[EL 1.0488] Unable to launch on GPD WIN *INFO/FIXED 1.0718*

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[EL 1.0488] Unable to launch on GPD WIN *INFO/FIXED 1.0718*

Post by n1ckn4m3 »

Hey everyone, I recently bought a GPD WIN handheld computer (which has been great!), and I've been trying like heck to get Evochron Legacy or Mercenary to run on it. I bought both games on Steam and both of them work perfectly on my desktop PC, but crash before getting to a loading screen. In neither case does the game get far enough to create the sw3dg directory and sw.cfg. I've had no other real issues playing 2d or 3d games on the device, and I think the Evochron games would be great to play while on the go.

Evochron Legacy crashes to desktop with no visible error, but generates the following in the Event Log:

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Log Name:      Application
Source:        Application Error
Date:          3/6/2017 12:44:45 PM
Event ID:      1000
Task Category: (100)
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      computername
Description:
Faulting application name: EvochronLegacy.exe, version: 1.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x566d9a27
Faulting module name: DBProSetupDebug.dll, version: 1.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x566d9a7d
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x000011dd
Faulting process id: 0x1474
Faulting application start time: 0x01d296a15487ccbc
Faulting application path: D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Evochron Legacy\EvochronLegacy.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp\dbpdata\DBProSetupDebug.dll
Evochron Mercenary does generate an error when launched, prior to loading any graphics:

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Runtime Error 1507 - Display using 32 bit is not supported by available hardware at line 0
I find the Evochron Mercenary error somewhat confusing because the device is running in 32-bit color mode. I did some google searching on that error and found a few people claiming it can also be generated when the render resolution is being set to something larger than the device can handle, but I don't know enough to know if that's legitimate or not.

GPD WIN specs:
Windows 10 Home x64 w/ Anniversary Edition Update
Intel HD 405 GPU w/ Max Screen Resolution of 1280x720@32bpp@60hz
Intel GPU Driver version 20.19.15.4568
Shader Version 5.0
OpenGL Version 4.4
OpenCL Version 1.2
DX Runtime version 12
DX Hardware-Supported Version 11.1

Anyone have any ideas what I can do to get past this and get either of the games booting? Obviously I'd prefer Legacy if possible as that's the current game, but either booting would be great.

Thanks in advance for any assistance or attention, I appreciate it!
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Re: Evochron Mercenary/Legacy crash on launch on GPD WIN

Post by Vice »

Looks like the active display mode/device does not support the 3D requirements of the game to enable a compatible display mode (in Direct3D anyway). When you say 'handheld computer', that suggests to me it may be using some form of integrated display device (ie Intel graphics) that may not have the feature set or required display capabilities needed for the game(s). The error for EM suggests that DirectX is reporting this limitation to the game and indicates it could not provide/find a compatible display mode. So details on the exact hardware configuration of the system you are using might help reveal where the limitation/problem is. Or you can complete the steps here and I can review a msinfo report on your system to try and determine more (no need to include the save game, just the zipped msinfo report): http://www.starwraith.com/evochronlegacy/faq.htm#208

Edit: noticed you listed an Intel 405 HD graphics device, that is likely where the root of the problem is. Your desktop likely has a supported dedicated 3D display device, which is why it works there and not with the integrated device of the handheld system (which also doesn't have any dedicated video memory and only consumes system memory for use as video memory, further depleting whatever may be left of the system RAM it has installed).
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Re: Evochron Mercenary/Legacy crash on launch on GPD WIN

Post by n1ckn4m3 »

First, thanks so much for the quick reply -- I love your games :)

Yep, you hit the nail on the head -- it's an Intel Atom CPU with an integrated Intel HD 405 Series GPU and a total of 4GB of system RAM shared with the integrated GPU, so it very well could be that it's not capable of doing what needs to be done for the Evochron games. It's pretty capable otherwise all things considered (I'm able to run pretty current 3D games like Divinity: Original Sin on it with playable FPS), so I was hopeful it would be up to the task here.

