Demo Problem

from GalCiv2 Forums
I have downloaded the Demo and I havent been able to actually play the game I have been trying to for a while now and still whenever I get past the options for the game it will start to load and then its probly about 3-8 seconds later and then the thing that says it needs to turn it off and so it turns off the game Ive updated my computer with DirectX so i need some help?
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Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Please go to C:\Program Files\Stardock\Totalgaming\GalCiv2 (or wherever you installed the game at), open the debug.err file you find there in notepad, and copy/paste the contents into a post here. This will give us some technical information that can help troubleshoot your problem.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
this I think is what your talking about
Debug Message: Version 1.0X DEMO VERSION last updated on: Wed Mar 22 18:28:31 2006
Debug Message: Could not find a TGN Serial No.
Debug Message: *********DXDiag info follows.*********
System Info
Time: 11/7/2006, 15:09:54
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
Machine Name: BRIDGA
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)
Languages: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
System Model: HP Pavilion Notebook PC
BIOS: PhoenixBIOS 4.0 Release 6.0
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 Mobile CPU 1.80GHz
Physical Memory: 510MB RAM
Page File: 343MB used, 905MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS


Display Info
Display device 1:
Device Name: \\.\DISPLAY1
Card Name: MOBILITY RADEON M7-C
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip Type: Mobility Radeon 7500 AGP (LW)
DAC Type: Internal DAC(350MHz)
Key Device: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4C57&SUBSYS_0020103C&REV_00
Display Memory: 32.0 MB
Current Display Mode: 1400 x 1050 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Default Monitor
Monitor Max Resolution:
Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
Driver Version: 6.13.0010.6094
Driver Date: 5/24/2002 15:18:20
DirectX Acceleration Enabled: Yes



Sound info
Sound device 1:
Description: Avance AC97 Audio
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2485&SUBSYS_0020103C&REV_02
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Driver Name: ALCXWDM.SYS
Provider: Avance Logic, Inc.
Driver Version: 5.10.0000.3860
Driver Date: 5/7/2002 02:20:00
Type: WDM
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 3
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0

Sound device 1:
Description: Modem #0 Line Playback (emulated)
Default Sound Playback: No
Default Voice Playback: No
Hardware ID:
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 81
Driver Name:
Provider:
Driver Version:
Driver Date:
Type: Emulated
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 3
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0



Debug Message: *********END dxdiag info.*********
Debug Message: Entering WinMain
Debug Message: ******* Starting Game Shell *******
Debug Message: Preparing to change display settings.
Debug Message: Using multilsample setting: D3DMULTISAMPLE_NONMASKABLE
Debug Message: Game Resolution: 1024 x 768
Debug Message: Running in windowed mode.
Debug Message: HAL (hw vp): MOBILITY RADEON M7-C
Debug Message: D3DPRESENT_INTERVAL_IMMEDIATE
Debug Message: Refresh rate: 0
Debug Message: Bit Depth: 32 bit.
Debug Message: *********Checking D3DDevice Caps***********************
Debug Message: Hardware does not support a color cursor.
Debug Message: Border size reported as 6 by 32
Debug Message: RGB in format 6:6:6, Masks reported as ff0000:ff00:ff
Debug Message: Now windowed.
Debug Message: Shell initialization complete
Debug Message: ***** Initializing Game *****
Debug Message: Timer Frequency is 0 369e99
Debug Message: Initializing sound card.
Debug Message: initailizing bink
Debug Message: No files found matching mask Gfx\Tutorials\*.bik
Debug Message: Create setup screens.
Debug Message: Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message: Clear influence.
Debug Message: Clear up laws.
Debug Message: Clear first time events.
Debug Message: Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message: Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message: Set mouse.
Debug Message: Set update timer.
Debug Message: Clear data definitions.
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\*.StarSystems
*DEBUG ERROR: ***Unable to find required tech ImpossibleTech for PirateShip. ***
*DEBUG ERROR: ***Unable to find required tech ImpossibleTech for Starbase. ***
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\ships\*.shipclass
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\ships\*.shipcfg
Debug Message: Reading Star Names
Debug Message: Reading Star Names... Done
Debug Message: No files found matching mask ./Data/English/Tutorials/*.xml
Debug Message: CustomRaceWnd: Cannot find OBJID CustomRace_Description_Text
Debug Message: CustomRaceWnd: Cannot find OBJID CustomRace_Tab_Homeworld
Debug Message: Creating Galaxy
Debug Message: Set galaxy size.
Debug Message: Killing threads.
Debug Message: Kiling civs.
Debug Message: Killing ships.
Debug Message: Killing rallypoints.
Debug Message: Killing misc objects.
Debug Message: Killing stars.
Debug Message: Killing anomalies.
Debug Message: Killing space resources.
Debug Message: Killing colonies and planets.
Debug Message: killing scenario.
Debug Message: Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message: Clear influence.
Debug Message: Clear up laws.
Debug Message: Clear first time events.
Debug Message: Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message: Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message: Creating Random Map
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Stars
Debug Message: Number of Unplaced Stars: 3.
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Planets
Debug Message: *************** Failed To Place Planet ***************
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Anomalies
Debug Message: Num Anomalies: 26
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Resources
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Done
Debug Message: Creating Civs
Debug Message: Drengin Empire: Intellence -> 10
Debug Message: Altarian Republic: Intellence -> 10
Debug Message: Creating Civs... Done
Debug Message: Updating ZOC.
Debug Message: Updating ZOC.
Debug Message: Galaxy Create... Done
Debug Message: UIBeginGame called with g_ulLocalPlayerID = 0
Debug Message: setting size 16 x 0
Debug Message: setting size 16 x 0
Debug Message: setting size 16 x 0
Is this right
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
At the very least you will need to update your video drivers. They are way too old.

And you may need to edit the Prefs.ini file (which is located in My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2) to set the games resolution to your desktop resolution of 1400x1050, because your notebook monitor may not be capable of 1024x768 (although in windowed mode that may not be a factor) and the game options do not have a preset for your particular desktop resolution. The file is plain text, so you can edit it with Notepad, and you would look for (and change) these lines:
[Video]
DisplayWidth=1024 (1400)
DisplayHeight=768 (1050)
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Your onboard video does not meet the game's minimum requirements, namely DirectX9 hardware support (M7 is based on the 7000 series, which only supports DirectX7). You should at least be able to get it working if you update your drivers, but it's likely to have some graphical issues.

You can get new drivers that should work for your system at this page. You want to use the second one on the list, Radeon Omega Drivers 3.8.252 (Catalyst 6.5), as the newest one has dropped support for older chipsets such as yours.