Computer cheating me of victory

Seth Buttercrump · 12-12-20, 12:34 PM

I'm playing SHIII with GWX 3.0 and in my current campaign am up to feb 45, and my latest save position is an attack on a heavily defended convoy off the coast of East Anglia.

I have had the usual CTD save issue before, but now the game is crashing when I hit the 4th destroyer, as pictured. As soon as the torpedo hits, regardless of the viewscreen, I get a CTD.

Any clues?

John Pancoast · 12-12-20, 01:42 PM

It may be SH3 not your computer that is the problem. If you did a save with a convoy in sight it's amazing it even loaded; usually that in itself leads to a ctd.
Maybe your ctd is related to that.

Seth Buttercrump · 12-12-20, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

It may be SH3 not your computer that is the problem. If you did a save with a convoy in sight it's amazing it even loaded; usually that in itself leads to a ctd.
Maybe your ctd is related to that.

Perhaps so- I have had save game load problems many times, but I also have experienced in-game crashes which is why I save in the first place. In this particular patrol I have a couple of saves so will try reverting to a previous one, and if all else fails restart the mission completely. I'm going to try a rollback in Commander and see if that makes any difference first though....

CassiousClay · 12-12-20, 02:14 PM

I'm thinking it might be an issue with the model of the ship the torpedo is hitting. Do you know exactly what ship it is?
Have you hit the same ship (model) at any point before in your game?

This game is way too old to be causing a crash error because of too much stuff on the screen IMHO. As long as the computer being used isn't 10+ years old I agree it's not the computer unless maybe there's an issue with hardware somewhere. I doubt it, too as John does, but it is something to check and rule out.

Press WinKey+R and type eventvwr.msc
Press Enter and look in all the System and Application areas of the folder tree for errors. Error events will be easy to find and see. They'll be marked with a red ! icon on the left of the text list in the center pane.

You will see errors in there. It's Windows. That's is why tech nerds cringe and pick on Windows operating systems. It's full of errors and bugs. "But it runs! We can sell it! Send it out. Next: Another version of the office suite that sucks."

When you click on them if the description says anything about any of your hardware devices failing reply pasting that info. I'll have at least a slight idea what's causing it and what, if anything, you can do about it.

Memory errors, which you may see a lot of, are extremely difficult to trace especially not being there at the computer myself. You're mainly looking for Application or System errors that bluntly say in the description hardware or software you recognize failed. We're not looking for memory errors "at address x0000#####". Share the ones that plainly say something about hardware or application failures.

I'll help where I can. I don't and won't pretend to know things I don't.
Info can usually be found via web search. The internet is the information landfill. Formerly the information highway.

CassiousClay · 12-12-20, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seth Buttercrump

Perhaps so- I have had save game load problems many times, but I also have experienced in-game crashes which is why I save in the first place. In this particular patrol I have a couple of saves so will try reverting to a previous one, and if all else fails restart the mission completely. I'm going to try a rollback in Commander and see if that makes any difference first though....

That's a good point and possibility. If there's a ton of saves back them up if you don't want to rid of them forever by deleting. I don't know where the save files for this game are (yet). Maybe someone can chime in with that info if you want to back them up. That's another thing to try for a solution. Delete saves if you have a ton of them. We really only need 2, the latest one and what SH players call the bunker save.

Seth Buttercrump · 12-12-20, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CassiousClay

That's a good point and possibility. If there's a ton of saves back them up if you don't want to rid of them forever by deleting. I don't know where the save files for this game are (yet). Maybe someone can chime in with that info if you want to back them up. That's another thing to try for a solution. Delete saves if you have a ton of them. We really only need 2, the latest one and what SH players call the bunker save.

My save game directory is in the 'This PC/documents' folder, named SH3. I'm running Windows 10. It's a simple matter of copying and pasting it in order to create a backup.

Rollback made no difference- the game crashed as soon as the destroyer exploded!

Seth Buttercrump · 12-12-20, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CassiousClay

I'm thinking it might be an issue with the model of the ship the torpedo is hitting. Do you know exactly what ship it is?
Have you hit the same ship (model) at any point before in your game?

This game is way too old to be causing a crash error because of too much stuff on the screen IMHO. As long as the computer being used isn't 10+ years old I agree it's not the computer unless maybe there's an issue with hardware somewhere. I doubt it, too as John does, but it is something to check and rule out.

Press WinKey+R and type eventvwr.msc
Press Enter and look in all the System and Application areas of the folder tree for errors. Error events will be easy to find and see. They'll be marked with a red ! icon on the left of the text list in the center pane.

You will see errors in there. It's Windows. That's is why tech nerds cringe and pick on Windows operating systems. It's full of errors and bugs. "But it runs! We can sell it! Send it out. Next: Another version of the office suite that sucks."

When you click on them if the description says anything about any of your hardware devices failing reply pasting that info. I'll have at least a slight idea what's causing it and what, if anything, you can do about it.

Memory errors, which you may see a lot of, are extremely difficult to trace especially not being there at the computer myself. You're mainly looking for Application or System errors that bluntly say in the description hardware or software you recognize failed. We're not looking for memory errors "at address x0000#####". Share the ones that plainly say something about hardware or application failures.

