Game crashes when attacked by airplane

ingolfson2 · March 5, 2001, 09:32

I have a bug in my Alpha Centauri / Crossfire. Whenever, in the latter stages of the game, an enemy needlejet attacks one of my units or cities, there is a chance of the game crashing. I am using the Crossfire CD-Rom, so 'normal' errors should already be patched. Anybody remember similar errors?

Thanks

NorthSwordsman · March 5, 2001, 10:40

quote:

Originally posted by ingolfson2 on 03-05-2001 08:32 AM
I have a bug in my Alpha Centauri / Crossfire. Whenever, in the latter stages of the game, an enemy needlejet attacks one of my units or cities, there is a chance of the game crashing. I am using the Crossfire CD-Rom, so 'normal' errors should already be patched. Anybody remember similar errors?

Thanks

Ingolfson: Let me guess.. you have interceptors on 'Alert' status in the cities that are under attack, or nearby in a city if it is a unit, right? If so, it is a bug. Best thing you can do is NOT to put your 'ceptors on alert status. I've had that problem... once I've stopped doing that, it stopped. I just use interceptor choppers to mow them down after they attack. It's not the best tactic *shrug*, but what else can you do?

I am assuming you have the 2.0 patch for the Crossfire and the 4.0 patch for the Smac?

NS

fluffy · March 5, 2001, 12:05

The solution to the problem is to install Norton Crashguard, as this intercepts the crash, and allows you to continue play.

It would be nice to think the programmers would actually fix the bug, but in the absence of this, the above allows you to play properly.

[This message has been edited by fluffy (edited March 05, 2001).]

NorthSwordsman · March 5, 2001, 12:16

quote:

Originally posted by fluffy on 03-05-2001 11:05 AM
The solution to the problem is to install Norton Crashguard, as this intercepts the crash, and allows you to continue play.

It would be nice to think the programmers would actually fix the bug, but in the absence of this, the above allows you to play properly.

[This message has been edited by fluffy (edited March 05, 2001).]

Yes, Norton CrashGuard works, but it also takes up precious RAM. If you have RAM to burn, fine. I found crashguard to be causing some crashes in my system.. and I've used it for YEARS. Any wonder why the newest version of Norton Utilities doesn't have crashguard with it? Please do not misunderstand, I am a big fan of Norton stuff... I use it exclusively, I dislike McAfee intensely... but the crashguard just isn't the best thing sometimes.

Yeah, I wish they would release another patch to fix all these bugs, but it doesn't seem realistic that they will.

NS

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"The report of my enemy's death is not an exaggeration." -NorthSwordsman

"You can go a long way with a Rover. You can go much further with a Shard-equipped Rover."-NS
[This message has been edited by NorthSwordsman (edited March 05, 2001).]
[This message has been edited by NorthSwordsman (edited March 05, 2001).]

RedFred · March 5, 2001, 16:42

quote:

Originally posted by ingolfson2 on 03-05-2001 08:32 AM
I am using the Crossfire CD-Rom, so 'normal' errors should already be patched.

ingolfson2 · March 5, 2001, 16:43

Right - that was always the case (interceptors near) when it crashed.

But if even putting them on hold doesn't work, what am I supposed to do???

Will using helicopters work, as implied above?

Playing Pirates at the moment, I might also consider interceptor foils. Well I guess I'll try it that way.

RedFred · March 5, 2001, 21:06

Sorry, interceptor choppers have the same problem. SAM Rovers do not. A worst case option would be to play SMAC as only SMACX has this particular bug.

bandit · March 5, 2001, 22:15

I have this happen to me a lot too. Nice to hear it wasn't just my games.. although it does bite.

I just don't build those units anymore. The ai is always stupid enough to do the "pearl harbor" mistake.. they put 20 airplanes in one base eventually (or more). Come up with a few helicopters and destroy them all. It's been my sollution. Ya, you lose some teraformers etc in the process, the spoils of war. Easily replacable.

Wish they fix the bug though.

NorthSwordsman · March 5, 2001, 23:03

quote:

Originally posted by bandit on 03-05-2001 09:15 PM
I have this happen to me a lot too. Nice to hear it wasn't just my games.. although it does bite.

I just don't build those units anymore. The ai is always stupid enough to do the "pearl harbor" mistake.. they put 20 airplanes in one base eventually (or more). Come up with a few helicopters and destroy them all. It's been my sollution. Ya, you lose some teraformers etc in the process, the spoils of war. Easily replacable.

Wish they fix the bug though.

All the more reason to have infiltrated your enemies and have a ready abundance of probes in various "flavors" to steal the base in question.

. You can really add to your warchest in such a situation.

.

NS

------------------
"The report of my enemy's death is not an exaggeration." -NorthSwordsman

"You can go a long way with a Rover. You can go much further with a Shard-equipped Rover."-NS

Aredhran · March 6, 2001, 01:31

The Swordsman is correct, except that the Interceptors don't have to be on alert for the bug to rear its ugly head. They'll always scramble when an air attack occurs, at which point the game will crash.

If you have a wheelmouse, you might want to disable the driver software, that usually does the trick for me (Use CTRL-ALT-DEL to end the EM_EXEC task for a Logitech mouseman)

Aredhran

Misotu · March 6, 2001, 02:23

As Aredhran suggested, you can fix this bug by disabling your wheel software for the mouse. If you continue to experience crashes in the game, it has been established that some virus programs also cause problems.

But disable the mouse wheel and you solve the problem. Simple

bandit · March 6, 2001, 04:48

Mouse wheel? I don't have no stinkin mouse wheel. I'm on a stone age computer with a 10 year old mouse or something. I keep this pc glued together with duct tape and super glue!

The idea of doing the mind control on the city with lots of airplanes is good. I do that when I have enough money. Most of the time, my probe teams are in the form of ships.

Aredhran · March 6, 2001, 18:49

Except that the AI would probably bomb your probe teams before they even come close to the city. You'd have to use some good cover for your spies if you hope to make it.

senatus · March 9, 2001, 01:16

I had this problem too, without a mouse wheel.

Go into the properties (somewhere or another... I'm on a Solaris box right now and don't use Windows except to play AC

) and turn down the hardware acceleration - there are four settings, go down to lowest, try it, then "inch" your way up. Worked for me.