Just brought Gothic 2 ... doesnt work!

[apoc_reg]

WARNING

Dont buy the game in you have windows 7.

It doesnt work. Just brought via steam and as soon as you go outside in the game the screen goes blank and it crashes.

Access violation code.

A quick look on google etc and this seems to be a common problem.

I have no chance of getting money back as it technically doesnt say on the store page win 7 is supportted... but it also doesnt say its not.

Ho hum

Do you have any advice Megalomanic as this is not that cheap at £13.49?

[bigsilverhotdog]

I doubt this will help but its worth a shot:

http://forum.jowood.de/showpost.php?p=2070268&postcount=9

Especially the bit about installing outside program files. The tip was for Vista but since 7 is based on Vista...

[bonelessboar]

try right clicking the exe. file and click prefences, then change the compatibility mode to ''Windows XP - service pack 2'' and also toggle ''run as administrator''.

hope this helps you :cool:

[tacc]

I had the same problem with a retail version. To make it short: a crack fixed the problem. Don't know if this works for the Steam version too.

[Megalomaniac]

@apoc_reg
Did the previous suggested solutions help? If not, I will investigate this issue.

[tacc]

Whoops. Looks like I misread the first post.
The game wouldn't start for me. The crack fixed that. However, I had some serious problems with the graphics.

I just reinstalled it. Gothic 2 Gold Edition (4 CDs).
First Gothic 2 (1.3). Started without problems.
However, I tried to leave the tower and got this:
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/1122/clipboard03y.jpg

To my surprise, I wasn't able to reproduce this error. But what I got instead wasn't any better:
http://hotfile.com/dl/24160888/24aa233/gothic.rar.html


Then I installed Night of the Raven (2.6). The game wouldn't start. It just appeared on the Task Manager for a few seconds.

As I said, the crack fixed this problem. But nothing changed.

I had the same problems already a few months ago. I reinstalled Windows in the meantime and the drivers are up to date too.

DxDiag:
http://pastebox.de/8aXmoooDsW/

I'd like to try the Steam version but there's no way I'll pay 15€. I bought the game 4 times already.


Dont buy the game in you have windows 7.


It works on my Netbook (EeePC 1000HG with Windows 7). So it might be a problem that only occurs on x64 systems. Or maybe its something else.

[800ster]

There is a known problem that Gothic 2 does not work with Nvidia cards on W7. Not tried the Steam version though to check this.
Only Vista and below are shown in the system requirements.

[Korn1699]

I get a pop up error that says "C:zMusic_DM.cpp(zCMusicSys_DirectMusic::Init() )Failed to create performance object!" I tried running as an admin and compatibility mode, neither fixed it. Other games, including Gothic 3, work fine though. Win 7 x64 9800M GTS 1920x1200

[tacc]

I get a pop up error that says "C:zMusic_DM.cpp(zCMusicSys_DirectMusic::Init() )Failed to create performance object!"
Should be a DirectX problem. Try to reinstall it.

[Korn1699]

Should be a DirectX problem. Try to reinstall it.

I just tried that, but get the same error as before..

[in.meinem.turm.]

If I remember correctly the game didn't like to be startet through steam (retail version) maybe it still doesn't? Which would be really annoying for a steam version.
(it always crashed when I added it to my steam game list as a shortcut and tried to launch it)

[Megalomaniac]

The Steam version works fine with steam. The other version could have some problems on some systems because of the copy protection.

@Korn1699
Can you check your Direct X settings? I already had a few player with that problem and it was related to some Direct X settings but I dont know exactly what.

[Korn1699]

How do I check the settings?

Edit: I just checked it on my desktop, and I get the same error. I thought I would verify the integrity of the files through steam in case I had a bad download or something. It finds one file that doesn't validate. If I run that check again it says that all files are fine, but if I run it again. I get the same error and one file that doesn't validate.. The desktop has Win 7 x64 i7@2.8 GHz GPU: 4890 GPU for PhysX: 9800 GTX+. Both the laptop and desktop have 8GB of memory. I don't think that would cause the error I get, but heard of other games that have issues with more than a certain amount.. Both machines also have a lot of development tools too, although I haven't really had an issue with other games..

[Megalomaniac]

No, I meant the Direct X settings. To do that go to Start -> Run -> type in: dxdiag and hit enter. Then you get into the Direct X diagnostic tool. There check the settings under the sound tab and perform a DirectSound test.

[Boilerplate]

I get flickering videos during the intro and when Xardas talks. Using an ATI 4870x2, latest Aug2009 DX redist. package as well.

Also, game sporadically crashes. As in, total black screen. Sad, really. I was hoping to finally play this on my new rig (Vista 64, SP2).

