Rome: Dos, Don’ts, Fixes, and whatnot! Please post support questions here!

[HazardHawk]

Dos, Don’ts, Fixes, and whatnot!

Disk Version if you own Steam Version:

If you activated your Disk Version to Steam, your disks still work if you wish to play mods.

However, in order to install and patch, Steam has you locked out if you own the Steam version installed or not so you must temporarily uninstall Steam to install Rome in order to get it fully patched.

Please note: Uninstalling Rome in Steam rather than uninstalling Steam, the disk will install to the proper nonSteam Folder, but patches will still default to the Steam Rome Location and break your Steam Version when you install Steam again afterwards.

Please note, uninstalling Steam clears your installed games list when you install Steam again. Simply right click the games you want and verify files to avoid downloading again.

If Rome is installed in Steam and from disk, in some cases launching the disk version will still launch the Steam Version because Steam makes itself default. If you have this, you must rename your Rome Folder in Steam to play from disk so it cannot find the Steam to default to.



STEAM/Disk Version:

No matter your operating system, to keep this simplified as it will not hurt older operating systems running Rome, follow step by step in proper order! Do not even waste time attempting to deal with Steam Support, SEGA, or the Total War Forums (OFFICIAL)! They are using my fix, but only in parts which will not work for everyone and makes getting it to work more difficult in the long run!

First Step, browse into Rome Folder and verify you have four files in the internal preferences folder.

Advice
Keys.dat
Player.txt
Preferences.txt

If you do not have the files, go to

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?691946-Windows-10-(moderator-take-notice-please)

Download the preferences folder and drop the contents into place. Membership is free and this is the site you want to get information from if you are interested in mods.

Once you have these four files in place, open Preferences.txt

Here, you need to know your exact desktop Resolution. If you are using an HD Resolution such as 1080p, you need to change it to 1920x1080 which is the exact same setting! I do not care what resolution you use as long as it is full screen and two sets of digits.

If you have a wide screen (longer than tall) make sure

USE_WIDESCREEN:TRUE is present

If you have a square screen, make sure

USE_WIDESCREEN:FALSE is present

Scroll down and find

AA_QUALITY:AA_OFF
STRATEGY_RESOLUTION:1920x1080
STRATEGY_MAX_RESOLUTION:1920x1080
STRATEGY_32_BIT:TRUE
BATTLE_RESOLUTION:1920x1080
BATTLE_MAX_RESOLUTION:1920x1080
BATTLE_32_BIT:TRUE

Make sure AA is set to OFF as above.
Make sure all resolutions are exactly the same as your desktop as above.

Save, close, right click, select properties, tick the Read Only box, click apply and ok.

This makes sure NOTHING can make changes to this file that are persistent and even changes you make in game will not hold once game is restarted.

Second Step is to go up one level into your Rome Folder. Find RomeTW(.exe) and RomeTW-BI(.exe).
Right click both, select properties, go to compatibility tab, set to run in XP Service Pack 2 mode, click apply and ok for each.

Third step, leave this window open, browse into Windows/System32 and scroll down to find the d3dx9_XX(.dll) files. XX represents number 24 through 43. Drag a box around them, right click, copy, go to Rome Folder, right click in clear, select paste.

Fourth step closes all these windows now and you go to Steam to your games list, right click Rome, select properties, on the window that pops open select Set Launch Options, add –nm –ne, click ok, close properties.

(Disk version:Make a shortcut for desktop, right click, select properties, add at end of text for target after the quotation "space-nmspace-ne" ( -nm -ne) Please do not actually write space and hit the space bar in the words place! LOL)

You should start up and run just fine at this point. If you end up with Rome in a smaller window, you have the resolution set incorrectly so that something does not match.

ALTERNATE for adding –nm if you want the movies and videos in game, download Klite Codec Pack Mega and install setting Media Player Classic as your default Video player. (There may be others that work fine, but this is the one I know and have used since version 1 and have never had adware, spyware, virus, or problems due to the contents.)

Add "-ne" without quotations to the launch options.

http://www.codecguide.com/download_kl.htm

NOTE: Adding Klite Codec Pack also cuts into the Intel stuttering a little making it better!



