Matrix Games Forums

I just bought the game and loaded it through digital download, then updated it with both the v1.10 and the beta v1.2.17 patches. I read the manuel and tutorial over the last two days and started playing tonight. I'm very dissapointed.

First of all the game takes well over 8 minutes to load and I've had it freeze during loading and had to reboot the computer. I don't think that is right

Second, the layout is all skrewed up.
-the close buttons are nonexistant in the advisor screens or, as in the treaty page, don't work and the "Esc" key must be pressed to exit the window.
-Treaty buttons are out of their corresponding background.
-The date is shifted above the corresponding background in the diplomatic advisor window.
-Economic advisor page data is missing for Income through Net income on the right side.
-The map in the development advisor is above its corresponding background blocking the courts and docks upgrade buttons.

Thirdly, some functions dont work.
-Placed an order to upgrade farms in Il DeFrance and subsequent turns showed no production
-Tried to place an upgrade order in other provences, having sufficient resources, and no upgrade box highlighted by the yellow box. The game said I already had inprovements ongoing when they really were not.

Forth, the movement phase only allows me to designate a unit to move to another provence. However, it does not allow me to use the other movement phases or initiate sieges. I have to end the turn before movement is completed. In addition, I occupied an enemy provence for two turns (three if you count the movement turn) and my unit did nothing.

What is going on? My computer exceedes all of the requirements for the game so I know it is not my system. Help[:(]

Ok. I thought after posting this that maybe it was a problem with my screen resolution. I keep my resolution set at 1600x1200. So maybe that was the problem.

I reduced the resolution to 1280x1024 then loaded the game. Same problems, long load time (7-9 minutes) and same displays.

Then I reduced again to 1280x800 with the same results.

Then 1280x768 with the same results.

Then 1024x768, this time it loaded in about 45 seconds. Much shorter than 7-9 minutes recorded on my stop watch with the other resolutions. However, the displays were still wrong.

Then 800x600. Same as 1024x768.

I have deduced that high resolution is causing very long lags in loading but is not effecting the game displays one way or the other.[:(]

So what is the solution?[&:]

ORIGINAL: 1LTRambo

First of all the game takes well over 8 minutes to load and I've had it freeze during loading and had to reboot the computer. I don't think that is right

You're right, it's not correct behavior. It takes my computer about 30 seconds to load a game. So, you've got something going on there with your system.

Hopefully, Eric will see this today and begin to help you sort it all out. I know exactly how you feel about purchasing a game only to find it won't work properly, I have 3 such games at my desk right now.

But, COG _does_ work, we just need it working for you too.

Thirdly, some functions dont work.
-Placed an order to upgrade farms in Il DeFrance and subsequent turns showed no production
-Tried to place an upgrade order in other provences, having sufficient resources, and no upgrade box highlighted by the yellow box. The game said I already had inprovements ongoing when they really were not.

You've noticed the small white text stating "<none>" which is then replaced by whichever upgrade is being worked on right? It is easy to miss as it's overwhelmed by the rest of the information being presented in that screen.

Forth, the movement phase only allows me to designate a unit to move to another provence. However, it does not allow me to use the other movement phases or initiate sieges. I have to end the turn before movement is completed. In addition, I occupied an enemy provence for two turns (three if you count the movement turn) and my unit did nothing.

When you are giving orders for your turn, that is _all_ you are going to do. The orders are then processed at the same time as everyone else's orders as this is resolved simultaneously. If you wish to move a unit more than one province, just click the province you want it to go to, although there is a monthly limit as to how far and partially completed movement orders are reset at the beginning of each turn.

Sieges require enough troops to conduct one. If your troops aren't besieging an enemy's city, then you don't have enough troops available in the province. The manual gives guidelines for how many troops you might need.

I definately suggest you check each corps and army and set their siege orders to "starve" the city. Otherwise, you'll regret it eventually. If, during a siege you change the orders to fire at the walls or to charge the walls, you will want to reset the unit to starve the city before moving into another enemy province.

I'm hoping your technical isssues get resolved soonest.

1LTRambo,

ORIGINAL: 1LTRambo
First of all the game takes well over 8 minutes to load and I've had it freeze during loading and had to reboot the computer. I don't think that is right

Sorry to hear of your problems, that's definitely not behavior that's "normal" for this game.

To get started, could you post a DxDiag file for us (see the pinned instructions in this forum)?

Also, are you running any unusual Windows font dpi settings?

Regards,

- Erik

I don't know why the load time is so long; how much RAM do you have free?

It sounds as though you are experience a problem involving the Windows DPI settings. COG has problems running if the DPI is set to anything other than default; go to Control Panel | Display | Settings | Advanced | General, and then in the "Display" area change DPI setting to Normal size. That *should* solve the display problems you are experiencing.

Khornish' post on the way the turn structure of COG is organized is correct.

I went back and checked my DPI setting. It was set to LARGE.

I changed the DPI to normal, reduced the resolution to 1280x1024 and rebooted the computer.

It took 8 minutes and 49 seconds to load, but once I got in, the display was correct.

I exited and checked ram 512 (giving me 523 of which 487 is free) so I have sufficient ram.

My computer is a laptop with a wireless connection to access the internet and I always leave it running. So I disconnected the wireless card then reloaded the game. This time it only took 52 seconds.

So it is the DPI causing the wierd apperance and the wireless card that is causing the lag in loading.

Thanks very much for your help.[:)]

Do I understand correctly: to run CoG the PC must be set to 96 DPI?
With a resolution of 1280x1024 this will yield a very small font for regular use of the PC. Too small for me. Therefor I use the large font set (120 DPI). This in turn means to run CoG the PC must be rebooted each time to install the 96 DPI font set.
Please tell me I (hopefully) misunderstood something.

COG does require DPI to be set to normal.

(I have not yet found a way to tell the MFC libraries to ignore the DPI settings or to use an alternate setting -- indeed there doesn't seem to be any hooks into the DPI settings at all from MFC; if anyone knows how to do this, I would greatly appreciate the programming tip.)

Thanks for the answer.
Please see email.
Cheers
Rainer

EDIT: Email to you bounced back. Pls see PM.