HUGE Prob!! Cant run Civ, Do I have to wait until PATCH????

[sfoste2]

Ok, here's the scoop. For some reason, Civ3 will NOT run on my system and I'm driving myself nuts getting it to!!!

As my primary goal on this new system was to play Civ3, I've had no problems trying any number of technical troubleshooting techniques.

I have gone as far as to reinstall my OS to no avail.

What happens, is when I try to run the game, it waits a couple seconds, the monitor flickers, and the screen comes back up compressed. i.e. I have it at 1024X768 at 32bit resolution, I run the program, and the screen becomes compressed to only fill roughly 3/4 of the 19" monitor. at 1024X768 it sometimes eventually comes up to the initial Infogrames screen, but hangs there indefinately.

That being said, here is how I have done the troubleshooting thus far:
I have reinstalled the OS completely, and updated the drivers from www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com

I have Uninstalled and reinstalled both the game, and the DirectX 8.0a drivers.

I have updated the GL libraries.
I have run GLsetup utility.
I have attained the latest video drivers from the manufacturer for my video card.
I have downloaded the latest monitor drivers directly from the manufacturer.

I have verified that no other programs have loaded, including nothing in the start tray.
I have uninstalled all irrelevant programs on the computer.
This being said, I don't know what else to do. Please help if at all possible!!

I know this isn't tech support (who I have also contacted to no avail) and I know that there are a number of bright folks on this board. Hopefully SOMEONE can come up with a viable idea!!!!

[Executor]

What video card and version of Windows do you have?

[sfoste2]

lol....guess that would help....kind of jumped ahead of myself there.
Win98 (with all current patches)

and the card is the S3 Savage 2000 (patch level also current)

[Ignis Fatuus]

A few more ???
1. What spped is yur processor?
2. How much RAM?
3. How old and manufacturer of your CD-ROM?
4. You are using the original disc, right?
5. Are your ASPI drivers up to date?
6. Sound card drivers up to date?

[cassembler]

Hey dude, check out the "FIXED: Inability to run game AT ALL and other tech tips" thread... There's three things there that might help you. I had the exact same problem, and I downloaded a fixed .exe file from the "Files" thread. Works like a charm. IT HAS TO DO WITH CRAPPY COPY PROTECTION. I don't mind copy protection, but when it prevents me from running the game, I stick a fork in it.

Hope this helps.

[bonscott]

My guess is your problem is you Video Card. The Savage 2000 is quite old and I would guess that is the problem. You can get a brand new Geforce 2 MX with 64 megs of RAM for under $100 bucks. Might want to give that a try.

[sfoste2]

A few more ???
1. What spped is yur processor?
2. How much RAM?
3. How old and manufacturer of your CD-ROM?
4. You are using the original disc, right?
5. Are your ASPI drivers up to date?
6. Sound card drivers up to date?


Processor is AMD 1600+
Ram is 512 DDR
Acer CDRW (40 reg)
yup...original disk out of the box which I double verified works at a friends house allready
All drivers are up to date, as I did all the video stuff by scouring the internet manually. Tried The DirectX 8.0a from MS instead of CD, just in case, have used Zdnets "up to speed" utility which checks all driver versions to verify latest ones. And have gone through the GlSetup and opengl library update just to be thorough

[sfoste2]

Cassembler: yeah...saw that and considered it. Question is though, do I then loose the MOV & music files? I mean sure, the game doesnt function AT ALL as it is (hehe...dont even get me started on the lack of multiplayer!) but I am of the mind that if I payed this much for a game it should work...

[sfoste2]

Well ... tried the Fixed exe....nothing...same problem.
Also have tried the KeepRes=1 registry entry. Same problem.
...screen goes momentarily black, then comes back up, same resolution but smaller screen, on the desktop. If I wait for about 5 min, the infogrames thing comes up, but freezes COMPLETELY.
First no multiplayer, and now cant play at all....wondering if this is wasted $$$ :-/

[MazaNaza]

Sounds like a videocard problem to me. If you can, borrow another one from someone, install it, and then install Civ III again. S3 has been kinda in and out of the business lately so their cards are not well supported. In fact, they may not be directx8.0 compatible.

--> Norm

[cassembler]

I am of the mind that if I payed this much for a game it should work...

He he I agree... And, even after a 25 minute PAID FOR phone call to tech support, it wasn't fixed. Yeah the game has bugs, I'm just happy it works at all. Patches will come (eventually) and fix these things...

Skipping the intro movie has NOT skipped other in game movies (wonders, etc).

Turning the sound off will, in fact, turn the sound off completely. I had to do this once I realized that, after saving a game with sound off, reloading turns it back on again...

Some other things they told me was about my monitor. Civ3 uses a REDICULOUSLY high refresh rate and some monitors, even if they can do 5000x5000 (or whatever) can't use them.

[cassembler]

the infogrames thing comes up, but freezes COMPLETELY.

Try bypassing the movie, this might help.

(Rename the Intro.blk (or whatever) to Intro.old (or whatever))
this file is in the art/movies directory.

[sfoste2]

Well, it has been more or less unoficially confirmed that the S3 Savage 2000 video card does *NOT* run Civ3. Between this message board, and a few others, the problem is consistant across the board.
*sigh* hopefully there will be a patch for this, or thousands of others and myself are SOL for having a card that had not been involved with beta testing.

[cassembler]

thousands of others and myself are SOL for having a card that had not been involved with beta testing.

There was beta testing???

sorry man.
Wait for the patches anyways...

No really though the game does have HUGE potential.

[Urban Ranger]

I have always thought it strange that a video card problem can cause programs not to run. That should be a problem at the operating system level, i.e., your operating system should present a virtual video system for the applications. The applications play with this virtual video system, and the OS translates the whole works to hardware.

That's Windoze for you