I've dumped the MSinfo information and zipped the .NFO file, but it's 68kb, so it is larger than the board attachment limit -- I've followed the instructions in the link to e-mail it, referencing this thread. I'm also trying to find the specific version numbers for each game so I can update the title of the post to match the 'Read before posting' request that I ... didn't read before posting >.<
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Re: Evochron Mercenary/Legacy crash on launch on GPD WIN

Post by Vice »

Thanks for the msinfo report, I've reviewed and have a few ideas you can try. I can't say whether you'll be able to get it to work or not considering how far below the minimum specs the system is. I can say that even if you are able to get it to work, chances are, performance will likely be pretty low with both the display chipset and the 1.6 GHz processor being pretty significant bottlenecks. But here are some initial ideas:

- The native display is showing 720X1280, which appears backwards from what I'd expect it to be at 1280X720 (something that could be expected on an Android phone or something, but not a PC). This could be having some kind of impact on whether the polling of available display resolutions is providing a valid return or not (and/or causing a problem trying to initialize one). So for a first step, try temporarily changing the desktop resolution to something else (any available display resolution that might be available from 640X480 on up), then launch the game under the new resolution condition(s) and see if any changes occur. If you can get into the main menu in EL, I'd be interested in what exactly is displayed in the drop down menu next to 'Screen Resolution' in the Options menu. Both the resolutions that appear in that list along with the order they are in. This is just a guess though, not sure if this will have an effect or not.

- Memory is tight with the display device enabled and needing as much video memory as the game does. So you'll likely want to keep the settings to 'Low' or 'Medium' in the options menu to minimize the RAM consumption footprint of the Intel display. This will help lower the risk of a crash due to insufficient memory.

If there is a way to change the (desktop) display condition to something DirectX can recognize as a compatible 3D display resolution with the display device, it may allow things to initialize. If that doesn't work, we can try to go from there.

No worries on the thread title, I tend to update those myself later on as I have time anyway to help keep things organized and searchable.
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Re: Evochron Mercenary/Legacy crash on launch on GPD WIN

Post by n1ckn4m3 »

I think you're on to something with the resolution thing. I meant to mention in the post that out of the box, the screen in Windows on this device requires 270 degree rotation in order to work properly -- a side effect of the manufacturer using a 720x1280 phone screen instead of a 1280x720 PC screen. It hasn't been a problem otherwise except in DirectX8 games (as they don't uphold screen rotation requests for some reason), so I forgot to mention it in the initial post as it hasn't reared its ugly head often.

I've dropped down to 640x480 and disabled screen rotation in effort to get the games to boot, but get the same errors with both games -- I definitely think you are on the right track though -- if the game is looking for a supported resolution of 1024x768 and not 768x1024 (etc.), none of my device's allowable resolutions would match the game's expected resolutions.

Otherwise I must admit that I've been somewhat impressed with what the little thing can do. I don't expect it would run any higher than medium -- even then I expect that to be a stretch. I tried booting Evochron on it right after I got it and hit this problem, so after some troubleshooting I gave up and installed my copy of X Rebirth on it (nevermind that personally I don't enjoy that game as much, I needed a 4X fix on the go) -- it managed to play at 720p/low in the 15-20fps mark and historically I've found that game to be pretty resource heavy compared to Evochron, giving me hope that Evochron might be just about playable if I could actually get it to boot.

I would completely understand if the GPD WIN is just too underpowered (and interestingly designed -- who puts in a 720x1280 screen?) to effectively play the games.
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Re: Evochron Mercenary/Legacy crash on launch on GPD WIN

Post by Vice »

It certainly sparks my curiosity. I don't know why it wouldn't otherwise work, so the only thing that comes to mind is some kind of resolution incompatibility. If EM returns that notice, it's a reactionary factor. It's indicating that when it asked DirectX for a compatible display mode, nothing (or at least the initial mode) was returned back as being available. So that's why I was interested to know if changing those parameters might change the result. EL uses newer tech, but it's response is likely the same thing, just manifested differently under the newer development platform it uses.

If there is anything else that can be set or done to the desktop display mode, there may still be a chance of getting it to work. Another step you might want to try is changing the DPI setting to 100% (for a 1:1 pixel ratio). An offset DPI setting could cause the desktop call returns to come back at a different resolution that isn't compatible, regardless of an expected/maximum resolution attempting to be applied. So that might be another thing to try.
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Re: Evochron Mercenary/Legacy crash on launch on GPD WIN

Post by n1ckn4m3 »

Hm, the more I noodle with it, the less likely I think it's going to be able to be fixed.

