I recommend that you go through all the steps, one at a time.
You can check after each step to see if your problem with the game has been solved.

Tech-savvy PC users can use the guides mentioned in the last section instead.

If you found something useful in this guide, please do not forget to like (and favourite?) it. That will keep me motivated to keep making guides like this in the future. Troubleshooting is not exactly a popular topic...

If these details seem overwhelming, there is a very popular tool that can help you determine whether or not your PC can run a particular game:
Can You RUN It by System Requirements Lab[www.systemrequirementslab.com]

Although this step should not be necessary, I want to mention it here for the sake of completeness. It is very unlikely that your PC will be able to run the game if it does not meet the minimum requirements. This is something you should always check before buying a game. Also, just because your PC meets the minimum requirements for a game does not mean that it will run well on your PC.

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A side-by-side comparison with the lowest and highest graphics settings - both screenshots are made with the resolution set at 1920x1080 (full HD) for better viewing - click to enlarge

In general, you will not only suffer from a poorer visual presentation, but also huge performance problems that cannot be fixed at software level. One thing I would criticise in the list of requirements is the lack of detail regarding the storage device. Yes, most modern PCs use an SSD as standard. However, it is important to highlight the fact that without an SSD you will suffer significant performance issues, as this game in particular relies heavily on CPU calculations that are often written to and loaded from your storage device in quick succession. Not installing this game on an SSD is almost a guarantee that you will not be able to enjoy it to the full.

A standard recommendation, but a very important one. The thing is, your operating system, known as Windows, is built on a complex structure that runs on a variety of background services. The problem is that services can get stuck. When your operating system's services get stuck, they may not be able to load important things, which can be important to the drivers of many connected devices that need them - such as your graphics card which is considered an internal device. Think of it like a paper jam on your printer. It can go on forever, and sometimes it just happens out of the blue.



Not the kind of jam Homer had in mind, though...

To restart your personal computer properly, use the correct restart option in Windows. A shut down is often not enough, as certain Windows setups keep some modules on standby for an artificial "quick boot", rather than cleaning them up for a refresh. Your PC needs a proper restart from time to time for services and drivers to work and update properly.

Reinstalling a game is not the same as verifying the integrity of game files. But why should or do you need to check the integrity of the game files in the first place?

This is a standard action that usually happens automatically after you download a game on Steam, without you ever noticing it unless you are paying close attention. Sometimes the automation can fail at some point and you start to notice problems running the game.

This is because games often come as large files that need to be unpacked. Whenever you copy, or in this case download, something can go wrong. The bigger the file sizes a game has to support, the more likely it is that something will get corrupted during the download. This is especially true of patches, which are meant to overwrite existing files. Think of it like a pair of jeans that get patched over and over again. Eventually, the patches go wrong and the jeans become unusable. You then have two options:

a) buy a new pair of jeans (translates as: re-download the entire game)

b) check the jeans you have and compare them to how they should look in order to fix the problem (translates as: check the integrity of the game files), and then fix the parts that do not match the model

Normally, when a patch is downloaded, Steam will automatically check the files and attempt to download them again. However, just like your operating system's services, Steam's services can get stuck. If the automation fails, you will need to manually initiate this self-checking process.

Right-click on the game in your Steam Library -> select Properties



Go to the Local Files tab and select Verify integrity of game files...

Sometimes it is a little more difficult than just verifying the integrity of the game's files. For example, if your storage device has some bad sectors without you noticing. While this may sound worrying, it is usually harmless. Nowadays, storage devices are made in mind with parts that can "get old and defective" rather than just break entirely and become useless. Think of it as a reusable collegeblock. It has many sheets, and with an eraser you can use a sheet over and over again. But even the strongest sheet can and will deteriorate over time. One bad sheet in the collegeblock? No big deal. You use the next available sheet, just as Windows would use the next available sector on your storage device that is not defective.

What we can do to eliminate the possibility of your games' files occupying bad sectors on your storage device, and fix them while we are at it, is to trigger the repair of your Steam Library Folder(s). This will make Steam verify that your games can be properly and completely read as library items, and will fix any data corruption that would not be detected by the basic game file integrity check.

Open Steam Settings from the main menu of Steam



Go to the Downloads tab and select Steam Library Folders



Select the drive on which the Steam Library Folder of your game is located and choose the option Repair Folder

Today's operating systems are more secure than ever. There was a time when it was unwise to connect to the Internet without beefing up your PC's security with a good Internet security application. At least an antivirus. Thanks to many features that Windows has copied from Linux, Windows now comes with Windows Defender, a built-in security application. Many off-the-shelf PCs even come with a pre-installed antivirus. Each of these applications is designed to protect you from damage caused by unknown software and, of course, malware.

Unfortunately, games, especially those that have just been released, are often treated as unknown software that security applications prevent from working properly. It can cause problems even before you start the game, during the installation process.

