Grrrr.... Icewind Dale 2 crashing during character creation.

[Redeye]

It happens when I get to the "appearance" screen.

Just freezes, then I get the error message.

I'm running xp pro sp2, AMD Athlon 64 x2 dual core processor, 2.01 gHz. 2 gigs ram.
Vidcard: NVidia GeForce 7300 GT.

I'm wondering if it's the dual core.

But affinity is set just one processor.

Damn.

I was either going to play The Fightin' Jesus and his apostles or the Spawn of Halaster- 6 identical sorcerors. (Diff. portraits.)

Now I can't do either. :...(

Pls help.

 

[Aegeri]

Did you install to a non-default directory out of curiosity? That caused me a lot of issues with the original game and so it may be similar for you.

 

[Redeye]

I always let games install where they want to.



edit: I think it's that little animation of your character in the inventory screen.

It's also there on the appearance screen where you choose colors.

I used a prefab party to check if the game would run, and when I clicked on inventory it froze for a few seconds then crashed.

 

[Jaesun]

Are you running any MODS? It really sounds like a video issue. I'll assume you have the latest drivers... and lastly have you by chance ran DXDIAG?

 

[Redeye]

I just got rid of some fancy options/etc. and it works now. Also, I have found that running some things in windowed mode actually makes them more stable.

Like it's more careful with a window to deal with.


Or something.



Thanks for the suggestions people.

I good for now.



I thought about making a Let's Play, but it's just too tedious.


I'll do a few updates instead.


I went for The Spawn of Halaster 6 sorceror configuration.

We'll see how that works out.

I named them after imaginary and ancient places:
Savannakhet, Brigadoon, Eldorado (yes I know its 2 words, I made a person's name out of it), Timbuk4 (there's a band called Timbuk3, so I incremented an additional time), Shangri -La, and Tanelorn.

Backstory: they are clones made by Halaster and sent out to look for interesting experiences.

Remember Halaster and his clone? Let's say he got lonely/bored...

More:
True Neutral. Each one specializes in a different skill, except all get Concentration.
All have strength, intelligence, wisdom, dexterity of 10 and constitution/charisma 18.
All are regular human and start with Dash and Martial weapon: Polearm.
Later all will get spell penetration, subvocal casting, etc.
Spells at start: all get Mage Armor. 2 have magic missile, 2 have sleep, 2 have summon monster 1.

 

[Jaesun]

Glad it's working for you now. 6 mages? You are fucking insane! :D

Good luck with that.

 

[NiM82]

Re: Grrrr.... Icewind Dale 2 crashing during character creat

I had a problem like that, it was due to 3D enhancements being enabled - it's incompatible with newer video cards seemingly (same issue with BG2).

 

[Jaesun]

Re: Grrrr.... Icewind Dale 2 crashing during character creat

I had a problem like that, it was due to 3D enhancements being enabled - it's incompatible with newer video cards seemingly (same issue with BG2).

I have been playing BG2 just fine with the 3D options on with the latest Nvidia drivers for my card (8600 GTS).

 

[Redeye]

Glad it's working for you now. 6 mages? You are fucking insane! :D

Good luck with that.

The real problem is going to be the fortress. The outside part specifically.

If it were 6 wizards, they might all have fireball by then. Sorcerors need to be level 6, but oh the fun fun fun!

6 sorceresses with fireball. With charisma bonus I thinks that's 4/day at level 6. 24 fireballs. Toasted warg riders ahoy!

I guess I'll have to exploit the alarm-drum spawning to grind for xp to get them to lev 6.

Level 8 all will have stoneskin. Maybe all with Blood Rage? Where did Polymorph Self go?
That would have been great fun. Gang o' Trolls.

Once they get to level 12 they will all have Tenser's Transformation, at 14 all will have Mordenkainen's Sword...

If there is grinding opportunity maybe I can get them to 18th level... Iron Golem Square Dancing!


I'm now about to do the Targos Palisades. Well, tommorrow I will.

Next update tommorrow.

"Gone to Bryn Shander."

 

[Murk]

I got my solo fighter to 30 quite easily and well before the end-game, i'm imagining that getting them to 18 wouldn't be too impossible, especially if you fire up the gamisms a bit (do every quest, kill every monster, grind on regen spots, etc.)

