Yield display only shows food

[Distraction]

Wait, all of these cards don't support pixel shaders... Would emulating pixel shaders work? I'll look and see if I can try that out.

 

[Reagan]

Add me to the (unfortunately) growing list of people having the "toast only" problem.

 

[Willem]

This thread is quickly becoming one of the larger ones!!!(Over 50 unique complaints so far)

How do we get the attention of the technical gurus over at Firaxis/Take2?? If we do in fact have to wait for some sort of patch it would be nice to know. If it is possible to fix it would be nice to know. If it is not possible to fix it would be nice to know. The moral of the story is: some official word would be nice to know.

Someone help us poor hammer-and-commerce-deprived souls!

Well if you look at the posts in this thread, you'd see that almost all of you have something in common. You're pretty much all using Geforce 2 MX/MX 400 or similar cards. It looks pretty obvious to me that it's an issue with your video card. Why don't you just go out and get yourself a new one? It is getting rather ancient after all, in computer terms, and it won't cost that much to upgrade to something better.

 

[Steve2000]

Well if you look at the posts in this thread, you'd see that almost all of you have something in common. You're pretty much all using Geforce 2 MX/MX 400 or similar cards. It looks pretty obvious to me that it's an issue with your video card. Why don't you just go out and get yourself a new one? It is getting rather ancient after all, in computer terms, and it won't cost that much to upgrade to something better.

I tend to agree with you - and speaking for myself I plan to get a new card for Christmas. But (you knew there would be a but) The official CIV 4 website lists the required video card as a GeForce 2/Radeon 7500 or better. If it truly is the card (or specifically the lack of pixel shader) then those given specs are a lie and those with this problem deserve some help. Of course we should all get better Graphics Cards but we shouldn't have to is my point. I for one seriously doubt that Take2 would specifically list the GeForce 2, and Radeon 7500 as being compatible with the game if there wasn't a way to make them work. It isn't like they said the requirements were a 64MB card - they mentioned those two cards by name.

Now the problem isn't all that bad - certainly the game is playable. Speaking for myself some people with FAR better graphics cards are having way more problems. People with GeForce 6800s that can't even watch the wonder movies. My GeForce 4 plays the game great - it loads quickly, plays all movies, interturn time is fast, I can set graphics to highest setting - just this one relatively minor issue. But once again, the point of my last post was just to say we want an answer from someone at the company. If the answer is: "You can't see the hammers/coins without getting a better card" I will be fine with that - but I want to hear someone say it - and then change what it says on the required graphics card so no one else gets screwed.

 

[Willem]

I for one seriously doubt that Take2 would specifically list the GeForce 2, and Radeon 7500 as being compatible with the game if there wasn't a way to make them work. It isn't like they said the requirements were a 64MB card - they mentioned those two cards by name.

But they didn't mention whether those cards would work well or not. If you have a card that's listed as minimum, then you have to expect some loss in performance or other problems.

That said, it looks to me that they over-estimated the ability of these cards to really handle the game. Although people with 7500s are getting them to work, they're just barely managing it. Even the GeForce MX 4xx cards are having issues. I think they should have bumped the requirements up a notch or two in that department.

 

[voodoocat]

But they didn't mention whether those cards would work well or not. If you have a card that's listed as minimum, then you have to expect some loss in performance or other problems.

Not seeing production and commerce is not an issue with performance . It's a bug. If food is visible, hammers and gold should be too. I'm not all that upset over it because the game is still playable and I know a patch should fix the issue. Fortunately for me I have a friend giving me a ti4200 so I don't have to wait for the patch.

 

[Willem]

Not seeing production and commerce is not an issue with performance . It's a bug. If food is visible, hammers and gold should be too. I'm not all that upset over it because the game is still playable and I know a patch should fix the issue. Fortunately for me I have a friend giving me a ti4200 so I don't have to wait for the patch.

It is if it's restricted to only bottom end video cards. Take a look at the posts in this thread, virtually all the cards having the problem are GeForce MX 4xxx, with the odd Radeon 7500. You don't see anyone with a Radeon 9600 here do you? It's quite obviously a performance issue, these cards can't do something that others can.

 

[yalejock]

Hmmm it's a bit idiotic to suggest that a customer buy a new video card for each new game that comes out... especially when the game lists your card as meeting even the recommended requirements. I feel like Firaxis/2Take did not go the full disclosure road this time to ensure max sales...

That aside - what is so special about the hammers and commerce, but not food? makes no sense...

 

[mash]

How do we get the attention of the technical gurus over at Firaxis/Take2?? If we do in fact have to wait for some sort of patch it would be nice to know. If it is possible to fix it would be nice to know. If it is not possible to fix it would be nice to know. The moral of the story is: some official word would be nice to know.

Someone help us poor hammer-and-commerce-deprived souls!

Amen! Couldn't have said it better!

