Zoltec's 7.9 CTD Investigation Thread

Discussion in 'The Temple of Elemental Evil' started by Zoltec, Aug 21, 2013.

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  1. Zoltec

    Zoltec Pгōdigium

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    Okay, let's squeeze the "Game Resolution" under TFE-X options for "<retracted>bugs<retracted>".

    Windows XP SP3

    Native resolution -> 1360x768
    Deployed resolution -> 1024x768

    First run TFE-X
    Humble NPCs option not greyed out and locked, original ToEE module active, not found any problems during installation even if Humble NPCs option is unchecked.

    First run successful : Intros Enabled
    All intro playbacks in 1024x768 are successful.
    Encountered a transformation default UI to co8 UI when settings are altered and applied for the first time.

    Second run successful : Intros Enabled
    All intro playbacks in 1024x768 are successful.
    Encountered a transformation default text to co8 text on party selection.

    Third run not successful : Intros Enabled : Resolution not supported
    1280x960 tested intro playbacks "Atari", "Troika Games", and "Wizards of Coast" played successfully, crashed event upon loading of splash screen.

    Fourth run not successful : Intros Enabled : Resolution not supported
    1280x1024 tested intro playbacks "Atari", "Troika Games", and "Wizards of Coast" played successfully, crashed event upon loading of splash screen.

    Fifth run not successful : Intros Enabled : Resolution not supported
    1280x720 tested intro playbacks "Atari", "Troika Games", "Wizards of Coast", and splash screen <Initializing data sectors...> played successfully, crashed event upon the continuation of <Initializing data sectors...>.

    Sixth run not successful : Intros Enabled : Resolution not supported
    1280x768 tested intro playbacks "Atari", "Troika Games", "Wizards of Coast", and splash screen <Initializing data sectors...> played successfully, crashed event upon the continuation of <Initializing data sectors...>.

    Seventh run not successful : Intros Enabled : Resolution not supported
    1280x800 tested intro playbacks "Atari", "Troika Games", and "Wizards of Coast" played successfully, crashed event upon loading of splash screen.

    Eighth run not successful : Intros Enabled : Resolution not supported
    1440x900 tested intro playbacks "Atari", "Troika Games", and "Wizards of Coast" played successfully, crashed event upon loading of splash screen.

    Ninth run not successful : Intros Enabled : Resolution not supported
    1680x1050 tested intro playbacks "Atari", "Troika Games", and "Wizards of Coast" played successfully, crashed event upon loading of splash screen.

    Tenth run not successful : Intros Enabled : Resolution not supported
    800x600 tested intro playbacks "Atari", "Troika Games", and "Wizards of Coast" played successfully, crashed event upon loading of splash screen.

    Eleventh run not successful : Intros Enabled : Resolution supported
    1024x768 tested intro playbacks "Atari", "Troika Games", "Wizards of Coast", and splash screen <Initializing data sectors...> played successfully, crashed event upon the continuation of <Initializing data sectors...>.

    Geez! My resolution upon selection of unsupported resolutions eventually crashed my desktop resolution 1024x768. Heh, I think this is how it corrupts the game "Me thinks" <Scorpp>
     
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2013
    Zoltec, Aug 21, 2013
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  2. Agetian

    Agetian Attorney General Administrator

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    @ Zoltec: This is not a TFE-X bug at all. If the game has crashed once for whatever reason it crashes it will keep crashing until you fully reboot the system. The exact cause of this is unknown but it may be due to some code or options being cached in some way by the OS. If you didn't crash in 1024x768 and then you switch resolutions and the game crashes and then you switch back to 1024x768, you'll still crash at least until you reboot your PC. TFE-X correctly switches resolutions back and forth, you can check the .cfg file. Neither it does any extra injects into the .dll depending on which resolution you have chosen, you can run a binary comparison of the dll's to confirm that. It doesn't make any other unwanted changes depending on the resolution you choose either, you can run a side-by-side file comparison to see that. :p

    Meh, this thread has become corrupted beyond all possible limits. I may consider cleaning it up or closing it until certain major issues with *the game* (I stress that again) are resolved. It's just too easy to blame TFE-X for every single issue in the world, no scientific ground is really necessary. It's as simple as "I ran the game through the front-end, the game eventually crashed, so the front-end is to blame". However, if you repeat these steps by manually installing the game and the mod without the front-end at all, manually setting the resolution in this order, and thus making the game crash, you will witness the same repercussions as you are experiencing right now.

    - Agetian
     
    Agetian, Aug 21, 2013
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  3. Zoltec

    Zoltec Pгōdigium

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    Note: Co8 Module v7.9 is activated, installation is successful without a hitch.

    I have to retract the bug thing, sorry :), but I think the function eventually corrupts the game after selections of unsupported resolutions.

    Added: Why don't you implement a detection component, to read the supported resolution of the hardware, so starters can't mess with them and avoid some phenomenal corruptions.
     
