Problem with Lorient

[KeybdFlyer]

I'm at June 1941 in a Type VIIC and based at Lorient. Got back to port, did the crew award screen and dropped out of the game to get some sleep. Upon reloading the next day, I clicked in the chart to start the next patrol and after the 2 min wait with the red bar creeping across, the game CTD. Tried it a couple of times using both the "Before Patrol xx" and then the "After patrol xx" saves, with the same result. So I loaded the save before docking and re-docked at Lorient again. Same thing happened as before. Loaded the last save before docking once again but this time went to Vigo and that was all fine, so I did another 6 week patrol and again went to dock at Lorient. Went through the same procedure as always, but yet again a CTD when I tried to go out on patrol. Yet again re-loaded the last save before docking and this time changed to a Type IXC to get extra in-port time to pass. No different than before, a CTD at the end of the loading process. Anybody come across anything similar to this at all? I can't continue this career as it is, as I can't upgrade or change sub if I can't dock at my home port. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Applied for a transfer to St.Nazaire and it appears that the problem is with the career itself - still CTD even at the new base. It looks as though U-16 is destined to be the "Flying Dutchman" of the U-Boat fleet, sailing forever without being able to return to home port!

[GoldenRivet]

does this happen with only this one career?

install any mods recently?

do you use SH3 Commander?

[KeybdFlyer]

1) I've just tried loading one of my other careers (June 1940) and I'm getting the same problem. However, the third career I have active (Sept 1939) loaded fine.

2) No mods added or removed except for switching skins for the type VIIB or VIIC, depending upon which career I'm playing - something I've been doing all along without problem.

3) Always have used SH3 Commander since way back. Currently v3.2.0.203, which I think is the most current version.

That's what's so puzzling. Nothing changed between dropping out of a fully-functioning game and re-starting to find 2 out of three careers now won't load from a home-port save. I can go back to a previous save and it loads ok and plays ok, but I get back to port and it CTD right at the end of the loading process of the next patrol. Thank god I've got Morrowind to change to and relieve the stress!

[Philipp_Thomsen]

Try advancing time til jul 41 and see if you can get out of port.

[KeybdFlyer]

@ Philipp_Thomsen

I'm not quite sure if this is what you meant, but using SH3 Commander I started a new career in Aug 1941, 2nd Flotilla in Lorient with a Type IXC. This way, I thought, I could at least continue where I left off with the career that refuses to load the next patrol, albeit with a completely inexperienced crew. Result? CTD at the end of the patrol load just as with the other career. I'm totally stumped now, as even a new career won't start! What's really bugging me is that it's only happening in home port. If I load in an earlier save and dock at (say) Vigo, I can continue on from there with another patrol as if nothing was wrong, but go back to home port and I'm stuck there, unable to go out on patrol again. Very weird and very frustrating!

[Philipp_Thomsen]

@ Philipp_Thomsen

I'm not quite sure if this is what you meant, but using SH3 Commander I started a new career in Aug 1941, 2nd Flotilla in Lorient with a Type IXC. This way, I thought, I could at least continue where I left off with the career that refuses to load the next patrol, albeit with a completely inexperienced crew. Result? CTD at the end of the patrol load just as with the other career. I'm totally stumped now, as even a new career won't start! What's really bugging me is that it's only happening in home port. If I load in an earlier save and dock at (say) Vigo, I can continue on from there with another patrol as if nothing was wrong, but go back to home port and I'm stuck there, unable to go out on patrol again. Very weird and very frustrating!

Sorry, I thought it was 1940. What I mean is for you to spend a whole year in base and then try to go to sea. If you're somewhere in 1941, then go to somewhere in 1942. Just change the year.

[Jimbuna]

You have a corrupt data set line somewhere......not worth burning the candle I'm afraid......and it's something many of us have experienced.

If I were you I'd simply start afresh.

[KeybdFlyer]

Start afresh as in a new career from 1939? Or (dear god not this I hope!), start afresh as in re-install?

