DirectX to renderer invalid call: CTD

Franciscus · Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:21 am

I am increasingly frustrated, because I am in fact unable to play PoN

leure:

I already reported this in the tech PoN forum at paradox (and emailed Pocus), but apparently noone saw it... :mad:

I am having a bad CTD with a "DirectX to Renderer invalid call" error.

Attached a pic that shows the error message and how the map looks (although sometimes it all turns black). Also the main log. The only way out is to select "oui" and then I am back to my desktop...

Basically the error occurs unpredictably, while zooming or scrolling the map, and it has occured repeatedly while I am trying to initiate a GC. The last time I was checking and changing the various trade zones of S-P, while bang - CTD. I couldn't even finish my first turn... :grr:

(and of course, no save to backup to)

My specs:
- Intel Core 2 Duo7400
- Win XP Sp2
- 4 Gig RAM
- ATI Radeon HD 5750 with 1 Gig VRAM. 1920x1080 screen

I am using patch 1.01f, but this also occurred with 1.01 and 1.01e.

I updated my ATI drivers, and this error occurs with 10.5 and 11.6 drivers. My directX 9.0c is uptodate (June)

Also:

- I had this error with MemUsage 50 and 75%.
- I have been trying to play with LimitMap Loading unchecked, but I think I got this error with this option checked, also...
- AgeSettings options are default.
- Energy Saver is OFF (it is a desktop), but the screensaver was on (but at 30 minutes, and I have had this error after just a couple of minutes of playing...)

Any ideas/sugestions to help me ?

(PS: googling this I found some reports of the same error, with BoA, AACW, RUS.... I had never experienced this error, though)

Regards (and please, answer a very frustrated fellow...)

ERISS · Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:26 am

Franciscus wrote:Any ideas/sugestions to help me ?

It occured when I didn't delete the 4 folders again, while installing 1f betapatch over 1e one.
EDIT: Woops, I hadn't read this:

this also occurred with 1.01 and 1.01e.

willgamer · Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:27 am

Question- Have do tried the 6 or so different ways to set agesettings?

Mine is the most stable with screen mode fullscreen (oddly per other posts); to ymmv.

Hardware cursor.

Best Wishes!

Franciscus · Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:43 am

willgamer wrote:Question- Have do tried the 6 or so different ways to set agesettings?

Mine is the most stable with screen mode fullscreen (oddly per other posts); to ymmv.

Hardware cursor.

Best Wishes!

Thanks.

I will try next with LimitMapLoading checked and in fullscreen mode. Cursor is already hardware.

The worst part of it it that this is unpredictable. After I updated my ATI drivers I was convinced I had solved the problem when suddenly, CTD...

Czert · Sat Jun 18, 2011 11:28 pm

Try unistaling DX and instaling them again.

goodwood · Sun Jun 19, 2011 1:33 am

G'day all, I have got this message as well, but I was 60 turns in. I have reported this on the Paradox bug thread.

Franciscus · Mon Jun 20, 2011 3:59 pm

Well, apparently, turning D3D9FullScreen = 1 in display.opt has solved this crash. At least a couple of hours play time and no more CTD...

(fingers crossed :neener

Thanks, BreckInridge, for the sugestion !

Franciscus · Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:42 pm

Franciscus wrote:Well, apparently, turning D3D9FullScreen = 1 in display.opt has solved this crash. At least a couple of hours play time and no more CTD...

(fingers crossed :neener

Thanks, BreckInridge, for the sugestion !

Unfortunately, I just got this XX#$?!! CTD again, even with D3D9Fullscreen=1, now with 1.01h. :bonk:

This is really annoying, because it is random and unpredictable... :cursing:

Fri Jul 01, 2011 9:40 am

Have you tried to reduce max texture size to minimum to see if it helps?

Franciscus · Fri Jul 01, 2011 10:41 am

Pocus wrote:Have you tried to reduce max texture size to minimum to see if it helps?

I will try. First, to be systematic, I put everything in default and will try just LimitMapLoading ON.

But it's difficult to test, because this CTD is random and unpredictable... :grr:

(I thought the D3D9fullscreen option had solved it, after playing a few hours in different days without problems, just to have it on the first try of 1.01h . just starting S-P, and unzooming caused it.)

(PS: gray sugested that this may have to do with ATI graphic cards...maybe a poll ? Do you have any notion if this is so, with the logs you have received ?)

