This post is intended for all players who own the Steam version of Vampire -- The Masquerade: Bloodlines...
VTMB IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH STEAM. NO WAY -- NO HOW
If you own the Steam version of Bloodlines, then you must MOVE the entire game as far away from your Steam folders as possible. You must do this BEFORE you install any third-party patches or mods... including the True Patch Gold Edition, and any of the "unofficial patches" produced by Werner "Wesp5" Spahl.
You must do this BEFORE you start the game up and attempt to play it for the first time.
This is not an optional procedure, people. I will NOT support the tech problems of ANYONE who fails to perform this very simple task...
(1) Locate your VTMB installation within your Steam folders.
(2) MOVE that entire VTMB folder (and everything that it contains, including all sub-folders) to a new location on your hard drive. I suggest placing it in its own unique directory called "VTMB" or something similar.
(3) Install the True Patch Gold Edition -after- you have moved the entire game away from Steam.
(4) Install any TPG-compatible mods that you might wish to use.
(5) Create a new desktop shortcut to the vampire.exe file within your main VTMB folder. Simply locate the vampire.exe file, highlight and copy it (press Ctrl-C) and then, right-click anywhere on an empty area of your Windows desktop and select "Paste shortcut" from the pop-up menu (or whatever the equivalent command is for Windows 7).
(6) Add any necessary command line switches to the "Target" box of your new VTMB shortcut. Instructions on which switches to use, and how to set them up, may be found all over this board in the various TPG and Mega-Mod related topics. Or just ask, if you are having trouble locating those instructions and we'll point you in the right direction.
Every single VTMB player who owns the Steam version of Bloodlines MUST perform the above tasks BEFORE patching/modding this game. This is one area where both Wesp and myself are in complete agreement. You can not play VTMB from the Steam launcher without encountering all sorts of problems... not the least of which will be corruption of the game's critical files, and serious and severe incompatibility with third-party patches and mods.
Is this due to steam itself, or the auto-updater?
Some people have suggested turning the auto-updater off before patching.
Both. Steam interferes with the game in other ways... such as the marketing tool employed by Steam, which polls your games from time to time and collects data about your gaming habits. Ever see a message pop up from Steam, when playing a game that -is- fully Steam compatible..? That's one indication of what I'm talking about. Now, it is not possible for Steam to properly poll Bloodlines, nor is it possible for Steam to send any pop-up messages to the game. But it still TRIES to... because it recognizes Bloodlines as being a generic Source engine game... and this behavior by Steam has been observed to cause occasional crashes when Bloodlines is running under Steam.
The bottom line is this: although it is a Source engine game, the build of the Bloodlines engine pre-dates Steam by at least a year (the alpha Source engine used in Bloodlines was compiled somewhere around 2001-2002). Bloodlines is therefore 100% incompatible with Steam and as such, it should be completely removed from Steam and placed into a new, uniquely named folder on your hard drive.
Furthermore, and even after you have moved the game and created a new desktop shortcut for it, I do not suggest that you allow the Steam service to be running on your computer at all when playing VTMB. So always shut down Steam before playing Bloodlines. You can always start it up again after you have finished with your Bloodlines session.
You say this must be done before playing it on steam, if I have already been playing it through steam, will I need to delete it all, reinstall it, and then follow these steps before using mods? If so will saved games be corrupted as well?
The answers to your questions are already contained within my original post.
Bloodlines is not compatible with the Steam service. This is doubly true if you install any third-party patches and/or mods into the game. In order to ensure that your Bloodlines installation functions properly, you must follow the instructions stated within my OP to the letter. Failure to do so will not only screw up your game, but it will also screw you out of receiving any technical support for the True Patch, should the need ever arise. I can not offer support for an unauthorized (by me) version of the game.
As for your game saves, that is immaterial... since you will always need to start over again with a fresh character after installing the True Patch. This is true for every single third-party patch on the web, because all of the patches available for VTMB contain repaired versions of various game maps. And whenever the game maps are updated, the data contained within any prior game save files is effectively obsolete and it WILL malfunction, if you try to keep playing the game with that character. Not if... not maybe... it WILL malfunction FOR CERTAIN. So the rule of thumb is a simple one: whenever the game maps for Bloodlines have been updated or altered in any ways whatsoever, then any prior game save files must be scrapped.
I'm unclear on what step 6 is talking about?
It refers to command line switches, which are added to the command line in the "Target" box for your VTMB desktop shortcut.
For example, here is what my command line looks like:
F:\VTM-Bloodlines\vampire.exe -console -heapsize 960000 -w 1920 -h 1080 -32bit
Note that the above command line is being shown for reference purposes only. DO NOT simply copy/paste my command line into your own shortcut, because it is specific to MY computer.
But here is an explanation of what the above switches do...
-console (enables the in-game debug console, if so desired) (optional)
-heapsize (forces the Source engine to increase its global memory pool to whatever number you specify x 1000. In my example, 960000 means "960 megabytes")
-w (sets the screen width in pixels to whatever number you specify) (mandatory if you used the VTMB ResPatcher utility)
-h (likewise sets the screen height in pixels to whatever number you specify) (mandatory if you used the VTMB ResPatcher utility)
-32bit (not confirmed to actually be working on the VTMB version of the Source engine, but it supposedly tells the Source engine to limit its core usage on multi-core CPU's)
For most True Patch users, the most important switches will be the -heapsize and the -w and -h switches.
The -heapsize switch in particular is very important, for anyone using a third-party mod which significantly increases the memory overhead needed to run the game (my own VTMB Mega-Mod, which is no longer being offered, is a notorious example of a third-party mod which requires TONS of memory). If you find that your game is crashing when using such mods, then keep bumping up the number after the -heapsize switch, until those crashes no longer occur. For modern computers which possess more than 4 GB's of total system RAM, I suggest starting out with a -heapsize parameter of 800000 (800 megabytes).
I've done all the following, but it still refuses to start up for me. If I put the steam.dll file in, it tells me "problem starting up steam," and if I don't, it tells me "problem finding steam." Either way it automatically opens up a web page to steampowered.net, and refuses to run.
-VTMB is in its own folder, not in the steam files
-Steam is off
-I used a freshly downloaded copy that hasn't been started yet
Any other problems you foresee?
I don't recall anywhere in my instructions where I said to do anything with the steam.dll file. Please follow my instructions exactly as I wrote them.
So let's try this again...
(1) After installing the game from Steam, locate the VTMB folder within your Steam folders. Just look for a folder named "Vampire blah blah blah..." and it will be there.
(2) Highlight that folder and press Ctrl-C on your keyboard to copy it.
(3) Create a new folder on your hard drive. Name it "VTMB" or whatever... just make sure it has a DIFFERENT name from whatever the Steam version was named.
(4) Highlight the new folder that you just created, and then press Ctrl-V to paste the entire game into your newly created folder. Be patient and wait a few moments... it's a big game.
(5) After the entire game has been copied into its new location, DELETE the original Steam installation of VTMB. Just highlight it and zap it out of existence.
(6) Install the True Patch Gold Edition into your newly moved VTMB installation. Be sure to follow all of the included instructions carefully, including using the ResPatcher utility if you need it.
(7) Now locate the game file named "vampire.exe" and copy it.
