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B14 troubles

Not spamming... my original request was ignored Build 14 Final Part 2: Contents Archive still links to the .tar in DB Mod which cannot be recognized by the installer... since my first request was ignored I must repeat it and it was sent to Pieter since he is the one who posted the .tar to DB Mod and may not have realized that while it may be the .tar needed the installer will only recognize the Build 14 Final Part 2: Contents Archive.zip The .zip is the only file the installer recognizes... right? So, where is that file and how do I get to it for downloading? Honest question that deserves a respectful answer...right?

THANKS FOR THE HELP?
As I recall, an obsolete version of the Contents Archive was indeed a .zip file, and people kept unzipping it. So the file was saved as a .tar - which is another form of file compression - in the hope of discouraging that. 7-Zip will actually unzip a .tar file, I've done it myself, though only to examine the contents, not as part of an installation. So although using .tar may discourage unzipping, some other folks have still been unzipping it while installing.

The .tar file dates back to 2016, so if you're using a .zip Contents Archive with any installer from 2016 onwards, problems are to be expected. For example, the weapon mismatches which you have reported.

You should use the 2022 Installer and the .tar Contents Archive. Or you can use an earlier installer if you like, but you'll still need the .tar Contents Archive, not the .zip one, unless you find an installer from before 2016.

You might want to try one of the installers from here:
Index of /potc/Grey Roger/old_installs
Those might work with the .zip Contents Archive. Expect other problems, though, as those are ancient!
 
This has gotten quite troublesome but I will attempt to help. I will say right now that I have not read through all the posts spread out over the various threads as doing so doesn't seem like it would help anyway. I'm not a core developer of the Build Mod so I wouldn't be able to address issues with things which I am not familiar.

This is a documentation of how I just now installed and got Build 14 to work from scratch on Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. This is regardless if everyone is already familiar with the process as it is merely a description of the steps I took. I'm using an NVIDIA GeForce graphics card, and this is important to note because even though there are workarounds, the game will not work properly or at all with Intel graphics chips.
Furthermore, it is also important to note that I have capped the FPS to 60 for the game in the NVIDIA control panel. Limiting the FPS to 60 helps to prevent the game from crashing.

First I used my original CDs to install the game to D:\Pirates of the Caribbean\. In my case it is the UK version.
To avoid problems, do not install the game to any of the Program Files directories.
After the installation, I created a new folder in the root of D:\ and named it build14testcheck and moved the entire Pirates of the Caribbean folder in there.

Then I created a new folder on the desktop and named it also build14testcheck and created a pa and a moddb folder inside it.
I then downloaded b14_installer.exe from PiratesAhoy! and placed it in the pa folder, and then downloaded the same file from ModDB and placed it in the moddb folder.
After that I downloaded b14_beta4_final.tar and placed it in the parent build14testcheck directory on the desktop.
Finally, I downloaded post_1Jan_updates_120124.zip and placed it also in the parent build14testcheck directory on the desktop.

Now with all files downloaded, I looked at the checksums of all four files and found that the two b14_installer.exe files are identical. This can be done by opening a command prompt in the directory and using CertUtil.
Here are the commands and resulting checksums for b14_installer.exe, b14_beta4_final.tar, and post_1Jan_updates_120124.zip:
Code:
CertUtil -hashfile b14_installer.exe MD5
8e e9 5d ca de 03 fa 29 f8 f8 ac ae fb 68 99 5a

CertUtil -hashfile b14_installer.exe SHA1
67 59 03 14 cc 66 12 0c 13 03 19 ab a7 04 cf 5b ed 74 cf e2

CertUtil -hashfile b14_installer.exe SHA256
ae eb b0 ac a9 89 ad 34 68 66 07 74 81 ba 88 c1 b3 de 66 89 cb 36 7f 27 53 1d ec 9d 49 58 7f 5d

CertUtil -hashfile b14_beta4_final.tar MD5
99 6a ce b4 d7 af 4f 48 ed 4f a2 31 1a 11 83 5e

CertUtil -hashfile b14_beta4_final.tar SHA1
30 b3 fa 79 ca ae 87 6b 58 d7 a0 fd 53 fb 0d f7 eb b3 c8 b3

CertUtil -hashfile b14_beta4_final.tar SHA256
c0 6f 66 2d c7 67 b4 b7 a8 0f 2d 60 fc 7e 00 d9 95 c2 b7 5e d1 9e 9f 07 dc 6c 8b 32 c2 87 78 da

CertUtil -hashfile post_1Jan_updates_120124.zip MD5
72 6b 04 14 a3 87 46 a8 c4 cb df 01 cc a9 24 da

CertUtil -hashfile post_1Jan_updates_120124.zip SHA1
41 6e 23 1c 83 ea 72 bc 6b ff bb 05 a4 e5 6a ff d4 13 27 21

CertUtil -hashfile post_1Jan_updates_120124.zip SHA256
2b 43 6d 04 b6 95 f9 44 ce b9 2c 98 58 73 af a8 d0 7c 46 98 22 02 35 34 33 d2 9d 00 ba d7 36 ec

I now moved the b14_installer.exe from the pa folder to the parent build14testcheck directory on the desktop so that b14_installer.exe and b14_beta4_final.tar would be in the same directory, and then I ran the installer.
In the installer, I selected to install only the "Main Files" and "UPDATE Files", no other files. I selected the install directory to be D:\build14testcheck\Pirates of the Caribbean\.
After that was done, I extracted the post_1Jan_updates_120124.zip file to its parent build14testcheck directory on the desktop, and then moved the entire contents to D:\build14testcheck\Pirates of the Caribbean\, overwriting everything when prompted.

