Screen blackout problem (version 8.3)

[KG Erwin]

This is NOT a bug. It's got to be a hardware issue. I've run SPWaW on three different PC configurations, with three different OS (98, 2000 and XP), and not once have I had a blackout problem. Like many older games, it MAY require you to roll back to an older driver version for your video card. Nvidia drivers are notorious for this.

[KG Erwin]

ORIGINAL: Pommel

Interestingly, I've got an Asus motherboard as well, and a Pentium 4 processor running at 2.4GHz, without hyperthreading though.

I've had problems with a motherboard from Asus before. It was a Pentium II model, and my system kept crashing consistently when I was playing Half-Life. The reason was that motherboard could not pump enough current into the AGP slot during intense 3d gaming.

I would think SPWAW isn't really exactly a same kind of resource hog as cutting edge 3D games usually are. Also, my gut feeling tells me this bug isn't really hardware related ... although my intuition could be wrong.

Oh, by the way, I tried re-installing version 8.2 - still, the blackouts keep coming. So there seems to be no difference between SPWAW 8.2 or 8.3, at least not in my system.

Should we try to make a group effort and try to get this bug fixed? Do you think SPWAW's lead programmer Mike Wood would be the right person to listen to us whine and beg? [;)]

Pommel, SPWaW IS a resource hog. All background applications should be shut down before running the game. This can only be fixed by a complete rewrite of the code, and that is not going to happen. It is what it is.

[BlitzSS]

Ya I know. I can add a couple more operating systems and CPUs to your list that have never had this problem. Since it is intermittant perhaps it is possible that I've never noticed it before on this machine, but one thing for sure I'll be taking notes here on out on this problem and writing back. I do very much appriciate everyones generous feedbacks. Keep-em coming. I just started that min-Stalengrad campaign***** and so far I think I'm going to like it[:)]

[KNomad]

Me, I love smaller battles. Jess's "mini" Stalingrad is great and I hope to see more in the future.

Suggestion: a "mini" campaign focused around the USMC?

[BlitzSS]

I agree with Jess' concept. Great games don't have to be mammoths. Slow, steady, and cautious takes the city if you watch the game turns. I long time ago I started working on a mini N. African series. This kind of motivates me now to work on it some more.

[Draxzen]

Blacked out and discolored screens in SPWAW can be fixed by launching MECH.EXE with a front-end program called Palette Stealer Suspender. 4shared.com has it available if you do a Google search for it. Works for a LOT of old games that tend to have similar problems with newer versions of Windows. Have fun!