Game Fails to Start

OpenGL OpenGL: User Software
1

Hi
I regularly play Massive Assault on the following system:
AMD XP 2400
1024 DDR Ram
nVidia Geforce 4 MX 440 8X AGP
Windows XP Home w/ SP2

I recently updated my graphic drivers from 5216
to 6177. assumably going from GL 1.1 to 1.5+

Now the Game will not start anymore.

I know the quick solution is to roll back the driver to 5216, but then my New Games don’t play quite right.

My Question is 2 part. First, what is the difference between 5216 and 6177 in the OpenGL department that can be causing the Game to not start. I’d assume it to be the enhanced Extensions used by nVidia that aren’t present on version 5216, but that is my guess.

Second, what can I do to make version 6177 a workable driver for my older Game? I don’t know what options to turn off (or On) or if I need to change my XP dll’s or if I just won’t ever be able to play the one game under the newer driver.

Thanks in advance for any advice

2

I dont know the game but I did a quick check and the minium requirements are DX8.1 compatible card.

http://www.massiveassault.com/requirements.php

1.) Since there are no references towards OpenGL, I dont think the game uses OpenGL at all. It seems to be a plain DirectX game.

2.) A Geforce4MX is a DirectX 7 card and doesnt support vertex or pixelshaders in hardware. I guess the older drivers emulated vertex shaders in software and the new ones dont do that anymore.

Anyway it dosent seem to be a OpenGL related problem. Try the MA support instead.

3

Thanks for the advice.

I know its not a DirectX issue as the card is a Dx9 compatible card (although G4MX did start out as a Dx7 card).

I also know its not emulating through software and that all my other drivers are good to go.

As I said the new drivers initiate the problem by incorporating newer features and expanded tweekability that the older driver wasn’t capable of.

I think I will double check the settings and game config files though as I’ve checked a few other forums and they have made mention of the possibility that the newer driver is auto configuring my system as a dual monitor setup hence when I go to load the game, everything fails to load on the second (imaginary) monitor causing the game to not launch.

of course, if I wanted an easy fix, I’d roll back the driver.

If I find a solution, I’ll let everyone know and perhaps it will be of use to other games with similar symptoms.

4

Like qwerty said,

G4MX is DX7 compatible card. I’m talking about the hardware itself, not about going to microsoft.com and installing ****.

Get a GeforceFX if you want hardware supppot for DX9, or Geforce 6800 for DX9c support which is the latest and greatest.

In fact with a system like that, G4MX is a joke.

5

Thanks again for all the advice.

The problem was fixed by doing a couple things.
1st I disabled the features for multiple displays
2nd I bumped up my refresh rate to manufacturer specs for the resolution I desired.

Everything works fine now.

For those that suggest getting another card, I ask why?

If the card I have has the capabilities that I need and the performance that I desire, why is there a need to change it? Especially if it was only having a problem with one older game (and even then the problem wasn’t the card itself, but the game’s response to enhanced driver features). It handles the new games w/ the new drivers just fine… Doom 3, MoH, & DoW all work beautifully.

6

You said something about GF4MX beeing a DX9 card, so I said what cards really support it.

It’s up to you if you want to upgrade.

7

Unlike OpenGL V1.5 you can install DirectX9 even on a 1st generation 3d card like a S3 Virge (this POS came out around 1997). But that doesent make the Virge a DX9 card. The GF4MX only has the features and the speed of a DX7 card.

You have a nice rig but the GF4MX kind of sticks out as a underdog. But as long as you are happy with it…