29 replies to this topic

[beno]

Right then - I finally managed to install the Big World Project, using the auto installer but to be perfectly honest I really couldn't figure out what I was supposed to be doing but I know it didn't go perfectly! The game starts and runs fine but I'm getting an Assertion error very similar to the one from this thread: An Assertion failed in ChVidImage.cpp at line number 1921
 
I'm getting an identically flagged crash, but at 'line number 899' - right from the start next to the group of chanting priests in Candlekeep inner grounds ("so sayeth the wise Alondo"). I avoided them and spoke to Gorion and it happens at the start of the Sarevok encounter as well (just after his first two henchmen have appeared but before Sarevok himself or perhaps as he appears - not sure).
 
 I think its probably a consequence of me having absolutely no idea how to install this behemoth properly, just left it to the BWS thing thinking it would know what to do... and it generated a bunch of errors with various messages which I couldn't fully understand. It seemed to be unable to find files for some mods so I downloaded them manually as I think it was trying to suggest and let it carry on, then it couldn't install something. I figured that if it couldn't install a particular mod then whatever - there's enough still there for an Infinity of extended BG fun... or graft since I wanted a tougher game than I played all those years ago
 
After it took me and my 'puter over 12hrs to get it all done (shocking really but, as I said, I really couldn't make sense of the documentation and what all the different versions and compilations even were and it was painfully slow to run) I'd be a little gutted if I couldn't get out of Candlekeep! However, I would be prepared to clear it all out and start from scratch if I really have to (any tips on how to speed the process up at all?)

Also, is my BG2 folder supposed to look like a heap of junk? There's enough folders and files there for... I don't know what but it seems a little inefficient? The installer has dumped every single setup.exe in there - is this correct behaviour?

[beno]

Meant to add, since I wrote so much - "Massive Thanks for taking the time to check out this thread!"

[The Imp]

I'm getting an identically flagged crash, but at 'line number 899'

There's a google you can search problems like this and you might find a proper responce on one of the BG2 related forums, I did in the 3rd link... that advices you to delete the (cache, temp and tempsave) -directories.
It's strait from the source as it was here when the Bioware still maintained a FAQ site for the known assertion error fixes.

Edited by The Imp, 10 September 2013 - 02:26 PM.

[beno]

Thanks for the reply. I searched around but never came across that advice - the 3rd link I'm getting is on a totally unrelated error and the page you linked to is giving me Bioware's 404 Not Found page... which is odd?

I had a look but I don't even have those folders in BG2... which is strange too.

I think I'm gonna erase it from existence and start from scratch with something else. Its years since I played BG series, and I only really wanted to play the first game again with some of the updated features of the BG2 engine (never really loved the second game as much as the first). I cannot face another day of listening to my hardrives grind away only to crash before the game gets started

Trying to read up all the different threads and advice on how to install this Megamod would take me more time than I can give it, which is a shame because theres so much I wanted to try out in an expanded BG1!

[The Imp]

Also, is my BG2 folder supposed to look like a heap of junk? There's enough folders and files there for... I don't know what but it seems a little inefficient? The installer has dumped every single setup.exe in there - is this correct behaviour?

Well yes, as those are the mod files and their folders, the game loads it's files from the "data" and "override" -folders, the fact that you have more than a few more folders actually just says that you have many mods installed by the BWS... you can use the Clean-up.bat to clear out the extra folders and files, but this also breaks debugging and other features you might wish to keep, as they help you getting out of trouble shuch as you are in.

the page you linked to is giving me Bioware's 404 Not Found page... which is odd?

Erhm, I said that it used to, you need to use the interner/web archive tools to find the page... like for example this. Sorry for being unclear on that...

[leandor]

Hey there, sorry to hijack, but is related to your issue and may be of help generally.

 

Just wanted to say that I had this exact same problem... After the crash, which is totally reproducible in my game, I did some analysis by following tips and general guidelines given in other threads for similar situations, and found that Tethtoril (the scroll guy...) was causing my crash.

 

I found this by using the areatest utility to list all actors, and then spawned each one of them using the console, one at a time until the game crashed while spawning him.

 

After that I opened Candlekeep area (AR0015)  in NearInfinity and checked the actor TETHTO, but I didn't found anything strange with it.

 

So I did a named save and, as a test, I deleted one of the items from his inventory. It had 6 items, a mace, a chain mail +1, the scroll, several potions in two stacks, and a shield... I deleted the last one, which was an "Excellent Mace". I saved the changes and compressed the save again. Went to the game to test and that crash was gone. I was able to spawn him using the console and talk to to him and he gave me the scroll for Firebead. After that, I walked around the area and finally found the other copy of him still wandering around...

 

 

Sadly I still don't know which is the problem with him, and I fear that the same problem would re-occur again in another instance, with other actor/item.