I then opened engine.ini to change the resolution to my liking, and then started the game.
In the game I went to "Options" and changed things to my liking, and then started a new free play game and sailed around for a bit, and did not encounter any errors and no error log was generated.

So, in my case, using my original game CDs and downloading and using the provided mod files, I was able to install and play Build 14 without encountering any problems. It would thus seem that there is no problem with the integrity of the provided files, and that any fault in installing and playing Build 14 is not because of them.
I've accepted your diagnosis of "Intel 965-itis" and gone back to v16/17 for last playable games for solace. Now I've found a new issue. starting a game the Dragon's Mouth label weapon shows a Fist and the attributes is of the x4 fist!( Review of the Items table shows the correct Image Index 9 and I see no x4 Fist listed anywhere. Any idea of what's going on and how to get the image and attributes correct for the index name? I posted to the forum but no one can/has replied... I admire your knowledge and C skills so I'm asking you to trouble-shoot this, if you don't mind and have a few minutes to do so. I've looked into the code and found a call for fist but do not have the knowledge of C to identify the cause for this juxtaposition with Dragon's Mouth... thanks in advance for your insight.
 
My knowledge of C is probably no better than yours! But, as I said, I do know that the .tar Contents Archive dates back to 2016, so if you're using a .zip version, it won't work properly with an installer from 2016 or later.
starting a game the Dragon's Mouth label weapon shows a Fist and the attributes is of the x4 fist!
Not surprising if you're using a 2016 installer with a .zip contents archive from an earlier version of the game. In fact, you're probably going to run into more serious trouble than that.

And you still haven't answered my question - in which folder are you installing the game? Full path, please - for example, mine is in "C:\Games\Pirates of the Caribbean".
 
Yep...same here... as I've said many times NOT INSTALLATION... NOT SHOUTING... although many devotees like to say so... it's apparent to me that a lot of people have trouble being able to read small print so to accommodate their deficiency I'm courteously using larger print... now do you understand that it's not the installation protocol? Yes or NO? How many times have I repeated this? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU NOT ONLY READ THAT, BUT READ MY DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF MY PROCESS? Not shouting, using big letters to make sure you have read and should understand what that passage stated. I'm a published author and have many articles and detailed reports in my past. As a Coast Guard Officer I wrote Requests for Proposal, evaluations, scientific reports of research and development. I've never been told that my competence as a writer is questionable.

BTW if the Beta4.tar file is a zipped file why does the installer that was specified not recognize it as such and keeps demanding the Contents Archive zip file? Why was that described in the install protocol and not updated when someone changed it? Really, when you change the game you MUST inform the players if you want the desired result. Did you read the part about where I DID install the Beta4.tar and the installer refused it demanded the Contents Archive (.zip) file which I used the 12x prior, which installed and produced the buggy games I've documented. Now you say using the Beta4.tar in the game folder produces a valid game... in my experience it does NOT... I tried it and got denied by the installer... so now you say that what was described was bogus! That installer was not valid? So where in the instructions was this information stated? The Beta4.tar is a "zip" file... why no .zip extension? In fact in my final attempt using Beta4.tar I did run 7-zip and unpacked the .tar file... which the installer refused to accept again demanding Contents Archive... so... where is the installer that must be used with the Beta4.tar unzip and why was it kept a secret? I saw nothing informing me of this fact in the installation process. Does no one proof-read and update directions when somebody changes the process?

I've a long history of successfully following very detailed and complicated directions for many different processes. I'm also a PhD Analytical Chemist, write and perform very complex procedures for analyses. Never has there been a critical comment of my work nor negative critique of my documents. In fact that's how I was able to move from Seaman Apprentice to Commander (O-5) in my 23 years of affiliation, a third of that at CGHQ in DC. working in Applied Sciences, Environmental Technology, Quality Assurance, and in the Kansas City CG Reserve from Port Security Ops division officer to Executive Officer in my tenure to retirement. I've many times explained I'm not conversant in C, my science language was FORTRAN from college classwork to real-world applications. I depend on C programmers to provide detail of language describing processes which are alike in FORTRAN but I'm not conversant with form or terms. Computer logic is the same, it's the language and format that's the difference. I would like to be able to enjoy a good game, bug-free, but factors beyond my control prevent achieving that.

I do appreciate your help and guidance, don't take offense, but I have high standards since that is what I've had to rise to in my life and career. I expect the same from others.

Thank you, Mate

You can click on the thumbnail to show the full size picture - in Firefox, I can click it with the middle mouse button to open the full size picture in another window, or click with the right button to open a menu of things to do with the link from the thumbnail. It's not a matter of file size, the full size picture is uploaded anyway. It just means the picture shown in the post is smaller, making the post easier to read. And on that note:

... please don't shout! Don't post in all upper case.

And you have yet to answer my question:
Okay, information that the thumb can be opened to full size is not stated, and I couldn't presume that feature. Now I know and will thumb anything in the future. since the relative position inside and out was the feature in question I felt it was better visualized by the full-size images.
My knowledge of C is probably no better than yours! But, as I said, I do know that the .tar Contents Archive dates back to 2016, so if you're using a .zip version, it won't work properly with an installer from 2016 or later.

