New User, Old Problem

[unmerged(464457)]

While everything I've read about this game makes me think that I'd like nothing more than to waste the next several hundred hours of my life on it, I've just wasted around seven hours trying to turn it on. I believe the problem I am experiencing to be a common one, and I'm hoping that someone else has found a solution.

I downloaded and installed CK2 off of Steam this morning, but when I clicked the button reading "Start CKII," the blasted program crashed. After searching for an answer in the forums for the last several hours, I've managed to try the 640x480 workaround, update my drivers and reinstall the game four times. It still isn't working, though. While I do enjoy strategy games, I am not computer savvy--this is my first time using Steam, and my first time having a significant problem with making a game work.

Has anyone figured out a different solution to this problem, or am I totally boned?

 

[Kurospidey]

I have the Steam version and it works OK for me. What kind of computer and graphical card do you have?

One thing you could try is start the game without Steam. Just try entering this directory: C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\Common\Crusader Kings II . Once there, execute the ck2.exe file. Does it work for you that way?

 

[unmerged(464457)]

I have tried to start the game without Steam--a few of the forums I've checked mentioned that you can use both the ck2.exe file and the ck2game.exe file, so I've tried both of those. I'm using an HP Pavilion dv6000, with an Intel(R) GMA 950. On various installations I've modified the compatibility of both of those files to start with the 640x480 screen resolution workaround, but so far nothing seems to work.

That said, I'm at 95% in my present installation, so I'll be trying again in a few minutes. Thanks.

 

[AndrewT]

We don't yet know if your problem is at all related to anyone else's ; for a start your video card is pretty low-end. But let's get some basic info: please post your dxdiag.txt, settings.txt, system.log and error.log files (you'll need to rename the .log files to .txt to upload). Also open setup.log, search for "checksum", and paste that line only in here.

 

[unmerged(464457)]

Logs and Whatnot

First off, thank you for taking the time to help me out with this--I'm somewhat computer illiterate, and living with two guys who were incredible with computers during college didn't exactly help. I've just been trying to guess my way through so far. I've attached my dxdiag.txt, but I haven't been able to find the other logs and .txt files you asked for. If anyone could suggest how to get to the folders those logs should be in, I'll keep looking until I can provide them.

That said, before getting your reply I had just uninstalled both CK2 and Steam and deleted all the remaining files related to them. I don't know if that's relevant, of course. I tried searching the Steam folder in my program files for the files you mentioned, but the search didn't return anything. That said, I do know that my most recent round of completely purging the C drive of everything Steam and CK2 related followed by a restart and reinstall hasn't seemed to make a meaningful difference.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the problem is just that my computer isn't quite up to snuff. It's been running admirably for me for almost five years, now (thanks in no small part to my college roommates), but I try not to tax its abilities too heavily. That's part of the reason I was interested in CK2--the simulation side of the game seemed to be somewhat more important than the graphics, just based on the gameplay video I've watched. Of course, I know so little about computers that I'm only providing you with one out of five logs that you asked for, so I should probably consult an expert before buying a new game again.

Thanks, again.

EDIT: I found what I believe to be the system log in My Documents in a folder called Paradox Interactive--Crusader Kings II--Logs. There is also an error text document, but it doesn't have anything in it. I'm pasting the system log in, since it the attachment manager doesn't seem to see it, and I'll try opening the game again to see if that will cause anything to update in the error log.

[systemsettings.cpp:180]: System memory: 2048MB
[systemsettings.cpp:182]: CPU speed: 1733MHz
[systemsettings.cpp:189]: Number of processors: 2
[systemsettings.cpp:200]: CPU type: x86
[systemsettings.cpp:232]: OS: Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Build: 6002
[gfx_settings.cpp:54]: Graphic Adapters:
[gfx_settings.cpp:59]: 0: Mobile Intel(R) 945 Express Chipset Family
[gfx_settings.cpp:76]: Checking for multi-sampling support:
[gfx_settings.cpp:102]: Using Adapter [0]:
[gfx_settings.cpp:113]: Failed to create a device [D3DCREATE_HARDWARE_VERTEXPROCESSING]... trying software.
[gfx_settings.cpp:117]: Succeeded to create a device [D3DCREATE_SOFTWARE_VERTEXPROCESSING].
[gfx_settings.cpp:150]: Graphics device: Mobile Intel(R) 945 Express Chipset Family
[gfx_settings.cpp:151]: Graphics driver: igdumd32.dll
[gfx_settings.cpp:156]: Driver version: 1504
[gfx_settings.cpp:173]:


