Crash matters

[eTux]

I think it's more comfortable for everyone to look in a thread like this if they have a crash matter instead of opening a new one every time something like this happens.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, add anything you know yourself.

Game crashes when trying to load a save ingame, or Lara dies

The loadscreen parameters are wrong. Either change all values in the script to 0 (be sure you have a room 0 otherwise the game will crash anyway, cause the last number in the line shows the room in which the EXE must look) or create proper load screen parameters.

Game crashes while loading

Check if Lara is placed into the map.

The game can crash half-way during loading if a trapdoor is not placed correctly. A trapdoor should only be placed on a portal (door) and be at the same elevation as it! Even temporarily removing the portal while still keeping the trapdoor "between floors" will cause a crash.

The Alloc file buffer value may be too big, delete objects/textures from your map/wad/tga that are not used.

Room Tex info value is too big - the safest way is to split the level into 2 or more. Deleting unnecesary textures also helps a bit.

Game crashes ingame

There might be a light or a trigger the game "doesn't like". Delete them and see if it works.

The convertor crashes when trying to convert a tom (might happen when you try to install a level you downloaded)

Check if the *.wad or any other file needed for the level is in the graphics/wads folder.

[KingSpyder]

Originally posted by eTux
The convertor crashes when trying to convert a tom (might happen when you try to install a level you downloaded)

Check if the *.wad or any other file needed for the level is in the graphics/wads folder.

Actually, the user should read any readme files thoroughly to make sure the files are in the correct location. For the OTRCP levels, ALL files should be in the TRConvert/(level file name. ie, level01, level02, etc.) folders. Others may also use this approach and there will be problems if it's done any other way.

[MountainDewNut]

Level load fails immediatly when selecting it
Check the script and English files. something is wrong with the both of them.

Level load fails in the middle
Check the script file and the wad. Usually the script is the fault of the problem.

Level load fails at the end of loading
There's something wrong with the wad. Ususally has to deal with too many polygons. Otherwise it's corrupted. Try saving it in strpix 3.4

[eTux]

Originally posted by KingSpyder
Actually, the user should read any readme files thoroughly to make sure the files are in the correct location. For the OTRCP levels, ALL files should be in the TRConvert/(level file name. ie, level01, level02, etc.) folders. Others may also use this approach and there will be problems if it's done any other way.

I metnioned that problem actually because of my own fault. I wanted to try if the level will convert without the was file, and accidently deleted the wad instead, and that had me wondering for a while why the convertor crashes (oh and btw the level does convert correctly without the was, if you want to know this )

This rarely is a problem with the downloaded levels, and as you said the player must read the readme file for problems like this.

But since such a possibility of crashin exists, I thought I'll mention it

Remembered another case, where a level crashes. And keep them coming

***

The game crashes ingame when you try to shoot, drop in the water, trigger a rope or a flame emmiter etc.

Check if the DEFAULT_SPRITES are in your wad, they sometimes can dissapear using TRWest or Wadmerger (not sure about wadmerger though).

[Dan the Jazzman]

Originally posted by MountainDewNut
Level load fails immediatly when selecting it
Check the script and English files. something is wrong with the both of them.

...so the script isn't pointing to the TR4 file (because it's wrong in the script.txt) or the TR4 file is missing. So the game looks for it and can't find it.

I found that out the hard way when first trying to get my level to work. It took me three months before I realised I had spelt "Atlantis" wrong in the script file!!

[Data]

Good idea eTux, I will add it to the 'Reference and community threads shortcuts' eventually.

[eTux]

Here are some more crahs reasons I could remember

Game crashes ingame, while playing

A trapdoor is not placed correctly. A trapdoor should only be placed on a portal (door) and be at the same elevation as it! If it is not placed correctly the game either freezes or crashes.

Game crashes while loading

*If you worked on Lara's outfit, be sure the Shiny option isn't applied to the joints, this makes the level crash!

*If you change the sounds in the /samples in a wrong wav-file (f.e. 44000 hz);

*If you have 2 levels and the finish trigger of the first does not point to the second one; or you go by jeep over the finish trigger and in the next there is no jeep...
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As always, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong and please add more things you know to make it easier for others to fix their crash problems

[dhama]

Can't afford to to let this one get buried.

[eTux]

Originally posted by eTux
The Alloc file buffer value may be too big, delete objects/textures from your map/wad/tga that are not used.

After the disccusions in this thread, I think I can expand the information written here a bit.

*) The limit, below which it is recomended to keep the Alloc File buffer is approx. 7 500 000

*) Sometimes wallpapering some "less visited or usefull" rooms can reduce the size of AFB.

*) One of the things that cause the AFB to be too big, can be many stacked rooms in one space.

*) A thing that increases the AFB extremely are 20 x 20 rooms used very often. It's even worse if there are walls (green button) in the room, avoid making rooms like that too much.

Thanx to anyone who contributed in the thread and gave this valuable information

[uvavoo]

This one caught me out the other day (a head scratcher).
Check that the file Font.pc is in the graphics/wads folder. (although I am on a Mac, the pc version is the same I think).

It will crash about 3rd way through loading if this file isn't present.

[ironictwist]

This one caught me out the other day (a head scratcher).
Check that the file Font.pc is in the graphics/wads folder. (although I am on a Mac, the pc version is the same I think).

It will crash about 3rd way through loading if this file isn't present.

I found the font.pc file on the TRLE CD and recopied it into the wads folder, the problem still occurs!