| Author |
Lockups / Graphics / gforce2, win2k |
Raylon Helix
Cadet
Joined: March 13, 2003
Posts: 14
|  Posted: 2003-11-16 00:08
OK, where do i start? I guess i'll start by saying that i've yet to have zero problems with the client (thou the beta seems to work fine).
I've gone threw a whole series of different problems, some of which i could live with - but now the game is essentially unplayable as the client crashes about 5 times per game (which really sucks when your transporting 10 elite for a cap!)
i'll cover what i can remember. Prior to the complete crashes, the game would have what appeared to be texture issues, some imagery would appear streached or squished. I get a rectangular "patch" in the top right corner on occation (this still happens) which flickers. (i will post a screen shot). planet textures would warp, ship textures would leak to the bottom of the screen (im assuming you know what i mean here). space backdrop would disappear.
The current crash problem usually drops me to the desktop, sometimes it completely locks and im forced to warm boot with the reset button.
the exception log looks like this right now:
----------------------------------------------------------
11/16/03 00:07:11 : Exception code: C0000005 ACCESS_VIOLATION
11/16/03 00:07:11 : Fault address: 005624AD 01:000414AD C:Program FilesPaleStarDarkSpaceRender3D.dll
11/16/03 00:07:11 : Registers:
11/16/03 00:07:11 : EAX:0012DD34 EBX:4684D000 ECX:00000009 EDX:3F800000 ESI:0012DD34 EDI:00000000
11/16/03 00:07:11 : CS:EIP:001B:005624AD
11/16/03 00:07:11 : SS:ESP:0023:0012DCD4 EBP:00000000
11/16/03 00:07:11 : DS:0023 ES:0023 FS:0038 GS:0000
11/16/03 00:07:11 : Flags:00010216
11/16/03 00:07:11 : Address Frame Logical addr Module
11/16/03 00:07:11 : 005624AD 00000000 0001:000414AD C:Program FilesPaleStarDarkSpaceRender3D.dll
---------------------------------------------------------
althou it sometimes also refers to draw.dll (or both draw and render3d
I've changed the drivers like 20 times, upgraded, downgraded - switch from ms supplied to nvidia supplied and back again. I am a technician and so i've tried all the obvious. I dont have problems with any other games, i am a little suspicious that it is something specific in the dll's because it doesnt seem to happen in beta.
I'm going to muck around a bit more and get some screenshots.
here is my current system info:
______OS________
Microsoft Windows 2000
5.00.2195
Service Pack 4
______HARDWARE__________
Link to my motherboard
00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C693A/694x [Apollo PRO133x] (rev c4)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C598/694x [Apollo MVP3/Pro133x AGP]
00:07.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super South] (rev 40)
00:07.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586/B/686A/B PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
00:07.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 1a)
00:07.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 1a)
00:07.4 Bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super ACPI] (rev 40)
00:09.0 Multimedia audio controller: Ensoniq ES1370 [AudioPCI]
00:0b.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905 100BaseTX [Boomerang]
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV11 [GeForce2 MX/MX 400] (rev b2)
____DRIVERS_____
NVidia: 5.2.1.6
CPU/AGP: Via Tech CPU to AGP Controller, 5.0.2195.6717
ES1370: 5.0.2184.1
_____CLIENT_____
I've tried a whole slew of configuration options, it doesnt seem to have an effect. currently im at:
1024x768x16, Specular, Alpha Fonts, 44.1khz, 1channel, 16voices
texture: medium
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Raylon Helix
Cadet
Joined: March 13, 2003
Posts: 14
| Posted: 2003-11-16 00:29
Here is a location i'll drop screenshots displaying the graphic problems.
only one ss right now.
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Raylon Helix
Cadet
Joined: March 13, 2003
Posts: 14
| Posted: 2003-11-16 00:36
Forgot to mention the directx info, i've placed a dump of the information in the same directory as the screenshots
here it is
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Ash'elth
Grand Admiral
Galactic Navy
Joined: June 07, 2002
Posts: 1128
| Posted: 2003-11-16 01:05
Try removing all spyware on your computer, defragging and let darkspace fully unpack when you enter a server.
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Raylon Helix
Cadet
Joined: March 13, 2003
Posts: 14
| Posted: 2003-11-16 01:53
no spyware on my system. defragged it, reinstalled it - i've tried all this, still no change.
Quote:
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On 2003-11-16 01:05, Ash'elth wrote:
Try removing all spyware on your computer, defragging and let darkspace fully unpack when you enter a server.
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Raylon Helix
Cadet
Joined: March 13, 2003
Posts: 14
| Posted: 2003-11-16 01:55
When it crashes, the dialog reads:
Caught Exception
An Unknown error occured while running DarkSpace, please send in bug report!
