strange error message

[Bungleau]

I wasn't asking about whether your copy was legal or not. 'Round these parts, that's a given [img]smile.gif[/img] Rather, there was a company last year or so that put out a reissue of W&W on a game compilation CD... I was wondering if you had one of those.

If all the documentation and such is from Activision, then you've got the original.

And DX9.0C won't screw up any modern programs or apps... that's part of the joy of DX. It's only the old stuff like this that might have a problem.

Hmmm... just checked, and it does work for Win98, first and second edition. So 9.0C should be the good version for you.

And sheesh... ignore my comments about compatibility mode. That's a Win2k or XP feature, and you don't need it because you're on Win98. Sometimes, I forget to check the details...

It's really sounding like there's a graphics glitch in there. What's your vidcard, and what level of drivers do you have?

BTW, Wyv, Lockpicks are stackable....

[Wyvern]

Originally posted by Bungleau: BTW, Wyv, Lockpicks are stackable....

I thought so!! Which does mean it would be possible to equip tDN with lots of lockpicks! Well, that is if he wants to make use of the power of hacking.

[the Dark Neighbor]

Aha! Video drivers! [img]redface.gif[/img]

[smashes forehead with a Witch’s Stick…]

[…regains consciousness]

I've got a nVIDIA GeForce FX 5200, and due to a windows re-install back in January, I forgot to reinstall the drivers CD that came with the vid card! And, of course, I haven’t played W&W since before the re-install. Which, of course, might explain why I’m having problems all of a sudden.

I’m going to run a driver update from nVIDIA, too, and see if that makes a difference. I wish the Idol of Aku existed in real life, because I’m feeling about as dumb as a Boogre right about now! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Bungleau, you’re a life-saver! I sure hope this works. And congrats on your recent victory over the salads!

And Wyvern, thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll pass. I’m no good at hacking, and I am having problems enough as it is--I don’t want end up screwing myself even more. Besides, if I wanted to go that route, I hear Smitty is having a sale on Willow Arrows +1!

[Bungleau]

I'm also playing with an FX 5200... looks like I'm running driver version 6.10.14.6693 (and XP Home SP2, for a minor major difference).

Let's see how that works!

[Wyvern]

Hope the video drivers resolve the problem!!! You've been through a lot!

[the Dark Neighbor]

Well, so much for that. [img]graemlins/1pissed.gif[/img]

I upgraded my old drivers, which were apparently so old that Oakenmir had them when he was a sapling. Although my desktop now looks shinier and more crisp than I remember it being in a long time, these new drivers did positively squat to resolve my W&W problem.

edit: I don't mean to sound like a crybaby. I blame myself for this entire fiasco.

To answer your question, Bungleau, I’ve now got the GeForce 5200 drivers: version 4.11.01.1321. I realize it is not the newest version available, but it is the best one they have to offer for Win98. Sadly, though, I am not in a (financial) position to upgrade to XP or 2000, so the newest GeForce drivers are tantalizingly out of reach for me at the moment. I also installed DirectX 9.0c, which, I’m happy to say, seems to work just fine for my other apps. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Bungleau, if I may, I’d like to suggest an addendum to your motto:

“Save Early, Save Often, Save Before, Save After… and Save a Freakin’ Copy too, Just in Case!” [img]graemlins/crying.gif[/img]

I nearly lost all my progress thus far because the game decided to hang during a save, and was thereafter unloadable. If it weren’t for my second save, I’d have to revert to a much earlier save, and I’d be chasing Mekdawa all up and down Nymph Lake right now, trying to foist those stupid potions onto him again! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

We might be starting to isolate the problem, though. Despite new problems that seem to pop up as suddenly as a pack of Wogurs, all the problems happen consistently. There is never a case where sometimes it works and sometimes it hangs. No, if it hangs, it hangs every time. Is that any better? I don’t know, but I think there’s still hope. Here’re the things that happen consistently:

1. Examining treasure chests. I tried Law’s suggestion to start from a distance and clicking on the chest, but it doesn’t help (thanks anyway, Law [img]smile.gif[/img] ). As soon as the party reaches the chest and the computer tries to bring up the examination window (e.g. the thing with all the little gears and stuff), the game will immediately and invariably hang. Pry spells and lockpicks work just fine; like I said before, those things don’t bring up the examine window, so they work, even up close. (I’m glad it’s my Oomphaz that has the Pry spell; that Mana Seed keeps ‘em comin’.)
2. Splitting stackable items. I don’t know why it happens, but again, this is another instance where the game tries to bring up another window, so it hangs.
3. Every so often for no visible reason. I’m not sure, but I think when the computer tries to do a major calculation (e.g. load something graphically intensive, such as the entire Serpent Temple viewed from a distance), it hangs. Could this be an “out-of-memory” type of error? Is there a way to check, like a memory log file or something?
4. When I try to experiment with the graphics settings. Things don’t look great in Software Mode with all the settings on low, but it at least keeps the game running… for a while, anyway. However, when I try to tweak them, the problems crop up MUCH sooner. Could this be another memory issue?

These problems all seem related somehow. Perhaps a memory issue linked to the graphics card or the graphics themselves? Or is it a big red herring, with Cet howling with maniacal laughter as his ultimate curse unfolds upon the Gael Serran? This is becoming quite a complicated mess—but we gamers love a good mystery, don’t we?

At least, I hope we do, or I’m screwed. And so is the Gael Serran.

[ 09-07-2006, 07:21 PM: Message edited by: the Dark Neighbor ]

[Bungleau]

It all seems to be graphics-related. I'm not quite sure what the best approach is. You've already tried setting all the graphics options to their minimal settings (if I read you correctly)... that's usually where we get the best results.

Hmmm... have you tried this from the tech tips thread?

6.8) Problems running W&W in Windows 98 and Windows Me Problem: The Video Compression Codecs are not set correctly. Solution: The solution is to reset your ompression codecs in the Windows Setup. Open up Control Panel (Start ->Settings ->Control Panel), click on the "Add or Remove Programs" icon, and then click on the Windows Setup tab. Scroll down the list until you find "Multimedia", then click on it and then click the "Details" button. Make sure "Video Compression" is checked. Then click the OK button. You will need to restart your computer to have your settings updated. Another workaround: if your swap file is too small, setting it to a larger size will help.

Two things there... try resetting the compression mode, and try a larger swap file. I don't remember what you set yours to... 768 fixed, I think, which should be good. Still, you could up it to 1024 without a concern (provided you've got the disk).

Failing that, there are directions for busting back to an earlier version of DirectX in Best Tips as well. We may need to go there... but if we do, I may ask about wiping the hard drive and starting over...

What about your sound drivers? Did you upgrade those when you did that rebuild in January?