Dumping all gfx info:
DeviceIdentifier: {D7B78E66-64E2-11CF-6C76-B110A2C2CA35}
VendorId: 32902
DeviceId: 10146
SubSysId: 817565756
Revision: 3
DriverVersion.HighPart: 458766
DriverVersion.LowPart: 656864


[gfx_settings.cpp:223]: Instancing supported.
[gfx_settings.cpp:241]: Video memory amount: 1342MB
[gfx_settings.cpp:246]: No support for T&L! This will have a huge impact on performance...
[gfx_settings.cpp:247]: MaxSimultaneousTextures: 8
[gfx_settings.cpp:248]: MaxVertexBlendMatrices: 4
[gfx_settings.cpp:249]: MaxVertexBlendMatrixIndex: 255
[gfx_settings.cpp:251]: MaxSimultaneousTextures: 8
[gfx_settings.cpp:252]: MaxTextureBlendStages: 8
[gfx_settings.cpp:253]: Support for Anisotropic filtering found.
[gfx_settings.cpp:256]: Max Anisotropic filtering: 4
[gfx_settings.cpp:257]: Anisotropic filtering set to: 0
[gfx_settings.cpp:261]: Vertex Shader version: 3.0
[gfx_settings.cpp:266]: Pixel Shader version: 2.0
[main.cpp:437]: CK2 Version Mar 7 2012 : 10:21:24
[internationalizedtext.cpp:1244]: Create table
[internationalizedtext.cpp:1246]: Create text database
[graphicssettings.cpp:624]: Not using multisampling.
[graphics.cpp:151]: Creating device with: SOFTWARE_VERTEXPROCESSING
Fullscreen=yes
RefreshRate=60
Resolution=1280x800

Ok, so reading this now, I see that the fact that there is no support for T&L should have a huge impact on performance, but I don't know what T&L is, whether that is my problem, or whether anything can be done to fix it short of purchasing a new computer. Thanks again for your patience and willingness to help.

EDIT 2: Alright, so based on your reply to Ethan194's issue with settings.txt, I'm guessing that the error/crash occurred before the game could be created. The system.log that I have pasted above is the only log or text document with anything in it in My Documents--Paradox Interactive--Crusader Kings II--Logs. The only info I have left to find is the sumcheck, and that's what I'm looking for now.

EDIT 3: As compulsive as I must look right now, I have yet another edit. The text document named setup in the aforementioned folder is also empty. Is that where sumcheck should be? Also, I'm about to try a tactic mentioned in an earlier thread--namely just deleting the Paradox Interactive folder in the hopes that my problem is a corrupt file. I'm assuming that since the system.log file pasted herein is contained in the Paradox Interactive folder, the version above will be rendered obsolete by this action.

 

[AndrewT]

I'm checking with the back room but it may well be your video card is not up to it. The system requirements are 512mb of video memory and you only have 256mb; also your card only supportes Pixelshader 2.0 and I would expect 3.0 to be a requirement. As I say, I'm asking for more detail, but it doesn't look good, I'm afraid. Sorry about that!

 

[unmerged(464457)]

That's a shame, but I suppose five years is a long time to keep a computer. At least with Steam I should be able to play it when I finally get around to upgrading. Thanks for the help.

 

[AndrewT]

It's confirmed: the game requires vertexshader 3 and pixelshader 3. As you have a laptop there's probably no way to upgrade your video card, so I'm afraid you can only play it on machine with more recent video cards installed. I hope you do have, or can soon get, access to such hardware!

I know it's horrible to buy a game and find this out afterwards. The printed requirements do imply this limitation by saying

NVIDIA® GeForce 8800 or ATI Radeon® X1900 video card

both of which support the shader model 3 versions, but I can understand that being overlooked or not 100% clear to the less technically-minded of us.