(8} Then right-click anywhere on your Windows desktop and select "Paste shortcut" from the pop-up menu. Windows 7 words it a little differently, but it's the same operation. We want to create a SHORTCUT to the vampire.exe file ONLY. Do not simply copy the actual file to your desktop. That would be a bad mistake. Just create a SHORTCUT to that file, okay..?
(9) From now on, launch the game from your newly created desktop shortcut. Voila... no more problems and NO MORE STEAM.
After doing all of the above, and verifying that the game is indeed working properly, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND MAKING A FULL BACKUP COPY OF BLOODLINES. That way, you will have a full, patched and pristine backup copy of the game, which you can burn to a couple of DVD's or whatever. Any Steam user who skips this backup procedure is asking for major headaches, if they ever need to re-install the game for some reason. Once you have a patched backup copy, you can just copy/paste it back to your hard drive, if you ever need to do a re-install. Easy peasy... so make sure to BACK UP YOUR PATCHED GAME, PEOPLE..!!!
Quote from: Tessera on July 31, 2013, 06:41:53 PM
I don't recall anywhere in my instructions where I said to do anything with the steam.dll file. Please follow my instructions exactly as I wrote them.
So let's try this again...
(1) After installing the game from Steam, locate the VTMB folder within your Steam folders. Just look for a folder named "Vampire blah blah blah..." and it will be there.
(2) Highlight that folder and press Ctrl-C on your keyboard to copy it.
(3) Create a new folder on your hard drive. Name it "VTMB" or whatever... just make sure it has a DIFFERENT name from whatever the Steam version was named.
(4) Highlight the new folder that you just created, and then press Ctrl-V to paste the entire game into your newly created folder. Be patient and wait a few moments... it's a big game.
(5) After the entire game has been copied into its new location, DELETE the original Steam installation of VTMB. Just highlight it and zap it out of existence.
(6) Install the True Patch Gold Edition into your newly moved VTMB installation. Be sure to follow all of the included instructions carefully, including using the ResPatcher utility if you need it.
(7) Now locate the game file named "vampire.exe" and copy it.
(8} Then right-click anywhere on your Windows desktop and select "Paste shortcut" from the pop-up menu. Windows 7 words it a little differently, but it's the same operation. We want to create a SHORTCUT to the vampire.exe file ONLY. Do not simply copy the actual file to your desktop. That would be a bad mistake. Just create a SHORTCUT to that file, okay..?
(9) From now on, launch the game from your newly created desktop shortcut. Voila... no more problems and NO MORE STEAM.
After doing all of the above, and verifying that the game is indeed working properly, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND MAKING A FULL BACKUP COPY OF BLOODLINES. That way, you will have a full, patched and pristine backup copy of the game, which you can burn to a couple of DVD's or whatever. Any Steam user who skips this backup procedure is asking for major headaches, if they ever need to re-install the game for some reason. Once you have a patched backup copy, you can just copy/paste it back to your hard drive, if you ever need to do a re-install. Easy peasy... so make sure to BACK UP YOUR PATCHED GAME, PEOPLE..!!!
Did all of it, carefully and exactly. The steam.dll issue is one fix I'd seen from the steam forums before I came here. I tried it both without and with the .dll file and got the same blockage that I did when I was running it in steam.
Quote from: Moth on July 31, 2013, 07:55:52 PMThe steam.dll issue is one fix I'd seen from the steam forums before I came here.
Unless the people on the Steam forums know more about my patch than I do,
I would suggest ignoring them and following my instructions to the letter.
Quote from: Tessera on July 31, 2013, 08:01:55 PM
Quote from: Moth on July 31, 2013, 07:55:52 PMThe steam.dll issue is one fix I'd seen from the steam forums before I came here.
Unless the people on the Steam forums know more about my patch than I do,
I would suggest ignoring them and following my instructions to the letter.
I did yours first, encountered the same error I had when it was being run in steam, and then added the last step to see if it made a difference, and sure enough it has identical results.
The there is something wrong with your computer that I do not know about. In which case, I am unable to be of any help in this matter, sorry. The instructions that I gave are working fine for literally thousands of other players. So if it is not working for you, then obviously there is some other factor at work here (user error, a corrupted installation, a corrupted system registry, a virus, a crappy pirated copy of Windows, etc., etc.)
It could be just about anything... and since I am not sitting there at your desk, with your computer in front of me, I am unable to diagnose your problem based upon the information that you have provided.
I'll keep looking around. I've seen a few people with the same issue, but I've got no clue what causes it.
Moth, you're not still using the same the desktop shortcut that Steam created after initially downloading it right? Because that's simply a shortcut TO Steam that tells it to run Bloodlines, rather than a shortcut directly to the Bloodlines .exe file itself. That's why Tess stresses you need to create a whole new desktop short cut from the Vampire.exe file. I downloaded the game off Steam too, and I haven't gotten this problem. It might also help to make sure Steam is turned off before you try starting the game.
Thanks for posting all this. I gave up on the Steam version way back, and just bought a normal installable version and that's what I use. But I see from this info that I might have been able to detach the Steam version from Steam. Oh well, doesn't matter now I guess. Still I appreciate the info!
Quote from: Robutt on August 04, 2013, 02:06:09 AM
Moth, you're not still using the same the desktop shortcut that Steam created after initially downloading it, right?
This is very likely the source of his problem.
As stated in my original instructions, it is imperative that Steam users create a NEW desktop shortcut to the vampire.exe executable file, AFTER they have moved the entire game away from Steam and into its own, unique game folder on their hard drive.
If you just keep trying to use the original desktop shortcut that was created by Steam itself, then you'll keep getting weird error messages that say something like
"Steam blah blah blah dll not found" or some words to that effect.
Once the entire game has been moved, the original desktop shortcut will no longer work. And this is why it is REQUIRED that all Steam users create an entirely new desktop shortcut, after they have successfully moved the entire Bloodlines installation out and away from Steam. Just delete the original desktop shortcut that was created by Steam, as it is no longer relevant after the game has been moved and patched.
So once again...(1) Move your entire Bloodlines installation to a new, unique folder on your hard drive. When I say "unique," I mean to give the new folder a new name... and it must be DIFFERENT from the name of the original Steam folder. So if Steam installed Bloodlines into a folder named "Vampire -- The Masquerade: Bloodlines," for example, then just name your new folder "VTMB" or "Vampire -- Bloodlines" or any other name of your choosing... just so long as the name is different from the original name. The reason we want the name to be different has to do with the system registry, by the way. It is one more way to prevent Steam from interfering with our newly moved and patched VTMB installation. Steam will be looking for Bloodlines to be located within a folder with a specific name. So by giving our new folder a different name, Steam will effectively be unable to find Bloodlines and so, it will cause no problems for us.
(2) After moving the game into a new and unique folder, install the True Patch Gold Edition BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE and according to the TPG's instructions.
(3) After you have done all of the above, create a new desktop shortcut to VTMB's executable file... the file that actually launches the game. That file is named vampire.exe and it will be found within the root folder of VTMB. It is easy to find. So just highlight that file, copy it, and then right-click on any open area of your Windows desktop and select "Paste shortcut" from the available options in the pop-up menu that will appear.
