View Full Version : Shifted screen upon starting Civ IV


Celebithil
Dec 02, 2007, 03:46 PM
When I boot Civilization the game reinitializes the monitor, and there is a large probability (something like 80%) that the screen subsequently is shifted a few centimeters to the right (thus having a black band on the left side of the screen while the right side of the screen is not shown). Using Advanced->Options I can change the screen resolution, and at the "do you want to keep the new resolution" question answer "No" so the screen again reinitializes. After a few (different number each time) tries the screen alignment will become correct and stay that way for the entire session.

This behaviour began when I bought a new video card, after my old card crashed. It's a GeForce 6200 (OK, so it's not the best card out there, but it was cheap and the only programme which needs such a card anyway is Civ IV). I updated to the latest video card drivers (to be precise version 6.14.11.6375 released October 10 2007) and Civ to the latest patch (1.74). I recently got Civ IV complete (for the same price as just BTS :-)), and if I start there it shows the same problems (both in BTS, Warlords as Vanilla). I updated those to the latest patches as well (funnily enough it refuces to update BTS to 3.13, while the DVD was released a month before the patch. Then again the game version is 313, so I'm assuming the patch was included on the DVD anyway?). I'm moreover using the HOF-mod (version 3.13.001), though the unmodded version also gives the problem.

Anyone who can give an idea why this happens or has a fix is welcome to mention it. For, though it does not effect gameplay, it is a quite annoying problem.

Celebithil
Dec 11, 2007, 04:51 PM
I have found a workaround, which is better than the iterated changing of the screen resolution ingame: changing the screen resolution out of the game.

Indeed if I set the screen resolution (outside of the game) to 1280x960 and let the game change it upon starting to its standard 1024x800 I have no shifted screen. I have no clue why this should work, but then again, that is often the case with solutions to these kind of vague problems.