Help!!!

Please go to C:\Program Files\Stardock\Totalgaming\GalCiv2 (or wherever you installed the game at), open the debug.err file you find there in notepad, and copy/paste the contents into a post here. This will give us some technical information that can help troubleshoot your problem.

Also, please check to see if you have the in-game settings correct, mainly that you have 'throttle framerate' set to 'ON'. If that does not clear the issue please install 'SmartException' from the Stardock Central program. Make sure that the program is running and then start your game as normal. If the game crashes it will generate an exception report that can be emailed to [email protected] along with your debug.err. This will enable the devs/help team to see what is causing the error and hopefully provide you with a solution to your issue.

Could you post a debug.err file? If it literally refuses to start, download smartexception, and use it to post the line of code it crashes on to here.

could you post a debug.err please? it would help.

Found the exception program and see what happens. NOW, it restarts the machine!! Errr.. . Feels hardware-y, but lets see what happens with this . . .

Anyway here's the debug.err report but it's none too helpful:

Debug Message: Version v1.3 beta 1 last updated on: Thu Jul 27 18:22:18 2006

Wait, that's it? That's the whole debug.err file?

Ouch. Run smartexception, and get the log from that. That says what the code was doing that caused it to die.

Also, you could try running a program like belarc advisor to show your complete computer specs, and you could see what piece of hardware might be giving you problems.

AHA!! NOW THIS IS A DEBUG REPORT!!! Okay, I ran the game again, and it crashed, so here's the debug report now:

Debug Message: Version v1.0X.2 last updated on: Tue Mar 7 15:02:59 2006
Debug Message: Could not find a TGN Serial No.
Debug Message: *********DXDiag info follows.*********
System Info
Time: 8/23/2006, 17:49:49
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
Machine Name: 3EGDLXBNPBZ3I8T
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: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
System Model: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
BIOS: BIOS Date: 10/23/03 18:26:17 Ver: 08.00.09
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80GHz
Physical Memory: 1534MB RAM
Page File: 334MB used, 3099MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS


Display Info
Display device 1:
Device Name: \\.\DISPLAY1
Card Name: RADEON 9800 PRO
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip Type: RADEON 9800 PRO AGP (0x4E48)
DAC Type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Key Device: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4E48&SUBSYS_00021002&REV_00
Display Memory: 128.0 MB
Current Display Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Default Monitor
Monitor Max Resolution:
Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6631
Driver Date: 8/2/2006 18:08:06
DirectX Acceleration Enabled: Yes



Sound info
Sound device 1:
Description: SB PCI512 Wave Device
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_1102&DEV_0002&SUBSYS_80231102&REV_08
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Driver Name: emu10k1m.sys
Provider: Microsoft
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.3300
Driver Date: 8/17/2001 08:19:26
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 9800 PRO
Debug Message: D3DPRESENT_INTERVAL_DEFAULT
Debug Message: Refresh rate: 60
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: Set mouse.
Debug Message: Set update timer.
Debug Message: Clear data definitions.
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Matthew N. Ross\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\*.StarSystems
*DEBUG ERROR: ***Unable to find required tech ImpossibleTech for PirateShip. ***
*DEBUG ERROR: ***Unable to find required tech ImpossibleTech for Starbase. ***
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Matthew N. Ross\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\ships\*.shipclass
Debug Message: Reading Star Names
Debug Message: Reading Star Names... Done
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Matthew N. Ross\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\Dread Lords Campaign\*.sav
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Matthew N. Ross\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\Logos\*.sav
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Matthew N. Ross\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\Metaverse\*.sav
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Matthew N. Ross\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\Mods\*.sav
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Matthew N. Ross\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\Portraits\*.sav
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Matthew N. Ross\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\ships\*.sav
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Matthew N. Ross\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\temp\*.sav
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: 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: Loading Custom Map
Debug Message: Loading Data Defs
Debug Message: Data Defs block size: 1197226567
Debug Message: Overran end of MemBuffer.
ASSERT ERROR in file .\Source\memman.cpp at line 1143.
Debug Message: Clear data definitions.
Debug Message: Loading

----

I will also email it to gc2 site, but what do you all think?

Driver Date: 8/17/2001 08:19:26

Update that, and you should be fine.

Thats the audio driver BTW,
Creative isnt supporting the PCI 512 anymore, this is the last driver update on NOVEMBER 2001

WWW Link


He should still get that 1 is 3 month newer than the 1 he has, but I dont know if it will do any better, but it is BETTER than the Microsoft driver anyday.


