CTD on/before turn 1

from GalCiv2 Forums
I can't get past turn 1 in this game. I have crashed multiple times during and immediately after creating a custom race - got only as far picking my very first research tech while listening to choppy sound...then its time to get a-rebootin!

Did all you asked in the stickies. Made sure my drivers were current. I can't believe all the people still posting CTD issues after so many months have passed. Disturbing trend for the PC, indeed! And as asked, I am happy to dump my dump in this dump. Never see any worthy responses after others have done so, so should I be checking my emails - or should I wait until the v3.+ patch is released in a year or two like I have become conditioned to wdo ith just about every other PC game I REALLY want to play?

Debug Message: Version v1.2 last updated on: Mon Jun 12 18:04:26 2006
Debug Message: *********DXDiag info follows.*********
System Info
Time: 8/13/2006, 01:31:00
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
Machine Name: MSMOSS
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)
Languages: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: n/a
System Model: n/a
BIOS: Award Modular BIOS v6.0
Processor: AMD Athlon(TM) XP 2800+, MMX, 3DNow, ~1.2GHz
Physical Memory: 1536MB RAM
Page File: 417MB used, 1220MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS


Display Info
Display device 1:
Device Name: \\.\DISPLAY1
Card Name: RADEON X850 Series
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip Type: ATI RADEON X850 XT Platinum Edition AGP (0x4B4C)
DAC Type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Key Device: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4B4C&SUBSYS_03121002&REV_00
Display Memory: 256.0 MB
Current Display Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (75Hz)
Monitor Name: SyncMaster 905DF(X)/955DF(X), SyncMaster Magic CD195A(P)
Monitor Max Resolution: 1792,1344
Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6626
Driver Date: 7/18/2006 21:58:29
DirectX Acceleration Enabled: Yes



Sound info
Sound device 1:
Description: SB Audigy 2 ZS Audio [B000]
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_1102&DEV_0004&SUBSYS_20021102&REV_04
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Driver Name: ctaud2k.sys
Provider: Creative
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.1164
Driver Date: 12/8/2005 11:55:46
Type: WDM
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 3
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0



Debug Message: *********END dxdiag info.*********
Debug Message: Entering WinMain
Debug Message: ******* Starting Game Shell *******
Debug Message: Going Fullscreen
Debug Message: Preparing to change display settings.
Debug Message: Using multilsample setting: D3DMULTISAMPLE_4_SAMPLES
Debug Message: Game Resolution: 1024 x 768
Debug Message: Running fullscreen.
Debug Message: HAL (hw vp): RADEON X850 Series
Debug Message: D3DPRESENT_INTERVAL_DEFAULT
Debug Message: Refresh rate: 75
Debug Message: Bit Depth: 32 bit.
Debug Message: *********Checking D3DDevice Caps***********************
Debug Message: A full-color cursor is supported in hardware at high resolution modes.
Debug Message: RGB in format 6:6:6, Masks reported as ff0000:ff00:ff
Debug Message: Now Fullscreen
Debug Message: Shell initialization complete
Debug Message: ***** Initializing Game *****
Debug Message: Timer Frequency is 0 369e99
Debug Message: Initializing sound card.
Debug Message: initailizing bink
Debug Message: Create setup screens.
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: * Collectors Edition *
Debug Message: Set mouse.
Debug Message: Set update timer.
Debug Message: Clear data definitions.
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\cwynn\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\ships\*.xml
*DEBUG ERROR: ***Unable to find required tech ImpossibleTech for PirateShip. ***
*DEBUG ERROR: ***Unable to find required tech ImpossibleTech for Starbase. ***
Debug Message: Reading Star Names
Debug Message: Reading Star Names... Done
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\Mods\Default\Data\CustomMaps\*.gc2map
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\Mods\Default\Data\Scenarios\*.gc2scenario
Debug Message: CustomRaceWnd: Cannot find OBJID CustomRace_Tab_Homeworld
Debug Message: Creating 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 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: Galaxy Size Set: 8 x 8
Debug Message: Creating Random Map
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Stars
Debug Message: Number of Unplaced Stars: 27.
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Planets
Debug Message: *************** Failed To Place Planet ***************
Debug Message: *************** Failed To Place Planet ***************
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Anomalies
Debug Message: Num Anomalies: 96
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Resources
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Done
Debug Message: Setting Game Options
Debug Message: Creating Civs
Debug Message: Terran Alliance: Intellence -> 30
Debug Message: Altarian Republic: Intellence -> 30
Debug Message: Torian Confederation: Intellence -> 30
Debug Message: Dominion of Korx: Intellence -> 30
Debug Message: Thalan Empire: Intellence -> 30
Debug Message: Creating Civs... Done
Debug Message: Updating ZOC.
Debug Message: Updating ZOC.
Debug Message: Galaxy Create... Done
Debug Message: UIBeginGame called with g_ulLocalPlayerID = 10
Debug Message: UIBeginGameHelper: New Game Started
Debug Message: UIBeginGameHelper: Mods are Disabled
Debug Message: StackedShipsWnd: Cannot find OBJID Stacked_Logistics_Value
Debug Message: StackedShipsWnd: Cannot find OBJID stacked_Fleet_More_Button
3,116 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Updated all your drivers??

