Tech Tips (game not working? Read this!)

[WillowIX]

Ok those dang video codecs again! I bet you are running Windows XP SP1 since that OS doesn't support any codec what so ever.

Since Indeo 5 and older is freeware perhaps we could add a download link here on this board, preferrably in this thread. I'll ask Z about it.

You mean CRAM is installed with Ace? [img]graemlins/kissy2.gif[/img] You just solved one of the most annoying problems with this game! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 02-02-2004, 06:37 PM: Message edited by: WillowIX ]

[Greyem]

Hi all,

I have sorted my W2k issues! Now I need some help getting the game to run on a ME machine. The game installed fine (max install) but when I go to run the game it freezes on the black screen of death. I checked the video compresion and that is ok. The video card is a nVIDIA64. Hope someone can shed some light.

Thanks in advance.

Greyem

[Grant]

Hi all,
Not sure if this is a tech problem or a game problem. I have been into the Stout mines and got on the trolley - but it only got to the first bend and stopped. I went and did the mine levels - but now can't get out as gate is shut behine the trolley and the trolley won't move.

Anybody elase have this problem?

[Bungleau]

Welcome to the boards, Grant! May life in the Gael Serran bring you riches and rewards... in that order [img]smile.gif[/img]

I've run into problems with riding the trolley as well. Generally, I found that if I stayed still while on the trolley (and didn't try to look around), things went smoothly. If I tried to look around, I ran into problems like yours... one time, I got stuck in the floor.

Unfortunately, other than trying to reload, I don't know if you're going to have any luck. One common trick is to cast a portal near the switching station where you board the trollies, and then teleport back to it. Fat lot of good that info does for you now, though... you may have to go back to a saved game.

Also, as I think of it... did you check the gates for levers? You can manually open the gates from the other side (mostly, IIRC), and if you can get back to the switching station, the trolley will come back when you pull the lever again.

And one final thing... make sure you ride the trolley, and don't just climb on it. Click on it like you do the raft and horse, and things run much more smoothly. Don't want to say how I learned that one....

[aleph_null1]

Also, Grant, lacking a portal, Vanish should work to get you past the gates.

Good Luck!

[Mythrandore]

The Problem: the hotspots for critters and items are incredibly small!

Greetings to everyone - my first post on this board, I hope some-one out there can help me [img]smile.gif[/img] I do kinda like this game and would like to be able to complete it without having to shelve it until I can buy a desktop PC.

As to what I'm running:[list][*]Windows XP home, service pack 2, version 2002[*]The video card is a Mobility Radeon 9700 (64 meg)[*]directX 9[*]256meg ddr ram[*]the problem is that the hotspots are very very small, and in the case of Niveus's ring - impossible to find. Up until now I've just percerveard (and thanked the stars for turn base actions). Now however, the ring is rather important and I can't pick the thing up!

I tried to update the drivers, except windows says the drivers are already up to date. And I doubt it's a directX problem...

Any other suggestions?

Mythrandore

[Vortex^]

There is a little problem,eh..W&W is not compatible with directx 8 but last time I played W&W I played with Directx 8.Second problem is that the game won't install.I read the installation problems section but I'm so idiot that I can't use command prompt..

[Bungleau]

Wow, guys! I hadn't noticed that you'd jumped in here to post your questions! I apologize for the delay in responding to you... many of us don't watch these threads all that carefully

Mythrandore, first off,welcome to the boards. May this post find you full of life, and not rotting from our inactions in responding to you

Second, my suggestions for you involve switching the graphics (in the controls area, graphics) to software drivers or 640x480 hardware mode. That often makes things better, and software drivers are the minimal problem solution. IOW, there are fewer problems because they do less.

Don't trust Windows that your drivers are up to date, either. Go directly to the manufacturer's web site and get what *they* say are the latest drivers. That's what I recently did...

If you've got more problems, post on a new thread in the board. We'll do our best to help you

And Vortex^, I don't remember if I've welcomed you before, so let me do it anyway. Welcome to the boards, and may you soon be slaying skeletons with sword, spear, and staff.

I played with DX8 for a long time. DX9 works okay as well -- just skip the DX installation when you install the software.

As for getting to the command prompt, the manner differs, based on your OS. If you're Win ME or 98, go to Start/Programs/MS-DOS prompt. If you're XP or Win2k, go to Start/Run/cmd. If you're running NT, do one or the other; I forget which.

Both methods will take you to the same place, and you just need to type "exit" at the prompt to close these windows.

Once you're there, you can do the command line stuff to manually install W&W.

Both of you, please post back on the main W&W page with further questions. That way, I just about guarantee that you'll get a response within hours or minutes instead of weeks [img]smile.gif[/img] I'll email you both to let you know that someone has responded here.

[DinkumThinkum]

A couple of graphic fixes I came up with while getting W&W running on my system. I'll post them here in case somebody else finds them useful.

My setup: WinXP Home, SP2, all the latest updates. ATI 9700Pro video board with fairly recent ATI drivers.

1. With W&W graphics options set to 'Software', I had intermittent blanking on some of the menu screens and the character inventory displays. Switching to Direct3D (in the W&W options) replaced the black outs with intermittent flickering, which is easier to live with than a blank screen.

When I get a flickering or blacked-out screen, it clears up when I click on the Close button or Go Back button; the display updates and goes back to normal.

(If the screen is completely blacked out, try guessing where the Go Back or Close button is, then click around that area until you hit it.)

2. The intermittent flickering in Direct3D mode was an improvement, but initially it was pretty awful to look at.

I went into my Windows Control Panel display driver settings and set Vertical Synch to 'Always on'. Now the flickering doesn't happen nearly as often, and it's just a very minor annoyance when it does show up.

And I can get rid of the flickering by just clicking the Close button for whatever I'm looking at; sometimes selecting a different character by clicking their portrait will also get rid of it.

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On my system, the Vertical Synch setting is here:

'Windows Control Panel | Display | Settings | Advanced | 3D | Custom'

It should be somewhere in the Advanced settings for most other video drivers too.

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Turning on Vertical Synch tells the graphics card to sychronize display updates with the monitor's refresh rate, so the game doesn't try changing the data while the monitor is painting it on the screen.

This can help make the display more stable, reduce tearing, etc., but it can also reduce frame rates (FPS) for high speeed action games. For slower paced games like W&W that don't need really high FPS, this doesn't matter.

[Baphomet]

Hello. I don't know wheather you answered this question or not but I'l ask anyway. When trying to fight or to pick up object I have to drag mouse many times and point accurately at this object/monster to attack/pick up it. What's wrong with it? What should I do?

Thank you.