New here, already experiencing troubles

[Cypress (OP)]

I just started playing the game, and haven't really gotten into it enough to know anything about playing.
But that's alright, I figure. If I can figure out Dwarf fort, I can figure out this.
And so I go to the empires menu, and see an option "System information"
I click it, figuring this would be a logical starting place
I get an error
"Error 713 generated by aurora
Class not registered
You need the following file to be installed on your machine: msstdfmt.ddl
Please report this problem blah blah blah"
Ok, I say to myself, I know what Sol looks like, I'll soldier through this. Class design. Build me a ship, I can do this
Ok, it appears I can't enter the name for my class...but that's ok! It's got a type selector!
I select ship, as I would prefer to build a ship.
"Error 381 was generated by aurora
invalid property array index
please report this problem..."
Fine...I'll just click ok and
"error 3078 was generated by DAO.database"
Uh...
"Error 91 was generated by aurora"
Jesus Christ, I just clicked ship on the drop down menu!
"Warning!! Selecting this option will remove some systems from your design! Do you wish to continue?"
I click no, and leave the class design stuff behind. As I leave I note that the game automatically changed my ship type to PDC.
I try to start a research project. Maybe my problem is that my people haven't researched lobbing tin cans into space.
It tells me that it's researching lasers, which is fine and good. I enjoy zapping people as much as the next man, and I tell them to make it so.
"Error was generated by aurora"
Oh come on!
I am running a vanilla XP laptop, and I followed the instructions of the forum exactly...and I do not know what to do.
I really do want to play this game, it looks like a super fun game...but the game has more bugs than a crack whore with the sniffles.
Anyone got some penicillin?

[Steve Walmsley]

I just started playing the game, and haven't really gotten into it enough to know anything about playing.
But that's alright, I figure. If I can figure out Dwarf fort, I can figure out this.
And so I go to the empires menu, and see an option "System information"
I click it, figuring this would be a logical starting place
I get an error
"Error 713 generated by aurora
Class not registered
You need the following file to be installed on your machine: msstdfmt.ddl
Please report this problem blah blah blah"
Ok, I say to myself, I know what Sol looks like, I'll soldier through this. Class design. Build me a ship, I can do this
Ok, it appears I can't enter the name for my class...but that's ok! It's got a type selector!
I select ship, as I would prefer to build a ship.
"Error 381 was generated by aurora
invalid property array index
please report this problem..."
Fine...I'll just click ok and
"error 3078 was generated by DAO.database"
Uh...
"Error 91 was generated by aurora"
Jesus Christ, I just clicked ship on the drop down menu!
"Warning!! Selecting this option will remove some systems from your design! Do you wish to continue?"
I click no, and leave the class design stuff behind. As I leave I note that the game automatically changed my ship type to PDC.
I try to start a research project. Maybe my problem is that my people haven't researched lobbing tin cans into space.
It tells me that it's researching lasers, which is fine and good. I enjoy zapping people as much as the next man, and I tell them to make it so.
"Error was generated by aurora"
Oh come on!
I am running a vanilla XP laptop, and I followed the instructions of the forum exactly...and I do not know what to do.
I really do want to play this game, it looks like a super fun game...but the game has more bugs than a crack whore with the sniffles.
Anyone got some penicillin?

It sounds like you are missing a Microsoft DLL that contains some of the code necessary to play the game. Obviously with part of the code missing, you are going to get bugs all over the place. This will affect any software using the VB6 codeset, not just Aurora. Please check if you have the msstdfmt.dll file. If you don't you will have to download it. If you already have it, it may not be registered with your operating system.

Here is a link to download the file:
http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-f ... l?msstdfmt

Not sure which operating system you have but here are some useful threads from other forums that refer to this particular problem
http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/other-soft ... -5188.html
http://thevistaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=14882
http://www.computing.net/answers/progra ... l/540.html

Steve

[Cypress (OP)]

Ok, I can now read the immense spreadsheet that is Systems Information.
Everything else is still broken.
I tried all the other bugs that I had previously found, and they all still exist.

[Erik L]

Ok, I can now read the immense spreadsheet that is Systems Information.
Everything else is still broken.
I tried all the other bugs that I had previously found, and they all still exist.

Did you start a new game, or are you looking at the game in the database?

With a new game, you should make sure that you have your race as the default race (Ctrl R), and that you also have technology for the ships.

[Beersatron]

Does Aurora need dot net? I have pretty every version of it installed due to needing it for a variety of other apps, but it is not necessarily one of those things that is installed on a standard windows setup.

Just spitballing incase an installation of all the dot net versions would help.

[Steve Walmsley]

Ok, I can now read the immense spreadsheet that is Systems Information.
Everything else is still broken.
I tried all the other bugs that I had previously found, and they all still exist.

The problem must still be linked to your specific installation as no one else is reporting the same problems. The trick is going to be figuring out exactly what is different. Firstly, what version number is on the Game window? Second, are you using the game that is already loaded or have you generated a new game?

With regards to the other points you mentioned. To rename a class from the generated name, click the Rename button in the bottom left. The type selector is used to diffentiate between Ships, which is the default, and ground bases (PDCs) so you don't need to select it at all unless you want to design a ground base. The warning about removing systems is because you can't add certain systems, such as engines, to a ground base so the program removes them as options. Still no idea why you got errors though when you used any of the above. If it was a common problem I would be getting a lot of mail

Between the members of the forum we usually figure out any problems so bear with us.

If you want some more in-depth background on the game and an idea of the type of things you need to consider while playing, take a look at the after-action report for the Trans-Newtonian campaign.

viewforum.php?f=16

Steve

[Steve Walmsley]

Does Aurora need dot net? I have pretty every version of it installed due to needing it for a variety of other apps, but it is not necessarily one of those things that is installed on a standard windows setup.

Just spitballing incase an installation of all the dot net versions would help.

I don't have .NET installed. Aurora is written in VB6 - a Precursor language

Steve

[Haegan2005]

Steve, would it help for him to install the VB6 runtime pack? VisualBasic6-KB896559-v1-ENU?

[Steve Walmsley]

Steve, would it help for him to install the VB6 runtime pack? VisualBasic6-KB896559-v1-ENU?

Its a good suggestion but I don't think that is the problem. Not everyone will have that but they aren't getting the same errors. After the DLL issue was fixed, the others sound like an in-game data problem. Once I know the version and what game was being run, I will probably have a better idea. In any event, v4.1 will be out soon and we can look at brand new bugs

Steve