 

Also, I checked with change-log the changes affecting the files related to him and saw nothing wrong.

 

Would any of this debug information be of use to any of you?

 

On totally another unrelated matter: I found an error in the setup detected during the Lolfixer step in an area of the Vecna mod. It seems that the patch file for AAR003 applied during the Fixpack phase corrupts this file due to EOLN changes (LF gets replaced by CRLF in the binary file)

 

I have both files the mod's original and the patched one and they differ (apart from the patched bits) in this changes LF => CRLF.

 

I don't know if this is a known issue or not... I did my install during the last weekend and used the recently released Big World Project v13 files.

 

I still have my install and all the files ready, if you need more info... I'd probably be reinstalling again with the new Fixpack 13.0.2, which I hadn't seen before.

 

Best regards,

Leandro.

[coineineagh]

After that I opened Candlekeep area (AR0015)  in NearInfinity and checked the actor TETHTO, but I didn't found anything strange with it.

 

So I did a named save and, as a test, I deleted one of the items from his inventory. It had 6 items, a mace, a chain mail +1, the scroll, several potions in two stacks, and a shield... I deleted the last one, which was an "Excellent Mace". I saved the changes and compressed the save again. Went to the game to test and that crash was gone. I was able to spawn him using the console and talk to to him and he gave me the scroll for Firebead. After that, I walked around the area and finally found the other copy of him still wandering around...

 

I have a hunch that this is a similar problem to one i encountered when I was fixing a CTD in Icewind Gate 2 years ago (IG2 is an abandoned conversion mod by Weimer, which allows you pt play BG2 SoA in the Icewind Dale 2 engine). Anyway, Sarevok was causing a CTD crash in the dream sequence, just after talking with him.. I discovered that it was fine if I didn't run away from him. He just attacks with melee at close range, but wants to switch to bow & arrow at long range. But Sarevok's sprite has NO RANGED animations, and I could see an arrowhead appearing out of his belly just before the CTDs. Long story short, I suspect that Tethtoril doesn't have a shield animation, and that's why deleting ti helped.

[beno]

Hmm, loads of info here, thanks everyone 

 

The Imp: Right, so cleanup.bat is for when its all running and good then! I see what you mean about the link - guess I missed the past tense bit (sorry). Its sad that they don't feel the need to keep the old pages in an archive somewhere and rely on the 'way back machine' - they can't be much of a storage/bandwidth drain for a big company like Bioware can they?

 

Leandor: That's a pretty full on process to go bug hunting. I don't think I've got the time to learn all that stuff at the moment. This is why I jumped at an auto-installer when I saw one - quick and easy (or so I hoped). I've applied plenty of mods to games over the years and I'm well aware of the labour of love it can become to fix it all up, shame this installer isn't perfection - but what is with computers! Also, I can't say I know any of the acronyms for BG modding (LF => CRLF...?) just not familiar with it

 

coineineagh: its possible but I don't think Sarevok even made it on screen properly - I certainly don't have control during that sequence to try not to run away! I did a few more runs to see at which point it was getting the error and every time it was as soon as his first boot appeared and bam "assertion error"

 

My final point is that, since I have returned to BG and its mods after many, many years (only ever heard of or used Tutu before in early 2000's), alot of the mods, particularly those which have had numerous updates, no longer have proper descriptions. Many of them have phrases like "since you probably know by now I won't go into detail..." in their readme's/ forum posts or "This is the 18th update to XYZ mod." Very few descriptions of what they actually are or do have been retained. This is not great for 'noobs' or returners like me - I have no idea at all what most of them do and it'll take me a long time to research answers to the simple question "What does this mod actually consist of?"

[leandor]

Hey there! I really hope that you can find a way to solve the problem!

In any case, as last resort, maybe you can do an install with more reduced set of mods and try again... Is not really necessary to lose the current install for that: you can try again in a new game installation leaving the problematic one for now in case someone else gives you a solution.

I must mention that I did four reinstalls in total (mostly due to my own screw-ups ) before I could reach the point in which the game starts without breaking, and I finally was able to leave candlekeep and keep playing...

Also, I must add that in one of my own failed attempts I forgot to extract the extra "content" archives for Infinity Animations, and in that install I was also crashing at the initial cut-scene with Gorion vs Sarevok just before he has to appear outside the fog of war... That was my previous installation, in this current one with my failing Tethtoril if I avoided him and went to Gorion and then to the cut-scene, Sarevok appeared and the cut-scene was able to finish correctly.

<snip>
Also, I can't say I know any of the acronyms for BG modding (LF => CRLF...?) just not familiar with it
<snip>

Sorry... I wrote the post in a hurry and didn't want to write so much that it became a wall of text! I didn't realized how cryptic it could sound...

