Thu Dec 6 11:50:39 2007
Debug Message: Checking DX Version.
Debug Message: *********DXDiag info follows.*********
System Info
Time: 12/20/2007, 19:18:53
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
Machine Name: MARK
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.070227-2254)
Languages: Dutch (Regional Setting: Dutch)
System Manufacturer: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD
System Model: MS-7360
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E6750 @ 2.66GHz (2 CPUs)
Physical Memory: 2048MB RAM
Page File: 382MB used, 3560MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS


Display Info
Display device 1:
Device Name: \\.\DISPLAY1
Card Name: Radeon X1950 Series
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip Type: ATI Radeon Graphics Processor (0x7244)
DAC Type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Key Device: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_7244&SUBSYS_0B121002&REV_00
Display Memory: 256.0 MB
Current Display Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (75Hz)
Monitor Name: Plug en Play-monitor
Monitor Max Resolution: 1600,1200
Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6727
Driver Date: 9/29/2007 04:06:17
DirectX Acceleration Enabled: Yes



Sound info
Sound device 1:
Description: SB X-Fi Audio [EC00]
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_1102&DEV_0005&SUBSYS_00211102&REV_00
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Driver Name: ctaud2k.sys
Provider: Creative
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.1187
Driver Date: 8/17/2006 10:17:10
Type: WDM
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 3
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0

--- some non related (?) stuff ---

Debug Message: Destroying ship Constructor MK6 13338. Orbiting: 0
Debug Message: Destroying ship Constructor MK6 13345. Orbiting: 0
Debug Message: Destroying ship Constructor MK6 13346. Orbiting: 0
Debug Message: Destroying ship Constructor MK5 13327. Orbiting: 0
Debug Message: Destroying ship Constructor MK6 13352. Orbiting: 0
Debug Message: ***Attacker Korath Clan has courage bonus 0
Defender Iconian Refuge has courage bonus 10.
//It always happens when someone attacks a ship orbiting a planet)
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.

--- some more of latter ---

Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Destroying ship Iconian Defender M9 v34 13355. Orbiting: 1
Debug Message: Was Orbiting: Epsilon V
//I'm guessing this is from the planet above,
//just a bunch of lines of debug between them
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.

--- some more of latter ---

Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Save Game: About to save
Debug Message: Saving game D:\\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor\QuickSave.tmp
Debug Message: Num Sectors Across: 8
Debug Message: Saving: Game mode is normal.
Debug Message: Number of ships: 207, Number of Fleets: 18
Debug Message: Save game finished.
// saving the game 1st time
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.

--- some more of latter ---

Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Error flipping back buffer to primary buffer.
Debug Message: D3DERR_DEVICELOST
Debug Message: Device lost
Debug Message: Attempting to reset device.
//I alt-tabbed back into the game
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.

--- some more of latter ---

Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Save Game: About to save
Debug Message: Saving game D:\\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor\QuickSave.tmp
Debug Message: Num Sectors Across: 8
Debug Message: Saving: Game mode is normal.
Debug Message: Number of ships: 207, Number of Fleets: 18
Debug Message: Save game finished.
// save the game 2nd time
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.

--- some more of latter ---

Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: OptionsWnd: Quit Btn
// guessing cos i quit the game
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.

--- some more of latter ---

ebug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Out of sample handles.
Debug Message: Posting WM_CLOSE message.
Debug Message: WM_CLOSE message received.
Debug Message: GameUninitialize start
Debug Message: Killing Galaxy
Debug Message: Killing threads.
Debug Message: Kiling civs.
Debug Message: Killing ships.
Debug Message: Killing rallypoints.
Debug Message: Killing misc objects.
Debug Message: Killing stars.
Debug Message: Killing anomalies.
Debug Message: Killing asteroid fields.
Debug Message: Killing asteroid field mining bases.
Debug Message: Killing space resources.
Debug Message: Killing colonies and planets.
Debug Message: killing scenario.
Debug Message: Clearing Turn Event Log
Debug Message: Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message: Clear influence.
Debug Message: Clear up laws.
Debug Message: Clear first time events.
Debug Message: Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message: Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message: Clear data definitions.
Debug Message: Killing ship styles:
Debug Message: Killing Galaxy: Completed
Debug Message: Shutting down sound system.
Debug Message: Clearing sound and music handles.
Debug Message: Desplay_Scroll_Small_Tab.png not cleared 2 counts left.
Debug Message: Desplay_ShipList_Entry_Down.png not cleared 98 counts left.
Debug Message: Desplay_ShipList_Entry_Over.png not cleared 98 counts left.
Debug Message: Desplay_ShipList_Entry_Up.png not cleared 196 counts left.
Debug Message: Desplay_Small_Status_Frame_Up.png not cleared 196 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\Iconia.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\Kryseth.PNG not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetBarren_1.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetHighGravity_4.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetOceanic_4.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetQualGood_1.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetQualGood_2.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetQualGood_3.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetQualGood_5.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetQualGreat_1.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetQualMed_1.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetQualMed_2.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetQualMed_3.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetQualPoor_1.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetQualPoor_2.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetQualPoor_3.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetQualPoor_4.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetRadioactive_1.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetRadioactive_2.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\PlanetToxic_3.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Gfx\Planets\Toria.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: TextFiledBack.png not cleared 197 counts left.
Debug Message: WorkAreaBack.png not cleared 1 counts left.
Debug Message: GameUninitialize end
Debug Message: Device not cleared. 148530 counts left.
Debug Message: D3D not cleared. 1 counts left.
Debug Message: Destroying Window.
Debug Message: Main Shell terminating normally
Debug Message: Unallocated Mem: 8 bytes of memory from line 1130 of .\Source\editfields.cpp
Debug Message: Unallocated Mem: 8 bytes of memory from line 1130 of .\Source\editfields.cpp

