Null Pointer crash every time we try to play LAN after last update

from Stardock Forums

Since these last updates whenever we try to start a game in LAN it crashes as soon as it loads. Crashes at the same time on three different computers with different maps and no mods.

I'd love to get some help with this. I've been playing this game since it came out on disk years ago.

Here's the summary of the memory dump from WinDbg, it's pretty much the same on all three computers:

************* Path validation summary **************
Response Time (ms) Location
Deferred srv*
Symbol search path is: srv*
Executable search path is:
Windows 10 Version 19043 MP (4 procs) Free x86 compatible
Product: WinNt, suite: SingleUserTS Personal
Edition build lab: 19041.1.amd64fre.vb_release.191206-1406
Machine Name:
Debug session time: Sat Aug 20 16:48:23.000 2022 (UTC - 6:00)
System Uptime: not available
Process Uptime: 0 days 0:17:35.000
................................................................
.............................................................
This dump file has an exception of interest stored in it.
The stored exception information can be accessed via .ecxr.
(1e50.370c): Access violation - code c0000005 (first/second chance not available)
For analysis of this file, run !analyze -v
eax=00000000 ebx=64891ca8 ecx=00000000 edx=00000000 esi=64891c58 edi=64891c68
eip=775938fc esp=032fc960 ebp=032fc96c iopl=0 nv up ei pl nz ac pe nc
cs=0023 ss=002b ds=002b es=002b fs=0053 gs=002b efl=00200216
ntdll!NtGetContextThread+0xc:
775938fc c20800 ret 8
0:000> !analyze -v
*******************************************************************************
* *
* Exception Analysis *
* *
*******************************************************************************


KEY_VALUES_STRING: 1

Key : AV.Dereference
Value: NullPtr

Key : AV.Fault
Value: Read

Key : Analysis.CPU.mSec
Value: 2562

Key : Analysis.DebugAnalysisManager
Value: Create

Key : Analysis.Elapsed.mSec
Value: 102834

Key : Analysis.Init.CPU.mSec
Value: 328

Key : Analysis.Init.Elapsed.mSec
Value: 21343

Key : Analysis.Memory.CommitPeak.Mb
Value: 88

Key : Timeline.Process.Start.DeltaSec
Value: 1055

Key : WER.OS.Branch
Value: vb_release

Key : WER.OS.Timestamp
Value: 2019-12-06T14:06:00Z

Key : WER.OS.Version
Value: 10.0.19041.1

Key : WER.Process.Version
Value: 1.9.7.0


FILE_IN_CAB: Sins-Rebellion v1.974-2022-08-20-16-48-23-7760-14092.dmp

APPLICATION_VERIFIER_FLAGS: 0

CONTEXT: (.ecxr)
eax=00000000 ebx=2bc00f24 ecx=00000000 edx=ffffffff esi=00000000 edi=2bc00f24
eip=004a7102 esp=032fe890 ebp=032fe8b0 iopl=0 nv up ei pl zr na pe nc
cs=0023 ss=002b ds=002b es=002b fs=0053 gs=002b efl=00210246
Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+0x1a7102:
004a7102 8b10 mov edx,dword ptr [eax] ds:002b:00000000=????????
Resetting default scope

EXCEPTION_RECORD: (.exr -1)
ExceptionAddress: 004a7102 (Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+0x001a7102)
ExceptionCode: c0000005 (Access violation)
ExceptionFlags: 00000000
NumberParameters: 2
Parameter[0]: 00000000
Parameter[1]: 00000000
Attempt to read from address 00000000

PROCESS_NAME: Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion.exe

READ_ADDRESS: 00000000

ERROR_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000005 - The instruction at 0x%p referenced memory at 0x%p. The memory could not be %s.

