Game crashes while initializing graphics

[unmerged(2355)]

I got the game this morning. I installed it, and installed the v1.01 patch as well. I then ran the game, and it crashed while initializing the graphics. I reinstalled, and tried to run it without the patch (v1.0). No difference. I kept restarting my computer and trying again - sometimes (seemingly by pure chance, since I can't remember changing anything inbetween) it actually worked. I managed to get both version 1.0 and version 1.01 to run once. However, the next time I ran it it crashed. Since my computer was acting up a bit (runtime errors in explorer.exe and so on) I thought I might have a virus or some corrupt files. So I wiped my hard drive totally clean (fdisk, format, and reinstalled windows).

The first time I ran it (1.0) it worked. I thought my problems were solved. I played through the first tutorial (the interface) without problems, then quit to initiate an unrelated download in LeapFTP. Before initiating the download, though, I restarted the computer. After initiating the download, I tried to continue through the tutorials (while LeapFTP was running) but it crashed again. I ran dxdiag - all the tests passed. I renamed the avi and music folders. I cleared out the c:\windows\temp directory. I ran it again - no dice. I cancelled the download, restarted, closed all programs except explorer, rnaapp, and systray, and tried again. Crashed to desktop. Out of sheer frustration, as I am now at my wits end, I just kept running it about 10 times in a row. It seems to crash replicably after about 2.5 seconds from the time when the initialization process begins. But in the past it has crashed later on (as much as 10 seconds after the process begins, but always during initializing graphics). I have also applied the patch, which changes nothing.

I am at my wits end. I have got the latest graphics drivers - doesn't help. I have DirectX 8.1. I tried the resolution at both 800x600 and 1024x768, and I have disabled music in the setup.

These are my specs:

Version: North American

Patch: tried both 1.0 and 1.01 - most efforts concentrated on 1.01

OS: Win98

CPU: Celeron 366 Mhz (not overclocked)

Memory: 128MB

Free space: 4.19GB

Video Card: Voodoo 3 2000

Sound Card: Reveal SC4000 (a piece of crap, about 10 yrs old, but works fine)

CD-ROM: Samsung 52X Max

Ethernet card: Realtek RTL8029(AS)

I have read the "you must read this" thread - several times, in fact.

The other 2 games installed on my computer, EU2 and TOAW:COW, worked fine before and after the reinstallation of Windows.

EDIT: the last entry in savedebug.txt is always "Initializing map"

 

[unmerged(6777)]

Your 128Mb RAM is a little on the "skinny" side since Windows will eat up a ton of this but that is probably not the cause of the problem. Have you tried reducing or disabling the hardware acceleration of your graphics card?

Start-->Control Panel-->Display-->Settings-->Advanced...

 

[verbal]

What resolution are you running the game in? Check to make sure you have the latest video card drivers. If that doesn't work you could try downloading a new driver from www.reactorcritical.com. The drivers from rector critcal are not produced by the video card manufacturers and are setup to boost the performance of the card.

 

[unmerged(1492)]

"CPU: Celeron 366 Mhz (not overclocked) "

celerons are BAD processers. Bad...Bad...Bad.


"Memory: 128MB "

Should be fine. I ran it on 64mb DDR. And win98 Does not use that much RAM. XP is the one that is RAM hungry (98mb just to run)



"Video Card: Voodoo 3 2000 "

This is old. 3dfx were bought out by Nvidia eons ago. You can still get voodoo drivers here www.voodoofiles.com

Check it out.

These drivers are BETA and mostly worked on by volunteers. USE CAREFULLY!


You should be able to run the game. But it sounds like your video card is the problem.

 

[unmerged(1492)]

DP: and try to check out the drivers

 

[unmerged(2355)]

Guys,

thanks very much for your suggestions. Basically, shortly after I posted, I reinstalled the game for the umpteenth time, and it worked. I played through all the tutorials and started a game as South Africa, which I played all night until now (1.30am), without any CTDs. I am reluctantly hauling my ass to bed. This is the frustrating thing - it is clearly capable of working, it just often doesn't, and it is seemingly random whether it works or not. Hopefully it keeps working now - I have run it about 5 times now without any crashes.

