The Witcher- Technical issues.

[Acleacius]

Well I find myself unable to play version 1.1 of The Witcher. :(
Mostly likely due to driver incompatibility, I am experiencing massive texture tearing, with newest ATI drivers 7.10 during cut scenes (non bik) and game.

It's so bad that I couldn't even see Geralt due to triangles everywhere, turning off Dept of Field, seemed to help enough for me to see parts of the game world for a few scant minutes at a time, alt-tabbing out of the game seemed to help flush out the video about 60% of the time, giving me another couple minutes.

The game seem to crash alot alt-tabbing with all the settings up, but once I lowered everything to the lowest settings, the crashing seem to stabilize.
I can't seem to find away to completely disable Shadows, so far which I bet would help.

I can't seem to find a way to set my Mouse settings.

While in OTS camera mode I was unable to engage in combat, but this could be that all I could see was names at that point, so maybe my clicking was poorly aimed <shrug> and I had just entered the game so everything was at it's worst
It seemed no matter which enemy I tried to click on nothing happened Geralt just stood there with his sword out kind of swaying in the air above his head.

So I was forced to try ISO, which did enable me to engage in combat, but I was unable to shift the camera Vertically, only Horizontally.

The tearing finally got so bad I had to quit, just after the Cauldrons, right after the stair climbing cutscene.
Looked like there was possible enemies down below the wall, but after fighting the couple on top of the wall, no matter what I didn't I couldn't clear the tearing. :(

[Elwro]

Sorry if my post won't be a consolation but I can't play too and the reason is also a technical issue, if of a bit different type. :-( I ordered the game on Monday through gram.pl - they offer an a bit extended Polish edition which is cheaper than the regular edition sold in stores. And what do you now... something went terribly wrong with the authorisation of my VISA transaction. I can't cancel my order because the authorisation is not finished, but it's 5 days already! On Tuesday they offered to give me another payment link, I accepted, but... they didn't send it to me :-( . Yet, I hope.
First time anything like this happens to me, I never had any problems with paying via the web. Anyway, there's still Sacred Gold to satisfy my gaming urges while I'm waiting... ;-)

[Acleacius]

That's to bad, maybe they can get it strait next week.
Be glad you didn't buy the game from overseas and see this when you load it up. :(

I posted a picture, to show what I see in case anyone else has this problem or possibly others.
http://img89.imageshack.us/my.php?image=witcherol1.jpg

[zc82]

Maybe you should visit official Witcher forum 'In-game Tech' section and describe your issues: http://www.thewitcher.com/forum/index.php?board=14.0

[Zakhary]

Those with video problems please post the exact model of your videocard.
Shouldn't this be under the tech help area btw....

[Ubbax]

Those with video problems please post the exact model of your videocard.
Shouldn't this be under the tech help area btw....

Well I would think there will be a seperate Witcher Forum subdivided into Technical issues, Spoiler section, ect. and the gang just hasn't had time to implemented it yet .

The Tech help area might become extremely cluttered if everyone starts posting Tech problems with the most popular games.

Ubbax

[Lethal Weapon]

@Acleacius

Not that I'm an expert and I haven't played the game, but from my limited experience this type of problem most often occurs when there is not enough memory to cash textures. The first thing I'd try would be to change my virtual memory settings, say both min and max to at least 1G since this is the game's min req. And of course the usual stuff, update your drivers blahblah...

[zima98]

From the pic it looks like you tried to play game under minimum specs but probably it's not a point ;).
I can only recommend you to look for help on official forum.

My specs are: PIV 3,0 Ghz, 2GB RAM, GeForce 8800 GTS, Xp - and my game run smoothly but with resolution 1024x768 (I didn't check higher, I just have screen not suitable for it).

[HiddenX]

For those with an AGP ATI card:

the catalyst drivers 7.8, 7.9 and 7.10 have often difficulties with AGP cards:

crash to the desktop, freezing, game not starting at all.

The newest Omega driver (http://www.omegadrivers.net/) fixed that.

The Omega Drivers v3.8.421 are ready!
They are based on the Official ATI Catalyst 7.10 drivers, but unlike them, these will work with AGP cards just fine, plus added support for a lot of other cards that where not present in my drivers before (like the x1950 AGP, Mobility HD2600 and many more).

[Acleacius]

Thanks everyone, especially the link, HiddenX, which would certainly explain the issues as they seemed defiantly driver related. :)

zc82
Maybe you should visit official Witcher forum 'In-game Tech' section and describe your issues:
I did look there, honestly but didn't register since I didn't see similar posts, I am no expert but have a little experience and this seemed 99% driver related.