For those blaming the graphics card I would like to remind them that will this problem certainly seems to be affecting some specific graphics cards, the issue remains nontheless a bug, since you shouldn't need the latest card to display a couple of freagin hammers and a freagin coin. If it can display a whole screen of toast then the same can be done with hammers. Other than this problem my 64MB MX 440 is performing great at low and medium graphic levels.

 

[playshogi]

I don't mind buying a new video card, if I knew it would work. People with video cards costing several hundred dollars have their own problems. Also, I don't want to buy a new motherboard, too, so what kind of better card fits into the same motherboard as the Geforce4 MX 420?

 

[Willem]

I don't mind buying a new video card, if I knew it would work. People with video cards costing several hundred dollars have their own problems. Also, I don't want to buy a new motherboard, too, so what kind of better card fits into the same motherboard as the Geforce4 MX 420?

If you have an AGP slot then any video card will fit. And I've been reading that the MX 6600, or something like that, (I'm not very familiar with nVidia cards) works beautifully, as does the Radeon 9800 Pro. It didn't seem to have the same problems with the renderer that other Radeon cards did. At any rate that problem seems to have been fixed for the most part. And any problems that high end cards are having are probably due to software bugs, unless people haven't bothered to upgrade their drivers. Those will be fixed in the next patch, and they generally tend to be minor. But most people with those types of cards aren't having any problems at all. The better the quality of your card, the better the game tends to run. For the most part.

 

[batteryacid]

New video card?
I woud buy a new video card if it was possible- but my friends and I have all Laptops- need them for work, and we all paid extra money
(well, it´s two years now, and all Laptops from this time have 3d cards which face now this problem) to get one with a 3d acc. card to be able to play newer games (for LAN parties etc.- we all were really happy to hear that civ4 should get a playable multiplayer option)

and by the way- it is simply ridiculous to be able to play Dawn of War, Jedi Knight 3 and Serious Sam 1 and 2 (wouldn´t say that they have worse graphics) and not be able to play a turn based strategy game

 

[Ashlord]

Add another to the list of toast only. I have a 64 mg Geforce 2 MX as well. Finally was able to see the wonder movies after downloading the new drivers for my sound card. I have downloaded newer video drivers as well, but hesitant to install them as everything else is now working except the food icons. Really didn't notice it until last night while playing and wondered why I wasn't seeing hammers and gold. Not a game breaker in my opinion, just a pain in the rear. I also plan on getting a new card later when $$ is more available.

 

[ERIKK]

Hi, add a Nvidia Geforce 4 MX4000 128mb to the list....

 

[MattJek]

Same problem with GeForce MX64mb with latest drivers...

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Too bad it's issues like this that get me to be a poster instead of a lurker...

Same deal for me, I can see food, but no hammers or coin. I also get the rivers showing through the fog. As multiple others have said, not a game killer, but a pain nonetheless. GeForce2 MX400 for me. After updating the drivers and tripling my RAM to 768, I've at least been able to play.

 

[Steve2000]

Too bad it's issues like this that get me to be a poster instead of a lurker...

Welcome to CivFanatics!!! Sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances.

@Willem - once again I appreciate and agree with much of what you say. But in the end it is your opinion that this is a performance issue and not a bug. However well informed you are it is still your opinion and I think what a lot of people in this thread want to hear are some facts.

It has been suggested that the lack of pixel shader on this cards could be the cause. IF so could someone tell us what pixel shader does that could cause a problem like this? If something else is the cause I would love to hear the hypotheses. I hate to sound like a broken record, but what I really want is an official word on this. Anyone emailed Firaxis tech support? I am sure this is a low priority, but it also seems like an easy answer - either it is a bug, or we have to buy new graphics cards!

 

[Belisar]

This is a bug-report thread and people who post here should have one thing in common: problems with the game (something they believe is a bug) or constructive ideas to solve these things. I, too, have a Geforce 440 with 64MB see only food, but the rest of the game seems to be OK, very fluid, I would say.
2K mentioned harware requirements, I have the RECOMMENDED, not the minimum, so I expect the game to run without problems. Not seeing hammers and coins (no animation...) should work on a system WITHOUT graphic accelerator, so it is 99.9% a bug and not a harware issue.
People who give other`s "good advise" of buying a new laptop for 2000 bucks
should think twice before posting, that's my opinion.

Belisar

 

[blazeoflights]

I have the same problem with the same graphics card. However i also have the black terrain problem.

 

[Lmtoops]

We are always seeing 2 slices of bread (right)...not 3 or 5 or whatever. I realize that the newer cards are not having the problem, but it still sounds like a software issue that can be fixed with a patch.

I had multiple problems on my first try (very slow, jumbled graphics, skipping music). All that was fixed when I updated my drivers. I am a happy civer, now, and can wait for the fix.

Happy Civer CAN live on bread alone