In our specific case, Age of Wonders 4, it has to do with the way it is installed. Think of it like this: you order something from overseas, and after you pay, you get an OK for delivery. However, sometimes it happens that even though the delivery is OK, you are not allowed to accept the item until you pay an extra toll. As in: you got permission to download, but not permission to install. And Age of Wonders 4 - or rather Paradox games - are a bit special in this respect, because they come in at least two parts: One part is the game. The other is the Paradox Launcher.

Another form of how it can cause problems is if you have permission to run the game, as in you can start and play, but you do not have permission for the game to create additional files. this inadvertently leads to you not being able to save, as the game is not allowed to create save game files. To fix problems caused by lack of permissions, we need to give the game permissions to run as an administrator and whitelist it in our security applications.

Firstly, we need to make sure that when we run the game, it is running as administrator.

Right-click on the game in your Steam Library -> select Manage -> Browse Local Files



Right-click on AOW4.exe (Age of Wonders 4.executable) -> select Properties



Go to the Compatibility tab and tick the box in the settings



Now we repeat the process for Paradox Launcher.exe, which you will find in the launcher-se folder, and for steam.exe as well.





For most people the steam.exe is located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\



Next we need to whitelist our game in the security application. For Windows Defender

Go to Windows Settings -> Updates & Security -> Virus & threat protection





Scroll down and select Manage ransomware protection



Allow an app through controlled folder access



Add an allowed app and browse and select once more our Age of Wonders 4 executable (AOW4.exe), Paradox Launcher.exe and steam.exe

Depending on the security application you use, you might need to go to your security application's settings instead of Windows Defender.



Of course it also looks different, depending on which security application you are using.

When you are finished, restart your PC to permanently save the changes you have made.

It is, with applications you trust. The security measure is there to protect your private data from unauthorised access. In our case with Age of Wonders 4, we need to do this because the game needs read and write access to your Documents folder. The game and the Paradox Launcher create files in this location, which is protected by controlled Windows access, that it needs to read in order to run the game properly. For the GOG.com and Epic Games Store version of the game, Documents\Paradox Interactive\Age of Wonders 4 is also the location where save games are stored. Without the necessary permissions the game cannot save / create essential files.

While it is undeniable that permissions are necessary for the game to function properly, many players do not need to adjust this setting. "How come?" you might ask. It depends on how you have set up your Windows. Although security is a default setting, experienced users may have turned it off and run almost everything on their PC as an administrator. It is possible and easy to change this - but I would not recommend it unless you know what you are doing on your PC all the time. Better safe than sorry, even if it can be inconvenient at times.

If there is one internal device in your PC that complains a lot, it is probably your graphics card. And when it does complain, it is usually due to either bad settings or bad drivers. Bad/outdated drivers are the number one cause of a wide range of problems, from graphical issues to games not starting or even crashing, and more.

While that may be true, it is also true that over time, after countless updates, there may be conflicting leftover files that have not been properly removed. As they accumulate over time, no one can tell which of your driver files is doing what and why, eventually causing issues without you even knowing. To be on the safe side, we want to perform a clean installation of your graphics cards' drivers to rule out the presence of corrupt files. To do this, we use a special tool that does the job more thoroughly than the standard uninstallers that come with your video drivers. That would be Display Driver Uninstaller, also known as DDU.

The best way to do this is to download the latest driver software for your graphics card first so that you can install it immediately after using DDU.

1. Download your latest graphics cards drivers from official resources

For the latest Nvidia drivers: http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx
For the latest AMD drivers: http://support.amd.com/en-us/download

2. Download DDU

Display Driver Uninstaller
http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html

Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) is freeware. Only download it from this trusted source.

3. Unpack DDU



I recommend to unpack it onto your Desktop - makes it easy to find

4. Run DDU



Select your GPU manufacturer from the drop-down menu.
If you are happy with the options (the default is fine), click the Clean and restart button.



Ignore the advertisement

5. Install Your graphics card latest driver which you have downloaded before

6. Restart Your PC

When you are finished, you can safely delete the folder containing the DDU from your PC.

You may need to reset your game when you install an update to your graphics drivers, operating system, or game. Unfortunately, more often than we would like, an update can introduce incompatibilities that were not there before. When this happens, it is good to know how to revert to the default settings so that we can get things back to the way they should be.

The file you are looking for is PlatformSettings0.cfg

It is located at ..\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Age of Wonders 4\Config

Simply delete the file to reset the game's settings. If you start the game and the file is no longer available, the game will create a completely new file with vanilla settings by default.
So deleting the file is safe.

The files you find at ..\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Age of Wonders 4 and some additional hidden temporary folders are created by the game after installation. When people try to solve their problems by uninstalling and reinstalling the game, they often overlook these files. The problem is that the standard uninstaller does not consider these files to be part of the game, as they were not present at the time of installation. So if you leave these files out when you uninstall the game, and it turns out that it was a bad setting all along that caused your problems, the problem will persist no matter how many times you uninstall and reinstall a game. So my recommendation: checking the integrity of the game files and repairing the Steam Library folder is always a better choice than uninstalling and reinstalling. For details like this, you can either learn by experience or use more advanced uninstallers like the popular Revo Uninstaller, which actively searches your entire PC for related files that normal uninstallers usually miss.




