[805][CRASH] Game hangs at loading screen

from Elemental Forums

The previous Beta worked fine, except for graphical issues. But the new .805 Beta has crashed/hanged on loading screen everytime since I updated Elemental using Impulse. I am posting all files requested to a text hosting site as indicated by the reporting sticky. Links to the text files are included below. I CANNOT locate the zip files. The folders C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Stardock\Impulse\backup, C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Stardock\Elemental - War of Magic, and C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Stardock\Impulse\Temporary do not have any zip files. I have attempted to start the game over 20 times now so I assume there SHOULD be some memory dumps somewhere. But the fact it cannot move past the loading screen might be why there are no dumps?? 

I have already tried adding Elemental to my exceptions list, disabled my firewall, turned off "real-time" virus monitoring on Microsoft Security Essentials, and uninstalled and reinstalled the game. I have also hit both the "reset-data" and the "purge use data" buttons on the Impulse preferences and again uninstalled and reinstalled the game. I also updated my video card drivers as suggested. Still cannot get past the loading screen.

Here is my gear:

Microsoft Windows XP, Service Pack 3

AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3500+ 2.21 GHz

3.00 GB RAM

ATI Radeon HD 4600 Series

Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio

300GB Harddrive with 146 GB free

REPORTS

Debug.err: http://paste.org/pastebin/view/20323

impulse-errorlog: http://paste.org/pastebin/view/20324

DXDiag:http://paste.org/pastebin/view/20325

If you have any suggestions as to where the zip files might be on my particular machine please let me know and I will amend the post with the required data. Please also let me know if you can help me run the game. I am very excited to see the changes in BETA 3 :)

Many Thanks,

Sara

 

16,758 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Hanging won't create dump files.

Looks like it's failing to create the texture atlases.  Go to C:\Documents and Settings\cbegle\My Documents\My Games\Elemental\Prefs.ini and under [Video] look for MaxTextureAtlasWidth and MaxTextureAtlasHeight.  The default values are 1024 and 512, so if you have something else for those values, try resetting them to the defaults.

Have you tried updating your video drivers? 

+1 Loading…
Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

CariElf:

Yes, I did update my video drivers. I am running a Radeon HD 4600 and just yesterday installed the newest drivers from the ATI site. The drivers are dated 5/5/2009 v.8.620. If you know of any more recent ones then that please let me know.

I also went to the ini file and both lines are set at 1024 and 512:

MaxTextureAtlasWidth=1024
MaxTextureAtlasHeight=512

Is there any other reason the texture atlases are failing to load?

Thanks for the help,

Sara

WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

I may have misunderstood this post last night; I was going through a lot of posts all day and I admit to being a bit frazzled. Can you get to the title screen, or does it hang before that? If not, is this hanging while trying to start a new game or load a save game, or both?

Are there any files in  C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Stardock\Elemental - War of Magic\Screens?  If so, that message may have just been a one time thing before it generated the files. 

 

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

I have the exact same problem.  It hangs at the loading screen to the point I have to reset my computer to recover.  It has done this both times I have started Beta 3.

 

It hangs once the Elemental Beta 3 screen shows up on the screen.  The feather is there, but nothing to click, and I am unable to alt-tab out, or even access task manager using ctrl-alt-del.  I could only recover with a hard reset both times.

This is my system:

Microsoft Windows XP, Service Pack 3

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Processor 4200+ 2.21 GHz

2.00 GB RAM

ATI Radeon HD 3850 with 256MB of RAM, Driver 4.12 I believe.

 

I'll try to find the debug.err file and update with that later.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

I had bunches of hangs either when I clicked "load game" or when I clicked a specific save-game to load.  It's been a while, and the recollections are a bit fuzzy.

All became well once I saw the advice in another thread to wait (on the screen where "load game" is a option) untill the background (mostly) stops scrolling and the city near the bottom of the screen stops moving.

Somebody should sticky that tip until the issue is fixed.

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting CariElf, reply 3
I may have misunderstood this post last night; I was going through a lot of posts all day and I admit to being a bit frazzled. Can you get to the title screen, or does it hang before that? If not, is this hanging while trying to start a new game or load a save game, or both?

Are there any files in  C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Stardock\Elemental - War of Magic\Screens?  If so, that message may have just been a one time thing before it generated the files. 

 

CariElf:

If loaded from the .exe the game will hang at the title screen (the screen with the green gem scuplture) . If I run the game from Impulse the game will hang at the Main Menu Screen. I was once able to left-click on new game, but at the new game dialogue the game again hung and I had to restart the rig. I have never gotten past the new game dialogue.

In answer to your question yes, there are files in the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Stardock\Elemental - War of Magic\Screens. They are all DXSCREEN files except for the one DXATLAS file at 3520KB.

Thanks so much for the help ;)

Sara

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

The same for me

CPU use 99% ...

 

more than 20' for main menu

So i've format my disc, install the last drivers re-install direct X and ....... nothing :'(

 

debug err is normal

 

My system

 

Microsoft Windows XP, Service Pack 3

AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3500+ 2.21 GHz

2.00 GB RAM

Geforce 7900 512 M0

 

 

 

Ps sorry for my english

Re ps 3 have AMD ....

 

 

 

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

I had to turn off my firewall to get it to work.  The inability to alt-tab out of the splash screen is what makes it hang.  I was getting a firewall check since Elemental was trying to access the internet (which is strange at that point in the game).

Maybe you should to the internet access later, when it is possible to alt-tab in the game, or change that splash screen to allow it?

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

similar for me, i pre-ordered the game today, and it hangs at the screen with the green crystal. it wouldn't move so i ctrl-alt-delete'd and after awhile it would slowly show the main menu. at this point it will occasionally veeery slowly let me click options or new game. i never got any farther than the options and the game setup after clicking new game.

My drivers are updated, Firewall is turned off. still not working

I have Nvidia Geforce 6800 GT

Edit: i checked the screens file, and there wasnt anything, but it seems it fixed at some point. still too slow and hangy to play

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

UPDATE: BETA 3C

With the new update (BETA 3C) the game no longer hangs at loading screen. I have been able to succesfully start a new game. Thanks to the DEVs!!!

On a related note, to see the developers of a game opening a forum like this to address problems BEFORE the release of a game is AMAZING! Major thanks and applauds to the programers, moderators, and DEVS who have patiently listened to all complaining and griping, and worked to make this game possible!

Many Thanks,

Sara

Reply #11 from Elemental Forums Top

try rightclick elemental.exe, choose properties, click compatibility tab, and uncheck run this game in compatibility mode for

that worked for me on the loading screen hangup on version 1.1 (windows XP) =)