 

[MetalCraze]

I had a problem like that, it was due to 3D enhancements being enabled - it's incompatible with newer video cards seemingly (same issue with BG2).

actually 3d enhancements mean OpenGL. all Nvidia drivers that tagged like 1xx.xx have fucked up support of it, which Nvidia doesn't want to fix.
especially this is true for 169.21 and up.
this issue was reported countless times on nvidia forums already.

it doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen. f.e. I recently played Freespace 2 SCP. when I ran it in OpenGL mode I had messed up textures everywhere. then the problem somehow disappeared (I never changed any driver settings, and all game settings that I changed had no effect on that bug)
the recommended solution is a simple rollback.

 

[Shannow]

Right click on your desktop. --->Properties--->Preferences? (the tab where you set resolution and colours)--->additional settings--->problemsolving--->the slider for hardware acceleration should be at max. If you set it to the middle IWD2 should be a smoother experience. You have to reset the slider for other programs though.

Since I don't have the desktop in english the names might not be correct but you should find your way through the menues, never the less

 

[Redeye]

Insomniac update:

Targos Palisades was ho-hum: run around leading enemies past crossbow campers, throw in sleep spell, etc. used one explodo potion.

In between palisades and bridge:

I gave that druid woman her sword back. I figured the way karma works I'll get it gifted to me later. Or something better.

Finished the bridge, on the way to Fortress.


My 6 sorceresses are now level 5, so a magic missile fusillade consists of 18 magic missiles. And they can do it 7 times.

I love Sleep spell, especially with 6 crossbows and a Web.

Screw chivalry, I cleared trollcave of slime with magic missiles and a magic whacking stick.
Then I rested and came back and shot up the place, exploiting AI to lead enemies around. No sense in getting hit, right?

In between, used one explodo potion to help with malarites/etc.

At the bridge, a good opener:

Well, that was quick!

oh noes! I blocked my own path and the timer is running down!

Have to run through a web to get to ogres. Used another explodo potion on the bridge.

I prevail, by the skin of those Halaster clone women's teeth. I betchya he was trying to make magic realdolls and messed them up. So he sent them out as adventurers.

Tanelorn bought it. 700gp to get her back.
At least she had almost no inventory to lug around.

5000 xp each to reach 6th level. Then it's fireball time. Glorious fireball time.
so many fireballs


This party only had about 7 reloads to get to where they are now.

I am pleasantly surprised.

I think I've only used 3 explodo potions.

I bought them all, having no armor or weapon or scroll expense.

 

[Norfleet]

All mages packs an absolutely enormous volume of raw firepower. Too many wizards would compete for the available scrolls, but sorcerors don't have this problem. And yeah, LOTS OF FIREBALLS. Ammo stops becoming an issue when you have SO MANY. The only problem is the amount of micromanagement needed to place all those shots on target.

Might I also recommend Resilient Sphere as a choice spell? One of the fun things about Resilient Sphere is that you can tradeoff one member of the party as a decoy. Just run him straight into the swarm of monsters, then sphere him. Enemies, not particularly deterred by this, will mill around and swarm that partymember, who is invulnerable. Then you just nuke the area. Partymember still invulnerable, not affected by the ensuing barrage of doom. With a pin like that, you'll be able to get a lot of enemies into the area and nuke them all at once.

Plus, it's just an amazingly versatile spell in IE. About the only thing it ISN'T good for is apparently its implied purpose of using it on enemies. But why would you want to do that?

 

[Murk]

eh, i'm sure he can just spam some summons in there to occupy the enemy and sacrifice them for the greater good

 

[Redeye]

Next to last update before going to Outer Banks to drink beer and breathe salt air.

At the fortress I very soon tired of grinding the war-drums. If the reinforcements didn't appear right on top of the party, maybe I would have done it more than a handful of times. So, clearing the last bit of outdoor fortress underway: (I nibbled the outposts away so the last bunch of goons would be all alone.)

Ah yes, the classic glacis
That's what it's called people. If Mayor McCheese was a spellcaster, he would have grease, web, entangle, stinking cloud, and wall of fire memorized, at the very least.

