W.T.F.?!?!?! Complete reinstall.

[sansavarous]

This is something that I don't understand. :(

I have reinstalled my system, Windows 2000, and Caesar IV is still crashing when attempting to open trade routes on the empire screen. :eek:

Here's what I did.

1. Reinstalled Windows 2000. :eek: In the process of reinstalling I blew away my system partition. I store my windows system on one partition and data on another partition. This way I can save my files and reinstall my system if I need to.

2. Installed the latest video driver from nvidia.

3. Updated to service pack 4. Then ran the update windows program from microsoft. I ran this updating the critical OS patches. I did not update IE or any optional updates. I ran the updater several times updating and rebooting each time untill there were no more critical patches avaliable.

4. Installed the latest driver for my sound card.

5. Popped in the Caesar IV disk and ran the install, installing Caesar IV to a new directory on my data drive. It installed DirectX, .NET, and the ODBC.

6. Ran the patch to patch Caesar IV up to version 1.1

7. Rebooted one last time, loaded up Caesar IV, went into the first Republic mission (Syracusae), went to the Empire screen, selected a trade route (Latium), clicked open trade route, got the confirm to pay yes or no, clicked yes and... BLAMMO :mad: crash. This happens every time and is recreateable.

This is exactly what has been happening to me the whole time. I've done all the troubleshooting and research that I can think of. I've even wiped my drive and reinstalled. W.T.F. is up with this software? Is there something on my system that does not meet the minimum requirements? Is there a driver I still need to update from wiping my system drive? What am I missing?

I've also added a DxDiag.txt and a copy of the entry that shows up in my application error log.
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[gstommylee]

I had the similar problem with the opeing trade route, but i was able to get around it. Try building up the city with houses farming and start producing potery then try to open up the trade route.

[sansavarous]

That is barely a suitable work around.

I want to be able to open trade routes as it appears the game is designed to do.

If the developers don't want us opening up trade routes untill we have some raw goods then put in a check condition for the raw goods.

I want to be able to plan my city with the routes open and the trade ports placed. To play the game as it appears to be designed.

If there is some design flaw, which seeing the number of people having the exact or similar problems, then either fix it or admit there is a design flaw.
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[vic_4]

That is barely a suitable work around.

I want to be able to open trade routes as it appears the game is designed to do.

If the developers don't want us opening up trade routes untill we have some raw goods then put in a check condition for the raw goods.

I want to be able to plan my city with the routes open and the trade ports placed. To play the game as it appears to be designed.

If there is some design flaw, which seeing the number of people having the exact or similar problems, then either fix it or admit there is a design flaw.
It is a problem linked to the build of the computer, since many of us never have the problem, that is why the devs ask to send as much information as possible to solve the problem.

[Keith]

One of the ladies just posted that she fixed her trade route open crash problem by updating her video drivers and her motherboard drivers.

Another person stopped the crashes by disabling his second hard drive. Multiple hard drive is something the devs are apparently checking out in regards to this problem.

And like I said over on your post on the Sierra board, your dxdiag.txt file only shows that you have DX9 version .0904 installed and not the required .2180 version.

I know you said you would try reinstalling the game DX9 and NETFramework 2.0 from the game. Let us know how that goes.

[sansavarous]

I've got industry standard installs of industry standard hardware.

Be it an old system it still meets or exceeds the minimum requirements listed.

I've also done a fresh OS install with all the patches that microsoft recomends.

Saying that I've an unusual build is like saying that I'm driving an electric car when I'm really driving a FORD.
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[Manni]

That is barely a suitable work around.

I want to be able to open trade routes as it appears the game is designed to do.

If the developers don't want us opening up trade routes untill we have some raw goods then put in a check condition for the raw goods.

Quite right!
The option for trade-routes should not be available then in the first place or later when things are running in the city.

But it IS available!

[sansavarous]

Just finished downloading directx_aug2006_redist.exe, and am about to install it.

When I pulled down dxwebsetup.exe it said my system was up to date with the .0904 install from the CD.
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[Keith]

Strange. I don't know why dxdiag says you have .0904 then. It should be .2180.

[sansavarous]

Got done doing the new DirectX, looks like the same versions.

Still have the same issue.

I've checked on almost all the hardware I've got, no updates, no new drivers.

If I was getting random crashes, or other odd problems then I'd be worried about my system. Thing is it's only on the empire window when doing the trade routes.

The demo ran fine on my system.

