24 replies to this topic

[Visaj]

Hi there everyone!

Just recently bought a brand new (custom built) modern computer.
Ironically enough Baldurs Gate 2 was the first game I installed on it. (Can't live without this epic vanilla game on any of my computers I guess.)

Anyway...

The problem now is that Baldurs Gate 2's 3d acceleration does not seem to be compatible with my new computer.
If I run BGConfig and check 3d-acceleration the program crashes during the "test"-phase (where you're supposed to see the cute colored squares).

I tried to start the game without 3d acceleration thinking that I could probably survive without it since 2d has it's own kind of charm anyway.
This works BUT this causes the famous "black box graphical issue" on most spells and abilities, and this I can definately not live with!

Over the years I have managed to solve all these kinds of troubles on my own by searching for expert advice all over the internet.
But now it seems I can't find anything modern enough to be related to my problem. Thus I hereby signed up on this community seeking advice from the experts themselves directly.

My hope is that someone here knows, or have heard about this issue before, and perhaps know how to deal with it?
Or do I have to face the horrible fact that my computer might be to "modern" for awesome vanilla games?

Here is some simple information about my computer and what kind of mod-installation my Baldurs Gate 2 is running:
(I am very unknowledgable when it comes to computers which means that I have no idea if what I post is even relevant to you or not.)

Computer details:
OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1.
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-2500 CPU 3.30 GHz.
Graphics Card: AMD Radeon HD 6800 series

Baldurs Gate 2 Installation details:
BG2 Fixpack
Spellrevisions
Sword Coast Stratagems II

Any help will be extremely welcome!
Thank you and may Minsc and Boo bless ye all.
/V

[Andrea C.]

Hi,

I apologize in advance if this is something you have already thought of and tried, but I have found triple buffering to be a deal breaker for the BG2 engine. You may want to check whether it is on in your graphic card's options, and turn it off.

If triple buffering is not the probelm, you may want to set most options in your graphic card's software to either "off" or "application control". This way, you'll rule your graphic card's features out and see whether it was any of them to cause your issues.

I honestly doubt this could have anything to do with your problem, but on these newer versions of Windows it is generally a good idea to NOT install any IE game in the "Program Files" directory.

[Dakk]

I tried to start the game without 3d acceleration thinking that I could probably survive without it since 2d has it's own kind of charm anyway.

That's funny

[Visaj]

Hi,

I apologize in advance if this is something you have already thought of and tried, but I have found triple buffering to be a deal breaker for the BG2 engine. You may want to check whether it is on in your graphic card's options, and turn it off.

If triple buffering is not the probelm, you may want to set most options in your graphic card's software to either "off" or "application control". This way, you'll rule your graphic card's features out and see whether it was any of them to cause your issues.

I honestly doubt this could have anything to do with your problem, but on these newer versions of Windows it is generally a good idea to NOT install any IE game in the "Program Files" directory.

Thank you for your reply!

No appologies needed. =)
Triple buffering seems to be off. I haven't tried to "tone down" my graphics card total setting though since im a bit unsure about how it works. But now when you mention it this is obviously something I should try. There's probably some tutorial I can snatch from google somewhere!
I just hope I don't wreck anything haha.

It's installed directly onto C: as well. =/'

[Visaj]

Hi,

I apologize in advance if this is something you have already thought of and tried, but I have found triple buffering to be a deal breaker for the BG2 engine. You may want to check whether it is on in your graphic card's options, and turn it off.

If triple buffering is not the probelm, you may want to set most options in your graphic card's software to either "off" or "application control". This way, you'll rule your graphic card's features out and see whether it was any of them to cause your issues.

I honestly doubt this could have anything to do with your problem, but on these newer versions of Windows it is generally a good idea to NOT install any IE game in the "Program Files" directory.

Thank you for your reply!

No appologies needed. =)
Triple buffering seems to be off. I haven't tried to "tone down" my graphics card total setting though since im a bit unsure about how it works. But now when you mention it this is obviously something I should try. There's probably some tutorial I can snatch from google somewhere!
I just hope I don't wreck anything haha.

