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UMassCowboy
UMassCowboy
Join Date 09/2006
0

Important Question

September 2, 2006 11:00:54 PM from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
So I'm thinking about buying this game, but I'm concerned that my machine just isn't up to the challenge. I tried the demo but it crashes upon trying to actually launch a game (but I can set up the game right up through the very last step).

Music plays fine and everything, videos play fine, and everything up to the hint screen before game launch is dandy. My chief concern is that I have an older integrated chipset (although the system specs don't seem to require much of a video card). Here's the error report:

Debug Message: Version 1.0X DEMO VERSION last updated on: Wed Mar 22 18:28:31 2006
Debug Message: Could not find a TGN Serial No.
Debug Message: *********DXDiag info follows.*********
System Info
Time: 9/2/2006, 22:44:42
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
Machine Name: GATEWAY-DZO0OOV
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)
Languages: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Gateway
System Model: Gateway 400VTX
BIOS: Rev 1.0
Processor: Mobile Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.00GHz
Physical Memory: 246MB RAM
Page File: 223MB used, 510MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS


Display Info
Display device 1:
Device Name: \\.\DISPLAY1
Card Name: Intel(R) 82852/82855 GM/GME Graphics Controller
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip Type: Intel(R) 82852/82855 Graphics Controller
DAC Type: Internal
Key Device: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_3582&SUBSYS_0402107B&REV_01
Display Memory: 64.0 MB
Current Display Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Digital Flat Panel (1024x768)
Monitor Max Resolution:
Driver Name: ialmrnt5.dll
Driver Version: 6.13.0001.3467
Driver Date: 2/2/2006 14:42:01
DirectX Acceleration Enabled: Yes



Sound info
Sound device 1:
Description: SigmaTel Audio
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_24C5&SUBSYS_0402107B&REV_03
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Driver Name: STAC97.sys
Provider: SigmaTel
Driver Version: 5.10.3722.0000
Driver Date: 2/2/2006 14:42:36
Type: WDM
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 3
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0

Sound device 1:
Description: Modem #0 Line Playback (emulated)
Default Sound Playback: No
Default Voice Playback: No
Hardware ID:
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 81
Driver Name:
Provider:
Driver Version:
Driver Date:
Type: Emulated
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 3
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0



