Problems with a nvidia GTX780Ti

[664a175d7de28retrogamer780]

Basically: Me trying to play SystemShock2 on a Nvidia GTX780Ti (+WinXP).... problems solvable or just forget it ?

Plonked down my 'portable' SS2-directory and just hit the exe-file. Ususally this works just fine in WinXP.
But now it only gets me to the menu, while trying to load any saves just ends in a black screen and with XP telling me in a separate pop-up message :

- "ERROR: Direct3d device driver does not accurately report texture memory usage. Contact your 3d accellerator vendor for updated drivers."

...yeah right.... 😝

I was a bit frugal with the driver install, not picking the utmost modern/latest one, but still quite new (352.86) - but me guessing it is no point in trying out some older ones (lowest usable? for this card is probably 330ish etc, which came with the card/CD).

--> Anyone know of a simple solution ? Or a not so simple one even ?

Sure, I can play it on my (much) less 'modern' PCs, but was hoping it at least would work here as well, albeit with graphical glitches or whatnot, on this machine....

Maybe there is a special setting in the driver software to fix this ?
Tried to use the "Run this program in compatibility mode for" option, but to no avail.

---

FYI - this game is a (ported) full install from the original CD. Might be a 'solution' to get a GOG-version, but even if that worked(?), I still want to figure how to make my original work as well.

[664a175d7e078voodoo47]

for win2000+, getting the GOG/steam version is the way to go, just download wherever and drag the SS2 folder to your xp machine.

if you insist on using oldDark, ask Kolya for the last tool that supports DDFix.

[664a175d7e36eMarvin]

The old SS2Tool is still here: https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?topic=392.0

[664a175d7e44cvoodoo47]

indeed it is.

[664a175d7e5b0retrogamer780]

Thankyou for quick answer !!

So, what you really are saying is that there is no easy 'fix' for the silly Direct3D (driver?) issue with my GTX780Ti ? 😥

As I was hoping to play it untouched, as I remember it - without any 'oldDark' (not sure what that is, never used it or any mods).
Which I assume the GOGversion has implemented in its version (?).

While my portable install folder works perfectly as is on WinXP - it is only a problem with this 'modern' graphics card, or perhaps rather the driver....

[664a175d7e73dKolya]

Try adding "safe_texture_manager" at the end of cam.cfg

[664a175d7e878voodoo47]

haven't seen that for while, heh.

feel free to try, but I think you will have to use the old tool (and DDFix) if you want to use the original engine (oldDark), the 780 is way too new to render it properly (full dx6/7 compatibility ends with radeon x1900 and gf7900). as mentioned, just grabbing the GOG/steam build (new engine, NewDark) would be the easiest solution here, very sure it works on xp out of the box.

[664a175d7ecc4Marvin]

Thankyou for quick answer !!

So, what you really are saying is that there is no easy 'fix' for the silly Direct3D (driver?) issue with my GTX780Ti ? 😥

As I was hoping to play it untouched, as I remember it - without any 'oldDark' (not sure what that is, never used it or any mods).
Which I assume the GOGversion has implemented in its version (?).

While my portable install folder works perfectly as is on WinXP - it is only a problem with this 'modern' graphics card, or perhaps rather the driver....

Olddark = Original game
Newdark = Original game with engine patch by unknown party with access to game source code

Unless you are a speedrunner, you should not notice any changes since Newdark fixes bugs and exploits while removing a lot of engine limitations and making the game compatible with modern OSes. It's not more or less original than the System Shock 2 patch to v2.3. Except for the way mantling works in Thief 2, there is no noticeable change in gameplay.

Newdark made dramatic improvements to mod support, but since you don't want to use mods, you can just forget about that.

You have a couple of options now:
- Original game with old v3.x SS2Tool applied (contains some basic fan-made patches)
- Original game with manual newdark installation: https://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=146448
- Steam/GOG game: Already includes newdark plus some some basic fan-made patches

[664a175d7eecaretrogamer780]

Well, what do you know - that single config line edit actually worked!
 
Now I am able to load the savegames without any black screen/error messages, and move around.... for a few dozen seconds at least, before it totally freezes my whole computer.... 😅

Had to press hard 'Reset' to get out of it... not even CTR+ALT+DEL worked....  isn't supposed to be easy, thats for sure.... 🤔

So, no idea if that is what helped, but... after the reboot, I started the game again, then ALT+TABed to desktop _before_ loading any savegames, and set 'affinity' for the SShock2.exe process to 1 single CPU core.... and NOW it seems to be working normally ! 

Granted, I've just done some moving around shooting things/monsters, and travelling between levels, but so far so good.
Well, apart from the slightly sucky graphics rendering that is... but at least THAT was expected... 😊

Now that I have this working, I'll consider some of the other avenues you all have suggested for me.
As I might want to try out some different/better graphics at one point...

And thankyou all for enlightning me on these other options.

[664a175d7f0acKolya]

You're rediscovering the bugs fixed by SS2Tool 3.6 one by one now:

• Texture Memory Fix (Fixes black screen after level-loading or error: "Direct 3D Device does not accurately report texture memory usage" by adding the "safe_texture_manager" line to cam.cfg.)
• MultiCore-Processor Fix (Fixes frozen game when playing on multicore processors or Pentium 4 by installing the HT-fix. Copies patched shock2.exe and deletes all SafeDisk remnants. IMAGECFG.EXE and processor.bat are only temporarily copied to your game dir.)

Next you'll run into the broken use/shoot-mode problem or notice that cutscenes don't play.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. 

[664a175d7f1b5voodoo47]

a bit, but I have to admit I don't miss oldDark that much.

anyway, the rule of thumb here is you only reach for it if you are running win9x on your retro machine.

[664a175d7f567retrogamer780]

You're rediscovering the bugs fixed by SS2Tool 3.6 one by one now:
Next you'll run into the broken use/shoot-mode problem or notice that cutscenes don't play.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. 

Heh, yeah... after reading up on all those patch descriptions in the links you gave, AFTER I posted the last message, it really dawned on me.... !

Somewhat embarrasing, but hey..... 😅😊
Somehow I really thought it would just 'work' as usual, using my 'copy&paste' method of 'installing' it...
So perhaps I better just install that 3.6tool then already, huh ?!

Have been playing the game on an ooold socket 478 PC (2002model/winXP) for soo many years now, no issues whatsoever,  and only now this very month trying to port it to a 'modern' Z77 Core computer.   Hence my apparant ignorance of what has happened inbetween.... 😄


As for Win98 on this machine, now that would most certainly be reaching... very far indeed.
As it is a slight miracle I managed to even install WinXP on this thing, without too many hiccups or snafus. 
(been a long time since I had any 'new' hardware to build/play with, so much to learn it seems...)