Desperate to continue my game- Please help

[Marshall Thomas]

My computer can operate on a large map if I reduce all grapics settings to minimal, but now I am playing on a huge map and I'm having problems as the campaign progresses into the industrial age. Often it will slow down, which is usually followed with either a crash to desktop or a freeze of the screen displaying a bare map. Problems usually occur when I scroll the map. Sometimes it will inform me that my computer lacks the video memory required.

My question is: Is there anything I can do which does not require a visit to Circuit City to go purchase a new video card or RAM? I already got more of both- previously my computer could not handle a normal or large map. If I have to go back and upgrade some more I will- but I can sense that my computer can almost handle the huge map. I am really hoping that there is an alternative- hopefully a doanload. My CPU handled the huge map well(on minimal graphics settings) for most of this game. Could someone please offer me some advice? I love the campaign I'm playing and I really don't want to abandon it as it is very enjoyable. Oh- and the only patch I have applied is the official 1.52. Please help. Thanks

 

[blargh]

Try deleting the cache files after it crashes or at least before you reboot and restart the game. This problem porbably has more to do with a bug than your hardware because people with uber graphics cards also get this error.

One thing you could aslo try, assuming you can get the save file to load, is to enter worlbuilder and unreveveal/hide enemy terrain you don't need to see. Tough choice but it works very well to reduce the memory requirements and crashiness.

 

[Zydor]

It does sound like the graphics is not coping - please post the dxdiag and we can have a look.

Minimimise the graphics and ram load on the system - many ways to do that - lots of posts on that topic recently, every small change will help create more room for the game.

Will know more when you posted the dxdiag

Regards
Zy

 

[Marshall Thomas]

Thanks for your reply. How do I post the dxdiag? How do I make more RAM space?

As you can tell, I know very little about computers- but I've been a devoted Civ(and Europa-Universalis,Victoria)fan for about ten years. As I said in my previous post, I'm in the middle of a real classic Civ 4 campaign with 18 nations and a huge, Terra map. Unfortunately, my game has slowed to almost a stand still. But I can't bring myself to erase it or abandon it. Thanks once again for your assistance.

 

[Zydor]

We need to have a look at the dxdiag to work out the best way of achieving that

Start Button - click - select run - type dxdiag - press enter - wait a min - select "save all informatiuon" - post as an attachment using the 'go advanced' button below

Regards
Zy

 

[Marshall Thomas]

I hope I did this correctly- Thanks for your patience.

 

[Zydor]

Your hardware is fine - well up to spec

Its the card graphics driver - its been totalled somehow - its in bits, to all intents and purposes it doesnt exist. So your video card is not operating

Need to reload the graphics drivers

Gohere
http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_81.98.html

Download them, double click on the .exe file and let it get on with it - if it asks for a "destination" directory, tell it C:\Windows\temp, if it dont ask, dont worry about it. You will end up rebooting after the install. Once it settles after the reboot, start the game, you should be ok - but we dont know why your driver got zapped, maybe other issues to deal with.

But first things first - new driver - then restart game, post new dxdiag when you have done this so we can look again at what you will then have

Post again if you hit issues

Regards
Zy

 

[Marshall Thomas]

Here is my new dxdiag. I downloaded from the site you mentioned. Thanks once again for helping me.

 

[Zydor]

There is no change to the dxdiag - have you installed the driver? Need help doing that ?

Regards
Zy

 

[Marshall Thomas]

It seems to be running much better, but if there is no change in the dxdiag I most likely did not install the driver correctly.
can you please tell me how to do so?

I thought I did it correctly because after I ran the program, my computer logged off just like you said it would. When I re-booted my Civ 4 campaign it ran much better. I thank you again for your kind assistance. I will send you my dxdiag to see if there has been any change. Thanks

 

[Zydor]

The driver does not look to be installed. Try running the downloaded driver again.

Your AGP is not enabled, that can be set inside the driver, so its best to wait for the driver to get installed first. It could be other things such as not enabled in the bios, but leave that for now, lets get the driver in and see the dxdiag then

Regards
Zy

 

[Marshall Thomas]

Thanks for your help Zy. It is much appreciated.