People I'm EXTRMELY FRUSTRATED WITH THE TECHNIQUES OF THIS GAME!

from Sins Forums

Look people here is the problem with this d*** game!!

I bought the game back in May. It is a good game. I like it a lot. However to get this game to download, to get online to play with others and the like is a total s***bag full of frustrtion.  Yes, I'm cussing because of the frustration this game puts me through.

Now after going through a barrage of hosting problems of "who can and who cannot host", and login problems I  burned out trying to play this game, and I just put the game away in frustration because of the difficulty of SINS multiplayer problems.

Well, a good friend of mine told me that there is this new program called IMPULSE that was supposed to fix a lot of difficulties associated with SINS in terms of online and multiplayer play.  He was inspired because he could not host a game on Ironclad Online but now he can since this IMPULSE program came out.  He convinced me to try out SINS again. Okay, so I did.  I went and dowloaded first update 1.05 and then ran it.  Then I went to the new 1.1 IMPULSE and downloaded that as well. Well I can't get the IMPULSE  to go because everytime I get this I get this stupid message from my computer of,

 "The installation of SINS OF A SOLAR EMPIRE has failed: The windows installer service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running windows in a safe mode or if the windows installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance, please check your settings and try again"

This is the message I get. Well here is the problem. I don't run my Windows XP on safe mode.  Additonally my windows installer works because I catually uninstall and reinstalled some other programs with no problem.

  So I thought that since this new IMPULSE 1.1 is out, I thought I had to uninstall the game.  I tried to uninstall the game but when I get to the uninstall option that the SINS game provides I could not because I got that same silly @ss quote of "The installation of SINS...etc that I just told you about above.   I got around this  by just going to search files find all the files associated with SINS and delete it that way.  I went and took everything out of my computer that was associated with SINS.  Now I went back to reinstall the game and guess the heck what?  I can't reinstall the game because I get that same crap of a message that I juat mentioned above. Now I can't reinstall the game, don't know if I fully uninstalled the game. Can't go online to play,  and can't log in online to play. I can't do jack s*** with this game. Additonally, I could never get this...what...IMPULSE 1.1 stuff setup either.

Now I try to find technical support. What techincal support? No phone number but I get some silly e-mail address and a bunch of pointless links to high technical jargon that is hard to understand when solving any problems that SINS has...and damn this game has PLENTY of problems when it comes to servers. installing the game, uninstalling the game, getting updates, getting updates to work and the like. 

I really like the game. I really do.  However, somebody....SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO....

1. Reinstall the game. That is if I actually uninstalled the game, because I had to uninstall it from the search files and deleting any program that was associated with SINS. I believe I did because I find no programs from Stardock files and SINS in my computer as we speak now.

2. How to get rid of that statement of, "The installation os SINS of a Solar Empire has failed" garbage?

3. How to install all these updates?

4. How to log into online play?

5. How to host and who the H** can host?

Really, I'm upset here and extremely upset. I have other games, and other programs I run on my computer. I never...NEVER....NEVER had so much grief like I have with SINS, never!.  This game is excellent in gameplay, and excellent in graphics. However, to get this SINS game to work on a computer is so, so difficult that you actually burn out and find another game to play.  I have Supreme Commander and Supreme Commander Forged Alliance, Total Annihilation,  old games and new games and I never had any problems, but SINS OF A SOLAR EMPIRE? Oh man I have problems day in and day out for this game. 

I was recently motivated to try out the game after my friend who could not host can now host because he credits this new IMPULSE 1.1 he downloaded. Well now I try it and I can't do s**** with this game. Well at one point I could host but now man...now? Heck, I can't even get online to play this thing.  Heck I can't even reinstall this game after I think I uninstalled the game.  I can't even get the opportunity to put in my authentication codes for this stuff. Then I have to put up with more frustration with extreme technical jargon which adds to more frustration about this game?

And I was very shocked to find that this game is the 2008 RTS Game of the Year? I can't believe it.  Now I'm not saying that SINS is not good but I find it very hard to believe this game is a 2008 RTS game of the year with its difficuculties with online play and just getting the dam* thing to work properly.

Therefore I suggest..

1. Get a real patch that can give us some REAL online play

2. Find a way to ease the installation/uninstallation process of the game.

3. Get some REAL technical support. Not some silly e-mail address and a FAQ section that is riddiled with tehcnical jargon that is impossible to understand.

4. Find a way to get a new authentication code.

Really I ask SOMEBODY HELP ME!! I'm to the point I'm going to burnout again and put this game back on the shelf or sell it  on E-Bay. It is a great game but all this installation/uninstllation, online play, multiplayer play, and update problems is fast not making this game  not worth it. I have other games and I don't have this problem.

