Cannot enter any map after log in

[MakoMako]

Problem is simple, consistent and make it legit impossible for me to play.

 

Log-in is accepted, I select a character. Game enters loading screen and proceeds to crash abruptly due to an "Unexpected Error". I've sent several crash reports through the day but I'm curious if anyone else has had this happen. Here's the troubleshooting I've gone through.

1- Full system reboot. No change.

2- Reverified City of Heroes files through launch. No issues found.
3- Reinstalled core files. No change.

4- Started game without Hardware Acceleration. Nothing.

5- Greatly reduced graphics settings. Nothing.

6- Changed internet connections thrice over. Two Wi-Fi, one ethernet. No noticeable change.

7- Deactivated all mods, even though all I had were sound and texture mods. Don't think this was a problem to begin with but still no change.

 

I decided to run the debug console while logging in, and these are the final lines I get...

 

 

I don't know what Zowies are, but "0 zowies found" is precisely when I crash on load every single time. There is nothing that is recorded past this point. Is this a known issue or do I have something borked after the update today?

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

Zowies are what War Witch called Zone Glowies, which were introduced in Going Rogue.  Not sure if your crash log is referring to those or something else, but I think they're the same Zowies.

 

Did you send a full crash dump report?

 

[GM Manga]

I have encountered this exact issue on a Mac with this version.  I have not yet found the cause, but the solution is to relocate or remove all of your CoH folder, and then have the Launcher reinstall from scratch.

[MakoMako]

26 minutes ago, GM_GooglyMoogly said:

Zowies are what War Witch called Zone Glowies, which were introduced in Going Rogue.  Not sure if your crash log is referring to those or something else, but I think they're the same Zowies.

 

Did you send a full crash dump report?

 

Yes, I did. I am posting here mostly because I noticed nobody else mentioned anything yet. In case it's widespread or if maybe my crash log doesn't help.

I'm not confident it has anything to do with "Zowies" merely mentioned that's precisely where the debug report stops so for all I know it's whatever comes -after- that's problematic. For all I know it could be that it's simply failing to load zowies properly but that seems to be a strange thing to crash the whole game. (I've seen stranger, though...)

 

 

21 minutes ago, GM Manga said:

I have encountered this exact issue on a Mac with this version.  I have not yet found the cause, but the solution is to relocate or remove all of your CoH folder, and then have the Launcher reinstall from scratch.

I'll try to install a fresh copy and see if that changes anything. For record, I'm on Windows 11.

[MakoMako]

Completely reinstalled from scratch then moved over my backed up settings files. Everything seems to be working again.

 

Total uninstall/reinstall seemed to do the trick that verification couldn't. Thank you!

[MakoMako]

No good.

After logging in exactly one time I'm right back to square one with instantaneous crash after loading. Exact same symptoms.

It looks like after a full reinstall I can log in at least one time and after that the game just crashes on character selection. I've sent another crash report.

[BigMeech]

I have had the same issue most of the day-multiple crashes. Did a complete reinstall and did one mission and crashed as soon as I completed it.

[GM Manga]

37 minutes ago, MakoMako said:

After logging in exactly one time I'm right back to square one with instantaneous crash after loading. Exact same symptoms.

 

That sounds a lot like a permissions issue.  Do you know how to set permissions on Windows 11 so "Everyone" can read/write?

 

Before that though, when was the last time you rebooted?

Edited Wednesday at 12:03 AM by GM Manga

[MakoMako]

2 minutes ago, GM Manga said:

 

That sounds a lot like a permissions issue.  Do you know how to set permissions on Windows 11 so "Everyone" can read/write?

 

Before that though, when was the last time you rebooted?

1- Yes. I assure you that a lack of permission not the problem here. Could you explain how you come to the conclusion how the new update would make this an issue, though? Maybe if the update affects the read/write process somehow, it could isolate what I'm dealing with.

2- Since the start of the problem to now, I've lost count of how many times I've rebooted. This includes two cold boots from shutdown due to moving my laptop from one location to another to test different internet settings.

[MakoMako]

Also my apologies. I should've clarified this problem only started today directly after servers updated.

I was able to log in this morning and yesterday without issue. This only started as of 12:35 EST today. And I can cite that time precisely because of the crash log timestamp.

[GM Manga]

2 hours ago, MakoMako said:

1- Yes. I assure you that a lack of permission not the problem here. Could you explain how you come to the conclusion how the new update would make this an issue, though? Maybe if the update affects the read/write process somehow, it could isolate what I'm dealing with.

 

I'm guessing the client is writing files (like the character list) and then it's not able to read them again, either getting a no permissions or an "alreaady in use" error.

[MakoMako]

1 minute ago, GM Manga said:

 

I'm guessing the client is writing files (like the character list) and then it's not able to read them again, either getting a no permissions or an "alreaady in use" error.

I don't think it's the case here. The profile I'm using is the sole profile and admin.

[GM Manga]

4 hours ago, MakoMako said:

I don't think it's the case here. The profile I'm using is the sole profile and admin.

 

I don't know for certain that it is.  It's a guess based on what changes between a "clean" install and after your first login into the clean install.  That most obvious difference is files that are written on login, such as your character list, the last login name, and the shader cache.  

 

If you use the "Reset Graphics Settings On Next Run" checkbox before launching, and that doesn't fix it, then it's not the shader cache.  That leaves all of the other files that are written on first login, and points to the possibility of a permissions issue.  I just happened to start with that guess over the shader cache.

 

Could it be corrupting its read-only game asset files?  Maybe, but that's a longer shot since it's never happened before.

[MakoMako]

5 hours ago, GM Manga said:

 

I don't know for certain that it is.  It's a guess based on what changes between a "clean" install and after your first login into the clean install.  That most obvious difference is files that are written on login, such as your character list, the last login name, and the shader cache.  

 

If you use the "Reset Graphics Settings On Next Run" checkbox before launching, and that doesn't fix it, then it's not the shader cache.  That leaves all of the other files that are written on first login, and points to the possibility of a permissions issue.  I just happened to start with that guess over the shader cache.

 

Could it be corrupting its read-only game asset files?  Maybe, but that's a longer shot since it's never happened before.

If it is, I'm not sure how to check or rectify that. As it's not clear what files are being written to at the precise moment of crash. The debug still stops exactly at "loading Zowie locations".

 

Actually, what might help is if someone could just start a normal game with the debug console up and let me know exactly what is loaded after the zowies? Maybe whatever starts directly after zowies that is what's borked on my end. Or something in that area.

 

I'm going to  submit a ticket through the forum support link and upload the crash report I made today.

Thanks for your help you've provided so far.

[GM Manga]

4 hours ago, MakoMako said:

Actually, what might help is if someone could just start a normal game with the debug console up and let me know exactly what is loaded after the zowies? Maybe whatever starts directly after zowies that is what's borked on my end. Or something in that area.

 

In an open zone, it loads zowies, and then novodex (nvidia physx shapes), initActorSporeGrid (I think that has to do with auras) and then it loads pre-loadable textures.

 

So that makes the most likely issues either your nvidia driver doesn't like the physx stuff, or you have corrupted textures.  The latter is most likely.  And the most likely cause of corrupted textures is add-ons like map packs or overrides in the "data" folder.  Why the client is more sensitive to them than before, I don't know.