I've attached a current DxDiag.txt with all the new settings.
I'm gonna go play and see if it crashes anywhere else.
At least I can enjoy the first two missions before the trade crash bug makes it hard to play.
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[gstommylee]

keith i have 3 drives one for XP one for vista and one for the gaming files. I just reformated my XP drive and will be installing the latest ati drivers and will gonna see if that does the trick before posting my Dxdiag.

[Keith]

sansavarous, I don't know what to tell you about the dx9 version number. It may have something to do with the fact you are running Win2K and not XP.

[Keith]

keith i have 3 drives one for XP one for vista and one for the gaming files. I just reformated my XP drive and will be installing the latest ati drivers and will gonna see if that does the trick before posting my Dxdiag.

We're here when your ready. :)

[sansavarous]

Ok here is the proccess I've now gone through to get this game going.

I've done a clean windows install with one partition and just the CD/DVD drive that I have as follows.

1. Clean up the system so I have one HD on the first IDE bus as master and the CD/DVD drive on the second IDE bus as slave.

2. Setup the system with one visable partition on the first HD, hide any other partitions.

3. Install windows 2000, reboot.

4. Install Partition Magic 6.0, reboot.

5. Make sure that windows can only see one parition and that there is only one CD/DVD drive.

6. Install Service pack 4, reboot.

7. Run the updates from the Windows Update on the start menu, install via express button untill there are no more express, then do custom and install all patches/updates. Reboot TEN :eek: times.

8. Install the latest video driver from Nvidia, reboot.

9. Install the latest sound driver from creative, reboot.

10. Run the Windows Update from the start menu to be sure there are no more updates, reboot.

11. Install the ODBC from the CD, install DirectX from the CD, install .net 2.0 from the CD, reboot.

12. Install the game from the CD, which reinstalls DirectX from the CD and also reinstalls .net 2.0 and the ODBC, reboot.

13. Check to see if when doing the first Republic mission (Syracusae), went to the Empire screen, selected a trade route (Latium), clicked open trade route, got the confirm to pay yes or no, clicked yes and... BLAMMO crash, no suprise there, reboot.

14. Patch Caesar IV with the 1.1 patch, reboot.

15. Once again try doing the first Republic mission (Syracusae), went to the Empire screen, selected a trade route (Latium), clicked open trade route, got the confirm to pay yes or no, clicked yes and... BLAMMO crash, no suprise there, reboot.

16. Run defrag and scandisk, reboot.

17. Check (for the fourth time) for updates to my video card, BIOS, sound card, motherboard, network card, CD drive, HD drive drivers, and Windows Updates. No updates found.

18. Run DxDiag and post here with what it found.

19. Play what I can of the game, it's actually quite fun. Pray that I can get a trade route open after doing some building, that work around seems to work. Only I can't open more then two or three or the game crashes every time I go to the empire screen to look at trade routes.


So what have I learned? Well to fully install a windows 2000 system from start to finish with all patches and all updates takes about three to four hours and 17 to 20 reboots. Will I be reinstalling any time soon, don't think so. Am I upset YES :mad:

I got the game on Friday last week, the store has a seven day return policy. If I don't have a fix, patch, or way to play the game as it appears to be designed I'll have no choice other then to return it before then.

If anybody has any suggestions as to something I missed or could do diffrently to try to get the game to work the way it appears to be intended and designed please post, let me know. I'd like to play the game fully.
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[Jacquou Le]

...

And like I said over on your post on the Sierra board, your dxdiag.txt file only shows that you have DX9 version .0904 installed and not the required .2180 version.

...

It seems that I have the same problem. I already installed DX9 comes with the game, but it still shows .0904.

I have NO problem with trade route open thinggie as anyone have. Just wondering about DX9 version #.

[sansavarous]

Ok here's what I did.

I read the post by Nero at Tilted Mill about a Possible solution to trade routes crash (http://www.tiltedmill.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10474).

I figured why not give it a try so this is what I did.

Open NewConstants.txt file located at "Caesar Dir\Data"

Find:
Code:

EmpireLevel/TradeRoutePolys;bool;1

Replace to:
Code:

EmpireLevel/TradeRoutePolys;bool;0

Start Caesar and try again the trade routes.

Then I loaded the game started the first empire mission, went to the trade screen and clicked open trade route. I fully expected when I clicked yes that the game would crash.

SWEET it didn't crash, I then figured I'd push my luck. I opened the other three trade routes and WOO HOO all three opened.

The biggest diffrence other then not crashing I noticed is the lines connecting my city and the trade city were much thinner.

Once I'm home from work tonight I'll play and test the game, if all works you probably won't see me on the boards much.

WOO HOO! This fixed it appears.
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