Last section is for performance stuttering due to overpowered equipment made well after Rome, especially for Intel Users, but helps all!

Download a Large Address Aware Enabler:

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/large-address-aware.112556/

and use it on both RomeTW.exe and RomeTW-BI

This enables Rome to see and use more than 2GB system Ram and 1GB Video Ram opening them both up to 4GB max.

Go into your video control Panel. In NVIDIA it is listed as Manage 3d settings and I do not remember Catalyst at the moment. Do not change global settings, but change specifically the RomeTW and the Rome TW-BI and set Prerendered Frames to 1

I will edit as needed, but this is the gist of running Rome these days!


MODS General rules for installation...

As some of you have discovered the hard way, most mods are broken after the Steam Conversion patch for online play; Some are not.

Mod Rule #1: No matter that you can just download your Rome again for installation, mame a complete separate manual back up copy of your Rome Folder.

Without this folder, I cannot help you get running again when Steam Cache picks up a modded file as a legit file by mistake. Once picked up, a modded file remains in the cache redownloading over and over leaving Rome broken without a copy of the vanilla files in that manually made backup. Yes, I know steam has a way to back up, but it is suceptible as well.

Mod Rule #2: For a mod to work properly, it must be foldered so as not to replace any vanilla files for Steam to grab up into your cached files.

If there is one that you particularly want that is NOT already contained fully within a mod folder, please allow me to know and I will give the basics, but if that doesnt work, that is as far as I am willing to help with my current lack of available time. Ask my friends and they will tell you I do not support mod installations past telling you where to find what you need in most cases.

If there is a mod that has an installer, I recommend allowing it to install to a dead folder it creates first to make sure it is completely foldered.

If a mod has no instructions for launch, please let me know and I will give you the relevant path as soon as you leave me a message asking for the path to a specifically names mod folder.

When your Rome picks up a modded file as valid, and I say when because if you install mods, eventually it will happen to you.

With a backup folder made manually of Rome...

1)go to your games list and make Steam delete local content.
2)browse into Steam/common/steamapps and make sure there is no Rome Total War Gold folder any longer. If it is there, delete it and empty your recycle bin now!
3)copy your back up folder back into place
4)do not select INSTALL! Rather pick Rome Total War Gold in your games list, right click, select properties, go to local files tab, Verify Local Files!

Now you can play again!

If you do not have a backup folder created, I am sorry, but once Steam Cache picks up a modded file you must uninstall Rome completely, leave it uninstalled for 32 days, then reinstall.

Please NOTE: If you install as little as one hour before Steam resets the cache, you have another 32 days to wait.

.

.

Notes to assist:

https://www.slimwareutilities.com/slimdrivers.php

The above is a Microsoft Certified Free Driver Update Utility. The average user has no idea how to find and which to pick where drivers are concerned for main chips. Inclusion has always been a failing of Windows Update as it is up to driver writers for companies to send them to Microsoft and then Microsoft to publish them.

Windows 10 does a good job once it is caught up, but it still needs to be caught up with the appropriately recognizable versions it looks to replace so this benefits 10 as well as previous windows versions to download, run once to catch up and then remove it. Earlier Windows version users will need to keep it and check it every few weeks.

[HazardHawk]

Very few need all steps, but the steps do not harm if they are all completed. If anyone has any specific issues this does not fix, the first thing I will do is walk you back through everything as it is usually an oversight or misplacement of a file.

[dmcgo3]

Thanks this helped out a lot

[Hendlton]

I know this is an old thread but I'm hoping I can still get a reply. I've been trying to get RTW to run since December last year and I just gave up until now. I have the disc version and it was working fine on Windows 7. I pasted the preference file provided, it's on Read Only, I checked that everything was as it should be, widescreen true, AA off and resolutions set to my resolution. I copied all the Dd3dx9 files. I put -ne and -nm at the end of my Target box so it looks something like "...\RomeTW.exe" -nm -ne. It's running in compatibility mode for XP Service Pack 2 and it's run as an administrator. Still, when I open it, it literally does nothing. It tells me it's trying to make changes to my system if admin privileges are set, and if not, it literally does nothing. The closest thing to running is when I set it to compatibility mode for Windows 7 and I uncheck "Run this program as an administrator." What that does is, it says that I should login with administrator privileges and try again. It shows up in Task Manager for a split second before disappearing and then nothing.

