Desperate to Play

[marieceleste]

I purchased RCT3 yesterday. I sort of recognise the system requirements and thought that as I already play RCT1 &2 on my system there'll be no problems... wrong! Yesterday I figured out that I need to update my drivers to make Direct X work... managed that.. just! Today I have a different problem! It appears that I need to change my sound or video card but I have no idea how. Is there any on there willing to talk me through the process!
Thanks


:confused:

[Fluxx]

Your sound card is probably ok......it'll be your graphics card most likey needing an upgrade.....:frownblue


Do you know what your system specs are?

If you dont........

Click on the Windows ‘Start’ button

Click ‘Run’

Type dxdiag

Press Return/Enter

Then click the "Save all information" button at the bottom of the window that appears.

Double-click the saved file to open it in a text editor, and look through to find the driver information.


It will tell you what cpu you have as well as the graphics card .

Copy and paste the results in your next post.....:tup:


(You dont need all of it, just the bits about cpu,memory,graphics and sound)

[marieceleste]

Thanks Fluxx.... the game system requirement says it's compatible with Radeon or GeForce video card but I have SIS.... followed your intructions and this is what I came up with...
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: SiS 650
Manufacturer: SiS
Chip type: SiS 650 Rev 00
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1039&DEV_6325&SUBSYS_10041631&REV_00
Display Memory: 64.0 MB
Current Mode: 800 x 600 (16 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: Philips 170C4 (17inch LCD MONITOR 170C4)
Monitor Max Res: 1280,1024
Driver Name: SiSGRV.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.2160 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 3/28/2003 12:03:12, 1058432 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: sisgrp.sys
Mini VDD Date: 3/28/2003 11:53:18, 390144 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B71ED9-2065-11CF-F17D-0E30A1C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x1039
Device ID: 0x6325
SubSys ID: 0x10041631
Revision ID: 0x0000
Revision ID: 0x0000
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_D ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG1_A
Deinterlace Caps: {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x32315659) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: Not run
D3D7 Test Result: Not run
D3D8 Test Result: Not run
D3D9 Test Result: Not run

[Fluxx]

The SIS card is onboard graphics........:madred:


Theyre not too good for games (At least modern games.....:frownblue )


If you really want to play the game you'll need a new card, as long as you can put one in.

You need to know if you have an AGP slot on your motherboard, otherwise you will have to get a PCI card. (Not PCIE)

Im not saying you should spend loads of cash just for this game though.....:eekblue:

If you decide to buy a new one let me know your CPU speed and how much memory youve got and We'll go from there......:bounce: :tup:

[drunknmunky]

I am having a similar issue... when was it necessary to be a computer boff to enjoy playing games?

[drunknmunky]

I just run the tests for Direct3D acceleration and it is all fine... is there some setting somewhere holding this all up?

[Silkius]

Originally posted by drunknmunky
I am having a similar issue... when was it necessary to be a computer boff to enjoy playing games?

Around 2 days after the first one came out :D

Seriously, PC's have ALWAYS been their own downfall when it comes to compatibility and games. In the 80's (well all the way up to win98 actually) you spent more time configing your memory to be able to play - than you actually played.

Even Elite and especially Frontier (Other Frontier/Braben ace games) which held the galaxy on a 720 and then 1.44mb floppy (really they did) took masses of jiggling to squeeze the necessary free ram in order to even get it to start. (never mind the tweaking you had to do with sound cards)

Wheras an x-box or PS2 progger has it relativly simple - they KNOW what the user has. PC games programmers are always fighting 1000's of unknown, thanks to freedom of choice (i.e. sound, video, O/S etc.,) - but then Console games still can't beat a PC for non linear play. (and never will IMO)

I know that don't help you, but just be reassured it is nothing NEW

:devil: :devil: :devil:

[drunknmunky]

Just lost as to why the Sims 2 requires more from machine yet runs! Has similar/higher requirements from all areas, inc the video card..... I expect Atari are in cahoots with the graphics card makers, just blocking it running until an unneccesary extra is got. Otherwise, I am looking for a more realistic explanation as to why the Sims 2 works and RCT3 doesn't!

