ALL-IN-WONDER RADEON 7500 - Black map

[robinsonb]

Maybe we will have better luck with separate threads for each configuration and problem. My map is mostly black - not just the fog of war. I am NOT getting the "Failed to Initialize Renderer" message.
I get an annoying lag on the intro movie every five seconds or so, but more importantly the leader heads only display the mouth, eyes and hair and the only tiles displayed are the few that are active.
I called Take2support before coming hear several hours ago. They suggested rolling back the ATI driver like they suggested, and it didn't help. Likewise reducing the display to 1024 x 768 and changing the refresh rate to 75 was no help.
I think I now have the most recent drivers (below), but they are slightly different than what others are talking about. The (shortened) dxdiag result is below. Any suggestions?
Bill

Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)
BIOS: Award Modular BIOS v6.0
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz
Memory: 512MB RAM
Page File: 327MB used, 922MB available
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode
Display Devices
Card name: ALL-IN-WONDER RADEON 7500 (Microsoft Corporation)
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip type: RADEON 7500 AGP (0x5157)
DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5157&SUBSYS_0F2A1002&REV_00
Display Memory: 64.0 MB
Current Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: hp f1703 Flat Panel Monitor
Monitor Max Res: 1280,1024
Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6462 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 8/4/2004 03:56:42, 201728 bytes
Mini VDD: ati2mtag.sys
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: EnabledMy map is mostly black

[robinsonb]

Would getting another video card help?

It's a bit extreme, but if spending $80 or so on a newer card fixed this immediately, I would probably do it - begrudgingly.

Can anyone tell me which ones DO work?

TIA

[badave]

Yeah... My map is all black too. And it freezes right after that. Jeesus, this game is rough.

[ellie]

I read about another user with the same problem and same card. Tech support told him the video chipset was the problem as was too old and it didnt support pixel shading 1.0 .

For replacing, well id avoid radeon given the issues there currently.

Regards

[ed_conn]

I've been reading alot about the ATI cards not working and I am kind of amazed. I run an ATI 7200 64MB, its not even supported, and I have no noted problems. I set the graphics options to medium. I did have the options set to high and it ran ok. I wonder if the problem lies elsewhere?

Ed

[MrTester]

Workaround

This is a workaround, not a fix, but for what its worth:

You can go into the map customization utility from inside your game and and find the option which reveals all of the terrain.

Im at work and dont remember what the exact text for those is.

This worked for me with a Radeon Mobility 7500.

[Solver]

I think that 7550 is the minimum supported card and the 7500 is below the threshold.

[MrTester]

It just kills me that I can play Dungeon Siege II with all of the graphics options set to Medium or High, and Civ 4 may not work at all without the above unacceptable workaround.

There is nothing about the Civilization franchise that REQUIRES high end graphics. Why lock out a chunk of the market when you dont have to

[aceshigh]

I think that 7550 is the minimum supported card and the 7500 is below the threshold.

From the Readme file in the game.... Minimum system requirements...

Operating System: Windows® 2000/XP
Processor: 1.2 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon processor or equivalent
Memory: 256 MB RAM (Windows 2000) / 512 MB RAM (Windows XP)
Hard Disk Space: 1.7 GB Free
CD-ROM Drive: 4X Speed
Video: DirectX 9.0c-compatible 64 MB video card with Hardware T&L support (GeForce 2/Radeon 7500 or better)
Sound: DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card
DirectX®: DirectX® version 9.0c (included) or higher

Note the video card spec: GeForce 2/Radeon 7500 or better

I have a 7500 as well and I avoid games that will not run. I don't like hassling with tech issues when I just wanna play a game. They should have upped the system requirements to something they were sure ran the game if there was any question that the 7500 would have trouble running it.

I'm holding on to the game for now in the hopes that this will be resolved sometime soon.

It just makes me sad that I've been able to run every single Civ game without problems until now.

[badave]

I have a Mobility 9200 and I get the black map

I have a Mobility 9200 and I get the black map no matter what settings the game is on. I wonder if there will be an all around fix for ATI cards... come on Firaxis, you still have a chance to redeem yourself!!

[badave]

Oh ****

Here's something that made me go "Oh ****..." - If your map is turning out black and the game crashes as soon as you start it, if you can go into the advanced and then options menu from the main menu, lower the graphics settings from high or medium to LOW. MAKE IT LOW! It will turn off animations among other things. However, these can be turned back on and you can adjust them. Make them so the game works, but it doesn't crash (obviously). You might want to play around with the resolution as well.

Although, I have played other games with better graphics on higher settings than low... I must say that it makes it seem that programming wasn't quite optimized...

Good luck peeps.

[wouellette]

Fixed this issue (Kinda)

I had the same problem Black map no bodies for the leaderheads..... I have a Radeon 7500. I downloaded the omega driveres and it still happened.


Good news though I fixed it by turning of the AGP setting in the SmartGart tab.

Now it all works at all setting for high perfomance low quality but the game crawls!!!!!!


The support line will just leave you on hold for 20 minutes then answer to tell you to call back in 24 hours.

[baktone]

Some ATI Radeon 7500 success/observations

I have the ATI Radeon 7500 card (32MB with T&L, came with a Gateway laptop) and was able to see some of the map by turning on fast write when I installed the omega 5.1 drivers. During installation of the drivers (sorry I don’t have the website for the omega drivers, see other threads), it prompts you to enter whether you want fast write enabled or not. The first time I put no and got the cheshire cat/black background everyone is complaining about. I reinstalled the omega drivers and chose to enable fast write this time, and when I entered the game I could see part of the map. However, this window of visibility moved with my cursor so I could actually look at the entire map by scrolling over it. Moving my units increased the size of the window (as if removing the fog) to a certain point, after which I couldn’t get it to grow any further.

It is still very annoying to play the game this way, but I thought I’d post this in hopes that the root of the problem can be discovered. It is also possible that I began at the center of the map and therefore the window was created (I saw someone post yesterday that if you started at the center of the map you could see part of the ground).

Finally, I played a full game with the ground visible (although sort of dark & w/out some of the horses/sheep/etc...) by starting in the future era. I tried this in other eras but only succeeded by choosing future.