Did some testing, since I get the same kind of thing. Took a while since lol rebooting forever.
Tests done on Optimized Inferno Build CVS as of 3/23/06. Media VP version is 3.6.8-Delta.
Windows XP x64
Athlon 64 4000+ San Diego
2GB Corsair XMS 400mhz
ATI All-In-Wonder X800XT (AGP)
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
ASUS A8V with VIA K8T800 Chipset
Seagate 80GB SATA Hard Drive
Saitek Cyborg Evo joystick
Logitech G5 mouse
Saitek Eclipse keyboard
(Peripherals with drivers listed in case of driver issues)
All drivers are up to date.
Downloaded the latest (posted) CVS build, it was working fine. I was running the 6.1 and later the 6.2 Catalysts. I decide to check ATI for an updated driver again, and find 6.3. I download it, everything goes smoothly. Then I try to run FS2 Open in OpenGL, my default setting.
I get the splash screen, reading "Freespace 2 SCP." All looks good, then my adapter changes display modes as if it's going to play the intro video (before going into pilot select).
Whoops! Blue screen, sort of like the BSOD with no words. My speakers make this strange static noise that lasts for less than a second, maybe three times and five to ten seconds apart. The system hangs there for thirty seconds or so, and then reboots itself. (Note: When I retried this without the VP's I got a different static pattern. Roughly once every 1-2 seconds, and sounded like a heartbeat. Lasted for thirty seconds to a minute, probably closer to the latter. The sounds made during the blue screen seem to vary with no consistency, but I haven't tested this much.) After it reboots, the computer works like nothing happened. I try FS2 Open again, same problem.
I wondered if this was a driver setting, so I set them to default and tried again. No dice. I tried uninstalling and removing the 6.3 Catalysts with their default uninstaller and a third-party removal program. I then reinstalled it and tried FS2 Open again, but to no avail.
Trying FS2 Open using the Direct 3D8 option in the launcher, it worked fine and entered a mission. Well, it froze halfway through the mission (music kept playing, but everything else halted) but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and blame it on the stability of Direct 3D in FS2 Open (it's happened before on my system in that mode).
I gave OpenGL an attempt after deleting the movies (avi's). I get to the splash screen, and what do you know, the pilot select screen loads. I load a mission and it works fine. As far as I can tell, it's a problem playing the avi video inside of OpenGL mode using ATI's 6.3 Catalyst drivers.
Note that I retried this without the Media VP mod selected and no command line options. I get the same error with the movies (in OpenGL), and it works without them (although quite a bit uglier and faster loading).
Screenshot of it working in OpenGL with ATI's 6.3 Catalyst Drivers, 3.6.8-Delta Media VP's, and my set of command line options.
http://www.deathwinds.com/Hosted/Johnmike/fs2.jpgEdit: So I tried it in Windowed mode. I'm still running the 6.3 Cats, and I put the movies back in the data\movies folder. Lo and behold, the intro movie plays in windowed mode when running in OpenGL. Then I get to the pilot select screen and can play the game normally. That means that this problem only happens in full screen mode. Hm...