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Sandals
Fleet Admiral
Agents
Joined: January 21, 2002
Posts: 2001
From: Redmond,WA,USA
| Posted: 2003-11-16 03:52
I suggest you uninstall the 52.16 Nvidia drivers and roll back to the 40-whatever ones.
The 52.16 drivers are notoriously unreliable in their results.
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Raylon Helix
Cadet
Joined: March 13, 2003
Posts: 14
| Posted: 2003-11-16 21:16
Quote:
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On 2003-11-16 03:52, Sandalpocalypse wrote:
I suggest you uninstall the 52.16 Nvidia drivers and roll back to the 40-whatever ones.
The 52.16 drivers are notoriously unreliable in their results.
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I've placed a screenshot of the 4403 driver in that same directory
here, named nv4403.jpg
Using this driver seems to (but i could be wrong) end the lockups - but as you can see the graphics issues are worse.
I've also tried a 42xx and a 45xx with mostly the same result
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Sandals
Fleet Admiral
Agents
Joined: January 21, 2002
Posts: 2001
From: Redmond,WA,USA
| Posted: 2003-11-17 00:00
Hmmmmmm.... dunno. Turn off Aliasing and Anisotropic filter and all that stuff.
*EDIT*
Damn! I just looked at those screenshots. That's messed up. It looks like maybe a texture memory problem. Not sure. 64 MB should be enough, looking at the DXDIAG.
-Do you have problems in other games? Everything that comes to mind would effect other games too.
*EDIT*
Did it EVER work?
*EDIT*
I checked around on the VIA website.
Change your AGP mode to 2x and disable FastWrite in the BIOS.
Change to the 30-series drivers.
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[ This Message was edited by: Sandalpocalypse on 2003-11-17 00:14 ]
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Fatal Command (CO)
Marshal
Fatal Squadron
Joined: November 27, 2002
Posts: 1158
From: over here in New York noticing some ppl are like canoes.....they need to be paddled.
| Posted: 2003-11-17 00:17
sounds like you have same problems I do....but i am a puter idiot...this is ONLY game out of 30 that I have any issues in
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Sandals
Fleet Admiral
Agents
Joined: January 21, 2002
Posts: 2001
From: Redmond,WA,USA
| Posted: 2003-11-17 00:19
Plunged what's your specs?
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Raylon Helix
Cadet
Joined: March 13, 2003
Posts: 14
| Posted: 2003-11-17 08:48
Quote:
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-Do you have problems in other games? Everything that comes to mind would effect other games too.
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No
Not that I recall
Quote:
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Change your AGP mode to 2x and disable FastWrite in the BIOS.
Change to the 30-series drivers.
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Done, the graphics problems *persist*, althou it appears that I've stopped crashing (wont know till i play more, but given the crash frequency before - it seems to have stopped).
Once again i've added screenshots to that directory from the nv 30.82 drivers.
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Raylon Helix
Cadet
Joined: March 13, 2003
Posts: 14
| Posted: 2003-11-18 08:08
Well, I've got some more input regarding this issue.
There is another machine here in my office that has the same motherboard and graphics card.
My first test, swap the cards and verify this is not a problem specific to my particular card. Done, the problem occurs on both cards in *this* machine.
Second, verify that the problem occurs on both machines. Done - this problem is consistant across both machines.
The problem is displaying is the patchy graphics glitches described and shown in screenshots. The Lockups described in the initial post of this thread have gone away - i do not know if the lockups occur across both machines but it would be my guess that they were caused by the 52.16 drivers.
Oh, here again is the link to those screenshots and some other info. The "new/" directory shows some new shots.
In conclusion, It seems that the mostly likely explination is:
The darkspace program makes use of (dx) system calls which, when translated to the nvidia drivers does not work as intended. (this is what i think the problem is, or rather something very close to it - it is further backed up by the fact that the BETA program does *Not* have this problem. there are obviously differences between these two prgrams, and esp the draw.dll and render3d.dll which are different sizes).
Certainly there are other possibilities, and i would not be so vain as to assume that i know everything there is to know about the use of directx in programming. I do have a large degree of programming experience, but not on this platform.
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Sandals
Fleet Admiral
Agents
Joined: January 21, 2002
Posts: 2001
From: Redmond,WA,USA
| Posted: 2003-11-18 16:48
I'm stumped.
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-Ashiya-
Vice Admiral
Joined: October 21, 2003
Posts: 204
From: The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland.
| Posted: 2003-11-21 07:21
well i am shure it's the ENSONIC onboard soundchip. it's the low-cost version which has only an emulated DMA-master. in combination with the VIA-chipset it causes the disconnect of the client beacuse DS won't run without sound. if u cannot find a sounddriver which fix it (certain mobos ignore upgrades of onboard-devices) then get a cheap or spare pci-soundcard and disable the onboard in the bios. that should fix it.
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