I found an apparent fix for my Windows 8 dmsynth.dll crashes.

[judge_def]

The game kept crashing when there were lots of gunfire and glass breaking. The errors all mentioned dmsynth.dll.

I installed the Realtek drivers from their website. They replaced the stock Windows 8 ones and I was finally able to complete the game (turns out it is pretty fun). Hopefully it is a real fix. Everything seems fine for the moment.

If you are running 64-bit Windows 8 and have a Realtek audio chip-set you might look into this. Be careful and do your research before trying.

http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=14&PFid=24&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

Hope this info helps.

[Purple Tentacle]

This does reduce crashes (not eliminate them) and the game should become about as stable or unstable as it runs on Windows 7.

But this comes at a price! These drivers were released several months before the Windows 8 was finalized and are elsewhere labeled as "beta" drivers for Windows 8, correctly in my experience. For me, these drivers cause minor compatibility issues in other areas of Windows 8 and my hardware keys on my Microsoft keyboard can no longer adjust my computer's volume or even mute/unmute the system, both on Metro or the Desktop. Resuming from hibernation also becomes slower and, rarely, the audio-chip fails to wake up from standby entirely (leaving you without sound until the next reboot or wake up from standby).

Ultimately, this was too much of a trade-off for a single, buggy game and I reverted back to the native Windows 8 drivers ...

But since reverting back to the native drivers is as easy as uninstalling them and rebooting and since they don't cause any serious problems, it may be worth a shot for everyone desperate to finally finish this game. Still, I'm hoping we'll see a real, proper fix at some point for this game.

[judge_def]

You were right. I played it tonight and it eventually crashed with the same error. It seems much better than it was though. I haven't had any problems yet outside of the game (I didn't have any before either).

When it crashed it left my controller vibrating. I had to take the batteries out to make it stop. That was funny enough to not make me mad.

I'm not sure how they will be able to fix it. I wonder what type of sound libraries Game Maker uses on Mac? I think all the DirectMusic stuff they use on PC was deprecated a long time ago if what I am reading is accurate. Not sure why a new game would use it. I hope they move on before the sequel.

I still have not heard back from my email requests for support. Officially the worst customer support I have ever had for a purchased piece of software. Usually indie games have pretty excellent support, but this puts them much lower than my worst experiences with EA. I would forgive them in a second if they could fix the game.

I realize I sound very negative. I enjoyed the game, but I have had a frustrating time with it. I don't regret the purchase.