Not surprising if you're using a 2016 installer with a .zip contents archive from an earlier version of the game. In fact, you're probably going to run into more serious trouble than that.

And you still haven't answered my question - in which folder are you installing the game? Full path, please - for example, mine is in "C:\Games\Pirates of the Caribbean".
No... this is an archived game I've had on my USB devices to return to from time to time to enjoy the less buggy play... now anyone know why the Dragon's Mouth weapon now shows Fist...that is my question. This game was downloaded, installed and played, a lot, until the next v17, v18, v19 revisions came out which were downloaded and played in that sequence... I've been playing these since that first game came out...Got It?

Your question has been answered multiple times... have you not read or understood my descriptions?
 
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The incompatibility with Intel graphics chips actually applies to the game as a whole, from the original unmodded game all the way to Build 14. It is unknown if the incompatibility also applies to the newer engine used in Build 15. As mentioned there are workarounds that make the game somewhat playable with Intel graphics chips, but for full compatibility and performance a proper graphics processor is needed, such as NVIDIA GeForce.

Since for whatever reason the provided installation files do not work for you, I have made a configuration of the game ready to go. No install, just extract. This is a clean configuration of Build 14 with the latest updates applied over the UK version. I have included the best available workaround for the Intel graphics chip incompatibility so that the game will at least be playable. Also, I saw in another of your posts that you would like most of the storylines to not be included to reduce the total size, so I have removed them as well including their videos, leaving only "Tales of a Sea Hawk" and "Free Play". I have also removed all other languages, leaving only English.

This configuration works in my limited testing, but as mentioned since I do not have an Intel graphics chip, I cannot check if it truly does run on a computer with such a chip.


If you would like to verify the checksums after downloading the ZIP file, here they are:
Code:
CertUtil -hashfile CoastGuard71.zip MD5
c1 5e 26 5c 02 df f6 f9 78 33 ad dc 38 60 f7 87

CertUtil -hashfile CoastGuard71.zip SHA1
85 5a 68 59 ea b2 1a 40 03 4c 45 de 84 12 b5 4a bd 19 20 b0

CertUtil -hashfile CoastGuard71.zip SHA256
48 31 ba 79 63 6b 10 04 2a 76 b7 ec c5 a2 21 fb 25 69 6d 36 e8 88 bc 77 1e 39 e7 eb 77 b2 6d 28
After uploading the file I downloaded it to verify the checksums, and they match.

Just extract this ZIP file to a suitable location. Do not replace any files, and do not place the extracted contents in any of the Program Files directories.
After that, open engine.ini to set your display resolution. If you want to be able to Alt-Tab, leave full_screen = 0 the way it is. If you set your full display resolution it will appear as if in fullscreen anyway. Some however seem to have better performance in fullscreen, so in that case and if you want you can set full_screen = 1.
I have also disabled error logging as this helps with performance. If you want to enable error logging, set tracefilesoff = 0.
Then run ENGINE.exe to start the game and then go to "Options" and configure the game to your liking.
Now you can start a new game and it should work and be playable.

Hopefully this works as good as possible without any major problems. This is possibly the best bet and if it still doesn't work then unfortunately it is likely that other hardware is needed.

The ZIP file cannot remain for long so I will remove it after you have downloaded it or at most after 7 days.
 
Wow! THANK YOU VERY MUCH! You are truly the Wizard of C! Wish I had your knowledge and skills, life would be so much easier.
My Lenovo T61 Intel 965 never was a problem before so I can't understand why this v22 build is such a problem. I've reverted to v16/17 and was playing last night for several hours with no issues. I'm encouraged by all your work to try v22 again in that much smaller code footprint, I've always thought a lot of the issues in versions beyond 17 was due to the overabundance of code and the increased unintended interactions that usually result. For instance as Grey Roger pointed out I'm getting combat notes of Greek Fire hitting ships... makes no sense for that period... never heard of Greek Fire being used, so I assumed it was one of those unintended cross-overs from other code. Your removal of all those modules that I've no interest in using is a fantastic improvement in the code. I suggested that modules be created (subprograms) for specialized scenarios for those that want theme games to play but was told it's not practical. You seem to agree with this idea. Perhaps you could persuade Pieter to consider this concept? Seems to me the smaller and cleaner the code the more reliable the process, unlike Microsoft bloat code which has been problematic since inception. What MS is doing is making the customer pay to do their Beta-testing by the subprogram that auto-sends faults and error to their QA/QC coders to fix the problems... disgusting, but where else can you go?

I have a newer Lenovo T540P recently bought but not yet used due to a W10 OS, don't like the I-Phone OS, multi-media application is overburdened with trash code and apps that I don't want or need. I'm going to check what video chip set is used. I may want to run your version on that i7 notebook with the larger screen (T61 14.5") since I do like full-screen play. It was a Win7 OS which the eBay seller swapped with a Win10 on a 500GB SSD, not activated(!?) so I am replacing it with a 500 GB SSD onto which I'm cloning my Win7Pro OS since I have the activation code for it. MS stopped supporting W7 but still wants users to pay them for using it!(. I hope to be able to do so, but if I run into problems I hope you won't mind me bothering you with questions, just in case, since no one else seems to know how or what to do. I promise it will only be if no other help is possible.

