Hours of trouble-shooting and still won't run

from Stardock Forums
I've been spending hours trouble-shooting trying to get this game to run. I downloaded the demo and had troubles with the blk files. After a few very nasty crashes, I simply deleted the intro files. The demo then worked great! Fast, functional, just no silly lock-up inducing intro.

Well, I loved the demo so much, and wanted to support a small company, so rather than easily downloading some warez version, I went and bought the game. Support the little guy, respect creative game design and so forth.

I install the game after about an hour or so of downloading, I was so excited! Finaly I'm ready to play. Intro locks me up.. haha, of course, i'll need to delete the intro files. I'm still smiling as my computer restarts and runs scandisk.

I go in and delete all the blk files I see in the game's directory and run the game. Ah there's the menu. Well.. a metal box where the menu should be. Mouse? Mouse?! I've locked up again.

Getting worried I restart again. This time I go to the support page, read the faq and such. Ah, looks like my problem is common. I check out my file associations, blk isn't even listed. Just to be safe I totaly get rid of quicktime and install radtools. I check out the videos after re-installing the game, they run fine. I also instal the mp3 fix just in case, and check out my sound card and related drivers, everything is up to date and working great.

Start the game up, crashes on intro.

ARG!! I go through the every directory in the game and hunt down every single last blk file.

Locks up again.

This time I delete every single sound or media related file.

Finaly!! The main menue. I click to try to start a new game. Nothing. I click to exit. nothing. ARGGGGG it's crashed again. But finaly, FINALY I don't have to re-start, I can simply alt-tab out and then ctrl-alt-del the thing.

So, after a good 2 hours of working on this game, I've gotten it from hard crashing to soft crashing. Horray!!!

I've emailed tech support, with no luck or help yet. I'm not sure what they can do to help, so Im' currently looking on trying to get my money back.

I have a very normal computer. PIII, lots of ram, big HD, geforce video card, some built-in sound card that came with the MB. It's more or less brand new, everything is up to date software wise. Everything is configured right.

So let this be a warning to anyone thinking of buying the game. dont' let the demo fool you, you may be buying a game that just won't run.
169 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
I'd say uninstall everything that you did so far...the demo, the game that you fiddled with, any other junk programs that you don't use anymore, and reinstall again. Don't run any other programs...defrag, restart, and play.

If that don't work...call one of Dell's interns for a new PC!
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Your later lockup problems are probably caused by removing some specific bink files that the game looks for the game to even start properly (the metal-doors opening animation on the title screen). If you're having troubles with bink files playing, I suggest double-checking to make sure you have the newest drivers...most often faulty binks are fixed by newer drivers. If you know this isnt the problem, send the "debug.err" file from the GalCiv root to [email protected] and [email protected], hopefully we can get some info from it to help with your problem. Sorry the game hasn't been working correctly so far :(
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Also I'm not sure of your web surfing habits, but if you download anything that contains spyware on it, you could run into troubles with some of those programs. I know they can bog down a computer.

Double check your virus scanner and shut if off if you got one going as well, since they can cause issues. I know "normal" store bought PCs come with them these days.

Just some thoughts.
SeanB
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
I also heared that w/o one critical bik file game won't start.
I'm playing w/o multimedia and still has 3 *.bik files - 'Menu_Open.bik', 'Menu_Starbase01.bik', 'Menu_Starbase02.bik'

Try to start a game with these 3 files or at least with first one.

~SDC~
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
Here's what you can try:

--Update your OS
--Goto your video card's manufacturer's website and d/l their latest driver and update it.
--If you are rinning XP (and I dunno if other OS's have it) use device manager to update drivers
--Update your DirectX to DirectX 9.0a (you can cech your ver. by going to 'run' and type in dxdiag).
--Try uninstalling the demo, uninstalling GalCiv (full ver.), then install a fresh version of GalCiv

Keep us posted on what happens then.

~SDC~
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
A PIII is actually quite old. With a built in generic sound card I'd be concerned about that the most.

But I think Ellestar's suggestion is the best. Wipe everything clean of GalCiv and the Demo. Get rid of any spyware and stuff (get Adware, it's free). Install the game only and not the multimedia add-on. See if that helps.

Good luck.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Also, i don't recommend DirectX9.0 - not all drivers are working good with it for now.

~SDC~