Playing Guild Wars problems, screen going black?

[magerx7]

I recently bought the first Guild Wars. I got it loaded and everything fine. I made my character, logged in, played for about a minute, screen goes black. I turn my moniter on and off numerous times, does nothing. I restart my computer, moniter comes on fine, I log back into GW and screen goes black again. I am wondering if this is a problem with my graphics card or the moniter itself. I think the moniter is a possiblity as it is quite old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Computer Specs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

System Manufacturer: VIA Technologies, Inc.

 

 

 

System Model: P4M266A-8235

 

 

 

BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG

 

 

 

Processor: Intel® Celeron® CPU 2.40GHz

 

 

 

Memory: 1024MB RAM

 

 

 

Page File: 338MB used, 2124MB available

 

 

 

Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS

 

 

 

DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)

 

 

 

DX Setup Parameters: Not found

 

 

 

DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Card name: RADEON 9100 Family (Microsoft Corporation)

 

 

 

Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.

 

 

 

Chip type: RADEON 9100 AGP (0x514D)

 

 

 

DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)

 

 

 

Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_514D&SUBSYS_7149174B&REV_00

 

 

 

Display Memory: 128.0 MB

 

 

 

Current Mode: 1152 x 864 (16 bit) (60Hz)

 

 

 

Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor

 

 

 

Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200

 

 

 

Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll

 

 

 

Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6462 (English)

 

 

 

DDI Version: 9 (or higher)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm a complete noob when it comes to computers, so if I get annoying asking what stuff is, I'm sorry, bear with me. :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

p.s. If I need to provide anymore info, tell me what you need and I'll try to find it.

[steveinater]

what speed internet connection do you have? because guildwars is an online

 

 

 

game it could be your internet connection is to slow to process all the

 

 

 

information needed to play the game well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i can tell you one thing it is not your monitor. i used to play it with like a 10

 

 

 

year old monitor.

[assassin_696]

No need to bump things still on the first page.

[magerx7]

I have a cable internet connection, and soz about bumping to early.

[steveinater]

try changing your colore quality to 32 bit insteat of 16

[Parabola]

what speed internet connection do you have? because guildwars is an online

 

 

 

game it could be your internet connection is to slow to process all the

 

 

 

information needed to play the game well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is absolute BS. That is on a par with someone from EA tech support who told me that the sims 2 wouldn't work with my machine because it has on-board sound since the game uses 'very advanced AI'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All rendering is done clientside and has absolutely nothing to do with the internet connection. Hence why you can yank your ethernet cable out of your machine and still have the game render for a little while before it times out and tells you you're disconnected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honestly, with answers like this and your suggestion of a registry cleaner on the other topic - do you just roll a dice to determine your suggested fix?

[magerx7]

try changing your colore quality to 32 bit insteat of 16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A friend had suggested that, didn't work though.

[steveinater]

 

what speed internet connection do you have? because guildwars is an online

 

 

 

game it could be your internet connection is to slow to process all the

 

 

 

information needed to play the game well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is absolute BS. That is on a par with someone from EA tech support who told me that the sims 2 wouldn't work with my machine because it has on-board sound since the game uses 'very advanced AI'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All rendering is done clientside and has absolutely nothing to do with the internet connection. Hence why you can yank your ethernet cable out of your machine and still have the game render for a little while before it times out and tells you you're disconnected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honestly, with answers like this and your suggestion of a registry cleaner on the other topic - do you just roll a dice to determine your suggested fix?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wtf but the sims 2 isnt an online bassed game tho is it, it is a single playewr game, guildwars is a mmorpg, meaning it gets a large amout of its information from the internet server.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

before you flame me get the facts right man

[Parabola]

Get the facts right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The information transferred between client and server is game-related (positions, results of combat calculations, etc.) and has nothing to do with rendering. Fact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since latencies vary, all online games have a specified timeout value. The client will continue to act as though it is still online until this timeout value is exceeded, at which point it will give you a disconnection message. That means that you could unplug your ethernet cable and have the game continue to render before the timeout value is reached, at which point the error will be handled and you will get a disconnection message. Fact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Connection has nothing to do with how the game is rendered. Fact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rendering problems are an issue with the machine the game client is run on. Fact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do not post on a computing board when you do not have the faintest idea about computing concepts. It makes you look like an idiot. Fact.

