with a clean install of XP (so no directx):
first application installed - GSB!
installs fine, fails to run. error:
GSB.exe - Unable to Locate Component
This application has failed to start because d3dx9_41.dll was not found. re-installing may fix this (nope)
so i’m just downloading DX from MS, but i thought i’d report it 
Did the DX install from microsoft fix it?
Cheers,
fixed that error.
running GSB without any direct3d hardware available (no drivers) also gives a scary/unhelpful error (as there’s no D3D). i would personally suggest detecting these cases and providing a helpful response in the final version
now, with directX and drivers it gets to spash … and error 41 at game.cpp 242. i’ll go re-download to check it’s up to date
oh no i won’t. expired password/blocked. meh.
locating a re-download link/information seems to be hard. i’ll email.
on another note about the startup errors:
I get splash-screen, and a ‘donk’ noise. and it just stays there. it’s only when alt-tabbing/3-finger salute->task manager that i discover the error box.
this might be something to do with windows interfering and popping up the “oh noes, program crashed. send us error logs?” window. is there any way to disable that?
[autopatch doesn’t seem to]
oh i see… bmtmicro will helpfully invalidate your download codes if you try to download from “two different regions”… like .co.uk and .ac.uk possibly…? 
one to bear in mind for future. i’ll have to make sure not to download from work.
If you email BMT, they will re-set that for you. It seems to trigger for some people now and then If you get no joy, mail me and I can sort it.
email sent. i assume they’re american, and so won’t be awake yet though
fingers crossed for autopatch v2 - so it won’t be necessary in future. [is there any information you can use to diagnose why v1.0 isn’t?]
with the date fix for 1.0, totally clean install.
splash screen, few notes of music, quit to desktop with no comment. so maybe that’s why i can’t autopatch… it can’t even initialise that far.
errors.txt:
1/8/2009 - 10::45 - D3DERR_INVALIDCALL
1/8/2009 - 10::45 - CreateDevice
1/8/2009 - 10::45 - D3DERR_OUTOFVIDEOMEMORY
1/8/2009 - 10::45 - Error creating texture:[$s]
1/8/2009 - 10::45 - D3DERR_OUTOFVIDEOMEMORY
1/8/2009 - 10::45 - Error creating texture:[$s]
1/8/2009 - 10::45 - Assertion failure:filename:…\src\GUI_BattleGUI.cpp,linenum:355,build:Beta 1.0
----DEBUG FILE----
Windows XP detected
GSB Debug File. App version Beta 1.0
Desktop resolution is 1280 x 1024
Initialising Direct3D
Initialising global vertex buffer
creating render targets
success in initialising 3D
Initialising Direct Input
Finished Initialising Direct Input
Initialising Sound Engine
Finished Initialising Sound Engine
Ship Design not found ->_federation tiger armoured:…\src\SIM_ShipDesign.cpp 494
Ship Design not found ->_federation gazelle:…\src\SIM_ShipDesign.cpp 494
Ship Design not found ->_federation fighter:…\src\SIM_ShipDesign.cpp 494
Ship Design not found ->_federation fighter:…\src\SIM_ShipDesign.cpp 494
Ship Design not found ->_federation gazelle:…\src\SIM_ShipDesign.cpp 494
Ship Design not found ->_federation gazelle:…\src\SIM_ShipDesign.cpp 494
Ship Design not found ->_federation gazelle:…\src\SIM_ShipDesign.cpp 494
Ship Design not found ->_federation gazelle:…\src\SIM_ShipDesign.cpp 494
Ship Design not found ->_federation gazelle:…\src\SIM_ShipDesign.cpp 494
I think you have more serious, video-card related problems there. What video card do you have?
Card name: Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2572&SUBSYS_12BC103C&REV_02
Display Memory: 96.0 MB
Current Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (60Hz)
it’s the work computer… i knew i shouldn’t have taken my personal spare home
oh well. if it helps you give helpful “here’s a nickle kid, buy a real computer” messages when someone else tries, it’s all good
password reset, and on querying:
“our system tracks your download location and automatically expires when accessed from more than one place” … good job i have a static ip. but that’s a little on the harsh side i feel ;/. glad you have a patcher
Yes that’s weird, it doesn’t always trigger, I think it must do a geo-lookup. Its to detect when someone buys the game in Texas and then its re-downloaded in Moscow 10 minutes later. Maybe their geo-ip stuff is flaky?
Do you have a PC at home or anywhere that the game runs on? If not, email me (cliff@positech.co.uk).
oh yes… that’s what i was playing on yesterday
their geo-location must be flaky though… these computers are 7 miles apart. though admittedly one’s on a commercial network and t’others academic… both 100% britain/england based.
but i’m just biding my time and not re-downloading until later, as i’d rather their new lock was on my home ip address than here.
[of course, i could get home and find auto-patch works luvely… in which case i’m even happier (well, apart from formating fleets. i do that a lot… can’t stand frigates charging off into a somme-shaped hail of death, so hopefully that’ll be fixed later too!)]
beta-1.02:
game runs (yay!)
main menu fine, options fine, deploy screen fine [could you put a checkbox in popup help that means “i’ve played before, please stop popping stuff up”?]
