ChrisOldfield Posted February 15, 2003 Report Share Posted February 15, 2003 After I install the last patch, the game will show the splash screen and then return to the destop without even launching the game. I have directx 9.0 so it isn't that. I also have Win98 on 1.?? gig machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolferz Posted February 15, 2003 Report Share Posted February 15, 2003 Did you apply the patch from inside the BCM directory? BTW: I would do some exploring around here if I were you because The airlock awaits you if you don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Remo Williams Posted February 15, 2003 Report Share Posted February 15, 2003 Chris read this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ob5idian Posted May 2, 2003 Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 I'm having the exact same problem. I installed BCM from the CD (fresh install), and it ran fine. However, when I patched it directly to 1.08 (from the BCM directory), the game stopped working. It simply brings up the splash screen, read the CD for a few seconds, then stops. No error message, no nothing . It's as if I never even started it. I also have DirectX 9.0, but I run on XP with all the latest upgrades (including SP1). I've downloaded the SafeDisk update, tried compatibility modes, and have the latest drivers for my video card straight from Nvidia (WHQL-certified). Update: I fiddled around a bit, and by installing the patches in the following progression, I got the logo video to play. Still no spacey goodness, though. 1.00.07-1.00.08 RC23-1.00.08 final Also, while experimenting, I ran into a little anomaly: when I install the patches from the C:/3000ad/ folder (above the actual BCM folder), they ask me to reboot after installing. However, when I install the patches (in any order) from within the BCM folder, they do not ask me to reboot. Should they or shouldn't they ask me to restart after patch installation? By the way, the game works in every version from 1.00.00 to 1.00.07, but any version of .08 stops loading after the logo video. I've even tried re-installing all of my drivers, D-X and Windows Media Player. No luck. [ 05-02-2003, 02:30 AM: Message edited by: ob5idian ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cmdr Posted May 2, 2003 Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 You only need a SINGLE patch. And if you go experimenting, contrary to the CLEARLY WRITTEN instructions in the FAQ, you only have yourself to blame for the outcome. Now, go read the FAQ and follow the instructions for uninstalling the game and starting from scratch with a patch. And I've had reports of BCM Gold owners applying the BCM patch. I can't imagine WHY they'd do that, when in fact both products have their own patch pages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fractux Posted May 2, 2003 Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 I had a problem like this. I had a fresh install of BCM. Right after it was finished installing, I defraged the partition I have it on. Then I tried to apply the 1.08 patch from the BCM directory. When I did this, the patch did not find bcm.exe right away, which I found strange since all the other patches had found the exe when in the BCM folder. Anyways installed the patch and found that i had these same crashing problems you guys are reporting. Though it may not be for the same reason, but here's what I did and what worked for me. So I uninstalled, and cleared the BCM folder. THen I did a fresh install and defragged the disk. Then I ran BCM once, just loading to the title screen, and then I quit. Then I tried to install the BCM 1.08 from the directory, and it found bcm.exe right away. After that second install, it all worked fine. And I've been folowing the advice posted by Tyrn in this thread by just defragging before I play BCM. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cmdr Posted May 2, 2003 Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 Fragging before playing BCM - or any game - is pure bollocks. All that does is provide faster disk access due to less fragmented disk blocks. The only reason why the patch won't find the bcm.exe is if the patch was NOT executed from the folder where that file resides. Thats the FIRST place it looks and it will NOT look ANYWHERE else unless it does NOT find it there. Hence the reason to apply the patch FROM the install folder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fractux Posted May 2, 2003 Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Supreme Cmdr: Fragging before playing BCM - or any game - is pure bollocks. All that does is provide faster disk access due to less fragmented disk blocks. The only reason why the patch won't find the bcm.exe is if the patch was NOT executed from the folder where that file resides. Thats the FIRST place it looks and it will NOT look ANYWHERE else unless it does NOT find it there. Hence the reason to apply the patch FROM the install folder. SC, I'm telling you the patch was in the folder and that's what happened to me. I tried it twice with the same results. So if that's not supposed to happen, well it did for me and guess it's something on my comp. That's all I was saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cmdr Posted May 2, 2003 Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 Sorry, but I don't believe it. Period. If the patch is IN the folder where the BCM.EXE file resides, its the FIRST file that it will list as being ready to patch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkling Posted May 3, 2003 Report Share Posted May 3, 2003 quote:Originally posted by ob5idian: when I install the patches from the C:/3000ad/ folder (above the actual BCM folder), That's where your problem lies. You are supposed to put the patch in the same folder that the .exe file is in. Such as: C:Program Files3000ADBattlecruiser Millennium you're not supposed to put it in the folder ABOVE the BCM folder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ob5idian Posted May 3, 2003 Report Share Posted May 3, 2003 To respond to SC's comment, I tried going