Strange Problem

[MX7000]

As the title says:

I've a strange problem with NFS 4 and I hope you guys can help me:

I go to multiplayer, hot pursuit mode.
I choose the same car for every player with 4774 polies and 4273 verts.
Then I start Dolphin Cove and it works fine, but
when I choose another car for every player with 4550 polies and 3997 verts,
It says EXCEPTION CAUGHT.

So the problem can't be a high poly problem, but what is it then?

Gr. MX7000

[FerrariMan]

First, check your serial numbers. And remember that different tracks have different poly limits.
i try to keep under 5500 to be safe for a crash-free gameplay. This is most likely serial numbers, but if you find no conflict, send links to the cars please.

I've noticed some cars with a relatively small amount of polies' (Martin Leps's F50 only had 3600) can still crash the game for other detail-related reasons. I'm not sure why but I never was able to get Martin's F50 to work in full grid, even the first edition with few polies.

Just double-check your serials, and if that doesn't work list them to me here and maybe it's a different serial-related problem (not matching #'s, something more like you accidentally replaced a Pursuit car). Serials are easy to mess up, I don't blame you

[XJ220]

I've experienced HS crashing due to different problems including
- different serial number's in the CARP.TXT and FEDATA files
- wrong folder names which do not match the car's four-character ID defined in the FEDATAs
- something odd happened with the CAR.FCE which could only be fixed by recentering it in FCE Center

And once the convertible option of a car did not work because the VIV was seemingly broken, everything else was working, though. Anyway, I suggest you name the specific cars you're trying to use

[FerrariMan]

Interesting, I didn't know that the CARP.TXT serials mattered. I just might have to take a look at that F50 again...

Were you, NJ, ever able to get Martin's F50 running in full-grid on any track besides Redrock Ridge?

[MX7000]

@ FerrariMan:
There's no problem here with serial numbers, I tried different numbers, didn't help. Dolphin Cove is the most high-poly race in nfshs (without custom tracks). There are 4 cars that give a problem:
- ML's BMW Z4 Roadster (Streetdogs)
- Johnnyspeed's Ferrari 360 Modena (JP Racing)
- Johnnyspeed's Ferrari 355 Spider (JP Racing)
- C-959's Jaguar XJ220 (NFScars)

There's no problem here with ML's F50 in full-grid.

@NJ
Just like FerrariMan I thought CARP.txt serials don't matter.
In the meantime I've tried a lower-poly police car and then the F360 did work fine, so maybe it's the other detailed-related reasons? :confused:

[XJ220]

@ FM:
Just tested it - full-grid F50 race on dolphin cove with no problems. But I modified the light dummies and colors for personal aaand removed the dash. But still, I can't imagine ML's low-poly Ferrari crashing.

@ MX7000 (do you like Code 3 in general? )
Which mode are you trying to use? Single race or pursuit mode?
As for the Z4, the car itself has got ca. 4200 polies - not too many. But the car.viv contains a dash which may be the cause of your game crashing.
I'm pretty sure most if not all of Johnnyspeed's Ferraris pass the 6000 poly mark with ease - self-explanatory case I think
C-959's latest XJ220 consists of ca. 4800 polies and comes with a dash, too. Might be the cause for your problems.

[FerrariMan]

@ FerrariMan:

- ML's BMW Z4 Roadster (Streetdogs)
- Johnnyspeed's Ferrari 360 Modena (JP Racing)
- Johnnyspeed's Ferrari 355 Spider (JP Racing)
- C-959's Jaguar XJ220 (NFScars)

Interesting...
- Z4 - This works fine for me, I modified it w/ upgrades for FM HS Mod. Would you like my version? Make sure the car is replacing the Z3
- Jhonnyspeed's cars - I don't think his are low-poly. I never got the Spider to work in FG
- XJ220 - Really? I was going to use that car. Wait... do dashes' polygons add to the cars' amount? NJ???

[MX7000]

@NJ

I tried hot pursuit mode in multiplayer, because that's the most high-poly combination in the standard nfs, so also without add-on cars. I don't have any dashes in the game at all so that can't be the problem. My Johnnyspeed's ferrari is an edited one, with 4550 polies and 3997 verts.
And yes I do like pursuit mode in NFS HS, if you mean that with Code 3. I have 20 police cars and 24 normal race cars in nfs.
All my pursuit vehicles in the traffic map (not the extra units) have +- 3500 polies.

