Help! Can't start SUDG

[Lee-Jackson]

Help! I'm seeking technical support.

I just loaded SUDG and upon attempting to start it, I get a message:

Playme error
Failed (0x800c000d) in Renderfile (C:\...\SUDG\movie\matrix.avi)

After that, a logo screen comes up, and then the screen goes black. The only think I can do at that time is reboot my machine.

I have reloaded the game and continue to get the same message and result.

I am operating on a Sony VAIO with Windows ME with DirectX 8.

If this forum is not the place to address this request, can someone advise me where I should.

Thank you.

[Kahn]

Try applying the latest patch and try again.

Though if this doesn't work, if memory serves me correct, the VAIO does come with proprietary sound and screen drivers that have a few bugs. So you might want to check to see if there are any updates for these drivers.

Hope this helps.

[madmax88]

Also,
It's been said that the cd autorun menu (matrix menu) is flawed So don't use it to play the game, instead run the sudg executable from your Sudg directory.

[Lee-Jackson]

Guys,

Thanks for the recommendations. Unfortunately, I'm still getting a black screen immediately after the Matrix logo screens.

I checked for video driver updates from Sony (none for this model), loaded DirectX 8.1, turned off virus checkers, and launched from my program files. Same result.

Anyone else with this problem? Any other ideas? I'd love to play this game.

L-J

[Kahn]

What program are you using for your .avi playback? Whatever you do, don't let Quicktime handle .avi's! It'll screw up every time on a windows OS. (Hence, why I hate Simon & Schuster products. Never seen any of their stuff run for any appreciable length of time without crashing, or requiring the computer to be "customized" in it settings such that any other apps become unplayable!)

[Andrew Ewanchyna]

I suggest you uninstall the game and try again. Use the Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs method as the one in the Start menu doesn't work. Check to make sure there's no extra Starships Unlimited Divided Galaxies in the Add/Remove Programs list. Then reinstall the game and then the latest patch, just make sure *you* tell the patch the correct path, it *will* place it in the *wrong* path (something about an extra space) if you don't manually change it. I normally install games into my own directory structure anyways (e.g. d:games).

Once installed, you can move aside the intro movies by going into the SUDG subfolder called Movies and moving the .avi files temporarily. It seems that you're having problems playing the movies, though. They're just standard .avi's.

[Lee-Jackson]

Thanks Alan & Kahn!

Moving the Intro movie file out of the Movies folder worked. Strangely, the two logo movies (Matrix and Apezone) worked fine, but my machine was hanging up on the Intro movie. I was able to view it independently with the Windows Media Player.

Now, at the risk of being a pest, one more question:

Can I change the game's screen size to better fit my machine? I tried altering my machine's video modes (to both larger and smaller displays), but that had no effect on the actual playing screen. I didn't find a way to adjust it inside the game. Am I missing something?

L-J

[Kahn]

Glad Andrew's suggestion worked for you. As far as the screen resolution is concerned, you're stuck with only the supported resolution in this version. Though I think Andrew may have something up his sleeve for version 2.

P.S.: I have seen that "irunin.ini" file saves the current resolution of your display, but I believe this is only used for the intros.

[Andrew Ewanchyna]

If you're talking about your monitor showing a smaller than expected screen, then you can adjust your monitor's display width and height. You have to do this for different screen resolutions. Your plug-and-play monitor will then remember your settings.