Sooo tired of re-installing games in general and SH3 in particular!

[Philipp_Thomsen]

What Jim refered to as "start afresh" is starting a new carrer. You don't have to start from 1939, you can start at the year you stopped. If you select 1941, you'll start from Lorient, in the first flotilla. It's fun, I recommend. Kind skips the boring part of the war.

:up:

[Jimbuna]

Start afresh as in a new career from 1939? Or (dear god not this I hope!), start afresh as in re-install?

Sooo tired of re-installing games in general and SH3 in particular!

Yeah....new career :DL

[KeybdFlyer]

I'd love to do that (start from 1941), but as I said somewhere earlier in the thread, I've tried it - and it doesn't like it! :DL Starting a new career, with a new captain & crew, in a new sub, with a new number, in August of 1941 just results in a CTD. I started a new career from Aug. '39 last night (or should I say "in the early hours of this morning"?) and that worked just fine - very strange, and I'm not a happy captain. :wah:

((Whining voice) "All I wanted was a bloody Type IXC and look what it's doing to me.")

[Jimbuna]

I'd love to do that (start from 1941), but as I said somewhere earlier in the thread, I've tried it - and it doesn't like it! :DL Starting a new career, with a new captain & crew, in a new sub, with a new number, in August of 1941 just results in a CTD. I started a new career from Aug. '39 last night (or should I say "in the early hours of this morning"?) and that worked just fine - very strange, and I'm not a happy captain. :wah:

((Whining voice) "All I wanted was a bloody Type IXC and look what it's doing to me.")

...and that's what I meant......start a new career at the beginning of hostilities :DL

[Philipp_Thomsen]

I can start a new career in any year I want, without CTD.

If you have a CTD loading a game from 1941, and also have a CTD when starting a new one in 1941, maybe you'll have again another CTD when starting a new career in 1939 and after a few patrols reach 1941.

If that happens, the only way out is a fresh new install.

If that doenst help aswell, you have a problem with the mods you're using.

[KeybdFlyer]

@ Philipp_Thomsen

I'd had the same thought myself, mate. Last night I tried starting new careers in Apr.'41, Jan. '41, Jun. '40 and Apr. '40. Two were started using SH3 Commander and two starting straight from the SH3 menu. None worked, all CTD. I didn't bother trying any other month/year combination as it was obvious by then that it wasn't having any of it. :nope: It appears a re-install is the only option, but with all the hassle that involves (finding my serial # {no idea where my DVD box is, lol}, getting rid of Starforce, the innumerable .ini and .cfg files that need amending etc., etc.) I really can't be bothered now. I have a couple of careers running in 1939 and I'll just play those until whatever date it decides to crash and then start over again in '39. Sad to say, SH3 will become a "play it now and again when I feel like killing a little time" game. Sort of like Civilization, lol - just a pastime. :cry: Thanks for all the suggestions and help though - much appreciated and so indicative of this forum and the people on it!:salute:

[Philipp_Thomsen]

Dont worry mate... SH5 is coming soon! :up:

[KeybdFlyer]

Ha ha ha - yeah right! SH5, but with what DRM? Malware supplied free of charge of course! I'll make a decision on SH5 when I find out what "protection" it uses. I don't want to start an argument about the rights & wrongs of DRM, but I won't buy any game that secretly installs irremovable software on my computer.

[Philipp_Thomsen]

Ha ha ha - yeah right! SH5, but with what DRM? Malware supplied free of charge of course! I'll make a decision on SH5 when I find out what "protection" it uses. I don't want to start an argument about the rights & wrongs of DRM, but I won't buy any game that secretly installs irremovable software on my computer.

Im not worried about it...
When it comes to software, anything that can be done, can be undone. And I mean EVERYTHING. I was never unable to play a game I wanted in my life, never. There`s always a way.

Do what you have to do, and never talk about it. :up:

(at least not here)