 

 

technical
5,093 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

If you are having troubles with the serial number you have been issued or downloading the product from Impulse please let us know at [email protected]. Account information cannot be posted to the forums for obvious reasons.

For Impulse related issues with downloading and installing please reinstall the game and then right click on the icon and select "verify installation". Do you happen to have any security software running at the time of installation?

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

For Impulse related issues with downloading and installing please reinstall the game and then right click on the icon and select "verify installation". Do you happen to have any security software running at the time of installation?

Dude... I can't even install the game.  Heck, I don't even know if I fully uinstalled the game that I had uninstalled in attempts to reinstall the game so I can put this...what....farce of an IMPULSE patch everyone said that is working.  I told you what happend when I tried to install IMPULSE. I got that silly missage I put in bold telling me that the installation process has failed. How on Earth do you expect me to look up verify install? Also what the heck is verify install?

Fences - Organize your desktop icons today!
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

My, my... I myself am just beginning to experience the load of problems with getting online, but I'm not sure I have tried everything yet. I just wanted to say that I'm amazed that you (Viewpoint) stated repeatedly that you could not uninstall/reinstall the game, and then Seabass goes and tells you to fix problems by *GASP* uninstalling/reinstalling the game. Wow.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting AndPious, reply 3
My, my... I myself am just beginning to experience the load of problems with getting online, but I'm not sure I have tried everything yet. I just wanted to say that I'm amazed that you (Viewpoint) stated repeatedly that you could not uninstall/reinstall the game, and then Seabass goes and tells you to fix problems by *GASP* uninstalling/reinstalling the game. Wow.
End of AndPious's quote

 

Yeah...I'm thinking the same thing. Wow!!!! Yep...tells you where the intelligence lies here. :)

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

What techincal support? No phone number but I get some silly e-mail address
End of quote

If you want technical support, you do have to be willing to receive it, and email ([email protected]) is the preferred method. The forums are best suited to simple issues or user-support, especially if you're not a highly technical sort of person, as email gives both sides time to work through the issues thoroughly.

It would appear from your comments that for some reason Microsoft Installer has broken on your computer. In order to un/install Sins, Impulse, or pretty much anything that uses MSI, this will first need to be resolved. Support will gladly help direct you through that if you give them the opportunity. Once that is fixed, everything else should fall into place (Sins may need its registry entries removed manually--the files alone are not everything--but as that can also be a technical process, support can assist there as well).

 

 

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

Viewpoint,

Your trouble with not being able to install Impulse is usually a case of some 'extra' security items running in the background.

This can be caused by extra 'security' apps, like SpyBot, AdAware and the like.

Even some anti-virus applications can have their own 'spybot' functions, and Firewall settings.

Check your system (SysTray) for any of these 'watcher' type programs and try to turn them off, then re-try installing 
Impulse, and watch the bottom left of the window, when it is done connecting, you won't see any text there,
and you should then be able to access.

If you still have the same error, please follow this link in Internet Explorer:

http://sd.stardock.com/mike/apps/enumerate_startup.bat

Save the Batch file, run it, and attach the log file it generates on the desktop to a return e-mail to [email protected].

 

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
@Viewpoint: Sounds like bad things are going on with your Windows Installer service. Try going to you start menu and clicking on run and typing "services.msc". Near the bottom there should be an entry for the Windows Installer service. See if it will allow you to start it. If it does, at that point try seeing if Impulse will let you install Sins. If it does not start, you may need to fix the Windows Installer service. You can try repairing Windows from the install CD and then updating, or try opening a command window and typinc "SFC /scannow". This will check the integrity of most of your Windows System files, and may help with the installer service problem. For all tech support, e-mail [email protected]. This is the best way to get help from our support staff. If it's still giving you this much trouble, feel free to PM me as well, and I'll see what I can do to get things sorted.
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

As I look through the post I don't see where you said you tried uninstalling and reinstalling. I see the portion where you said the uninstall failed but I have to ask the basic questions whenever stuff like this comes up. It sounds to me like this is some kind of system issue or your services could be disabled through some means. The depth of this problem seems to stem beyond the game.

To check for that please try the following:

-For VISTA: click Start, in the start search field type 'cmd'. Right-click on the search result and select 'Run as administrator'.
 For XP: Click Start and then Run, Type 'cmd' and hit enter.
-VISTA ONLY: If UAC is enabled, click 'Continue'
-Type: sfc /scannow
-Wait for the scan to complete (this can take several minutes)

Let me know what the result is.