--- some more of latter ---

Thought I better add that I can do about 5-6 save&loads before the game crashes and my computer reboots. The first several times, Windows gave me a message telling me that my video drivers caused the crash and needed to be updated. I checked and lo and behold there was a new driver for my video card.

So I updated the video driver and it fixed it so that when the game crashes and my computer reboots I no longer get that message from Windows.

Quick edit: I'd post my own debug data but I'm running late for xmas shopping. Sorry.

I mail them the savegame and debug log.

I'm uncertain as to what's causing the freeze-up. In my last game (3c Drath) I took out 2 races w/o issue. Destroyed ships in space, orbiting planets, solo, in fleets...any mix and no issue. Now I have a pirate ship I cannot destroy w/o having this freeze-up.

I confirm this bug as well. Same as the poster. I attack anything and have to save and quit and get back in not just orbital ships. This error doesn't seem to be showing up in the debug either.

This bug is known for several weeks - and still not fixed.
You're not able to finish the game at the moment - maybe it's still a beta - but a useles one. Investing a lot of time but you can't finish the game
I hope the developpers will fix it soon or I get really angry about that - this is a new bug

I've actually finished a couple of games with this issue, once by influence and twice via conquest. Sometimes, after a load it will simply stop being an issue for awhile. It's happened to me on Medium and Small universes. It does not seem to be based on weapon tech for me, as I had only plasma in one game and disruptors in two others. I use Windows Vista 64 bit w/an 8800 GTS (340 MB), and an Athlon 64 X2 4800+. I have 4 GB of memory. One point in favor of Vista is that when the game finally crashes (after multiple save/loads as reported above), it only crashes the game, not my OS. BTW, the new racial tech trees are awsome! This is what has been missing from these games since MOO. I play w/tech trading turned off, so the only way to get some tech is through conquest or spying, and I really like the feel of that. ToA has revitalized my interest in this excellent franchise.

I posted too soon it seems. The game I have in which this is currently taking place is becoming non responsive after each attack on a pirate ship. In fact, the last time it happened, the game froze in mid turn in another version of the now infamous disappearing turn button. So far, I've been able to save, quit and reload the game but that is going to become old very quickly in light of the dozens of pirate ships I have to clean up before they start attacking vulnerable targets. The pirates I am encountering are those that appear after an evil empire is defeated, in this case the Yor. Pirates entering the game randomly as part of a minor event (not the major pirate event which I have not experienced in the context of this particular bug) do not seem to cause this bug when attacked. I am, by the way, using the very latest Beta.

I've noticed this bug as well. I run on Windows XP 64 bit edition, and it's never hard crashed my box. But it does get annoying. I'll running around with my Archangel Class Battleship, and I try nuke a nearby Arcean fleet. Game doesn't feeze, but seems to hang. The menu system works, the scrolling sytem works, but the End Turn button is gone. The only way I've found to fix this error is to actually quit the game, reload the game fresh, and load up the game again. Oddly enough it'll usually finish the turn it was in the middle of.

Seems like the bug system is pretty robust, really. But it's annoying to have to reload the game after each turn.

I had the bug too, and I'm getting pretty annoyed by it. Every time I attack a single ship, the game freezes. However, I noticed that fleet battles seem to be going fine, and thus came up with the following

WORKAROUND: Disable the interface option "show full fleet battles only when both sides are fleets". This way, you get fleet battles every time even if you attack a freighter, which does get tiresome, but at least the game doesn't freeze.

I still hope they manage to isolate this bug, I have the impression it "bugs" a lot of people.