[Darrel104]

Have you tried it with a different, I think you need to change it for the game not the computer witch there should be a setting for. Also are you sure your graphics card is a card, I would think it would be integrated, sorry if i am wrong. Anyway make sure your video card driver is up to date and you could also try disabling hardware acceleration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

right-click on desktop and click properties

 

 

 

click settings tab

 

 

 

click advanced button

 

 

 

click troubleshoot tab

 

 

 

slide the hardware acceleration to none

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well if that didn't help then just try updating the driver as i said before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also guild wars has the ability to handle lag so it won't just screw up if it doesn't know where any of the other players or monsters are at so i guess I agree with the majority of Parabola's facts but the rendering does have to do with the packets packets receiving because they affect what the game renders. Also nothing says that a game has to timeout if the client is not receiving the information required, it just makes sense for the person to not be waiting at the computer for hours waiting for something to be happening and not knowing one but about what the problem is. Also you don't have to know anything to post on this board since this is just a runescape board where not many people really know much about prolblems with unrelated topics of runescape witch is one of the reasons i post here once in a while. It doesn't make them a idiot in fact I thought it was pretty smart of him ruling out the monitor because his was 10 years old and it worked.

[Parabola]

The graphics engine has nothing to do with the connection. Everything required for rendering a scene is found on your local machine. It does not rely on a connection to render. It is very simple and I have said it a dozen times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove the timeout value and you'd still be able to explore the game world whilst not connected, you just wouldn't be able to interact - no combat, no chat and so on. That is why in so many games, when you get disconnected, it is a few seconds before you notice. If your theory were true then as soon as a connection went down the game would crash within milliseconds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your theory were true then this post would not exist - since a connection loss would throw an exception which would be caught & handled (since connection losses are so common) and NOT result in a crash like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are trying to give assistance on a computing issue then you should have a grasp of basic computing concepts.

[Darrel104]

The graphics engine has nothing to do with the connection. Everything required for rendering a scene is found on your local machine. It does not rely on a connection to render. It is very simple and I have said it a dozen times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove the timeout value and you'd still be able to explore the game world whilst not connected, you just wouldn't be able to interact - no combat, no chat and so on. That is why in so many games, when you get disconnected, it is a few seconds before you notice. If your theory were true then as soon as a connection went down the game would crash within milliseconds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are trying to give assistance on a computing issue then you should have a grasp of basic computing concepts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even though everything rendered is on your computer it does rely on the connection to render it because it has to receive input on the decisions made on the host to determine what to render.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I never said one thing about the game crashing if it was designed to timeout. What says you have to make a loss of connection throw an error you just have your mind set on what all games do not what they can do. I said that i agreed so i don't know why you posted all the disagreements to my post when the only difference is mine is looking at the issues abstractly but you are looking at it like all games have to have this concrete design.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please read some of these articles because they might just open your eyes a little so see that everything doesn't have to be a set way.

 

 

 

http://www.gamedev.net/reference/list.a ... id=23#300v

[runesmithie]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even though everything rendered is on your computer it does rely on the connection to render it because it has to receive input on the decisions made on the host to determine what to render.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The game will absolutely positively render without a connection. The positioning data for your character is clientside and frankly it'd be rather stupid for it to be sent to the server and back again every single time the client polls the server.

[Parabola]

Even though everything rendered is on your computer it does rely on the connection to render it because it has to receive input on the decisions made on the host to determine what to render.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm guessing you just googled for that gamedev.net link since you obviously don't know what you're talking about - you are still confusing rendering a scene with gameplay continuing unabated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have explained why it does not need the connection to render a scene (the example of it taking several seconds for WoW to notify you that your connection is broken, during which time the scene is still rendered yet no data is sent or received) and you have yet to say how that is false.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is not possible for normal gameplay to continue, and that is what you seem to be confused by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The. Graphics. Engine. Does. Not. Require. A. Connection. To. Work. Normal gameplay does, the rendering system doesn't. There is a difference, and there is no chance whatsoever that the original poster's problem is a connection-related one.

[Cruiser]

Even though everything rendered is on your computer it does rely on the connection to render it because it has to receive input on the decisions made on the host to determine what to render.

 

 

 

If rendering has to wait for a response before doing any work, the game developer needs to be smacked. You would also be left with a game that feels very jumpy because of the varying times it takes for packets to travel the net. The only aspect of any online game that should wait to render are characters, their positioning and other dynamic content. Landscape and other static elements should be rendered regardless of what else is being sent and received. All of this aside, it has absolutely 0 to do with a complete black screen a few minutes into a game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also you don't have to know anything to post on this board since this is just a runescape board where not many people really know much about prolblems with unrelated topics of runescape witch is one of the reasons i post here once in a while. It doesn't make them a idiot in fact I thought it was pretty smart of him ruling out the monitor because his was 10 years old and it worked

 

 

 

1) This is the Tech & Computers board, like off topic, you better know wth you're talking about before you go spewing random fixes to issues. Like Parabola said, trying to fix issues you know 0 about only creates more problems and makes you look like an idiot. Wildly throwing out changes fixes nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) A 10 year old monitor could very well be the problem. Yes, it's a long shot, but ruling it out 'because it still works' is not a good idea when troubleshooting hardware issues. As an example, my 10 year old 19" CRT still worked flawlessly and one day fried itself for no reason what so ever. I was staring at it, working with some stuff and pop (damn censor replaced p-o-o-f :x ), it shuts off with a plume of smoke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) Please, please reread your posts and punctuate things before clicking submit next time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the orginal poster:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is this a laptop or integrated card of some kind? I can't find the drivers for a Radeon 9100 AGP to save my life at the moment. Just wanted to find out if you had the latest drives installed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Has this happened with any other graphically intensive games?

