Help!

[Lord_Vader]

Help!

I run the Dominions 3 demo included with the full version of Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space. It puts up "Please Wait," and I wait for a while, then it loads. But then, when I attempt to start the game, nothing happens. I am forced to reboot, and I try again. It puts up the "Please Wait..." screen, and so I wait... and wait... and wait... and wait for hours, and it doesn't get anywhere. I attempt to bring up the Task Manager to close it, but it doesn't do anything. I reboot again! I do it three more times, and still it doesn't bring me anything.

What's happening?

P.S. I'm on a modern Gateway notebook running Windows Vista Home Premium.

[Micah]

I don't think Vista and Dominions get along very well, but I have no references to back that up.

[Velusion]

I would guess its your video card (drivers?) off the top of my head. I know a number of people have gotten it to work find on Vista.

[Cor2]

I am running the full version on windows with no problem. the demo is diffrent, but i don't see why it could not work. What I would suggest is downloading the demo directly from Shrapnel Games and tring to reinstall.

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

Tell me... what graphics do you have?

Even modern notebooks often completely neglect graphics.
If you go into your start menu search and bring up system information -> components -> display, share the name fields with us.

If you see intel anywhere on the 'display' page, then try creating a dominions shortcut like this:
Code:

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"C:\Games\Dominions 3\dom3.exe" --noglext

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with things changed to match your actual installation directory (most likely C:\Program Files\Illwinter\Dominions 3 - though I'm not certain as I NEVER use default install paths).

[Ironhawk]

What does that do Lazy_Perfectionist?

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

It disables (open?)gl extensions. Graphical features. Only when you run from that modified shortcut, you'll run with a reduced number of technical stuff I'm a little rusty on. A regular graphics card should have good support for gl extensions, but intel (although improving) has previously been a joke when it comes to graphics (though not cpus, of course).

If you run from a regular shortcut, such as the one in your start menu, then it won't run with the command switch. It won't make any irreversible changes to the game.

In my case (cheap new laptop), I was having that waiting thing stuck. I got playing with that command switch, and many others. This ended up the one working the best, without removing any important graphic features (such as background, ability to watch battles). I didn't notice any differences, but then, I no longer had my gaming machine running as a point of comparison (saving up my money).

[Lord_Vader]

Thanks Lazy_Perfectionist. It's working now. Great game, this is.