Linux is not as common and little consumer software is available. I'm really excited to setup your revision and am downloading it now I will print your instructions and follow it to the letter. I really envy your knowledge... probably should have spent time learning C as it developed, but at that time my work was focused in FORTRAN and C was outside my professional work. Glad you stepped in with this help.

One more favor, if I may, is can you tell me the module and line number for the "cannot save while boarding" and "cannot save while sailing" lockouts during combat and while disengaging... always seemed to be to be ridiculous since most crashes come during the scene transitions which take place frequently in boardings, and while trying to disengage after capturing the prize. No one seems to know and there's just too much code which I have no chance of recognizing the construct for these lockouts. Just knowing module and line would get me where I can do the mod to remove this irritation and frustrating loss of time when my accomplishment is erased by the instability of the program transitions.

Again, A BIG Thank you!)

Ron
 
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1) Install the game not on the system disk, but on another one.
2) Create a folder and put Build 14 FINAL Part 2: Contents Archive and b14 installer into it. Then run b14 installer.
Grey Roger tells me the Contents Archive is obsolete and not usable, that Beta4.tar is a zipped file that contains the same code as the Contents Archive file cited in the installation instructions (?) all very confused! He says to unzip the Beta4.tar and install. However, the installer does not recognize the unzipped Beta4.tar files and requires the Contents Archive.zip ... makes no sense. I did unzip (7-zip) the program from the Beta 4.tar and tried to install... didn't work. Someone of authority should create a current and working installation guide step-wise to clear up all the contradictory and confusing instructions... right?
 
The incompatibility with Intel graphics chips actually applies to the game as a whole, from the original unmodded game all the way to Build 14. It is unknown if the incompatibility also applies to the newer engine used in Build 15. As mentioned there are workarounds that make the game somewhat playable with Intel graphics chips, but for full compatibility and performance a proper graphics processor is needed, such as NVIDIA GeForce.

Since for whatever reason the provided installation files do not work for you, I have made a configuration of the game ready to go. No install, just extract. This is a clean configuration of Build 14 with the latest updates applied over the UK version. I have included the best available workaround for the Intel graphics chip incompatibility so that the game will at least be playable. Also, I saw in another of your posts that you would like most of the storylines to not be included to reduce the total size, so I have removed them as well including their videos, leaving only "Tales of a Sea Hawk" and "Free Play". I have also removed all other languages, leaving only English.

This configuration works in my limited testing, but as mentioned since I do not have an Intel graphics chip, I cannot check if it truly does run on a computer with such a chip.


If you would like to verify the checksums after downloading the ZIP file, here they are:
Code:
CertUtil -hashfile CoastGuard71.zip MD5
c1 5e 26 5c 02 df f6 f9 78 33 ad dc 38 60 f7 87

CertUtil -hashfile CoastGuard71.zip SHA1
85 5a 68 59 ea b2 1a 40 03 4c 45 de 84 12 b5 4a bd 19 20 b0

CertUtil -hashfile CoastGuard71.zip SHA256
48 31 ba 79 63 6b 10 04 2a 76 b7 ec c5 a2 21 fb 25 69 6d 36 e8 88 bc 77 1e 39 e7 eb 77 b2 6d 28
After uploading the file I downloaded it to verify the checksums, and they match.

Just extract this ZIP file to a suitable location. Do not replace any files, and do not place the extracted contents in any of the Program Files directories.
After that, open engine.ini to set your display resolution. If you want to be able to Alt-Tab, leave full_screen = 0 the way it is. If you set your full display resolution it will appear as if in fullscreen anyway. Some however seem to have better performance in fullscreen, so in that case and if you want you can set full_screen = 1.
I have also disabled error logging as this helps with performance. If you want to enable error logging, set tracefilesoff = 0.
Then run ENGINE.exe to start the game and then go to "Options" and configure the game to your liking.
Now you can start a new game and it should work and be playable.

Hopefully this works as good as possible without any major problems. This is possibly the best bet and if it still doesn't work then unfortunately it is likely that other hardware is needed.

The ZIP file cannot remain for long so I will remove it after you have downloaded it or at most after 7 days.
Actually, I've been playing each evolution from v16 to the present and while I've seen the usual instability and occasional gross error like the image of fist and attributes assigned the name Dragon's Mouth (Pirate Sword image index 9) the v16/17 had few other problems other than the scene transition drop-outs. Not until v18+ did I see serious issues like screen freeze when ships are sunk, due to calls for items no longer in use, but the full revision of v22 has made the game unplayable due to the issues I've documented. Since I've not heard similar complaints from the other players I'm assuming the Intel 965 issue became amplified in 22... no other explanation since it had to be my OS environment. However, I also have to consider that the installation instructions have been identified as false to an extreme that the play was corrupted by the false installation instruction which I followed having only that instruction. Seems since then the zip Archive file is actually the Beta4.tar file and the installer designed for the Archive file zip does not work with the Beta4.tar file(?) Which has produced the bizarre series of results I've documented. I did try an experiment of using 7zip to open the Beta4.tar file which produced all the folders and files, but then the installer wouldn't perform an installation... or so it seemed. After all that I was forced to give up trying and then the truth came out that the original installation routine was no longer valid and the direct use of .tar, Akella game folders/files without an installer was the process now in effect. However, for me that still didn't correct all the bizarre events. I'm so glad you took up the cause and cobbled together a valid, simpler method of installing just what I need. So, I'm hoping my intuition is correct and my Intel 965 set will not be such an obstacle with your much simpler and condensed game install... looking forward with eager anticipation.
 