Driver Date: 12/8/2005 11:55:46


Might try updating your sound driver as it does matter.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
A couple more things you might try:
Change the game resolution to match your desktop resolution of 1280x1024.

Exclude the GalCiv folders from your real-time virus scanning. These would include the main game folders in C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2 as well as the My Documents\Games\GalCiv2 folders.

If you are running Windows XP Media Center Edition, stop the Media Center services. These would include:
Media Center Extender Service
Media Center Receiver Service
Media Center Scheduler Service
Fences - Organize your desktop icons today!
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
i was locking up and crashing too after a turn or a few, i found out (after uninstalling and reinstalling the game twice)that what i THOUGHT was additional collectors edition content and the newest (not beta) patch didnt like one another and were causing the problem.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks for all the advice!

-The sound drivers (latest 2005) are the latest Creative has to offer.
-I've stopped the real-time scan on the program folders and will in My Documents if I ever get to a where I can save a game.
-Never had the resolution matched, but always had them both above the recommended minimum
-Currently uninstalling once again so I can get a clean reinstall and just apply the latest working patch without all the bonus stuff.

All your suggestions are really helpful. Feels good to have SOME hope!

Thanks!
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
As far as i am aware the new patches do carry the bonus stuff anyhow If they dont all you need do is install the base version of the game 1.0, add the bonus stuff and then update it via SDC.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Latest driver for SB Audigy 2 ZS Audio at Soundblaster.com is > Driver 02.08.0004 24 Jan 06

Link > HERE

BTW there is a link there to the other support sites in europe etc. After checking the UK driver is also the 02.08.0004 jan 06

Hope that helps you a bit
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
i was locking up and crashing too after a turn or a few, i found out (after uninstalling and reinstalling the game twice)that what i THOUGHT was additional collectors edition content and the newest (not beta) patch didnt like one another and were causing the problem.


Yes, there is a download on the site labelled "Bonus Pack". That one is acutally the first patch released for the game back in February, and should be avoided at all costs. Installing that one on top of a copy that has already been updated to a later version will cause all sorts of problems.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Is there like a maximum number of characters in a reply that are allowed on a post? Trying to post my debug with some notes and keep geeting a server error.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I don't think that there's a maximum limit.  The server might have just been having trouble. 

I'm going to post my troubleshooting tips here, in case you haven't encountered them elsewhere on the site:

Try these steps one at a time:

1)  Update your video drivers with a clean install. 
 a) Download the new drivers from your video card manufacturer's website. Usually www.nvidia.com, www.ati.com or www.intel.com. 
 b)  Un-install the old drivers and reboot
 c) Cancel the Found New Hardware wizard when you log back into Windows
 d)  Install the new drivers that you downloaded
 
If you have the most updated drivers but you did not do a clean install when you updated, you may want to re-install your drivers using the method above.
 