I'll help where I can. I don't and won't pretend to know things I don't.
Info can usually be found via web search. The internet is the information landfill. Formerly the information highway.

The ship is a Flower Class, as seen in the screenshot. It's definitely not hardware- I was having issues before I cleaned out the heatsink & fan which were clogged with dust, but it runs a lot cooler now- My PC is a Lenovo AIO which isn't the best gaming system but more than enough for SHIII, and way better than the one I was using when I first got the game in 2005. The result is the same regardless of whether I am looking through the periscope or switch to map view so it can't be a graphical issue. It's presumably just a binary glitch ie a 0 where there should be a 1 or vice versa- game crashes are not uncommon anyway, as well as the save load problem we all get from time to time. As they say one definition of madness is doing the same thing and expecting a different result

Seth Buttercrump · 12-12-20, 03:28 PM

I just ran again from an earlier save and it's definitely that ship that causes the CTD. This time I hit it with the homing torpedo that I had used to sink another one.

It's annoying to say the least because I had plenty of torpedoes left so could have hit several merchants and still had time to run away before the other escorts turned up. War is hell

CassiousClay · 12-12-20, 04:40 PM

Models aren't graphics. There's a very good reason I asked what I asked. What I'm thinking has very little to do with graphics. It could be an error in coding.

Try re-installing from a fresh download of the game.
Download = from a copy you get from somewhere online. If you have the steam version try verifying the file integrity. If you have a disk install it from the disk.

Looking at event viewer as I suggested might lead us to the cause. It has a good chance of helping pin point what's going on whether it's game related like an error in the collision box coding or something similar or something with your computer's hardware.

Do you do computer maintenance like defrag and run virus scans fairly often?

John Pancoast · 12-12-20, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seth Buttercrump

I just ran again from an earlier save and it's definitely that ship that causes the CTD. This time I hit it with the homing torpedo that I had used to sink another one.

It's annoying to say the least because I had plenty of torpedoes left so could have hit several merchants and still had time to run away before the other escorts turned up. War is hell

Fwiw if you don't already know regarding saves;

- don't do them when around ships/convoys.
- don't do them when submerged.
- don't do them near land.

Post your mod list when you can.

CassiousClay · 12-12-20, 09:01 PM

Isn't it also relevant to know whether the game was installed recently? I had this problem with the game crashing whenever something like an explosion happened and the solution was reinstalling, making sure the install was good and done correctly. Something didn't install right or I did something incorrectly when installing. It's been running good since I reinstalled.

Seth Buttercrump · 12-13-20, 06:24 AM

This isn't the first time the game has crashed for no apparent reason so I guess you are right about a coding issue, but this particular crash is a unique situation in that I can replicate the conditions and get the exact same result.

I am running the steam version, copied with GWX 3.0 so the whole thing is running from it's own directory. I have the 4gb patch.

I'm currently on my 44th patrol, so probably the simplest option is to restart from Bergen and see what happens. I'm no expert in the technicalities of software but am pretty experienced in problem solving for other people but not myself, it seems

I think in this instance it's not a battle worth fighting- I reckon I only have another couple or three patrols before the war is over.

My computing journey began with a ZX81! Those were the days when in order to play a game you had to write one...or spend 5 hours typing in the listings from a magazine and then get the dreaded rampack wobble.

propbeanie · 12-13-20, 03:11 PM

Do you know how to use the MissionEditor.exe, and build yourself a mid-ocean scenario with a Flower Class and your sub type and torpedoes, similar date, then run it and torpedo that Flower? Does the game crash? How big is your Save file in Kilobytes, or maybe Megabytes?...

I have a Steam SH3, GWX, and the Flower does not crash. Very lightly modded game though, other than GWX... What is your mod list Seth Buttercrump?

Seth Buttercrump · 12-13-20, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Do you know how to use the MissionEditor.exe, and build yourself a mid-ocean scenario with a Flower Class and your sub type and torpedoes, similar date, then run it and torpedo that Flower? Does the game crash? How big is your Save file in Kilobytes, or maybe Megabytes?...

I have a Steam SH3, GWX, and the Flower does not crash. Very lightly modded game though, other than GWX... What is your mod list Seth Buttercrump?

The only other thing I'm using is Commander. I think the crash issue was just that particular save game. In the end I reverted to an earlier save and have literally just completed my patrol. The patrol area was AN81 and it generates lots of convoys just off East Anglia so I hit one of them, sank 3 destroyers (including 2 Flower class and an AB) plus a large merchant, medium cargo and a Granville. I finished the mission by raiding Ostend and sinking a couple more ships in port, totalling 40,650 tons

That was my 44th patrol and it's april 1945 so I'm expecting my next mission to be my last....

FeatsOfStrength · 12-16-20, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seth Buttercrump

I'm playing SHIII with GWX 3.0 and in my current campaign am up to feb 45, and my latest save position is an attack on a heavily defended convoy off the coast of East Anglia.

I have had the usual CTD save issue before, but now the game is crashing when I hit the 4th destroyer, as pictured. As soon as the torpedo hits, regardless of the viewscreen, I get a CTD.