Sorry to report that your elegant and much simplified installation, though very easy to do, has not improved the quality of play. The issues previously reported have not been as severe, however the instability and frequent crashes during play have gotten worse. v16/17 by comparison are far more stable and comfortable to play that I will be using henceforth. I would appreciate your help in solving a few issues such as the save blocks during action. You've done the best possible job of trying to overcome these faults, but something (Intel 965?) is not compatible with this engine causing frequent crashes and freezes. v16/17 have been the most stable by comparison and coders should investigate those to try to determine what makes them more playable (or unplayable?)
 

Attachments

  • v22 crash2.docx
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Is the "B15 Beyond" a different situation due to the different "engine"? Has anyone information about its compatibility with Intel 965? I'm reluctant to waste more time chasing after something that won't work... like this.

While installing and modding the variable values within to my liking I found a very large part is for other scenarios that I do not use. While removing the calls to those subroutines reduces the volume of code it is so minimal without going into the program to also remove the supporting specialized coding that the overall benefit is not significant. I realize that removing all that internal Programming would take a very long time by someone with master skills in knowing what to remove and what to leave makes this impractical.

I agree the best idea is B15 with new "better" engine... but while coder is structuring this new program it would be the best time to separate the programs so users can pick what they want, have a much smaller "footprint" on their storage media, and less opportunity for "crosstalk" errors. At least this is my theory... anyone agree and willing to give it a try?

Thanks
 
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@CoastGuard71 - BNH 15 is at Beta 2 stage and it is unlikely that any restructuring that you have asked for would be possible at this stage - if you have issues with the footprint of the game you may also have more problems with BNH 15.0.0 as it is around a 7G zip to download.

I play both B14 NH and BNH15. If you have a downloaded copy of the original game CD's you may have some issues in setting them up to run correctly - have you installed the cd's and played the original game prior to installing the MOD? If it does not work properly, I would suggest going to BNH15 which does not require the original game to be installed on your PC.

I suggest that you get an external hard drive to install the game on. I have done this and it has worked with no obvious ill affects on older laptops I have had over the years.

Cutting out sections of the game folders is not recommended as it may have unexpected issues that will not be able to be checked or reproduced by anyone on the forum. I recommend that you use the latest release that the community is working on as earlier versions are likely to have issues that have been rectified already and will make it easier for the community to help you.

Have you read the "Frequently asked questions" at the top to the forum? It literally says "Have a question about PotC? Check the FAQ first!" It has workarounds for intel issues etc. in there.

There may be an issue with your own PC set up particularly with virus protection software - This has affected me in the past with the install. I use both Firefox and Brave as internet browsers and stay away from Edge. Both are freeware and I have not had any issues downloading the files from this site although it may take a while.

Please be aware that no-one in this modding community is paid and whilst we all get or have been frustrated with this game from time to time - most issues are found and fixed in time. Those trying to help you are doing so on their own dime and many have been in this forum for and modding/testing for many years to make this mod what it is today.

This forum relies on a courteous attitude, respect for others and appreciation for help given and also on those needing help putting an effort in - (reading the older posts as most issue have been seen over the years). I do note that specific hardware setups are particularly difficult to fault find unless someone else has an identical machine. That being said, I am not aware of anyone on this forum that didn't eventually sort out the issue on their own or with the help of the community and run the game with the mod in the last 18 years I have been on this forum.
 
Update: I tried downloading "Build 14 Part 1: Installation Wizard" and "Build 14 Final Part 2: Contents Archive" again and running an install with the freshly downloaded files. The Installation Wizard reported that "Build 14 Final Part 2: Contents Archive" was corrupt! This corruption must have happened relatively recently if nobody else has reported problems installing.

"Build 14 Part 1: Installation Wizard" is fine; when I ran the newly-downloaded copy while using the "Build 14 Final Part 2: Contents Archive" which I'd downloaded ages ago, it worked. "Build 14 Final Part 2: Contents Archive" should not have changed since 2016.

So I've re-uploaded my good "Build 14 Final Part 2: Contents Archive" to ModDB. It didn't show up for a day; they always want to approve new uploads before publishing them. When it did appear, I downloaded it again just to be sure. "Build 14 Part 1: Installation Wizard" then accepted this download and successfully installed Build 14.

@CoastGuard71: try installing Build 14 again now. Use the links from:
Mod Release - Build 14 Gamma Version [Last update: 12th January 2024]

The 2022 installer includes an Intel fix which you can choose while running "Build 14 Part 1: Installation Wizard".
 
