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Stuck at the loading bar - Game won't start


SwissArmyBacon

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I encountered an error when I was at the full login screen about a week ago, and I have not been able to log in since.

 

The game would not respond and I kept getting an error window popping up repeatedly that you can not have multiple instances running.

 

each time I tried to click ok and close, multiple windows would continue popping up.  I finally just did a hard shutdown of the laptop by holding the power button down.

 

Ever since then, I am able to open Tequila and it Validates and when I press Play for any of the options it shows the Loading Bar and goes no further.  I have let it go for a half an hour to verify it wasn't just slowly loading.  To quit I have to open TASK MANAGER and do an end task on City of Heroes.

 

I have turned off the firewall as well as whitelisting both Tequila and Homecoming.  I have also deleted the files and registry Keys for Cryptic and Tequila and redownloaded the game.  It will still just stop at the loading bar.

 

I am running a windows 10 laptop with a Redeon R5 processor and Graphics Card.  I have rolled the windows version back to 1809 because I saw that some people were having issues with the 1903 version.

 

Any Ideas...  I need to get back to saving Paragon City!

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I'm glad you bumped this. I'm having a hard time keeping track.  Not that I'm an official anything, I just don't like to leave people hanging. 

This is bugging me because poking around it sounds like and antivirus is blocking it, but that doesn't explain the multiple instance error.  I guess it can't hurt to double check though.  The recent patches are causing new flags that, even if you already made exemptions, are going off.  You'll have to redo those exemptions, I think, is the gist.

 

@WanderingAries  You're clever.  Any ideas?

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On ‎8‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 11:18 AM, Korbian said:

Hey, somebody else had this problem because they were still using the temporary patch manifest.  Did we make sure you were using the right one?  http://patch.savecoh.com/manifest.xml

^This^  and anything like that should also be submitted to the ticketing system so it gets more traction and kept better track of. Also, now that we have like 6 million choices in the launcher, I would try the Safe Mode version first and if that loads, then try the 32bit and go from there. I know there's things you can run that provide inner system details, but I'm not familiar with how and what they are.

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Thank you for the thoughts...  Yes, I am using the correct Manifest.  What should I whitelist with Windows Defender?  Homecoming, Tequila, City of Heroes, all of them?

 

I currently have Windows Defender turned off.  Also I have added these to the exclusions list

 

C:\Games\City of Heroes\Homecoming.exe

C:\Games\City of Heroes\Tequila.exe

C:\Games\City of Heroes

C:\Games

 

I have tried to run - Homecoming, Homecoming (safe Mode) and Homecoming (64-bit).  all of them close Tequila and start City of heroes with the blue loading bar and that is it...

 

 

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another question...

 

Is there any way to find out if the program is talking to the homecoming servers? 

 

What is the normal process flow for loading the game?

 

Click on Tequila, then click on homecoming and click play once the Manifest has validated.  

 

Tequila will close and the loading bar will come up...  Then, if I remember correctly, the loading bar goes away and the City of Heroes splash page comes up as the game is loading.  Then finally the login screen comes up.

 

What is happening between the Loading bar and the Splash page?

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5 hours ago, SwissArmyBacon said:

Thank you for the thoughts...  Yes, I am using the correct Manifest.  What should I whitelist with Windows Defender?  Homecoming, Tequila, City of Heroes, all of them?

 

I currently have Windows Defender turned off.  Also I have added these to the exclusions list

 

C:\Games\City of Heroes\Homecoming.exe

C:\Games\City of Heroes\Tequila.exe

C:\Games\City of Heroes

C:\Games

 

I have tried to run - Homecoming, Homecoming (safe Mode) and Homecoming (64-bit).  all of them close Tequila and start City of heroes with the blue loading bar and that is it...

 

 

I just checked my setup and the Only thing I have whitelisted in Defender is the c:\games folder and that's an Old entry so I likely did that way before CoX. There are no white list items in Webroot. I guess it trusts the game.

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OG Server: Pinnacle  <||>  Current Primary Server: Torchbearer  ||  Also found on the others if desired


Installing CoX:  Windows  ||  MacOS  ||  MacOS for M1  <||>  Migrating Data from an Older Installation


Clubs: Mid's Hero Designer  ||  PC Builders  ||  HC Wiki  ||  Jerk Hackers


Old Forums  <||>  Titan Network  <||>  Heroica! (by @Shenanigunner)

 

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5 hours ago, SwissArmyBacon said:

another question...

 

Is there any way to find out if the program is talking to the homecoming servers? 

 

What is the normal process flow for loading the game?

 

Click on Tequila, then click on homecoming and click play once the Manifest has validated.  

 

Tequila will close and the loading bar will come up...  Then, if I remember correctly, the loading bar goes away and the City of Heroes splash page comes up as the game is loading.  Then finally the login screen comes up.

 

What is happening between the Loading bar and the Splash page?

Those are the right steps. Somewhere on the forums a dev posted an IP address for people to ping as a com test to the servers, but IDK what it was. As for what's going on in the background, mostly unpacking the game's PIGG files I'd imagine.