Revo Uninstaller is a robust tool that scans your PC for any residual files that are often overlooked by standard installer/uninstaller applications.

A convenient free version of Revo Uninstaller that does not require installation can be found here: https://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/revo_uninstaller_portable

The hidden folders, which are often forgotten, are located at




You can copy and paste these links into your Windows Explorer address bar for convenience.



They translate to something like

C:\Users\YourUsernameinWindows\AppData\Local\Paradox Interactive

The contents of the Temp folder can be safely deleted. Items in use are automatically blocked from deletion, but in general anything created there is intended for temporary use only.

Users with a display language other than English will see C:\users\ as something else when browsing. It shows in the explorer by default as "user" in their display language. For example French C:\Utilisateurs - but it still remains C:\users\ in the database. The Utilisateurs is just a "user-friendly"-camouflage.

The main reason for this is that applications need to make clones of themselves for auto-updating purposes. Think of it this way: when an application needs to be updated, it needs to uninstall itself and then be replaced by a newer version. How does the application do this? By cloning itself into a temporary placeholder folder, then downloading the update, uninstalling the original application before the clone continues to install the new version in its original location. Otherwise, it would not be possible for an application to update itself, and you would have to go through the whole process of downloading, uninstalling and installing the update manually. This "roundabout way" is using hidden folders is actually for your convenience to enjoy automatic updates. Hiding these temporary folders is a Windows feature. To avoid confusing standard users by hiding these things from their eyes.

Modern graphics cards software are very convenient. They even come with supporting applications that provide simple guidance to help you get the most out of your GPU for your game. But there are two cases that require your attention that the software cannot handle for you.

a) if your PC has multiple graphics controllers

b) if your graphics cards are overclocked

What I mean by the first is that many modern mainboards, and especially mobile PCs aka notebooks, come with an integrated GPU that does not use a separate memory bank for rendering graphics and video. They exist alongside a dedicated graphics card that allows your PC/notebook to run in switchable graphics/dual graphics mode. This may sound confusing when you only need one GPU to render everything, but it is a good solution to save resources. In particular, it effectively reduces power consumption and heat generation.

So ideally, when you are using your PC/notebook for simple tasks that do not require a lot of rendering, it will use the integrated GPU and only switch to actively using your graphics card's dedicated GPU, which consumes more power and also generates more heat, leading to even more overall power consumption for cooling, when you are actually playing a game, for example.

As good as this concept sounds, it is not without its flaws. The main problem would be if an application accidentally uses the integrated GPU when it should be using the dedicated GPU, or if the graphics controller mistakenly decides that it is OK to switch to the integrated GPU because the application is idle. Common symptoms are a significant drop in FPS and unexpected crashes, as the integrated GPU is significantly weaker due to the lack of dedicated resources.

To ensure that the game uses the correct GPU from the start, edit the PlatformSettings0.cfg, which can be found at ..\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Age of Wonders 4\Config

You can open and start editing the file using the Microsoft Editor (Notepad) when you are asked which application to use.

The lines you are looking for are


The line Video.DisplayAdapterID=-1 should be deleted, as we want to prevent the game from automatically selecting the wrong adapter when using the default automation

The <default> in Video.DisplayAdapterName=<default> is to be replaced with your display adapter's exact name / ID, as listed in the Device Manager.

To access the Device Manager go to Windows Settings -> System -> About -> Related Settings



In the example above the exact ID we are looking for is "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB"

So we change

Video.DisplayAdapterName=<default>

to

Video.DisplayAdapterName=NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB



In addition, you can set your PC to avoid using the integrated GPU at all costs by telling it to use performance mode only when playing the game. This will disable power saving features that would normally switch the GPU to save battery life.


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You can either set it game specific or as a global setting for your general GPU usage. The images above show the options via Nvidia Control Panel. It might look different for AMD software.

If using a dual AMD Switchable Graphics GPU, follow these steps:

1. Open AMD Catalyst Control Center
   
2. Under Switchable Graphics, select the High Performance section and select the game (if it is not in the list you can add it manually by clicking Browse)
   
3. Click Apply

Additionally, double-check your PC’s power settings

1. If using a notebook, ensure the charger is connected
   
2. Open Control Panel
   
3. Select Power Options
   
4. Select Change Plan Settings
   
5. Select Change advanced power settings
   
6. From within the dropdown menu, select High performance and click Apply

The next thing we do is to set a frame rate per second (FPS) cap. We are doing this to prevent issues which are related to overclocking.

To do this, we select the individual graphics settings for Age of Wonders 4. Once again, the images used show how to do this using the Nvidia Control Panel. For AMD it may look different.