Any clues?

Are you running SH3.exe in compatibility mode? if not try running it in compatibility mode for Windows XP (Service Pack 2), that solved most save game related crashes in my experience.

12-12-20, 01:42 PM	#2
John Pancoast Ocean Warrior Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Minnysoda Posts: 3,211 Downloads: 501 Uploads: 4	It may be SH3 not your computer that is the problem. If you did a save with a convoy in sight it's amazing it even loaded; usually that in itself leads to a ctd. Maybe your ctd is related to that. __________________ "Realistic" is not always GAME-GOOD." - Wave Skipper

12-12-20, 03:28 PM	#8
Seth Buttercrump Watch Join Date: Nov 2020 Posts: 27 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	I just ran again from an earlier save and it's definitely that ship that causes the CTD. This time I hit it with the homing torpedo that I had used to sink another one. It's annoying to say the least because I had plenty of torpedoes left so could have hit several merchants and still had time to run away before the other escorts turned up. War is hell __________________ Only 10 kinds of people understand binary: those who do, and those who don't.

12-13-20, 06:24 AM	#12
Seth Buttercrump Watch Join Date: Nov 2020 Posts: 27 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	This isn't the first time the game has crashed for no apparent reason so I guess you are right about a coding issue, but this particular crash is a unique situation in that I can replicate the conditions and get the exact same result. I am running the steam version, copied with GWX 3.0 so the whole thing is running from it's own directory. I have the 4gb patch. I'm currently on my 44th patrol, so probably the simplest option is to restart from Bergen and see what happens. I'm no expert in the technicalities of software but am pretty experienced in problem solving for other people but not myself, it seems I think in this instance it's not a battle worth fighting- I reckon I only have another couple or three patrols before the war is over. My computing journey began with a ZX81! Those were the days when in order to play a game you had to write one...or spend 5 hours typing in the listings from a magazine and then get the dreaded rampack wobble. __________________ Only 10 kinds of people understand binary: those who do, and those who don't.

12-13-20, 03:11 PM	#13
propbeanie CTD - it's not just a job Join Date: May 2016 Location: One hour from Music City USA! Posts: 10,098 Downloads: 451 Uploads: 2	Do you know how to use the MissionEditor.exe, and build yourself a mid-ocean scenario with a Flower Class and your sub type and torpedoes, similar date, then run it and torpedo that Flower? Does the game crash? How big is your Save file in Kilobytes, or maybe Megabytes?... I have a Steam SH3, GWX, and the Flower does not crash. Very lightly modded game though, other than GWX... What is your mod list Seth Buttercrump? __________________ "...and bollocks to the naysayers" - Jimbuna

12-12-20, 02:14 PM	#4
CassiousClay Mate Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 57 Downloads: 25 Uploads: 0	I'm thinking it might be an issue with the model of the ship the torpedo is hitting. Do you know exactly what ship it is? Have you hit the same ship (model) at any point before in your game? This game is way too old to be causing a crash error because of too much stuff on the screen IMHO. As long as the computer being used isn't 10+ years old I agree it's not the computer unless maybe there's an issue with hardware somewhere. I doubt it, too as John does, but it is something to check and rule out. Press WinKey+R and type eventvwr.msc Press Enter and look in all the System and Application areas of the folder tree for errors. Error events will be easy to find and see. They'll be marked with a red ! icon on the left of the text list in the center pane. You will see errors in there. It's Windows. That's is why tech nerds cringe and pick on Windows operating systems. It's full of errors and bugs. "But it runs! We can sell it! Send it out. Next: Another version of the office suite that sucks." When you click on them if the description says anything about any of your hardware devices failing reply pasting that info. I'll have at least a slight idea what's causing it and what, if anything, you can do about it. Memory errors, which you may see a lot of, are extremely difficult to trace especially not being there at the computer myself. You're mainly looking for Application or System errors that bluntly say in the description hardware or software you recognize failed. We're not looking for memory errors "at address x0000#####". Share the ones that plainly say something about hardware or application failures. I'll help where I can. I don't and won't pretend to know things I don't. Info can usually be found via web search. The internet is the information landfill. Formerly the information highway.

12-12-20, 04:40 PM	#9
CassiousClay Mate Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 57 Downloads: 25 Uploads: 0	Models aren't graphics. There's a very good reason I asked what I asked. What I'm thinking has very little to do with graphics. It could be an error in coding. Try re-installing from a fresh download of the game. Download = from a copy you get from somewhere online. If you have the steam version try verifying the file integrity. If you have a disk install it from the disk. Looking at event viewer as I suggested might lead us to the cause. It has a good chance of helping pin point what's going on whether it's game related like an error in the collision box coding or something similar or something with your computer's hardware. Do you do computer maintenance like defrag and run virus scans fairly often?

12-12-20, 09:01 PM	#11
CassiousClay Mate Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 57 Downloads: 25 Uploads: 0	Isn't it also relevant to know whether the game was installed recently? I had this problem with the game crashing whenever something like an explosion happened and the solution was reinstalling, making sure the install was good and done correctly. Something didn't install right or I did something incorrectly when installing. It's been running good since I reinstalled.