Morrowind and Codecs

[hal900x]

I really hate the arcane clusterfuck that is Codec interactions with games. X2/3 is a great example of a game that was programmed for maximum fail when it comes to playing nice with Codecs. Morrowind is another, and it always seems to be some dark art, with no specific documentation about which codecs are required, which conflict, etc.

Anyway, when I first started out with Morrowind I couldn't even get past the loading screen. Eventually I found a codec reset tool that just reregisters the basics like so:

regsvr32 /s quartz.dll
regsvr32 /s l3codecx.ax
regsvr32 /s l3codeca.acm
regsvr32 /s mpg2splt.ax
regsvr32 /s mpeg2data.ax

and all was well for a time. Except if I left the game unattended for awhile, it would CTD with a fault in asaudioeffecthd.ax. That's an HD audio effects codec that comes from Arcsoft Totalmedia Extreme. Well, I finally got around to unregistering it, thinking that would be my temporary fix. Silly me! Instead, after unregistering it, morrowind seems to be taking a bajillion cycles, and I can barely even get mouse response in the starting menu. The fps counter in the start menu is at like 3. Reregistering the codec,or rerunning the batch file above does not help. wtf.

 

[hal900x]

I managed to at least return it to it's earlier semi-functional state: seems my reregistering of that random arcsoft Codec (which, by the way, is Dolby AC3 related) caused the filter merit to be set to max. Setting it back to Normal allowed me to at least play. Now I"m back to intermittent CTD.

Honestly, you have to be a computer fucking genius to get a PC game to even function poorly? It's a good thing I am one and a masochist to boot, but no wonder the average homo is playing consoles.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Honestly, you have to be a computer fucking genius to get a PC game to even function poorly? It's a good thing I am one and a masochist to boot, but no wonder the average homo is playing consoles.

Please don't inflate the already bloated codexian egos.

 

[Jaqen]

Can you not just install k lite codec pack? Seems to be one of the most comprehensive out now?

 

[roll-a-die]

Can you not just install k lite codec pack? Seems to be one of the most comprehensive out now?

Fuck, he's not talking about codec requirements. He's talking about codec interaction. Basically what often happens is the two monkeys in a room situation. Basically the program say's, hey I have this codec I'm going to use it. The second codec get's jealous that the first has it's own codec, and starts flinging shit at it. This upset's the program's codec, and it starts flinging poo as well, but it eventually loses, and the program that was trying to run it, shoot's itself in the foot.

 

[BethesdaLove]

If you have ffdshow, you could just exclude the morrowind.exe

 

[Raghar]

Honestly, you have to be a computer fucking genius to get a PC game to even function poorly? It's a good thing I am one and a masochist to boot, but no wonder the average homo is playing consoles.

I installed the game and played without any problems whatever. (I installed only one expansion and didn't bother to patch it.) Properly maintained PC without bloat like WGA, or 1000 silly drivers does that. Do you have a sound card?

Of course one of story bugs saved into my only save, so it was impossible to finish.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Who the fuck still has problems with codecs? Except in the case of retarded games that use the system codecs instead of coming with their own, that is.

Codec packs... that's funny.

 

[Gerrard]

It's Bethesda, what can you expect. Failout 3 had tons of problems with codecs too.

 

[Jaesun]

Are you playing a pirated version?

 

[Overweight Manatee]

I really want to find the person who thought that the current codec system was a good idea and shoot him. I rarely have trouble, but fuck trying to deal with that shit. Nuke it from orbit and then try again from a clean system, that's how I handle this bullshit whenever it comes up.

 

[DraQ]

Of course one of story bugs saved into my only save, so it was impossible to finish.

You didn't bother to patch Bethsoft game - sounds like asking for it.

 

[hal900x]

If you have ffdshow, you could just exclude the morrowind.exe

I do...exclude what from what?

Who the fuck still has problems with codecs? Except in the case of retarded games that use the system codecs instead of coming with their own, that is.

Er...it's fairly obvious that the games I mention in my OP do in fact reference the system codecs. I agree that it's retarded, but we play such games here.

Anyway...the sum total of my steps (unregistering, reregistering and changing Merit) seems to have resolved all issues. And restored the music, which I hadn't realized was missing. Beautiful.

 

[Raghar]

If you have ffdshow, you could just exclude the morrowind.exe

I do...

Learn to do basic computer maintenance and work with computer by selfeducation.

You didn't bother to patch Bethsoft game - sounds like asking for it.

There was no patch that could prevent that bug. (Not to mention the original patches were included in the expansion.)

 

[Luzur]

i never had any problems with codecs and games.