I had a lot of trouble installing for two weeks or more ,almost driving me crazy. Nice to know it wasen't me going crazy.:napoleon
 
Hi, thanks for the hints... of course I know everyone, including myself, are here for the fun and solving programming issues for the pleasure of solving problems to make a good gaming concept work. Problem is the code is too big to not prevent crosstalk and all the attempts to alter code has left instability in what was a small game. For instance I'm now playing 2018 game and suddenly my ship is not responding to helm commands... anyone know why? Another example of the instability of this oversized code bundle. No diagnostic leaves me with a game that is unplayable. What can I do? delete and spend hours downloading all over again... what a waste of time!( Anyone had this happen? Is there a fix for this... players need a trouble shooting forum since as a community of worldwide players we are doing the Beta Testing revealing problems and it's up to the professional C coders to know what is going on and how to fix the corruption causing it to happen. Most players are not C coders and haven't a clue how to find and fix problems. I'm FORTRAN and know the programming structure in common, but don't know C well enough to find and correct what gets corrupted. Recently had a Dx8 failure while booting game... using the error message I understood the Dx8 had been corrupted so I downloaded another Dx8 over the bad and restored the game... what corrupted the Dx8? Yet another example of the instability in this code? What can be done to make this self-correcting?

I've installed games on SSD/HDs as well as USBs... doesn't seem to make a difference in game stability.

I appreciate your information of your experience and workarounds and, of course, I will try them to see if my problems will go away. Part may be my Lenovo T61 may not be up to handling this complex a program. I bought a newer T540P with Win10 (not activated) the seller said was "fully functional", but I found while using was not! Also, since it was not the Pro version it was not Legacy capable since this was Win7Pro activated... bummer! When I ran B14v22 it was fantastic! Great graphics, no problems, a joy to play... then it stopped working due to the activation issue. I've bought a W10Pro CD, will install and then do a legacy activation, hope it works!

Thanks for the suggestions :)
 
This has gotten quite troublesome but I will attempt to help. I will say right now that I have not read through all the posts spread out over the various threads as doing so doesn't seem like it would help anyway. I'm not a core developer of the Build Mod so I wouldn't be able to address issues with things which I am not familiar.

This is a documentation of how I just now installed and got Build 14 to work from scratch on Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. This is regardless if everyone is already familiar with the process as it is merely a description of the steps I took. I'm using an NVIDIA GeForce graphics card, and this is important to note because even though there are workarounds, the game will not work properly or at all with Intel graphics chips.
Furthermore, it is also important to note that I have capped the FPS to 60 for the game in the NVIDIA control panel. Limiting the FPS to 60 helps to prevent the game from crashing.

First I used my original CDs to install the game to D:\Pirates of the Caribbean\. In my case it is the UK version.
To avoid problems, do not install the game to any of the Program Files directories.
After the installation, I created a new folder in the root of D:\ and named it build14testcheck and moved the entire Pirates of the Caribbean folder in there.

Then I created a new folder on the desktop and named it also build14testcheck and created a pa and a moddb folder inside it.
I then downloaded b14_installer.exe from PiratesAhoy! and placed it in the pa folder, and then downloaded the same file from ModDB and placed it in the moddb folder.
After that I downloaded b14_beta4_final.tar and placed it in the parent build14testcheck directory on the desktop.
Finally, I downloaded post_1Jan_updates_120124.zip and placed it also in the parent build14testcheck directory on the desktop.

Now with all files downloaded, I looked at the checksums of all four files and found that the two b14_installer.exe files are identical. This can be done by opening a command prompt in the directory and using CertUtil.
Here are the commands and resulting checksums for b14_installer.exe, b14_beta4_final.tar, and post_1Jan_updates_120124.zip:
Code:
CertUtil -hashfile b14_installer.exe MD5
8e e9 5d ca de 03 fa 29 f8 f8 ac ae fb 68 99 5a

CertUtil -hashfile b14_installer.exe SHA1
67 59 03 14 cc 66 12 0c 13 03 19 ab a7 04 cf 5b ed 74 cf e2

CertUtil -hashfile b14_installer.exe SHA256
ae eb b0 ac a9 89 ad 34 68 66 07 74 81 ba 88 c1 b3 de 66 89 cb 36 7f 27 53 1d ec 9d 49 58 7f 5d

CertUtil -hashfile b14_beta4_final.tar MD5
99 6a ce b4 d7 af 4f 48 ed 4f a2 31 1a 11 83 5e

CertUtil -hashfile b14_beta4_final.tar SHA1
30 b3 fa 79 ca ae 87 6b 58 d7 a0 fd 53 fb 0d f7 eb b3 c8 b3

CertUtil -hashfile b14_beta4_final.tar SHA256
c0 6f 66 2d c7 67 b4 b7 a8 0f 2d 60 fc 7e 00 d9 95 c2 b7 5e d1 9e 9f 07 dc 6c 8b 32 c2 87 78 da

CertUtil -hashfile post_1Jan_updates_120124.zip MD5
72 6b 04 14 a3 87 46 a8 c4 cb df 01 cc a9 24 da

CertUtil -hashfile post_1Jan_updates_120124.zip SHA1
41 6e 23 1c 83 ea 72 bc 6b ff bb 05 a4 e5 6a ff d4 13 27 21

CertUtil -hashfile post_1Jan_updates_120124.zip SHA256
2b 43 6d 04 b6 95 f9 44 ce b9 2c 98 58 73 af a8 d0 7c 46 98 22 02 35 34 33 d2 9d 00 ba d7 36 ec

I now moved the b14_installer.exe from the pa folder to the parent build14testcheck directory on the desktop so that b14_installer.exe and b14_beta4_final.tar would be in the same directory, and then I ran the installer.
In the installer, I selected to install only the "Main Files" and "UPDATE Files", no other files. I selected the install directory to be D:\build14testcheck\Pirates of the Caribbean\.
After that was done, I extracted the post_1Jan_updates_120124.zip file to its parent build14testcheck directory on the desktop, and then moved the entire contents to D:\build14testcheck\Pirates of the Caribbean\, overwriting everything when prompted.

