Hi there,
I've got a serious problem getting Neocron started on my computer, and I'm hoping some of you could give me a clue on how to fix it, as I'm getting more and more desperate.
The launcher and every affiliate window of it (e.g. Options) takes an incredible long time to load every time I open it (yes, I'm talking about just the launcher window); it takes up to seven minutes to get the damn thing running.
This would be annoying, but perhaps bearable, but from this moment on, the real problem kicks in: When the game finally starts and I've typed in Login and password, the game briefly flashes the "Connecting to info-server" message, before it throws me back to the login screen without any message (error message or otherwise) whatsoever. This happens regardless of whether the login information is correct or not.
When I installed the game for the first time, everything worked fine. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of logging onto the testserver; so when NC finished updating (and I played around for like 4 minutes), I couldn't join the regular Server anymore because the game version was too new (obviously). So I deinstalled the game and reinstalled it afterwards without the testserver option, which was the point where the two aforementioned problems started. The two problems now also apply to joining the Testserver.
If I muster up massive amounts of persistence and click "Enter" (or "Resume", doesn't make a difference) in the login-screen a dozen or more times (after each fall back), I sometimes get to the window where I can choose the server (titan). When i try to advance at this point its the same behaviour all over again, the window closes and seconds later I'm back at the Choose your server Screen without explanation. There is a lottery-win like chance of me passing that test of patience as well, but then I get the information "synchronizing game-data" (something like that) and nothing happens after that - I waited about 20 minutes, and the game did not crash, but nothing more happened. Trapped in "Synchronizing" limbo for eternity, it seems.
I'm not 100% sure whether both problems (the excruciatingly long loading times of the launcher and my inability to actually join the game) are connected, but I somehow suspect it.
I gathered the logfiles the game created here: http://psyko-mike.de/logs.7z
My System:
Windows 8.1 (64-Bit)
Intel i5 760
8GB Ram
AMD Radeon R9 280
Measures already taken:
1) Several reinstallations (some with the testserver option, some without) plus manually searching and deleting files Neocron might have put created on any HDD or keys in the registry which might not be deleted by a deinstallation -> no effect.
2) Networt / Firewall / ISP problems + Check if something went wrong with the Account-> I do have a Laptop and a HTPC in the same network, and on both systems NC and my Account run perfectly; I just copied the damn thing without reinstalling it on the other machines and it simply worked
4) AV Problems -> I'm using Kaspersky Internet Security 2015; deactivating and deinstalling had no effect at all
5) Windows 8.1 -> HTPC runs with 8.1 64-bit as well, and there were no problems there
6) Graphic Drivers -> up- and downgraded them several times with 4 different versions, and it didn't change a thing.
7) HDD problems -> installed it on every of the 3 physical drives, no effect
Frankly, I really don't know what to do anymore. Playing the Game on the laptop or HTPC unfortunately isn't really an option; the same applies to going Rambo on my computer and bulldozing the thing for the sake of one game.
I'm really close to concluding that "A Wizard did it", and give up on the whole thing. Which would be a shame and leave my slightly depressed because I've been wanting to play this game for almost ten years now, when my friends startet getting hooked on NC1.
Maybe some of you guys have an idea up your sleeve that wasn't already covered by the measures I took mentioned above.
Thanks for taking the time to read my lengthy post (tried to be as specific as I could), and thanks in advance for any help.