Crashes -- The Plague of TOC-Moul

[calroger]

There have always been crashes in TOC-Moul but I think I have found one type of occurrence that occurs significantly more than others. This is spinning around without moving. In other words holding down the right mouse button and rotating in place. This has happened many times. I can't be certain but I think it happens more often when rotating to the left. I am wondering if this is a case where the software can't handle the rapid change in scenery viewpoint.

This has happened to me three times today on the boat while awaiting departure. However, it has happened in numerous other locations.

Something to think about. If there is anything you would like me to do to provide more data for debugging, I would be happy to help.

Cal (Ikon)

[Mystler]

That's exactly why we removed the boat! We still have no idea why but it is increasing the crashing risk.
Since so many people wanted it back that's something you have to be prepared for.

[janaba]

I've said this somewhere else, but I'm saying it here again, for me TOC MOUL feels now much more stable,
and I could run around the boat and turn around the way cal described it with no problem, whereas before
I would also crash not only on that boat, but in the city in general esp. when turning around, but this is over
now, at least for me, and I have to add that I was alone in the CoD when I was happily sailing along and running
around the city and dancing up there in the disco ... it could be differently when more people were around, which
has yet to be tested ...

Edit:
I justed tested the CoD and the boat with more people and everything's great and stable so far ...

[calroger]

That's exactly why we removed the boat! We still have no idea why but it is increasing the crashing risk.
Since so many people wanted it back that's something you have to be prepared for.

I'm not saying the boat is the cause since it has happened numerous times before the boat was restored. The fact that it apparently happens more often on the boat, that might be a clue.

Annabelle's comments yesterday about the behavior of the cone in the elevator makes think that the boat behaves in a similar manner (i.e. subworlds??) Just like the cones and the elevator, does the boat operate in it's own subworld and somehow, activity on the boat interacts with the global world, sometimes poorly? This may not make much sense, but, since I am not familiar with the program construction and architecture, this is the best description I can come up with. Kinda like the ancients describing UFO's!

Incidentally, the cone is still stuck in the elevator!! LOL!

Cal

[Annabelle]

The boat is a subworld just like the Er'cana's Harvester. The boat ride is nearly 99,99% on a section of the age that is already void. If you jump off the boat you will drown inevitably even if you try something solid as a aim.

The whole crashing issue is easily solvable but many explorers are stubborn. Great that people are using better, newer, shinier Windows. If you don't compel with "running in admin mode" & "running in XP SP3 compatibility mode", you'll get crashing issues.

My golden rule for any games is (... I only play Syberia I/II and URU now but I already had installed more games in the past):

1) Installation of the game
2) check "running in administration mode"
3) check "running in XP Service Pack 3 compatibility mode"

10 added secs on each game installation that save every issues!

[calroger]

Apparently compatibility mode is not the answer. I am running XP SP3 (compatibility mode not needed) with administrator privilege and still get the crashes.

[janaba]

That is correct, Cal, it isn't the compatibility mode and run as administrator only, it cannot be, as I
myself never had to assign a special compatibility mode on any shard and to run as administrator,
never, ever lol ... AND I do not experience all those crashes since the second last update ... The
TOC Team has done sth right lol, even with the reintroduction of the boat the TOC Shard feels
much more stable than before ... You know what you have done, I suppose lol ...

I believe I know the reason why this might be so ... this might be required because of special
new security measures by MS Windows, esp. since Vista and Win 7, that one has to again and
again tell Windows that 'yes, I allow this or that program to make required changes to the system'
or sth like that lol ... Ok, for some freeware third party stuff or even unknown programs that might
be ok, but sometimes it is unnerving lol ... I'll try to avoid it, esp. when I think I can trust whatever
software or app ...

So, how do I avoid those measures? In case of MOULa and the Shards I just installed them all on
a special partition, everyone of them in their special folder and that is it ... So, when your games,
I do this with all games lol, aren't installed on your system harddrive then Windows doesn't care and
you're thus not required to assign special rights to run those games or whatever ...

Yeah, that's how it works for me at least for years, but I might be wrong with my assumptions above
and there could be other reasons why for some those measures might be required, hardware/system wise ...

[Scarchu]

Apparently compatibility mode is not the answer. I am running XP SP3 (compatibility mode not needed) with administrator privilege and still get the crashes.

I do play on XP SP3 too, but with compatibility mode for win98, and that way i have no crashes at all, the bad is that the link in time into the ages takes very long time.
When i turn of the compat. mode, i do crash like the rest.
This is on two PCs, both win XP SP3.

[Annabelle]

So the issue lies somewhere else... Turn off your UAC!!! No one needs to be asked by their own bought system if they do authorise such and such! That's unbelievable! I turned it down as soon as I installed Windows Vista and subsequently Windows 7.

I think I'm enough wise to know what I'm installing on my system when I do order something to be installed.

"Are you sure you want to install this program to your system?" (computer) "...hmm let me think twice..." (me)
"This could be hurting your system. Are you still ok to install it on your system?" (computer) "...Do I look like a dumb woman?" (me)

And if someone tells you that a malevolent software could slipped thru without UAC activated...they don't understand how things work. You won't be asked because the software will be installed at a deeper level of authorisation. So for a Trojan, UAC cannot do anything. For an adware, UAC cannot do anything. For a legitimate software bought or dl from Internet, UAC will make you grind your teeth.

[Scarchu]

Just to clarify - XP doesn't have UAC!

Also

I think I'm enough wise to know what I'm installing on my system when I do order something to be installed.

- Believe me - not all people are like you, i know that from experience , i work IT Eng.