@ FerrariMan

I'll sure like your version. What serial number is the bmw z3 in nfs?

[XJ220]

@ FM: They add to the size of the car.viv thus making the game likelier to crash. Custom sounds can be a problem, too.

@ MX7000: I was rather referring to Code 3 PSE - the manufacturer of the MX7000 lightbar Anyway, since you're familiar with editing tools, try FCE Center on your modified meshes even if they don't need centering. Can't really think of much else - serial number conflicts aren't the case, I guess. But I think EA's Pursuit Diablo originally has different serial numbers in its CARP.TXT and FEDATAs - try making both the same.

[Remko]

All my pursuit vehicles in the traffic map (not the extra units) have +- 3500 polies.

A little confused at this part: the only pursuit cars in the traffic folder are the extra ones, right? (the Caprice, green SUVs, etc.)
If you mean that you've replaced those with higher poly models, then that would explain why the game crashes easily.

If that's not what you meant and the extra units are still the standard cars, then it's difficult to narrow it down to one cause.
Does that particular 4550 poly car ever cause any problems on other tracks? Or non-pursuit races?

[FerrariMan]

I wish we could get NFS4 to override the poly-limit
Though I'm sure more people have asked that than me :p

I'd stay at 3000 or lower for those pursuit cars. I found a near-perfect balance for my old Dell with 1GB RAM and an nVidia GeForce 6150 LE:
1) Standard cars = <5,500
2) Pursuit cars = <5,500 <-- depending, you can be a little flexible here as these aren't in full grid you know
3) Traffic Pursuit Cars = Go with XJ220's replacements or LESS polied replacements. This means actually more like 2500 or less.
4) Traffic = Stay within the 900 to 1500 range. I suggest if you really want modded traffic, use EA or RK cars. If you want me to color the .TGA for you let me know

[MX7000]

@NJ

FCE center didn't work, and changing the serial number of the Diablo pursuit also didn't help, but why the Diablo pursuit? It doesn't exist in Dolphin Cove. There's also one thing: your last car, the jaguar XKR does have the problem too, but it will work when I use the 'remove unecessary verts' option in CarCad on all parts except the :HB

@Remko

I meant the 4 ones in the traffic map: Caprice, Hatchbk, Sedan and SUV. The extra units I meant are the Pursuit camaro, diablo, corvette and porsche. I don't know if it's problematic on other tracks, but it strange when a car with 4774 polies and 4273 verts (ML's M3) does work, and the aforementioned cars don't.

@FerrariMan

My limits are:
1) Standard cars = 4800 polies and 4300 verts in class AA+AAA, 3200 polies and 3000 verts in class A+B.
2) Pursuit cars (traffic) = 3500 polies and 3200 verts.
3) Pursuit cars (extra units) = Standard EA polycount.
4) Traffic = 500 polies

[FerrariMan]

BTW, I forgot the Z3's serial but I can send you the Z4 once I clear up permissions. It (might) will be in the next version of my Mod. if I ditch it for V3.7, then just don't distribute it w/o Martin's permission.

EDIT: Why not replace the EA standard pursuit cars and leave the traffic ones alone? That might work better for you. How about your PC specs, that can have a say in it too?

[XJ220]

My XKR works fine for me at Dolphin Cove... probably your PC is just too weak? Weird...

[Remko]

I agree with Ferrariman that the high poly (for traffic, at least) traffic cop replacements could be a factor, during a pursuit race I think you have 4 or 5 (it's been a while since I played pursuit mode) of these driving around the track too. If you set these back to the standard cars or use mod cars with a lower polycount, then I think you'll have more room to use a somewhat higher poly car for yourself.

As to why car A crashes the game and car B doesn't, despite having 220 polys more, I think the limit is just an 'area' more than an exact number down to the comma. Like how the maximum polycount that will let you show the car in the menu lies around 12.000, I've seen cars with less than that that crashed the game anyway while at the same time I know a few cars that are over 13k and give no problem.

One more thing you can do, is to go to your sound options, and change it from 3d EAX to Stereo. Like XJ220 says, there's a handful of cars with custom sounds that may crash the game at the start of the race unless you change this setting.