Edit: nearly a double post there with Shirley.

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting kryo, reply 5

What techincal support? No phone number but I get some silly e-mail address


If you want technical support, you do have to be willing to receive it, and email ([email protected]) is the preferred method. The forums are best suited to simple issues or user-support, especially if you're not a highly technical sort of person, as email gives both sides time to work through the issues thoroughly.

It would appear from your comments that for some reason Microsoft Installer has broken on your computer. In order to un/install Sins, Impulse, or pretty much anything that uses MSI, this will first need to be resolved. Support will gladly help direct you through that if you give them the opportunity. Once that is fixed, everything else should fall into place (Sins may need its registry entries removed manually--the files alone are not everything--but as that can also be a technical process, support can assist there as well).

 

 
End of kryo's quote

 

Thanks. I sent an e-mail today so I'm waiting for a response. Maybe they can send me a patch.

 

Quoting highlander, reply 6
Viewpoint,

Your trouble with not being able to install Impulse is usually a case of some 'extra' security items running in the background.

This can be caused by extra 'security' apps, like SpyBot, AdAware and the like.

Even some anti-virus applications can have their own 'spybot' functions, and Firewall settings.

Check your system (SysTray) for any of these 'watcher' type programs and try to turn them off, then re-try installing 
Impulse, and watch the bottom left of the window, when it is done connecting, you won't see any text there,
and you should then be able to access.

If you still have the same error, please follow this link in Internet Explorer:

http://sd.stardock.com/mike/apps/enumerate_startup.bat

Save the Batch file, run it, and attach the log file it generates on the desktop to a return e-mail to [email protected].

 
End of highlander's quote

Thanks a lot. I did download this link and I got a text file on my desktop. Now I don't know what to do next. What do you want me to do?

 

Quoting Shirley, reply 7
@Viewpoint: Sounds like bad things are going on with your Windows Installer service. Try going to you start menu and clicking on run and typing "services.msc". Near the bottom there should be an entry for the Windows Installer service. See if it will allow you to start it. If it does, at that point try seeing if Impulse will let you install Sins. If it does not start, you may need to fix the Windows Installer service. You can try repairing Windows from the install CD and then updating, or try opening a command window and typinc "SFC /scannow". This will check the integrity of most of your Windows System files, and may help with the installer service problem. For all tech support, e-mail [email protected]. This is the best way to get help from our support staff. If it's still giving you this much trouble, feel free to PM me as well, and I'll see what I can do to get things sorted.
End of Shirley's quote

Thanks a lot. 

I did type "services.msc" and I did get a window.  I did find a file called  "Windows Installer" that you mentioned.  I clicked on start and this is what happens.

A. I got a window stating that "Windows is attempting to start the following services on local computer".  I see blue bars filling up grey background space.

B. Next I get a window stating that "Windows Installer service on local computer started than stopped. Some services stop automatically if they have no work to do, for example the performanc logs and alert services"

I also did the sfc/scannow.  I got a DOS window popup and another window telling me to put in my Windows XP CD in there.  Well, I did not do that because I don't want to lose any existing programs.  That Windows XP CD might reformat my hard drive and I lose all my programs.  I don't want to do that so I was wondering if there is another alternative?

 

Quoting Seabass, reply 8
As I look through the post I don't see where you said you tried uninstalling and reinstalling. I see the portion where you said the uninstall failed but I have to ask the basic questions whenever stuff like this comes up. It sounds to me like this is some kind of system issue or your services could be disabled through some means. The depth of this problem seems to stem beyond the game.

To check for that please try the following:

-For VISTA: click Start, in the start search field type 'cmd'. Right-click on the search result and select 'Run as administrator'.
 For XP: Click Start and then Run, Type 'cmd' and hit enter.
-VISTA ONLY: If UAC is enabled, click 'Continue'
-Type: sfc /scannow
-Wait for the scan to complete (this can take several minutes)


Let me know what the result is.

Edit: nearly a double post there with Shirley.
End of Seabass's quote

 

I got the same thing from Shirley and pretty much the same thing happened just as I told Shirley.

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

You need to use Internet Explorer to access the batch file.

Copy & paste this link in Internet Explorer (not FF or any other browser) and click the 'Go' button, or hit Enter:

http://sd.stardock.com/mike/apps/enumerate_startup.bat

A Run/Save dialog will appear, hit Run and then a DOS window will appear asking you to hit enter, doing so should then create alog file on your Desktop, open it and copy/paste the info into your support Ticket and send to us.