Help Black maps

[juanrfd]

Hi everybody:
I just bought this game and I am afraid to throw 50 bucks to the garbage, because some parts of my maps are in black, I tried both patches, update controllers of my graphic card and doesnt work!!!
Please help!!!
My graphic card is a SIS Mirage graphics 128 mb

[timbrom]

My laptop has the same problem. It has an Nvidia shared memory graphics chip and this is all I get. Anyone out here know what to do next?

[uglyduck]

Re: Help Black maps

Originally posted by juanrfd
Hi everybody:
I just bought this game and I am afraid to throw 50 bucks to the garbage, because some parts of my maps are in black, I tried both patches, update controllers of my graphic card and doesnt work!!!
Please help!!!
My graphic card is a SIS Mirage graphics 128 mb

Unfortunately the SIS Mirage does not (as I recall) support DX 9 or shaders at the mment.

In any event it is not on this list:-

Graphic Cards

The other poster probably has the same problem too

[juanrfd]

My card supports Direct X 9.0 and I take the shaders off and still have the same problem.
If the game is so delicated, why they dont sell it with a list of the few graphic cards that works with??
Because people like me then will never buy it???
What a ****y game....

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by juanrfd
My card supports Direct X 9.0 and I take the shaders off and still have the same problem.
If the game is so delicated, why they dont sell it with a list of the few graphic cards that works with??
Because people like me then will never buy it???
What a ****y game....

It says on the box that your graphics card must support hardware T&L. At least that's what is on my box.

Perhaps you did not read it beforehand.

[uglyduck]

SIS stands for "Silicon Integrated Systems". You do not have a dedicated card but an intergrated chipset.
A lot of people bought systems like this for Xmas expecting to be able to play the latest games - sadly they cannot.
The blurb on the box says: 64MB CARD with Hardware T & L.
I would give you further advice but Ranters I tend to ignore ....

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by uglyduck
SIS stands for "Silicon Integrated Systems". You do not have a dedicated card but an intergrated chipset.

SiS did produce some mid-range graphics chipsets before but Mirage appears to be integrated graphics for CPU chipsets.

[Solver]

I actually hold a grudge against all companies that sell computers with crap integrated video cards. Integrated video cards often steal system RAM, and don't support features that dedicated cards supported 7 years ago. Yes, not everyone wants an expensive dedicated card, but computer manufacturers should then outfit lower-tier computers with outdated video cards like GeForce 3 instead of throwing that integrated crap at them.

[uglyduck]

Originally posted by Solver
I actually hold a grudge against all companies that sell computers with crap integrated video cards. Integrated video cards often steal system RAM, and don't support features that dedicated cards supported 7 years ago. Yes, not everyone wants an expensive dedicated card, but computer manufacturers should then outfit lower-tier computers with outdated video cards like GeForce 3 instead of throwing that integrated crap at them.

I am with you on this. Even our biggest, specialist, retailers here in the UK advertise cheap PCs with Intergrated Graphics implying that they are suitable for "all purposes". First time buyers buy them thinking they are getting a bargain and then have to spend more on a "proper" graphic card and memory etc in order to play decent games.
What irks me is that the people that put these packages together know full well what they are (not) capable of.

[GeoModder]

They think ahead to get their grubby hands on more customer money, unfortunately.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Solver
I actually hold a grudge against all companies that sell computers with crap integrated video cards.

Modern integrated graphics is actually decent. You can play a fair number of games with it. It's just that they can't deal with high-end graphics intensive games. However, this is really the first time I see a strategy game that has such a heavy demand on the display subsystem.

Firaxis should really include a light weight "skin" for people who don't want heavy duty graphics to use.

[Solver]

Decent? They use shared RAM. And, they don't support ANY graphical features - shaders of either type, T&L, you name it. Maybe just the latest Intel intergrated ones are semi-decent.

It's true though that you can play a fair amount of games... but not shooters, of course, and actually not even modern RTS games. And Civ4, in fact, still has very low system requirements compared to other contemporary games. Which is IMO great.

[uglyduck]

Originally posted by GeoModder
They think ahead to get their grubby hands on more customer money, unfortunately.

That is true ... PC World in the UK have their own "in store" workshop and do a thriving business fitting those little "extras" - decent cards, Memory. A lot of business comes from the duped first time buyer ....

[uglyduck]

Originally posted by Solver
snipped> ...... And Civ4, in fact, still has very low system requirements compared to other contemporary games. Which is IMO great.

Great indeed. Because of the copy protection in Civ 4 not liking something on my main machine I play it on a machine having a Nvidia mx 440 card! - with all details high too

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Solver
Decent? They use shared RAM.

Oh sure, they don't have dedicated memory.

Originally posted by Solver
And, they don't support ANY graphical features - shaders of either type, T&L, you name it.

People are so demanding of graphics these days. I am quite happy with cardboard counters myself.

Originally posted by Solver
And Civ4, in fact, still has very low system requirements compared to other contemporary games.

I am not so sure. I don't really care if I can zoom in very close to look at the buildings and stuff. I don't even know why this "feature" is included. A bit silly if you ask me.