Political Machine Beta 2 available

from JoeUser Forums
A new beta of The Political Machine is available for Drengin.net subscribers via Stardock Central. You will need to delete your *.DDS files to make use of the new graphics (in the \gfx graphics). Multiplayer works! Join #PolMachine on Stardock Central's chat to get games together. Let us know what problems you run into in the game forum on PoliticalMachine.com (or in this news item). New features such as exit polling, candidate creation, and lots of other goodies are now in. Have fun!
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40,260 views 37 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
There was an error installing the Political Machine. The following error occured:

Download: C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral\temp\pm.zip 0 (attempt: 3 - http error -8)
Result: Installation failed

Would you like to view the installation log file?
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
I get this error when trying to start a game

"setcooperativelevel() failed to go into exclusive mode"
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Corran: Yes, could you send the installation file to cbegle@stardock.com and scott@stardock.com? Also, did you try a fresh install after this error?

Gaumar: What are your system specs? We're now playing a fullscreen movie at the start of the game...it may be concerning that.

We'll try and figure out these bugs and get a fix out ASAP.

I got the build to update correctly on my machine at home...has anyone else been able to get the new build to run? I'm interested to get some feedback on some of the changes we've made!
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
Yeah I got it installed just fine, posted just in the game section. I think that is a big step between beta 1 and 2, beta 2 seems to be a lot more polished and "complete".
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
Gaumar: Did you get to see the intro movie?

Try this.
1) Create a shortcut to PolMachine.exe
2) add "nointro" (no quotes) as a startup parameter.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
I get the following error "set display mode(640.480,8 failed)" and CTD without opening the page. I have Windows 2000 Professional
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
This is the error message I get

Debug Message: ******* Starting Game Shell *******
Debug Message: Going Fullscreen
Debug Message: Preparing to change display settings.
Debug Message: InitializeDirect3D Failed.
Debug Message: Now Fullscreen
Debug Message: Shell initialization complete
Debug Message: ***** Initializing Game *****
Debug Message: Timer Frequency is 0 369e99
Debug Message: LoadAllModelsInDirectory: No files matching mask *.mdl.
Debug Message: LoadAllModelsInDirectory: No files matching mask Gfx\*.mdl.
Debug Message: LoadAllModelsInDirectory: No files matching mask Setup\*.mdl.
Debug Message: Added fonts: font2 font1 Arial13B Arial16B2 Arial10
Debug Message: Added fonts: Arial12 Arial12B Arial14 Arial14B Arial16
Debug Message: Added fonts: Arial16B Arial18 Arial18B
Debug Message: Initializing sound card.
Debug Message: No Event Music\*.mp3 files in current directory.
Debug Message: Create setup screens.
Debug Message: Parsing screens\MessageBox.ini
Debug Message: Parsing screens\TitleScreenWnd.ini
Debug Message: Parsing screens\OptionsWnd.ini
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
Everything opens fine, but my mouse pointer disappears.

I'm running windows XP, Proffesional, SP1
on a laptop, the display Sis 650 (standard MS driver)
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
After Stardock Central updated itself it started working. Thanks a lot
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top

Really need hardware specs when people give reports.

Lord Spam - do you have DirectX 9 installed?

Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top
Yes I installed before downloading the beta 2 My computer is a x86 family Dell optiplex 6x115 259 KB Ram. In this moment I have Galciv on the same computer and works fine.
Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top
Lord SPAM,

Try the fix that I recommended to Gaumar. Reply #5
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top
I get the following Windows error for PolMachine.exe when starting the game:

The instruction at "0x004a2935" referenced memory at "0x00000000". The memory could not be "read".

It then changes the resolution on my screen and runs the intro video (which is great!). After the intro it pops back to this message and when I acknowledge it the program closes. I'm sure that if I acknowledged it before the intro started it would close then.

I am running on Windows 2000 with 256 MB of RAM and DX 9.
Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top
Mudflap
Its work when i put the nointro parameter

p4 1.6
256 mo
radeon 8500
latest directx 9


there the log
Stardock SmartException Logging Information
-------------------------------------------

OS Version : Windows 98
Video Card : RADEON 8500 SERIES
Application Exception code: C0000005 ACCESS_VIOLATION
Crash Addr: 005015AC 01:001005AC C:\PROGRAM FILES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE

Processor Registers (x86):
EAX:00000000
EBX:00000000
ECX:015DEED0
EDX:00000000
ESI:015DEED0
EDI:015DD0C0
CS:EIP:0177:005015AC
SS:ESP:017F:00B0FB28 EBP:00B0FB28
DS:017F ES:017F FS:197F GS:0000
Flags:00210246


