@elminster I will try it. However, I still don't understand why do the options I select are not remembered. I don't have the baldur.ini file because I re-installed BG:EE (and I had deleted all related files).
Wow, scary! I just tried to open the .lua file and was told that Windows (7) couldn't open it, so I found a 'trial' programme that allowed me to, and there is a shedload of stuff in there - a lot more than in the old .ini file!
Anyway, I eventually managed to find the right string and saw that 'Backend' is already set to'1'.
So my problem now is, how do I get my computer to read .lua files without spending an arm and a leg on whatever it is I need to do the job (and wouldn't know where to look for it because I don't know what "whatever it is" is called anyway).
To be honest, I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of 'stuff' I just don't understand.
dunbar if you are experiencing issues with the lua file set to 1 then try setting it to 0.
You should just be able to use Wordpad or Notepad in order to open it (wordpad is easier to read in). Generally you should just be able to right click it and select some kind of word program. I use ConTEXT personally (which is free).
Thanks for the help everyone, but if Windows can't open the file when I double-click on it doesn't that also mean that it can't read it when I try to run the game - or have I just got the wrong end of the stick altogether?
Thanks for the help everyone, but if Windows can't open the file when I double-click on it doesn't that also mean that it can't read it when I try to run the game - or have I just got the wrong end of the stick altogether?
Its fine to open with Notepad, Wordpad, etc. Just make sure after you've saved it that it still is a .lua file and you should be fine.
Thanks again but it doesn't give me the option to save as a .lua file so, rather than fiddle around with things I don't understand I'll just wait for Beamdog Support to get back to me on the crash dump error report I sent them (Event Name: AppHangB1, error=805306369&lang=en).
Lucky you I don't know what to do now, I will try to update the driver of my graphic card, I have no other idea
If changing the renderer didn't work your issue may not be graphics card related.
Does BGEE 1.3 run properly?
I don't know because I just bought the game, so I only tried with the 2.0 version. But I just realised that I don't realy tryed with "Alternate renderer", because like for Garm, my game doesn't remember changes in option menu.
I reinstall the game and I will try the Elminster solution !
Well, since I reinstalled my game, it crash at the launch. I will send my crash report to the Beamdog Support. Good luck guys
Edit : just for the information, the baldur.Iua file was not in My Documents/Baldurs Gate Enhanced Edition for me, but in My Documents/Infinity Engine Enhanced Edition. I don't know if that change anything.
With all the political shenanigans going on in here at the moment I can't help but wonder if anyone at Beamdog is actually addressing the technical problems, given that it is now just over four days since I started downloading the game and, despite repeated requests for help, I have not been able to play one second of it.
I don't know if it will help you, but for me the following worked: deactivate the sprite outlines in the graphics options. No more crash. (Sorry if this is what you call the altenative renderer)
I don't know if it will help you, but for me the following worked: deactivate the sprite outlines in the graphics options. No more crash. (Sorry if this is what you call the altenative renderer)
Nah they are two different things. But that might help.
With all the new bells and whistles older video cards might be running out of RAM. So turning off bells and whistles and reducing screen resolution might help.
A suggestion: a "safe mode" exe to start the game.
Thanks. I'll try the 'safe mode' (that's worked before with something completely different - I'd just forgotten about it). I have tried updating my graphics card (and there was a newer version) but that hasn't had ant effect other than to make my PC slower.
What is confusing the issue for me (a computer illiterate) is that the minimum system requirements are exactly the same for SoD as they are for BGEE1&2 (that was the first thing I checked) and as I have recently had to replace my PC I deliberately bought one that was marketed as a "Gaming Computer" (specifically so that I wouldn't have these problems) I don't understand why SoD won't run.
Edit: I've sent the crash dump error report code to Beamdog Support so hopefully they will be able to tell me what's wrong and if it's a deficiency in my computer, so be it, I'll just have to fix it. It's just that they are taking rather a long time getting back to me.
Edit: I've sent the crash dump error report code to Beamdog Support so hopefully they will be able to tell me what's wrong and if it's a deficiency in my computer, so be it, I'll just have to fix it. It's just that they are taking rather a long time getting back to me.
Support is slammed right now - your best bet would be to create a ticket in Redmine (see How To Report Bugs) and attach the zip of your crash dump there.
I chose Windows 7 simply because I like to stick with things I know are reliable (also very, very tired of Windows redecorating the bloody place every few years - I've lost count of how many times I've had to get to grips with a new system since Windows NT!
I tried Redmine but got a bit confused - it's to do with my epilepsy, my brain can only take so much new stuff before it either explodes dramatically or quietly falls to pieces. So I'm giving this whole issue a rest for now.
I respect that Beamdog is probably swamped with requests (and the whole Mizhena and Minsc deal most certainly didn't help) however it is really frustrating that the update has broken the game for some users and it feels the issue is not being investigated. This doesn't mean I don't appreciate the help given by @Cerevant and @elminster (which I do!), but it seems their help is more on a personal level and understandably not as involved as if it was an official action from Beamdog.
I noticed the ticket I created in Redmine doesn’t include a crash dump – I’ll be attaching one later today.
@Garm if I had to take a stab at it I would say it's due to issues between the game and your video card. By chance does the game also crash when you try to import a character?
@elminster Pretty much everyone who has tried to help with the same issue has suggested I look at my graphics card. After checking that it is indeed updated and does support opengl my game still crashes at start up.
