Cutscene video not running

[Kytrid]

Hi all,

Thought I'd install E:BFD on my recently-built computer this morning, and am having the above-described problem after 3.5 hours of troubleshooting. First I'll detail the problem, then describe what I've tried, then list system specs.

Gameplay seems fine, but when the videos run I have a totally black screen. I can hear the voiceover/sound effects, but no animation. I ran narrowly-defined searches and generalized ones on google and this forum to try to find posts that seemed to deal with similar problems, to no avail. If you know of a thread somewhere that deals with it, I'll eat crow and go read it.  :'( 

I first installed the game onto my second HD. I used the XP install fix to get it installed and followed those directions exactly.  Ran the game and noticed the no video problem. Ran autoupdate and patched to version 1.09. Went into properties for the executable files, and set compatibility to Win 95/98. Still no video. I decided to run a nocd crack to see if that would fix it, in the case that it was some hardware incompatibility prob with my dvd drive. Successfully converted the game to nocd status two different times, using two different nocd patches (copied discs into their own directories within the Emperor directory, etc.) Still no video.

Then decided that maybe the game was unhappy because it wasn't in its default home. Uninstalled it, reinstalled it in its default location. Still no video. Got the bright idea to go into the game directories, hunt down a *.bik file, and see if my present version of Bink Video/RADTools would run what I found. The videos that are presently unlocked (intros, etc.) run without a hitch when executed by 2x-clicking on their icons outside the game shell, just not within the game.

Reset compatibility properties to Win 95/98. Decided, just for the heck of it, to once again convert the game to nocd status. No video when the game is running. So I'm back where I started. I'd like to be able to see the cutscenes within the game... I'm just that way, and I don't like leaving puzzles like this one unsolved.

I've not had a problem like this with any other game that I've installed on this computer, some of which use Bink video (as I recall).

System specs:

Intel E8500, not overclocked appreciably

4 gigs RAM

2 ATi 4859s running in Crossfire, GPU/memory clocks ramped down to 500/750 Mhz for better compatibility

Gigabyte X-48 DS4 Mobo

Razer Barracuda AC-1 audio

Windows XP Pro SP2 (5.1, Build 2600)

Directx 9.0c

Thanks in advance for any suggestions~

[Voodoo Daddy]

Most of the hard core tech guys for Emperor are gone. I wish I could be of help to you. I have never had to run the game in compatibility mode though. I have installed it in XP home and pro & Vista. I am currently running it on a quad core intel rig with vista 64 bit, 8 gigs ram, single nvidia GeForce 8800gt. and it installed fine, video's work, etc. That's a really puzzling problem.

[Kytrid]

Thanks for the reply. At least I have the comfort of knowing that I didn't overlook something obvious. If anyone has a lunatic suggestion, I'll be happy to entertain it.  Until then, I'll either play without the videos, or quit out and run the newly-unlocked videos outside the game. What a dork.  ::)

[Nyerguds]

Hmm... if you install RAD tools, can you play the videos manually?

[gunner154]

Got the bright idea to go into the game directories, hunt down a *.bik file, and see if my present version of Bink Video/RADTools would run what I found. The videos that are presently unlocked (intros, etc.) run without a hitch when executed by 2x-clicking on their icons outside the game shell, just not within the game.

I guess so.

Some other ideas:

Have you fully updated your video drivers? What's your hardware acceleration set at?