    Zoltec, Aug 21, 2013
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  4. Agetian

    Agetian Attorney General Administrator

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    It's not as easy as it sounds, Java is a high level language that does not immediately have access to low level drivers and hardware functionality like that, at least without proper library support. If anybody knows a good enough cross-platform library that would allow that, as well as a bug-proof way to implement it, TFE-X is open source, a patch submission is welcome. Otherwise, this will have to wait until I find enough time to find the proper way to implement this, as well as test it thoroughly on a variety of platforms to make sure it doesn't introduce any extra problems.

    As of right now, TFE-X lists all resolutions ToEE is known to work well with given the adequate hardware (video card + monitor + driver) support. Phenomenal corruptions are actually something that should not happen with the game, if the resolution is unsupported by the hardware the game should not even be able to switch to it. If it is supported by the hardware and the driver lets the game switch to the said resolution, it shouldn't CTD because of it. The fact that it does indicates that something [else] is majorly wrong, but, unfortunately, it is as of yet unknown what exactly and what to do with it.

    P.S. A detection component would not help if the driver reports the resolution as supported but the game CTDs when switching back and forth from and to that resolution.

    - Agetian
     
    Agetian, Aug 21, 2013
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  5. Zoltec

    Zoltec Pгōdigium

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    Okay, let me restart my comp. I need to make sure all will be well. :)
     
    Zoltec, Aug 21, 2013
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  6. Agetian

    Agetian Attorney General Administrator

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    Sure thing, let me know how it goes! Also, did you try the reinstallation steps written in "v7.9 Known issues" (and, as such, you're still experiencing the issues after reinstalling it like that) or are you still running your old installation?

    - Agetian
     
    Agetian, Aug 21, 2013
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  7. Zoltec

    Zoltec Pгōdigium

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    Restarted sucessfully!

    I cannot revive my ToEE anymore... It doesn't play anymore after two times of execution
    1024x768 tested intro playbacks "Atari", "Troika Games", "Wizards of Coast", and splash screen <Loading protos (cleaning old protos)...> played successfully, crashed event upon the continuation of <Loading protos (cleaning old protos)...>.

    Ugh. I thought it would be okay if I restarted... Theories are really twisted with ToEE. :no:

    I have a fresh install of ToEE patch-up with 2.0, Installed Co8 modpack v7.9, with no problems, activated the module with no problems, then the testing begand.

    I haven't referred yet with the re-installation steps, but I'm sure on what should be done so. :)
     
    Zoltec, Aug 21, 2013
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  8. Agetian

    Agetian Attorney General Administrator

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    @ Zoltec: This is weird, I'm unable to reproduce this here and I haven't yet heard about the crashes still continuing after a system restart... :\ Does launching the game windowed help?

    - Agetian
     
    Agetian, Aug 21, 2013
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  9. Zoltec

    Zoltec Pгōdigium

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    Yeah, it does help. But you know ToEE skipped the final intro movie after splash screen. Have to test more.
     
    Zoltec, Aug 21, 2013
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  10. Zoltec

    Zoltec Pгōdigium

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    So I thought ToEE would be okay after my successful window mode launch, but it doesn't for the fullscreen mode. Same error. CTD @ Loading protos (cleaning old...)

    This is getting more bizzarre...
     
    Zoltec, Aug 21, 2013
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  11. Agetian

    Agetian Attorney General Administrator

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    @ Zoltec: Yeah, it is strange indeed. Not sure what to do with it yet and still no idea what brings about the crash... :\

    - Agetian
     
    Agetian, Aug 21, 2013
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  12. Zoltec

    Zoltec Pгōdigium

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    Hmm.. I want to check what does the Loading protos (cleaning old...what?) does, and I peaked at your clean game cache a while ago. :p
     
    Zoltec, Aug 21, 2013
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  13. Agetian

    Agetian Attorney General Administrator

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    @ Zoltec: The clean game cache routine was done by every TFE-X in existence and even before TFE-X by ToEEFE. It's a necessary step to prevent some odd in-game bugs and crashes. By the way, keeping the game cache does not solve the issue you're dealing with (easily tested by starting toee.exe directly once).

    A crazy thing to try though: if you're on Windows 7 (or Vista, or 8), *rename* the game folder and see if you can then launch TFE-X without administrative permissions and get it to start the game. If it does, maybe it'll stop crashing for you (that's what stopped the crashes on my Win 7 system). If it doesn't though, see if you can try those steps from the 7.9 Known issues thread completely and see if that helps. ;)

    - Agetian
     
    Agetian, Aug 21, 2013
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  14. Zoltec

    Zoltec Pгōdigium

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    I see cleaning .pyc scripts and files with no extensions should do what you say. Well, as indicated in my post I'm using Windows XP. ;) I'm re-activating the Co8 module atm. :)

    If this one fixes the bug, then finally we can rest. The team will just track down the corrupted one.
     
    Zoltec, Aug 21, 2013
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  15. Zoltec

    Zoltec Pгōdigium

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    Re: ToEE Front-End X 4.0 Discussion Thread

    Okay. It's still not working after the re-activation. I'll do again a full re-install.

    Even though the files are re-installed and re-newed it still doesn't work, so the culprit is not anywhere on the Co8 modpack. If you catch my drift, you'll know what I'm looking for.
     
    Zoltec, Aug 21, 2013
    #15
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