Can Sound Errors Cause Game to Crash?

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, I did get a reasonable deal on mine, but since the release date in the UK is later than the US I'd then had a chance to read up on all the glitches, which seems about the worst load of rotten tomatoes EAxis has ever had the nerve to release as a "finished product" so I haven't even looked at it yet, and I shan't until someone can assure me that the patch works and all my favourite hacks work or are now obsolete, and it won't destroy my game......

[KellyQ]

Actually this started happening before I installed BV, so I do not think it has anything to do with the newest EP.

[ZephyrZodiac]

But all the other problems I've been reading about, specifically relating to BV, are what's made me wait.  This EP doesn't fire me with that much enthusiasm at the moment, I was never that keen on Vacation when I played Sims1 either, and I can wait for the new custom content etc.  My sims in my present game can only just afford the essentials, holiday abroad can wait awhile!

[ravencrow]

My sympathies.

I love my Dell. Brand new, but it had Vista installed. So I coundn't really play the game well w/ the graphic card that came with it.
So I replaced it with a ATI Radeon X1900, 256mb.
Slapped another gig of ram in it, and it purrs like a kitten. I LOVE IT... Oop's did I already say that?

BTW, I have the same sound errors, but they only come up in the cheat line.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Those errors have been there since the base game, check in your logs folder, they're there.  Delete them, load your game for one second and exit - they're back.  As I said, they are just stuff that got left behind.

[Deviancy]

 

Actually this started happening before I installed BV, so I do not think it has anything to do with the newest EP.

Seasons had the same video crash issue, it was resolved with last patch that came out in July though. 

Anywho...

I installed the beta drivers Nvidia has on their website.  I knew it wouldn't fix the audio clipping but I was hoping it would help with the crash.  So far the game is running a bit more stable, but I haven't had a chance to really run it through any heavy tests yet.  I haven't gone to a vacation lot yet.. that test will be today.. whee.. tests.  Nothing beats paying for something that puts me back into troubleshooting mode.  @#$ if I liked to troubleshoot I wouldn't have quit my last job.. @#$#.

But all the other problems I've been reading about, specifically relating to BV, are what's made me wait.  This EP doesn't fire me with that much enthusiasm at the moment, I was never that keen on Vacation when I played Sims1 either, and I can wait for the new custom content etc.  My sims in my present game can only just afford the essentials, holiday abroad can wait awhile!

The only reason I get the expansions is for the interactions and little supernatural extras such as the werewolves, vampires and plant people.  But Bon Voyage offers a little more than just visiting new lots, there's the secrets like finding Big Foot.. finding the ninja.. the witch doctor.. and learning new interactions during vacations.  Of course to be honest, the new Insimenator is out and I can just use that to get the sim to pick up everything without ever having to leave the lot heh.

[MutantBunny]

93 version driver is pretty old--You might try the drivers at Guru3d.com. I believe your card was on the list. Run a search based on your card....

[SnootCB]

I'm still having the nVidia crashing issues as well.  GeForce 7800 on my machine, and the newest beta drivers (163 or 164 I think, I'm not at home to check right now).  The driver nVidia put out for Seasons fixed the problem, but BV messed it up again.  The beta drivers seem to work a bit better- I can play for longer now, and I don't always get the game's BSoD, but now I'm having the same kind of crashing that you are describing where the moniter just falls asleep randomly like a narcoleptic.  Nothing else on my comp has been changed except for the video driver.  As far as the game itself, I haven't changed anything other than installing the EP and the fix for the tour guide spawnage.  I'm considering switching to the 93 driver ZZ mentioned.  Is that driver only for the 7600, or can I give it a shot?

[Process Denied]

I have the problem of my monitor going to sleep but it is intermittent, and it doesn't happen during the game, it only happens when I am starting my computer.  I have 2 GForce 6800 XT and since the new drivers I haven't had one video glitch or blue screen--Thank God.  Mine started happening after I got a new monitor.  Can't seem to find the problem.  I think this Problem is probably more of a hardware problem than a game problem--Mine didn't correspond with any new Sims release.

[KatEnigma]

I wouldn't blame BV. Or Nvidia.

Like I said, I have an ATI card. And my computer has been doing it off and on since at least Pets. 