Open the Nvidia Control Panel and click on Add program with the Manage 3D Settings



Select AOW4.exe from the list to add



You can now set the frame rate cap - I recommend to start with 60 FPS and then increase it later once you are sure your graphics card can handle the load well



Most PC gamers are completely unaware that their hardware is overclocked. Why is that? It has something to do with the fact that cheap complete PCs are manufactured and sold with overclocked components as standard, in order to make the benchmarks more attractive by showing what is possible beyond the standard. Even if, for example, a graphics card is sold with an "OC" marker in the description, people tend to focus only on "big numbers getting bigger" like "GPU 2.230 MHz -> 2.535 MHz" as in: bigger is better.

In general, this is not a bad thing, and is easily acceptable as a "make it easier for the customer" service attitude. But in rare cases, such as Age of Wonders 4, and very often in games made with multiplatform portability in mind, it tends to cause a variety of problems. In good cases, it would only cause performance issues, but in bad cases, crashes and emergency shutdowns are not uncommon. This is because some of the code uses the standard values as baselines to work with - but an overclocked device/PC component tends to have fluctuations because it is overclocked to work beyond normal levels. Over time, such issues will of course be ironed out with updated drivers. However, the myriad of possible configurations of personal computers makes it impossible to completely rule out overclocking issues.



GeForce Experience can be a helpful and powerful tool when it comes to optimising your gaming experience. But beware: you have to decide whether you want the tool to optimise the settings for you, or whether you want to do it manually. You cannot do both, as they conflict with each other. I recommend the manual approach for full control.

For specific configurations of personal computers, the freeware application Borderless Gaming can be highly beneficial. It offers additional features that enhance game compatibility with your individual setup, making it an invaluable tool.

To download the application, you can visit the following GitHub repository: https://github.com/Codeusa/Borderless-Gaming/releases

The application itself is provided as freeware, allowing users to enjoy its functionalities without any cost. However, if you wish to support the author, there is also a Steam version available
https://steamproxy.com/steamstore/app/388080/Borderless_Gaming/

Especially for gaming setups that involve multiple displays, the Borderless Gaming application has gained a reputation for its reliability and success in troubleshooting. It has proven to be an excellent solution in such scenarios.

While we are on the subject of overclocked hardware causing problems, let's move on to disabling Extreme Memory Profiles, known as XMP by intel / Extended Profiles for Overclocking, known as EXPO by AMD.

To find out whether your random-access memory (RAM) is running on an XMP/EXPO and to disable it you must access the BIOS menu of your PC, before the operating system starts to load. To access the BIOS, you must press a specific key or a combination of keys right at the startup process.



In the startup example seen above you would need to press DEL to access the BIOS

The graphical user interface of your BIOS may vary depending on the brand and manufacturer of your PC's motherboard.



While it is basically the same problem with pre-overclocked RAM in pre-built PCs like with the GPU mentioned before, it is usually the other way around where people tend to forget setting up their XMP/EXPO correctly after upgrading their PC - which often leads to the situation that they actually could have better minimum FPS than what the default settings allow. Not having the XMP/EXPO settings set correctly is one of many possible explanations for why the game would crash.

We have now covered just about everything that could prevent the application from starting correctly. Below are some additional steps you can take to troubleshoot any problems you may encounter during or after playing the game.

Before that, please take into consideration to check your hardware whether everything is how it is supposed to be. Hardware errors are hard to identify from afar, and always a possible explanation for issues which normally would not occur under normal conditions.

CrystalDiskInfo, for example, is a lightweight, easy-to-use tool that tells you at a glance whether your storage devices are working properly or not. It only takes a handful of minutes, but you will be rewarded with peace of mind when it comes to your storage devices.



If it is good, it is usually good. Anything more to know is for the experts

A convenient free version of CrystalDiskInfo that does not require installation can be found here: https://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/crystaldiskinfo_portable

Better than CrystalDiskInfo is the Windows Check Disk Utility
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-10-how-do-i-start-chkdsk-and-defragment/c1f2fb49-7b71-409d-b713-6c10a28c9e51
It will not only check your storage device for errors, but will also attempt to repair them.

For your RAM press Windows+R to open Run and enter mdsched (Windows Memory Diagnostic Scheduling). The results can be checked in the Windows Event Viewer afterwards





Right-click on Windows Logo on the taskbar and select Event Viewer





Another useful tool to learn more about your personal computer and what it is currently doing is HWMONITOR. The free version of the app suffices to give you a good overview
https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html
(Tip: the zip version is like a portable version which does not require installation)

The symptoms of this problem are early crashes caused by certain recurring game events that access your savegame files. Because it happens so early in a game session, it is often mistaken for a crash that is not savegame-related. It is usually caused by an input error, where the game's graphical user interface has misinterpreted something. If this incorrect information finds its way into your savegame, it will result in a recurring error until the affected savegame files are corrected or removed. As the information about the architecture of savegame files is not publicly available from the developers, we brute-force this problem by deleting files that we suspect are corrupt.

1. Check that the error can be reliably replicated
Does the crash occur with any realm (custom and story) and any faction? Or does it occur only in certain combinations? Delete the affected custom factions from your game.

2. Check your Pantheon
Does everything look OK? Is anything missing or not the way it should be? If you can see any flaws in the heroes' presentation, delete them from the Pantheon and see if that helped. If in doubt, delete all heroes listed in the Pantheon.