LF and CR are ASCII characters names, they are LF=Line feed and CR=Carriage Return... and CRLF is CR followed by a LF. They are used in text files to represent the the "new line" (or the "new paragraph") when you press ENTER.

The problem that I mentioned was of a file that is meant to be binary but when altered by the Fixpack prior to installation those LF chars were converted incorrectly to CR-LF pairs within it. (A process normally done by some editors when converting text files from Unix/Linux, which uses LF, to Windows which uses CR+LF.
 
 

I have a hunch that this is a similar problem to one i encountered when I was fixing a CTD in Icewind Gate 2 years ago <snip>

Good tip! Thanks! I will check him again keeping this in mind... and then perhaps I can trace this better. I did a change-log on him but it was touched by many mods and I don't know how to tell which is the one that causes the problem.

Best regards,
Leandro

[The Imp]

Hmm, loads of info here, thanks everyone

The Imp: Right, so cleanup.bat is for when its all running and good then! I see what you mean about the link - guess I missed the past tense bit (sorry). Its sad that they don't feel the need to keep the old pages in an archive somewhere and rely on the 'way back machine' - they can't be much of a storage/bandwidth drain for a big company like Bioware can they?

Well, yes the Clearup.bat is for that... or for the case you have made a backup and just wish to play the current game...
And I asked about it a bit ago from the forums, and this is what a longtime forum moderator had to say about it:

The reason for the "lack of support" is because the publisher of the games was responsible for support and they went out of business long ago (Interplay; their current iteration is not quite the same company). BioWare offered these forums and the bit of space on their old site as they were the developers of the game and wanted to promote and support a game they were proud of having a hand in making. With EA owning BioWare and other products like the EE version of BG being released by others, I would suppose that creating a support page for the BG series wouldn't be a high priority.

That's just my opinion, of course. I'd love to have the BG series have a home at EA/BioWare but I expect most rights lie in the hands of other publishers. BioWare is otherwise focusing on their current crop of intellectual properties.

[beno]

In any case, as last resort, maybe you can do an install with more reduced set of mods and try again... Is not really necessary to lose the current install for that: you can try again in a new game installation leaving the problematic one for now in case someone else gives you a solution.

 

I think this is gonna be my next step for now. I didn't realize it would be such a massive install when I selected one of the compilations. Gonna pick 'recommended' this time and see how it goes

 

No worries about the acronyms - its not just ASCII shorts I don't get but trying to follow some threads in this forum like "You need to use BWS to get the G34.3 to work corrrectly with Bob's Fp1000 mod. Capicche? " lol, its always the same finding a mature modding community - people get so used to everyone knowing the acronyms!

[beno]

OK, did a clean install of BG2, and a 'recommended' install with BWS. Tethoril bug gone! However that Sarevok encounter is now causing the Assertion error in line 899. I searched around and switched off 3d rendering thing and its giving a 1921 crash... so apparently its an anim file causing the headache.

 

 Been reading up on all this NearInfinity stuff and looked in the AR6600 thing and checked for CreateCreature for the area but the only ones that are there are Imoen, Montarron and Xzar. Surely they trigger as soon as you enter the area so it wouldn't be them or the game would crash before Gorion starts to give his 'we'd better get moving' speech, right?

 

Where can I find Sarevok and his henchmen then, since they don't seem to appear in the area script? There's quite a few entires under the CRE section for Sarevok and I think they and their weapons look ok (eg, no two handed swords flagged as single hand and vice versa) but what about his mates - its now crashing as soon as the first one enters?

[Lollorian]

Please attach your WeiDU.log here.

 

You shouldn't have to check for 2-handed flags and missing actors if you've installed either the crefixer or lolfixer (or both).

 

As for Sarevok, look for a cutscene event at the end of Gorion's dialogue (I don't have a BGT install at the moment to give you the exact filename). Also, a hunch tells me that the crash isn't caused by Sarevok but by that lady accomplice he has in that scene (she probably has a 1PP BG1 animation along with an incompatible item)

 

Please help us debug this because we have been trying to get to the bottom of these crashes for some time now. 1 cause has already been identified (and is fixed by the BWPFixpack v13.0.2) while another still eludes us - which your thing may be.

 

I'll try to get a BGT install up and running this weekend and hopefully sit with you through debugging this.

[leandor]

Hey Lollorian,

For my case, I'm planning to reinstall again this weekend... Perhaps the problems we're having are related to Lolfixer step's not running completely at the end of the setup? Since it chokes with those corrupted files I mentioned and aborts the installation (the failing component is the 'Area Stuff - MAJESTIC Area Fixer', which then gets uninstalled.) I'm almost sure that AAR003 will not be the only one that causes problems, but is the first that is found and the process stops there.

Perhaps beno's case may be similar if he is running the same Fixpack as I am...

