Crash on Startup

[Lafaellar]

Hello!

I have a major problem with CK3 and I can't find any solution to solve it.
The Game will start, show the loading screen, sometimes start the music, sometimes not, and then CTD.

What is bothering me most is, that I bought the game on release and had NO Issues. Played it over 100 hours without any major problems. Then I took a break and when the Wiking minor DLC came out I decided to spin it up again and ran into this problem. I didn't give it much thought as I assumed the problem would be fixed within the next bugfixes and moved on.

Last month I tried it again and ran into the same issue again. I tried all the obvious stuff you can find on the internet with no solution.
Last week I decided it was time for the big Nuke and did a complete reinstall of my Windows 10 with the expectation this will get rid of my problem.
Unfortunately, it did not.

Here is a list of what I tried:

1. Reinstall the game (Steam).
2. Added CK3 to the Windows Defender exception list - even completely disabled windows defender.
3. Tried running the game from the binary directly.
4. I have verified the game files.
5. I have run it as an administrator.
6. Tried using the 1.3.2 Beta
7. Tried running the game in debug mode
8. Installing Visual C++ and DirectX End-User-Runtime as suggested in another thread
9. Complete Reinstall of my System

As I said, the game ran perfectly for over 100 hours before.

I don't have trouble with any other game, Paradox or not.

I have attached the files I think might be helpful.
Unfortunately, the "error.log" was empty.

Since the game ran before perfectly and I did not make any real changes to my system that might have this impact. It's still the same hardware and as I did a reinstall of my System I may rule out that I have done something stupid with my system that seems unrelated to my issue but is not.

It seems, that I ran completely out of options but hope you might provide a solution.
I really love Paradox' games and already put over thousand hours in CK2 and would really like to continue this with CK3.

Thank you!

 

[AndrewT]

The crash in that exceptions log is in FMOD which is the sound system, very unusual. The only sound driver you have installed is the nVidia one, can that be right? Your system board has no sound hardware? If it does you should install a driver for it.

 

[Lafaellar]

Thank you for your reply!

Indeed my speakers are connected to my Monitor which is connected to my GPU via Display Port and receive their sound signals through there. This is working with every other software I have without problems but explains why the nvidia sound driver pops up.
After your hint to the sound problem I tried uninstalling the nvidia sound driver and installed the Realtek Driver for my Motherboard. This brings 2 new sound devices to my PC, but since there is nothing connected to them they don't have any use.
I tried to unplug my speakers, uninstall the nvidia sound driver, disable the sound device associated with it, tried my headset, the realtek sound devices (with no device connected) etc. but without change of behaviour.

The game actually started once but the sound only produced "blipping" noises and stopped after a few seconds.
This however was not reproducable since the game just crashed again on next startup. So there doesn't seem to be a "sweet configuration" or something that works. It seemed to just have been random.
However it seems that the problem is somewhere connected to sound.

 

[Lafaellar]

I can attest the randomness. After a reboot I got 2 "blipping sound starts" but after that only CTD on startup starts.

 

[AndrewT]

Now we only see a default Microsoft sound driver installed - no nvidia or RealTek. Can you get a proper RealTek driver installed?

 

[Lafaellar]

I actually did install the Realtek Driver but disabled the sound devices since there is nothing plugged in there - my sound goes via Display Port to my Monitor and from there to my Boxes. So the Realtek Devices are not used.
I reinstalled the NVIDA Driver and also reinstalled my Realtek Driver from my Mainboard Manufacturer's Website. I have an Asus x99-A Mainboard which means my latest driver is from 2016 I'm afraid.
I didn't disable these devices this time.

 

[AndrewT]

What if you disable all sound by editing that pdx_settings.txt file; set all the Audio settings at the end to =0

 

[Lafaellar]

Thank you!
Unfortunately, it still crashes.

 

[AndrewT]

Starting to run out of ideas here, this is a one-off!

Does this affect any of our similar games like CK2, Stellaris, Eu4, Imperator?

 

[Lafaellar]

I tried CK2, Stellaris and EU4 couple of Minutes ago with no issues.

Could my Exception be forwarded to a Dev for further insight into what it actually means?

