Get it of my PC!

[omni2226]

The game is nice, just about what I expected after reading previews and seeing what the die hard fans ( like at Simtropolis) were so mad about.
I buy the game, bring it home and install it. Default detected graphics. Slowwwww and jerky. I lower all settings to off/low and play for an hour or so. Then crash. Mmmm.
Try again several times, and actualy managed to win/unlock all the awards. But it wasnt fun. At all.

So I start looking for help. Over at the EA forums I see post after post after post of people with the same problem. Run time error. And the same lame response EA always gives "Your PC sucks we only sell top notch software newblet".

So I browse over here hoping maybe the makers of the game have something. Nothing.Nada.Zilch. Well besides the fanboy/girls who try and gloss over the fact that this junk TM passed off as software is broken. Same drivel from them "close background tasks update driver blah blah blah".

Anyone who calls themselves a gamer has decent hardware with updated drivers newblets. And closing background tasks? Only in extreme cases were the RAM is insufficent to start with will that have any efect at all.

Conflicts with virus scanners? Give me a break. I play Oblivion, Sims 2, Trainz, City Life, The Movies, The Settlers (Great game by the way) etc etc with all setings on high and never ever had to even consider closing tasks or virus scanners.

So I decide to uninstall this sorry excuse for a game from my PC. But I cant. Try to use the CD to do it,it stops responding as soon as you click uninstall.
Off to the control panel. Windows installer "gathering information..." and never completes.

So I hunt down and delte the files and reg keys manualy.

I really wanted to play this game as it shows a lot of promise, but the brokenness of the game itself and the silence from so called support (hah what a joke) have me considering tossing it in the trash.

Ah well live and learn. The TM brand on any game I come across in the future will be a red flag for me, and I will pass it up for games that work.

I will post a response here with a Dxdiag so the fanboys can decide my PC isnt up to par, and head off the comments such as "Try altering...use CPU affinty...etc" by stating no one should have to have a degree in computer science to play a damn game.

[omni2226]

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 11/23/2007, 19:49:56
Machine name:
Operating System: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6000) (6000.vista_gdr.070828-1515)
System Manufacturer: Compaq-Presario
System Model: RN653AA-ABA SR2177CL
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3800+ (2 CPUs), ~2.0GHz
Memory: 2046MB RAM
Page File: 848MB used, 3460MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 10
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 6.00.6000.16386 32bit Unicode
------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
Display Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 2: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce 8500 GT
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Display Memory: 1264 MB
Dedicated Memory: 497 MB
Shared Memory: 767 MB
Current Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Driver Version: 7.15.0011.6375 (English)
DDI Version: 9Ex
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
Description: Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Driver Version: 6.00.0001.5502 (English)
Driver Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
------------------------
Disk & DVD/CD-ROM Drives
------------------------
Drive: C:
Free Space: 124.1 GB
Total Space: 184.5 GB
File System: NTFS

[majortom1981]

Dont sit here and bash the game just because the game didnt load or was slow. You have an 8500gt which is a slow card.

[PsYChoWaTrMelon]

what ever omni a GAMER can have anyform of computer as seen with
yours. imean seriously you don't have a GAMING computer by your so
called up to date. GAMERS have tons of builds be it Retail, Custom, or
in my case home built. your processor, ram amount and video card
all work in unison to cause the slow down of an obvioulsy Broken game.
having said this we know its broken and that its slow but bashing it as
if it were ALL a software issue is childish. Hardware in this games case
makes everything that is already BAD even WORSE. and btw this is a
lil gaming machine and its not even the best

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 12/7/2007, 07:44:31
Machine name: QUADFATHER
Operating System: Windows Vista™ Business (6.0, Build 6000) (6000.vista_gdr.070828-1515)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
System Model: P35-DQ6
BIOS: Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad Extreme CPU @ 3.00GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.84GHz
Memory: 8192MB RAM
Page File: 864MB used, 3445MB available
Windows Dir: F:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 10
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 6.00.6000.16386 64bit Unicode
------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
Display Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 2: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (retail)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (retail)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (retail)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)
---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce 8800 Ultra
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0194&SUBSYS_80101462&REV_A2
Display Memory: 1499 MB
Dedicated Memory: 732 MB
Shared Memory: 767 MB
Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (100Hz)
Monitor: Generic PnP Monitor
Driver Name: nvd3dum,nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2umx.dll
Driver Version: 7.15.0011.6375 (English)
DDI Version: 9Ex
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 10/4/2007 17:14:00, 4993024 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: n/a
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-42D4-11CF-356F-1BA002C2CA35}
Vendor ID: 0x10DE
Device ID: 0x0194
SubSys ID: 0x80101462
Revision ID: 0x00A2
Revision ID: 0x00A2



and yes even i have problems with this game but hell i know it was rushed
but unlike others i don't pay for my games i get them free through work.
so i can understand why some are mad because they paid $50 or more
(props to the EU peeps for spending them Euros)

[omni2226]

Nice try.

