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Sins of a Solar Empire Technical FAQ

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Sins of a Solar Empire Technical FAQ

You have problems? Read here first

from Sins Forums

You've got Sins of a Solar Empire home. You've installed it and you go to play and POW. Something goes wrong! What the heck? Look in here to see if your issue is addressed. If not, make a post and we'll do our best to help you out!

 

 

  • My multiplayer games keep crashing!
    •

Almost all of the crash reports we've received in this regard were caused by some of the players using Mods that the other players weren't. If you're going to use Mods in a multiplayer game, either all players must use the same Mod (and version) or no Mods can be used. Otherwise this will create stability issues and de-sync problems the longer you play.

  • My game is crashing for another reason...

If you had the game installed on your PC previously (i.e., during the beta), you must uninstall it before installing the final game.

  • I have an NVIDIA card and my game or video driver keeps crashing!

NVIDIA has resolved this issue as of driver version 174. Check NVIDIA's website for the latest version (if you have a laptop and the OEM does not have the latest version, try laptopvideo2go.com instead).

  • Where are the files kept for Sins of a Solar Empire (such as screenshots and such?)

Vista:
C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\

XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\

Please note these directories may be Hidden by default. To unhide them, go to your Control Panel -> Folder Options -> View and set yourself to view hidden files and folders.

Note: If you're running the game through Stardock Central under Windows Vista, it will save your game settings under an Admin folder:  C:\Users\ADMIN_NAME\AppData\Local\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\

We are working to correct this behavior. 

  • Why does the direct digital download version cost $5 more than game costs at the store?

The direct version is the Collector's Edition which includes additional non-game content such as a music CD (which you can download), PDF files of maps and tech trees, and a Windows theme.

  • Where is my Sins settings file found?

This file is located at:

Vista:
C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\Setting\user.setting

XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\Setting\user.setting

Please note these directories may be Hidden by default. To unhide them, go to your Control Panel -> Folder Options -> View and set yourself to view hidden files and folders.

  • The game blue screens or I get video corruption when I play.

Make sure you have the latest drivers for your video and sound card. This is particularly important if you have an older video card. The game will have problems on outdated drivers.

  • The game crashes in Vista.

This could be due to a known Vista bug which can be addressed here: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=940105

  • How can I open my settings file if I need to change something?

You can open this and most Sins files with a simple text editor such as Notepad. We strongly recommend against using programs like Microsoft Word, however, as they introduce their own hidden formatting elements that may cause crashes.

  • My game has crashed and told me it saved a "minidump" file. What do I do?

Please open Windows Explorer to the location below and see if your dump file is there.

XP: C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temp\Sins Dump

Vista: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp\Sins Dump

If there is a minidump file present, please zip it up along with a copy of a dxdiag from your PC and a description of what you were doing when it occurred to support(at)ironcladgames(dot)com. Please note that you must provide your Sins of a Solar Empire serial number in your email to receive support (anti-piracy measure).

  • My game has a bug, what do I do?

You can send the save and/or recorded game that recreates the bug along with a description of how it occurred to us. Using the info above, locate the save/recorded game and compress it into either .zip or .rar format, then email it to us at support(at)ironcladgames(dot)com. Please note that you must provide your Sins of a Solar Empire serial number in your email to receive support (anti-piracy measure).

  • I try to start Sins but I get an "Audio Engine Failed To Initialize" error.

This is an indication that your sound card drivers are out-of-date, that you don't have a sound card, or that you don't have any speakers connected (Vista). Please try installing a valid, up-to-date sound driver for your system. A sound card is required to play the game.

  • I try to start Sins but the screen is a mess of color or is black and never loads the game.

Possible solutions:

  1. Try turning off movies in the user.setting by changing ShowIntroMovies TRUE to ShowIntroMovies FALSE.
  2. Try manually changing the resolution of the game in user.setting by changing the values associated with WINDOWEDWIDTH and WINDOWEDHEIGHT.
  3. Try manually changing the MULTISAMPLETYPE setting to a value between 0 and 4 in the user.setting file.
  4. Try updating your sound card drivers to their latest version (this is especially important on brand new machines).
  5. Make sure you video drivers are up to date.
  6. Make sure you have the latest DirectX 9c.
  7. Try manually reducing all your texture levels in user.setting (set them to 0 for the lowest setting).
  8. Try updating to the latest version of Sins using Stardock Central.
  9. Try running in windowed mode (ISWINDOWED FALSE to TRUE) also set in user.setting.
  10. Try reinstalling Sins (make sure you uninstall and manually delete anything that might have been left over)
  11. Try changing the game resolution to the same resolution as your desktop.
  • I can't connect to Ironclad Online (ICO) or any LAN games.

Make sure your software firewall (including the Windows Firewall) has not blocked Sins of a Solar Empire. With some firewalls it may appear that Sins has frozen, as the firewall is waiting to receive confirmation to proceed. You may need to exit Sins and restart the game in Windowed mode (IsWindowed in user.setting) in order to get around the firewall's pop-up. Alternatively, you could configure your firewall prior to starting Sins. You also have to be able to connect to both port 6000 and port 7000 on ICO.

