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The groud is black, only it! Help!!

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  • The groud is black, only it! Help!!

    The game is working well, i can see the trees the people. the animlas. the city, the rivers, anything. but. the ground is black (the background of the game) and its really annoying! what could be the problem and how can i fix it?

    thank you

  • #2
    This is a problem with certain video cards.

    First off, if you haven't installed the 1.61 patch, go do so. (Get it at http://www.firaxis.com/downloads/Patch/Civ4v161.exe or http://boa.apolyton.net/civ4/files/o...patch_1-61.zip ) Some video issues have been fixed by the patches, so if you aren't updated to the current one, do that before trying anything else.

    If you already have 1.61 or if it doesn't fix the problem, post what video card you have. (If you don't know what video card you have, select "Run" from the start menu, type in "dxdiag" and report the name under the tab "Display")

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    • #3
      I have the same problem with

      SIS Mirage Graphics

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      • #4
        JDofCore, what type of Mirage? http://www.sis.com/support/support_faqs_18.htm lists some types, and simply from the specs there it looks to me like anything below Mirage 3 would not meet Civ4's requirements. Even Mirage 3 may not work with Civ4; I don't know how much video RAM it has or if it supports all video card functions needed by Civ4.

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        • #5
          Thanks for the reply, running chip type sis661, aprox mem 32.0 MB. Going to try a driver update see if that helps

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          • #6
            updated driver , same problem 1.61 installed

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            • #7
              Originally posted by JDofCore
              Thanks for the reply, running chip type sis661, aprox mem 32.0 MB.
              That would be the problem then. Civ4 needs a video card with at least 64 megabyets of memory.

              The card also needs to support DirectX 9.0c, and from the page I linked to above it looks like your model of Mirage may not have full support for DirectX above version 7.

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              • #8
                The problem isn't in the lack of memory, the problem is that those Mirage are crap integrated video cards, hence, they can't run Civ4 - lacking hardware support for T&L or indeed anything else.
                Solver, WePlayCiv Co-Administrator
                Contact: solver-at-weplayciv-dot-com
                I can kill you whenever I please... but not today. - The Cigarette Smoking Man

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                • #9
                  thanks for the replies

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                  • #10
                    I've been having the exact same problem with the Radeon IGP card that came installed in my VAIO laptop-- I've tried all the fixes and more, and made a lot of progress with some problems (i.e. characters not appearing or only appearing as flying eyeballs) but no change with the black ground.
                    Is it really unfixable?

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                    • #11
                      Most IGP cards, with some exceptions (later Radeons are most of the exceptions, actually) won't work.

                      Is your Radeon IGP on the list of supported cards? (Which one is it?)

                      It is unfixable except by buying a new video card
                      <Reverend> IRC is just multiplayer notepad.
                      I like your SNOOPY POSTER! - While you Wait quote.

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                      • #12
                        I should have posted sooner... but I got it to work! ...and immediately forgot everyone and everything in favor of playing. Here's what worked for me:

                        I have an ATI Radeon 345M 64MB graphics card-- I had been downloading drivers and software off the ATI just in the hopes something would stick to the problem, and then stumbled across a recommendation for Omega (third party driver software) in this forum and I decided that was worth a try. Uninstalled my ATI software and uninstalled Omega and it worked! Along with the 1.61 patch I can finally play the game, even if it's a bit bumpy and videos still can't quite work.

                        find Omega at: http://www.omegadrivers.net

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                        • #13
                          Any Kludges?

                          Black ground - game runs fine otherwise. AMD Athlon 3200+ processor with VIA/S3G Unichrome IGP graphics - as far as I can tell, but that could be the serial number for may radio alarm clock function for all I know about computers.

                          Anyone come up with anything that will help the non T&L compliant? I very much appreciate 1.61 update which has made it playable on my machine except for this.
                          Many are cold, but few are frozen.No more durrian, please. On On!

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                          • #14
                            Re: Any Kludges?

                            Originally posted by Changmai Beagle
                            Black ground - game runs fine otherwise. AMD Athlon 3200+ processor with VIA/S3G Unichrome IGP graphics - as far as I can tell, but that could be the serial number for may radio alarm clock function for all I know about computers.

                            Anyone come up with anything that will help the non T&L compliant? I very much appreciate 1.61 update which has made it playable on my machine except for this.
                            If I recall correctly, there is a software workaround that MIGHT help you play, but it'd be buggy at best. I wouldn't know where to direct you for information, though.

                            Really, if you intend to play games, you need to get a card that supports T&L. It's been a standard technology on all decent cards for years.

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                            • #15
                              On any cards, not just decent ones, in fact. Those integrated video cards are, in fact, not even video cards. Now, shaders you can say are supported by all "decent" cards, and that's true, but T&L is supported by all real cards . It was introduced what, over 5 years ago? That's like a century in computing.
                              Solver, WePlayCiv Co-Administrator
                              Contact: solver-at-weplayciv-dot-com
                              I can kill you whenever I please... but not today. - The Cigarette Smoking Man

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