Glitchy, Unreadable Lettering

I just installed Civ 5, and I tried opening it on the Direct X 10& 11 Version, and nothing happens. When I open the Direct X 9 version it opens and goes to the opening video. However, at different times each time I open it the video cuts out and goes to the screen before the main menu, and then the main menu.

All of the writing and letters are unreadable. This happens for all text and the link and buttons all work perfectly. I havent tried to enter a game yet.

My computer is a Vostro 1510 and I run windows vista.

OS Name Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Business
Version 6.0.6002 Service Pack 2 Build 6002
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation

System Manufacturer Dell Inc.
System Model Vostro1510
System Type X86-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T5670 @ 1.80GHz, 1801 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date Dell Inc. A15, 3/18/2009
SMBIOS Version 2.4
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume3
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.0.6002.18005"
Time Zone Central Standard Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 3.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 2.99 GB
Available Physical Memory 1.46 GB
Total Virtual Memory 6.18 GB
Available Virtual Memory 4.17 GB
Page File Space 3.28 GB

Welcome to CFC .

I shortly looked the graphics card up....Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100...let's say it in this way: The screenshot you show is is the best result someone got until know with that graphics card. All other people are mostly not even able to load the game with that card. If you can start a game, with only minor glitches, then please post the version number of your graphics driver.

Thanks!

http://mafujosh.blogspot.com/2010/09/civ-5-garbled-text.html

Found a fix here. Currently playing my first game with no apparent glitches. First time I tried to load a game it crashed, but second time it seems to be working.

Where would I find the version number of my graphics driver?

Thanks for the link , that should help us in the future .

Driver version:
Right click on "My computer" at the desktop -> manage/maintain/administrate (sorry, i'm on a german computer, don't know which translation is right) -> system -> devices (?, first option) -> graphics card -> right click on your graphics card -> drivers -> there the version number should be mentioned.

does Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset make sense?

Not real...er...one moment.
Okay...wikipedia tells me, that Intel names their graphics card in a rather ******** way *sigh*.
What i originall thought you had was a GMA 3100, not a GMA X3100.
Yes, it makes sense. For GMA X3100 it runs in the way you describe it (now with a fix), the GMA 3100 is our real "problem child".
So not an incredible breakthrough here, but a good breakthrough, because you supported us now with a fix for the guys with one of the poor graphics cards .

The_J said:

Not real...er...one moment.
Okay...wikipedia tells me, that Intel names their graphics card in a rather ******** way *sigh*.
What i originall thought you had was a GMA 3100, not a GMA X3100.
Yes, it makes sense. For GMA X3100 it runs in the way you describe it (now with a fix), the GMA 3100 is our real "problem child".
So not an incredible breakthrough here, but a good breakthrough, because you supported us now with a fix for the guys with one of the poor graphics cards .

Click to expand...

Ok thats good. Glad I helped a little!

thank you! y2games and probably Steam knows about this issue but has no readily available solution. I just bought this game yesterday at least you could help me play and read the words!

FYI possible easy solution [worked for me] for nVidia graphics cards:

I installed CiV on a new machine a couple of days ago, and got the Steam game update. Machine is self-built with i5 CPU, GTX 460 graphics card, and similar gear on Win7 x64--ie well up to spec for CiV. I experienced the garbled text problem in both DX9 and DX11.

My nVidia drivers were only 3-4 months old, but I got the latest ones from nVidia site anyway. Lo and behold, problem solved [on DX11, didn't retest DX9]. The blurb on nVidia download page did mention CiV as one of the games improved in the latest drivers, so maybe that's suggestive.

What's working for me now:
CiV 1.0.1.275;
nVidia driver 8.17.12.7533, aka 275.33, released June 1st 2011.

ETA: I don't have any DLCs or Mods yet. Pure vanilla.