Example of a corrupted entry in the Pantheon

3. Turn of Steam Cloud Services for the game before you continue

Right-click on the game in your Steam Library -> select Properties



Uncheck the box for the option in the centre



4. Delete your Save Game Sessions and Factions
This is how you can locate your savegame location

Local: ..\Steam\userdata\YOURID\1669000\remote
(replace YOURID with your personal actual Steam ID number)

My Steam folder is located on a special SSD dedicated to games only. If you kept the default settings during installation of Steam, you might find yours at your OS storage drive within

C:\Program Files (x86)\

It would be something like this

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\YOURID\1669000\remote

Here is a guide to finding out your Steam ID - this is only necessary if you have more than one user running Steam on your PC, otherwise you will only find a single ID folder in userdata.
https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2976796532
The folders that you will want to delete there are the Lords folder and the Save folder, which contains custom factions and game sessions.

5. Delete your entire savegame folder
As a last resort, if nothing else has worked, you can delete your entire savegame folder to ensure that the files the game is trying to read are free of corruption. This will reset your progress. So please make sure you have tried all the steps before, especially deleting all heroes from the Pantheon.

The savegame folder for players who use the GOG.com / Epic Games Store version of the game is located at ..\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Age of Wonders 4\Storage

Currently, there is no reliable way to prevent savegame corruption 100% of the time. The problem lies in bugs in the GUI, which are obviously not properly debugged, and a lack of preventative and aftercare measures to deal with corruption before and after it occurs. What you can do at the moment is to avoid creating duplicates of factions and heroes, use only the Latin alphabet and to make sure your games are set up in order. This means that if you miss a setting for a game session, you must not go back, but start the configuration from scratch. This is not an acceptable solution, but it is a workaround until the developers fix their bugs in this area.

Last but not least, until the developers have sufficiently improved the savegame architecture, I recommend not using Steam Cloud Services for the game, as it makes the game even more vulnerable to savegame corruption due to the size of the savegame. It is as bad as it sounds.

Mods are great for spicing up your game experience with customised content that can be very different from the vanilla settings. However, there are two common problems with mods that need to be mentioned so that you are prepared to deal with them.

The first problem has to do with how the game handles mod updates. Long story short, it does not handle mod updates well, resulting in what the game describes as savegame instability, which can lead to savegame corruption. What makes this so difficult for you is that Steam gives you no choice. When a mod in the Steam Workshop is updated, even if it is something as small and mundane as the author changing the mod description, the update is forced on your game. This inevitably leads to frequent version discrepancies between what you were using in your current game session and what is now available.



The only way to deal with this is to use copies of the mods you want to use for your session. By decoupling the mods you use from Steam Workshop, you have full control over when you want to update a mod, rather than having the update forced upon you. This method also works with mods hosted by Paradox Mods. A guide how to do that can be found here:
https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2978680677
The other issue is often overlooked and goes unnoticed by beginners.
It is about the order in which mods are loaded into the game.

Imagine you are preparing an amazing party outfit. You have chosen the perfect stockings, shoes, skirt, shirt, vest, underwear and, of course, accessories. Now, which one would you start dressing with? You would not start by putting on the skirt first and then the panties. Or the vest and then the shirt. The same rule applies to mods, as they need to be loaded in the correct order so that they do not interfere with each other, causing instability and data corruption.

To check and edit your mod load order, you will need to access the Playsets menu in the Paradox Launcher. The mod load order can be changed by holding down the left mouse button on a mod and dragging it to the desired position.



The numbers indicate the position of the mod in the order. The last mod in the order is the last mod to be loaded into the game. A problem with the mod loading order will not only affect your current session, but the game as a whole, as some mods even change the way the game loads in the first place.

Good question! I would love to tell you to follow the instructions of the mod authors. But... I have not seen many mod authors who actually give good instructions on this. In the meantime, please follow this rule of thumb: if two mods replace the same item in the game, the mod that loads later will overwrite the previous mod.

I recommend that you take advantage of the fact that you can create multiple playsets with different mod settings. This will help you a lot, not only to switch between two different setups, but also to keep track of which modset you are using for which game session, instead of having to change everything manually every time. For example, if you are playing with Jane, you will use Mod A, B, C and E in the order 1, 3, 2, 4. So you would create a playset called "Game with Jane". And depending on when you want to continue playing with Jane, you just switch to that particular playset and you are good to go. Multiple playsets for multiple different game sessions. This is a great tip for multiplayer games with lots of different playsets.



If you are playing multiplayer, you must ensure that you and your fellow players are using identical playsets with identical mod load order and mod versions.

The following are reasons for problems that may affect the game indirectly, and are therefore difficult to pinpoint without further investigation.

Faulty Audio Drivers and Softwares
ASUS Sonic Studio Suite (ASUS)
Sonic Studio III (ASUS)
Nahimic Service (MSI / Realtek)

These softwares are known to cause frequent crashes and is usually included as bloatware on pre-built PCs. Uninstallation using Revo Uninstaller is recommended.