Zakhary
Those with video problems please post the exact model of your videocard.
Shouldn't this be under the tech help area btw....
Well honestly I didn't think it was necessary really since it seemed driver related I was mostly alerting others with ATI cards.
Btw it's a 850XT 256, it's only two series old and really only limited by lack of shader 3, and at this point only Bioshock presented a problem, though with the Shader 2 fix, worked well.

In regards to the proper forum, I would have to agree with Ubbax, but since there are no set in stone (atm) rules, I figured the Moderators would make the call. :)

Lethal Weapon
this type of problem most often occurs when there is not enough memory to cash textures. The first thing I'd try would be to change my virtual memory settings, say both min and max to at least 1G since this is the game's min req. And of course the usual stuff, update your drivers blahblah...
I did consider this though but since I have enough RAM and my Cache is well over 1gig, 1.5 gig, iirc, I moved on.
However another idea about Cache, there is a folder full of Cache I was thinking about moving to see if the game would rebuild it, but it didn't on closer inspection look like regular random Cache.

zima98
From the pic it looks like you tried to play game under minimum specs but probably it's not a point
Actually that's a good point, yes in the pic it's at minimum, it was the only way to get to see anything, except triangles, that was the best case. :)

[Acleacius]

Interesting, Omega's helped some but crashing got much worse.

Geralt is now Morte's wet dream in Full 3D, a Floating Head, with some skin and hair! :)

Still really bad tearing but more manageable, yet it crashes now attempting to adjust Video Settings.
The game defaults me to highest settings and when I tried to load it would never complete until I turned down the Lighting and Shadow settings but it would load before with the ATI.
Yet now with the Omgea I can see much more in cutscenes and the game world, with less tearing.

Another oddity in general with both drivers is no bodies on Geralt and the enemies but the other Witchers have bodies.

[Zakhary]

Try erasing your old drivers completely using the Guru3d driver sweeper (freeware, very nice app - using it myself too). Uninstall your drivers normally then reboot - run driver sweeper - reboot and then try installing the DNA drivers for your card.
I hear they are very good.

[Acleacius]

The 1.1a patch helped, now the environmental tearing seems only to be coming from shadows and character tearing now seems to only be on enemies.

The bodies are still missing on Geralt, enemies and things like horses (cut scene) the only connection I can guess is these are all killable, possibly.

Certainly hope ATI can patch their drivers and the patches keep coming from Cd Projekt.

No body
http://img340.imageshack.us/my.php?image=witcher1wo6.jpg
http://img340.imageshack.us/my.php?image=witcher2mx0.jpg

No body, plus some light and dark brown tearing at the top.
http://img156.imageshack.us/my.php?image=witcher3jj9.jpg

Tearing as the wagon approached the castle.
http://img166.imageshack.us/my.php?image=witcher4kl2.jpg

Witchers all have bodies and shadows, Geralt has head and full body shadows, enemies tearing, no bodies and tearing could be their shadows can't tell.
http://img85.imageshack.us/my.php?image=witcher5pd3.jpg
http://img80.imageshack.us/my.php?image=witcher6oe9.jpg

[Prime Junta]

Gotta love that chest hair. :giggle:

Sorry I can't help with your technical issues. I hope you get them sorted out.

[Acleacius]

Hehe, yeah funny stuff. :)

Np, it seems like nothing can be done, except waiting for some patches, thanks. :)

I still haven't gotten my conformation email from the official site forum, so I can't post info there, yet.
Using time warner but I am not aware they block sites nor do I have any filters on. <shrug>

I don't mind having paid for it and it not working as Cd Projekt seems like they are trying and making progress.

Plus, there is so much to play and I believe if we don't support independent RPG makers, eventually they will all go under like Troika or become EA assembly line with no innovation or original works.

I am looking forward to reading your thread, but have waited since I was worried there maybe spoiler. :)

[HiddenX]

I am running The Witcher with an ATI X850 pro - AGP card - with Omaga drivers and the 1.1a patch -> no problems so far.

[Acleacius]

Defiantly good to know, HiddenX.

It's just so weird that clearly all the Witchers have full bodies and shadows yet not Geralt and the enemies.
The framerate did drop down to about 14 fps for the fight but most times it was over 30fps and ATI Tray Tools is set at standard settings, so I don't see that as an issue.