2)  Update your sound drivers.

3) Update to the latest version of Gal Civ 2.

4) Install Smart Exception from the Free Stuff tab in Stardock Central. This generates a crash report when GC2 crashes (unless the computer has locked up or reboots itself) which is useful to us in determining where the crash is occurring.  We will also want your debug.err file.  If you are constantly getting crashes and you need help from a support tech, e-mail [email protected].  Otherwise, e-mail the crash log and the debug.err file to [email protected].  If you have a save game that consistently crashes within a set amount of turns, send that in as well, but you will probably need to zip it.

5) Go to the advanced tab of your display properties and find the Direct3D settings.

 a) Set Antialiasing to be Application Controlled
 b) Set AnsioTropic filtering to be Appliation Controlled
 c) Set Image Settings to be Quality

6) Make sure that your desktop resolution is at least 1024 x 768 at 32 bit color. You may want to try higher resolutions if your video card and monitor support them, but you always want to be at 32 bit color, and the game resolution should never be higher than the desktop resolution.

7) In your My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2 folder, there is a prefs.ini file. You can change the video settings there.

 a) Set Multisample = 0 to disable anti-aliasing, particularly if you have an error in your debug.err file about failing to create a device.
 b) Set HardwareMouseCursor = 1
 c) Set Fullscreen = 0 to run in a window.  If the game resolution is the same size as the desktop resolution, it will still appear to be fullscreen.
 d) If your crashing is occurring after the intro, try setting SkipIntro=1
 e) If you have an older video card, you may want to add these lines under video:
 
 NoPointSprites=1
 GfxForceNoPointSprites=1

8) Check to see what codecs you have installed. Many media player programs like WinDVD or Media Portal install codecs on your system and they don't always play nice with other programs.   To see what codecs are installed on your system:

9) Turn off all the music and sfx in the game.  You may also want to try disabling your sound card.  If this works, there may be some issue with your sound driver that un-installing the codecs didn't fix.  You may need to re-install your sound drivers after having un-installed your codecs, or you may be able to fix the problem by changing your audio acceleration.

 a) Right click on the My Computer icon and select properties.
 b) Click on the hardware tab
 c) Click on the Device Manager button. 
 d) Right click on Audio Codecs and choose properties. The properties tab of the dialog that comes up will list and allow you to remove the audio codecs installed on your computer.    e) You can follow the same steps for the Video Codecs. 
 f) There are instructions in this MSDN article for re-installing the Windows audio and video codecs:

 http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;893681&spid=1007&sid=1498#EUADAAA

10) Run dxdiag and the Direct3D and DirectSound tests to make sure that there is nothing wrong that DirectX can detect

 a) Click on your windows start button
 b) Click on Run
 c) type the word dxdiag in the dialog box and click OK.
 d) Allow it to check to see if your drivers are digitally signed, let it run its tests
 e) Run the Direct3D and DirectSound tests.
 f) Click Save all information and save the file somewhere you'll be able to find it.

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
I ran through all your suggestions, including yet another reinstall of the video and audio drivers. Still crashes before I can even finish designing my civ.

So...I am going to have to call it quits on this game and return it. You guys have had great patience and have been very helpful with several disappointed gamers, but this is way too much frustration. I take good care of my rig and it runs FEAR, Civ4, and Half Life 2 like a dream. Whatever is causing GC2 to crash, I don't know, but those regular hard crashes that require me to physically down the rig are sure to mess up my OS or other apps that were running and could not close properly - it just isn't worth it anymore.

Luckily, I still have the first GC which was a remarkable piece of software and gameplay. I'll probably play that for a while to statisfy that 'fix' that has been denied me for the past week.