(4) After creating your new desktop shortcut, you may need to edit its properties, depending upon whether or not you used the VTMB ResPatcher utility (included within the TPG package) to enable true 16:10 or 16:9 widescreen resolutions for Bloodlines. Further instructions on how to do all of that are already included within the TPG package
(just look within the sub-folder named "Extras\Utility\VTMB Res-Patcher Utility").And after you have done all of the above, you're finished. The entire process should take less than 10 minutes. Launch the game from your new desktop shortcut and enjoy. No more bugs... no more Steam... no more copy protection... no more bullshit... no more problems. Just a nice, bug-free gaming experience. 8)
I'm not sure if this is the world's best idea, but here's what I've been doing to keep things convenient while not allowing Steam to interfere.
In Steam, just because I like to have a common launch point for ALL games, I added a 3rd-party-game shortcut to the my patched VTMB. It points to a batch file that lives next to the executable, rather than the executable itself. This is what's in the batch file:
REM Kill the Steam client. Note this doesn't kill us, since Steam started us asynchronously.
TASKKILL /F /IM steam.exe
REM Stop the Steam service now that the client won't be trying to use it.
SC STOP "Steam Client Service"
REM Run the actual game and wait for it to exit.
.\Vampire.exe <custom arguments here>
REM Bring back Steam for (near-)seamlessness. It can restart the service if needed.
start Steam
exit
The only downside is the dos box sitting around waiting for the app to exit so it can restart Steam. Eh, I don't mind.
Quote from: Aiken_Drum on September 03, 2013, 03:02:51 AM
I'm not sure if this is the world's best idea, but here's what I've been doing to keep things convenient while not allowing Steam to interfere.
That's an interesting idea... however, I consider it to be overly complicated for most users.
The very best plan... and the only method that I will support... is to move VTMB completely away from Steam and then create a new desktop shortcut for it. Which, incidentally, is the way that the game was always meant to function. Long before Steam was offering VTMB for sale, it was only available as a 3-CD, stand-alone game. That's the version of VTMB that myself and most other "old-timers" own, and that is the way that the core engine of the game expects to be installed. By moving VTMB away from Steam, as per the instructions that I've laid out within this thread, and then patching it with the True Patch Gold Edition, you will effectively transform VTMB into its original incarnation (a stand-alone game for Windows).
And nothing could be simpler. The entire procedure comes down to a simple cut-and-paste operation. 8)
I wish I found out about this before I bought it from steam.
Quote from: Flint1Sox on September 16, 2013, 10:00:17 PM
I wish I found out about this before I bought it from steam.
All you need to do is move the game after you've finished downloading it. As per my instructions.
It's easy to do... and once you are finished moving it and patching it, VTMB will run beautifully and Steam will no longer be an issue.
Quote from: Flint1Sox on September 16, 2013, 10:00:17 PM
I wish I found out about this before I bought it from steam.
Well, there really is no other choice, besides a retail copy as mentioned my Tessera above; however, those are hard (and expensive) to come by.
Anyways, the instruction to make VTM:B work is literally everywhere on the forum.
-ChaosArcher
Quote from: Moth on July 31, 2013, 07:55:52 PM
Did all of it, carefully and exactly. The steam.dll issue is one fix I'd seen from the steam forums before I came here. I tried it both without and with the .dll file and got the same blockage that I did when I was running it in steam.
I've discovered what I think is the issue behind Moth's and others' troubles.
Examine the ReadMe_NOW document in the TPG download (the first one you see, next to the True_Patch_Main, Extras, and Docs folder). Under 'INSTALLATION', it states:
-----------------------------------------
After unzipping this update,
simply copy the entire contents of the "Vampire" folder and
the paste those contents into your working VTMB\Vampire folder. If you do this correctly,
then Windows will warn you that the files in question already exist and ask if you wish to
overwrite them. Select "Yes" to all and then wait for these updated files to replace the
original versions. That's all there is to it.
-----------------------------------------
Notice what I've bolded! The instructions say only to copy the contents of the "Vampire" folder over to the VTMB game location. During my installation today, I noticed that there is also a "vampire" application and a "bin" folder in the 'TRUE_PATCH_MAIN' folder. However, the installation instructions say only to copy the "Vampire" folder! Intent on following directions to the letter, I left the two questionable objects alone and copied only the "vampire" folder.
Once I'd finished everything as per instructed, I tried to launch, and received the same "problem finding Steam" error Moth did.
I was going to scrap everything and start over from the beginning, but I thought I would go back and see if copying the unmentioned "vampire" application and "bin" folder from the "TRUE_PATCH_MAIN" folder into the VTMB game folder had any effect.
Lo and behold- I could now run the game! (But the intro's were all black- is that normal?) Afterwards I re-ran the res-patcher utility because I didn't know if the added "bin" stuff needed to be covered by its function, and then I came here in hopes that my experience might alleviate the issue for a few others. :)
I suggest modifying the "ReadMe_NOW" instructions to express that everything in the "TRUE_PATCH_MAIN" folder should be copied over, and not just the "vampire" folder.
Any thoughts on this?
I am trying your methods to fix my game aswell know wish me luck!!! *crosses fingers
but i was thinking we have some really amazing with code/ tech people on her,
has anyone thought of doing a video or screen shot tutorial for those of us who aren't super computer literate
for instance I can use a DOS emulator like nobody's business
and have used private servers for wow and had to do some copy paste work
but sometimes it can get a little confusing especially when there are copies of folders or similar sounding name folders
or I'm just not advanced enough to quite discern what someone has typed instruction wise through some tech speak.
sad but does happen.
on a lighter note was in my mind like....dude i could totally put on a lowwwww top and do a video tutorial
totally would watch it if a nice pair of ti..... I mean a nice female gamer like myself was showing me how to fix my game!
drool worthy for soooo many reasons!!!
Well I'd love to oblige you, except for two problems...
(1) I am male, not female. So I don't have a nice pair to share. Sorry. Although I do have a 7-inch... umm... nevermind. Just forget I said anything.
(2) I don't have the Steam version of VTMB. I have the original, legitimate, 3-CD stand-alone version of the game.
I could create a mock-up of the Steam version and then post some screenshots, I suppose.
But it really isn't too hard to do this. For Steam users, the Bloodlines directory is usually located in something like "Steam\steamapps\common\Vampire -- The Masquerade: Bloodlines." Or maybe it's "Steam\steamuser\(your name)\common\Vampire -- The Masquerade: Bloodlines." Or something similar. You should be able to find it. So in that example, you simply need to highlight the folder named "Vampire -- The Masquerade: Bloodlines" (or whatever Steam is calling it) and then do Edit --> cut and then, highlight the root "C:\" directory and do Edit --> paste.
Doing so will move the entire game out and away from Steam. After you do that, install the TPG patch. And lastly, create a new desktop shortcut to the vampire.exe file and then launch the game from that shortcut. It sounds complicated, but it really isn't. In any case, if you run into trouble, then just ask me and I will be more than happy to help you get it straightened out. That's what I'm here for.
8)
Quote from: Tessera on December 15, 2013, 10:07:38 PM
Well I'd love to oblige you, except for two problems...
(1) I am male, not female. So I don't have a nice pair to share. Sorry. Although I do have a 7-inch... umm... nevermind. Just forget I said anything.
hahaha doesnt necessarily be you i was just wondering why we dont see more tutorials like that on the internt to up traffic in general really
plus we tend to sexualize everything (ot that I'm complaining too much)
especially in the mostly male dominated gaming community
so i personally find it some what surprising
also isnt it funny (and odd if you think about it)
that If in show my tits while doing a video on
than someone would if they did whip out their 7 incher even if it was to scale something lol
just an observation lol
Isn't there something called The Naked News..? Female newscasters, who report the daily news whilst stripping, or some such..?
when i do this it tell me the name of the file is wrong and i did not copy paste it as it was there so the - console command and the heap size (still not sure is is hould do the w and z one too as i have a small screen)
Tess's explanation does work! It even works for all of the Steam related games that are on CDs, Half-life for example.
