Help! Game shuts down when Apollo is built

[Epik]

Since November 27th the Monday Night Diplo Game players have completed 17 sessions. We have had the occasional connection issues, but have always been able to overcome them.

In the year 1895 AD the Apollo wonder was built. Right after we get the message saying that it was built the game shuts down!

Our best guess is that the game crashes when it is trying to update all of our maps with the pictures from space.

We restarted the game twice and each time it shut down at the same point.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? Do you have a suggestion on how to resolve the problem?

[kengel]

I didn't experience that kind of crash up to now. But if nothing else helps, I suggest to try following: In your next session, play up to that point till the last player finished his turn who is moving immediately before Apollo will be build. "finished" means, that he see the "end of turn" message blinking without pressing return. Instead, this player should press Ctrl-N, this will mark all his unmoved troops as moved so he won't get trouble with the AI takeover. Let the player, who will build Apollo, save the game. Now all players leave the game. Next, the Apollo wonder player will load and start the game without all the other player. If Apollo is built without crash, it is ok; he saves the game and reload with the others joining again. If it still crashes, the only possibility I see is hex editing the file
Good luck!

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greets from the Warrior of sky

[drake]

Good suggestion Kengel thanks.

So we should do this- since I have the turn before Egypt builds apollo, I will finish all my moves, save the game and then send this save over to suas. He plays his turn until apollo has been built and map updates and then saves the game. He can then temporarily be our host (since Epiks mac won't be able to read Suas's save file if he sends it to him).....we all get in the game, Epik makes a save on his machine, we restart and hopefully we're golden.........

So if this is the suggestion we go with, I need a copy of the save since I didnt grab one before we quit this week. So if Suas or Sun have a PC save, that would be great. If not we'll just have to load up the game so I can make a copy.

We'll make it through....it's too late to turn back now.

[kengel]

Drake, it is even easier

Probably, it will even work if Suas will host for this turn instead of Epik, since this bug may only occure in the Mac version? To be tried out, I guess...

Otherwise:
It is not necessary to send the file to you (though possible).

- You must have a file which was saved during Drakes turn. If not, just get all (that means those, which need to move till Drake can move) together for an usual internet session and play, till drake has moved his units.

- If Drake has finished with moving, he should press Ctrl-N to avoid potential trouble with AI take over, but NOT pass the turn.
Instead, he tells Suas he finished.

- Now Suas will save the game, and all get out of the session.

- Suas will load the game alone (as usual internet game, but without the others joining). Then he will be the first one who knows, if it worked

The problem is, that AI will change all your King's and Civ's name

Good luck!



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greets from the Warrior of sky

[drake]

Thanks for the advice, I'm confident that this will be an effective solution and am looking forward to trying it.

Gracias !

[Epik]

Suas and Drake, is there a time over this weekend that you will be available for some testing? I would think that it would only take an hour at the most. SunTzu you could also join the test, but I don't think you would be required, since we will just be getting past the Apollo snag. If we can work out the process over the weekend, then it will allow us to have a full session on Monday night.

I want to try:

Option 1

1. Loading and saving the game after Drake has finished his moves but before his turn is offically finished. Suas would save at this point.

2. Suas would open the game and get past the Pictures of Earth map update and save the game.

3. Suas would then host while Drake and I join. Hopefully I can save the game with the updated maps and we can resume on Monday with that file.

Option 2

1. Load the game and exchange maps with each other. Hopefully this would prevent the possible data transfer overload that might be occurring.

2. Drake would complete his turn.

3. Suas would build Apollo. Hopefully the game would not shut down and we would do the same thing on Monday.

[drake]

wont be able to do anything on the weekend no. I have faith that option one will work on Monday. There's no logical reason that it wouldn't. Of course there's no logical reason it should crash either so...I don't know. I have a game at 8 tonight, but I'll be around earlier this evening, so I could do it then......
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by drake (edited April 05, 2001).]</font>

[suas333]

If we were to try option #2, would Apollo reveal the entire map including every unit? or just terrain and cities?

[Epik]

I think that it is just terrain and cities, but I am not sure. I think we should try that type of map trade first, if option 1 does not work.