Vampire TMB repetitive crash (patched version)

I'm sure another thread about this game and the bugs it contains is probably does not seem like riveting reading but please bear with me.

I've searched the web for information about my specific problem and can't find what I need so hopefully someone here will recognise my issue and have a solution.

I actually noticed nothing really wrong when I played the original game, fresh out of it's wrapper (it was selling for $19.95 in the essentials collection at my local Video Ezy). However, reading a few notes about it online and coming across pages of gaming community discussions about bugs, premature releases and patches for this game, I decided to protect myself and patch it before playing further.

I applied the official patch (version 1.2) and then the cumulative to v5.5 unofficial patch (from GameCopyWorld, there wasn't much information about the unofficial patch versions but this seemed to be the patch that included all previous versions and not an incremental patch needing previous versions first).

I then resumed playing the game and noticed nothing much. I still had the same minor glitches such as the occasional female thinking I was male, glitchy mouse action repeatedly engaging in conversation unless I quickly aim away from characters after dialogue ends and minor issues like that. NO crashes.

If you consider finishing an area to be locating as many side quests as you can possibly trigger in that area and finishing everything that can be finished in that area as 'finishing' an area, then I have 'finished Santa Monica & Downtown LA. I'm also most of the way through Hollywood. Of course there are some quests that now require me to go back to previous areas. I tried to go back to Downtown but as soon as I spoke to the cabby, the map opened and I selected Downtown, the game crashed back to desktop with a windows message box saying something like 'error: ....engine fail, cannot change level during dialogue' or similar. I tried again, making sure that the cabby was no longer talking and pausing a while before making the selection for good measure. The crash occured again. I was able to return to Santa Monica however (despite reading a thread in this same section posted I think July this year by a played with a very similar issue only they could go to Downtown but not Santa Monica, so same issue in reverse). I also tried going to Santa Monica, talking to a few people (including picking up my lovely Spas 15 from Mercurio) and then going to Downtown from there instead, but it crashed the exact same way.

Also, as a sidenote to this, one of the things I needed to do was to check my email (the log says I need to do this) as I have finished a task for La Croix and he'll need to give me a further job I presume. When I got to my apartment in Santa Monica my computer was no longer there. I don't know if I'm meant to have been robbed or if it was deliberately taken away by the game as I have one in my apartment in Downtown LA. It's double frustrating as I can't get to Downtown!

I'm hoping to avoid the suggestion of backing up my save game files and reinstalling (unless the person suggesting that is SURE it will work or has known it to work for this exact issue).

I read on a game review page, that in the opinion of one critic who didn't think much of the game, that it was 'impossible to complete without resorting to console commands'. I think that may be an exaggeration but then I haven't played right through an unpatched version. Either way, how do I activate the console for this game (I LOVED using the console in Oblivion btw, so deliciously naughty to type and never worry about money again, not to mention magic armour and weapons). Maybe I can use a console command to warp to Downtown.

Perhaps if I complete a certain quest/s this might resolve itself? I'd rather not play on even more until I know just in case I"m going to have to start again. At least the replayability on this game is awesome.

I finished it without any cheats. You have to do all the quests to continue on. Many times only one specific quest gets you to the next town. Check your log and see what you missed someone asking you to do.

The reason your having crash issues is you applied the patch AFTER you started playing, You needed to patch it first then play. I read that somewhere a while back.

Keep at it, best MMO ever

lol, VtMB is not a mmo, mate. :)

to the tc, yea, i think you need to start a new game to get the most outta the unofficial patches. i'm not sure that's exactly the problem tho, since even after the patches the game still isn't perfectly stable.

NO not MMO really.

How are you enjoying it so far, posted on your forum post about buyin it.

This game is the most patched game ever, and it still has bugs? Seriously, an unofficial patch has been released like once a month for the last 4 or 5 years.Qixote

Troika never, ever released a game i their existance that wasn't two things...

1. fun as hell

2. buggy as hell too.

I couldn't finish that game, I got to a point in the game where something kept happening(Don't remember). I patched it with a new patch and my save game became unplayable, so I said screw it and quit. lol I'm thinking about playing again possibly, but I'm having too much fun with Mount and Blade.

Also on a sidenote: I loved how you used 'delicously naughty' as your emotions of cheating.

Thanks ppls.