EXCEPTION_CODE_STR: c0000005

EXCEPTION_PARAMETER1: 00000000

EXCEPTION_PARAMETER2: 00000000

STACK_TEXT:
WARNING: Stack unwind information not available. Following frames may be wrong.
032fe8b0 004a5f19 072f26c0 00000000 084743cc Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+0x1a7102
032fe8d8 004d333a 084704e0 084753f8 084741fc Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+0x1a5f19
032fe9d4 003b4821 00000000 084704e0 00000001 Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+0x1d333a
032fee20 003b52e5 084704e0 084704e0 084a4bf8 Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+0xb4821
032fee58 003b586c 08482f10 00000001 084704e0 Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+0xb52e5
032fee90 003b183d 0347c088 76332f40 033bac30 Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+0xb586c
032feebc 00322c39 3c23d70a 751347a0 00000001 Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+0xb183d
032ff100 00322928 00070688 0346ea60 00300000 Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+0x22c39
032ff598 0031c3fa 00000000 0000000a 0305f000 Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+0x22928
032ff848 007afc7a 00300000 00000000 03386f48 Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+0x1c3fa
032ff894 7586fa29 0305f000 7586fa10 032ff900 Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+0x4afc7a
032ff8a4 77587a9e 0305f000 9b48fc60 00000000 kernel32!BaseThreadInitThunk+0x19
032ff900 77587a6e ffffffff 775a8b90 00000000 ntdll!__RtlUserThreadStart+0x2f
032ff910 00000000 007afcfe 0305f000 00000000 ntdll!_RtlUserThreadStart+0x1b


STACK_COMMAND: ~0s; .ecxr ; kb

SYMBOL_NAME: Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion+1a7102

MODULE_NAME: Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion

IMAGE_NAME: Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion.exe

FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: NULL_POINTER_READ_c0000005_Sins_of_a_Solar_Empire_Rebellion.exe!Unknown

OS_VERSION: 10.0.19041.1

BUILDLAB_STR: vb_release

OSPLATFORM_TYPE: x86

OSNAME: Windows 10

IMAGE_VERSION: 1.9.7.0

FAILURE_ID_HASH: {06ef802e-5366-2937-d266-0ea8e4a6c376}

Followup: MachineOwner
---------

sins of a solar empire
60,937 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Hey there!

Sorry to hear you're having trouble. I forwarded your issue along to someone who may be able to help and will try to be in touch soon.

Have a great day!

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are having trouble.

If you go to:

\Documents\My Games\Ironclad Games

rename: Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion

to: Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion-OLD

Try to run the game again.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Hi Fulano,

I've been investigating the crash you reported. I wasn't able to reproduce it on my end but I was able to find the proximate cause thanks to your excellent bug report. I'd like to gather some additional info to help narrow down the root cause.

  • Which platform (Steam, GoG, Xbox) are you playing on?
  • In your attempts, how many human and computer players were in each lobby?
  • Does the crash occur if you start a game on the "The Void" map?

If you're curious, or in case it rings a bell, here's what I've discovered about the crash so far:

The crash occurs because a "squad owner" (a unit or structure that builds strikecraft squadrons) is being created without a valid owning player. Squad owners periodically check whether they're owned by an AI player to decide if they should auto-build strikecraft. Since the squad owner doesn't have a valid owning player, the game crashes when performing this check.

I asked whether the game crashes on The Void in particular because that map doesn't have any preplaced squad owners, whereas most maps do in the form of Pirate Hangar Defenses. I'd be surprised if the issue were isolated to just squad owners, but at a minimum it'll crash at a different spot and shed some further light on the problem.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Sweet, thanks!

Hopefully I get some time in the next two days to do some more testing for you.

I'm running Windows 10, playing on Steam, we had three players, and I think we tried it with just two players, but my memory is fuzzy right now. We usually do an "us three vs AI's" in comp stomp maps that I make in galaxy forge when we've played in the past.

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

I don't know what is going on here...

I got two of the computers fired up, tried The Void, and it worked.

I tried the Galaxy Forge map we were originally trying, and it crashed without even doing the mini-dump on my computer, but the second computer loaded it fine.

I loaded the map in single player on my computer and it worked.

I tried some other maps of all three types (Galaxy Forge, Map Designer, and Default maps). They worked.

I looked at the map in Galaxy Forge again to see if somehow I had some hangers spawning or something that would cause the bug mentioned above, but didn't see anything.

Sooo I got the third computer going and tried that Galaxy Forge map and it worked...

I re-enabled the E4X mod and it worked...

 

So ya, I don't know what happened, it's like loading a different map reset something?

Let me know if you want me to do some more testing. I have had LAN games get to a certain point and crash, even when re-loaded. If that happens again I'll send a report (assuming I get a memory dump...)

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

How odd, but it's good that you're able to get ingame now. To be clear, you're able to launch into a LAN game on the Galaxy Forge map?

If you do end up with a midgame crash - fingers crossed that you don't - I'd be pleased to investigate. In the meantime, happy comp stomping!

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Ya, it's working normally all afternoon as far as I could tell, awesome that it's working, but a pain in trying to track down bugs. :)

Thanks for the help!