Just move it out of that folder and make a new one.
Quote from: perez007usa on February 25, 2014, 10:32:09 AM
Tess's explanation does work! It even works for all of the Steam related games that are on CDs, Half-life for example.
Just move it out of that folder and make a new one.
i was struggling with making this game work and tess was the only one who could explain it where i could fix it just saying
Quote from: xrobzix on February 25, 2014, 03:07:53 AM
when i do this it tell me the name of the file is wrong
Bummer.
Try it again... and follow my instructions more carefully this time. :P
Followed it to the letter but i cannot add the -...... lines, i tried with and with out the quotations
Thousands of other TPG users have followed those instructions, too.
Why aren't they having the same problem, then..?
It's a valid question.
Quote from: xrobzix on February 26, 2014, 04:56:03 AM
Followed it to the letter but i cannot add the -...... lines, i tried with and with out the quotations
There should be no quotations. Are you putting spaces in where there shouldn't be?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/on0wzzku8dtgmlz/Screenshot%202014-02-27%2019.23.36.png
thats the screen cap i did everything you said to the bloody letter and it tell me the name is invalid when i put it in the doel( wich is source translated to dutch)
Okay... then in your opinion, what is the reason for the trouble that you've been having..?
I have no idea i am not that well versed in modding :)
ALso when i start the game up the company names i hear the sounds but do not see the video's (not a big thing just letting you know)
MAybe i am just daft or have a pc that is not wanting to play nice with me .
Quote from: xrobzix on February 28, 2014, 05:59:46 AM
MAybe i am just daft or have a pc that is not wanting to play nice with me .
Well... since I know for certain that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the TPG,
my suggestion would be to look elsewhere for the source of your problem.
It could be a hardware issue, it could be an improperly configured or incompatible operating system,
it could be some third-party VTMB mod that is not compatible with the TPG, it could be user error
on your part, it could be a corrupted copy of the game itself... it could be any number of things.
I'm not sitting in front of your computer, obviously, so I have no idea what's wrong with it.
Quote from: xrobzix on February 28, 2014, 05:59:46 AM
I have no idea i am not that well versed in modding :)
ALso when i start the game up the company names i hear the sounds but do not see the video's (not a big thing just letting you know)
MAybe i am just daft or have a pc that is not wanting to play nice with me .
Just make a new thread in the problems with specific games board and post all the relevant information.
They are already here in some from or another, you just have to look for it.
Hey all,
Just got Vampire Bloodlines on Steam, but got the 'no memory' error. After some searching, I found my way here. I tried to follow the instructions as best I could.
1. I created a new copy of all the files away from my steam folder.
2. I DL'd and installed the "...True_Patch_Gold_FINAL_with_Hotfix7.rar" (http://tessmage.com/download.htm) into my new folder.
3. I ran 'Vampire.exe' from the new folder (and deleted the Steam version). I didn't make a shortcut.
4. I got the error, "Failed to find Steam."
Can anyone tell me where I went wrong?
Thanks a bunch,
Datdude
Quote from: Tessera on February 07, 2013, 11:37:55 AM
This post is intended for all players who own the Steam version of Vampire -- The Masquerade: Bloodlines...
VTMB IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH STEAM. NO WAY -- NO HOW
If you own the Steam version of Bloodlines, then you must MOVE the entire game as far away from your Steam folders as possible. You must do this BEFORE you install any third-party patches or mods... including the True Patch Gold Edition, and any of the "unofficial patches" produced by Werner "Wesp5" Spahl.
You must do this BEFORE you start the game up and attempt to play it for the first time.
This is not an optional procedure, people. I will NOT support the tech problems of ANYONE who fails to perform this very simple task...
(1) Locate your VTMB installation within your Steam folders.
(2) MOVE that entire VTMB folder (and everything that it contains, including all sub-folders) to a new location on your hard drive. I suggest placing it in its own unique directory called "VTMB" or something similar.
(3) Install the True Patch Gold Edition -after- you have moved the entire game away from Steam.
(4) Install any TPG-compatible mods that you might wish to use.
(5) Create a new desktop shortcut to the vampire.exe file within your main VTMB folder. Simply locate the vampire.exe file, highlight and copy it (press Ctrl-C) and then, right-click anywhere on an empty area of your Windows desktop and select "Paste shortcut" from the pop-up menu (or whatever the equivalent command is for Windows 7).
(6) Add any necessary command line switches to the "Target" box of your new VTMB shortcut. Instructions on which switches to use, and how to set them up, may be found all over this board in the various TPG and Mega-Mod related topics. Or just ask, if you are having trouble locating those instructions and we'll point you in the right direction.
Every single VTMB player who owns the Steam version of Bloodlines MUST perform the above tasks BEFORE patching/modding this game. This is one area where both Wesp and myself are in complete agreement. You can not play VTMB from the Steam launcher without encountering all sorts of problems... not the least of which will be corruption of the game's critical files, and serious and severe incompatibility with third-party patches and mods.
Thanks for the news on this, since I just got it from the Steam sale. Was always interested in it from seeing a Let's Play of it from someone on YT. Game works great with your mod BTW.
Quote from: Yoonoko on April 23, 2014, 07:02:34 PMGame works great with your mod BTW.
Patch. Not mod. Patch. ;)
There's a difference between a patch and a mod. Mods are deliberate efforts to make significant changes to some aspect of a game... whether it be the gameplay, the look and feel of the game, or whatever. Patches, on the other hand, simply make repairs to things which were actually missing and/or broken in the original game.
The TPG is a genuine third-party patch. In fact, it is the
only genuine third-party patch available for VTMB, from any source (Wesp's so-called "unofficial patch" makes far too many arbitrary changes to VTMB for it to be referred to as a "patch"). The TPG simply fixes bugs -- without making any significant changes to the default gameplay.
My mods, on the other hand, are something else altogether... and they have nothing whatsoever to do with the True Patch.
Ah. Didn't know that. Always new things to learn.
Well I just downloaded this game, and I was browsing the internet for the best possible mods so I could enjoy it. Lucky for me I found this site and I have thoroughly read your instructions. And it works perfectly. This is my first playthoough, thanks for creating the mod and the excellent instructions.
thanks for the help i ll need to redownload it but now i know what to do . any chance you could tell me what mods would work with your patch ? :) so i won't mess up the game after i finnaly get it to work that is ...
Well, naturally my own mods work beautifully with the True Patch, since all of them were designed around it.
As for mods made by other people, I have no idea. I don't keep tabs on other modders. You would need to ask the authors of those mods whether or not their mods are 100% TPG compatible. But if you are unable to find out whether or not a given mod is TPG compatible, then your safest course of action is to simply avoid it.
If the mod in question is a simple texture ("re-skin") mod... meaning that the ONLY thing it modifies is the outward appearance of a character or an object... then it should work just fine with the TPG.
