Flickering Screen in Demo!

[podz99]

Hi,

I've just downloaded and installed the latest Demo version of the game (looks great btw). Only I have a slight problem which makes it almost unplayable... The problem being that the screen display "flickers".. not at a high rate.. maybe every few seconds or so. It does this on all the screens, including the loading screens. I've tried different resolutions, but that made no difference. I also tried changing to software rendering, but the game just crashes when i do that.

I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem, or if there is a known issue and a fix?

My setup is: Pentium 4 650 processor, 2gig Ram, ATI x600 graphics card.

Thanks for any help!
Podz

[unfunf]

Hello, I too have this problem. My screen flickers very rapidly.

I have 2x6800 ultras in sli. I hit 11k 3dmark05 and I take very good care of this pc, both hardware wise and software wise. This game seems interesting so I want to tryout the demo, but this problem needs some fixing. I will search for an answer myself, but I hope a mod can help out here.

[AncientAngel]

hay guys go into your starshatter folder and post the errlog.txt it should give us all the needed info that might be causing the issue.

[unfunf]

Here you go Ancient:

Code: Select all

 +====================================================================+
 | STARSHATTER 3.9.4                         19 Jan 2006,  1:49:43 AM |
 +====================================================================+
 |                                                                    |
 | Windows XP 5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 2                         |
 |                                                                    |
 | Registered Owner: Registered,                                      |
 |                                                                    |
 | CPUs Detected: 1    CPU Level: 15.7.10    CPU Speed: 2682          |
 | x86 Family 15 Model 7 Stepping 10                                  |
 | AuthenticAMD                                                       |
 |                                                                    |
 | 2048 MB RAM    3940 MB Max Swap    3511 MB Avail Swap              |
 |                                                                    |
 | DirectX 7 installed.                                               |
 |       DDRAW   5.03.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)            |
 |       D3DIM   5.1.2600.0 (xpclient.010817-1148)                    |
 |       DINPUT  5.03.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)            |
 |       DPLAY   5.00.2134.1                                          |
 |       DSOUND  5.3.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)             |
 |       DMUSIC  5.3.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)             |
 |                                                                    |
 |                                                                    |
 | NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Series GPU                                     |
 |                                                                    |
 +====================================================================+
 
   Initializing Game
   Request 1280x1024x32 mode
   Request DirectX 7 Hardware Rendering mode
   Request Primary 3D card
   Gamma Level = 128
 
   Initializing instance...
   Window created.
   Instance initialized.
   Initializing game...
 
 ********************************
 *   Direct 3D version 7        *
 ********************************
 
    SoundCardD3D Primary Buffer Format:
      bits: 16
      chls: 2
      rate: 22050
 
   Created video object.
    VideoDX7 Fullscreen: Using double buffered video memory surface
    VideoDX7: Found attached surface.
              DDSCAPS_3DDEVICE
              DDSCAPS_BACKBUFFER 
              DDSCAPS_COMPLEX 
              DDSCAPS_FLIP 
              DDSCAPS_LOCALVIDMEM  
              DDSCAPS_VIDEOMEMORY  
    Preparing to enumerate Z Buffers...
    driver_index = 1
    GUID: 84e63de0-46aa-11cf-816f-0000c020156e
    VD3D_ZBufferEnum:
    VD3D_ZBufferEnum:
    VD3D_ZBufferEnum:
    Creating Z Buffer (1280 x 1024)
    VideoDX7: Created Z Buffer (depth = 32)
 
    Supported Texture Formats:
    1) 15-bit True color RGB  555 
    2) 16-bit True color RGBA 5551
    3) 16-bit True color RGBA 4444
    4) 16-bit True color RGB  565 
    5) 24-bit True color RGB  888 
    6) 32-bit True color RGBA 8888  <== SOLID  <== TRANSPARENT  <== TRANSLUCENT  <== INDEXED
    7) 16-bit True color RGB  880 
    8) 16-bit True color RGB  556 
    9) 24-bit True color RGB  888 
    10) 0-bit True color RGB  000 
    11) 0-bit True color RGB  000 
    12) 0-bit True color RGB  000 
    13) 0-bit True color RGB  000 
    14) 0-bit True color RGB  000 
 
 VideoDX7: Checking for gamma support.  ddcaps.dwCaps2 = 606afe7c
    GAMMA SUPPORTED
   Created screen object.
   Palette loaded.
   Established requested video parameters.
 
 Loading Ranks and Medals
   Remapping: 'KEY_CONTROL_MODEL' => =1(1) (0) (0)
   Remapping: 'KEY_JOY_SELECT' => =1(1) (0) (0)
   Remapping: 'KEY_JOY_RUDDER' => =0(0) (0) (0)
   Remapping: 'KEY_JOY_THROTTLE' => =1(1) (0) (0)
   Remapping: 'KEY_JOY_SENSE' => =1(1) (0) (0)
   Remapping: 'KEY_JOY_DEAD_ZONE' => =500(500) (0) (0)
   Remapping: 'KEY_MOUSE_SELECT' => =1(1) (0) (0)
   Remapping: 'KEY_MOUSE_SENSE' => =10(10) (0) (0)
   Remapping: 'KEY_MOUSE_ACTIVE' => =192(192) (0) (0)
   Mapping: 'KEY_MOUSE_INVERT' => =0(0) (0) (0)
   Loaded key.cfg
 
