This, ...this damn game!

[c13Garrison]

Its so capricious and evil!!

I know its deceitful, so I save after every hallmark, every benchmark. Then, ...it gets really darn fun, and tense! And exciting, ...and its running so smooth, I don't save for a long while, but I don't think what a malicious & cunning foe she is! Such an awesome patrol I was enjoying, just staying alive a pure thrill and-

...CTD.


...what an evil game. I hate it. ...I hope she takes me back in the morning. ..., is there a 12 step program for this abuse I put myself through? Maybe a glass of Highland Park will make it better.

...I love this damn game.

[in_vino_vomitus]

I never once had that problem until I started playing OM - I'm seriously thinking of restarting a Pacific campaign...

[HertogJan]

From what I've read, the more you save the bigger the chance of getting a corrupt save witch in trun 'can' give you CTD's.

So only save when:
A) There's no land close to you (within 20Nm should do).
B) There's no sonar, radar, Hydro contact.
C) You're on the surface going ahead standard.
D) If you used TC pause the game and wait 10sec then set normal time.
E) You've checked every torpedo has been loaded.
F) You're not still running silent.
G) You're in the control room (you start there anyway).

I found when forgetting one of the above chances are there will be a corrupt save somewhere in that campaign.


Obviously MOD soups can cause CTD's and are the most common reason for them but when taken every precaution very rare.
A hiccup from JSGME could also be the culprit and you'll never know if that has been your problem.

Got a couple of question's for you:
Did you try out different MOD's before you ended up with the soup you have now?
And, did you have JSGME check your files (via a snapshot) after changing those soups?

I understand if you'd rather not do this but I'd recommend a clean sweep, delete the JSGME/MODS folder and replace your Data folder if possible.
Than create a new MOD's folder and create a new snapshot of the new Data folder before installing/activating anything, then reinstall your mod soup one at a time.

Do not cut'n past the MODS folder out and in.... create a new one and put freshy unZiped MOD's in there, no copying them from the old MODS folder either!!!

As I see it JSGME is a pretty stable tool but combine it with a very unstable program like Silent Hunter you're gonna get hiccups and being very meticulous when installing/activating or deactivating/uninstalling mods gives you a better chance of succeeding in getting a stable platform.

Call me paranoid but this keeps me from having CTD's and corrupt saves.

[BigWalleye]

Based on a fair amount of experience, I have found that there are only two things that lead to corrupted saves in SH4:

1) Overwriting an existing save. (Saving with the same name for the saved game without first deleting the previous save.) You MUST delete a saved game before you attempt another save using the same name.

2) Making ANY changes to the set of activated mods, except when "in port". This includes removing mods and re-activating THE SAME mods in THE SAME order! That means that swapping between , say, careers in TMO and OM can lead to corrupt saves in both careers. The only time it is safe to make any changes to the set of activated mods is between missions, in port.

I have saved many times under every single circumstance mentioned by HertogJan with no corrupted saves. In fact, since I learned of these two simple rules, I have not had a single corrupted save in SH4, except when I tempted fate and violated those rules (like to try a new mod before I finish the current patrol). There have been other posters here at SubSIm whose experience corroborates these rules. (In fact, that's where I learned of them.) They work.

[c13Garrison]

Thank you for the advice, and if my issues persist I will pursue a "clean slate" restart, and now I know how.

What I experience on my machine is that if I go to zone, sink some ships, then go home, the game is extremely stable. Where the errors start is when I have sinkings seperated by a great distance, such as currently Hokaido/Truk/Solomons, and I am near a bunch of ships/planes. My game crashed during a very large Japanese raid on Henderson Field, and my last save was in the middle of the Tokyo Express, which is no doubt why its not reloading. I'm currently going back in time through saves to see how I can get back to the career.

[HertogJan]

Originally Posted by BigWalleye

1) Overwriting an existing save. (Saving with the same name for the saved game without first deleting the previous save.) You MUST delete a saved game before you attempt another save using the same name.

Thats THE most important one how could I have forgotten that

Originally Posted by BigWalleye

) Making ANY changes to the set of activated mods, except when "in port". This includes removing mods and re-activating THE SAME mods in THE SAME order! That means that swapping between , say, careers in TMO and OM can lead to corrupt saves in both careers. The only time it is safe to make any changes to the set of activated mods is between missions, in port.

Although that speaks for its self I forgot that one aswel

I feel like Homer Simpson atm "d'oh" !!!!!

Originally Posted by BigWalleye

I have saved many times under every single circumstance mentioned by HertogJan with no corrupted saves. In fact, since I learned of these two simple rules, I have not had a single corrupted save in SH4, except when I tempted fate and violated those rules (like to try a new mod before I finish the current patrol). There have been other posters here at SubSIm whose experience corroborates these rules. (In fact, that's where I learned of them.) They work.

I didn't either at first but got a weird one eventually, saved the game while leaving a area where I sunk a vessel (still had smoke rising and fire on the surface, ship has sunk 10min's before) I loaded the save a few days after and smoke was comming from my stern even when I was underwater and followed me the whole patrol.
A reload didn't do the trick so after the icon in patrol area turned gray I ended the patrol by going home and docked.
From that moment on I made sure I obeyed those rules and haven't had any problems... yet.


This game is so weird, have a 100 ppl install this game with the same MOD's and you'll probably get 25% different glitches.

[BigWalleye]

My experience has been that SH4 is the most stable of the three games (SH3, SH4, SH5). SH5 is so graphics-intensive that I am likely having problems due to the fact that I have at best a B grade processor, maybe B-. (certainly not top end.) SH3, especially heavily modded, requires careful handling, multi-saving, and a philosophical attitude when my last save goes pear-shape. SH4, on the other hand, seems pretty robust - by comparison. Of course, SH4 also lacks the sophisticated .exe patching of SH3 and SH5, and the load-time file modification of SH3 Commander. Much more potential for things to get corrupted there.

@c13Garrison: In-game CTDs in SH4, as opposed to corrupted saves, are something I don't have much experience with. Please post your mod list and operating environment (HW and OS), and maybe someone will spot a possible source of problems.

[Mikemike47]

Originally Posted by c13Garrison

I don't save for a long while......

And there's a problem right there. I usually save games, never overwrite as other subsimmers have said, an average of 30 minute of actual game play. I am in vastly open ocean at TC 2048 or 4096. If I am being hunted with lots of escorts, or amongst a convoy, then every few minutes.

For overwrites and when I do not want too many games saves, I delete the previously saved filename first that I want to reuse. Then I save the game data with the same filename as the previous overwrite. No corrupted or compromised data that way.