Do you think the real disc would work better ? iam thinking of buying the actual disk at this point from amazon to just make it a hell of a lot easier if so could you give me your best guess if it would play on my pc i am running windows 7 64 bit .
Quote from: Valewing on November 06, 2014, 05:56:58 PM
Do you think the real disc would work better ?
Once the game has been patched with the True Patch, it really won't matter whether you installed
the original 3-CD version of Bloodlines, or a downloaded version (such as the Steam release).
Just be sure to follow the procedure described in this thread and MOVE the entire game into its own
dedicated folder on your hard drive. That is the way Bloodlines was designed to run, so that's the
way everyone should install it -- as a stand-alone game. Download it and then move it, as instructed.
The original 3-CD version is definitely worth owning, though. That's the version that I have and it's
bound to become a collector's item some day. So if you find a good deal on it, then grab it for sure.
Poking repeatedly while praying very hard appears to have worked for me.
I installed the patch downloaded from this site over it, ran it as administrator and also has it running on Compatibility Mode Windows XP (Service Pack 3). It seems to be working fine so far, though I might just be extraordinarily lucky and I'd end up with corrupted save files in a week. >___>
I think you have misunderstood.
Yes, you can leave VTMB where it is and install the TPG and everything will work just fine...
...until the day when Steam tries to update or re-patch the game, because the game files won't match whatever Steam thinks they should be.
And then, your entire VTMB installation will be corrupted beyond repair. You'll be forced to delete it entirely and then re-install it all over again.
So do yourself a big favor and just trust my advice. Move the entire game out and away from Steam. It isn't hard to do. Just follow my instructions and you'll do fine.
Bloodlines is not compatible with Steam. Period. That's just the way it is.
Quote from: Tessera on November 17, 2014, 04:30:05 AM
...until the day when Steam tries to update or re-patch the game, because the game files won't match whatever Steam thinks they should be.
Aaaaaah...
...yes, I shall do that.
Quote from: Tessera on July 01, 2013, 09:54:28 PM
The answers to your questions are already contained within my original post.
Bloodlines is not compatible with the Steam service. This is doubly true if you install any third-party patches and/or mods into the game. In order to ensure that your Bloodlines installation functions properly, you must follow the instructions stated within my OP to the letter. Failure to do so will not only screw up your game, but it will also screw you out of receiving any technical support for the True Patch, should the need ever arise. I can not offer support for an unauthorized (by me) version of the game.
As for your game saves, that is immaterial... since you will always need to start over again with a fresh character after installing the True Patch. This is true for every single third-party patch on the web, because all of the patches available for VTMB contain repaired versions of various game maps. And whenever the game maps are updated, the data contained within any prior game save files is effectively obsolete and it WILL malfunction, if you try to keep playing the game with that character. Not if... not maybe... it WILL malfunction FOR CERTAIN. So the rule of thumb is a simple one: whenever the game maps for Bloodlines have been updated or altered in any ways whatsoever, then any prior game save files must be scrapped.
I tried an experiment with my Steam VTMB - I left it installed there and lo and behold -- My nude Malk disappeared, along with all my saves.
Hey, if Steam wants to be my nanny then they should send me a nanny dominatrix to punish me for being naughty lol
Seriously though, who the fuck are they to wipe out ANY mods I installed to a game that I FUCKING PAID FOR?
Is this something new Steam is doing or did I just discover it?
Steam did it. Not because they're trying to get rid of nude mods, though. It's because as I have repeatedly said, the Steam service tries to automatically update all of your Steam games. Even when you tell Steam NOT to update Bloodlines, it still does it anyway from time to time. And since it doesn't recognize any third-party patches or mods, it simply overwrites them with whatever Steam considers to be the "correct" files. The inevitable result is a completely corrupted and virtually un-playable Bloodlines installation.
So once again:
BLOODLINES IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH STEAM. This is especially true if you use any third-party patches or mods with Bloodlines. This doesn't just happen with the True Patch, but it happens with Wesp's patch, too. Which is why both Wesp and I keep telling people to MOVE THE ENTIRE GAME OUT AND AWAY FROM STEAM.
Trust me on this, folks. I really do know what I'm talking about here. I am the guy who wrote 95% of the True Patch Gold Edition all by himself (the other 5% of the TPG consists of carry-overs from the old True Patch 5.04AT version, which was primarily written by Acrimonious). I am also the author of the VTMB Mega-Mod. I know the guts of this game better than I know my own guts. So if I'm telling you that Bloodlines is not compatible with Steam, then you can trust me. It's not my opinion -- it's a fucking FACT.
So if you want to enjoy the best possible playing experience, then you absolutely MUST move this game away from Steam. Failure to do so will result in nothing but headaches for you.
And I personally will not provide any technical support to anyone who is playing the Steam version, but refuses to move the game away from Steam. I think I have already said why: it's because Steam will keep corrupting the game, which makes any tech support from my end impossible.
Yipes.
Thanks for the heads up. In fact the Steam boards list a fix for the "less than 15MB" solution which links to this site, but it does NOT mention moving it from the Steam folder. So thanks for that.
Now I'l reinstalling it and then moving it.
Reinstall the game... move it... and then install the True Patch Gold Edition.
Everything will be fine after that.
Quote from: Tessera on November 28, 2014, 03:58:44 PM
Steam did it. Not because they're trying to get rid of nude mods, though. It's because as I have repeatedly said, the Steam service tries to automatically update all of your Steam games. Even when you tell Steam NOT to update Bloodlines, it still does it anyway from time to time. And since it doesn't recognize any third-party patches or mods, it simply overwrites them with whatever Steam considers to be the "correct" files. The inevitable result is a completely corrupted and virtually un-playable Bloodlines installation.
Yeah I kinda figured that too.
VTMB is especially vulnerable because, as you've said, the game was made before Steam existed.
Just not compatible at all.
Crap.. I didn't see this til wsy later lol
I guess I'll just re-install it again. Thanks for letting me know, I had no idea.
If the game is currently working, then you don't need to completely re-install it.
Just move the game out and away from Steam, and into its own folder. Then re-install the current version of the True Patch Gold Edition, just to make sure that Steam didn't screw up the patch. After that, create a new desktop shortcut to the "vampire.exe" file (the main executable file that actually launches the game) and you're all set.
Hey there! First thanks for continuing to do (what I hear is) great work on this patch. I followed the instructions and I'm getting a consistent error that I've not seen anyone else here mention, so I thought I'd post this up and see if anyone can provide any insight.
The steps I followed (I own the game through Steam):
1. Deleted Local Files via Steam
2. Entirely deleted the Steam/steamapps/common/Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines folder, since Steam leaves it there after deleting the local content
3. Installed/downloaded game via Steam
4. When the download completed I grabbed the new Steam/steamapps/common/Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines folder and copied it straight to D:\ as VTMB
5. Copied the contents of True_Patch_Gold_FINAL_with_Hotfix8/TRUE_PATCH_MAIN (i.e., vampire.exe, /bin, and /Vampire) into D:\VTMB, overwriting all existing files when prompted
6. Created a shortcut on the desktop to D:\VTMB\vampire.exe with -console -heapsize 960000 -w 1920 -h 1080 -32bit switches set
7. Launched the game from the shortcut
On first launch I received a dialog box saying I needed to run the game as Admin, although the game does still load in the background. I closed it all down and added the "Run as Administrator" option to the shortcut and the game launched fine. The problem is that every time I hit New Game I get the loading screen and then immediately, boom!, a dialog saying that vampire.exe has stopped working.