Finishing up:

Check it out: you cannot have conversations when you are deaf! There's an exploit here just waiting to be tested. >

Let's play pop goes the fireball! (Fun With Invisibility.)

Murder by Napalm!

That was quick.

Another ambush. From juuust out of their sight range. (Fireballs take 3 segments to cast, so invisibility ambushes can give the enemy a chance to rush.)

Barging in to the next level:

Why give them a chance?

Back tomorrow.

 

[Murk]

kinda curious how you plan to take on fire resistant enemies...

 

[Redeye]

kinda curious how you plan to take on fire resistant enemies...

3 have snilloc's snowball, 2 have melfs acid arrow, all have magic missile.

All have crossbows, polearms, and quarterstaffs. (So all physical damage types are covered.)

 

[Murk]

touche good sir, that'd be an interesting fight against elementals/demons etc.

 

[Desmodus Rotundus]

What about the crystal golem's iirc they were only vulnerable to blungeoning damage

 

[Murk]

What about the crystal golem's iirc they were only vulnerable to blungeoning damage

hmm good point, he could try buffing up a caster and going in with a quarterstaff or some club, or maybe he'll have some summons by then? earth elemental maybe?

 

[Redeye]

Alrighty then!

Finished Fortress.

Went in to second underground level, zapped the trolls and stuff on the right, ho hum. Then I whacked the remaining demonspawn and went after some goblins.

Then I killed off some orcs and orogs.

Then whacked their flunkies.

Then we used invisibility to get on the fortress walls and started the slaughter of the remaining defenders.

Then we finished the job. By the numbers.

Then we began the massacre of the Horde's General Staff, and its bodyguards.
At least one leveled up during this fight and got access to an additional 3rd level spell. Stinking Cloud. All the better for creating helpless doomed victims.

Then the Final Solution.

I rescued to guy and went back to sell loot.


Along the way there were about 3 reloads, no party deaths.

About 6 trips to sell stuff, rest to regain spells, heal, etc.

Ho hum.

It will be fun soon, with Stonskin/etc. available. All are level 7 now and need only a few thousand xp to become lv 4 spell capable.


Here's the rundown:

1.

spells: mage armor, magic missile, sleep, brning hands, charm person, melf's acid missile, mirror image, snilloc's snowball, fireball, stinking cloud.

2.

spells: mage armor, magic missile, sleep, monster summoning 1, chromatic orb, web, snilloc's snowball, mirror image, fireball, haste.

3.

spells: mage armor, magic missile, monster summoning 1, grease, invisibility, mirror image, snilloc's snowball, fireball, slow.

4.

spells: mage armor, magic missile, charm person, grease, monster summoning 1, web mirror image, agannazar's scorcher, fireball, hold person.

5.

spells: mage armor, magic missile, burning hands, grease, sleep, invisibility, mirror image, agannazar's scorcher, fireball, skull trap.

6.

spells: mage armor, magic missile, protection from petrification, sleep, charm person, mirror image, agannazar's scorcher, knock, fireball, dispel magic.


If I could change anything I would go back and substitute protection from arrows for 1 or 2 of the aganaazar scorchers.

Maybe one less prot from arrows replaced by a power word sleep or dire charm or something else.

 

[Redeye]

Back in a week.


Got all to level 8 and I have only begun the glacier.

 

[Redeye]

ok, one last one for now:

More mischief with invisibility and line of sight: (and fireballs)

Trickery: (note the invisible sorceress next to the switch)

Magic resistant uber fighter guy is no match for sorceresses schooled in the ways of cheese:

It took 2 fusillades of magic missiles to snuff Sherincal, who never got a shot in. The damaged character was hit by a door trap earlier.

I hate Crystal Golems. Stoneskin, mirror image, and running in circles clobbering it with clubs. Occasionally restore the mirror image. He went down eventually.

When I get back I have that boring-ass ice labyrinth puzzle to look forward to.

I will finish, though. Last playthrough I actually found 3 Scrolls of Prot. vs. magic.
I also want to test if self-imposed Deafness effect will prevent mandatory dialog scripts from firing. Like at entrance to the Hand.

 

[Black_Willow]

Where did you get these portraits from?