[Silkius]

Proving of course everything Maxis/EA does is perfect and Frontier/Atari is not. :confused:

I can't comment on Sims as I have never had the inclination to play any version, but Sim City 4 has (and still does according to the many forums out there) had problems running on many PC's, can reduce a P4 3.2 with 1gig of ram to a crawl reminesent of a 286/12, still has a habit of crashing to the desktop for no apparent reason (did it to me last week), has various ai and script errors that have never been even aknowledged by Maxis requiring fans to club together and fix it themselves. Even the release of an expansion (that suposedly fixed a number of problems) and patches of the update still didn't fix many of them - instead almost relying on groups like simtropolis to fix them themsselves. I still play it cos I love the game, but some of the inane ai reasoning still drives me to despair (i.e. a perfectly llaid rail system that no one uses)

I'm not saying Atari aren't without fault ... take MOO3 (... I mean please take MOO3) was almost unplayable when it came out.

As I have said before, released games with ai problems and not working on every PC named on the back of the box on day 1 is nothing new. However developers aknowledging there are problems and working quickly to resolve as many probs as possible - is still (unfortunatly) not common enough.
I feel sorry for Frontier, as looking at the rifts in the US forum, they will never be able to please everyone there. (most of whom seem to argue whether a feature should be kept or rolled back to RCT1 or 2 style). Accidents happen (i.e. wrong patch for download)
But maybe they can atone for their sins (when they have things fixed) by releasing those bonus content items for the rest of us (who didn't know their was going to be for the UK and had already pre-ordered elsewhere)

[Bebop]

As someone pointed out, the downside of PC's when it comes to games is you will ALWAYS need to upgrade it eventually.

But the same can be said about consoles, except you will spend around £200+ for the latest console to be able to play the latest games, where as a PC you will need to spend a simialr amount on a good gfx card if yours is outdated.

Thers no winner, except with a PC you can do alot more than just games. I upgrade my PC every few months...more ram/gfx cards/HDD etc.. most of which is optional & I enjoy upgrading/modding my PC & have built the 3 PC's i have myself (dixons/PC World etc just sell cheap cr@p imo!) but some people hate the thought of doing it themselves.

RCT3 requires a descent gfx card & one with at least 128mb ram..Im using an GeForce FX5600 Ultra which you can pick up for under £150, Ive got 512 ram. RCT3 runs with no probs & very smooth with ALL settings on high (Apart from AA)

As for sims 2 working & RCT3 dont.. Atari release a patch which might help RCT3 as over on US forums it helped make the frame rate faster. But in all fairness, RCT3 probably uses a completely different 3D engine to sims2.. if you have a full park with many rides/coasters this will use ALOT of ram & your gfx card will be working overtime. I dont think there will be as much action on screen at any one time in the sims2, so this is why sims 2 works & RCT3 dont :-(

[Ghavvas]

I play the Sims 2 and RCT 3. I am an avid fan of both.

Both have bugs. Both were awaiting patches. Atari has actually released their patch first. Neither one is better than other they are equally great.

Developing games is hard work. Devleoping anything is hard work.
The ammount of variables involved are (infinity -1) sqaured to the power of the same so bugs are not just iminent but inevitable.

But give credit where credit is due. Not only are atari patching the game to remove bugs but they are adding features such as ride designs and a few of our requests to the mix. Something not always offered by game developers in the past.

On the flipside you could be buying a game from blizzard which has minimal bugs and may be truly great but is always delayed by anything from 2 weeks to 3 years. I am quite impressed with the rate that Roller Coaster 3 has hit the shelves and I am quite a willing guinea pig as far as bug finding for atari goes. I have the game now, half fixed or not I am enjoying it thouroughly. and now i have the latest patch (thanks guys)

As for the hardware question that started this thread:

Yes you will need a graphics card. (and dont balance that fact against trying to own just this one game but think of the doors it opens for playing most titles on the shelf)

Yes you do need PC knowledge to game. But the beauty of that is that gaming has become one of the most creative environements for learning information technology. In fact most of your ground breaking software and hardware developments are brought to us via games. So think of it has the most pleasurable learning curve you will take (other than the ones you take on the coasters you build).