Baldur's Gate II readme info!

[Auberon]

I get the same drop to desktop on my rig. I got a tip on the BG2 boards to use the tweak util to turn off bitmap caching. That change allowed me to run BG2 in Win2K but there was all sorts of graphic corruption. From other posts I've read I'm going to try turning that back off again and force vsync on. I'll post an updaet if I get it running, it was really unplayable in 3D before.

My system:
Abit BP6 w/1 x Celeron 433
320MB RAM
Fuji 6.4GB
WD 18GB 7200rpm
Fuji 17.3GB
SBLive! Value w/Liveware!3
G400DH 32MB driver: 5.20
3Com 3C905b 10/100 nic
Adaptec 2904 SCSI
HP 9210i CD Writer
CReative Labs 6x DVD
Windows 2000 w/SP1
DirectX 8

[rylan]

I managed to get rid of the graphics/text corruption I was getting in BG2.

Looked through the .ini file, and found that the refresh rate was set to 0 (some default setting according to interplay). Well, that was telling the game to refresh at 60Hz, but I was running at 120Hz on my monitor. So I set the refresh to 120 in the .ini, and also set page flipping to always on in the Matrox tweak program. Looks great now

[derah]

The refresh on the ini file sounds promising.
A black screen often shows up with disparate refresh rates.

Gurm had also posted about the ini file having a refresh rate of 0/60. I didn't check it after the new install. I'll do that right now and get back.

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Win98se ,ASUS P3BF ACPI 1006,Intel PIII 500 i440BX, 128MB RAM,Quantum Fireball 20.5GB and Fujitsu 13GB HDs, LG Electronics 52X CDROM, Matrox G400Max 6.04 BIOS 1.6.25,SB Live MP3+(ver 4.06.711),Liveware3.0,DX7.0, SMC 10/100 PCI NIC/cable internet, Viewsonic E790 19" monitor

[Gurm]

Ok, there seem to be several issues at work here. They are as follows:

Black Screen: Change your refresh rate to something reasonable in the .ini file - perhaps 75 or 85. Whatever 800x600 normally runs at on your monitor.

Corrupted loading screens: Update your drivers to 5.20 - in fact 5.14 fixed this issue for most of us, so if you don't like 5.20 you're still all set.

Fade-In Bug: Run MTSTU and change your page-flipping options to... the opposite of whatever it is now. Hehe, I can't remember since it's been a while.

Drop-To-Windows: I don't know about this one. It could be a variation of the black-screen bug, or it could be something else in your system. Have you checked the sound-card drivers and/or other issues?

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[derah]

Boy, this is interesting.

Freshly installed BG2.
Copied over a previous save from The Underdark.
Configured for 2D 1024x768x32
Quit.
Checked baldur.ini and edited the display frequency from 60 to 85.
Saved.
Started the game with disk #2
Prompted to insert disk #4
(Yes the disk numbers are relevant to this discussion)
The game plays beautifully.

With DISK #4 still in the drive, I configured for 3D.
At both 800x600x32 or 1024x768x32,
display frequency set to 85, BG2 plays perfectly well!!
No stripes in loading screen, no corruption of map or examination of mace screens, no flashing fog of war etc. I feel that the color of graphics appears a little flat but the spells and a summoned fire elemental are noticeably nicer than in 2D

Alright. To the acid test. Is it possible to start a new game?
With the 3D configuration the same as above.
Inserted DISK #2
Checked that ini file display frequency is at 85.
Start.
Play menu comes up. Hit play, screen goes to black and dumps me back to an fully operational desk top.
I disabled the movies in the ini and tried again. Same thing.

I then tried inserting DISK #1.
Hit play. Prompted to insert DISK #2.
Then hit play...black screen.

I even removed the Underark save file and tried again. No good.

I'm posting this to the Interplay Conferences as well.