directly to 1.08, and only when that did not work did I try installing patches incrementally. And, in response to Darkling, I tried going up a folder from BCM only after an install from within the BCM folder produced the same results as before (failure to initialize). On the topic of defragging, my PC defrags daily, though it didn't during my experimenting. I doubt, therefore, that it was hardrive fragmentation that was causing the problem. Again, since BCM works up to version 1.07, I can only guess that it's something specifically in the 1.08 patch that's causing the problem. As for SC's comment on patching BCMG with BCM patches, I only own BCM and have only used (to my knowlege) BCM patches. If I said otherwise, I was mistaken. Also, I'd like to clarify: the game is not really crashing, as in loading up and then kicking me to the desktop or an error message. The game simply doesn't start. After the logo video, the window just closes. No message, no black screen, not even a flicker. BTW, in response to fractux, the patches all install just fine (or, at least, they say they do). The problem, I believe, is not with the installation of the patches, but with something that they change within the game. Also BTW, just in case anyone was wondering, I do greatly enjoy 1.07. Aside from some menu oddities, it runs well. It's just aggravating not to have the latest and greatest. On that note, I was wondering: is the $10 rebate on BCMG for BCM owners still good, and if so, how do I redeem it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cmdr Posted May 3, 2003 Report Share Posted May 3, 2003 quote:Originally posted by ob5idian: Again, since BCM works up to version 1.07, I can only guess that it's something specifically in the 1.08 patch that's causing the problem.It can only be a bad patch install. In fact, 1.07 saved games are not supported in 1.08 and should be deleted in the SAVE folder if the patch fails to do (due to an incorrect patch apply). quote:Also, I'd like to clarify: the game is not really crashing, as in loading up and then kicking me to the desktop or an error message. The game simply doesn't start. After the logo video, the window just closes. No message, no black screen, not even a flicker.That, in itself, signals a patch install, a bad patch or missing files. And as is noted in the FAQ (and here on the forum), if you add /w1 to the shortcut (for troubleshooting only), when the game exits, it will popup an error window which you can't see in fullscreen. Also /d2 will probably created a set of .log files (if I enabled logging in the patch) which can also provide a clue. quote:The problem, I believe, is not with the installation of the patches, but with something that they change within the game.Rubbish. If that was the case, then nobody would be able to run the patch - and BCMG single player(which uses the same 1.08x kernel) won't work either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkling Posted May 3, 2003 Report Share Posted May 3, 2003 quote:Originally posted by ob5idian: And, in response to Darkling, I tried going up a folder from BCM only after an install from within the BCM folder produced the same results as before (failure to initialize). If the patch is failing to initialize, there are only two possibliites. 1. You downloaded a corrupted patch file (if you're using a download accelerator, such as GoZilla, try turning it off) 2. You really didn't put it in the EXE directory, (try going to your BCM shortcut, RIGHT click on it and then click on the "Find Target" button. The folder that it is in will pop up, Make sure the patch file is right there and that is where you are running it from) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ob5idian Posted May 4, 2003 Report Share Posted May 4, 2003 I wasn't suggesting that the patches were bad , per se, but that something in them was causing a conflict on my PC only. The installation worked, and they seemed to find and replace everything just dandy. I don't think that the suggestions about save games are applicable, since I never saved before installing the 1.08 patch. I'll try the extensions you suggested, SC. As for whether or not the patches are actually corrupted or otherwise bad, I can't say. Nothing leads me to think so. The installations never did anything suspicious. If they're creating a corrupted file or something of the like, I should be able to say after trying the extensions, which I'll do as soon as I can uninstall/reinstall. To Darkling, the patches didn't fail to initialize, the game itself did after installing them (from within the same folder as the EXE, and indeed right next to it ). By the way, I'd like to say how impressed I am with the forum community here. I've rarely ever gotten a helpful forum response elsewhere, let alone from the creator of the game himself. Thank you for your help, and please be soft on a fledgling BCM player. [ 05-03-2003, 09:28 PM: Message edited by: ob5idian ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ob5idian Posted May 4, 2003 Report Share Posted May 4, 2003 Well, I'm completely buggered, now. The darn thing just started working, and I have no idea why. I uninstalled, reinstalled and patched directly to 1.08. When I tried it with a shortcut with /w1 at the end of the target, it worked without a hitch. Then, I tried running the EXE directly, and, lo and behold, BCM in all its 1.08 glory. I guess that means problem solved, I suppose. My guess is that I did something wrong with my earlier attempts at installing straight to 1.08 from within the BCM folder, or maybe it's just those WinXP demons dinking around with something. Thanks for all your help, though. I very much appreciate it. Special thanks as well to Mr. Smart, for not only taking the time to develop a great game, but to help us lesser beings through it. Now, if you all don't mind, I've got some battle cruising to do... [ 05-03-2003, 11:23 PM: Message edited by: ob5idian ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkling Posted May 4, 2003 Report Share Posted May 4, 2003 quote:Originally posted by ob5idian: By the way, I'd like to say how