Weird thing though, Barbarian Invasion works just fine...

[Vaeringjar]

@Hendlton

try getting the "d3d8.dll" file, it's somewhere in steam rtw discussions, for me vanilla rome doesn't run if I paste the d3dx9 files but BI runs, however if I remove the d3dx9 or add the d3d8 then it works

performance is still crap though... maybe I should lower settings lol

[HOUDINI]

RTW keeps crashing when i press start battle button. Know the thread is old, anyone has any idea what might be causing this issue?

[Jambie Lionheart]

Hi, just popped in to say, I recently bought a Dell G7 15 7588 and promptly put in all of the fixes you gave. Not sure why but battles stutter like crazy. Anyways, when I input the fixes, the stutter of the battle itself went away, but the ui and camera controls are still stuttery. I found that going into the Nvidia control panel and setting Rome total war and BI to use the Nvidia graphics card instead of the integrated card helped. Didn't get rid of the camera stutter entirely, but it helped.

[Internet Explorer]

So, I spent the past 5 days trying to get this game running again. After finding nothing but "change your preferences", "try compability mode" and "you're dumb" threads, this finally seemed to be the best guide taking all possible steps to get it to work. In the end, I followed all the steps, still came up with the same old DirectX9 error. Checked all the steps and did them again, just to be sure. Still came up with an error. Deinstalled (and also deleted the leftover folders etc), reinstalled and followed all the steps again: No success. If it were plainly not running, I'd probably just be fine with "my newer pc cant handle that old game", but as it stands, it's that directx error... I wish I had even the slightest sliver of an idea what went wrong...

Thanks for trying, tho...

If anyone can help me, some additional info:
I run win8.1, i7 CPU and GTX760 GPU. I don't plan to use any mods.

[mouzafphaerre]

Thank you very much HazardHawk! I finally managed to get RTW & BI (Steam) to work thanks to your guide, after muddling through every bit of tip and trick or whatever my desperate mind came up with for a week!

Kudos to you!

[Internet Explorer]

Well, as it stands, the thing that got it working for me without having to lift a finger is using the same PC. but this time with Winows 10. Apparently Win8.1 screws with the game for some reason.

[xTWOLFx]

Ok so i have windows 10 and and rome total war alexander freezes on the load bar when i launch alexander campain help?

[HazardHawk]

Originally posted by thetwolf888:

Ok so i have windows 10 and and rome total war alexander freezes on the load bar when i launch alexander campain help?

Wow old post. Hahahahaha I dont mod anymore and I only stick my head in for support occasionally.

Most likely you have either an admin request problem or you have a bad resolution set in preferences.

Right click game in games list, select properties, go to local files tab, browse to game files, open the preferences folder, make sure you have a preferences text file. If you do not have one, you will have to create one.

To create one, right click, create a new notepad document, name it preferences.txt, open the file in notepad, make sure encoding at the bottom of the screen is set to ANSI, past in the following, change resolution for both battle and campaign to your screen resolution, save and exit.