[Dea]

Those errors have been there since the base game, check in your logs folder, they're there.  Delete them, load your game for one second and exit - they're back.  As I said, they are just stuff that got left behind.

I didnt have sound errors until University.  Now I have to disable my sound drivers before I play so it doesnt lag.  Myaudio device also isnt compatible with the game so I never bothered updating the drivers bc I didnt think it would matter

[Process Denied]

Last night my game crashed due to a sound glitch.  The stereo skipped and I was immediately looking at my desk top no message either.

[notveryawesome]

I've only once had a sound-related game crash, and it occurred when my household of playable Uni students performed music at a community lot. I had cancelled the action to play an instrument from one of my playables and then immediately queued for another of them to play the same instrument. I think that's what caused the crash, but I don't remember if I also had a hack -related problem with instruments, or not (it was a while ago), or if/how I ever fixed it.

[miramis]

I used to get sound related crashing when Uni came out, it happened right up until Nightlife at which point it stopped happening.  My guess is that there was a bug that someone at EA found and fixed *crickets chirping* no really, they actually fixed that one in an expansion

I have not played BV since the first couple of days really (hubby begs, whines, winges and moans for me to come heal him on EQII and lays on a guilt trip whenever I try to play TS2) so I have not yet experienced this new possible sound crash. 

I do recall that only a very small number of us had this problem, a search of the bbs tech help section may dig up an old thread I started way back then as well as a couple of others.  I recall spending a very long time trying to figure out the cause but ultimately all I had was that it was related to more than three money trees becoming harvestable at the same time (it was the sound of that happening that would cause a crash/sound loop and would force a reset of the pc). 

As I recall I only encountered one or two others on the bbs getting it, and I think I once came across a post here that seemed very much like my own experience.

Someone mentioned elsewhere here that they suspected EA had used a lot of old Uni code for BV, I've been thinking this myself to be honest with the Barista/Tour Guide problems seeming so similar, the way hotels operate is very similar to dorms, very old bugs resurfacing that had previously been fixed, and now this sound crashing that you are experience.  There are some things on the bbs that also seem familiar, I saw a mention of something that sounds very much like the old NPC/Slowdown bug (which I'm quite concerned about actually - this is a far worse scenario than the tour guide issue).

[Simmer]

Just curious, are the sound issues connected to Realtek, because I get a boatload of errors connected to that one.

[miramis]

No it wouldn't have been for me, back then I was using a soundblaster - I forget which one exactly though.  Possibly the 5.1 version

[baratron]

I used to get sound related crashing when Uni came out, it happened right up until Nightlife at which point it stopped happening.  My guess is that there was a bug that someone at EA found and fixed *crickets chirping* no really, they actually fixed that one in an expansion

Yup. With Uni, I had a consistent crash to desktop problem if I had too many money trees (where "too many" was ['url=http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,2808.msg80491.html#msg80491]more than five[/url]).

The money tree crash to desktop was fixed temporarily by downgrading my audio quality to Medium, and permanently when I installed NL .

[Alexx]

Seems that mainly audio errors may cause crash in
1.When two or more the same loops playing in the same time it may lead to very high output audio level and overload game audio engine.
As result it may provoke game crash.
2.Since game audio splitted to several(don't know how much exactly and don't want to know ) audio streams,when number of  playing sounds > than number of audio streams it theoretically may cause game crash.
3.When on lot loading too many sounds activated(for ex.if you have lot saved with somebody playing pinball,somebody watching TV
etc. in the same time) it may provoke loopcycle effect(something like tatatatatata ) with some sounds after lot loading and may cause game crash.In this case need to reload this lot again and immediately enter in pause mode for a few seconds,it can help to stop
any possible loopcycle effects.
Sondcard may provoke crash too(in most cases loopcycle crash when audio buffer overflowed),but this is another story.

[cwykes]

So I need to go turn off a few things with complicated sounds and see if that helps.  Thanks Alexx!  I've got a similar set up to TrilinK.  I've had some crashes and some really laggy play especially at the 'hood screen since adding Seasons.  I've been weeding downloads anyway, but I'd assumed it was graphics related.  "Assumption is the mother of all fuck-ups"  I've never thought about my sound set up at all!