“Fight!” -> pretty loading screen -> CTD
----DEBUG FILE----
Windows XP detected
GSB Debug File. App version Beta 1.02
Desktop resolution is 1280 x 1024
Initialising Direct3D
Initialising global vertex buffer
creating render targets
success in initialising 3D
Initialising Direct Input
Finished Initialising Direct Input
Initialising Sound Engine
Finished Initialising Sound Engine
Missing Global variable [INVERTZOOM]:…\src\SIM_Options.cpp 92
----ERRORS.TXT----
2/9/2009 - 8::25 - D3DERR_INVALIDCALL
2/9/2009 - 8::25 - CreateDevice
2/9/2009 - 8::25 - D3DERR_OUTOFVIDEOMEMORY
2/9/2009 - 8::25 - Error creating texture:[$s]
2/9/2009 - 8::25 - D3DERR_OUTOFVIDEOMEMORY
2/9/2009 - 8::25 - Error creating texture:[$s]
2/9/2009 - 8::26 - Assertion failure:filename:…\src\GUI_BattleGUI.cpp,linenum:369,build:Beta 1.02
----DRAWDEBUG.TXT----
Initialising 3D Engine
Driver : ialmrnt5.dll
Description : Intel® 82865G Graphics Controller
DeviceName : \.\DISPLAY1
About to Create 3D Device with width: 1280 and height : 1024
Attempting software Vertex Processing
Checking For Shader Support
hal_caps.D3DPTEXTURECAPS_POW2 is true
NumSimultaneousRTs:1
hal_caps.PixelShaderVersion < D3DPS_VERSION(2, 0)
Finished initialising 3D Engine
Initialising Render target of 512 X 512 rt_ship
rt_ship
Initialising Render target of 2048 X 2048 rt_offscreen1
rt_offscreen1
Initialising Render target of 2048 X 2048 rt_offscreen2
rt_offscreen2
titlescreen2048.bmp
cwfont20.dds
zekton16.dds
box_background.jpg
textbutton.dds
textbutton_h.dds
gsb_logo.dds
bg7.jpg
star.dds
cursor.dds
dialog_titlebar.dds
menu_backdrop.jpg
gui_dragbutton.dds
gui_scrollup.dds
gui_scrollup_h.dds
gui_scrolldown.dds
gui_scrolldown_h.dds
border_depth.dds
debris.dds
contrails.dds
escapepod.dds
escapepodengines.dds
shield_impact.dds
client_interlace.dds
dialog_client.dds
19px_highlight.dds
19px_highlight_black.dds
smokeclouds.dds
runninglight.dds
shield_collapse.dds
checkbox.dds
checkbox_checked.dds
bg1_icon.jpg
achieve_empty.dds
tooltip.dds
square_box.dds
square_box_h.dds
square_box_brown.dds
Federation Hawk Fighter.dds
Federation Gazelle Frigate.dds
Federation Tiger Cruiser.dds
newshipbutton.dds
bg1.jpg
strip_fill.jpg
strip_fill_red.jpg
module_locked.dds
deployment_range.dds
Alliance Hornet Fighter.dds
Alliance Scorpion Fighter.dds
Alliance Alligator Cruiser.dds
Alliance Shark Cruiser.dds
Alliance Cobra Frigate.dds
Alliance Python Cruiser.dds
Alliance Swordfish Frigate.dds
module_armour_v1.dds
module_powergen_v7.dds
fed_turret_las_v1.dds
federation_turret_pd_v1.dds
fed_turret_auto_v1.dds
module_engine_3.dds
module_crew2.dds
module_shield_v5.dds
gui_sliderbar.dds
fillbar.dds
progress_bar.jpg
loadscreen_puma.bmp
beam_red_atlas.dds
beam_orange_atlas.dds
turret_blast_red.dds
turrets_federation.dds
shield_blast.dds
shield_scroll.dds
shield_blast2.dds
normal_shield.dds
armourglow.dds
Federation Tiger Cruiser_damaged.dds
engineglow.dds
particles.dds
engine_colors.dds
Federation Tiger Cruiser_hulk.dds
breakup_alpha.dds
Federation Hawk Fighter_sprite.dds
federation_hulks.dds
turret_blast_purple.dds
Federation Gazelle Frigate_damaged.dds
Federation Gazelle Frigate_hulk.dds
Alliance Hornet Fighter_sprite.dds
alliance_hulks.dds
Alliance Scorpion Fighter_sprite.dds
beam_blue_atlas.dds
beam_green_atlas.dds
turrets_alliance.dds
repairbot_weld.dds
repairbots.dds
alliance_shield.dds
Alliance Alligator Cruiser_damaged.dds
allianceengineglow.dds
Alliance Alligator Cruiser_hulk.dds
lightning.dds
plasma.dds
Alliance Shark Cruiser_damaged.dds
Alliance Shark Cruiser_hulk.dds
Alliance Cobra Frigate_damaged.dds
Alliance Cobra Frigate_hulk.dds
Alliance Python Cruiser_damaged.dds
Alliance Python Cruiser_hulk.dds
Alliance Swordfish Frigate_damaged.dds
Alliance Swordfish Frigate_hulk.dds
minimap.dds
battle_buttons.dds
green_score.dds
red_score.dds
unchecking all options in the options screen fixed this… an idea i had when setting online registration, and seeing there’s some “gratuitous news”. now it gets a long way through the battle before crashing. i’ll see if i can work out a description of when/how.
[edit] not reproducible… just did exactly the same thing, and it worked (lost, popup for loss appeared etc)
two things - one is there doesn’t seem to be a “menu battle” option (or whatever it actually says)
the other - who’s going to go to the online page … ever, after entering registration/name. news should be on the front page i think