SAFE_REFRESH:TRUE
USE_TRIPLE_BUFFER:FALSE
USE_WIDESCREEN:TRUE
SUBTITLES:FALSE
MORALE:TRUE
FATIGUE:TRUE
LIMITED_AMMO:TRUE
SUPPLY:TRUE
FOG_OF_WAR:TRUE
RESTRICT_CAMERA:TRUE
DEFAULT_BATTLE_CAMERA:RTS
EVENT_CUTSCENES:TRUE
SMOKE:TRUE
DESYNC:TRUE
SPLASHES:FALSE
GLINTS:FALSE
REFLECTIONS:TRUE
SHADOWS:TRUE
VEGETATION:FALSE
DETAILED_UNIT_SHADOWS:TRUE
GLOSS_MAPPING:TRUE
STENCIL_SHADOWS:TRUE
MULTI_TEXTURE:TRUE
AUTO_SAVE:TRUE
SHOW_BANNERS:TRUE
UNIT_EXPERIENCE_UPGRADE_EFFECT:TRUE
UNIT_SIZE:100
MASTER_VOL:100
SPEECH_VOL:100
SFX_VOL:100
MUSIC_VOL:70
CAMERA_ROTATE:50
CAMERA_MOVE:50
CAMERA_FOV:75.000000
ENABLE_AUDIO:TRUE
ENABLE_MUSIC:TRUE
ENABLE_UNIT_SPEECH:TRUE
DISABLE_BACKGROUND_FMV:FALSE
DISABLE_ARROW_MARKERS:FALSE
AUDIO_3D_PROVIDER:DirectSound3D Software Emulation
CLOUD_TRANSITIONS:TRUE
GRASS_DISTANCE:50
AA_QUALITY:AA_OFF
STRATEGY_RESOLUTION:1920x1080
STRATEGY_MAX_RESOLUTION:1920x1080
STRATEGY_32_BIT:TRUE
BATTLE_RESOLUTION:1920x1080
BATTLE_MAX_RESOLUTION:1920x1080
BATTLE_32_BIT:TRUE
UNIT_DETAIL:ULTRA_HIGH
BUILDING_DETAIL:ULTRA_HIGH
TGA_CAPTURE_WIDTH:1920
TGA_CAPTURE_ASPECT:1.333333
TGA_CAPTURE_INPUT_SCALE:1
TGA_CAPTURE_RESERVE_SPACE:FALSE
LABEL_CHARACTERS:TRUE
LABEL_SETTLEMENTS:TRUE
MINIMAL_UI:FALSE
CAMPAIGN_MAP_MAX_SCROLL_SPEED_MIN_ZOOM:30
CAMPAIGN_MAP_MAX_SCROLL_SPEED_MAX_ZOOM:30
FIRST_TIME_PLAY:FALSE
ADVISOR_VERBOSITY:0
MUTE_ADVISOR:FALSE
BLIND_ADVISOR:FALSE
CAMPAIGN_MAP_CAMERA:FOLLOW_AI_FACTIONS
CAMPAIGN_MAP_SPEED_UP:FALSE
CAMPAIGN_MAP_GAME_SPEED:92
DISABLE_EVENTS:0
MICROMANAGE_ALL_SETTLEMENTS:TRUE
ADVANCED_STATS_ALWAYS:FALSE
UNIT_USE_SHADERS:TRUE
TERRAIN_QUALITY:HIGH
EFFECT_QUALITY:HIGHEST
VEGETATION_QUALITY:HIGH
KEYSET:0
UNLIMITED_MEN_ON_BATTLEFIELD:TRUE
CAMPAIGN_MAP_CAMERA_SMOOTHING:TRUE
CHAT_MSG_DURATION:10
USE_QUICKCHAT:FALSE
GS_PIDS:FALSE
GS_PIDS_FULL:FALSE
GS_PIDS_CUR:TRUE
ALWAYS_LOGFILE:FALSE
TIMESTAMP_LOGFILE:TRUE
32BIT_UI:FALSE
GS_LOG_RESULTS:FALSE
CHAT_COLOURS:name=ffffa0,private=ff7707,game=94aadc,public=fff777,system=ffffff,lobby=fff777,setup=94aadc,playing=ff0707
EDIT_SETTLEMENT_NAMES:FALSE

Once you create the file or see you have the file and set your resolution, go back up one level to the main folder, right click the alexander.exe, select properties, set compatibility to XP and tick run as administrator, click apply and close properties.

Now you should run. I will try to remember to check back in to see how you are doing.

[Bachi]

You are the best. Thank so mach.

[alberto.disilvestre]

I really can't express how happy I am right now! I followed every step, I don't even know what I was doing but at the end Barbarian Invasion finally launched! I was really annoyed because it was my favourite total war game as a kid. THANKYOU

[RetroGodzilla808]

Hello HazardHawk,
Thank you very much for this. It works perfectly.
I only have one issues, the changes made don't apply to Rome Total War- Barbarian Invasion, even after making the changes to the preferences, the screen is still 1280 x 768 at max. ( i have followed all the steps)

I would appreciate it if you had any suggestions as to why it happens !

[HazardHawk]

Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Rome Total War Gold\bi\preferences

There are two ways to do preferences... The primary in the primary game folder or the override within a mod folder on the same path.