(PS2: Congrats for you #17.000 post :wacko

Franciscus · Fri Jul 01, 2011 7:00 pm

Well, if you remember me from the first days of AACW, I will NOT let myself be defeated by a CTD

I will also not let this "directx" bug defeat me, that I assure you. :bonk:

I have been doing some research and in fact if we google this error we almost only get references to it relating to Ageod games:

- BoA (in 2006 !): http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?t=431

- AACW (2007): http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?t=6107; http://www.gamesforum.ca/showthread.php?t=65025&page=3

- RUS (2010) http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?t=19866

- ...and now PoN

And never has this been really satisfactorily answered or solved !

This means:

1. This is not a directx 9.0c problem - several iterations of directx 9.0c have been around since 2006
2. It's not a problem of Graphic drivers - multiple versions of graphic cards and drivers have been around since 2006 (although it seems a constant that the posters have ATI graphic cards...)
3. It must be a problem of the Ageod graphic engine, dating from it's inception (2006), probably related to the maps, that is relatively rare and random, but that somehow (with the more complex map) has gotten more severe in PoN.

I know that Pocus is on his way to a well deserved vacation, but I assure you, I will not let this rest until it is solved :dada:

It is a severe if rare problem, that has already probably cost some buyers to Ageod, and it must be solved !!

Gray_Lensman · Fri Jul 01, 2011 7:07 pm

deleted

Franciscus · Fri Jul 01, 2011 7:26 pm

Gray_Lensman wrote:If it were a problem with the AGEOD graphics engine, it would have shown up on NVidia Cards too.
.

Since 2006 there have been dozens of ATI graphic cards and drivers. We are now at AGE 3.0

If the problem is not solved on Ageod side, they are effectively risking around 30-40% of PC owners having ugly CTDs

(PC owners that, like me, are perfectly capable of playing other 2d and 3d games, some very graphic-intensive, like The Witcher 2, without a glitch)

Sepiche · Fri Jul 01, 2011 7:28 pm

I have a pretty similar card and rig to you and I've never seen that error FWIW.

Edit: Although I'm on Win7 not XP

Franciscus · Fri Jul 01, 2011 7:40 pm

Sepiche wrote:I have a pretty similar card and rig to you and I've never seen that error FWIW.

Edit: Although I'm on Win7 not XP

I also have never had it until PoN. But again, this error has been around since 2006.

Gray_Lensman · Fri Jul 01, 2011 7:46 pm

deleted

Gresbeck · Sun Jul 03, 2011 3:27 pm

For what is worth, I've exactly the same problem with a NVIDIA Geforce GT 240 video card. Sometimes I have the impression that the game crashes the first time I load it, almost immediately after the loading, and that the game runs fine after the successive loading, but maybe it's just casual.

Franciscus · Sun Jul 03, 2011 5:15 pm

Gresbeck wrote:For what is worth, I've exactly the same problem with a NVIDIA Geforce GT 240 video card. Sometimes I have the impression that the game crashes the first time I load it, almost immediately after the loading, and that the game runs fine after the successive loading, but maybe it's just casual.

Thanks

Yes, it's unpredictable in my PC also.

But with your valuable information, we can rule out that the problem is caused by ATI graphic cards.

So, again, It must be a problem of the Ageod graphic engine, dating from it's inception (2006)

Best regards

Gray_Lensman · Tue Jul 12, 2011 6:12 am

deleted

vaalen · Tue Jul 12, 2011 6:44 am

I had this problem, but I have a solution.

I found the problem only happens when I touch one of the mouse buttons when scrolling. Usually I was putting a little pressure on one of the buttons.

I am now careful to hold the mouse by the sides so my fingers do not touch the mouse button when scrolling. When I click on something using the mouse, I do not scroll.

No more crashes.

I cannot explain this, but it works for me.

Franciscus · Tue Jul 12, 2011 7:29 am

@ Gray: my experience is similar to yours: in the last 4 years I have changed laptops and personally changed my desktop CPU and graphic card (twice) and only now I stumbled on this bug. Although AACW also crashed on the very beginning, also with map problems, related to the way the engine managed graphic memory (the reason for the Memusage parameter and my noble title, BTW

)
That does not invalidate that the current problem, which is rare and unpredictable, DOES occur in different PC configurations, since 2006

@Vaalen: I am pretty sure that I had this problem just scrolling the map. I think this is an unpredictable bug, and I bet you will get it again sometime in the future, even without touching the mouse buttons (which, if the solution, is nevertheless unacceptable :blink

. What are your PC specs, BTW ?

