[$cHm0cK]

Hi Guys!

I have a huge and strange Problem! Hopefully somebody can fix this annoying thin ... cause i wann play  .

Allright!

I have the German retail Version of Freespace², installed and patched to 1.2 successfully. I started, tried the Training Mission ... everything is fine!

I downloaded newest (at least i think so) releases, including:

- Launcher 5.5d
- 20080711 Build from trunk with the shaders.vp
- AdvancedEffects, Assets, Core, Effects and the german hotfix ... all in MV_3_6_10
- mv_music

I Created the Folder "mediavps" in my Freespace² Installation Directory. Put all the vp Data's and the german hotfix in there, Launer.exe an the Biulds are in the Install Directory of Freespace².

I start the Launcher, browse the Build, select the my mediavps Directory as Mod, configure the Graphic settings and other. Everything is fine ... OpenGL, 1280 x 1024 etc.

Now i click on Run! Smth. is starting .. and thats it! All i get is a damn Black Screen, no Splash Screen or Sounds and no Error Message when i start with the dev build. Just a Black Screen but it is worse. I cant even get back to Windows and i must restart my PC.

I tired many things, another Resolution, uncheck everything in the Graphich Options in the Launcher ... but nothing! I cant event start when i dont select any mod. At this Moment, i thought it is the Build and i tried other (Chief). But the same Thing :-(.

After this, i checked the Option "run in window" and you know!? The damn Thing started! Yes .. i can play it in Window Mode ... but thats of course not a real good Solution. Furthermore ... the same Thing (Black Screen - > Crash - > must restart PC) happens when i try to quit the Game in normal Way in the Main Menu. Strange, huh? Yeah .. it is!

So, that means, i have to quit the Game through Task manager.

After all this Pain, i went throuh ... ^^ ... i started to search help here. Found few topics about same Problem, red about Firewall poping up and cause crash. Well .. Truth is, Firewall popped up after i ran it in window mode. So i said "Dont touch this Game in Future!" .. and then tried to start it in full screen. But no, Black Screen and Crash! I deactivated all Firewalls, Anti Vir Programms etc. so i could be sure, Firewall etc. is not the Problem! And it isnt .. This Game only wanna start in Window Mode and can only be closes (without crash) with Task Manager.

Hope, anybody can help me ... really wanna enjoy Freespace 2 with great new Graphics =).

My System:

Win XP SP3 Prof. 32 bit
A64 4800+ x2
HD 3870 512MB
2GB
Catalyst 8.6, newest Drivers and newest Directx 9c

Here is another "Thing" i discovered:

In FS2 open.log .. last lines i found

"Unable to find extension "GL_ATI_shader_texture_lod"."

greetz

[Topgun]

wow, that's strange. let me see if I can help you out.
first, let me get this straight, you have all the mediavps in the mediavps folder but the retail vps in the install directory, right?
try not using the mediavps as a mod, then we can see what happens.

[ShadowGorrath]

Wait. . . Did you get the new launcher to use the new exe?

[$cHm0cK]

wow, that's strange. let me see if I can help you out.
first, let me get this straight, you have all the mediavps in the mediavps folder but the retail vps in the install directory, right?
try not using the mediavps as a mod, then we can see what happens.

Let me quote my self ^^

I cant event start when i dont select any mod.

So .. yeah, even if i dont use mods and only use the build to start through the Launcher ... Black Screen and Crash.

Wait. . . Did you get the new launcher to use the new exe?

Uhh ... what? Sorry mate, but dont know what you mean exactly!?

[Topgun]

in the launcher, goto "registry" and tell me if there is anything there. you don't have to tell me what as long as it doesn't just have 1 line, you just need to tell me if there is anything at all.

[$cHm0cK]

Ah .. okay .. wait ...



greetz

[Topgun]

it *might* be because you have it installed it in games/simulation/freespace2. I hear that freespace tends to not work well if it is installed to a dir that is not X:games\freespace2.
but, what do I know?
did you try a debug build? those are the builds ending with _d not _r.

[$cHm0cK]

You mean Freepsace² vanilla or the SCP? Freesspace 2 vanilla runs fine ... of course withouth Launcher. But anyway .. i updating my Catalyst Drivers from 8.6 to 8.7 ... i will se if that help. I will edit the result.

EDIT:

GOD DAMN IT! IT works .. i could knock my self out, damn it! Sweet 8.7 ...  Finally i can enjoy this Thing .... 

greetz

[Topgun]

download this and use the exe that has the _d in it as you would a regular scp build.
http://www.freespacefaq.com/Misc-Downloads/Builds/StandaloneFixes-1.7z

[Jeff Vader]

it *might* be because you have it installed it in games/simulation/freespace2. I hear that freespace tends to not work well if it is installed to a dir that is not X:games\freespace2.

Well basically just the desktop and My documents are troublesome choices. And I have this certain feeling that ridiculously long paths might also not work. Not sure though.

[colecampbell666]

it *might* be because you have it installed it in games/simulation/freespace2.

Never had any problems with that, for future reference.

download this and use the exe that has the _d in it as you would a regular scp build.
http://www.freespacefaq.com/Misc-Downloads/Builds/StandaloneFixes-1.7z

Also, get Launcher 5.5d from my sig.

And I just wanted to say thank you for lurking and actually learning about how to use the game before posting a thread. You are a shining beacon of hope.

[Topgun]

yes, he has bad spelling yet still manages to sound intelligent. 

[Snail]

You most make an update.

[Jeff Vader]

Yargh... brain overload. Kind of like... a woutersmits that knows something about computers and can express his problems in an understandable way. Does not compute.

Srsly though. A tear of joy just fell from my eye. There are so many people who start threads about the normal issues (like the absence of OpenAL32.dll), that it actually amazes me to see a new person who has done what I did back in the days and has searched for information regarding his (usually quite common) problems. $cHm0cK, I thank you.

[$cHm0cK]

yes, he has bad spelling yet still manages to sound intelligent. 

Yeah, sorry ^^ ... English is not my first Language and i had not time ... or, better say ... passion to improve my "speech" =).

Well ... thank you too ! Great Game and Graphics btw. I Played it yesterday night ... Big Fun 

Oh uhm ... a bit OT but better than creating a new Topic. One Thing i always missed in Freespace was real Cockpit! Are there any functionable/stable Cockpit mods or anything else for Freespace²?

greetz

[colecampbell666]

You can use the Show Cockpit flag, consult the Wiki for how.

It's perfectly fine if English is not your first language, you're not the only one, and it's fine to have bad spelling (unless you actually know how to spell the word, then it's just laziness).