Optimisation Tools
GameFirst VI (ASUS)
Game Booster (RAZER)
Precision Boost (AMD)

While Game Booster has a similar effect to XMP, GameFirst VI is quite nasty, interrupting internet connections whenever it thinks your PC is idle. A multiplayer bane in many games. Uninstallation using Revo Uninstaller is recommended.

Overlay
Overwolf
discord (experimental features)

It may not be so common for an overlay application to cause problems. However, discord's experimental features have been known to cause problems, especially with newly released games. Either disable the overlay functionality in these applications, or uninstall them altogether using Revo Uninstaller.

Reminder: a convenient free version of Revo Uninstaller that does not require installation can be found here: https://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/revo_uninstaller_portable

Long Term Service versions of Windows are often obsolete and therefore unsupported. A very popular branch of Windows versions, known for the fact that they can be used for free with a trick.

Windows 10 Pro / 11 Pro licence keys are often available for around 20-25 EUD from reputable resellers (the pro versions are recommended for gaming). If you find a trustworthy supplier, you can enjoy these "cheap" Windows Professional keys with ease. These are usually leftovers from company liquidations that had unused Windows keys that they bought in bulk. They are safe to use and legally recognised by Microsoft, as long as you get them from an authorised seller. If you are a university student, check with your faculty - Microsoft provides many universities with free Windows Professional keys for student use. These are also completely legal and safe to use - a marketing campaign-collaboration between many universities and Microsoft.

Having too many Steam Friends in your friends list can cause multiplayer problems. Fortunately, there is an easy workaround: simply log out of Steam Friends & Chat and use the Paradox multiplayer invite code.

Stutterings caused by Xbox Anywhere software
Removing the service via powershell or uninstalling related software are the only known solutions at the moment.

Direct3D errors caused by too little virtual RAM
Increasing the virtual RAM / pagefile might help

First go to the Windows Settings and there select the System category



In the section About we go for Advanced system settings on the right



In the subsection Performance Options we go for the Advanced tab and select change for the Virtual Memory



As you can see in this example, it is pretty low. I recommend a size of at least 8 GB



Multiplayer issues caused by the usage of Steam Client beta
Steam Client beta is known to use experimental features that can cause discrepancies in the authentication process for multiplayer services.

Third party input softwares (e.g. Logitech G-Hub)
Check the settings as something may be wrong.

NVIDIA G-SYNC
Currently incompatible for unknown reasons.

For reinstalling DirectX
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35

For reinstalling Visual C++ Redistributables
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=53840

.NET Framework Repair Tool
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30135

Data Corruption Encore
When creating heroes, factions, city names and so on, make sure you avoid special characters, as the savegame architecture cannot handle them. If you stick strictly to the Latin alphabet, you should always be fine. I am not sure how the alphabets of different languages might affect savegames.

In very rare cases, a significant accumulation of conflicting files on a PC can only be resolved by a fresh format and complete reinstall of the operating system. The best way to avoid this is to use helpful tools like the aforementioned Revo Uninstaller, which does a more thorough job of cleaning up after applications than their default uninstallers.

To wrap things up, here are my five recommendations for improving your overall gaming experience for free. These are good for any game you play!

(for playing in singleplayer mode)

The game is constantly communicating with the multiplayer servers, even when you are playing singleplayer. Presumably it is waiting for global notifications when it is your turn in an ongoing multiplayer session.

If you are playing singleplayer, I strongly recommend that you log out of your Paradox account within the game.



This tweak works best if you launch the game directly from AOW4.exe, bypassing the Paradox Launcher, otherwise you will be logged back in if you use the Paradox Launcher while logged into your Paradox account.

By adding a launch option to your game's properties, you can skip the Paradox Launcher directly from the Steam Library.

What you need to do for that is adding behind the exact file location of AOW4.exe



As you can see in my case it would be The quotation marks are a must, to ensure the correct syntax is used. This basically tells the program to read the path as whole - otherwise it would interpret every value after each blank space as separate information in its own computer language.

As. If. This. Is. Made. Of. 11. Sentences. Instead. Of. One.

Reminder on how to find your game's files




First go to the Windows Settings and there select the System category



In the section About we go for Advanced system settings on the right



In the subsection Performance Options we go for the Advanced tab and select change for the Virtual Memory



As you can see in this example, it is pretty low. I recommend a size of at least 8 GB



This tip can be considered old. From a time when smaller RAM sizes were the norm. Nowadays gaming PCs have 32 GB of RAM and more as standard, which makes people wonder if a pagefile is still necessary or not. Long story short: it is. And in general, Windows can handle it very well on its own without any manual intervention. But this is true for modern PCs. Older PCs, or those considered to be at the lower end of the market, still benefit greatly from adjusting the size of virtual memory.

At the moment I am writing this, my physical RAM is 30% used, at 7.3 GB, and my pagefile - the virtual memory holder - is at 9581 MB, or 9.6 GB. And I am not running a game. In fact, just this browser in which I am typing this text right now. Why is this, and why is the pagefile important when your physical RAM is theoretically more than enough?