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Win98se ,ASUS P3BF ACPI 1006,Intel PIII 500 i440BX, 128MB RAM,Quantum Fireball 20.5GB and Fujitsu 13GB HDs, LG Electronics 52X CDROM, Matrox G400Max 6.04 BIOS 1.6.25,SB Live MP3+(ver 4.06.711),Liveware3.0,DX7.0, SMC 10/100 PCI NIC/cable internet, Viewsonic E790 19" monitor

[Gurm]

This sounds like so NOT a Matrox issue! It is good that you posted at the Interplay boards, I suspect you'll find something else in your system configuration that is causing this!

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[derah]

I agree Gurm.
It was just a fluke that I had left CD4 in the drive when I enabled 3D.
I routinely start multi disc games with the first CD to make sure all files load properly.

Now if only Interplay/Bioware had as helpful a forum as this one

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Win98se ,ASUS P3BF ACPI 1006,Intel PIII 500 i440BX, 128MB RAM,Quantum Fireball 20.5GB and Fujitsu 13GB HDs, LG Electronics 52X CDROM, Matrox G400Max 6.04 BIOS 1.6.25,SB Live MP3+(ver 4.06.711),Liveware3.0,DX7.0, SMC 10/100 PCI NIC/cable internet, Viewsonic E790 19" monitor

[Gurm]

They claim to have an IRC channel. Funny though, that the people on the channel Interplay links have never heard of this.

Actually, one of them had, and apparently Interplay USED TO have forums and what have you, but now does not, but has neglected to remove the link from their web site. Kinda sucks, huh?

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[rylan]

Sounds like theres a problem with a data file on Disc 2 that isn't replicated in disc 4.

[vanguardian1]

Hey, if you're using an AMD Northbridge, make sure you have the AGP patches for Win2k!
http://www.amd.com/products/cpg/bin/

Just thought I would bring it up since some people here are running them.
I've been able to run all of my games on Win2k with the powerdesk 5.20 drivers, and am loving it. (note: I don't own BG2 and likely I never will, not my type of game)

Ciao!
VanGuardian1

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[Auberon]

Originally posted by Gurm:

Corrupted loading screens: Update your drivers to 5.20 - in fact 5.14 fixed this issue for most of us, so if you don't like 5.20 you're still all set.

Drop-To-Windows: I don't know about this one. It could be a variation of the black-screen bug, or it could be something else in your system. Have you checked the sound-card drivers and/or other issues?

- Gurm

[/B]

I'm not sure what it was about the drivers taht caused the second of these issues, but both of these problem were fixed on my machine by uninstalling 5.20 and reverting to 5.14. I have not made any changes to the default driver settings (other than resolution/refresh) nor have I used the tweak util.
The game runs great now. Can ayone describe the fade mode bug? I'd like to know just in case I see it.

- Auberon

[Gurm]

The "fade mode bug" is recognizable as follows:

When you first fire up a new game (or anytime the scene "fades" in) you will see a screen fade - from full black to full bright. When experiencing the "bug", you will not see the fade, but instead you'll see lots of horizontal flickery black lines.

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[derah]

I tried a full install of BG2.
Configured for 3D, 1024x 32bit colour.
Tested. The test window goes to black and hangs before the 3 concentric coloured rectangles appear.
Hit OK.
Started a new game.
The screeen goes to black above the task bar but if I wait at least 15 seconds, the game pops up.
No graphic artifacts of any kind.
Spells are stunning.
Good for a previous save from old install as well.
Game play feels a little sluggish compared to 2D but at least now I have a choice as to whether to play in 2D or 3D.

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Win98se ,ASUS P3BF ACPI 1006,Intel PIII 500 i440BX, 128MB RAM,Quantum Fireball 20.5GB and Fujitsu 13GB HDs, LG Electronics 52X CDROM, Matrox G400Max 6.04 BIOS 1.6.25,SB Live MP3+(ver 4.06.711),Liveware3.0,DX7.0, SMC 10/100 PCI NIC/cable internet, Viewsonic E790 19" monitor

[Auberon]

I noticed the sluggish feeling too. I haven't started playing BG2 yet, I have a 17 month old, trying to finish BG is taking a long time But it did seem sluggish when I tested it by doing the tutorial. It's probably mediocre OpenGL drivers. I feel that same way about having a choice now though.