I can click into Options and Load Game from the menu. The only time I get the error is when it tries to launch the engine. I've included some info below from both the console at startup and the crashlog I get. Thanks again!
P.S. - I have Windows 10 installed and I have tried running the game in compatibility mode for Windows 7 and Windows XP SP3, all with the same results :-(
Info from the console upon load:
'import site' failed; use -v for traceback
Python 2.1.2 (#31, Oct 6 2004, 21:53:24) [MSC 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
Copyright (c) 2001-2002 Python Software Foundation.
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright (c) 2000 BeOpen.com.
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright (c) 1995-2001 Corporation for National Research Initiatives.
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright (c) 1991-1995 Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam.
All Rights Reserved.
Failed to load D:\VTMB\vampire\dlls\vampire.dll
Unabled to load game dll
Material "debug/debuglightmap":
No render states in shader "LightmappedGeneric_DX8"
Material "debug/debuglightmapzbuffer":
No render states in shader "LightmappedGeneric_DX8"
Unable to open data file for: vdata\system\TraitEffects001.txt
Unable to open Trait Effect List data file for: vdata\system\TraitEffects001.txt
Unable to open history data file for: vdata\system\Histories001.txt
Unable to open History List data file for: vdata\system\Histories001.txt
Unable to load data for: vdata\quotes.txt
Unable to open data file for: vdata\system\TraitEffects001.txt
Unable to open Trait Effect List data file for: vdata\system\TraitEffects001.txt
Unable to open history data file for: vdata\system\Histories001.txt
Unable to open History List data file for: vdata\system\Histories001.txt
Error: Material "engine/rendermodelshadow" : proxy "ShadowModel" unable to initialize!
SSE code is enabled
SSE2 code is enabled
3DNow code is disabled
MMX code is enabled
Exe version 0.27.0 (protocol 1)
Build: Dec 2 2004 16:11:45 (466)
couldn't exec user.cfg
Top of the crashlog file:
* * * Vampire Crash Data Log, Generated From Exe Built On: Oct 6 2004 * * *
vampire caused an Access Violation (0xc0000005)
in module engine.dll at 0023:200f5a77.
Read from location 00000000 caused an access violation.
Context:
EDI: 0x00000008 ESI: 0x04cf9384 EAX: 0x8068ac00
EBX: 0xffffffff ECX: 0x00000000 EDX: 0x00000073
EIP: 0x200f5a77 EBP: 0x20d5e0b8 SegCs: 0x00000023
EFlags: 0x00010206 ESP: 0x0019e678 SegSs: 0x0000002b
Bytes at CS:EIP:
8b 11 a3 48 09 2b 21 a1 3c 09 2b 21 83 c4 14 50
-----[ SysInfo ]-----
Error occurred at 1/25/2016 23:41:34.
8 processor(s), type 586.
45% memory in use.
1024 MBytes physical memory.
1024 MBytes physical memory free.
2048 MBytes paging file.
1024 MBytes paging file free.
0 MBytes user address space.
2606 MBytes user address space free.
-----[ StackTrace ]-----
0x73656E65 : <unknown symbol> in <unknown module>
-----[ ScopeTrace ]-----
SCOPE_TRACE data, stack depth = 3
02. RunListenServer ()
01. CEngineAPI::Run ()
00. LauncherMain ()
Quote from: includeh on January 25, 2016, 11:57:06 PM
P.S. - I have Windows 10 installed and I have tried running the game in compatibility mode for Windows 7 and Windows XP SP3, all with the same results :-(
I've already stated this quite a few times, but let me say it again... in big letters this time:
VTMB WILL NOT RUN ON WINDOWS 10Neither will lots of other pre-DirectX 11 games. MicroSlop, in their never-ending attempt to force PC gamers to buy X-Box gaming consoles, has seen fit to sabotage backward-compatibility support for older DirectX games in Windows 10.
Therefore, if you wish to play VTMB or ANY OTHER pre-DirectX 11 PC game, then you will have to UNINSTALL Windows 10 and roll your system back to an earlier, more gamer-friendly operating system (such as Windows 7 or Windows XP).
There are no other viable options at this time for Windows 10 users. If you are angry about this, then I suggest writing several hundred nasty letters to Microsoft.
Hmm... I must have missed that message earlier in the post - my bad. Thanks for the answer though.
The be clear, VTMB does run in Windows 10 just fine either from Steam, or launched from a non-steam folder, both with and without the Unofficial Patch - I just applied the VTMBup94 patch and it's running right now. It just doesn't run in Windows 10 using the TrueGold patch it seems. Which is too bad for me as I do hear really great things about your patch. Though I guess it saves me all those nasty emails to Microsoft :-)
Thanks again!
Quote from: includeh on January 26, 2016, 07:40:20 PM
The be clear, VTMB does run in Windows 10 just fine either from Steam, or launched from a non-steam folder, both with and without the Unofficial Patch - I just applied the VTMBup94 patch and it's running right now. It just doesn't run in Windows 10 using the TrueGold patch it seems. Which is too bad for me as I do hear really great things about your patch. Though I guess it saves me all those nasty emails to Microsoft :-)
LOL...
Just wait until Steamingpile does its little update thing like it does randomly. It WILL bork your VTMB installation. Actually that's just about the only thing Tessera and Wesp agree on...VTMB is not compatible with Steam. Move it away into its own folder. And you should try playing for several hours before you say it runs fine. Anything can run for five minutes on Win10. If it runs for five hours, then you may claim it works. At least until it doesn't. ;)
Yeah, I've moved it to an isolated, non-steam folder to run it with the unofficial patch just in case Steam gets it in mind to reset the files. I've been playing it just fine today for several hours and I've played the game fully to completion before on Windows 10 (using the same setup). I was just wanting to replay it again, and I read great things about the TrueGold patch so was hoping to apply that for this play through.
Someone needs to explain to me how a DirectX 8 game runs on an operating system which does not include support for DirectX9 or earlier versions of DirectX.
Technically, that should not be possible. Without the proper DirectX dll files present in the Windows system folders, the game shouldn't even launch at all... let alone run.
In any case, I'm sure there must be some sort of work-around that I don't know anything about (such as a forced install of the DX9 SDK, for example). But I don't pay any attention to Windows 10. Why..? Because absolutely everything that I have read about that "free" OS paints a very dismal picture for hard-core PC gamers like myself. Hence I have not installed Win 10 on any of my computers -- nor am I likely to in the future. And without a working Win 10 installation for me to experiment with, there's really no sensible way for me to produce any Win 10 updates for the True Patch.
In any case, my advice to gamers remains unchanged: if you enjoy PC games... especially older PC games... then you are advised to play those games on a more gamer-friendly version of Windows (Win7 or WinXP).
Windows 10 offers absolutely NOTHING new that would be of any interest to PC gamers. Everything that I have read about Win 10 makes this fact abundantly clear. PC gamers would be wise to wait a year or two before installing Win 10... so as to make sure that they can continue to play their favorite games, without having to jump through a new bunch of hoops and hassles.
Was VTMB running fine for you on Windows 7..? Yes..? Then why did you change it..? It's as simple as that, so far as I am concerned. Newer isn't always better.
