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Viper
Ex-MYT
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Joined: 09 Jun 2007, 07:34
Steam: srxviper

I have some trouble connecting to the servers

This problem has been going on for months and it seems it affects only the PC I use in Canada. Previously, I could connect to the servers with no problems, until a map change came up. Once the new map was loaded, I could see the list of players, ingame chats for about 3 seconds, and then the screen would freeze. This happened intermittenly, but relaunching SWAT4 would not solve it. A reboot was necessary.

Recently, the problem has become worse. Once connected to the server, I can hear the gameplay audio, read the ingame chats for about 3 second. Then, everything, including the game clock stopped. I can click the admin logon button any of the buttons on bottom right. However, whatever I input would have no effect. I have tried to take screenshots, but whenever I try pasting it to Paint, it was always a blank or dark screen with nothing to see.

I have checked the SWAT4.log and found the following warning messages:

Code: Select all

Warning: Failed to load 'Class None.ini:Engine.Engine.DefaultPlayerMenu': Can't find 'ini:Engine.Engine.DefaultPlayerMenu' in configuration file

Warning: Failed to load 'Texture gui_tex.resetbutton': Failed to find object 'Texture gui_tex.resetbutton'

ScriptWarning: GUIGraphicCommandInterfaceMenu Transient.HUDPage_GraphicCommandInterface.Page_None (Function SwatGame.GUIGraphicCommandInterfaceMenu.UpdateOriginAndRoot:0027) Accessed None (None was accessed through 'Page[0]')

ScriptWarning: SwatRepo Transient.SwatRepo0 (Function SwatGame.SwatRepo.StateChange:053F) Accessed None (Call to SwatRepo.GetSGRI() returned None)

ScriptWarning: HUDPage Transient.HUDPage (Function SwatGame.HUDPageBase.UpdateCIVisibility:0012) Accessed None (Attempt to cast something (possibly 'Actor') to type SwatGamePlayerController failed.)

ScriptWarning: SwatMPScoresPanel Transient.SwatMPScoresPanel (Function SwatGui.SwatMPScoresPanel.UpdateAdminButton:0019) Accessed None (Attempt to cast something (possibly 'PlayerReplicationInfo') to type SwatPlayerReplicationInfo failed.)

ScriptWarning: SwatGamePlayerController MP-Tenement.SwatGamePlayerController0 (Function SwatGame.SwatGamePlayerController.TeamMessage:0191) Accessed None (Attempt to cast something (possibly 'CurrentServerSettings') to type ServerSettings failed.)

Warning: Property SpecificationReference of EventResponse_VisualEffectsSubsystem is not serialiable
(I have lots of this one in succession. At least 50 lines.)

ScriptLog: (t=101.995): Warning!  ClientBroadcastEffectEvent called with a non-relevant source actor!

ScriptWarning: SwatGamePlayerController MP-Tenement.SwatGamePlayerController0 (Function SwatGame.SwatGamePlayerController.Destroyed:0033) Accessed None (Attempt to cast something (possibly 'Game') to type SwatGameInfo failed.)

ScriptWarning: SwatGamePlayerController MP-Tenement.SwatGamePlayerController0 (Function SwatGame.SwatGamePlayerController.Destroyed:003B) Accessed None (Unable to determine what was None (LastOpCode = 0x19))
Are these warnings related to the connection problems? My stats page's "History" section recorded my appearance in those rounds of failed connections, but I was never able to do much ingame because the screen was always frozen.

At first, I thought the problem was because the server nearly full (15 players), and someone else beat me to take the 16th slot. However, this problem persists even when server is half-full.

So far, the only known workaround for me is to reboot the PC until I can connect to the server and play (may take more than 1 reboot). The problem is not limited to the VIP servers, but the co-op server as well. Reinstalling SWAT4 or Windows 7 did not solve the problem. Once in a while, I would be able to join the server on the first go, but that is quite rare.

Any ideas? TIA.
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|MYT|Trollzilla
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Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

Try other servers (non-myt) and see if the problem persists. Also, use Steam for better communication if you can.
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Viper
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Joined: 09 Jun 2007, 07:34
Steam: srxviper

Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

Thank, Troll m8y.

I have tried the ESA server and the MarkMods server (BS mode). No problems there.

Last night after I made the post, I was able to join the server without problems. Today (a few hours ago), I was able to join and play for one map. The problem came back after a new map was loaded. Frozen screen, timer indicated 1:00 before the new round would begin, etc.

I don't have Steam installed on this PC, since it is not really my main PC. My main PC is being shipped to Canada as we speak. I will install Steam tonight on this one, though.
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Viper
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Steam: srxviper

Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

Here is a follow-up. Lately the trouble has worsened. It would take an hour or two before I could make a successful connection. Usually, I would last at least 1 map. I reckon the problem is with the PC hardware being old. Hopefully, this will change when I receive my PC.

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Old Granite Hotel

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Jess having some fun

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Tarrone map. Hey, I thought I connected to the VIP server?
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|MYT|Trollzilla
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Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

A mystery to me.
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TTF
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Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

It's definitely an hardware issue, probably you hdd or ram generating corrupted reading/writing of the files. It could be random. Old hardware (ram and or hdd), or an overclocking could be the cause.