In any case, I promise I'll report back any news as soon as I'm able to sit through the install process again this coming weekend.

Best regards,
Leandro

[Lollorian]

Have a look at the last posts here. http://www.shsforums...-thread/?st=180

If that's your problem as well the AAR003 should be the only area affected

[beno]

Lollorian: I'm afraid I removed the 'recommended' compilation and tried a 'minimum' one instead - which works with no problems so far. Thats good at least! 

 

So I will clear it out and may need some help with getting the "recommended" version up and running - since that's the one I most want to install (Dark Side of the Sword Coast was my ultimate goal, plus the BGTrilogy!) I know the BWS had issues finding some of the files and although I manually downloaded the right ones I'm not convinced it's happy. It keeps stumbling on some Gavin NPC amongst others (I don't really care about Gavin unless he's part of DSotSC!)

 

My failed troubleshooting for the 'recommended' went as follows: I eventually tracked it down to the CHCUT01.bcs through CHCUT04.bcs script progression (the cutscenes that run when you tell Gorion "I'm ready to go now" up 'til the beginning of Chapter 1 and meeting Imoen on the road.

 

I had a good read through the scripts and started tracking down the .cre references. There were two missing! No Tamoko.cre & no Ogre02.cre. This is a little strange - so I copied into the BG2 override folder those creatures from my BG1 install (yeah, not ideal but I wanted to try!). Fired up the game and the cutscene ran right up to the point where Sarevok moves in to kill Gorion after all three henchmen (and woman) are dead/asleep. Then the crash came. I got stumped at this point, and frustrated, so uninstalled and re-installed with the 'minimum' version to see if the problem was fundamental to the BGT setup or another mod. Outcome =  Its another mod, for sure, that's messing up!

[beno]

Re-installed using a bunch more mods (I'll post the Weidu log if/when I come across a problem but it was basically a slighly adjusted 'MegaMod' compilation) and I got the Tethoril assertion error 899 again. I know a lil' more about what to look for so I tracked down his .cre file and guess what, he uses a monk animation - but carries shield, chainmail and a mace... thats where his problem lies! I changed his anim to a human cleric, started a new game and went and had a chat with him 

 

Next up Sarevok - bring it on Big Boy!

[nil9]

I was wondering how your hunt is faring? I am having the exact same error, only mine happens when I try and enter the hospital in candlekeep, and is line 899. I am able to do everything in Candlekeep except the hospital. I can talk with Gorion and leave and finish the Saraevok fight.

 

I know there is a one armed guy in the hospital with a quest, that is probably the issue. I wish I could remember the mod it was from. On my previous install it happened as I approached the group of mages in the courtyard and the guy in the hospital was fine.

 

Also, I am wondering if anyone would mind clarifying something for me?

Do the mods version numbers in the BWP have to be exact? Meaning if a mod has been updated since Aug 23 can we use that updated version, or does it have to follow the PDF mod version numbers exactly? Thanks for any advice.

Edited by nil9, 15 September 2013 - 11:49 AM.

[beno]

Sarevok went smoothly with no errors so the adenture is under way

 

Unfortunately I am now getting this error with some of the spawn points of what I think are Kobolds... or at least I assume its the spawn points. I shall clarify:

 

I went for a look around the Ulcaster ruins and after killing some Hobo's and Kobold's in the 'lower' parts of the map I found the site up a cliff in the top right. On exploring the ruins (outside) I got the dreaded "Assertion Error, line 899". I used the area tester thing which found no problems with any of the currently visible creatures on the map, then manually spawned each one from the console just to check - again no problems, so its not Ulcaster's ghost, Ichary the undead giant skeleton or any of the others. However there is still one spot that if I approach causes the crash and I spotted some Kobolds there once just before the error message. The only reference in NearInfinity that I can find to creatures outside those listed in the savegame's area files is at the various spawning points but on these they're called with: CreateCreature RDBG121.CRE... what the hell does that mean, "RanDom Baldurs Gate" 121 perhaps?

 

So, is there any way I can find out which creatures are spawned on these spots or what these cryptic creatures of the RDBG variety are? I've looked through quite a few Kobolds but there are loads to test and it might be something else?

 

Its also happening all over High Hedge and I'm fairly sure its the same random spawn points that are causing it - can't get more than a few paces onto that map and I need to save Melincamp!!!

 

Nil9: You posted just as I was writing. The error with the group of mages at Candlekeep is probably Tethtoril being assigned as a monk animation but carrying non-monk equipment - as I mentioned in my previous post. The one-armed guy is called Sir Thrun or something, you'll have to find the hospital area code and check out the anim's that are used on the people in there for any weird discrepancies.

Edited by beno, 15 September 2013 - 12:12 PM.

[Mike1072]

Try this.