[SOLVED?]Triple Whammy Problems...

AtaruMoroboshi18 on 22/5/2008 at 18:55

Alright here it goes. I just recently bought System Shock 2 again and I'm having some problems. My triple whammy problem comes from the fact that I have an 8800 GT, a Dual Core Core2Duo, and Windows XP. I've been trying multiple things to get it up and running but it just doesn't work, it usually errors out or gives me a pink main menu screen. Here's what I've done each time I installed SS2:

Plain vanilla install with latest MP patch...didn't work, played a little bit then when I quit I got an error.

Used ImageCFG on SS2 exe to make it use only one processor...didn't work.

Install SS2 then installed SS2 Tool for it's patch, upgraded resolution, and mod ready status...didn't work.

Installed SS2 then installed SS2 Mod Manager + SHTUP 6 Beta and Rebirth mods...didn't work.

Installed SS2 Tool, got it to play for a little bit, but then realized with the new screen size...I couldn't do anything with my inventory...so didn't work.

Added safe_texture_manager to cam.cfg...worked for a little while and didn't work after that.

Uninstalled everything, then reinstalled in various ways...still didn't work...

I just gave up after that, I was wondering you guys could help me! I'm being deprived of SS2 and I need a fix, I need Shodan to call me names and force me to open the Nacelles on Engineering! Please help!

Edit: Somehow, someway I got it to work, albeit without any mods whatsoever, but it still works. What I did was a vanilla install on a 1GB thumb drive and simply play the game off of it. I used the latest patch and the DDFixGUI and placed the resolution at 1024x768. It works, I was hoping I didn't have to do something so esoteric, but I need my fix.

blaydes99 on 22/5/2008 at 23:16

Grab ddfix, then possibly the widescreen mod as well. Ddfix should take care of business.

Trigga1986 on 22/5/2008 at 23:32

Oke, I got almost the same system so im going to explain what i did and in what order to get Sshock2 working.

1. Installed Sshock2 vanilla (legal) on a different location then normal (G:\Sshock2\)

2. Ran the SS2Tool_v.2.4.exe and chose all options but the video resolution.

3. Installed the mod manager into the ..\Sshock2\ folder

4. copied all *.ss2mod files into the G:\Sshock2\SS2MM\MODS folder

5. Ran ss2mm.exe and activated the mods in the following order:

* SS2_Straylight_ADaoB_v028
* NVScript-ADaOB28Fix
* shtup_beta6
* rebirth01_complemented
* SS2_Eldron_psi-amp_v2
* Tacticool_Shotgun_Replacement_v1
* TC_Pistol_ADaoB028-compatible_v1

You will get a error but ignore it.

6. Installed the music upgrade by placing the SND folder into ..\Sshock2\

7. Ran the DarkWidescreen.bat (widescreen mod) and entered 1920x1200

8. Ran the ddfixGUI.exe (DDFIX) and chose the option 1600x1200 and chose the "video fix"

9. Opened the cam.cfg and changed game_screen_size 1600 1200 to 1920x1200

10.Fixed key bindings and changed autosave quicksave bug.

11. Uninstalled my ffschow in windows. And installed the new ffdshow_beta4a_rev1723_20071224_clsid.exe to fix any cutscene problems (at first time running sshock2 chose not to use ffshow ever for it)

this fixed all my problems and made me able to play the game in widescreen and with all other fixes.

Kolya on 23/5/2008 at 02:15

4.: The mod manager copies the mods itself when you register them.

AtaruMoroboshi18 on 23/5/2008 at 04:42

At this point I'm just trying to get the patched game to work on my system with nothing else. It's just really frustrating to me that I can't play it...

I did a couple of things to see if I could get it up and running, but I still get the same pink main menu and crashing.

I installed the game, full install. Install patch, place safe_texture_manager in cam.cfg and user.cfg just to make sure. No dice same problem.

Used imagecfg to make sure that it only uses one processor. Still no dice, same problem.

Uninstalled everything and tried back tracking on Nvidia drivers to the very first one that would install. Still nothing...

I should also mention that I Over clock my CPU from 1.8ghz to 2.7ghz...I wonder if OCing had anything to do with it.

GillianSeed on 23/5/2008 at 06:39

I have a similar Problem. It started after installing our glorious new 173 Driver.
Installed the older Driver 163 on my Geforce 7900 GTO and can watch the Movies again. But right after then, the Game freezes after the loading Screen.
To summ it up, Thief II works flawless. SS2 did fine, before installing the new Driver and i still cant get it run anymore after reinstalling the 163.
Installed Widescreen, DD3DFix and Kolyas patch. Btw, Kolya i emaild you about it.

Kolya on 23/5/2008 at 08:29

Sorry, I don't give email support. It's not laziness, I got a whole forum for those kind of questions. Discussing these things in public can be very helpful for you and others. Now since a new driver broke it and reverting the driver didn't help, it would seem the reversion wasn't complete. To uninstall the driver completely delete your graphics card from the hardware manager ("Geräte Manager") and reboot. Windows will find the graphics card again and ask for drivers, now install the older driver.

AtaruMoroboshi18: (http://timeslip.chorrol.com/ddfix.html) DDFix

AtaruMoroboshi18 on 23/5/2008 at 17:30

Alright, after exhausting many different possibilities I found one that actually works, albeit without any mod support. What I finally ended up doing was doing a vanilla install, installed patch, then used the DDFix w/ Video Fix. I did this entirely differently by installing it on my little 1GB flash drive and for some reason it works...now I'm just going to play it as is, because I tried a lot of different possibilities but this is the only one that works consistently.

Edit: It's official, this does work. I just updated my Nvidia drivers to the very latest and tried SS2 again, it works perfectly!

AtaruMoroboshi18 on 23/5/2008 at 22:45

Alright, I just redid everything in this order and now I have everything running flawlessly! Here's what I did.

Complete uninstall of SS2.
Installed SS2 on portable flash drive.
Installed SS2Tool.
Installed SS2 Mod Manager.
Added mods SHTUP and Rebirth.
Play to my heart's content!

I suggest to anyone having a problem with SS2 or any others, try installing it on a flash drive! I have absolutely-no-clue as to why it works, but it does!

Trigga1986 on 23/5/2008 at 23:22

Quote Posted by AtaruMoroboshi18

Like i said :) (point 1), When I installed Sshock2 in G:\gamez\Sshock2\ the game does not work. When i finally game up and tried a install a download version into another location it worked.

When i tried to find out what happened by copieing the download folder to my old location, i found out that it was my install location somehow, and not the game itself. So now its in G:\Sshock2\ it all works.