  • Sins won't continue when I try to host a multiplayer game.

Your TCP/IP or Winsock settings could be corrupted. To confirm this, turn on logging (using the instructions above) and attempt to host a game again. If your log file is filled with "Socket'ServerAcceptedSocket0' failed recv: An operation was attempted on something that is not a socket." then this is most likely the problem.

The solution to fixing your corrupted settings can be found here.

  • Other players aren't able to connect to the game I'm hosting.

As of version 1.11, Sins uses Alloy by default so no one should have problems hosting. However, if you choose to disable Alloy in the online hosting options, the following is how to make sure you are capable of hosting. (Note that in some situations you won't have the rights to the make the following changes and Alloy is your best bet - this is typical of tight corporate networks or a university campus situation).

Your user.setting file has an entry for GameHostPort (default is 6112). Make sure your router has this Port Forwarded to your computer's IP address or has UPnP enabled. If you use Port Forwarding, it's important that you set your PC to have a static IP address to maintain your settings.

XP
C:\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\Setting

Vista
C:\Users\yourname\AppData\Local\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\Setting

All computers behind a router should have their own unique GameHostPort setup in case the original host leaves and a new host for the game is needed. Be sure to restart your game after changing these settings. Keep in mind these are NOT the ICO ports of 6000 and 7000 (see above).

Example (computers behind router):

Computer IP                user.settings -> GameHostPort                  Router Port Forwarding Setting

192.168.1.47                             6112 6001 ->                                       192.168.1.47
192.168.1.201                           6113 6002 ->                                       192.168.1.201
192.168.1.35                             6114 6003 ->                                       192.168.1.35

  • Q: Where can I get more help with setting up my computer for multiplayer?

 

One site we recommend is: http://portforward.com/default.htm

 


630,947 views 218 replies
Reply #176 from Sins Forums Top

Pureknight, are you wearing your glasses when you're playing ;D

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Reply #178 from Sins Forums Top

cuthbertson, here is the standard advice for your issue

first you will want/need a either or both winrar and 7zip to extract files then download and install galaxy forge from the sins download page
assuming you have sins 1.191/entrenchment 1.051/diplomacy 1.011,  the galaxy forge maps NEED to be placed here for xp
C:\Documents and Settings\'user name'\Local Settings\Application Data\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\GalaxyForge

or here for vista/windows 7
C:\Users\'user name'\AppData\Local\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\GalaxyForge.

for sins 1.15/entrenchment 1.01 and earlier, the correct location IS the program files \galaxy folder, and you also NEED to edit the entrenchment's galaxy.manifest to include the maps and also the total count of maps

NOTE the first two folders after the 'user name' are hidden , so to see them you must first click on 'tools' then 'folder options', then 'view', then click on 'show hidden files& folders' then click ok, then you will be able to browse your want to the folder. I suggest when you find the folder that you create a shortcut to it on the desktop

NOTE 2 the 'user name' in the above paths is your WINDOWS login user name, eg Administrator

also the galaxy forge maps in the local apps galaxyforge folder only show up in the galaxy forge tab of map types in sins 1.16+/entrenchment 1.02+

if the map IS a galaxy forge and giving the instant win/loss screen then MAKE sure that EACH player has a home planet and is not for a particular mod that has extra home planets and stars

and if a map you want to play was released before 25th feb 2009 then you will also need the sins map updater from here
http://files.filefront.com/sins+map+updater+v201rar/;13585432;/fileinfo.html

harpo

Reply #179 from Sins Forums Top

I am trying to connect to ICO but everytime i login a pop up tells me that sins disconnected from ICO any way to fix this?

I am running Vista if thats ne help

Reply #180 from Sins Forums Top

Have you updateded?

Reply #181 from Sins Forums Top

Krunk, I would suggest looking at your firewalls to make sure they allow for Sins.  Also, if you know how to set up port forwarding open up ports 6000, 6112, and 7000.

Reply #182 from Sins Forums Top

I just bought Sins (Maingame, no expansions or addon).

Its at Version 1.05

I looked for an update as it seams actual version is 1.1, but no chance to find that.

Can you guys probably give me a hint or link how to get this?

 Thx in advance

Reply #183 from Sins Forums Top

You will need to use Impulse to update past 1.05.

 

www.impulsedriven.com

 

Register your game to the same email account you use on this fourms. Then it will update your game. Also you can now redownload it at anytime if needed.

Reply #184 from Sins Forums Top

You will need to use Impulse to update past 1.05.

 

www.impulsedriven.com

 

Register your game to the same email account you use on this fourms. Then it will update your game. Also you can now redownload it at anytime if needed.

Reply #186 from Stardock Forums Top

Приветствую , у меня такая проблема купил Грехи солнечной империи тринити пытаюсь сделать улучшение для нее через импульси  ввожу код а он пишет что код не действительный и просит ввести заново код и мыло и логин , что делать как получить нужный код ????