Over and above this I would like to re-iterate a point I've already made:
The published system requirements for SoD are EXACTLY the same as they are for BGEE, so why does BGEE run and SoD crash?
@Garm if I had to take a stab at it I would say it's due to issues between the game and your video card. By chance does the game also crash when you try to import a character?
I agree that it seems to be something related with my video card, however I make the same question dunbar made: why should there be a problem considering the system requirements didn't change?
I tried your suggestion and the game also freezes/crashes when I import a character (after clicking on the 'Character file' button). I added a couple of crash dumps to the ticket in Redmine: 22472
Apologies for the double post, however roughly a week has passed and the Redmine ticket hasn't been touched by anyone other than me. I'm aware that this issue affects a small number of people, but I would appreciate an answer from Beamdog because I've been trying to play this game (at its updated version) since the beginning of the month... Is this something that is being investigated at all and will the upcoming 2.1 patch solve this? If not and if that is the case just officially state that the 2.0 update has changed the system requirements which are not met by my laptop (or any laptop using integrated Intel GPUs) and I'll quit complaining.
PS: I believe the issue with none of the changes in the options menu being saved is explained by the fact that the path for my baldur.lua file uses a non-standard character (ó in particular). I guess this is going to be solved by the 2.1 patch, right?
Looks like we are having issues with older chipsets. It is our intent to support them, so we're treating this as a bug and are looking into it.
While we haven't changed our system requirements, we are doing things with the current renderer that we didn't before. That can bring out new issues with the chipset / driver that we need to work around.
Comments
I just tried to open the .lua file and was told that Windows (7) couldn't open it, so I found a 'trial' programme that allowed me to, and there is a shedload of stuff in there - a lot more than in the old .ini file!
Anyway, I eventually managed to find the right string and saw that 'Backend' is already set to'1'.
So my problem now is, how do I get my computer to read .lua files without spending an arm and a leg on whatever it is I need to do the job (and wouldn't know where to look for it because I don't know what "whatever it is" is called anyway).
To be honest, I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of 'stuff' I just don't understand.
You should just be able to use Wordpad or Notepad in order to open it (wordpad is easier to read in). Generally you should just be able to right click it and select some kind of word program. I use ConTEXT personally (which is free).
Edit: Meant Notepad.
But I just realised that I don't realy tryed with "Alternate renderer", because like for Garm, my game doesn't remember changes in option menu.
I reinstall the game and I will try the Elminster solution !
Edit : just for the information, the baldur.Iua file was not in My Documents/Baldurs Gate Enhanced Edition for me, but in My Documents/Infinity Engine Enhanced Edition. I don't know if that change anything.
As said above, I don't have a baldur.ini file as this was a fresh install of BG:EE.
The change you suggested made no difference, the game still freezes after selecting the gender.
(Sorry if this is what you call the altenative renderer)
A suggestion: a "safe mode" exe to start the game.
I'll try the 'safe mode' (that's worked before with something completely different - I'd just forgotten about it).
I have tried updating my graphics card (and there was a newer version) but that hasn't had ant effect other than to make my PC slower.
What is confusing the issue for me (a computer illiterate) is that the minimum system requirements are exactly the same for SoD as they are for BGEE1&2 (that was the first thing I checked) and as I have recently had to replace my PC I deliberately bought one that was marketed as a "Gaming Computer" (specifically so that I wouldn't have these problems) I don't understand why SoD won't run.
Edit: I've sent the crash dump error report code to Beamdog Support so hopefully they will be able to tell me what's wrong and if it's a deficiency in my computer, so be it, I'll just have to fix it. It's just that they are taking rather a long time getting back to me.
Edit: I see you say you are using Windows 7 - that seems odd for a fairly new machine.
I tried Redmine but got a bit confused - it's to do with my epilepsy, my brain can only take so much new stuff before it either explodes dramatically or quietly falls to pieces. So I'm giving this whole issue a rest for now.
I respect that Beamdog is probably swamped with requests (and the whole Mizhena and Minsc deal most certainly didn't help) however it is really frustrating that the update has broken the game for some users and it feels the issue is not being investigated. This doesn't mean I don't appreciate the help given by @Cerevant and @elminster (which I do!), but it seems their help is more on a personal level and understandably not as involved as if it was an official action from Beamdog.
I noticed the ticket I created in Redmine doesn’t include a crash dump – I’ll be attaching one later today.
Over and above this I would like to re-iterate a point I've already made:
The published system requirements for SoD are EXACTLY the same as they are for BGEE, so why does BGEE run and SoD crash?
I tried your suggestion and the game also freezes/crashes when I import a character (after clicking on the 'Character file' button). I added a couple of crash dumps to the ticket in Redmine: 22472
Is this something that is being investigated at all and will the upcoming 2.1 patch solve this? If not and if that is the case just officially state that the 2.0 update has changed the system requirements which are not met by my laptop (or any laptop using integrated Intel GPUs) and I'll quit complaining.
PS: I believe the issue with none of the changes in the options menu being saved is explained by the fact that the path for my baldur.lua file uses a non-standard character (ó in particular). I guess this is going to be solved by the 2.1 patch, right?
While we haven't changed our system requirements, we are doing things with the current renderer that we didn't before. That can bring out new issues with the chipset / driver that we need to work around.
One month on, any news yet on whether or not the stated system requirements are accurate?