SH4 Not Displaying properly

[ShotMagnet]

Just installed SH 4 on my Toshiba Satellite C55 laptop. The game has apparently loaded, but except for the control panel nothing displays, and none of the control panel inputs generate a message saying that my orders are being carried out. I cannot get an external view (EV camera was enabled), either.
It's like being married, except this time to a game.
No video card (that I know of) is included with this laptop.
Advice?


Shot

[propbeanie]

If it's an Intel processor of 'middle' age, certain ones of those with onboard video had some issues with some 3d games. However, one of the main issues with the game and LCD screens is the display resolution. See if you can find out what the "native" resolution of the LCD display screen is. Set Windows to that, and set the game to that. You may not get an exact match on a laptop in the game. Some folks use the "Windowed" choice in the Game's Options screen. Also, once you have that, be sure you're running the game as administrator (right-click the SH4.exe and "Run as administrator"). You could also try right-clicking the SH4.exe file, right-click on Properties, and click on the "Compatibility" tab. Click on the "Disable display scaling on higher resolutions" and maybe even the "Run this program as an administrator", if the previous experiment somewhat worked.

Once you have the display settings in the game the way you think you want them, you have to exit the game and then re-start it, to make then "stick". Also, if you're doing a Career, no matter what you choose from the main menu's game options, the Career settings will override them. Once you are in the office in the game getting ready to go out, look to the left of the office, and notice the radio. Click on that and de-select the external camera tick box in the lower middle there. If you're running the German side, there's a filing cabinet by the Exit door that does the same settings...

[ShotMagnet]

OK, tried what you suggested (except for the Compatability thing, I'll try that next). Nothing seemed to change, and the game still does not show me the inside of any part of the sub, nor does it respond to commands made from the panel or the telegraphs.

Not sure what to try next, but I'll keep fiddling with it.



Shot

[propbeanie]

If you're playing Stock SH4, you'll not see the inside of the submarine, other than a portion of the Control Room and a portion of the Conning Tower. Are you referring to "panel" as the button across the bottom of the screen that you "click" with the mouse? Does F1 bring up "Help", F2 the Control Room F3 the Navigation chart, F4 the periscope? Any mods installed?

[ShotMagnet]

I'm referring to the row of controls at the bottom of the screen, none of which respond to my inputs. No mods or patches have been installed. Haven't tried the F keys.


Shot

[propbeanie]

OK, mouse moves around, but no response for "clicks"? Are you using the touchpad thingie in front of the keyboard? Is there an "emulation mode" on that thing? Do you happen to have a USB mouse you could plug-in and test with? I'm not sure how the computer "hands-off" mouse input to the game, but that might be an issue. What folder did you install the game to? I'm guessing Program Files (x86)?

[ShotMagnet]

Mouse moves, no response from clicks, nor click-drag combos. The F menu works only insofar as it shows me what the various F buttons will do, but will not call up the appropriate functions when the button is pressed.

Not using the touchpad, I have an optical mouse which has an input receiver ported into one of the USB jacks. The game was installed to Desktop, in a folder which includes the .exe. Should I move it to Program Files, and create a shortcut?

NB, attempted to run the game in Windows 8 Compatibility mode, with the screen res turned all the way down. The game turned it back up to 1366X1024 (I think, whatever the max value is for this laptop). Still no soap.


Shot

[Rockin Robbins]

Intel graphics card? You may just be SOL.....

[propbeanie]

Very strong possibility RR, however...

Now then, what version of the game is it that you have? Do you have a DVD, or Amazon Digital, or Steam download, or what? The version determines how to try your next experiments... To find the actual version number of the game, open the game's folder and find the SH4.exe file. Right-click on it, left-click on Properties at the bottom of the context menu list, then on the Details tab, and about the middle should be a line "Product Version:" that might have 1,3,0,0 or 1,5,0,0 or whatever. Let us know those numbers, and where you got the game from, since there is a major difference between what you do with a Steam game, as opposed to the others... You most likely will end up moving the install.