It looks even worse according to a special RAM tool...

The answer lies in how your operating system manages RAM, both virtual and physical, and how it is allocated to all the applications you use. System requirements are kept as simple as "you need 8GB to run this game", with no details about virtual RAM. But if you only use your physical RAM, do you really have that much to start with?

Here are a few things that will also use RAM when you start the game (example):

• Steam, and its functions like Steam Friends & Chat, Overlay, Cloud and Multiplayer Services
  
• GeForce Experience, gaming overlay and graphics optimisation
  
• Security application(s) to check your incoming and outgoing communications and what files the game might be creating
  
• Third party controller software for input devices
  
• Third party software for sound

And then you might also have (example):

• Voice chat application
  
• E-Mail application (running in background, but keeping giving you notifications)
  
• Cloud Services on standby
  
• Entertainment apps - I have heard people often have their music streaming app on
  
• Several background services you do not even know they exist but are constantly active in the background from the start, like auto-update software for Java, browser, mainboard, graphics drivers, printer, network and so on

Tools such as Autoruns are immensely helpful in effortlessly identifying and managing your autorun applications.

Now you might ask: why does Windows not just put everything in physical RAM if you have a lot of RAM? This has to do with the fact that many applications by design need a stable source for their temporary files. Otherwise, they would not work properly because the physical RAM content would be in a constant state of flux and would need to be refreshed very often. "Out of Memory" issues and stuttering would be the common symptoms. In addition, applications tend to reserve physical RAM for their exclusive use, making the display of how much RAM is currently in use/available inaccurate to begin with.

Virtual memory is not just there to increase the total amount of memory available to your PC to meet the needs of each application. It is simply an integral part of what Windows needs to run properly. And if you use a lot of applications to begin with, you can quickly hit the limits. And sometimes, as mentioned above with overclocking, Windows' automatic management cannot keep up. For such cases, it is better to reserve a large amount in advance, as an extra buffer if you will.

Tech-savvy PC users may be able to deal with this in a way other than just increasing the virtual memory size. For example, by disabling autostart applications or using a Gaming Mode setup. But this guide will keep things simple, and I will also do my best to make this information as easy to understand as possible for every user. For you.

If you have a faster drive than the drive on which your operating system is installed, keep the virtual memory/pagefile for your operating system drive to at least 4 GB and allocate the 8 GB to your faster drive. The rule of thumb for the ideal size of your virtual memory would be 4 GB on OS drive (mostly C:) and 1.5x-2.0x the size of your actual RAM on your fastest drive.

Example
C: - Windows drive SSD = 4 GB virtual RAM
D: - Data drive => no virtual RAM
E: - Data drive => no virtual RAM
G: - Game drive NVMe SSD = minimum 8 GB virtual RAM

If you have 8 GB of physical RAM, the "good" amount of virtual RAM would be 12/16 GB.
If you have 16 GB of physical RAM, the "good" amount of virtual RAM would be 24/32 GB.

Note: Given the current standards, I personally think 20/24GB is a good upper limit. But I stick to the 1.5x-2.0x rule of thumb in this guide (for the future) because PCs and games are constantly evolving. Back then I thought 8 GB of RAM was more than enough forever, while 16 GB was supposed to be only necessary for video editing. Now 32 GB is standard...

If a game needs to create shaders a lot, or takes a long time to do so, try increasing the shader cache used by your graphics card. Especially low-end PCs can benefit from this!

Stuttering, freezes, connection issues.
And that all despite everything on your side seems to be in order.

• You have a good download and upload rate.
  
• You have a stable wireless connection at highest standards or use a cable to connect your PC with your ISP (Internet Service Provider) device or router.
  
• You have a good PC which is not lacking any resources to run internet services at all.
  
• You are running out of ideas what else you could possibly do but moving to a different place as it might be a regional ISP hardware thing.

Well.
Changing the DNS (Domain Name System) servers, those which are responsible to assign your connections to the worldwide servers, from the default ISP one to a different service might just do the trick.

Originally posted by Wikipedia:

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the hierarchical and decentralized naming system used to identify computers reachable through the Internet or other Internet Protocol (IP) networks. The resource records contained in the DNS associate domain names with other forms of information. These are most commonly used to map human-friendly domain names to the numerical IP addresses computers need to locate services and devices using the underlying network protocols, but have been extended over time to perform many other functions as well.

I am not 100% sure either, but I am 100% certain the internet where I live is sub-par. Often below third-world-standards, especially when you are living at the countryside. Within cities it is hardly different.

I assume it is because of a very bad local infrastructure that some DNS servers which are local and provided as default by your ISP can turn out bad, when the ISP decides not to upgrade the infrastructure properly but keep making new contracts with more and more users. I imagine it like a traffic jam where new cars are just coming into the pool but the lanes are never adjusted since like forever. The one who could change something about it (the ISP) will not do anything to save costs, the ones who could force a change are not understanding the importance of good internet.