Do a check disk and a mem test ;).
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Wes
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Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

Did you connect with xfire ingame and does it take allot of times to connect to the server with map change ?
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Viper
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Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

TTF:

I, too, think this is a hardware-related issue.

Ran Memtest and used HD Tune Pro to check the C:, no problems detected. SMART check was also OK. No OC on this PC. I had swapped the RAM to different slots, or using just 1 of the pair to run SWAT 4 (in any of the 4 RAM slots). It made no difference.

The game was reinstalled 3 times (clean uninstall, cleared registry, reboot), with no improvement. Except for SWAT 4, no problems with other games or applications.

Firewall and AV exceptions had been set for SWAT 4 to allow all connection.

The PC is about 7-8 years old. I guess it is tired.


Wes:

I never used xFire to launch SWAT 4. It is always a double-click to the SWAT 4.exe shortcut from the PC's desktop.

But yes, it took a long time to connect to server with map change. When I clicked the "tick" button to connect via direct IP, it would take a long time to see it starting to connect. After it would start loading, the loading bar would progress until there is about 1/4 remaining. Then, it will take a really long time to finish. During that time, I might hear a snippet of the game's background music for the map that was being loaded. When the loading is done and I am connected to the server, I can see the screen listing players and can hear about the ingame audio for a brief moment (TOC, nades going off, ingame music). The game clock did not run and that was when I knew I had to disconnect. The time to take to connect to the server (successful or not), from the moment I clicked the "tick" button, could be anywhere from 150-180 seconds.

The console "reconnect" command would reload the map and connection, but it only led to the same problem. I had to quit SWAT 4, relaunch and reconnect via the direct IP window, and hope for the best.

Even when I could make a successful connection to the server and play, when the time came for a map change, I might not be able to connect to the server. These days, I don't join the server if the game currently is on its 4th round of the map. There had been too many occasions where I joined, played 1 or 2 rounds, map change came and it was time to quit after loading to a frozen screen of players table.

I try to time myself to join the server when a map change is iminent, by using the live server update. When the connection is successful, there would be only seconds left before the round would start. Sometimes, the round had even already started. I take this as an indicator that my PC is loading the maps too slow.

Thanks, guys, for your ideas. :thx:
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Wes
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Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

I used to have the same problem before with my computer and it was always when i used a shortcut to get in server (example: xfire,desttop shortcut,...) and always with long loading times, it seems reconnect did the same with me as what you did, its like because of long loading times your game is trying to reconnect to the server, so he effect is the same as a reconnect then.

Try to just use the sever browser ingame with the mod, or just trough direct ip.

It fixed it for me in the time.
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Viper
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Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

Thank Wes, for the suggestion.

I also have another desktop shortcut that would launch the game and connect to our VIP server in one-click. Edward posted this method in the forum. I have tried either that shortcut, or the regular shortcut where I have to go to the "Join Game" menu to input the direct IP. Both methods could either work or not.

It is probably down to this PC, which I will retire once I get mine back in a week or two.
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TTF
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Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

Hi Viper,

Could you check your system logs and post the errors here? if lucky there is some clues in there.
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Viper
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Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

Hey TTF,

If you meant the Windows 7 event log, here are 2 error log entries that I can find. Both were logged when the PC was booting up:

11: Custom dynamic link libraries are being loaded for every application. The system administrator should review the list of libraries to ensure they are related to trusted applications.

1014: Name resolution for the name isatap.home timed out after none of the configured DNS servers responded.

Apart from these two, no other errors were logged.

Thanks.
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TTF
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Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

Interesting, you're lucky to have so few errors, event a brand new install is usually more verbose than that =).

Here a little checklist to summarize my guesses:

- Check all physical connections "cables" - PSU/ HDD/ Graphic card
- Check/monitor the system temperatures when in game (HDD/CPU/PSU/Graphic Card)
- Do a low level Mem check
- Check and Update all your drivers
- Update your BIOS if there is some, check the bios settings (Ram/CPU)
- Try to Move Swat4 on a different HDD, if you can, also check if the files and directories have the proper rights (system/users) - Try to launch it as admin as a test

If after all that, the problem is still around, i'm afraid you have a ghost in the shell =).
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Viper
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Joined: 09 Jun 2007, 07:34
Steam: srxviper

Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

Thanks, TTF.

Except for low level Memtest and installing SWAT 4 to a different HDD (the data drives on this PC are both IDE), the rest are done:

Video card driver version is 15.7. The newer ones are not stable for my card (Gigabyte HD7850), so I rolled back to the latest one that is stable.

BIOS is the latest version, so are the drivers for on-board LAN and sound.

MB temp is never higher than 35C. CPU temp while gaming is around 53C. None of the HDD go above 40C under load. The GPU is about 55C while playing SWAT 4.

The shipment of my belongings should arrive any day. This PC's SWAT 4 days are numbered.
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TTF
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Re: I have some trouble connecting to the servers

Well it'll stay in the archive as a X-Files case XD. Happen sometime, no one will ever know why then. You may check this website -> http://www.cyberexorcism.com and share your experience eheh

Anyway i hope your new one will perform properly

Cheers m8 =)
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