It's installed directly onto C: as well. =/'

I have a program called "Catalyst Control Center" which apparently is some kind of control programt for "every aspect of my GPU quickly and easily!".
Anyway... Most of the options in this program are either set to off or on "application settings". And mixturing with these options doesn't seem to solve the problem either. *sob*

[Daulmakan]

Since you mention the black box issue as famous I'm not sure if you've already tried this:

BG2 and HoW (TotLM) are fixable directly from their config program:
BG2(SoA+ToB, including Tutu, Classic Adventures, and Big Mods): there are various graphical issues (black boxes and/or randomly-colored lines across the screen), which are solved with the following tweaks in BGConfig: Hardware -> Enable 3D Acceleration. Display -> 32 bit. 2d & 3d options: enable 3D Animations, 3D Acceleration and 32 bit textures, disable the Disable Vertex Padding option.

[Visaj]

Since you mention the black box issue as famous I'm not sure if you've already tried this:

BG2 and HoW (TotLM) are fixable directly from their config program:
BG2(SoA+ToB, including Tutu, Classic Adventures, and Big Mods): there are various graphical issues (black boxes and/or randomly-colored lines across the screen), which are solved with the following tweaks in BGConfig: Hardware -> Enable 3D Acceleration. Display -> 32 bit. 2d & 3d options: enable 3D Animations, 3D Acceleration and 32 bit textures, disable the Disable Vertex Padding option.

The problem is that if I run Baldurs Gate 2 with 3d acceleration activated the game won't even start before it crashes.
If I run Baldurs Gate 2 with 3d acceleration deactivated it won't crash but that is when the black box issue appears.

Simply put:
3d acceleration activated = game crash/won't start
3d acceleration deactivated = black boxes/heavy graphic glitches

[Visaj]

Allright I fixed my problem!

(Correction)
This is (apparently) what caused the black boxes for me while having 3d-acceleration deactivated:
SCSII (Sword Coast Stratagems II)

So if anyone encounters the same problem the solution to NOT install the Sword Coast Stratagems II!

Now I can play the game perfectly with 3d-acceleration deactivated.
Unfortunately without this mod which seemed kind of fun.
Let the adventure begin! \o/

Edited by Visaj, 29 October 2011 - 07:29 AM.

[DavidWallace]

While I'm perfectly willing to accept experimental evidence, I'm very surprised if Sword Coast Stratagems is responsible. I don't mess with graphical settings at all.

[Miloch]

Probably not, but it could be TobEx if packaged with it. Surprised no one's linked the nVidia topic yet - I think it also can apply to some AMD cards. On most machines, just turning down hardware acceleration in display options has solved this issue for me.

[aigleborgne]

In my own experience, I had the same problems as you.

I bought a new PC in 2011, high end configuration with an ATI card (like yours)
First, comptability is very important for baldur.exe bgmain.exe and bgconfig.exe
For unknown reasons, windows 98 doesn't work and crash bgconfig.
So, I put windows XP SP 2 for all of them.

Then, I activate :
- 3D animations
- 3D acceleration
- 32 bits textures

Disable vertex remains unchecked

I'm playing in window mode and I didn't touch my video card configuration. I'm also using the lastest catalyst driver (released this week).
I'm also using TobEx.

I can enjoy 3d acceleration and 32 bits textures, it really makes a difference.
Try magic missile with and without, my choice is made

I'm using 800x600 resolution. If I activate unsupported resolution, I'm getting random occasionnal crashes.
I haven't tried wildscreen mod yet with this configuration because I'm modding.

Edited by aigleborgne, 12 February 2012 - 01:03 AM.

[Sasha Al'Therin]

you installed in safe mode? may not have anything to do with it, tho i think that in safe mode due to certain resources etc being shut down or in limited capacity your game is expecting that setup. So when ran in normal mode its hitting brick walls so to speak.

perhaps you should try installing in normal mode and not in the default directory of Program Files but in a different directory for example: C:\Games

[Almateria]

I honestly doubt this could have anything to do with your problem, but on these newer versions of Windows it is generally a good idea to NOT install any IE game in the "Program Files" directory.

Now that the thread has been necrobumped let me just say that it applies to all games. My C:/Program Files/Sierra/Arcanum directory is still infected with a horrible unremovable mod