The Google Public DNS IP addresses (IPv4) are as follows:

• 8.8.8.8
  
• 8.8.4.4

The Google Public DNS IPv6 addresses are as follows:

• 2001:4860:4860::8888
  
• 2001:4860:4860::8844

You can use either address as your primary or secondary DNS server.

Source: https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using

The Cloudflare Public DNS IP addresses (IPv4) are as follows:

• 1.1.1.1
  
• 1.0.0.1

The Cloudflare Public DNS IPv6 addresses are as follows:

• 2606:4700:4700::1111
  
• 2606:4700:4700::1001

You can use either address as your primary or secondary DNS server.

Source: https://www.cloudflare.com/en-gb/learning/dns/what-is-1.1.1.1/ or https://1.1.1.1

I am not going to even try giving you a tutorial on how you do it. It differs from setup to setup, whether you do the change via your OS, your router or whatever other device you are using. There are too many options and there is no way I could cover them all. And I do not have to as the providers have already good and easy to understand manuals how to do so.

Keep in mind, the change you are applying is going astray the standards you have been following so far. Therefore make sure you read properly, understand and take notes - especially since it can differ from setup to setup.

For me personally it is easy: the DNS server I have to use was setup by my ISP. My router does all the work by connecting me to the ISP and I do not have to do anything in regards of the default setup as it will always load the default automatically provided by the ISP, unless I manually change it. So I can revert it anytime without issues. With different hardware worldwide just keep in mind: it is an easy and safe to use change. But it can look different for everyone. So give it a try, with care.

https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using

https://developers.cloudflare.com/1.1.1.1/setup/

Download the ImDisk Toolkit (open source) and install:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/imdisk-toolkit/



Set 1024 MB, Allowcate Memory Dynamically (optional), Drive Letter pick what you like (I chose R: for RAMDisk), Set TEMP Variables

If you have more RAM to spare (> 24GB) I recommend 2048 MB and Allowcate Memory Dynamically



Click Set All To R:



Confirm twice with OK - the tool creates a virtual drive which hosts your TEMP files, making your PC now faster. After the app said it has mounted the drive, you can exit. In your Explorer when accessing your Computer overview there is now the new R: drive.

How does it make your PC and the game faster?
Every turn the PC calculates all effects of the game, then write them down on your storage. Then it loads all the data. Write, read, repeat - massive amount of TEMP data. Put it into your RAM is better than put it on your storage. SSDs dislike unnecessary read/write processes. The effect is even greater with HDDs. - the related issue is supposed to be fixed with hotfix #2 - nonetheless the optimisation potential with the tool is still remarkable and confirmed by users after hotfix #2.

Once everything is set, restart your PC and enjoy the extra boost for your applications!

Attempting to completely remove Microsoft Edge is futile, as its functionalities are deeply integrated within the core of the operating system. Nevertheless, if you opt for a different browser instead of Microsoft Edge, it is advisable to disable its Startup Boost functionality. This will help free up system resources that would otherwise be allocated to the application without being utilized.





I can recommend Tuneup Utilities / AVG TuneUp for PC for beginners. It is not cheap, but it offers a trial version that is more than enough to give you an idea of what more can be done to improve your PC's performance. Most PC users can benefit greatly from a registry clean-up and proper management of autostart and background applications. You may be surprised at the results!
And if you like what it does, you might also like that CCleaner can do similar stuff. For free.


A convenient free version of CCleaner (portable) that does not require installation can be found here: https://www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner/builds

As you may have observed, Age of Wonders 4 has been optimized for windowed mode gaming, as fullscreen optimization is regarded as a legacy feature of Windows, with support being discontinued. However, it appears that certain users have encountered issues while playing the game on Windows 11 when the windowed mode optimization of the operating system is enabled.



This issue would have been resolved if you followed the instructions provided in Step 5, using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU). As a supplementary piece of information, I will mention this workaround for the sake of completeness.

If you encounter stuttering, freezing, or any other graphics issues, especially after an update, it is advisable to reset the shader cache. Here is how you can do it:

1. disable the shader cache in Nvidia Control Panel or a similar program
   
2. delete the local shader cache in your game's folder or the Nvidia shader cache folder
   
3. reboot your PC
   
4. allow the game to recreate the shaders

For the exact location of the shader cache setting, please refer to Step 12, where you will find a screenshot illustrating its location.

I hope you were able to find the information you were looking for.
If you need any further help, please visit https://support.paradoxplaza.com/ for official support.

Thank you for reading and have a great time! Happy gaming!



For more beginner guides that may be of interest to you, have a look at these
https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2971154168
https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2976522470

Unlike my other guide to troubleshooting Age of Wonders 4, this one is made with additional notes and explanations to help players who are not used to technical troubleshooting to get a better understanding of what they are being told to do and why they should do the recommended steps.

This guide is not intended for experienced users.

Experienced users can refer to the following instead
https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2974888174
https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2971219684
https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2976653693
https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2975516317
https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2977084759