Odd start-up CTDs

[schlechter pfennig]

Ooookay . . . before I even start, let me make one thing absolutely clear: I am not blaming any mod, file, software, etc., for the problem. For all I know it's something to do with my system but, in any event, all I'm doing is detailing what's been happening, and hopefully someone(s) can figger out what's up.

Now that I've gotten the disclaimer out . . .

I have a HP Pavilion 061 with Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600, and processor x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 9 GenuineIntel ~3065 Mhz, with 2Gb RAM. The graphics card is an ATI RADEON HD 4650 with 1Gb RAM, Driver Version 8.712.0.0.

Up until very recently, I've mostly been running 1.4 patched SHIII along with the various incarnations of GWX. As of now I'm running GWX 3.0. I also start all careers and missions using SH3 Commander, which my current version is 3.2.0.203.

Coupla of weeks ago, when I'd read the topic [REL] Aces' Multimod compatability fix release v1.0. I thought I'd try out the mods mentioned, since they seemed rather nifty. I downloaded, extracted and placed the mods in my MODS folder, jsgme activated them, fired up SH3 Commander and started SHIII. I experienced a 10-15 minute load-up time which finally terminated in a CTD. After posting about that the general consensus was that my system specs (particularly RAM) weren't sufficient to handle all those mods. Here is the list of the original mods I'd tried:

GWX 3 Wilhemshafen,St Naz,Schluese and xtra ships V5
LifeBoats&Debris_v4
GWX - 16km Atmosphere
GWX - No Medals on Crew
GWX_DFa-Flag&Pens_2010
FM30_UpDown_final
FM_NewInterior_V1.0
Conning Tower open Hatch TestFMfood
Depthcharge Shake v2.01
Urfischs_ModStrike_Beta1
Waterstream+Exhaust Combi V2.3 for GWX3
New Uboat Guns 1.2
Aces' Multimod compatability fix release v1.0
Tikigod's - Engine Order Telegraph (German)
Torpedo damage Final ver2.0
torpedo trail and wake fix

I went back and, using jsgme (and a hearty, hefty and most sincere thanks to JScones, too, for that program!) deactivated all the mods then reactivated all save a few; this was the new list:

GWX - 16km Atmosphere
GWX - Enhanced Damage Effects
GWX - No Medals on Crew
GWX 3 Wilhemshafen,St Naz,Schluese and xtra ships V5
LifeBoats&Debris_v4
GWX_DFa-Flag&Pens_2010
FM30_UpDown_final
Conning Tower open Hatch TestFMfood
Depthcharge Shake v2.01
Urfischs_ModStrike_Beta1
Waterstream+Exhaust Combi V2.3 for GWX3
New Uboat Guns 1.2
Aces' Multimod compatability fix release v1.0
Tikigod's - Engine Order Telegraph (German)
Torpedo damage Final ver2.0
torpedo trail and wake fix

It had also been suggested that I try running Game Booster, a program that shuts down unneccessary services and frees up RAM prior to running the game, so I'd downloaded, installed and ran it prior to starting. I then restarted SHIII direct and, after another 10 - 15 minute load time, the game started and ran flawlessly. After that patrol was over I exited the game, started SH3 Commander to update patrol logs and crew lists, the started SHIII using Commander.

This time, using the same mods that worked before, the game CTD just like the first time. And, like the first time, I deactivated all mods then reactivated them again, less a couple that I thought might be RAM-intensive; here is that list:

GWX 3 Wilhemshafen,St Naz,Schluese and xtra ships V5
LifeBoats&Debris_v4
Wac Animated Sub Pens interior start for GWX
GWX - 16km Atmosphere
GWX - Integrated Orders
GWX - No Medals on Crew
New Uboat Guns 1.2
Urfischs_ModStrike_Beta1
Waterstream+Exhaust Combi V2.3 for GWX3
Tikigod's - Engine Order Telegraph (German)
Torpedo damage Final ver2.0
torpedo trail and wake fix
Depthcharge Shake v2.01
Aces' Combined SH3.SDL Files v2

Since I'd already started SHIII using SH3 Commander, and any settings for that patrol should have been saved, I simply restarted SHIII direct, as I had before. And, like before, after a long load up time the game started, ran perfectly without a hitch, and I finished that mission.

After exiting, I tweaked the mod list a little, adding 4 small mods that should have had no impact on performance. I ran Game Booster, fired up Commander and started up SHIII . . . and CTDed after 10 plus minutes.

This time, though, instead of deactivating any mods in an effort to try not overloading my system, I just started up SHIII direct without any mod modifications . . . and it loaded without a hitch.

I'm not sure what's going on, but it appears as if, any time I run SH3 Commander and then use that to start SHIII and take it all the way thru to starting a mission that I CTD. And when I just start SHIII direct I don't CTD.

I am not blaming SH3 Commander. I've used it far too often in the past without any problems at all. I'm just very puzzled as to what's going on.

[schlechter pfennig]

Ummm . . . anyone gots any ideers?

[Wreford-Brown]

This sounds like the problems I have when I create a new mod and have to test that it works. The only way you'll tell which mod is causing the problems is by enabling each mod one at a time and using the same savegame.