In reponse, what's an MMO (sorry to be dumb),

Yes, I'm loving this game, I bought it in a pile of 3 very cheap games ($7 to $19.95) as an impulse at the video store and this was the very last one I got around to playing. I'm totally loving it and will definately play again.

Are you sure that I have to finish every quest in the area before moving again? I've always been able to move around freely until this point and finish side quests as I wish. At this stage I have open quests in all cities, so I'll finish every last thing that I can in Hollywood and also use the card to enter the Brother's Salvage in Santa Monica (where I was able to travel to without a crash) and then I will be totally unable to do anything else without going Downtown, so I'll check back at that point and see if things have improved.

I didn't know I had to install the patches first. Ok, If all else fails I'll try to backup my savegame file and then install again, using patches. Really though, I haven't had any major issues through this game, all the bugs are tolerable. The most annoying bug before this crash was the 'text' issue. I have subtitles turned OFF and yet sometimes, after getting to Hollywood, the characters speech started being displayed in large yellow font. WIth my own dialogue choices adding to the volume of text on my screen at times, this can take up more than half teh screen and is driving me nuts. Turning subtitles on and off again or reloading can temporarily fix the issue.

I read somewhere that one of the companies involved in producing this awesome game was disbanded or something before this was due for release, which is what forced the premature release and therefore all the bugs.

If this is one of my all time favorite games, what else would I enjoy (prefer not going backwards in time and technology)? (For the record I also loved final fantasy VII and VIII in their day and wish the newer versions were out on PC, the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Hitman series etc)

MMO = massively multiplayer online games, usually a rpg, ie mmorpg.

about game suggestions...well, it seems you like games with a deep story and/or lots of interaction. the Gothic games, another rpg series that has quite a cult following, would suit your taste just fine. there are 3 Gothic games, with a fourth in the making, and while they are well known for deep gameplay content, they are at the same time notorious for highly buggy and unstable performance -- quite like Vampire: TMB, actually :)

Yeah as far as I know you have to install all of the patches before you create your character. Certain key quests 'unlock' a different part of town and have to be finished before you can move on but once that part of town is open to you you can come and go as you choose.

You can also try The Witcher, another RPG

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO'

NOOOO NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

BUGGER!

I backed up my savegame files and then uninstalled the entire game, reinstalling and applying patches BEFORE starting again and transferring my SAVE folder back in but STILL the crash at the same point!

I guarantee it's nothing wrong with my system setup as this is what I'm running:

New PC that does NOT have dodgy anything as I built it myself only 2 weeks ago.

Intel Quad Core processor (2.4 gh)

Gigabyte GeForce 8500 gt (I think) Nvidia chip, 512mb ram

2 gb DDR2 ram

SATA 250gb HDD (x2)

DirectX 9.0c

Windows XP Pro 32 bit

awwww MAN! I want to finish this game BAD

Ps. I've progressed in the game and finished the serial killed quest at bros salvage in Santa Monica. There is little more I can do without going downtown to check my emails. Pls help!

And to be specific the error message that I get after crashing back to Windows desktop says exactly this:

(Title bar) Engine Error:

(message box content) Can't change levels while in dialogue

I don't know what that means as I am sure that the cab driver has long finished speaking before I select Downtown

WOOT a solution is in hand!

No I didn't try to install without the 5.5 patch, but that would have been my next move as I don't believe I'm taking advantage of the 'plus features anyway, having started the game before installing (though on reinstall I now see that there is another section in the character sheetup called history, but I didn't like the options anyway and would choose none).

I googled the exact error msg and found a page from a person (on another forum) who was having the same issue and their solution worked so I thought I'd post it here for future reference to others with the same issue.

ACTIVISION gave them 2 solutions which worked sometimes (though not always and not for me) and that is to reinstall game and to clean out Windows Temp.

THe 3rd solution DID WORK for me! That didn't come from Activision but it goes like this. Having any of your buttons linked to mouse flips out the game at that stage. SO even though I use an Xbox wireless controller (xpadder) for most buttons, I still used mouse to look around and to use/attack. The solution involves, temporarily while using the cab, change any button commands you have linked to mouse buttons (ie: use, attack commonly) to keyboard buttons. YOu can change back after reaching destination.

DO NOT SKIP THIS POST IF YOU HAVE THIS PROBLEM. READ ABOVE< IT WORKS!