Reply #187 from Sins Forums Top

Приветствую , у меня такая проблема купил Грехи солнечной империи тринити пытаюсь сделать улучшение для нее через импульси ввожу код а он пишет что код не действительный и просит ввести заново код и мыло и логин , что делать как получить нужный код ????

the best advice would be to contact support @ stardock.com by email give them the serial number from the box, and a scan of your reciept, and the name/address of the person/business you bought it from.

harpo

Reply #188 from Stardock Forums Top

Ok. i have had SOE for some time now, all 3 of them...SOE, SOEE and the latest one SOED. and i have had the same problem with all 3.  It starts out fine, runs fast and every thing runs smooth. but after 30 min to an hour it starts to slow down, and the longer i play the slower it gets. It gets to the point that it takes 10 min for a singel ship to move from one side of a planet to the other side. I have read every post i can find ans no one seems to have a good answer or a good fix. And there is a LOT of fixs and work arounds out there:| . I have set the settings to the max and to the minimum with the same results. Like a lot of other ppl out there, i more then meat the minimum requirements. Just so u know:  Win7 ult x64,  Core i7,  6 gigs mem,  nvid gts 260. so i'm not lacking for power or speed. I do have mods for all 3, and all the updates and patches and all that. it dosent seem to matter if i use the mods or not, i still get the same results, slowing down and runs choppy. Now....reading other posts i am realy wondering if its even the PC thats doing it...i mean ALL PC's....or if its the game it self thats causes the problems that evey ones haveing<_< . 

I woild realy like to know whats going on with the game before i give it up for good as a lost cause. Because after playing this game all others just seem...small. I realy like it because of its HUGE maps and battels. Theres nothing quit like taking a planet by force. Having a large fleet...one of every capital ship with 30 or so support ships....u jump in to the planets gravety well and take out every thing one by one till theres only the planet it self left:cylon: . aaahhh  good times...good times.O:)

 

Can some one, or i should say, dose some one have a answer to this ????

Reply #190 from Sins Forums Top

I have Windows 7 and the game won't run at all! It does give me a minidump file. Any suggestions, please?

Reply #191 from Sins Forums Top

cmcastl, some questions to help us help you.

WHAT are your system specs?

which version of win 7 ie 32bit or 64 bit?,

what are your game settings?

what mods are enabled?

what were you doing just before the minidump?

do you have debug logging enabled? if yes what are the last dozen lines of the debug log?

harpo

 

Reply #192 from Sins Forums Top

not to be a pian but my ico is accepting my name but isnt letting me on does anyone know becuase theres no fire wall

Reply #193 from Sins Forums Top

scmorris, have you tried the username AND password that you used to log in to post here?, if yes then the best answer is to email [email protected] with all details and ask them to help.

harpo

 

Reply #194 from Sins Forums Top

can i get a private post because im obviusly on at the wrong time [end of school till i get off]

but i get on go to ico type my name and pass and it comes up with"you where disconnected from the ico"

how can i improve that

Reply #195 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting harpo99999, reply 193
scmorris, have you tried the username AND password that you used to log in to post here?, if yes then the best answer is to email [email protected] with all details and ask them to help.

harpo

 

there slitly diffrent for a sertian reason on ico my users been misshaped so stardock sortin it out

so ive gone for battlestar which worked

Reply #197 from Stardock Forums Top

I agree on this one. Sins worked for several months for me until one day after an impulse update it started dumping mini's. Now, it sets on my HD collecting binary dust.  And yes, I uninstalled through Impulse, even removed stray folders manually afterwords, reinstalled via impulse and played for a day or two until you guessed it, more mini dumps. Sent info into Iron Clad as stipulated, no reply.

Typical of the PC gaming industry these days. I wonder how a car dealership would fair if they sent you home in a brand new car and managed to screw up the technical system but wouldn't answer the door went you brought it back for repair.  Then again, we don't drive around in digital cars and sign EULA's before purchasing a new automobile either, thus no real excuses to legal out of satisfying the consumer.  The PC industry I regret, has turned into nothing more than over hyped digital pill pushers, and we the gaming community are the addicts--we'll buy whatever they hand out these days so long as we get our gaming fix.

Reply #199 from Sins Forums Top

Can you describe when the minidumps are occurring?  Are they early in the games or do they only occur later in the games when a number of huge fleets are running around?  If it's the later, then you might be bumping up against that 2 gig limit.

I actually think the minidump problem has improved dramatically since the game's release, but I only play in humans v. humans games over Ironclad Online where we don't bump up against the 2 gig limit too often.  Even in 5 on 5's where you have 10 human players, hitting the 2 gig limit just doesn't seem to happen real often.  (Then again, online games typically don't last much longer than one-and-a-half hours, so people don't get 2000+ supply worth of fleet.)

Reply #200 from Stardock Forums Top

They happen shortly after starting a new game now.  Sometimes I can't even get a new game to fully launch. The bar gets half way and then a minidump occurs.  Strangely, I used to play long hours with large fleets and no problems.  Then one day the game decided to freeze up with minidumps.  I want to say this occured after an impulse update, but this would be a guess.  Anyway, the issue just started up out of the blue.  Perhaps if I update my vid driver that might work.  Still, there's obviously been a history of the minidump issue with Sins before my encounter with it.