Gothic 2 is a game I have been wanting to play again for years, but have never been able to get it going on Vista 64 for the life of me. I have the retail discs, GOG version, and now this version. None of them work, fully.

I hate to have to dig out my old, crusty XP machine but looks like that's what I have to do. Shame that Microsoft has to make their OS's so antagonistic to backwards compatibility.

[Korn1699]

No, I meant the Direct X settings. To do that go to Start -> Run -> type in: dxdiag and hit enter. Then you get into the Direct X diagnostic tool. There check the settings under the sound tab and perform a DirectSound test.

Yeah, I knew what you meant that. I just wasn't sure how to pull it up. FYI, there isn't Start -> Run in Win 7 (unless you enable it somewhere), but the Windows Key + R does the same thing. I don't see DirectSound anywhere when I run it on my desktop. I get 3 "Sound" tabs, but they just list my device info. The "Display" tabs have an area where it looks like it checked a feature, but it doesn't list DirectSound. It just has DirectDraw, Direct3D, and AGP Texture Acceleration with all three enabled. That area isn't even there on the "Sound" tabs. I tried the 32 and 64 bit diagnostics, but neither mentioned it..

Edit: I just tried it on my laptop and I don't see anything about DirectSound there either..

[kelticpete]

my game starts off fine if a little slow..almost like computer is straining to deal with the graphics rendering. when i get to the part of xardas tower where you can see outside (up top) the screen goes grey and it flips out! and either crashes or has to be hard ended with task manager.

[Korn1699]

my game starts off fine if a little slow..almost like computer is straining to deal with the graphics rendering. when i get to the part of xardas tower where you can see outside (up top) the screen goes grey and it flips out! and either crashes or has to be hard ended with task manager.

I ended up getting it working on my last gaming laptop over the weekend (with a clean install of 7), and I experienced the same thing with that machine. It got kind of slow near the bottom of the tower. When I got outside it slowed down to under 1 fps when I got near the first wolf. The screen went blank gray and I had to kill the process.. 8600M GT Win7 x64 Pro

[Seraphim Kratos]

Although I am not getting any of the errors many people are having, my computer will rather freeze up when the graphics settings are up high. In game, I need to set certain visual effects to low visibility just to get out of Xardas Tower. Once out, the game will flash, freeze yet stay responsive according to task manager. I don't have any issues with the videos that play (they run smoothly).

Win 7 x64 Pro
AMD Phenom 9950 Quad Core (2.6GHz)
4GB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+

[tacc]

I've read a few threads in some german forums.
Looks like the game really has some serious problems with Nvidia cards. They say this issue is known for a long time and it's caused by the driver. However, there is no solution. At least nothing they suggested worked for me.
Installing Forceware 100.59 is said to fix the problems. But this can't be called a solution unless you enjoy installing drivers several times a day. Of course this driver is not available for Windows 7 because it's 3 years old.

Well, either Jowood has somehow managed to miss those problems or they release a game that doesn't work for many people once again.

Decide for yourself.

[Korn1699]

I just noticed that Nvidia mentioned an issue with Gothic 1 and 2 crashing as an open issue with their drivers that were just released today.

[morgannin09]

Alright, I just bought Gothic 2 on Steam, and so far I have had no problem with it, with the notable exception that the music doesn't play during the game. I've tried adjusting the volume, and toggling the music on and off, but I am clueless as to what I should do about this.
By the way, I am on Vista.

[tacc]

This is a known problem with Vista Service Pack 1. You should upgrade to Service Pack 2.

If you don't want to upgrade for whatever reasons try this:
http://www.worldofgothic.de/dl/download_374.htm

The installer is in german but I hope its self-explanatory.

[apoc_reg]

@apoc_reg
Did the previous suggested solutions help? If not, I will investigate this issue.

Hi Guys,

Just to confirm i have yet to manage to get the game to run on Windows 7 with my GTX 275 Nvidia acard so if you could investigate that would be great!

Thanks again

[bonelessboar]

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=104636&st=80

allot of gothic series fans waiting for an Nvidia fix, follow this thread to find out when its fixed. (I'm very convinced that this is an Nvidia windows 7 user issue only.)

[kelticpete]

is there a world of gothic patch for windows 7?

[kelticpete]

nothing new?

[Mouseraider]

Just bought Gothic 2 gold edition on steam since my cd havent worked in ages and I wanted to play it again.
Whenever I attempt to launch the game nothing happens, I can see the exe running (so to speak since it doesnt actually use any cpu) in the processes menue but the game just wont launch.
Steam ran the directx as it always does the first time I start a game, but now the only thing I get is the message "preparing to launch gothic II: gold edition"

I have attempted to run the exe as admin but still nothing happens.