Try this:
1. Enable the GWX 3 Wilhelmshaven mod and check that the game loads OK.
2. Rather than returning to base, save your game (try calling it 'Test') and exit.
3. Reload your game with the 'Test' savegame - as long as it loads it will give you a baseline that you know works.
4. Exit all the way out of SH3 and enable each mod one at a time.
5. After enabling each mod reload SH3 using the 'Test' savegame and you should find out what's causing your CTDs.
6. Once you know what's causing them, let us know and maybe we can solve the problem.

It's long, laborious and boring but it's the only way to find out where your problems are. Testing my latest VonDos' ships mod took about five weeks before all the problems were ironed out. Try using Sailor Steve's loading screens and invest in a good book - they'll take some of the pain out of staring at the load screens!

[asanovic7]

the only flaw in sh3..
loading times..

[schlechter pfennig]

Originally Posted by Wreford-Brown

This sounds like the problems I have when I create a new mod and have to test that it works. The only way you'll tell which mod is causing the problems is by enabling each mod one at a time and using the same savegame.

Maybe I wasn't making myself clear. This is very good advice if you're having CTD problems with SHIII itself. But I'm not. As long as I direct-load SHIII it works fine (albeit taking up to 20 minutes to load). The trouble I'm encountering is when I run SH3 Commander and use that to start up SHIII. And it seems to be an intermittent problem at that.

It's been suggested to me that, perhaps, the waterstream and exhaust mod might be the culprit: something about problems with the VII boats. It might very well be that, too, as since I've upgraded to the IX I've been able to cold-start from Commander without a hitch, and that was even after adding a few more mods to the mix.

[Cheapskate]

I think your problems may well be caused (at least in part) by your discrepant type VII interior files.

As mentioned by Privateer on your other thread, your modlist does not include any open hatch mod - yet your screenshots show you have one...on the Control Room side at least!!

And the content and sizes do not match with those to be expected on a GWX setup.

Furthermore, the interior graphics shown in your pics are those from NYGM/WAC - not GWX.

Possibly time for a GWX reinstall??

[schlechter pfennig]

Originally Posted by Cheapskate

I think your problems may well be caused (at least in part) by your discrepant type VII interior files.

As mentioned by Privateer on your other thread, your modlist does not include any open hatch mod - yet your screenshots show you have one...on the Control Room side at least!!

And the content and sizes do not match with those to be expected on a GWX setup.

Furthermore, the interior graphics shown in your pics are those from NYGM/WAC - not GWX.

Possibly time for a GWX reinstall??

Ordinarily I'd agree with you. However, I'd been given this PC about a month ago, and I know for a fact it has never had SHIII, in any of its incarnations, on it before. The reason I'm running SHIII on it isn't that it's more advanced than my old rig, but that it has a PCI express bus, whereas my old PC only has PCI. So I could get a much better video card for it than I could on my old one.

I'd done a clean install of SHIII by redownloading my purchase from Direct-2-Drive, then did a clean install of GWX 3 (after first doing a JoneSoft MD5Mate on all the files).

Over a couple of weeks I'd added quite a few mods, one of which was Conning Tower open Hatch TestFMfood. The screenshot was taken immediately after deactivating that one, but I'm not sure if something went hinky during the deactivation or not.

When I fully deactivated everything, the file sizes do match the GWX-expected file sizes.

I haven't been having any troubles since upgrading to the Type IX, which makes me wonder if there's something funky about the Type VII and some of the mods I'd tried running.

[Cheapskate]

Originally Posted by schlechter pfennig

When I fully deactivated everything, the file sizes do match the GWX-expected file sizes.

Aha! That's a step in the right direction. Did you do a test run with a Typ VII at that time?

If not, you could maybe try running one of the historical missions (say Scapa Flow) with a type VII and all mods disabled.

If your base GWX install is intact it should show the interior with the correct graphics,fully staffed Radio/Sonar rooms and without any open hatch elements whatsoever.

If that works OK, then add your mods one at a time, testing each one, until the culprit which is causing problems with your Typ VII's is revealed.


Edit: You might find the following utility very useful when doing extensive testing:-

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=1082

This greatly reduces load times. Don't forget to disable it when resuming your campaign mode tho - otherwise your patrols will be distinctly uneventful!!

[evan82]

Originally Posted by schlechter pfennig

GWX 3 Wilhemshafen,St Naz,Schluese and xtra ships V5
LifeBoats&Debris_v4
Wac Animated Sub Pens interior start for GWX
GWX - 16km Atmosphere
GWX - Integrated Orders
GWX - No Medals on Crew
New Uboat Guns 1.2
Urfischs_ModStrike_Beta1
Waterstream+Exhaust Combi V2.3 for GWX3
Tikigod's - Engine Order Telegraph (German)
Torpedo damage Final ver2.0
torpedo trail and wake fix
Depthcharge Shake v2.01
Aces' Combined SH3.SDL Files v2

I see many mods here and probably many numbers of possible colisions beetween not only ID, but also beetween other things like bad configuration in SNS files , or maybe broken textures, bugs in Campaign files. This could be everything of that. Just a few days ago I found bad sensors configuration in two CFG SNS files and few bugs in my dat files of the few aircrafts and bad plane configuration in few air bases and aircraft carrier cfg files. Now I haven't ctd, but I spend 2 days for searching this bugs. Maybe I will try FM interior mod once again now FM interior mod is very good, but also heavy, and You also should know this if You like to use this mod.