If it bombs out again I will definitely try your suggestions - especially the video card drivers. My drivers are the latest manufacturer drivers, but they are still way old (about 2 yrs).

btw, 50cal, what is wrong with a Celeron? I have had mine for several years, and it works just fine. Although it is so unstable as to be useless when overclocked, I think it was excellent value for money.

 

[unmerged(1492)]

Old celerons are only 33mhz FSB. Even the latest Celerons sport a flashy "2 ghz" advertisment. Sadly, they only have 133 front side bus. In case you dont understand (You sound like you do, but this is for readers in general)


The processer speed technically is 366meghertz. However, where does the processed information go? A pipeline determines how fast the P.I. travels to the neccessary devices. If the front side bus of a processer is only say, 33mhz. Then that is the real speed of a system.

Celerons dont overclock well. AMD's are great overclockers. Just make sure you have alot of fans in there.hehe

 

[unmerged(7156)]

Originally posted by La Reconquista
Guys,

thanks very much for your suggestions. Basically, shortly after I posted, I reinstalled the game for the umpteenth time, and it worked. I played through all the tutorials and started a game as South Africa, which I played all night until now (1.30am), without any CTDs. I am reluctantly hauling my ass to bed. This is the frustrating thing - it is clearly capable of working, it just often doesn't, and it is seemingly random whether it works or not. Hopefully it keeps working now - I have run it about 5 times now without any crashes.

If it bombs out again I will definitely try your suggestions - especially the video card drivers. My drivers are the latest manufacturer drivers, but they are still way old (about 2 yrs).

btw, 50cal, what is wrong with a Celeron? I have had mine for several years, and it works just fine. Although it is so unstable as to be useless when overclocked, I think it was excellent value for money.

Celeron 366 should run the game fine, even if it's on the low end of the spectrum of processors (Pentium II 300 ~= Celeron 366)

I think it's the video card to blame; with each new iteration of DirectX those old 3dfx drivers show their age more and more. You can try to find new drivers as 50cal mentioned at www.voodoofiles.com ; maybe you should look into asking for a new card for Christmas!

 

[unmerged(7156)]

Originally posted by 50cal
Old celerons are only 33mhz FSB. Even the latest Celerons sport a flashy "2 ghz" advertisment. Sadly, they only have 133 front side bus. In case you dont understand (You sound like you do, but this is for readers in general)


The processer speed technically is 366meghertz. However, where does the processed information go? A pipeline determines how fast the P.I. travels to the neccessary devices. If the front side bus of a processer is only say, 33mhz. Then that is the real speed of a system.

Celerons dont overclock well. AMD's are great overclockers. Just make sure you have alot of fans in there.hehe

Actually, first generation Celerons have a front side bus (FSB) speed of 66 Mhz, not 33 Mhz. In fact, even later first-model Pentiums had bus speeds of 50 or 66 Mhz, with 33 only being used (if I'm not mistaken) up to the Pentium 100 Mhz chip (3 multiplier X 33 Mhz FSB = 100 Mhz.)

While this is slower to the otherwise-very-similar Pentium II's standard FSB of 100 Mhz, this will not cause as great a slowdown as you are saying. The system does not run at 66 Mhz, it simply moves information around (say from RAM to CPU) at that speed. Since you rarely send as much information as you crunch to yield the end result, it becomes an issue only in certain circumstances.

End result: A Celeron 400, for example, was about 10-15% slower overall than a Pentium-II 400.

Meanwhile, the very latest Celerons do indeed have a 133 Mhz FSB, "quad-pumped" (like the other Pentium IVs) to emulate 533 Mhz. Essentially, there are four 133 Mhz pipes for information to go from one place to another (CPU->memory or memory->video card), which is not true 533 Mhz FSB which would be one huge pipe.

Celerons do overclock well. Some of those latest 2 Ghz pieces overclock to 3 Ghz. However, I officially cannot condone oveclocking. And to any of you overclockers out there - I don't care how stable you say your system is, try to set your CPU back to manufacturer specs before posting a problem here - trust me, I know this from personal experience!

 

[unmerged(2355)]

maybe you should look into asking for a new card for Christmas!

Will do. Most definitely will do. I have had GTA3 and Operation Flashpoint on my shelf for months - I bought them when I was still naive enough to think that my PC could handle them. Would love to try them out.