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OG Server: Pinnacle  <||>  Current Primary Server: Torchbearer  ||  Also found on the others if desired


Installing CoX:  Windows  ||  MacOS  ||  MacOS for M1  <||>  Migrating Data from an Older Installation


Clubs: Mid's Hero Designer  ||  PC Builders  ||  HC Wiki  ||  Jerk Hackers


Old Forums  <||>  Titan Network  <||>  Heroica! (by @Shenanigunner)

 

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To clarify, the Loading Bar as in the first blue box that says "LOADING" and doesn't allow login?  Or a loading bar when you're entering a city zone?

 

If the first one, sounds like a video card hangup.  You can try the following steps:

-- Open Tequila, but do not start the game.  Click Options.

-- Under Launch Parameters, enter "-ignoreBadDrivers -screen 800 600" and click OK.  (This passes the 'current driver check', and forces the resolution to 800 x 600 on start, ignoring your preferences.)

-- Click OK and try starting the game.

 

If the login screen appears, change the graphics settings to either match your fullscreen native resolution (depends on your monitor) or Windowed mode, then return to Tequila.  Click Options one more time and blank the Launch Parameters.  Then try loading the client one more time to see if it works.

 

If it doesn't, repeat the steps above to go back to 800x600, and try another resolution or mode.  If nothing seems to work, let us know.

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On 8/28/2019 at 12:05 PM, Tahquitz said:

To clarify, the Loading Bar as in the first blue box that says "LOADING" and doesn't allow login?  Or a loading bar when you're entering a city zone?

 

If the first one, sounds like a video card hangup.  You can try the following steps:

-- Open Tequila, but do not start the game.  Click Options.

-- Under Launch Parameters, enter "-ignoreBadDrivers -screen 800 600" and click OK.  (This passes the 'current driver check', and forces the resolution to 800 x 600 on start, ignoring your preferences.)

-- Click OK and try starting the game.

 

If the login screen appears, change the graphics settings to either match your fullscreen native resolution (depends on your monitor) or Windowed mode, then return to Tequila.  Click Options one more time and blank the Launch Parameters.  Then try loading the client one more time to see if it works.

 

If it doesn't, repeat the steps above to go back to 800x600, and try another resolution or mode.  If nothing seems to work, let us know.

Correct, I am speaking of the first LOADING box. 

 

I will try that option once I get home this evening.  I was trying compatibility mode with different settings and that did not help.  

 

I will try to enter your option under the launch parameters and let you know. 

 

Thank you for the insight.

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It does not seem to do anything...  still stuck at the LOADING bar...

 

It does not even change the screen resolution to 800 X 600.  My current settings are 1366 X 768.  I click play and it goes to that beginning LOADING bar but does not change the resolution.

 

Do I need the quote marks around the command or not?

 

Edited by SwissArmyBacon
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Quote marks wouldn't matter. 

 

I don't have much experience with AMD graphics.  If it's something affecting all gameplay, or gameplay with other games that use OpenGL graphics, then that could help pinpoint what is specific to the root cause. 

 

You mentioned also that it's a laptop... if it's an HP with 'switchable graphics' its possible a BIOS update may have messed with your gameplay.

 

 

Inactive account.  For current info, see GM_Tock.

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I am able to run World of Warcraft with it and my son can run Minecraft and a number of games from steam...

 

it just seems to be something with City of Heroes.

 

I am sure there is a setting somewhere that got switched or something.  I would think total removal and removing the registry keys for both Tequila and City of heroes would make the issue go away... but nope!

 

 

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Here is what is trying to run when I click on PLAY and the laptop asks it asks if I want to allow the program to make changes with the new resolution.

20190902_231521.jpg

 

Is the data following the program location all correct (when trying to run it on 9.2.2019).

Edited by SwissArmyBacon
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OK...  Another update.

 

I added the following to the launch parameters after searching through the forums...

 

-ignorebaddrivers -safemode

 

When I clicked PLAY it went to the loading screen and after a little waiting, it continued through to the LOGIN screen.  I was able to log in.  I went back out and I have removed all launch parameters and started the game normally and it now loads and works like it did in the past...

 

Thank you all for your help and advice through this.  Not exactly what got corrected, but I am happy to be saving Paragon City once again!!!!!!

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On ‎9‎/‎2‎/‎2019 at 11:58 PM, SwissArmyBacon said:

OK...  Another update.

 

I added the following to the launch parameters after searching through the forums...

 

-ignorebaddrivers -safemode

 

When I clicked PLAY it went to the loading screen and after a little waiting, it continued through to the LOGIN screen.  I was able to log in.  I went back out and I have removed all launch parameters and started the game normally and it now loads and works like it did in the past...

 

Thank you all for your help and advice through this.  Not exactly what got corrected, but I am happy to be saving Paragon City once again!!!!!!

IDK where you got it, but Gratz and this should go into some sort of "Known Workarounds" list that's stickied.

OG Server: Pinnacle  <||>  Current Primary Server: Torchbearer  ||  Also found on the others if desired


Installing CoX:  Windows  ||  MacOS  ||  MacOS for M1  <||>  Migrating Data from an Older Installation


Clubs: Mid's Hero Designer  ||  PC Builders  ||  HC Wiki  ||  Jerk Hackers


Old Forums  <||>  Titan Network  <||>  Heroica! (by @Shenanigunner)

 

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