Freezing in Patch 1.3

rostam · Post by **rostam** » Mon, 26. Dec 05, 21:46

Hi,

I have had the freezing issues in all patches but somehow I could get around it by doing a jump, docking or doing something and then it passed the freeze point. Currently I have patch 1.3 installed. Below are 2 save games one takes about a min or two before it freezed and the 2nd one freeze in less then 30 sec. I can't do anything to pass the freeze point.

Can you please give any suggestions of how to fix this? I hate not to be able to continue the game from this point after all the playing hours I have put into this save game. I have seen many posts on this but no resolution.

http://home.cogeco.ca/~rostam/X3/X22.sav (Takes about a min or two to freeze)

http://home.cogeco.ca/~rostam/X3/X02.sav (Takes less then 30 sec to freeze)

- Operating system: Windows XP Service Pack 2
- CPU: AMD Athalon 64 3500+
- graphics card: ATI Radeon X800 Pro with 256MB
- memory: 1 Gig RAM
- sound system: Creative SB Audigy
- game version (i.e. 1.2.01): 1.3
- Exact nature of the problem: Freeze, Freeze, Freeeeeeeeeze!!!
- sector location in the game and scenario: Please see save games
- type of game played, i.e. plot ot non-plot: With plot and already finished it in the save games.

Thanks...

rostam · Post by **rostam** » Mon, 26. Dec 05, 22:20

Can everyone test the save files above and see if the game freezes for them as well?

Thanks

Hotpot · Post by **Hotpot** » Mon, 26. Dec 05, 22:44

I tested the second file and can confirm that I get a freeze when initiating autopilot to slolar station XL beta.
This confirms that it is the patch. I have eradicated all problem codecs and done a fresh install without 3rd party scripts. The test I did with this file was also with the 'missing ship models with cockpits' mod disabled. My game runs smooth as silk but these lock-ups are consistent. The patch MUST be the problem.
I have a pretty much top-notch system with 3GB of matched pair Ram, an AMD 64 4000+ chip and a 6800GT graphics card.
I am now giving up playing until this is fixed.

rostam · Post by **rostam** » Mon, 26. Dec 05, 22:59

I agree,

I have tested with fresh install of XP and latest drivers and it still happens. Interesting thing is it doesn't matter where you are in the game (docked, flying, in any sector) after you load these saves after exact certain amount of time the game freezes. Its almost looks like it’s tied to an event in the game... something somewhere is happening that causes the freeze.

rostam · Post by **rostam** » Mon, 26. Dec 05, 23:22

Well... here is something interesting. In the 2nd save file above if I go to Property section and set the command for "UT5-Rostam-Split Caiman" to "non" which is currently on standby for Universal trade the game no longer freezes!!!

Can the freezing be AI related or Script related???? I don't have any custom mods or scripts I have not made any modifications.

Egosoft I hope this helps and please let me know when you load this save file if you can replicate the problem.

Thanks.

HeinzHarald · Post by **HeinzHarald** » Mon, 26. Dec 05, 23:36

Things that have solved freezing issues are:
disable any mod or script you might be running
disable EAX
disable Glow (a new feature in 1.3)

hansie · Post by **hansie** » Mon, 26. Dec 05, 23:51

Just gave it a quick test and flew around a bit and activated auto-pilot to spp alpha. Froze at the moment it arrived at the dock path and was about to turn to align with it.

Funny thing I never had a freeze/loop sound before. At least I know now what it looks like

Maybe not helpful after the previous posts, but there you have it.

edit: btw. no scripts (haven't bothered with those yet), everything on, except AA.

Hotpot · Post by **Hotpot** » Tue, 27. Dec 05, 00:09

I set the command to none for UT5 and it didn't freeze on the way to solar power XL beta. This is using Rostam's second savegame file provided above. However, when I undocked, I got a message from UT1 about jumpdrive fuel. Shortly after that, it froze.
You may be right in that it's related to the universal traders.