As for anyone who plays VTMB using one of Wesp's horrible "patches," well... you aren't playing VTMB. You're playing Wesp's bastardized version of VTMB, complete with numerous (and poorly conceived) content changes and dozens of new bugs created by Wesp. If you're okay with that, then by all means... have fun. ::)
Hello! I was hoping to get some help, but first let me say thank you Tessera and everyone here for the work you've done to get VTMB working for people like me, who bought it on Steam and had it promptly crash.
I'm running Windows 7. I followed the instructions from this thread (download, remove from the Steam folder - I put it on my desktop - install the Gold patch by moving the files into the Vampire folder) and the TPGE thread (http://www.tessmage.com/forum/index.php?topic=58452.0). And I followed the other instructions from the Steam site (http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2025035): Run in admin mode, with Windows XP SP3 compatability mode, "disable visual themes", and "disable desktop composition"
So I can start up the game, and click "New Game", but then it crashes without a message. The crash report looks like this:
* * * Vampire Crash Data Log, Generated From Exe Built On: Oct 6 2004 * * *
vampire caused an Access Violation (0xc0000005)
in module engine.dll at 0023:200f5a77.
Read from location 00000000 caused an access violation.
Context:
EDI: 0x00000008 ESI: 0x09d86f4c EAX: 0x106b9c00
EBX: 0xffffffff ECX: 0x00000000 EDX: 0x00000073
EIP: 0x200f5a77 EBP: 0x20d5e0b8 SegCs: 0x00000023
EFlags: 0x00210202 ESP: 0x0018e680 SegSs: 0x0000002b
Bytes at CS:EIP:
8b 11 a3 48 09 2b 21 a1 3c 09 2b 21 83 c4 14 50
Is there anything I can do?
With the True Patch installed, you do not need to run VTMB in any sort of compatibility mode under Windows 7. The people who are telling you to do that over on the Steam boards are simply wrong.
I run VTMB under Windows 7 Ultimate x64 all the time... and I never have to run it as an admin, nor do I have to activate compatibility mode. That was the whole idea behind the latest build of the True Patch Gold Edition... to ensure that VTMB would run perfectly under all versions of Windows... up to and including Windows 7. This will be true for both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
I have not optimized the TPG for Windows 8 or the new Windows 10, simply because both of those versions of Windows are HORRIBLE for gaming... especially when we're talking about older games like VTMB.
If you are experiencing crashes, then in almost every instance it's because the TPG was not installed properly. Carefully read the installation instructions, and try again. And be sure to run the VTMB ResPatcher utility after installing the TPG and BEFORE you actually start up the game for the first time. Your readout shows an engine.dll error... and it may very well be due to a failure on your part to use the ResPatcher correctly.
Quote from: Tessera on November 05, 2016, 01:02:19 AM
If you are experiencing crashes, then in almost every instance it's because the TPG was not installed properly. Carefully read the installation instructions, and try again. And be sure to run the VTMB ResPatcher utility after installing the TPG and BEFORE you actually start up the game for the first time. Your readout shows an engine.dll error... and it may very well be due to a failure on your part to use the ResPatcher correctly.
Thank you so much for replying!
I am confused about this instruction though. I don't want VTMB to run in widescreen, so I ignored that. However, the truth is that it does OPEN in widescreen before I can change it to regular screen. That means I need to follow the widescreen instructions anyway? Is there no way to force it to open in regular screen instead of wide-screen? And once I follow the widescreen instructions, can I change it back to fullscreen without harm?
Also, the res_patcher instructions appear to be contradictory. In "ReadMe_NOW_Utility.txt", it says to run res_patcher, but in "ReadMe_RES-PATCHER.txt", it says "IMPORTANT... BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE, OPEN UP THE FILE NAMED "config.cfg"
LOCATED WITHIN YOUR VTMB\Vampire\cfg sub-folder. "
Also I can't find config.cfg in the Vampire/cfg sub-folder. What can I do?
Thanks again!
Update: I followed the instructions as well as I could (meaning everything in ReadMe_NOW_Utility.txt but the config.cfg instruction), and tried to run the VTMB without admin privileges. The command in "target" was:
"C:\Users\Me\Desktop\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\vampire.exe" -w 1440 -h 900 -heapsize 800000
The game started, gave me 2 errors of "you need admin privileges", and crashed at the same spot. So I'm definitely misunderstanding something =(
Any advice would help.
I'm gonna need the answers to a few questions, before I can give you any advice:
(1) What kind of monitor are you using, exactly..?
(2) You mentioned a forced screen resolution of 1440x900. Are you trying to run VTMB on a laptop computer..? If so, you should be advised that this particular game does not run very well (if at all) on most laptops... even laptops which are supposedly made for gaming. The old alpha Source engine that VTMB uses simply doesn't know how to properly address laptop hardware. The reason is because, back at the time that VTMB was released, there was no such thing as a "gaming laptop." There still isn't any such thing, in my opinion. At any rate, this is not a game for laptop users.
(3) Certain built-in, onboard (motherboard) audio hardware does not work with VTMB. Some do... and some don't. Again... this is an older game and it expects to find a dedicated audio card in the system. Failing to find one, it often crashes. Or else the audio misbehaves. Or both.
Regarding the VTMB ResPatcher utility, you need to run it REGARDLESS of whether or not you are using a widescreen monitor. I suppose I should have been a bit more clear about that, back when I wrote the TPG instructions. If you do not intend to run the game in widescreen mode, then do the following:
(1) Open up VTMB's config.cfg file, find the line that says "r_anamorphic=" and make sure that it says "r_anamorphic=0" (I repeat -- this is ONLY if you DO NOT want to run the game in widescreen mode).
(2) Run the VTMB ResPatcher utility and click on the button that says "Reset to default values" and then click on the button that says "Patch It!"
(3) Play the game. Do not add any switches to the command line in this case... only the people who need to force widescreen modes need to do that. Simply run the game and select your preferred resolution via the game's own Options menu.
Thanks for replying again! I'm happy to answer.
> (1) What kind of monitor are you using, exactly..?
Dell E198WFP
> (2) You mentioned a forced screen resolution of 1440x900. Are you trying to run VTMB on a laptop computer..?
No, desktop
> (3) Certain built-in, onboard (motherboard) audio hardware does not work with VTMB. Some do... and some don't. Again... this is an older game and it expects to find a dedicated audio card in the system. Failing to find one, it often crashes. Or else the audio misbehaves. Or both.
I'm not quite sure what you're asking here, but I'll try to answer. Here are my audio devices, as listed in the device manager:
AMD High Definition Audio Device
Realtek High Definition Audio
(And if it matters, I use external speakers)
> Regarding the VTMB ResPatcher utility, you need to run it REGARDLESS of whether or not you are using a widescreen monitor. <snip> If you do not intend to run the game in widescreen mode, then do the following: <snip>
I followed your instructions (which is to say, I deleted all VTMB content from my computer, reinstalled from Steam, moved it to my desktop, reinstalled TPG, and then followed the instructions in this post). It opened in regular-screen instead of widescreen, which was great! Unfortunately, I got the same result - it crashed when I tried to start a new game.
The weird thing is how, after I click "New Game", it gets to the loading screen and shows a little bit of the loading bar filled in, then goes black and Windows tells me "vampire.exe has stopped working."
