Graphic problems
 

I have just installed, and patched to version 5.5, winSPMBT in my old computer, an Athlon 64 3500+ 2.1 Gherz, 512Mega memory and Windows XP: playing the game i noted that after a few turns the screen becomes suddenly strange with mixed colors and nothing can be seen...so i exit the game and start it again: everything goes well for a few turns, then the screen becomes strange again, as before.
I have installed and patched the game on my NEW computer, an Intel Quad6600 2.3Gherz with 1G memory and Windows 7 64bit: it happens exactly the same!
Can anyone help me?

Re: Graphic problems
 

I'll assume that you are playing in Full Screen 256 colour mode?.

Game Guide -> Tuning Your Machine -> Section on full screen mode, paragraph 2 refers. "psychedelic screen".

The answer is to play in windowed mode if your driver is one that regularly causes the psychedelic mode in XP. (My XP machine will do the psycho screen in full screen mode about once in 100 tries, if memory is tight due to a gazillion other programmes being open (memory hogs like Word and programming suites usually), and only if I attempt alt-tabbing in and out of the game usually). But some XP video drivers do seem to do the psycho screen regularly, or background tasks can do it for you e.g. irritating pop-up windows for your anti-virus updates etc).

For your Windows 7 machine, have you installed as directed in the sticky thread at the top of the forum?. i.e. to a folder outside the vista/7 "managed" folders (program files). And are you running the script for full screen to delete the Aero interface? (the latest version of the game will run that automatically on vista and later). Again - as for XP the best idea is to avoid full screen mode and use desktop mode, if you have the full game. Plus you then dont have to restore aero as described in the thread, on the occasions that visa/seven decides not to do so off the script.

Windowed Mode at desktop resolution is the most windows-friendly, in that other programmes cause less conflicts, and it avoids any problems with 256 colour mode (especially with vista and successors) and it copes with modern wide-screen monitors.

Cheers
Andy

Re: Graphic problems
 

:o:o:o:
Oh my God, it was so easy!...
I must admit, i didn't read the Game Guide so carefully...
Anyway, with my OLD computer i have set my desktop resolution to 800x600 and played in Windowed mode perfectly.
With my NEW computer i had really installed in a different directory, as the Guide suggests, but i have done the same, setting to 800x600 and playing windowed.
I thank you so much Andy, and sorry for my incompetence (after all, i am a ballet master and choreographer, but since i was 8 i'm a wargame aficionado, playing just when the job, the wife and the son allow me...).
I hope my english is understandable.
Cheers
Stefano

Re: Graphic problems
 

We're glad to help. Enjoy !

Don