 

[BethesdaLove]

A brian surgreon we are not, aye?
Google link from first page on "ffdshow exclude exe"
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=217747

It only mentions audio but you probably should have the video settings changed too.
I think the tryouts have a separate exe for the config gui. Or just reinstall it with it. I know I had graphic gui once a year back.
http://ffdshow-tryout.sourceforge.net/

You also could start using MPC Homecinema which doesn't change the system default codecs like VLC.

edit

Why the fuck am I so helpful? I dont remember falling headfirst somewhere...

 

[Twinkle]

Honestly, you have to be a computer fucking genius to get a PC game to even function poorly

To be fair, I never had any codec problem with any newly released game with the exception of Morrowind, Obl4ion and Failout 3. So bash Bethseda's retarded code monkeys.

 

[hal900x]

A brian surgreon we are not, aye?

I like to think I'm fairly intelligent. Intelligent enough to question why excluding ffdshow would help when I had already isolated the issue to a proprietary codec from Arcsoft. But I figured I'd give you the benefit of the doubt by asking you to expand. Silly me. Still, thank you for the link. I haven't tried to play X2/3 in a long time, but as I mentioned it's the other game I know of that is notorious for choking on codecs. Who knows, excluding ffdshow might help. If and when I ever do give X2/3 another shot.

 

[FeelTheRads]

I like to think I'm fairly intelligent.

If you would be you'd use a player which doesn't require you to install tons of stupid codecs that WILL at some point fuck up your system.

 

[hal900x]

I like to think I'm fairly intelligent.

If you would be you'd use a player which doesn't require you to install tons of stupid codecs that WILL at some point fuck up your system.

Which player are you referring to? Arcsoft?

I think the fault is more with games that reference system codecs, as was pointed out earlier. I generally use MPC/MPC Homecinema and Arcsoft, and both are pretty well accepted as decent products. If MPC ever gets a bad rap, it's only because it's packaged with certain codec packs, and codec packs suck. Arcsoft is great for playing AVCHD, and it does so with less hassle than anything else.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Don't know what the fuck those are. I'm talking MPlayer or KMPlayer.

Also, games that reference system codecs usually work unless you fucked with those codecs.

 

[BethesdaLove]

A brian surgreon we are not, aye?

I like to think I'm fairly intelligent. Intelligent enough to question why excluding ffdshow would help when I had already isolated the issue to a proprietary codec from Arcsoft. But I figured I'd give you the benefit of the doubt by asking you to expand. Silly me. Still, thank you for the link. I haven't tried to play X2/3 in a long time, but as I mentioned it's the other game I know of that is notorious for choking on codecs. Who knows, excluding ffdshow might help. If and when I ever do give X2/3 another shot.

I am fairly intilligent too. Not a brian surgieon either.
I think tough Arcsoft should deliver options to disable their codecs, no?
I think that it is unfair to blame Bethesda if a third party overwrites default codecs and the game doesnt work because the bug could be in the drivers that do not provide compatibility or stick themselfs where they should not be.

Oh God, I am defending Beth...

 

[Clockwork Knight]

So, I have this k-lite pack for WMP, but some files don't play because of some bullshit error. Would it be a good idea to simply get rid of it and install VLC?

 

[hal900x]

I think tough Arcsoft should deliver options to disable their codecs, no?
I think that it is unfair to blame Bethesda if a third party overwrites default codecs and the game doesnt work because the bug could be in the drivers that do not provide compatibility or stick themselfs where they should not be.

Oh God, I am defending Beth...

Apps don't typically offer this functionality, since codecs are handled by the OS. You have to use the system's (shitty) tools to manage codecs, or use Gspot like I do (although Gspot has a few of it's own issues).

You are basically arguing that ANY application that installs a codec is guilty, because the functionality is such that they "overwrite". Actually they don't, it's called a Merit system, but the end result is the same. And yes, it's known to be a shitty system in general. But only a very few games, mostly older ones, reference external codecs these days. They are the exception not the rule, and doing it that way causes issues unless you have a virgin system. or limit yourself to apps that don't install any codecs.

I can install a dozen media players that rely on system codecs and none of them crash. But Morrowind does. Why is this? Possibly because it is incapable of playing a media file on anything but the codec that shipped with the OS. That's my guess. And that is shitty.

So, I have this k-lite pack for WMP, but some files don't play because of some bullshit error. Would it be a good idea to simply get rid of it and install VLC?

If you are serious, then as I said: Codec packs suck. Reading this thread you'll probably see why, they install a shitload of 3rd party codecs, and the more you get, the more potential problems you have. I am not a big fan of VLC personally. My favorite media player is Media Player Classic Homecinema. It's a hack of the original Windows Media Player, modded (well) to support modern formats. It's kind of the indy standard IMO.

You could also try feeltherads favorites. Players like KMPlayer are not reliant on system codecs (last time I checked, which was years ago). KMPlayer uses internal codecs that are tucked inside of it's own code, so there's limited interacation with the systema and hence less hassle with codecs. Potentially less format support too, since you have to hope the devs build in support for your desired format, but hey.