An 8500 GT PCI Express is a "slow" card for running this game?
Ooo Kkkk.
And as for bashing things. This is a tech froum. For posting problems.
I posted my problem along with my system info. And who replys?

A TM tech? TM dev? TM anything? Nope.

I like the game. I want to enjoy playing it. If I was just another troll Id hang out at the EA forum and spam "I want SC5" over and over.
Support and help from the makers of the game is too much to ask for?

A reply/post giving some information such as bugs found and the stage/state of a hot fix and possible release date would go far to sooth the savage beasts. But Im not holding my breath while I wait.

[Dylan93]

Watch this and my game is playing very well and most stuff on medium:
------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 12/16/2007, 22:12:13
Machine name: FAMILIE
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.070227-2254)
Language: Dutch (Regional Setting: Dutch)
System Manufacturer: Compaq
System Model: Presario 4419EA
BIOS: 686P9 v1.10
Processor: AMD Athlon XP 2400MHz
Memory: 512MB RAM
Page File: 288MB used, 961MB 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

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
Display Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Music Tab: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (n/a)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce FX 5200
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0322&SUBSYS_11521554&REV_A1
Display Memory: 128.0 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (72Hz)
Monitor: Plug en Play-monitor
Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.9371 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
Description: C-Media Wave Device
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_13F6&DEV_0111&SUBSYS_011113F6&REV_10
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: cmaudio.sys
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.0643 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Debug
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 11/18/2002 14:51:40, 377358 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: C-Media
HW Accel Level: Full
Cap Flags: 0xF5F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 100000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 17, 16
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 17, 16
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: Yes, Yes
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: Yes, Yes
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): Yes
Registry: OK
Sound Test Result: Not run

---------------------
Sound Capture Devices
---------------------
Description: C-Media Wave Device
Default Sound Capture: Yes
Default Voice Capture: Yes
Driver Name: cmaudio.sys
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.0643 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Debug
Date and Size: 11/18/2002 14:51:40, 377358 bytes
Cap Flags: 0x41
Format Flags: 0xCC0


Sooooo...... now you're quite hea.

[PsYChoWaTrMelon]

actually if you read more on the forums OP made a partial apology
thread.

;) it pays to pay attention or look before you go :eek: omg i made the
OP be quite.

also alot of the problems are with real systems of today. IE the ones that
have current day processsors and ample ammounts of ram all the while
using Drivers that are current but seem to be lacking in quality. Though a
stable game always helps. thoug i must say dylan you probably should post
screens :P as the card you are using isn't even up to the minimum reqs.
and also lacks the technology that would even allow you to think of running
shadows or relections as well as resolutions of 1024x768 or 800x 600 above 15 fps.
not to jest at you but my wifes computer has a 5700 ultra and is using the 94.21
drivers for CotN and she gets the device error with SCS.

Thank you and gooday

[Kuplo]

The uninstaller is obscenely slow at least under Vista, Im not sure how it is under XP. I uninstalled the game and it took no less than 5 minutes to gather information, then at least another 2 or 3 to actually uninstall. I thought it had quit working but after letting it sit long enough (I've become adept at hearing the hard drive when nobody else in the room can) churning away until it finally uninstalls.

By the way I was only uninstalling because I had installed over a previous copy of the game (did a reformat of my C drive and installed fresh clean copy of Vista) and then though it's a better plan to install fresh incase the installer didn't overwrite the old installation files (which it didn't), so I then reinstalled which went fine.

But then I was curious if the uninstaller was so darn slow because the game was installed ontop of an old installation of the game or if it was just this slow in general so I uninstalled again and it was the same long wait times. So for anybody else that wonders about it, yeah, on vista it "could" take a long time to get the game uninstalled.