Topic: Need some advice  (Read 7134 times)

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Offline RogueHero06

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Need some advice
« on: March 02, 2015, 07:51:05 pm »
I recently was able to install SFC 1,2, and 3 and I can get them to run but when the intro loads up I can hear it but it is displayed in a small window in the upper left corner, it looks like it has 3 of them playing at once, I'm running Windows 7, I've tried running it in XP and 98 compatibility with different resolutions and colors set to minimum and Im at a loss. So if anyone can give me some pointers I'd love it.

Offline TarMinyatur

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2015, 10:31:14 pm »
Install your games to C:\Games (or whatever your harddrive letter may be). Don't install to C:\Program Files.

Start the games with Starfleet.exe, Starfleet2.exe, and Starfleet3.exe(?) respectively. Don't use the other executables (SFC.exe, SFCOP.exe) that play the introductory Bink videos, which are media fossils. Turn off all optional programs too.

There is no need to run any of these games in "compatibility mode" with Windows 7.

Post the contents of your sfc.ini file here. That file is important and can persuade the game to run properly.
« Last Edit: March 03, 2015, 11:52:46 pm by TarMinyatur »

Offline RogueHero06

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2015, 09:17:59 pm »
So I've installed it to a folder in my C:\ and it still doesn't work. Where would I find the SFC2.ini file? Cant seem to find it

Offline RogueHero06

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2015, 09:19:03 pm »
Nevermind, I found it.

[Network]
PlayerName=Player
SessionName=Starfleet2
SessionType=Starfleet
NetDebug=0
NetLib=1
SimProtocol=0
MulticasterServer=0
NetDbgFile=0
SynchWait=60

[3D]
wireframe=0
windowed=0
zbuffer=1
lowres=0
driver=0
backdrop=1
shipstacking=1
ambientlighting=0.15
spacedust=0


[UI]
UIType=1
QuickTip=1
Grid=0
OrderDelay=30
HeadingDisplay=0
AutoFilm=1
SkipUpsell=1

[Sound]
UseMiles=1
MaxChannels=16
disable=0
GlobalVolume=100
MusicVolume=30
VoiceVolume=100
voice=3

[Races]
Orions=1
Feds=1
Klingons=1
Hydrans=1
Lyrans=1
Roms=1
Gorns=1

[Mouse]
async=1
hwblit=1

[IPAddress]
NumOfEntries=1
Entry#0=Local Area Network
[ModemAddress]
NumOfEntries=0


[Models]
Rescale=0   ; Set this to 1 to rescale models (via Ctrl-[ and Ctrl-])
DisplayScale=0   ; Set this to 1 to display model scale

[Meta]
WONName=Player
WONPassword=none
MapName=Map4.mvm
TestPatchUtility=1

[DebugScripts]
[AI]
[AIDebug]
[Debug]

Offline TarMinyatur

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2015, 09:55:00 pm »
Thanks for posting this info.

Try...
 
[3D]
wireframe=0
windowed=1
zbuffer=1
lowres=3

...and if that doesn't work, try...

[3D]
wireframe=0
windowed=0
zbuffer=1
lowres=3

Offline RogueHero06

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2015, 10:08:55 pm »
Nope neither of those worked, just a black screen now

Offline TarMinyatur

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2015, 11:32:42 pm »
Let's try to get SFC2: EAW (or SFC: Orion Pirates) to work first...

Try the minimum video settings...

[3D]
wireframe=1
windowed=0
zbuffer=1
lowres=0
driver=0

You can right-click Starfleet2.exe and select "Run as Administrator". Sometimes that works with old software. And autofilm should be off.

[UI]
HeadingDisplay=0
AutoFilm=0
SkipUpsell=1
« Last Edit: March 03, 2015, 11:59:46 pm by TarMinyatur »

Offline RogueHero06

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2015, 12:05:21 am »
Seems still to be a no-go. At least I got to see a flashing mouse cursor that time. Would it matter that I'm using a downloaded copy off of a mounted CD image?

Offline TarMinyatur

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2015, 12:22:58 am »
I recommend Starfleet Command: Community Edition. It has better compatibility with various Windows versions and has updated DirectX stuff.