I am using vista 64 sp 2
i7 950
295 gtx (196.21 driver)
6 gb ddr3

edit aparently restarting my system made the game work after installing it.

[x0rsw1tch]

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=104636&st=80

allot of gothic series fans waiting for an Nvidia fix, follow this thread to find out when its fixed. (I'm very convinced that this is an Nvidia windows 7 user issue only.)

Its still an issue. I bought the gog version a while back and still havent been able to play it on win7 - even with the nvidia 257 series drivers.

Its on the top of the list of known issues in the nvidia release notes though.

[Alexanderkolost]

I have the same problem as Mouseraider, the exe shows up in taskmanager, but there is nothing I can actually do to access the game. However, restarting my computer has had no effect.

[searanox]

Its still an issue. I bought the gog version a while back and still havent been able to play it on win7 - even with the nvidia 257 series drivers.

Its on the top of the list of known issues in the nvidia release notes though.
Same problem here. As soon as I get anywhere near outdoors (even the upper floor of the tower you start in, the game starts going crazy, geometry starts disappearing, the framerate drops well past zero, and so forth. There are also major issues with Alt+Tab and I couldn't get the Steam overlay to work in the limited time I spent playing.

Even though I got this game on sale, and it's years old, it's pretty disappointing that it's effectively unplayable.

[Karyth]

Same problem here. As soon as I get anywhere near outdoors (even the upper floor of the tower you start in, the game starts going crazy, geometry starts disappearing, the framerate drops well past zero, and so forth. There are also major issues with Alt+Tab and I couldn't get the Steam overlay to work in the limited time I spent playing.

Even though I got this game on sale, and it's years old, it's pretty disappointing that it's effectively unplayable.

Same here. Bummer really.

[Kaldaien]

There is a driver bug in NVIDIA's drivers for Windows 7. Unforatunately, I had no choice when I purchased my new MacBook Pro... I would have preferred an ATI chipset, but Apple is in bed with NVIDIA now that NV offers its "Hybrid Power" system, where GPUs can be switched dynamically to save power...

Nevertheless, if you're really dedicated to playing Gothic 2, as I am, you can actually run it through Wine. CrossOver Games Mac 9 works GREAT with Steam, so if you have a Mac you can easily get the game working from OS X. You'll just need to make a few ini tweaks, (e.g. enableMusic = 0).

NVIDIA's known about this issue for 7 months, so it does not seem to be a big priority for them. Best bet is either using Wine or getting your hands on an Intel (yes, the integrated GPUs are capable of running Gothic 2 with decent performance - it's a DX 8.1 class game) / ATI GPU.

[johnnyt305]

Same problem, yes it is only Windows 7 + Nvidia cards that makes the game crash after you leave the starting tower to go out into the open world.

There is a fix where you place 4 .dll files into the steam gothic II folder that makes the game playable, but it is not an official fix, Nvidia is still working on it I guess(been over 8 months).

With this fix though I AM ABLE TO GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY GOTHIC II FINE.

I am using Windows 7 64 bit & an Nvidia GTX 260, this is the only way to get the game to work for me so far.

[Void(null)]

Just wanted to add, Win7 64bit, nVidia GTX 280, crashes after leaving the tower.

[Siendra]

Just wanted to add, Win7 64bit, nVidia GTX 280, crashes after leaving the tower.

Try this (http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15764955&postcount=2). Worked for me.

[Void(null)]

that actually fixed the issue, thank you!

[nyran125]

this is why i dont want to change from windows xp:(:( I have so many games i really like playing and i would be pissed off if i couldnt play them anymore. I cant be bothered having to search for fixes and sht for ages just to play a game i could play in XP without problems. They need to make compatabitily mode exactly what it says adn implementALL the important XP files into that compatability mode so you don thave to worry about this stuff. Whats the point in having compatability mode when it really doesnt do what it says it does. MAKE THINGS WORK IN WIN 7 OR VISTA that was for xp. Whats the point in having Compatability mode in the first place.

There are hardly any games that actually work putting it on compatability mode. Because there are obviously some essential files the game is asking for , for it to work that ust arent there anymore. Hopefully DOS BOX 1 day can emulate XP too :):):)

This is where cracks and no cd patches/pirate bay DO come in handy and i thank GOD no-cd cracks and patches exist and I BUY a LOT of games and still rely on patches and cracks on bought games. I hope Pirate bay never dies, its an important asset to our world.

[HeadStrikeR]

Well a simple solution is to have both a Windows XP installation and a Windows 7 Installation. I do this so i can play older games when i want to. Easiest solution with little hassle, all you need is an additional harddrive or an empty/expendable partition on your mainharddrive. I can only recommend this as it has absolutely no downsides.