Texas Justice

1. No harm, no foul. We all had to start somewhere.

2. I'll see if I can summon houtex or one of the other gurus for assistance with closing out all those startup programs. My brain is getting fuzzy enough that I don't trust myself for giving those instructions right now.

3. Ok. Avast is an anti-virus. It isn't a spyware blocker or remover.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is designed specifically to get rid of spyware, and the one I listed is a very nasty one with several variations that all look and act similarly. Malwarebytes will remove it. No need to buy the program, the free version will work for what you need.

4. I'll let one of the other gurus see if they spot it in your HijackThis log. I'm not sure what all the variations are that some OEM's such as Compaq call it. Heck, right now I can't even remember what Dell calls it, and I just removed it from my new computer a bit over a month ago.

The Intel 945G is supported but your video driver is very old. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that HP/Compaq has an updated video driver for it. I'd recommend checking to be sure and if a newer driver is available, install it. While you are there, check for an updated audio driver as well.

Turn down your Physics quality. It should only be set to Very High with the Ageia PhysX card installed, and the laptop doesn't have it. I'd actually set it to the lowest setting to start and see if that improves your RV loading, and if it does work your way slowly upward. At the same time, I'd lower the World Detail to Low or Medium and drop the Maximum Particles to 25050.

And of course, the stuff in my previous post.

CoH Helper output would be more helpful than anything City of Data could provide I believe.

That said, update Vista to SP2 through Windows Updates. If SP2 isn't showing, you'll need to install the updates that are there and keep going back until SP2 is shown.

Also, you've got a whooooole lot of unneeded programs running at startup. Look at all of those 04 entries. Most are not needed to run at startup, only when called.

One last thing, download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, install it, update it, and run a scan, remove anything it finds. You have at least one piece of malware easily visible (Antivirus 2008 PRO).

If you are running WindowBlinds or a similar skinning program, set it so that it doesn't affect CoH.

I've seen no other MMO that will stress a system as much as CoH will and show up it's failings as much either.

As I said, I doubted that Dell would have updated drivers for your graphics card. Most OEM's are bad about not keeping updated drivers for laptop video cards.

If you reread my post, nowhere did I suggest you purchase a better graphics card. It is highly unlikely that you can change the video card anyway.

Not that I'd recommend it in the first place. It's a budget laptop with a budget video card that is, IIRC, technically below specs for this game.

Most likely it is due to problems that exist between your cable modem and the CoH servers. If it were on the CoH servers it would be affecting many more players.

This is your main problem, as I see it:

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Video Device Name: Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family



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That video card (if you want to insist on calling it that) is fine for opening Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, Solitaire games and the like, but it is woefully inadequate for serious gaming.

You could try to see if there is an updated driver available from Dell, but knowing how OEM's are about updating laptop video drivers I consider it very doubtful that a new one is available.

It could be something between your ISP and the CoH Servers. It doesn't have to be a case of your computer, your ISP or te CoH server being at fault. There are a number of other pieces to the connection chain than those three.

Sure, why not. People have already pointed out how you are changing the meaning of the wording of your original post. Now you are changing the meaning of what you posted here.

And your comment of " it's going to the back of the list until the level issues are sorted out" means that it will stay at the back of the list, thus you wouldn't be running it and reviewing it as you stated you would if people ran your arc and reviewed it in your thread.

Good job.

Argh! I was just getting ready to put that quote in here.

I guess I AM slowing down in my old age.

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Get off mah lawn!!!!


*waves cane*

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*swipes cane*

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*grabs shotgun*

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I cut it off before your list of likes and dislikes, because those appear to be "outside" the rules of getting you to post a critical review.

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So here you're deciding for yourself what applies and which doesn't, because right in that part you quoted: Now let's cover the things that I like and dislike in arcs, so you have some idea of whether or not you want to submit yours to me.

It's pretty bleeding obvious that one should read that part and not submit an arc containing things that the reviewer does not want to put up with. Those things were listed so that you don't have to waste your time.



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No. I read it as "whether or not you want to submit yours" not as "these are against the rules so don't bother submitting them."

Whether or not implies a choice that the author should make. Sure, it implies that you may be more critical of that part of the arc or you may lower your rating for the arc based on those things, but it doesn't read as if they are against the rules.

Had you intended them to be against the rules of things you'd review, why bother to put a "whether or not" phrase in there. If they are against the rules then simply state "don't waste my time if your arc includes these because I won't review it.

SpyderNoir apparently read the likes and dislikes and made the choice, based on the "whether or not" statement to "pay" for a critical review by reviewing one of your arcs.

I still stand by what I said, and no amount of clever word play on your part will counteract what you originally posted in that thread.

Good day!

I only have one problem with this, and it's not SpyderNoir that I have a problem with.

It's you, "honest" Lazarus.

In your thread, you stated the rules by which you would do a review. Here it is:

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Now if you want a critical review, you gotta pay for it. That means playing one of my arcs listed here and leaving feedback for it in that thread. A warning for everyone critical reviews will have spoilers.

Also, you can only submit one arc at a time. You can submit another arc after I post the review for the previous one. I will let you know in-game when I have finished reviewing you arc.