Quote from: kmjzknzd on November 07, 2016, 12:21:04 AM
I'm not quite sure what you're asking here, but I'll try to answer. Here are my audio devices, as listed in the device manager:
AMD High Definition Audio Device
Realtek High Definition Audio
(And if it matters, I use external speakers)
"AMD High Definition Audio Device" refers to your video card's built-in audio device, which is usually used to send an audio signal (via an HDMI cable) to an HDTV (or monitor) that has built-in speakers. If you do not use that type of monitor, then I recommend disabling "AMD High Definition Audio Device" in your Windows Device Manager, as it has been known to cause conflicts with other types of audio hardware.
"Realtek High Definition Audio" refers to on-board (built into your motherboard) audio hardware. This is precisely what I was referring to in my previous post. VTMB has been known to crash on systems which employ on-board Realtek sound. You're just plugging your desktop speakers into an audio jack that is a part of your motherboard, yes..? This means that you are not using a separate, dedicated sound card.
--------
Having said all of that, I suspect that the problem you are having with VTMB is actually coming from somewhere else. Either you did not install the game properly, or else you did not install and configure the True Patch properly. It's possible that you could be having an audio or other hardware conflict... but in your case, I don't think so.
You've said that you're running Windows 7, so I don't think it's a problem with your OS. At least -- not exactly. The TPG has been thoroughly tested on all versions of Windows XP and Windows 7... both 32-bit and 64-bit.
So something else must be wrong with your setup.
And I think I know what it might be...LAST TRY: I just remembered that a recent Microsoft update to Windows 7 disabled the Windows SafeDisk drivers. Microsoft claimed that they did this for "security reasons," which is a fat load of paranoid horseshit.
It is entirely possible that this is what is causing your problem: no Safedisk driver being loaded by WIndows 7. In fact, it is very likely the culprit in this situation. There are instructions on this board (and all over the web) which will explain how to edit your Windows system registry and re-enable the Safedisk driver in Windows 7.
I strongly recommend that you pursue this. The fix is very simple: MS didn't remove the Safedisk driver from Windows 7, they simply released an update which edits the system registry and disables it.
So the fix is actually very simple. You just open up the registry using Regedit, find the entry for the Safedisk/SecureRom driver (I forget exactly where it is located in the registry -- just Google it) and then change the value of that entry in order to re-enable the driver. Then reboot Windows, so that the driver will be loaded properly.
The True Patch removes the need for the Safedisk copy protection system from VTMB -- that is a fact. BUT...
the game engine itself still expects to find the Safedisk driver loaded, even though it is not actually going to use it (thanks to the TPG). So if I were you, that is the first thing that I would try: go find the information, and then open up your Windows 7 registry and re-enable the Safedisk driver. This may very well fix your problem with getting VTMB to finish loading.
FOLLOW UP:
To re-enable the SafeDisc/SecureROM driver in Windows 7, follow these steps (courtesy of Microsoft):
(To re-enable the driver), you can edit the registry directly. To do this, follow these steps:
(1) Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the following subkey in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\secdrv
(2) Right-click the item named Start, and then click Modify.
(3) In the Value data box, do one of the following:
Type 4 to disable the driver's service, and then click OK.
Type 3 to set the driver's service to manual, and then click OK.
Type 2 to set the driver's service to automatic, and then click OK. (THIS IS WHAT VTMB REQUIRES)
(4) Exit Registry Editor.
The VTMB version of the Source engine expects the secdrv.sys driver to be loaded... even if the game isn't actually going to make use of it. While it is true that the True Patch Gold Edition has effectively removed any copy protection from VTMB, the game engine STILL EXPECTS THE DRIVER TO BE LOADED PRIOR TO LAUNCHING THE GAME. So for all of you Windows 7 users who can't get VTMB to load... even when it used to load up and run just fine in the past... this is most likely the answer to your problem.
A recent Windows update deliberately disabled the secdrv.sys driver in Windows 7, claiming that the driver was "a security risk." Whether or not you want to believe that is up to you... but the fact remains that older PC games produced between 2003 and 2008 rely upon the secdrv.sys driver in order to launch. So if ANY of your older games are not working properly (if at all) under Windows 7, then I strongly advise everyone to follow the above steps to re-enable the secdrv.sys driver in Windows 7.
It worked! I'm able to play the game now. Thank you so much!
To confirm, the steps I took were:
1. Move VTMB out of the Steam folder (and onto my desktop)
2. Move the True Patch files into the Vampire folder
3. Run the VTMB ResPatcher utility
4. Edit secdrv in the registry
Excellent. Happy vamping. 8)
Even though this is a 4 year old post, it has caught my direct attention quickly. I never trusted steam or at least not literally my cup of tea when it comes to modding, since none of them are DRM free and sometimes most of them aren't mod friendly UNLESS it's their own product which I could care less basically. Out of all the main reasons I prefer installing games through ISO of the original copy, in which case it's very easy to obtain a copy of VtMB, it's on iso-zone if people are too weary of the pirated version.
The main problem with the pirated versions is that most of them are pre-patched and/or pre-modded... which is very bad. >:(
Quote from: Tessera on April 25, 2017, 07:11:35 AM
The main problem with the pirated versions is that most of them are pre-patched and/or pre-modded... which is very bad. >:(
which is why the site is called iso-zone for a reason, so people can obtain that one and only copy. Plus the troika's 1.2 patch can be found on any site
Good to know.
The official 1.2 patch is no longer needed. The current version of the True Patch already contains the content from the official 1.2 patch. So... install the game, then install the True Patch, and you're done. No further patching of any kind is needed.
Quote from: Tessera on April 25, 2017, 09:43:59 PM
Good to know.
The official 1.2 patch is no longer needed. The current version of the True Patch already contains the content from the official 1.2 patch. So... install the game, then install the True Patch, and you're done. No further patching of any kind is needed.
Speaking of patches, the vtmb that's on iso-zone (the one and only place where I found the copy, anywhere else it's a little bit difficult to find) is a PAL version, technically both PAL and NTSC doesn't really matter. Long as the iso is from the original copy and True Patch works? Then players are all set. I had absolutely zero problems
PAL versus NTSC question should be a non-issue for this particular game.
The VTMB Res-Patcher utility bundled in with the True Patch will allow you to patch the video resolution to anything that your heart desires.
FYI... the only significant difference between PAL and NTSC video has to do with the frame rate. And since any modern video card is capable of running VTMB at a very high frame rate, this again becomes a non-issue.
I just decided to reinstall VTMBloodlines to play through again in preperation for VTMB2 coming out next year. But I am having a problem the game either keeps asking to run as administrator and when I do it crashes to Desktop every time .. anything I'm overlooking?
A game shouldn't ask you to run it as an administrator. That's very unusual.
Where did you get your copy of VTMB from..? What version is it..?
It was the steam version I had just downloaded it then applied the true patch thrn your patch then tried to start a fresh game. It gives me about 4-6 pop up messages about access denied messages then starts to load but ctds when i select new game
What version of Windows are you using?
If you are using Windows 10, then you should be aware that the True Patch
is not compatible with that version of Windows.
You can find several articles about the problem here on these Forums.
Ahhh that's probably the issue then, I guess I will be running without the true patch then thank you all for the assistance.
Quote from: vilenia on May 26, 2019, 03:48:46 PM
Ahhh that's probably the issue then, I guess I will be running without the true patch then thank you all for the assistance.
You're welcome. Sorry we couldn't help you out.