[torpedobait]

While this may be glitch somewhere in my setup, it is worth reporting the happenings.

On 1/13/1943 Balao started a new patrol out of Perth-Fremantle. Route was up through Lombok Passage and Makassar Strait, across Celebes and Sulu Seas and up the West side of PI to Area A2.

We encountered numerous targets along the way up the Makassar Strait, enough to warrant heading over to Halmahera for replenishment. Headed back to Celebes Sea to continue original routing. Once again encountered numerous targets, this time in Mindoro Strait and just west of Lingayen Gulf. Took a Save there, but game CTD'd shortly after attacking and sinking most of a convoy. I had been messing with TC because it was getting late, but had not exceeded 2048 as far as I remember. Tried to reload the last Save, but that did not work (the old Game Stopped Running message). Had to go back to one where we were still crossing the Sulu Sea. That loaded, and we went on to again encounter that convoy. Expended all but five torpedoes before reaching designated ops area. Passed on attacking an IJN TF on 1/9/1944 (12:20) at 119-10E; 19-10N due to proximity of escorts and low stores, so went back to Halmahera one more time. By this time we had a large accumulation of tonnage but wanted more. What's the point of refueling and taking on a new load of torpedoes if you don't try to use them?

So, knowing the stats were overloaded and the dangers to game performance that entails, took several saves on the way back to the Ops area. Found another convoy, but game immediately CTD'd when I increased TC to 1024. Reloaded a save from the last crossing of the Sulu Sea. Traveled North and had another CTD, again on TC. Ok, now I'm pissed and it's late, but I reload the successful saved game and went back. This time when I encountered a target, the CTD came at TC=1. Off to bed I went.

The next morning (Friday, Aug.10) I try again, this time thinking that because of all the detail in the saved game I probably overloaded the game and/or my system's ability to handle it (doubtful on that one) I restarted the patrol from Perth-Fremantle. This time I took a more direct route to Halmahera via Timor and up towards Buna. I took care to not exceed 2048 TC,when I reached a point just north of Buna and encountered a slew of fishing boats I slowed to TC=1 to check them out. Bingo! CTD.

I'm starting to think the whole patrol is buggy. On the last CTD I was starting from the Office, had accumulated no kills, and was at TC=1. I could understand a CTD if it came after reloading a Saved game, or if the Saved game carried a heavy load of kills and a bunch of new ship/convoy encounters, but not under the last set of circumstances.

I'm going to abandon the patrol as soon as I start it, taking my lumps for not following orders and achieving zero tonnage, and see what the next patrol brings. This one is killing me!

The one thing I did not do, but should have, was to clear memory, cache, whatever by restarting my system. I suppose memory could have been affected, maybe. I did verify that LAA was set properly, that I was running Smart Game Booster 4 with all unnecessary processes stopped, but that made no difference at all.

Not asking for resolution; just want to get it on the report as unusual events. I haven't given Propbeanie a headache for a while, so I guess it's time I did. Thanks for listening!