Debug Message: *********END dxdiag info.*********
Debug Message: Entering WinMain
Debug Message: ******* Starting Game Shell *******
Debug Message: Going Fullscreen
Debug Message: Preparing to change display settings.
Debug Message: Using multilsample setting: D3DMULTISAMPLE_NONE
Debug Message: Game Resolution: 1024 x 768
Debug Message: Running fullscreen.
Debug Message: HAL (sw vp): Intel(R) 82852/82855 GM/GME Graphics Controller
Debug Message: D3DPRESENT_INTERVAL_DEFAULT
Debug Message: Refresh rate: 60
Debug Message: Bit Depth: 32 bit.
Debug Message: *********Checking D3DDevice Caps***********************
Debug Message: Hardware does not support a color cursor.
Debug Message: RGB in format 6:6:6, Masks reported as ff0000:ff00:ff
Debug Message: Now Fullscreen
Debug Message: Shell initialization complete
Debug Message: ***** Initializing Game *****
Debug Message: Timer Frequency is 0 369e99
Debug Message: Initializing sound card.
Debug Message: initailizing bink
Debug Message: No files found matching mask Gfx\Tutorials\*.bik
Debug Message: Create setup screens.
Debug Message: Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message: Clear influence.
Debug Message: Clear up laws.
Debug Message: Clear first time events.
Debug Message: Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message: Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message: Set mouse.
Debug Message: Set update timer.
Debug Message: Clear data definitions.
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\*.StarSystems
*DEBUG ERROR: ***Unable to find required tech ImpossibleTech for PirateShip. ***
*DEBUG ERROR: ***Unable to find required tech ImpossibleTech for Starbase. ***
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\ships\*.shipclass
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\ships\*.shipcfg
Debug Message: Reading Star Names
Debug Message: Reading Star Names... Done
Debug Message: No files found matching mask ./Data/English/Tutorials/*.xml
Debug Message: CustomRaceWnd: Cannot find OBJID CustomRace_Description_Text
Debug Message: CustomRaceWnd: Cannot find OBJID CustomRace_Tab_Homeworld
Debug Message: Creating Galaxy
Debug Message: Set galaxy size.
Debug Message: Killing threads.
Debug Message: Kiling civs.
Debug Message: Killing ships.
Debug Message: Killing rallypoints.
Debug Message: Killing misc objects.
Debug Message: Killing stars.
Debug Message: Killing anomalies.
Debug Message: Killing space resources.
Debug Message: Killing colonies and planets.
Debug Message: killing scenario.
Debug Message: Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message: Clear influence.
Debug Message: Clear up laws.
Debug Message: Clear first time events.
Debug Message: Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message: Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message: Creating Random Map
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Stars
Debug Message: Number of Unplaced Stars: 7.
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Planets
Debug Message: *************** Failed To Place Planet ***************
Debug Message: *************** Failed To Place Planet ***************
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Anomalies
Debug Message: Num Anomalies: 42
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Resources
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Done
Debug Message: Creating Civs
Debug Message: Drengin Empire: Intellence -> 10
Debug Message: Altarian Republic: Intellence -> 10
Debug Message: Arcean Empire: Intellence -> 10
Debug Message: Creating Civs... Done
Debug Message: Updating ZOC.
Debug Message: Updating ZOC.
Debug Message: Galaxy Create... Done
Debug Message: UIBeginGame called with g_ulLocalPlayerID = 0
Debug Message: setting size 16 x 0
Debug Message: setting size 16 x 0
Debug Message: setting size 16 x 0


So will this game ever work on my machine, or should I just wait until I have a newer machine?
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UMassCowboy
Moosetek13
Join Date 03/2006
+48
Reply #1 September 3, 2006 12:05:24 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
You might try a small or medium size galaxy, instead of the largest.

This game likes a lot of ram, and you do not even have the required 256MB. I'm not sure why your 256MB is being reported as 246, but 10MB are not available for system use.
And the larger the galaxy the more ram it will need.
But as you can see, the system is already using 223MB, so it will be into swap file the whole time. That will really slow things down to a crawl. If you can increase your ram to at least 512MB it would help a lot.

And you should also increase your swap file to at least 1GB, and 2GB would be better.

The game will never run very well on your current system, though. Your graphics controller is very sub-par, as are all Celeron CPU's.

All in all, you are better off spending your money on a new machine than trying to upgrade that one. You can get one that will run the game decently for around $500 these days.
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UMassCowboy
Frogboy
Join Date 03/2001
+2423 sdemperor
Reply #2 September 3, 2006 12:46:27 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
It's your machine. It's not up to the minimum requirements. 
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UMassCowboy
luckyirishguy25
Join Date 07/2006
0
Reply #3 September 3, 2006 2:55:07 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
Even with a machine that barely makes the mins, it makes for quite an unenjoyable games, any of the 3d graphics will run slow... I intially ran the game on a laptop with 512mb of ram and the game would use up all available memory, i've since installed the game on a desktop with 4.0 GB of Dram and noticed on the task manager (while running the game) it likes to use 500-700Mb of ram for optium performance.
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UMassCowboy
Trincomalee
Join Date 05/2006
0
Reply #4 September 3, 2006 5:46:15 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
I have a 4 years old notebook that barely meets the minimum requirements and I really miss all the special effects that I see from the screenshots, but, oh boy, I still enjoy the game a lot! And after all the upgradings i can even see the movies... I know that for most off you is not that funny, but for the moment for me is good enough!!!
  
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UMassCowboy
UMassCowboy
Join Date 09/2006
0
Reply #5 September 3, 2006 6:53:10 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
It's odd. The thing works fine on my machine. Loading and exiting are slow, but the actual gameplay is just fine.

Thanks for all the advice though!
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