I then opened engine.ini to change the resolution to my liking, and then started the game.
In the game I went to "Options" and changed things to my liking, and then started a new free play game and sailed around for a bit, and did not encounter any errors and no error log was generated.

So, in my case, using my original game CDs and downloading and using the provided mod files, I was able to install and play Build 14 without encountering any problems. It would thus seem that there is no problem with the integrity of the provided files, and that any fault in installing and playing Build 14 is not because of them.
Hi Mate, I'm discussing with you since you seem to be the only person with the tech knowledge and skills to provide help. Finally got working W10Pro and running B14v22 on a USB with fantastic detail and color in graphics... W10 uses Dx12, much better than the Dx8 originally in the game code. However, a previously described bug continues... sinking a ship causes screen freeze which cannot be recovered without doing a reboot. Very frustrating. I suspect a save overflow crash... any ideas? Has no one else had this happen? I'm using a Lenovo T510 and W10Pro to run the original B14v22 download. Could the corruption Grey Roger reported be the cause? I should reinstall using what codes in what order to see if that fixes this problem... what's your advice?

BTW... the first W10 had a user interface emulating W7,,, a LOT easier to use than the I-Phone oriented interface of W10... any idea how to install this on the new W10Pro... sure makes using a computer a lot easier... Thanks :)
 
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I'm not a developer of the Build Mod so I wouldn't really be involved in decisions about it. I've contributed to it here and there, but I don't play it, so I have no real opinion on what is or isn't included in it. However, I asked B14 developers about separating content, such as storylines, and while that could have benefits such as using less drive space and making the code lighter, the content and code are too intertwined at this point so that separating it wouldn't be feasible. As such no B14 developer would be interested in doing it. It also seems that most players prefer to have everything included for easier installation.

Unfortunately, according to B14 developers saving while boarding doesn't work, because if done and when loading the save file, the player is returned to sailing view as if the boarding never happened. Likewise saving while sailing also has its issues and is thus not enabled.

The files as described by @Grey Roger and @AkrimalS are in fact the correct ones. The issues with ModDB should hopefully be resolved now, but if they persist, here are mirrors:

You could try to reinstall with the files from these links, and installation is thus to first install the original unmodded game to a location other than any Program Files directory. Then, have b14_installer.exe and b14_beta4_final.tar in the same location, such as on the desktop, and run the installer and point it to where the unmodded game is installed. If you are using an Intel graphics chip, select that the Intel graphics fix will be installed. Then finally, extract post_1Jan_updates_120124.zip and place the contents in the installation directory and replace the files.

If the files are checksum verified to be correct and still don't work, such as the installer rejecting the TAR file or other problem, then a hardware and/or software issue is likely the cause. If the game can be installed but still has problems, does your new computer have both Intel graphics and NVIDIA graphics, by any chance?

No one has seemingly reported problems with Build 15 and Intel graphics chips, but that might be because no one has tried to run it with an Intel graphics chip. In that case the only thing that can be done is to try and see if it works.

Regarding Windows, I'm also disappointed with the interface and several features since Windows 8, so for making it more usable I suggest a start menu replacement. There are free and paid options, but I prefer StartIsBack (specifically StartIsBack++ for Windows 10) since it supposedly reenables native code without adding additional layers on top.

It is paid software, but in my opinion it is the best start menu replacement and is well worth the fairly low price.
 
Thanks for the information, appreciate your taking the time to provide such guidance. When Grey Roger affirmed the install was corrupted and posted the correct code on a new platform I downloaded and installed it on the W10Pro T510 with satisfactory results. Play was remarkably better with the Dx12 and I do believe Nvidia has been added for game players. Seems while poking about I saw a reference to Nvidia... which probably explains the incredibly improved graphics! Unlike Windows, business oriented, not recreation, However, as said, a bug persists with sinking a ship crashes the game since v17,,, since you are not a participant I understand your lack of interest in correcting this issue, I can't understand why those C coders who do play have tolerated this issue for so long? Is no one else having this trouble? For this grievous a fault to persist to v22 is incredible! This issue drives me crazy and frustrates me since I have no idea how to get into the code, what to look for, and how to restore it to the earlier versions where this did not happen. Somebody changed something to cause this problem, Whoevers that did the v17 revision know what they changed to cause this, and lack of Beta-testing prior to release did not reveal the error so it could be undone at that time.

I understand the reluctance of the unpaid coders to go to the trouble of separating out those two specific story lines. Would be a very interesting challenge for a coder that enjoys working with code, such as myself, to separate out the common play elements. which I agree is the bulk of the game, so to simplify the logic flow, which programs are based on, so less complexity makes for fewer dead-ended threads such as the ship sinking crashes the logic flow. Perhaps if a tally of users is kept for each scenario was gathered those which are the most popular could be special-cased for separating into subprogram drop-ins. Perhaps the B15 developers could consider this format? So much easier to work on concise code programs than bulky Windows style bloatware.

This kind of troubleshooting is fun for those who like problem solving, too bad no one seems to have that penchant.