impressed I am with the forum community here. I've rarely ever gotten a helpful forum response elsewhereGlad to be of service. This game requires a little more thinking, creativity and planning than other games and so you will find a more mature gamer here. To give you an example, a friend of mine recently told me about how he was targeted by a Warmonger while in a shuttle, so he decided to go behind it, trap it in a tractor beam and exit the ship and blast it with a rocket launcher! In any other game, you would have simply been out gunned and blown away, no option to use your mind. That's what BCM offers us and that's why we all love this game so much and want to help others out like you get into it. Happy Gaming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ob5idian Posted May 4, 2003 Report Share Posted May 4, 2003 Okay, just in case anybody else is having the same problem I was, I think I've found what was causing it. It seems that, God only knows why, my BCM.exe was running in compatibility mode (WinXP uses these to help older games run better). I have no idea why, but there it is. So, if your BCM is cutting out after the splash screen/logo video, check the properties of BCM.exe. It worked for me. Of course, updating all of your drivers, DX, WinMediaPlayer, and installing the SafeDisk fix probably didn't hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cmdr Posted May 4, 2003 Report Share Posted May 4, 2003 quote:Originally posted by ob5idian: By the way, I'd like to say how impressed I am with the forum community here. I've rarely ever gotten a helpful forum response elsewhere, let alone from the creator of the game himself. Thank you for your help, and please be soft on a fledgling BCM player. You're welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plusdome Posted May 9, 2003 Report Share Posted May 9, 2003 I am having a similar problem but I'm pretty sure it's not because of the compatiblity mode. After using the 1.08 patch (bcm108.exe)C:Program Files3000ADBattlecruiser Millennium, the 3000ad movie plays and then nothing else happens loading-wise. A file is created that called bcpapidebug.log that says Invalid cdrom= entry in SETUP_FILE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plusdome Posted May 9, 2003 Report Share Posted May 9, 2003 I think i figured out the problem...sort of. The bcsetup.ini file created by the patch was totally blank. so I replaced it with the original bcmsetup.ini file and everything seems to be working ok. If this is something i really shouldn't do please tell me the real solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cmdr Posted May 10, 2003 Report Share Posted May 10, 2003 quote:Originally posted by left-eye christ: I think i figured out the problem...sort of. The bcsetup.ini file created by the patch was totally blank. so I replaced it with the original bcmsetup.ini file and everything seems to be working ok. If this is something i really shouldn't do please tell me the real solution. That file will only be blank if a previous version was not found. Why? because the patch enters the version number into it. And why would this even happen? You either (a) didn't install the game correctly or ( you didn't apply the patch correctly. And where the heck did you get the 'original' file from, if the one you're talking about was blank? In short, you've borked your environment. Read the FAQ, uninstall, reinstall, do not pass Go, do not collect any EPs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eclipse Posted May 10, 2003 Report Share Posted May 10, 2003 I think I remember having this problem a long time ago and it seemed linked to either the copyprotection not liking my CD drive or leftover save games not being deleted when the patch installed... If my memory serves me, having savegames that are incompatible with the new version can cause the game not to start; it has been a long time so I could be wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cmdr Posted May 10, 2003 Report Share Posted May 10, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Eclipse: I think I remember having this problem a long time ago and it seemed linked to either the copyprotection not liking my CD drive or leftover save games not being deleted when the patch installed... If my memory serves me, having savegames that are incompatible with the new version can cause the game not to start; it has been a long time so I could be wrong. Your memory is faded I'm afraid. That INI file is created by the Installshield program. The patches only modify it in order to enter the patch version number in the version field. If the file does not exist, then there is nothing for the patch to enter info into, so it creates an empty file. The file knows nothing about the default settings of that file as that information comes from the installer. The copy protection has nothing to do with this, nor saved games. All that does is check the for presence of the CD. Thats all it does. And, unlike some games (e.g. Morrowind), I don't use the copy protection when the game is running because that just slows it down and causes all kinds of problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest $iLk Posted May 10, 2003 Report Share Posted May 10, 2003 Problem I had last night when installing BCM on my laptop was the fact that I didn't put the patch in the correct folder... stupid me didn't remember why it wasn't working until I saw the BCini file on the Desktop... Have BCM on my laptop to play at work, and BCMG on my home computer to play at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plusdome Posted May 31, 2003 Report Share Posted May 31, 2003 This is a little superfluous, since i got the game working. When I install the game the INI file is called bcmsetup.ini but the patched game creates and uses one called bcsetup.ini. to fix my game i copied the contents of bcmsetup.ini to bcsteup.ini sans the version number, which was already there and correct. I have had no other problems with this great game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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