 
 Starshatter::InitGame() create joystick
 Joystick: initialized DI7 pdi = 0016ae5c
 Joystick: preparing to enumerate devices
 EnumJoystick 1: 'Logitech Extreme 3D Pro USB'
    guid:    {6e7b3120-757d-11da-800144455354} 
 
 Loading System Designs 'sys.def'
 Loading Weapon Designs 'wep.def'
 
 +====================================================================+
 |                              RUN                                   |
 +====================================================================+
 Loading ship design catalog: Ships/catalog.def
 
 Loading Galaxy: Galaxy.def
 Loading StarSystem: Janus/Janus.def
 Loading StarSystem: Solus/Solus.def
 Loading StarSystem: Renser/Renser.def
 Loading StarSystem: Ostara/Ostara.def
 Order of Battle Loaded (Terellian Alliance).
 Order of Battle Loaded (Dantari Separatists).
 Order of Battle Loaded (Marakan Hegemony).
 Order of Battle Loaded (Independent System of Solus).
 Loading Form Set 'MenuDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'CmpSelectDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'MsnSelectDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'ModDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'ModInfoDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'MsnEditDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'MsnElemDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'MsnEventDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'MsnEditNavDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'NetClientDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'NetAddrDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'NetPassDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'NetLobbyDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'NetServerDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'NetUnitDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'AudDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'VidDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'OptDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'CtlDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'KeyDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'JoyDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'FirstTimeDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'PlayerDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'AwardDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'ConfirmDlg'
 Loading Form Set 'ExitDlg'
 MusicDirector::SetMode() old: NONE  new: MENU
 
 Opened Ogg Bitstream 'Music/Menu/MainTitle.ogg'
 Bitstream is 2 channel, 44100Hz
 Decoded length: 9109123 samples
 Encoded by: Xiph.Org libVorbis I 20020717
 
 MusicDirector::SetMode() old: MENU  new: CREDITS
 
 Opened Ogg Bitstream 'Music/Credits/Credits-1.ogg'
 Bitstream is 2 channel, 44100Hz
 Decoded length: 5637184 samples
 Encoded by: Xiph.Org libVorbis I 20020717
 
 Exit Confirmed.
 MusicDirector::SetMode() old: CREDITS  new: NONE
 >>> Starshatter::SetGameMode(7) (EXIT_MODE)
   Shutting Down (Returning to Windows)...
   Stardate: 1137653391.0
   Bitmap Cache Footprint: 15755 KB
 
 
 *** Game::Exit()
 
 +====================================================================+
   Begin Shutdown...
 MusicDirector::SetMode() old: NONE  new: SHUTDOWN
 Campaign::Close() - destroying all campaigns
   Destroying Galaxy Galaxy
    Destroying Star System Janus
    Destroying Star System Solus
    Destroying Star System Renser
    Destroying Star System Ostara
 UNDEPLOYING MODS
    VideoDX7: shutdown
    SoundCardD3D: shutdown
 
 Performance Data:
 -----------------
    Time:            46508 msec
    Frames:          0
    Polys Rendered:  0
    Verts Rendered:  0
    Buffers Used:    0
    Render Calls:    0
    Clocks:          0
    Pixels:          0
 
 Performance Statistics:
 -----------------------
    Frames/Second:   0.000000
    Polys/Frame:     -1.#IND00
    Polys/Second:    0.000000
    Verts/Second:    0.000000
    Polys/Call:      -1.#IND00
 
 +====================================================================+
  END OF LINE.
 

I see no problems in the errlog, but maybe I am missing something.

[HarryM]

You are running DX7? Maybe time to update your DirectX, current version is 9.

[unfunf]

No no no... I run DX9.0c, august. The highest DX the demo (v3.9.4 or whatever) supports is DX7.

.

[HarryM]

Ah, I saw DX7 in the log. Maybe that's why the demo flickers then? The full game on my GF6800GT with DX90c runs fine, no flickering.

[unfunf]

It's very likely a problem with the demo graphical engine conflicting with something on my computer; however, I do not think it has to do with DirectX. I tried both software renderer and Direct3D7, and both give the same flicfker. The problem is probably non-existent with the newer graphical engine. However, I want to try the demo before going out and buying the game, as I have little idea of how this game plays. Therein lies my problem .

[AncientAngel]

I remember seeing issues with flickering before with the demo. I can't remember if it was a conflict with an anti-virus. I will try to do some searching on www.starshatter.com 's forums and see if there was a fix. It was some sort of werid conflict between Dx7 and another program.

[AncientAngel]

click this out. http://www.starshatter.com/downloads.htm
Seems there maybe issues with ATI Cat 4.2 Drivers. Try whats mentioned on the above link and it might fix the issue.

[unfunf]

As I said, I use an NVIDIA 6800 ultra SLI setup. Not a radeon. Furthermore, that fix is for a totally different bug, and it didn't work anyway .

[SF]

Out of curiousity, have you tried changing the refresh rate of your monitor to different settings yet? If so, did the flickering rate change, get better, or get worse?