I can't start a new game.

[Sovereign]

Greetings, all.

I just installed Civ 4 and I have come across two problems that I would like to be resolved as quickly as possible so that I can enjoy Civ 4 this weekend.

My first problem is that I checked the Civiliopedia and the leaders do not display. This must be the Chesire Cat problem that everybody is talking about. For instance, when I click on Louis XVI or someone else, I get outline or a hat or wig or whatever.

My second problem is that whenever I try to start a new game, I get through the start up menu, the config menu (where you customize your world, games, etc.). However, when the game finishes building the world to play, it won't start. I get a boot to the desktop, and I am not able to enter the Civ 4 world @ 4000 B.C. or whatever you start a new game.

A third issue is that my cursor flickers in the Civ 4 main menu and Civiliopedia and pretty much anywhere in Civ 4 that I can get into (barring the actual gameplay as I can't even start a new game).

Here is my computer's stats as far as I know them..

Laptop

Windows XP operating system
3.06 GHZ Pentium 4 processor
80+ GB total hard drive (plenty left for Civ 4)
1 GB RAM
ATI 9000 video card (not sure, where can I check this?)
DirectX 9.0c (installed from the Civ 4 CD)

Are there other specifications that I need to post? If so, where and how can I get the information?

Thanks.

[angryciv4player]

In reply to the above post, i have the exact same problem word for word except im on a desktop. The new game will load (this takes an anoying 10 minutes or so), then it just says done and sits there, not allowing me to access the new game but I can meanwhile hear birds chirping and sounds. I checked minimum system and I do have the requirements. After checking with some other people, some say this could be due to a scratched or corrupted cd. And I think I see what I could call many scratches on the inside of my disc. This better get fixed.

[OutFlanked]

This might get you playing 1 game.

Try playing with the smallest map ava.

If you do get in play that game as long as you can cause you ain't going to able to load it again until the problems are really fixed.

To id your card; try this ATI link.

https://support.ati.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=1385

Hope it works

[OutFlanked]

Well, the link didn't work.

So....

http://www.ati.com/products/

click Product Id. in the side bar.

click Knowledge Base

1/2 way down is Product Information

good luck

[Sovereign]

I just checked, and it says my computer has Mobility Radeon 9000 for its graphics card.

Any idea how I can get this Radeon 9000 video card to stop the Chesire Cat Syndrome, stop the flickering cursor, and allowing me to start up any "new game"?

I can still use the start up menu to select custom games like type of landmass, civilizations, leaders, victory conditions, etc. but once I click "LAUNCH" then the game does launch the game. However, once the LAUNCH hits 100%, I get a desktop boot, and I can't get to play any Civ 4 game.

[snoopy369]

Have you tried the PAK fix? I think that's intended primarily for before-game-launch crashes, but who knows... (it's one of the linked TOPPED threads)