Regards

vaalen · Tue Jul 12, 2011 5:19 pm

Franciscus wrote:@ Gray: my experience is similar to yours: in the last 4 years I have changed laptops and personally changed my desktop CPU and graphic card (twice) and only now I stumbled on this bug. Although AACW also crashed on the very beginning, also with map problems, related to the way the engine managed graphic memory (the reason for the Memusage parameter and my noble title, BTW )
That does not invalidate that the current problem, which is rare and unpredictable, DOES occur in different PC configurations, since 2006

@Vaalen: I am pretty sure that I had this problem just scrolling the map. I think this is an unpredictable bug, and I bet you will get it again sometime in the future, even without touching the mouse buttons (which, if the solution, is nevertheless unacceptable :blink . What are your PC specs, BTW ?

Regards

Hi Franciscus,

Before I stopped touching the mouse button, it crashed every time I scrolled, giving me the same DirectX error.

I started my current game after I stopped touching the mouse buttons. I am on turn 118, and no crashes, though I scroll all the time, being careful not to touch the mouse buttons.

Maybe you could give it a try, what do you have to lose?

I feel badly for you being unable to enjoy this terrific game. While I agree that this should not be happening, maybe this will enable you to enjoy the game until it is fixed. Or so I hope.

As for computer specs, I have a computer that was good in 2007, but is fairly obsolete. I am very ignorant with computers, but I will try to find some specifics for you.
I have to go to work now, but I will get back to you later.

Best Wishes,

Vaalen

vaalen · Wed Jul 13, 2011 6:15 am

Franciscus,

Here are my computer specs -

Intel core 2 DUO E6600
Win XP SP 2
4 Gig RAM
Nvidia GE Force GTS 250

I play with screen resolution 1024x768
I use patch 1.01 H

Vaalen

Franciscus · Thu Jul 14, 2011 12:00 am

vaalen wrote:Franciscus,

Here are my computer specs -

Intel core 2 DUO E6600
Win XP SP 2
4 Gig RAM
Nvidia GE Force GTS 250

I play with screen resolution 1024x768
I use patch 1.01 H

Vaalen

Thanks Vaalen, that might help Pocus.

I tried to test your sugestion, but had no crash scrolling with or without pressing mouse buttons. But as this is unpredictable, this test proves nothing, in fact...
Currently I am playing with Memusage 25% and Limit map loading ON, and it seems more stable...

(although I am not really playing much, actually)

Regards

Laruku · Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:29 pm

No crash I have with Pride of Nations, BUT with Rise of Prussia. Same message as yours: "DirectX to renderer invalid call (Burst Mode) [] Would you like to terminate the application? Yes/No"

A black window with a hand-cursor.

My specs:

Windows 7 64 bits
i7
ATI Radeon 6770 1GB

The CTD happened while zooming with the wheel mouse button. I'll post it in the RoP forum as well. :confused:

Franciscus · Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:58 pm

Hi Laruku

Your post confirms that this problem is indeed an Ageod engine problem, rare and unpredictable but bad.
I think that it's a map problem, related maybe with Mem usage, but I do not know how to avoid it...

As this is so rare, I also doubt Pocus will be able to solve it someday...

(PS: Just my bad luck: Unpredictable crashes in PoN and no sound in WW1 gold... :bonk:

Why ??

)

Laruku · Tue Aug 09, 2011 7:13 pm

I'll tell you later my PoN configuration. So far I'm testing RoP. It seems that the default Video Agesettings are ok. Scrolled heavily and zoomed in and out, no problem. I don't know how much it will last. I'll keep you in touch and I pretty sure we'll solve the problem. Two minds think better than one. :thumbsup:

Laruku · Tue Aug 09, 2011 7:21 pm

PoN configuration:

Open AGEsettings.exe

[color="DarkGreen"]Display:[/color]

Screen Mode: Standard

Window Mode: Fixed resolution, borderless

Screen resolution: same as desktop

Mouse cursor: Hardware

That config works for me. Try to see in your case.

Matto · Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:23 pm

Hmm, it looks I have similar problem with AMD Radeon HD6770M ... I open any saved game, start playing and after 1-10 minutes game crashed to black screen and mouse cursor ...

Did anybody solve this problem? (I will try here recommended settings)

Nikel · Sat Feb 04, 2012 6:38 pm

Berto sent me a pm in Matrix forum with the following content, he requested me to post it here just in case is useful. He is referring to RUS/FT but probably universal and so valid for other AGE games:

About the "DirectX to renderer invalid call: CTD" now (as before) reported at the AGEOD Forum.

I experienced that when I began playtesting RUS/FT last December. The game would start, but after a while -- with the game on idle -- DirectX would crash.

I fixed my ATI crashes by (a) unchecking CPU Sleep Mode in-game and (b) unchecking video and CPU sleep mode in Windows 7 Control Panel. I can now leave my game up idle and unattended without problem.

I suspect, at least in my case, that the screen saver operation might be the root cause of the problem.