Anachronox help/questions

[Murk]

Having read nothing but positive stuff about the game here I figured I'd give it a try. Found myself a copy and installed... game won't start.

I install the 1.01 patch and try... won't start.

build 44 and 45 installed... still won't start.

Tried to install the build 46 patch... it takes me to run the GCTsetup.exe... and that won't run because some file is failing its check...

Basically when I try to load the game up the screen goes blank for a second, a window (all gray) pops up... stays for a second, then I get the crash error message.

I'm running XP pro with a hd3850... anyone know what my be causing this?

 

[DraQ]

Tried to install the build 46 patch... it takes me to run the GCTsetup.exe... and that won't run because some file is failing its check...

What check? Tried re-downloading? Also, did you try to run it via included batch files and to check documentation for flags to run it in compatibility mode?

 

[Lightknight]

Most likely its because of old version of OGL. Find some web archive with old GPU drivers and try installing some older ones. REALLY old ones. If you had nvidia there's supposed to be this piece of soft that people say helps, but you have ati, so...

 

[ghostdog]

Re-install the game and then install 44, 45 and 46 patches. I think that 44 includes the 1.01 patch, so leave it out.

 

[Murk]

What check?

thisn':

Tried re-downloading? Also, did you try to run it via included batch files and to check documentation for flags to run it in compatibility mode?

Hrmm, havn't tried the batch files

edit: tried compatibility mode on both windowed and full screen, no go --- by batch files I take it you meant the anox_[resolution]gl.bat files, right? tried.

seems it really is a driver/vid card issue, and i'm not at all in the mood to bother uninstalling drivers and hunting old ones... hrmm

 

[Stabwound]

Google is your friend:

http://majorgeeks.com/faqshow.php?id=8

 

[Murk]

Google is your friend:

http://majorgeeks.com/faqshow.php?id=8

Even with the GCT set-up working when I actually hit "run anachronox" same thing happens. Game loads up in full screen then it turns into a window then it crashes, all the while not showing anything in either full screen or windowed mode (just an empty window).

 

[DraQ]

Maybe try some wrappers?

 

[Murk]

Yeah, I was thinking that - I remembered using one to get around a slowdown in IWD2... I guess I've put this much time into it, might as well get it running and see if it was worth it.

Any recommendations?

 

[Murk]

Well, found a solution -- the following Glide wrapper works fine for me and got the game going:

http://www.zeckensack.de/glide/

in case anyone else needs it

thanks for the input BROs

 

[DraQ]

, have fun and don't let the fact that it's a JPG discourage you.
It's really awesome regardless of it's inane JPG trappings.

 

[ghostdog]

, have fun and don't let the fact that it's a JPG discourage you.
It's really awesome regardless of it's inane JPG trappings.

Too bad it isn't a PNG though. Even a BMP would be better.

 

[DwarvenFood]

Yeah file formats these days are not what they used to be.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Having read nothing but positive stuff about the game here I figured I'd give it a try. Found myself a copy and installed... game won't start.

I install the 1.01 patch and try... won't start.

build 44 and 45 installed... still won't start.

Tried to install the build 46 patch... it takes me to run the GCTsetup.exe... and that won't run because some file is failing its check...

Basically when I try to load the game up the screen goes blank for a second, a window (all gray) pops up... stays for a second, then I get the crash error message.

I'm running XP pro with a hd3850... anyone know what my be causing this?

I had the same problem as you, turned out this was caused by a bug in the nvidia drivers (opengl component iirc) and updating to the latest driver versions solved the problem.

 

[Murk]

Lightknight said as much above, alas, I have an ATI. Regardless of which, this wrapper has worked out just fine.

 

[DraQ]

You don't play role in JPGs any more than you play it in Half-Life or Pac-Man, do you?

So labelling them as JRPGS would be a mistake.
On the other hand, removing the "R" from the shorthand subtly indicates that they are not particularly interactive, but may be nice to look at.

 

[DwarvenFood]

Nice try but that would make them JG's and not JPG's

 

[Sceptic]

You don't play role in JPGs any more than you play it in Half-Life or Pac-Man, do you?

Of course you do! You PLAY THE ROLE of Sly Boots! Just like in ME2 where you PLAY THE ROLE of Commander Shepard!


On a more serious note, the reason I would exclude the R* would be because you have zero control over character progression. No skills, no stats, no classes, no nothing.

* I don't, but I'll argue the hypothetical

 

[Murk]

In this case, maybe, but there are plenty of jRPGs where you directly control character growth/progression.

Anyway, I don't care that it is a jRPG or that the combat is basically final fantasy 7's.

I do kind of dislike how much time is wasted inbetween a character/enemy beginning the attack animation and resuming the time progression though.

About an hour into it, thoughts so far:

Graphics are still really good, except for the character models but that is the case with most things anyway. Effects and environments look great.

Voice acting isn't bad, somewhat aged in regards to modern VO like say Risen or Witcher, but fine -- no complaints about it.

Battle system is somewhat cumbersome but so far I've only been in like... 3 fights (not counting the training session).

Setting: An abandoned giant moon sized planet-city that stinks of crime and poverty where people do god knows what to survive. Cool. Great intro, imo, with your main character getting the shit punched out of him by a midget in a suit.

Not a big fan of the menu/interface so far, namely the way you rotate and the 'mouse cursor', I'd prefer either a solid reticle or an Arx Fatalis style "free move" mode. Still not a deal breaker but a slight annoyance.

I like the environment and areas, don't like running back and forth, but I put up with it in the Witcher and its loading times were 10x as bad so hey, why not.

 

[Sceptic]

Mikayel, I meant specifically Anachronox. I wasn't projecting onto the entire jRPG genre.

I didn't mind the combat animations that much, they're short enough and entertaining enough that I could put up with them being repeated a LOT of times. Combat generally is meh, but thankfully it goes past relatively quickly. But this is certainly not a game you play for the combat, even though there's sadly a lot of it.

Graphics are beautiful aren't they? It's amazing to think that this game is almost 10 years old, made on a 13-year-old engine, and it still looks this good.

I think voices are great. I don't know what you mean by "aged", it is by far superior to 99% of modern games. The actors do a great job with their lines, and it helps that the lines are pretty good to begin with. Unless you meant the sound quality.

Setting is one of the game's biggest strengths and the intro does an awesome job of, well, introducing it. The scene of Boots being punched will take on a whole new meaning later on. Running around is another weakness, one that's there by design, and in my opinion the game's biggest flaw. You will run back and forth. A LOT. Be prepared for that.

 

[Murk]

Yeah, i meant the sound quality is what's aged, the actual acting isn't bad.

In a fight, for instance with two thugs in the alleyway that leads from the Infirmary to the Flop House a fight with two alley goons took way too long because of of the repeated animation of them throwing the burning bag/bomb thing (bindlebag?) at me. I guess I'd rather just have a legit turn based system where there is no 5 seconds of "time filling up". When playing the FF games I would often use a sped-up emulator or a 'turbo' button if possible. Never could stomache just waiting for mundane shit to go on over and over (I think only the Breath of Fire games had pretty enough animation that I would want to watch it).

I am kind of confused as to why there's so much retardspeak going on though. Beefiness, Beat, etc. I guess the game isn't supposed to be serious but that seems a little too childish.