 

[Lafaellar]

I did another test and tried out the various BETA Versions available on Steam. Since it also allows to revert back to any of the Updates I tried out a few of them.
I have NO Problems with all Versions up to 1.1.3 (Chevron). I can play, with sound, no blipping and no Problems whatsoever.
However, all Versions beyond that don't work and give me these problems.

So what changed between 1.1.3 and 1.2.1?
This is hardly a viable workaround since the game will only get developed further.

I also ordered a new cable and connected my Speakers directly to my PC so they are no longer plugged in via my GPU.

Again, I attached the files. Now, at least there is something in the Error Log.

[14:15:54][pdx_persistent_reader.cpp:229]: Error: "Unexpected token: is_prioritized_mood, near line: 13
" in file: "music/fp1_music.txt" near line: 13
[14:15:54][pdx_persistent_reader.cpp:229]: Error: "Unexpected token: is_valid, near line: 15
" in file: "music/fp1_music.txt" near line: 20
[14:15:54][pdx_persistent_reader.cpp:229]: Error: "Unexpected token: is_prioritized_mood, near line: 28
" in file: "music/fp1_music.txt" near line: 28
[14:15:54][pdx_persistent_reader.cpp:229]: Error: "Unexpected token: is_valid, near line: 30
" in file: "music/fp1_music.txt" near line: 35
[14:15:54][pdx_persistent_reader.cpp:229]: Error: "Unexpected token: is_prioritized_mood, near line: 43
" in file: "music/fp1_music.txt" near line: 43
[14:15:54][pdx_persistent_reader.cpp:229]: Error: "Unexpected token: is_valid, near line: 45
" in file: "music/fp1_music.txt" near line: 50

I don't know what this exactly means, but it would fit that the crash occurs when the Music is first audible.

 

[Lafaellar]

Found out, that the "fp1_music.txt" file is just in the folder for the northern dlc and thought I just try to run the game without this DLC but unfortunately that didn't do the trick. Now the error.log is just empty again.

 

[AndrewT]

So what changed between 1.1.3 and 1.2.1?

Hundreds of things! You can check the release notes for details, but I don't think that will help us here.

I suppose you could try deleting that file and see if it helps. But I still think this is an issue with the sound system in your Windows.


In that pdx_settimngs.txt can you please set
audio_debug_log_level to "Enabled"

Where exactly that is logged I'm not sure, hopefully in error.log but please check the /logs/ folder for other likely candidates.

 

[Lafaellar]

Debug.log says:
[11:52:13][pdx_enum_setting.cpp:78]: Could not find enum 'Enabled' for 'audio_debug_log_level', will use default 'Disabled'

It seems that the debug won't react to "Enabled", what is the right choice?

I did manage to get one of the "blipping sound starts" I mentioned earlier.
Blipping sound starts means, that the game will load fully and work but the sound will be continiously interrupted by loud blipping sounds and then stop alltogether after about 30 secs. This seems to happen randomly and not reproduceable.

I compared a crashed debug.log with a blipping sound debug and noticed where the game crashes:
[12:00:54][jomini_social.cpp:18]: Created Jomini Social
#After this point the game will crash, when it crashes.
[12:01:08][interfaceapplication.cpp:491]: Start loading meshes

Whent he blipping start occurs the debug.log will also give out this:
[12:01:30][audio_state.cpp:55]: CAudioState::Reload(): Failed to load 'audio_parameter_limits.txt'

 

[AndrewT]

I don't know, I'm sorry, I've never used (or even noticed!) that setting before. I tried several possibilities like 0, 1, verbose, enable, yes but nothing worked. I did find it was case-sensitive as 'disabled' didn't work.
Unfortunately I don't have a back channel to the CK3 devs to drill down on that. I might be able to ask Paradox next week.

[12:01:30][audio_state.cpp:55]: CAudioState::Reload(): Failed to load 'audio_parameter_limits.txt'

Does that file exist in /Steam/steamapps/common/Crusader Kings III/game/sound/map/ambience ?

 

[Lafaellar]

Yes it does.

I tried installing CK3 from the Windows Game Pass I had, with the same results.

 

[AndrewT]

I guess then that doesn't load because of the earlier FMOD failure.

I'm checking with my manager to see if anything can be found n how to use that setting.