Can't start the game on WinXP

[rcb]

Okay, I pulled out my old Priv 3.5s and tried to set up the game for my kids on an old Win98 machine. It didn't work. I looked around, and found this Vega Strike version- Great! ...but it won't start.

I get the game loaded (and patched) and I first get a screen of colored snow, and then the familiar opening still with the two ships. I get loading info in the lower left corner, and i get through =something=.018, and then the image shifts. Sometimes, for an eye-blink, I get a view of the familiar cockpit, but almost immediately the computer locks up, my monitor goes into sleep mode, and I can do nothing but cut the poweer and restart. (there are no ill effects on my computer or the system from restart; in fact, it doesn't even indicate a bad shutdown. If it were not for the fact that the power light stays on, I'd've said my cpu shut off.)

I've tried loading it in windowed mode, to avoid the XP 127.0.0.1 error, but that hasn't come up.

Can you please help me? I was the hero to my boys when I brought the box out-- and I've been reading to them from the manual at night-- but now I am The Dad Who Let His Boys Down.

PLease post, but I'll gladly call you back long distance if there's an ace out there who'll walk me through it live. Boys due home in 3 hours....
310-395-9052.

-Chris

[Halleck]

What are your system specs? Also, what version of privateer remake did you get, and from where? I don't think you should have to patch the full release. As far as I know, the patches are to upgrade an old version of privateer remake, not to convert an installation of Vega Strike into privateer remake.

Try here: http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/wcun ... e?download

[ijuin]

Also, what graphics card are you using? The game does not work well with older cards.

[Halleck]

Well, that depends what you mean by "older".

It should be able to run on anything more recent than a TNT (in theory, at least.)

[klauss]

It works flawlessly on a TNT2 - I know, I tried.
Since it's only a faster TNT, I would say it should work on a TNT as well.

The real problem must be driver bugs... try playing with the graphics settings to see if something makes a change. Mostly, try windows/fullscreen, 16/32-bit modes, different resolutions, different font settings, different "optimization" settings too (best would be display lists, but if not try others)... and in the driver's control panel try enabling/disabling FSAA (Antialiasing). Also try enabling/disabling reflective lighting (select, for instance, specular or per-pixel specular lighting) - it's been heard of drivers that don't like reflective lighting.

If nothing changes with all (or most) combinations... I think you should try different graphics driver versions. I know... it's a pain, but it's the only one I can think of (if the rest doesn't help).

[rcb]

Exactly right. If I amp the acceleration down low, it will run. (I have an All-in-Wonder 9600XT, but I think it's bad)

THanks a lot, everyone, for the replies.

Now I've got to go read the thread about not getting paid on patrol missions....