SMAC Vista problem

[Yaburu]

I'd had problems just getting it work with my new Vista-powered computer, but the thread started by Grolav fixed that. But now I'm having a different problem. Now, all the graphics seem...choppy. Like before on my XP comp, you could see units moving from one square to the next. Now, units just appear in the next square, it's like the frames of animation are being skipped. Battles are the same. I only get a few frames of animation of the unit firing before it just stops for a second, and then goes to the next unit's firing.

The screen is different to. I don't remember the map being so large, and the font for text is different. Is this a problem that's been encountered before?

 

[Petek]

Regarding the problem in your first paragraph: Open or start a game. Open the Menu and look at the screen in Game, Advanced Preferences. Are the Fast battle resolution and Move all units quickly options selected? If so, that's what's causing the graphics to display as they do.

As for the second problem, try placing the line

video mode=1024

in the [Alpha Centauri] section of your Alpha Centauri.ini file (and remove directdraw=0, if present). Does that help? If not, please post a screen shot.

HTH

Petek

 

[Yaburu]

I tried the suggestion, didn't work, the units/graphics are still choppy. The options you mentioned aren't checked, so it can't be that.

If you could tell me how to take a screen shot, I'd be glad to do that so I can get it to you.

 

[Petek]

Getting back to the first problem, try this: Load a game (or start a new one). Go into the advanced preferences and check the two options described in my first post. Play a turn or two. Now uncheck the options and return to the game. Any change? Although it seems unlikely that this will help, those options control the behavior that you describe and I don't know of any other way to change it.

I can't tell from your reply whether you tried the "video mode=1024" suggestion. I'd need to see a screen shot only if this failed. Instructions on how to attach images may be found in the board's FAQ.

Petek

 

[Yaburu]

thanks for the help this far. Sorry I forgot to mention that I had added the line to the INI file. Also, I checked the options, played a few turns, then unchecked. No difference. I should have mentioned it's not just the units that are doing this, menus are to. Like when you click on a menu to bring it up and you normally see the menu rise upward from the screen, mine just appears.

Same with the main menu on the main screen. Normally when you start up the game, the menu slides in quickly from the right side of the screen. Mine just appears.

So, I now know how to attach a screenshot, but I don't know how to take the shot itself. Soon as I figure that out, I'll get it to you.

 

[Petek]

OK, that additional information helps. Are you fully patched? (See here.) If you're already patched, or patching doesn't help, then I suggest a complete uninstall/reinstall, followed by patching.

To capture a screen, press the Print Screen key. This will copy the screen to the clipboard. Then open a graphics program (such as Paint) and select Edit, Paste from the menu. If the resulting picture is distorted, see item #44 in the Apolyton FAQ for tips on how to fix.

HTH

Petek