My rating system generally goes like this: I started at 3 stars and add or subtract from there. 3-stars is radio mission quality in my opinion. 4 stars is above average, while 5 stars is not perfect but means I recommend that everyone play it.

Now let's cover the things that I like and dislike in arcs, so you have some idea of whether or not you want to submit yours to me.



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I cut it off before your list of likes and dislikes, because those appear to be "outside" the rules of getting you to post a critical review. The first 2 paragraphs seem to be the extent of the rules you laid out. The rest is telling HOW you rate and then listing things you like and dislike, which frankly is fine. It lets people know ahead of time things you don't like and may be critical of in a review or take off ratings for.

SpyderNoir followed your posted rules and "paid" for a critical review from you. He ran one or more of your arcs and posted his review in that thread. I didn't read the review, just skimmed the thread until I found that he had indeed fulfilled his part of the bargain. And it wasn't a little 2 sentence or even 2 paragraph review.

However, then you decided to change the rules after he'd already "paid" for a critical review.

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Already I'm looking at that level spread and don't want to bother playing it. I'm not saying who it was here but it's going to the back of the list until the level issues are sorted out.



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You don't want to bother playing it? After you've already been "paid" to do so? How "honest" is that Lazarus? You made the initial offer to review the arcs and stated the "payment". After the "payment" was made you now want to include your likes and dislikes as criteria for playing it in the first place and make that part of the rules?

Not very honest.

At least now I've found another reviewer to scratch off my list who lets their own bias color the reviews, or whether they'll even run the arc to review it.

I haven't run Regicide yet, but I think I'll give it a go since the "reviewers" want to dismiss arcs so readily.

Get off mah lawn!!!!


*waves cane*

Try loading into Safe Mode for the game after updating the drivers. This "should" reset things and get the login screen to where you can access it.

So then how would you label emotes that have more than one slash command to implement them?

Such as .... ;getsome and ;kissit

That's one emote with two different slash commands to implement it. There are several others that are similar.

Not just the vet badges. Look for badges toward Accolades, or the Accolades themselves.

Second accounts without vet badges will still likely have at least several of the badges toward Accolades, if they don't have the accolades.

Also, don't just judge someone by what badges they have, judge them on their playing ability.

Someone could be a 5 year vet of the game and have soloed almost the entire time, so not be aware of how to work in a team, or how best to use their powers to mesh with the current team.

Yeah, leave it to an old person to take up for the driving habits of old people.

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Incorrect. Malwarebytes does indeed have real time protection. However, to obtain this level of protection you need to purchase the software. As for its efficacy, it is very effective and has a small footprint.

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Spybot Seek and Destroy has real time protection and is free.

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Malwarebytes(free edition) > Spybot S&D IMO. I have tried both, and prefer Malwarebytes.

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Agreed. I've gotten rid of stuff with Malwarebytes that Spybot went "what infection?" when it was used to scan. Don't get me wrong, I love Spybot, but I've found that Malwarebytes is much more useful to me.

And as I said earlier, I practice "safe surfing" so I don't really need the real-time protection.

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How the hell am I going to write fun/funny/dramatic storylines in my mission arcs if two-three custom mobs have the file size bursting at the seams?

You can't be creative with the MA. There isn't enough room, simple as that.



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Totally wrong. I have a 3 mission arc with 13 Custom Critters in it. Plenty of Dialog, Clues, Witty Banter, and a Souvenir. Sure, I'd enjoy having another 25k to work with, but your assertion that 2-3 Custom Critters have the file size bursting at the seams is pure hyperbole.

I've played several very good missions that the authors were able to work within the 100k limits fairly easily.

If you feel that you need more room, make it a multi-part arc and spread it across 2 or even 3 Arcs. Since you can purchase additional arc slots now, it's not as limiting as it was at launch when you had 3 arc slots period.

You can be creative with the limits that are in place. There are plenty of good arcs out there that prove it.

In the Hive. You can get there through Eden. If you have an SG base with teleporters, the Eden beacon will drop you off not far from the Hive entrance.

First off, use Windows Update to install Service Pack 2. There may be other updates that need to be run before it will show up.

Second, there is mixed information on the 190.38 video drivers that were recently released. I'd recommend uninstalling the 190.38 drivers and installing the 185.85 drivers instead for now.

Glad it's working for you.

Well, we are working semi-blind here, so let's go about this in a different manner.

First, post a log from running CoH Helper as it will give information about your system and the CoH installation and settings.

Then, post a log from running HijackThis. This will show what else is going on on your computer while you are playing CoH.

It should give us enough information about your system to be able to help you get through it from here.

I'd recommend starting with Zloth's ++ Common Solutions & Posting Guidelines ++ thread that is stickied in this forum.

Secondly, post a log from running CoH Helper as it will give information about your system and the CoH installation and settings.

Thirdly, post a log from running HijackThis. This will show what else is going on on your computer while you are playing CoH.

It still seems rather odd that they don't have error checking working for when you changed your password to be longer than allowed. It "should" have given you a message that your password did not meet the correct requirements, preferably with an explanation of what those requirements are.