"Unfortunately, according to B14 developers saving while boarding doesn't work, because if done and when loading the save file, the player is returned to sailing view as if the boarding never happened. Likewise saving while sailing also has its issues and is thus not enabled.":

A properly constructed logic diagram would have revealed this illogical fault... too bad since so many crashes occur in scene transitions leaving
the player with wasted time and frustration having to reload the whole scenario from the save prior to engagement. I hope the B15 developers have taken this into consideration, makes no sense as is.

BTW: Thanks for the info on that user interface, I will be investigating that, since it seems to describe exactly what I need... the W10 interface is totally useless, in my opinion... and why so many users are still using W7.

StartIsBack gives this result:

<Error>
<Code>AccessDenied</Code>
<Message>Access Denied</Message>
<RequestId>YKVAEZ57RE6CKE1M</RequestId>
<HostId>7qWZNmXvQKwMqYolVyzM0vLLCMxT4Ee5b5e1vqDJ82l+zFkJUxvXyoMM/bAA1W7sFdw/XgIaj4o=</HostId>
</Error>

Do you have a working link?
Never mind... found other links that work for various versions... Thanks :)

What do you think of vCenter Converter as a alternative emulator?
Or:

1712669703368.png

HYPER-V Which is said to be onboard Win10?
 

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A properly constructed logic diagram would have revealed this illogical fault... too bad since so many crashes occur in scene transitions leaving
the player with wasted time and frustration having to reload the whole scenario from the save prior to engagement. I hope the B15 developers have taken this into consideration, makes no sense as is.
These crashes mostly occur due to encrypted characters somehow ending up in the "options" file. According to my understanding, in B15 Hammie has solved this issue.
If this code is removed occasionally, there will be fewer crashes.
 

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Indeed, as AkrimalS says deleting the options file in the game's root directory helps with solving several issues that sometimes appear. Delete that file and then start the game and go to "Options" and configure the game to your liking again, and the file will be recreated without errors. Repeating this is occasionally needed.

If you can confirm that your computer has both Intel and NVIDIA graphics, open the NVIDIA Control Panel and go to "Manage 3D settings", then "Program Settings", and select that ENGINE.exe will use "High-performance NVIDIA processor", and apply the changes.
Depending on which graphics device does the actual output to the display, this can bypass the Intel chip entirely. This can also mean that the workaround for Intel graphics chips isn't needed, but only if the NVIDIA chip can do the output, and doesn't just render the graphics and then hands it off to the Intel chip for final output.

Some computers with both Intel and NVIDIA graphics have two internal connections to the display - one for each device. In this case, selecting that a program will use the NVIDIA chip will make that chip use its own connection for the output to the display, not involving the Intel chip at all.
However, some other computers will have only the Intel chip connected to the display. In this case, selecting that a program will use the NVIDIA chip will only make that chip render the graphics, and then hand it over to the Intel chip which then does the actual output to the display. From the game's perspective the graphics were still done by an Intel chip, which means that the workaround will still be needed.

While you're there you can also set "Max Frame Rate" and "Background Application Max Frame Rate" to 60 FPS for both, and apply the changes. On older computers it might not be as likely to be a problem, but it wouldn't hurt to limit the game to 60 FPS anyway since it's not designed to go over that value.

Hopefully this helps with resolving the issues you're having. From what I can find Lenovo T61, T510, and T540p have hardware intended for Windows 7, and it seems only T540p even has drivers for Windows 10, so however Windows 10 was put on the T510 it is possible that incompatibility problems will show up. Windows 10 20H2 is also not the latest build of Windows 10. Virtualization would only put more complexity on the system and if the issues persist I would reinstall completely, including Secure Erase on the SSD and clean install of Windows, no upgrade or clone installation. Preferably with properly compatible hardware and software, but at least a clean start. But again, hopefully going that far won't be needed, and recreating the options file and possibly changing to only use the NVIDIA chip will be enough.
 
Great info! Thanks for the tech details... no where else can I find such excellent advice, you are a treasure! I confirm the NVIDIA presence in the Win10pro OS on the T510 and will clone onto the SSD of the T540P. I've been playing on the 510 since it is similar to the T61 I've used for the last 10 years and is more comfortable. The T540P lacks many features that make use more certain, no LED icons. Problem with the T510 is I cannot find a user manual and the seller did not provide a file of user manual with it. Lenovo, of course, does not provide archived manuals... they are not very customer friendly. While all were originally created when 7 was the only OS, that has been no problem for 10 since some back accommodations have been made in the latest revisions. Hyper-V creates the desktop files icons interface of 7 that makes a much better user interface, Play on the T510 is fantastic with NVIDIA graphics... makes the game more enjoyable. Eventually I will experiment with using a 10Pro SSD in a T61 to see if it is compatible and more familiar.

Interesting the logic revelation of the save during boarding. Is that flow logic from Akella? Not good logic. Originator may have done so to mimic reality where boarding does not allow for pausing... but due to the scene transition instability is a liability in the present situation. A clever coder should be able to tinker with the code to avoid the auto return to sailing after SAVE. That has to be a logic switch that can be easily removed without problem using the final scenario at conclusion to do the only return to sailing?

I love tinkering with code! Always looking for ways to improve efficiency, stability, and fun!

Thanks Mates!

Ron
 

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