[ShotMagnet]

This is an Amazon download. Product version is 1.0.0.1.

For some parallax, this game ran fine on a friends computer when it was originally downloaded from Amazon, ca Oct '15. That computer was a tower and had a dedicated graphics card, however.



Shot

[propbeanie]

If it's still on the other computer, Amazon's license verification might not be allowing you to run the game. Did you do the licensing from Amazon? I've got a few programs from them, and I can't remember their procedure. It's different from Steam's though...

What I was getting at about the version number of the game, is the actual v1.3, v1.4 or v1.5 (UBoats) of the "SH4.exe" file in the install folder. I don't think Amazon sells a v1.3, which is what the Steam version is, and even if it is, you can at least update Amazon's download. Check that, but it most likely isn't what's keeping you from running.

When you installed the program, did you use what the install gave you, which defaults to C:\ Program Files (x86) \ Ubisoft \ Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific ?? If so, you can navigate to the Program Files directory, select the Ubisoft folder, hit <Ctrl><C> to copy it, then go up to the "root" C:\ drive and press <Ctrl><V> to "paste" the Ubisoft folder to C, so that the path now looks like C:\ Ubisoft \ Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific (or whatever you have). That will get the game out of the "protected" Windows folder.

Also, when you installed the game, did you let it install the DirectX v9c? You have to do that, even though your computer most likely has a newer version of it. There are a few files in v9 that SH4 is expecting to "see" when it runs, and if it doesn't, the game doesn't run correctly. Usually speaking though, you never get past the menu if it's not installed.

Barring all that, some of the intel onboard graphics cards just do not like certain 3d games. I do not recall which ones do it, but it might be in a post on this site somewhere...

I can't find for sure for certain, but the HD 3000/4000 series seems to be a problem in other games. If that's what you have, you could try what This Feller Tried, which is a post on the Ubisoft forum for a different game. I have no idea about the efficacy or advisability of doing what he did... YMMV - tread with caution - all them other warnings...

[ShotMagnet]

I'll have to have a look around for what you're asking, but in the meantime I'll take your advice and do what I can with it.

The licensing process from Amazon is pretty straightforward and user-friendly as well. You purchase something from them, it goes into a software library. You want to use it again on another machine; you go to that library and verify whom you are, Amazon gives you a download enabling thingie and you go from there.

Anyway, I'll do what I can with this based on your advice and get back to you when I've tested it out. Thanks for your help, even if it doesn't enable the game on this machine it'll maybe help someone else down the line.



Shot

[Red Devil]

not sure why pcs have compatibility options, they have never worked for me, on anything!!

I had a prob recently with a game, wouldn't run. Then I discovered mention somewhere of resolutions, and I remembered I had set it high, so I dropped it to 1024 x 768, it worked.

[ShotMagnet]

Okay, moved files and sacrificed virgins and all that. No luck.

Couldn't find a version number, but the readme insists that it's Patch 1.3.

I'll have a look at the link you posted and see if I can't make it rain that way, but for the nonce I'm assuming that this is a video card issue and that I'll either need a new PC or some emulating software so as to make this one 'think' it has what it needs.

Thanks for you help.


Shot

[propbeanie]

It looks like your computer might have an Intell HD5500 graphics chip. I have no clue as to compatibility with SH4. However, your display looks like its "native" resolution is 1366 x 768, which is a bit odd (to the game). What you might try to do is go into the main menu, right after you start the game, and try setting it to "Windowed", which is in the middle of the top of the graphics settings page. The Resolution setting box is to the left of that, and try something like the default, which is 1024 x 768. You have to re-start the game for the changes to take effect. Another thing you could try is to get rid of the USB mouse and use the touch pad for an experiment, and see what happens... But do one or the other and test what happens, then do the other, if necessary.