 

 

 

Any other major software changes just prior to installing GW?

 

 

 

All windows updates installed? (Long shot, best to cover all bases :P )

[Darrel104]

I don't get why no one understands this when i stated it previously: I am NOT talking about the majority of games, I am saying that games do not have to be static electrical impulses but rather can be anything that you want them to be within reason and the only things restricting them is the programming language and input and output "matter" along with the OS and the API but of course using OOP will restrict you some but that is implying that the person that creates the game is trying to be keep efficacy but create a product that people will buy. I am not talking about a program that people will buy but what is possible.

 

 

 

Note that I know this has just about nothing to do with a black screen and i was being sarcastic about the 10 year old monitor thing. It would be best if you just pm me if you want to say anything to me.

[magerx7]

 

Even though everything rendered is on your computer it does rely on the connection to render it because it has to receive input on the decisions made on the host to determine what to render.

 

 

 

If rendering has to wait for a response before doing any work, the game developer needs to be smacked. You would also be left with a game that feels very jumpy because of the varying times it takes for packets to travel the net. The only aspect of any online game that should wait to render are characters, their positioning and other dynamic content. Landscape and other static elements should be rendered regardless of what else is being sent and received. All of this aside, it has absolutely 0 to do with a complete black screen a few minutes into a game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also you don't have to know anything to post on this board since this is just a runescape board where not many people really know much about prolblems with unrelated topics of runescape witch is one of the reasons i post here once in a while. It doesn't make them a idiot in fact I thought it was pretty smart of him ruling out the monitor because his was 10 years old and it worked

 

 

 

1) This is the Tech & Computers board, like off topic, you better know wth you're talking about before you go spewing random fixes to issues. Like Parabola said, trying to fix issues you know 0 about only creates more problems and makes you look like an idiot. Wildly throwing out changes fixes nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) A 10 year old monitor could very well be the problem. Yes, it's a long shot, but ruling it out 'because it still works' is not a good idea when troubleshooting hardware issues. As an example, my 10 year old 19" CRT still worked flawlessly and one day fried itself for no reason what so ever. I was staring at it, working with some stuff and pop (damn censor replaced p-o-o-f :x ), it shuts off with a plume of smoke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) Please, please reread your posts and punctuate things before clicking submit next time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the orginal poster:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is this a laptop or integrated card of some kind? I can't find the drivers for a Radeon 9100 AGP to save my life at the moment. Just wanted to find out if you had the latest drives installed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Has this happened with any other graphically intensive games?

 

 

 

Any other major software changes just prior to installing GW?

 

 

 

All windows updates installed? (Long shot, best to cover all bases :P )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I believe it is an integrated card. It's deffinatly not a laptop I can tell you that. =P~ Also, I know you are going to say "Man, this kid is dumb!" But where can I install the latest drives? Also, GW is the first graphically intense game I have had, so, unfortunatly, I can't answer that one. I also have all windows updates installed.

[Cruiser]

Also, I know you are going to say "Man, this kid is dumb!"

 

 

 

Pfft, no. You're asking for help and going about it nicely. :mrgreen:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But where can I install the latest drives?

 

 

 

That's what I've been looking for. The only Radeon 9100 I can find is an IGP card (note the I), not AGP, under the Windows ME/98 section of ATI's website. :?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you run Windows 98 or ME and are you sure it is an AGP card? If no, what OS?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It looks like you copied what was in DXdiag, but not being able to find an AGP card makes me think you may have typo'ed it. :-k

[magerx7]

I run Windows XP and I ran DxDiag again, said it was an AGP. I don't beleive this is a possiblity but since I haven't updated the drives in awhile, could this be why you can't find the AGP?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EDIT:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for being unannoyed lol

[Parabola]

I am not talking about a program that people will buy but what is possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well then you are wasting everybody's time since the poster has a problem with a real game that people buy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is possible for a developer to make a game that only responds to textual commands from the user, where they have to type 'cheese' to move forward, 'cheese!' to attack and preface every chat message with 'cheese:' - it doesn't happen though so it's completely irrelevant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I run Windows XP and I ran DxDiag again, said it was an AGP. I don't beleive this is a possiblity but since I haven't updated the drives in awhile, could this be why you can't find the AGP?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For some reason the ATI site doesn't even have a driver for a 9100 card - they have 9000 and 9200 but no 9100.

[magerx7]

Well, that is quite odd. I am getting a new graphics card soon. So, hopefully, that will fix the problem.