[2.1.5.1] Interface disappears, game freezes, and screen "wiggles"

[AnalysisFailed]

After updating to the 2.1.5.1 patch, after playing about a month (dates from Jan 25 - Feb 5 867) The game freezes.

I can keep the game paused for any length of time without this occurring. At first I thought it might only do it while running and moving the screen, but it happens while stationary as well. Playing in borderless and windowed mode produce the same effect, but the interface doesn't disappear and the screen doesn't wiggle.

Starting at any date past 867 results in an immediate freeze.

My computer was running 2.1.4 fine, game isn't using any more memory than it was before, processor utilization is fine and I verified the game cache.

If there is any more information I can give that would help diagnose this bug (assuming it's not just a system thing on my end) I'd be glad to give it.

EDIT: Upon opting out of the beta, the game still works as well.

 

[Servancour]

What OS are you running on your computer?

What kind of screen option do you use (fullscreen, windowed or borderless)?

 

[AnalysisFailed]

Windows 8.1

I tested all of the screen options, it froze on each.

 

[unmerged(236277)]

I seem to be having the same kind of issue with 2.1.5.2 at the moment. I run Win 7 Home Premium on 4GB RAM, task manager shows I still have plenty of memory for the game, I tried lowering the resolution and the only change is that the "wiggling" (more like a stuttering of dissapearing and redrawing of the map, plus all the menu bars, informational popups and minimap with buttons and all vanish) doesn't happen in that lower res, it just freezes and nothing can be clicked on. The machine is an ultrabook with a Intel HD Graphics 4000, which has never been an issue for this game before.

If some kind of extra info or files would help, please advise which ones and how to get them (logs, system reports, etc).

 

[unmerged(236277)]

You guys are probably alredy aware of this, but in any case I'll just add that in 2.1.5.3 the problem is still there in exactly the same way, things freeze completely after playing less than a month from the start date.

Added: ok, an interesting detail... If you alt-tab out of the frozen CK2, and then go back to it (say, clicking on it on the taskbar), for a moment the music resumes, but the screen is black except for the hand cursor (which you can move around, but it does nothing on clicking). Pretty odd behaviour...

 

[gnome109]

Yeah experiencing the same problem on Windows 8.1

 

[Zireael]

I've had such a freeze (black screen, hand cursor) on alt-tabbing out of a game, but never when actually playing. I just avoided alt-tabbing since I got it twice and it never froze again.

Intel HD 4000 and I've played for hours on end.

 

[AnalysisFailed]

I just upgraded to 2.1.5.3 and the game has ran smoothly for a year.

Tried doing everything I could to replicate the freeze, including alt-tabbing and voila, the game is fixed.

 

[Servancour]

If it runs more smoothly with 2.1.5.3, I suspect the problem is related to memory usage (since a lot of memory optimizations has been done on the game with the patch), or that it was something temporary in 2.1.5.1/2 that got fixed. We are still doing some work with the beta patch. Hopefully, we can get more issues sorted.

If anyone still has issues with 2.1.5.3. Does disabling all DLC change anything?

 

[unmerged(236277)]

Servancour, I have updated to 2.1.5.4 now, but I still get the freezes, only it takes a few weeks, sometimes even a couple months to happen (in previous betas it usually froze after a few days). I tried disabling ALL DLC, it made no difference, I got a completely frozen screen which on alt-tabbing out and back in stays black with the hand cursor (which moves around but on clicking does nothing), plays about a second of music before the music shuts down too. On occasion now I also get the behaviour I reported on 2.1.5.3: alt-tab out and back in might recover the screen and interfase, but only when the game clock has stopped because a decision popup is showing and waiting for me to click. I suspect it is the appearence of one of these popups (not necesarily the first one or two, now it's usually the fourth or so) that causes the freeze, and on a few occasions (not all) alt-tabbing out and back in recovers the interfase and the popup that stopped the game clock. At least that's as much as I can figure it out...

 

[Zireael]

In my case, alt-tabbing made it worse instead of better :/