Build 14 4.1 7 Jan 2017 on XP machine?

[pedrwyth]

I have been looking at the problems with Windows XP or, probably more correctly, older machines. I experience similar problems to those described in various threads, with crashing before going to sea or even before loading if the leveling file is altered to take the postinit load away, but may have stumbled across a workaround (sort of).

I am using the latest 7th Jan 4.1 but I am using the earlier version of engine.exe (available in 14 3.4 on moddb I think - if you don't have it already).

I still can't start any new game and enter sailing BUT weirdly I do have some saves that, on my XP machine at least, do allow me (and maybe you) to proceed. Machine specs
Microsoft Windows XP
Home Edition
Version 2002
Service Pack 3

Pentium 4 CPU 3.00 GHz
3.00 GB RAM
Physical Address Extension

Basically I made some saves by starting a game on my newer machine and proceeded up to a point (and beyond) of going to sea but then immediately returned to the dock and saved the game. This then seems to allow my older XP machine to load that save and proceed much as normal. I presume all that hard work at game initialisation is behind it. Some in game saves do still seem to crash but most work OK.

So I place them here together with the engine.ini and leveling.c files I have been using with them to see if they turn the trick for anyone else. Oh and I delete the options file before loading the program too.

If you have an XP machine feel free to try them - and do report back because if they do indeed work for others too it may be worth creating a few "saves in progress" to allow access to other storylines. But if they don't work , don't blame me - there is no warranty, no money back. There use would be problemmatic since every new upgrade that requires new game will require creating new "start saves".

[IF it works this may be of some help to
@Oldtimer
Engine. exe problem with free play mode in build 14 beta 4 | Page 3 | PiratesAhoy!

@Wendell Brilhante
Need Help - ENGINE.EXE | PiratesAhoy!

michael_myers.23863
Need Help - Game crash everytime go to port ! | Page 2 | PiratesAhoy!

and I think @Talisman has an XP machine around somewhere too ]

 

[Pieter Boelen]

There is some old code by Levis that should improve performance at Start New Game.
I excluded that from Beta 4 because I feared it caused trouble, but we never did find out for sure.
Maybe worth giving that another shot?

 

[Talisman]

Thanks for this @pedrwyth
I should have thought of trying something like that myself since I have a Windows Vista laptop that runs the. Game OK (though it is nearly worn out with other use)

I have tried the various Saves on my XP machine with varying results ( did several attempts at each)

Machine Specs
Windows XP Home Edition
32 bit
Service Pack 3

Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.00Ghz
4 GB ram
Graphics 512Mb Nvidia GeForce 8400


Seahawk ( Original Story)
Walked around Speightstown all Ok – went to mine in jungle outside Speightstown fought groun of 4 muggers in jungle but could not enter mine ( CTD on mine loading screen)
Tried sailing instead – Sailed away from Speightstown avoiding French Fleet all OK – Arrived at Jamaica Ok but CTD on Port Royal loading screen.

Freeplay ( Profile Player)
Walked around St Pierre Martinique and then sailed to Guadeloupe and walked around Pionte a Pitre all Ok . Sailed to Nevis and walked around Pirate Settlement Ok. Sailed to Jamaica and landed at Port Royale Ok --- This game is still Ok - I am waiting for something to go wrong.

Freeplay ( Profile Spain)
Walked around all of San Juan, Puerto Rico OK. - Sailed to Hispaniola and walked around Santo Domingo Ok. Sailed to Jamaica and CTD on landing at Port Royale loading screen

Jack Sparrow
Played through talk with father & governor then walked through Cayman town to tavern and talked to Thomas all OK when I try to leave tavern get CTD.

Devlin
Walked around Port Royale town all OK - Tried just sailing to another island – sailed to Cuba CTD on loading screen on entering Havanna town

Tried story – talked to Harbour Master in his office CTD on Loading screen when attempting to exit back to Port -- Second time I attempted this it worked OK. Then Sailed to San Salvadore Island – CTD on island Loading Screen.





I notice that the engine.ini file you supplied is slightly different from the standard one – I assume the changes are to do with debugging etc.



Options File ( game options)

I deleted the Options file as you suggested – then started the game and set up the options the way I wanted them ( Arcade mode, Brothel on etc. ).

When I loaded your Saves I found that I was playing Realistic mode ( counter rudder – no Fast travel until places found etc. ) and that the Brothels were off ( replaced with ordinary rooms)

So it appears that the game stores the Options information in the game's Save files and uses that information and not what is set on the options screen when the player loads a Save Game.So the information set on the Main menu Options Button is only used when starting a new Game.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

So it appears that the game stores the Options information in the game's Save files and uses that information and not what is set on the options screen when the player loads a Save Game.So the information set on the Main menu Options Button is only used when starting a new Game.

That is indeed true for some of the options, but not for all of them.
It's admittedly a bit confusing.... Basically, anything that affects "initialization" only works properly on a New Game.
So that includes location initialization, such as the brothels, and ship initialization, which switches between their arcade/realistic stats.
Part of that can be updated using F11.

 

[Talisman]

Personally I don't think the problem is with Windows XP.

Since the Storm engine was built for that Operating System.
I think the problem is that the Intel Pentium 4 CPU is no longer powerful enough to handle the latest versions of the mod - with all the processing needed for the new Leveling system.

It would be interesting to know if anyone with computers using other processors of that "generation" can run Build 14 Beta 4 sucessfully.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

That does sound very plausible, @Talisman.

 

[pedrwyth]

Personally I don't think the problem is with Windows XP.

Since the Storm engine was built for that Operating System.
I think the problem is that the Intel Pentium 4 CPU is no longer powerful enough to handle the latest versions of the mod - with all the processing needed for the new Leveling system.

I agree - prior to this I did trace the latest build 14 3.5 I have without the separation out of levelling (early August 2015) which works fine on my old PC. After that version I get CTDs. I started feeding the subsequent fixes only into that version but unfortunately the mechanics of quite a number are just lost in general zips with no explanation of the change in the particular thread (there are 33 pages of bug archive to cover) and the zips were subsequently overwritten and lost on the forum. It was while running comparisons that this apparently working freeplay game emerged - so I hoped I had found a shortcut!

Thanks for taking the trouble to try them - you took them farther than me except for that one exception. The freeplay player is the one that started me down this track because it seemed to work - I tried quite a few sailings, battles, boardings and port reloads - as always saving if I got somewhere successfully but had few failures - so I wondered why.

As I said with the other saves I went to sea and then had at least the return to dock saved since without that they CTD on sea enter. Each one I then tried entering the sea in XP and got no CTD but was trying not to progress the story if they were to work as a base.

TOSH I went to Jamaica and back to Bridgetown OK and have since sailed to lighthouse and entered the mine OK.

I have since taken JS to Speightstown (with Thomas) - saved before mooring and CTD after, but then went to reload to Bridgetown OK from the save and could then sail to and land at Speightstown. So all very borderline stable and clearly they are still too flaky to be of much use.