The Intel GPU Control Panel allows me to create custom resolutions, so first I attempted to make a 480x640 resolution (presuming that 640x480 already existed and was what was turning into 480x640 due to panel orientation), but received the message that 480x640 already existed. So, then I created 640x480 -- which created successfully, but I can't make the OS actually use that resolution to render -- though it exists in the list of Custom Resolutions in the Intel GPU Control Panel, I cannot switch to it (it does not appear in the list of allowed resolutions).

I'm going to fish out a mini-HDMI->HDMI dongle and see if I can get the game to boot if I disable the attached screen and connect it to an HDMI display -- that should at least validate that the issue is the internal screen resolution/rotation. If that's the case, then I'm probably out of luck -- but at least I'll know why :)

I did validate my DPI settings and such, I'm at 100% with no modification, so nothing I can do from that location.
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Re: Evochron Mercenary/Legacy crash on launch on GPD WIN

Post by Vice »

That HDMI output will be an interesting test. Even though the slider says 100%, you could also try to disable DPI scaling in the desktop icon > Properties > Compatibility tab options (in conjunction with trying different set desktop resolutions).
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Re: [EM/EL] Unable to launch on GPD WIN *INFO*

Post by Vice »

With the introduction of version 1.0718 (now available as of this writing), compatibility with the GPD WIN has changed. So I wanted to post some information and suggestions for those interested in using this device to play Evochron Legacy.

I acquired one of these devices last week to test and analyze with. As a result, I was able to determine where things did not work with the GPD WIN and have managed to adapt the game's display initializing to the device's configuration. However, since the GPD WIN has a feature set that does not meet the game's minimum system requirements, performance will generally be fairly low and reliability may be intermittent. So it's not really something that can feasibly be officially supported. The GPD WIN also lacks a complete keyboard, so without a dedicated numpad section and other separate keys, some controls may be limited (requiring multiple button bindings) or not available without some kind of separate device. The low resolution (1280X720) and small screen (5.5-inches) can also make legibility and visibility a challenge. So while the game should now be able to technically start on the device, it is not one I would recommend for this game due to the inherent input, display, and performance limitations it has. But for those of you with eyes that can focus well on small screen details and that have a familiarity with the GPD WIN, you may find it a viable platform to play the game on.

If you plan on using the device for the game, I would also recommend these configuration options (although those of you with these devices may have your own preferences):

- Leave the control input mode switch set to mouse and select the 'Mouse Direct Normal' flight control mode in the game's configuration options. This will let you use the right thumbstick as a joystick without having to map axis channels nor select devices or have to switch the control input mode around. It also lets you use the left DPad for WASD input (left/right strafe and set throttle control) and the left thumbstick for mouse wheel set throttle control. The right set of 4 buttons can also be used for on/off yaw and pitch flight control. It'd be great if there was a touchpad in the middle of the device where the GPD logo is, just to have a mouse option simultaneously with the thumbsticks, rather than only being able to use one mode at a time. But since there isn't such an option, I find the mouse direction flight control mode to be the best fit for me which provides the same kind of joystick control and mouse selection control simultaneously.

- You'll likely want to set up your keyboard configuration for the role you want to play in the game and where you want control options. That is, since there is no numpad on the device, if you are interested in more combat, then binding alternate key controls for shield and energy management might be important. I prefer to simply have the equalize shield array key available at a minimum. If you are interested in more peaceful activities, then binding alternate key controls for object targeting might be helpful. I also have the IDS up and down controls mapped to the '<' and '>' keys since I generally won't be using forward/reverse inertial thrust controls most of the time on such a device.

- Turning down some of the details in the Options menu may help performance and stability. Although I didn't run into any stability issues while testing, the margins are tight enough that there could be a chance of potential problems. Performance was about 25-30 fps in open space and around 15 near most planets. Perhaps low by most standards/comparisons of standard gaming PC's/laptops, but surprisingly playable on such a small device.
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