SPWaW 7.1 Edit crash

[BigAl737]

Greetings,

This is my first post ever on any Matrix games forum.

I've recently updated my version 6.1 SPWaW to version 7.1. The program exits and returns me to the Windows desktop when I select Solitaire Play - Editor - Load (or Save) and click "Next" 9 times.

In other words, using the scenario editor page, I can't load a scenario listed after the 9th page and I can't save my edited scenario to an empty slot since the first 9 pages of slots are full.

Before I do any major troubleshooting, I thought I'd check here first to see if others have the same problem or if it's just me.

Thanks. SPWaW is a great game.

Al

[Supervisor]

Welcome aboard, does SPWAW actually say 7.1 in the beginning menu? Try reinstalling all the patches again to make sure it takes completely. When applying the 7.1 patch make sure that you remove the space between Matrix Games in the installation path or it will get installed to the wrong directory. Delete the steel.prf and holder.txt (if you have one) files from the MatrixGames\SPWAW\save directory and restart the game. The steel.prf file will be recreated when you change something in the preference screen, the holder.txt is not needed and has proven to be a problem for some.

[BigAl737]

Thanks for the tips. Yes it says version 7.1 when I start the game. I've tried what you suggested and still the same problem.

I think I kept version 6.X on a disc so I'll reload it and see if the problem is there. If not, I'll apply the patch again. If the problem reoccurs, I'll download a complete version 7.1.

I'll let you know what happens. Of course, I'd glady welcome any other suggestions or hearing if anybody else has encountered this problem.

Thanks.

I suppose I'd better provide my system info:
Gateway P4, 1.4 GHz CPU
256K RAM
64MB Geforce 3 video
Soundblaster sound card
Windows XP Home edition

Al

[Supervisor]

Try running the game directly from the mech.exe file this bypasses the autorun menu. Try to run the game in compatabilty mode also. Let us know how it goes. What was the last full version of SPWAW that got installed?

[john g]

Originally posted by BigAl737
Greetings,

This is my first post ever on any Matrix games forum.

I've recently updated my version 6.1 SPWaW to version 7.1. The program exits and returns me to the Windows desktop when I select Solitaire Play - Editor - Load (or Save) and click "Next" 9 times.

In other words, using the scenario editor page, I can't load a scenario listed after the 9th page and I can't save my edited scenario to an empty slot since the first 9 pages of slots are full.

Before I do any major troubleshooting, I thought I'd check here first to see if others have the same problem or if it's just me.

Thanks. SPWaW is a great game.

Al

I have run into this before when I saved a scenario, then edited the .txt file to change the name or correct spelling mistakes. I would guess that you have at least one scenario saved on the 10th page and there is something wrong with its text file (where the name and notes are stored).

The same problem affects SPWW2 where I first ran into it. Try moving the scenxxx.txt files that you put up there, or that came from other people and you will eventually find the one that is crashing the program.
thanks, John.

[BigAl737]

gmenfan and john g - thanks for the assistance. I ended up saving a bunch of time trouble shooting and downloaded a complete version 7.1. The problem has gone away. Yeah!

John, if my problem was due to what you suggested, it makes me hesitant to download additional scenarios from the internet. I guess I'll just stick with the scenarios that are included with v7.1 for now.

Thanks guys. Time to play.

Al

[Supervisor]

Don't give up on internet scenarios, there are many great ones being produced by very talented gamers every day. If we find problems with any they get addressed immediately. Join us in the SPWAW forum and well give you good links to trouble free scenarios's. Glad things worked out.

[john g]

Originally posted by BigAl737
gmenfan and john g - thanks for the assistance. I ended up saving a bunch of time trouble shooting and downloaded a complete version 7.1. The problem has gone away. Yeah!

John, if my problem was due to what you suggested, it makes me hesitant to download additional scenarios from the internet. I guess I'll just stick with the scenarios that are included with v7.1 for now.

Thanks guys. Time to play.

Al

What works safely is to install one at a time and see if you can load the scenario right after you install it. That is my initial test for problems, only had one fail that test so far. The tougher errors to find are the oob changes since the scenario was written. A couple of months ago, I helped someone find an error in one of Wild Bill's v1.0 scenarios, it took better than a half dozen crashes to the desktop before I tracked down the faulty units, and then figured out how to fix them.

Don't lose out on the imaginations of those who add scenarios and campaigns. The more popular ones have always been the ones that get added to the game with each new release. I still have to play the last battle for the sealion campaign and I'll have finished that one, I never got past the 2nd battle of Balkan crisis, but I intend to get back and restart that one. Then there are all the output of the Finnish authors that seem to specialize in their front of the war. So many battles, so little time.
thanks, John.