Current Application Call Stack:

Addr Frame Logical addr Module Name
---------------------------------------------
005015AC 00B0FB28 0001:001005AC C:\PROGRAM FILES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
004253F3 00B0FBAC 0001:000243F3 C:\PROGRAM FILES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
0042549A 00B0FBCC 0001:0002449A C:\PROGRAM FILES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
00432315 00B0FBEC 0001:00031315 C:\PROGRAM FILES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
004324FB 00B0FC40 0001:000314FB C:\PROGRAM FILES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
004329B0 00B0FCD8 0001:000319B0 C:\PROGRAM FILES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
00432B81 00B0FD10 0001:00031B81 C:\PROGRAM FILES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
0061BEB9 00B0FE38 0001:0021AEB9 C:\PROGRAM FILES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
BFF8B560 00B0FF78 0002:00012560 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL
BFF8B412 00B0FFF4 0002:00012412 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL


Debug information for each stardock app follows ....
Reply #18 from JoeUser Forums Top
Does ANYBODY know where to go to change the parameter, please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top
Beta 2 doesn't start on my laptop (galciv works). Toshiba T9000, 16Mb Video, 512Mb RAM, WinXP Pro SP2, fails on launch with a General Protection fault. Appver:1.0.0.1 modname:polmachine.exe offset: 000a2935. I have DX9 installed but the video ram is only 16Mb. I've also tried it with the nointro paramater on the command line. No joy.
Reply #20 from JoeUser Forums Top
Beta 2 also caused a complete hardware lockup on a different machine. I had to power off the system. I launched the game chose options, reduced the sound volume and clicked Resume Game and that was all she wrote. I could still move the mouse but the keyboard was hosed and there was no changes to graphics or anything else. Nothing was clickable nada
Reply #21 from JoeUser Forums Top
Lord spam
do a shortcut and edit it with right click on it

change
"C:\Program Files\Stardock\Drengin.net\PolMachine\PolMachine.exe"
to :
"C:\Program Files\Stardock\Drengin.net\PolMachine\PolMachine.exe" nointro
Reply #22 from JoeUser Forums Top
Woo Hoo! Much improved over the first beta!
Reply #23 from JoeUser Forums Top
Dominic, I've had this happen to me too. We're looking into it.
Reply #24 from JoeUser Forums Top
I had a ctd during a barry king live interview. I managed to make it through another interview earlier, but it moved very slowly and took forever to change my answers after I clicked on them.
Reply #25 from JoeUser Forums Top
Alt-Tab to another application (IE); clicked on Political Machine on taskbar, instant CTD.

Stardock SmartException Logging Information
-------------------------------------------

OS Version : Windows 98
Video Card : NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS/GeForce2 Pro
Application Exception code: C0000005 ACCESS_VIOLATION
Crash Addr: 005015AC 01:001005AC C:\GAMES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE

Processor Registers (x86):
EAX:00000000
EBX:00000000
ECX:015DEED0
EDX:00000000
ESI:015DEED0
EDI:015DD0C0
CS:EIP:0167:005015AC
SS:ESP:016F:00B0FB28 EBP:00B0FB28
DS:016F ES:016F FS:197F GS:0000
Flags:00210246


Current Application Call Stack:

Addr Frame Logical addr Module Name
---------------------------------------------
005015AC 00B0FB28 0001:001005AC C:\GAMES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
004253F3 00B0FBAC 0001:000243F3 C:\GAMES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
0042549A 00B0FBCC 0001:0002449A C:\GAMES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
00432315 00B0FBEC 0001:00031315 C:\GAMES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
004324FB 00B0FC40 0001:000314FB C:\GAMES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
004329B0 00B0FCD8 0001:000319B0 C:\GAMES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
00432B81 00B0FD10 0001:00031B81 C:\GAMES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
0061BEB9 00B0FE38 0001:0021AEB9 C:\GAMES\STARDOCK\DRENGIN.NET\POLMACHINE\POLMACHINE.EXE
BFF8B560 00B0FF78 0002:00012560 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL
BFF8B412 00B0FFF4 0002:00012412 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL
BFF89DD5 8E75FFEC 0002:00010DD5 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL


Debug information for each stardock app follows ....

(EOF)

Win98SE
512 MB RAM
GeForce 2 (Asus)
Athlon 1000 MH
SBLive
using nointro parameter