Arrrrggggh, what the heck is going on?

[Noxuathl]

My previously flawless desktop installation of Horizons has gone barmy!

I hate to say it but I think it happened when I tried the latest helian interface. I had happily been using the one that came with an installer and the map pack 3.2 that came with an installer but after the one that you just copy into resources_override I had problems with the game just hanging after login.

No problem I thought, just remove it. Wrong.

It can't still be that causing problems because I have since :

uninstalled and reinstalled Horizons ( a few times ),
reinstalled and then copied over all of the files from my laptop installation (which still works just fine),
completely formatted my games hard drive after discovering it was fairly fragmented and the defrag was taking entirely too long,
reinstalled XP.

Yes I know it sounds crazy but I was still having problems of either the loadup messages stopping or me just seeing a black screen after the login.

Now tonight for some reason after yet another reinstall and a long wait after logging in I was finally able to play for a few minutes and then bam, kicked out with Error ID: 91. I log back in and the same thing happens.

I'm at my wit's end and so far technical support have been unable to help despite me sending logs and dxdiag files.

Could anybody shed any light please?

Thank you.

[Nisse Owned]

Im having same problem but it seem to be something with the connection, have you tried deleting master file list and horizons.exe(Wierdly enough helped for me once)?
Also try to forward the port in the url on the start game webpage

[Sarus]

I also am having the same problem. I recently built a new computer, installed the game from disc, did a full scan . two things happen i either get the black screen as you described or i get the event screen then at some point it hangs up and i get the ID:91 error.

But the game logs fine on my old computer still.

Have sent a ticket in and checked the things support told me too, but still not working.

Also i notice that the full scans are extremely slow.

[Bulgrim StoneCleaver]

Try logging in directly thru the website - I've seen Amon say that it requires that before you can use the stand alone launcher.

If you have tried that - check active x and check that you have network 1.1 - network 2.0 won't work in HZ.

[Reyem TG]

Try logging in directly thru the website - I've seen Amon say that it requires that before you can use the stand alone launcher.

If you have tried that - check active x and check that you have network 1.1 - network 2.0 won't work in HZ.

This is something to try. What was your case number?

[tramsan]

I am experiencing this as well since I recently got back to HZ. A brief description of the symptoms:

Game loads to the usual early black screen, then stops. The process stays at 99% CPU and the memory usage is between 90MB to 130MB, depending on graphics settings, but stable around its current position. (Few MBs up/down) The unfortunate application that had focus last before HZ froze is frozen with it. (Completely frozen - IRC clients will lose connection, etc.)

Yesterday I was able to play again. The solution could be attributed to any of the below items, but I rather expect it was because of the server maintenance. Today the issue was back.


Here are some of the things I've tried. None have been the least successful.

* Complete reinstall of HZ.
* Defrag.
* Reinstall/rollback graphics drivers. I'm currently using the 84.25 nVidia beta, tried 84.21 (which has worked before.)
* Using the Dec 2005 HZ build, which is supposed to be able to "clear up" some things that can prevent you to play - I don't know the specifics, but apparently it has worked for a friend who gave me the build.
* Completely wiping resources_override and prefs, as well as trying with/without loading screen and fullscreen.
* Deleting horizons.exe and master_file_list.
* Logging in through website with and without .NET patcher, using the stand-alone launcher and directly supplying the login info in ClientPrefs.def.


Looking through the log files generated while starting up, I'm led to believe culprit is the server. It seems to reset my connection, which leaves the game in a loop, trying to re-acquire it. Without really knowing what I'm looking at it seems to be resetting me because it thinks I'm still logged in and don't give the proper credentials.


I have filed a support ticket as reference with logs attached, ID #81751


Edit:
Logging in to Unity works just fine, so this is almost certainly a server-side issue. I have tried Order and Chaos, both fail. I will try Blight as well when it comes back online.


Edit 2:
After the blight restart everything works fine again (with all my old prefs and resource_overrides). I don't know what it is, but it's definitely server-side and resets when a server is restarted.

[Bulgrim StoneCleaver]

This is something to try. What was your case number?

I didn't have a case number - didn't happen to me. I've just gathered it as a solution from others posting here and about the forums.

[Sarus]

loaded 1.1 and still having problems. logging in from website and not launcher.

Everything loading very slow. freezing while loading or never getting passed the black screen.

[Reyem TG]

Please submit a case to support.Istaria.com including a copy of your Computer's DxDiag.
Please follow these steps to retrieve this information for us then attach the file to your case.
Start > Run
type in dxdiag
Click "OK'
Select the Display tab
Run once each
"Test DirectDraw"
"Test Direct3d"
Select "Save All Information"
save the file with the case number in the name (the default name will corrupt when uploaded on our system.)

[Sarus]

i submitted the files. don't see how that is going to help since someone a few posts before me sent his in and you can't find anything wrong.

the thing that seems similiar is people did a fresh install of the game.

please check to see if it is server side like the few posts up above said.

[tramsan]

Well, I sent mine in just a day or so ago, and then only the game logs, not my system diags. Give them some time.

[Reyem TG]

In order to resolve this issue we are trying to find similarities in these logs, and computer specs.

[tramsan]

I suggest that everyone experiencing this problem install older sound card drivers.

I have a Creative Audigy 2 ZS, and at the suggestion of Seenu in another thread, I rolled back the drivers for it. Problems are, it appears, gone. I haven't played very long with these drivers, so it could always be a placebo. If I don't come back and say otherwise it's a winner.

[Sarus]

I finally got in this weekend, but its still a crap shoot. The game takes an awful long time to load and is slow to react(long time for loot windows to appear).

I use a x-fi extreme music card. problem for me is I don't know if there are older drivers for it. The card is having problems on its own.

It seems that the computers are having a hard time pulling the info off of the servers.

Also when I do finally get in game if i stay in one place for a few minutes without moving the game will not update my actions ( like casting gifts or attacking a mob) but i can still move around.

My computer is brand new. Is this the same for everyone or just a new install of the game?

[Sarus]

no cable kumu. My old computer still loads the game up quickly and has no problem playing it.

Thats why i asked if its happening with new computer or just fresh installs of the game.

I hope its not the sound card but looks like i'll have to put an old card in to see.

[Reyem TG]

Go into Clientprefs_Main.def and make sure the following lines
are set to false.
bool updateAGHFiles = false
bool convertAGHDDS = false

[Sarus]

i will reyem as soon as i get home.

I was able to play all sunday afternoon . but then sunday night the game would not load. Someone in another thread had the same problem on Sunday night.

[Sarus]

the lines say true instead of false reyem

[Reyem TG]

Change them to False please.

[mage]

I still cannot log in with my main computer and it is getting very annoying. I have been a paying subscriber since launch. The last time I was able to log in and play freely was during the last Halloween festival. Then at the end of April I decided to try and log back in to play again and I kept getting a black screen which requires me to restart my computer.

The only difference between the time I last played and now is that I have updated my audio drivers for my sound card. Unfortunately though there is no way for me to roll them back as the old drivers do not appear to be in my system and the Creative site doesn't have the drivers for my card anymore.

I was hoping that the fix today would solve my issue. Unfortunately it has not and I still cannot get into the game. I would even go and purchase some new hardware components (ie a new sound card) if I knew that might solve the problem.