Marijn · Post by **Marijn** » Tue, 27. Dec 05, 01:14

It must be something in the trading/scripting engine. I don't have any UT's and my game has the sporadic freeze+sound loop as well.

Good job @ rostam for getting this recreatable freeze. it should help the dev team to get this sorted. I hope they post to atleast acknowledge they've seen these files.

grbaker · Post by **grbaker** » Tue, 27. Dec 05, 01:34

hmm... I had several freezes whilst trying to dock my Mamba to a XL Solar Power Plant in Sacred Relic.

Twice in froze whilst I was trtaveling to it but still in the sector below (Pontifxs Relam) and once when really close.

Got past it by going else where... wonder if its something to do with the XL Solor Power Plants.

raventd · Post by **raventd** » Tue, 27. Dec 05, 01:44

Well since the 1.3 patch the freezing is getting more commonplace.

Twice while trying to dock at Argon Prime shipyard.

After capping a frieghter and escorting it.

And other times just flying around in different sectors.

The freezing seems to be random to me.Its a real pain,after you do something you got to fly to the nearest sector to save at a station.
Its enough to make you pull your hair out.

I have no mods/scripts.No glow anti a' set.

Is it the music /soundcard?

Post by **Cycrow** » Tue, 27. Dec 05, 02:30

if ppl have reproducable freezes in save games, then it would really help the devs track this problem

otherwise its going to be very hard for them to solve if they cant find a way to repdouce the freezes

rostam · Post by **rostam** » Tue, 27. Dec 05, 07:51

Thanks to everyone who tested these files. At least we know the problem is not just isolated to a specific system. Hopefully the devs will take a look at it.

MadIrish · Post by **MadIrish** » Tue, 27. Dec 05, 09:53

I was locking up on what I thought was a freezing in a sound loop after 1.3 update. However, after testing each and every setting to determine what exactly is causing the lockup it is, at least for me, when I establish a Universal Trader. 3-5 minutes after giving the order to establish my sole lvl 9 trader as a UT the game locks up hard. If I don't issue the order to UT then the game plays without locking up.

Played 10 minutes issued order for UT 4 mintues later freeze-up
Played 1 hour issued order for UT 3 mintues later freeze-up
Played 3 hours issued order for UT 4 minutes later freeze-up

This ain't no coincidence

rostam · Post by **rostam** » Tue, 27. Dec 05, 15:36

I am experiencing the same problem with the other UTs as well.

Hotpot · Post by **Hotpot** » Tue, 27. Dec 05, 16:01

I also have a reproduceable freeze in my savegame. I don't know how to post on here though as I've never used my webspace or anything like that.

Deleted User · Post by **Deleted User** » Tue, 27. Dec 05, 16:09

I read somewhere that reinstalling Windows Media Player helped solve the problem. I did, and also installed thelatest NVIDIA drivers.

It solved the problem for me. Don't know if it helps...

rostam · Post by **rostam** » Tue, 27. Dec 05, 16:13

Atraxo,

Did you test the save file I posted to see if it freezes for you after reinstalling windows media player? I don't see how it can be related to the media player since the freezing stops when I change the order on the the UT5 to non. Only way it can be related to the media player is if X3 is using media player to play voice sounds and maybe the UT is about to perform a command that initiates a specific sound. But I doubt it since the UT5 is standby command and what possible voice would it initiate at this point?

MadBoris · Post by **MadBoris** » Tue, 27. Dec 05, 16:45

Just as an FYI:
Some freezes can be due to game code, others could be due to software/hardware. As I have mentioned before, the trick is isolating which you have. First one has to rule out software/hardware because not all identical symptoms have the same cause. If it is reproducable by a savegame on different platforms then that's a corrupted save or game code.

Hotpot · Post by **Hotpot** » Tue, 27. Dec 05, 16:49

I'm pretty sure it's something in the game now. All the other solutions I have tried have made the game incredibly smooth even in hectic firefights but these freezes occur with no particular pattern. A lot of them occur when nothing is going on in the sector that you're in.

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

Freezing in Patch 1.3

Freezing in Patch 1.3