Some kind of weird starfield bug I guess

[hygraed]

I just bought Darwinia from Steam, and when I start it up, after the raytracer video or whatever, there's some kind of weird problem where there's an enormous purple and orange mass that goes all over the place. I have no idea what it's supposed to look like, but I would venture a guess that it' not supposed to look like this.



Any suggestions? I really want to play this

[KingAl]

Like this? Try updating your video card drivers, just in case - but most likely it's because your computer can't cope with the Vista patch.
There might be some way you can prevent it from updating to that patch, though I'm not aware of it myself.

Also, posting your system configuration could help.

[xander]

Let me guess -- you have an integrated ATi graphics card. Something like an ATi Radeon XPRESS 200? This problem seems to effect such cards, and, as far as know, there is no solution.

xander

[KingAl]

However, the problem doesn't affect the non-Vista patch. If there's a way to force Steam not to update, then it could solve the issue - since hygraed just wants to play the game, not to run it with the Vista patch specifically.
At the very least, he could get a refund from Steam and buy it straight from the Introversion store (or find a retail copy).

EDIT: And, to clarify, yes: Steam will have installed the Vista patch even if you aren't running Vista. It works in XP if your video card is good enough.

[hygraed]

Let me guess -- you have an integrated ATi graphics card. Something like an ATi Radeon XPRESS 200? This problem seems to effect such cards, and, as far as know, there is no solution.

xander

Sha-zam, motherfuckers. That's exactly the video card I have. I guess I'm boned, then, as far as playing Darwinia goes. I probably won't bother Steam about a refund, since I got it in the $10 twofer pack with Uplink.

Oh well. Pity.

[xander]

Let me guess -- you have an integrated ATi graphics card. Something like an ATi Radeon XPRESS 200? This problem seems to effect such cards, and, as far as know, there is no solution.

xander

Sha-zam, motherfuckers. That's exactly the video card I have. I guess I'm boned, then, as far as playing Darwinia goes. :( I probably won't bother Steam about a refund, since I got it in the $10 twofer pack with Uplink.

Oh well. Pity.

No, just use an earlier version -- 1.4 should be fine. You can get the data files from your Steam directory, and the 1.4.2 patch from here. Copy the data files out of your Steam directory, and apply the patch. That should work.

xander