But I play SFC1, EAW, CE, and OP on my Windows 7 64-bit laptop. I disabled user access-control (UAC).

Could be a video driver problem or a permission problem.



Offline JanB

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2015, 03:34:07 am »
SFC3 works just fine for me on Windows 7 x64, I don't even have to run it in compatibility mode. I can't run it on my girlfriend's Win7 laptop but that thing has 4 year old integrated graphics and can't even run Age of Empires 2 either and it does give a clean error message. On my Windows 8.1 x32 laptop I get problems similar to those described above: intro videos play fine, I can hear the main menu music and when I set the game to run in 16bit color mode I can even see the mouse cursor but the screen remains black and there's no error message. Of course I've tried just about every fix known to man (and yes I have the latest patch and tried windowed mode) but it will just not run. Don't know what causes these problems...

Offline TarMinyatur

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2015, 12:04:13 pm »
Make sure you don't have multiple monitors connected to your PC. I can't play at all if I extend my desktop to another monitor.

Try these settings for SFC:CE...

[3D]
wireframe=0
windowed=1
zbuffer=1
lowres=3
driver=0

or for full screen...

[3D]
wireframe=0
windowed=0
zbuffer=1
lowres=3
driver=0

Valid "lowres" values are 0 through 6.
0 = 800 x 600
1 = 640 x 480
2 = 960 x 720
3 = 1024 x 768
4 = 1152 x 864
5 = 1280 x 1024
6 = 1600 x 1200
 
No other resolutions are supported. Game resolution must always be less than or equal to your desktop resolution.

Offline RogueHero06

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #11 on: March 04, 2015, 12:46:18 pm »
I got it to run in a windowed mode on 1600  x 1200  :coolsmiley:

Offline TarMinyatur

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #12 on: March 04, 2015, 12:53:02 pm »
Fantastic.

I recommend downloading the repaired CE mission lists if you're going to play the campaign.

Offline RogueHero06

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #13 on: March 04, 2015, 01:02:58 pm »
Do I just replace the existing files in the mission folder with those?

Offline TarMinyatur

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #14 on: March 04, 2015, 02:34:30 pm »
Do I just replace the existing files in the mission folder with those?
Yes. Overwrite the old ones.

Offline RogueHero06

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #15 on: March 04, 2015, 03:25:39 pm »
Unless I'm blind or stupid where is that folder? I cannot seem to find it.

Offline TarMinyatur

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #16 on: March 04, 2015, 04:25:28 pm »
C:\(Starfleet Command 2 CE)\Assets\scripts\Campaigns

There should be 8 ISC-xyz.mct and 4 Mirak-xyz.mct files in there...

You could do a search for ISC-Fed.mct

There are "MetaAssets", but that's for other stuff.

Offline d4v1ks

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #17 on: March 05, 2015, 03:52:22 am »
I recommend downloading the repaired CE mission lists if you're going to play the campaign.


That got me confused...
That means that the sfc2ce (v 2670) bought at the store still requires that update? or its included already?
Cause, i still got some random crashes when playing campaign, even with your ancient mod. its normal?
"But he isn't wearing anything at all!" (The Emperor's New Clothes)

Offline TarMinyatur

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #18 on: March 05, 2015, 12:22:06 pm »
Yes. The marketplace Community Edition has a broken mission, Met_17Patrol.scr. When you do enough damage to destroy an Orion ship, the game crashes, everytime.

There are other missions which may crash for other reasons, but not more frequently than OP or EAW.

My Ancient Mod campaign mission lists have been updated today. They don't have Met_17Patrol anymore.

Thanks.

Offline JanB

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Re: Need some advice
« Reply #19 on: March 07, 2015, 05:07:37 pm »
I figured out how to run SFC3 under Windows 8.1. It works with a native D3D8.dll file ( http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?d3d8 ). You have to place that in the game's main directory (not in components). Then run the game in windowed mode by opening sfc.ini and setting "windowed=1". No compatibility settings are necessary. Do note that placing D3D8.dll in the game's main directory can cause an error when the operating system is not Windows 8.1. Also, on 64bit systems you should not install the game in programfiles (programfiles(x86) is fine though).