Monc34

well still no dice. I tried your suggestion and boom, nothing. Is this one of those, reinstall scenarios?

UPDATE: I think it was the video card. I downgraded, and although the graphics are not pretty, (being 64 mb and all), there are no more crashes. So I wrote to ATI. As an interesting note, the card was HOT HOT HOT to the touch . . .hmmm.

Most video cards run hot. The 9800 GPU line "lives" between 48C and 70C.

But frying bacon (or cooking matzoh brie) hot? Iron my shirt hot? Hotter than Tarzan hot? Hotter than . .awww you get the drill, besides ATI sez they want to fix . . so we'll se what happens next.

--Matt
Acting low res

Hotter than Tarzan hot?

ZomG R0XoRZ LmFaOLOL , That wus Funny shyt man LOLLL

Im still laughing   

Well the funnier part will happen when I get the bill for fixing the thing. . .

Why didnt you just buy a newer card for the same price??

Dirt cheap cards are out now, probably 2-3 times faster than a 9800pro. Second person I find that is to attached to the card and cant sell it to get a new 1.

You could sell it to some1 for $50 and with the same money your using for the repair and shipping, you could get a new 1.

Personal opinion I guess...


Monc34

Which do you recommend for an aging P4, with an AGP slot>

Yea, you're limited with AGP, 9800 ATI or 6800 nVidia is it. Though both are decent cards and can handle modern games at lower video quality settings. I finally broke down and got a PCIe motherboard. It's not so bad really. Sure love my smokin fast video card.

Yea, you're limited with AGP, 9800 ATI or 6800 nVidia is it.

\

AGP models are avialble for Radeon up to x1600 and GeForce up to 7800, if you're willing to part with the price for them.

Debug Message: Version v1.0X.2 last updated on: Tue Mar 7 15:02:59 2006

How did you guys miss it on the first line?

He's running if not the first version of the game the 1.0x bonus pack. He needs to at least update to 1.2 Final don't you guys think?

Well I reinstalled all, so I have all the updates. I think the card was still at fault as I installed an older 64MD card from NVidia, and no crashes.

Which do you recommend for an aging P4, with an AGP slot>

AGP models are avialble for Radeon up to x1600 and GeForce up to 7800, if you're willing to part with the price for them.

This is one of the best sites to know what is the average price of Hardware. It has links to retailers.

I think that if your only have a limited budget, go with the 6600 or the cheap 6800GS, not the 1 without GS cuz it is much slower.

If you can churn out 30 bucks more, the 7600 GS is a very OK card, probably as fast or a little faster than my 6800 GT, and its only 99.99

This sounds funny Lol, "For 4 Payments of 24.99, youll get the BULLET IONIZER X-TREME RAZER VIDEO CARD series 7000, order now for a Limited Time offer, this is ONLY A TV OFFER YOU WILL NOW FIND ANYWHERE ELSE, NOT EVEN IN RETAILERS."

LoLL  

Ok Enough goofing around, here you got the 2 links:

VideCard Prices">Link

7600GS


Enjoy
Monc34

Don't know about the X1600, but I'm pretty sure you'd be hard pressed to find a 7800 in AGP. At that price, you could buy a new mother board (they're cheap) and a PCIe card. You'd have a much faster graphics system for the same price. Sometimes it's just not worth staving off the inevitable platform change.

Anyway, sounds like the OP just has a bad card and needs a new one. I suppose if ATI will replace if for free, that's cool. The 9800 isn't a bad card. Otherwise, don't waste your money with AGP, just knuckle under and update to PCIe.

Don't know about the X1600, but I'm pretty sure you'd be hard pressed to find a 7800 in AGP

Not really.

Yes Kyro but look:

CHEAP MOTHERBOARDS WITH PCIe 16x and 3 PCI, 4GB 240 DDR2">Link

ASUS P5GD2-X Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 915P ATX Intel Motherboard - OEM ($43.99)"">Link

You see, very cheap motherboards for his CPU, and if he doesnt have DDR2 , in the first link I gave him theres lots of other mobos he can choose from, the only bad thing is they are not as cheap, but he can still get that 1 and sell the DDR for new DDR2, and look at this

CHEAP 7800s"">Link

7800 GT for $199.99"

Thats almost $140+ of savings just because its an open box item, and Ive bought 3 items there, and they work perfectly fine.

Just trying to help the OP, but if he doesnt have the money, nothing we can do right??  


Monc34  

Thanks guys! I appreciate it. Now to convinve the missus that I need this. . .think I need a doom ray and and minimum Kanvium 2. . . . and hyperwarp . . .