[magerette]

Man those are some bizarre pics, Acleacius. I assume that you are currently playing other games and they aren't doing this? When my video card died, the first thing it started doing was crashing with the Blue Screen of Death, then showing distorted shadows and elongated tiles and other graphic anomalies--not like these, but equally weird. I was convinced at the time it was a particular game, but it was definitely the card not writing properly to memory.(Don't ask me what that means, but its what the tech guy found out after running diagnostics)

The bad news was the card died--the good news was it was still under warranty, so a new one fixed everything. I hope you can get the game up and running, one way or another. :)

[Acleacius]

Hehe, yes very weird.
I actually looked at the enemies up close and they actually don't even have a head, only eyes and mouths it's really freaky and funny. :biggrin:

Yes, I defiantly am playing lots of other games NWN2, MotB. Bioshock, Gothic 3 and one game I am too embarrassed to mention. ( :p ), nothing is happening strange in any of them.

Looks like the 1.1a patch fixed what ever problem existed in between the game and 7.10 drivers, as I tested reloading them so both drivers are getting the same results.
I am surprised Cd Projekt didn't mention performance improvements in the Release notes.

Sounds like I should get Two Worlds or play the o game, till 1.6 patch gets released. :)

[souha13]

im running it on a 3500+amd 7800 GT, 1,5 gb and it crashes nonstop. Seems a lot of vistausers has this problem but so far no comment from devs.

[zima98]

im running it on a 3500+amd 7800 GT, 1,5 gb and it crashes nonstop. Seems a lot of vistausers has this problem but so far no comment from devs.

Did you instal hotfix to Vista and newest drivers to nividia under vista?
http://www.thewitcher.com/forum/index.php?topic=2390.0

[Cm]

Be sure you get your driver updates from the manufacturer and perhaps redo them. Tech support at HP told me they got reports of corrupted driver files being released. Worth a try if all else fails.

[souha13]

I actually sit on XP and Have upgraded my drivers so its not that.

[zima98]

I based upon your specs in your profile (vista is there).

Do you have Service Pack 2 to xp?

It could be also spyware, adware, anti-virus in the background that couses crashes.

You can change also virtual memory.

[Acleacius]

Additionally you might re-run your DirectX package on the disk, it is a newer version from the best I can tell, as m$ most current is 7/2007 and these are 9/2007, iirc.

Sometimes DirectX drivers can get broken, plus you might try running it in window mode, if it's possible (can't remember as I can't get mine working correctly) as a test.

The only other driver possibilities I can think of would be Bios, motherboard, sound or mouse which all can cause crashes due to incompatibly issues and disk fragmentation is also a possibility.

Or of course like me, you may need to wait till Cd Projekt gets around to the next patch, while these others here are enjoying ravaging local vixens, smashing faces and slaying beast, bastards! :p

[magerette]

You don't know how bad I feel for you, Ace.:p I'd go into it further but I have to get back to ravishing the local vixens and tossing back some flagons of pepper vodka (in a role playing kind of way, of course)



Edit; BTW, I must say you're doing a good job of biting the bullet--this would be me-->:furious: :raincloud::bigcry::wall: then I'd probably be trying to beg borrow or steal someone ele's pc with heinous results:police:

[Acleacius]

magerette
I'd go into it further but I have to get back to ravishing the local vixens and tossing back some flagons of pepper vodka
:cries: , I love ravaging......vixens, errrr.... I mean peppered vodka!


Hehe, well it's nothing really except I have no choice, since I didn't buy it here in the US.
That will teach me, not to be distracted by jiggly bits! :biggrin:

Well, actually that' s not really likely. ;)

I am glad everyone seems to be having fun, so it sounds like a pretty good game over all, just several technical issues.

[souha13]

I think ill just wait for a new patch and computer so I can enjoy it with better graphics :). Only worry is that its very clear that vista users are experiencing a lot of crashes even with new computers and it seems it has something to do with the dvd protection.

[Prime Junta]

Not all of 'em. I've had one CTD so far, in several tens of hours of playing, and that's quite possibly because I recently overclocked my CPU. (Vista x64 here.)

[mute]

... wonder if my only freeze was because i overlooked my cpu. :)

[Acleacius]

It's Working! :)

Well it turns out reverting back to older drivers fixes the problems, WOOT! :biggrin:
As I read about many people having problems with newer drivers and HiddenX's mention it seemed to be with AGP, I tried the going back a full version about 1 year, to 6.10 and boom, big badda boom it worked. :)

Even the cutscenes worked much better, I still get minor ticks though, seems I remember reading this happens with less than 2gig of RAM.

[zima98]

Congratulation Acleacius :).

[Crolug]

Welcome to the world of The Witcher :)

[magerette]

Most excellent! It was straining me, feeling all that pity for you ;) :)

[AussiePhil]

Ok, we all know The Witcher has awful memory issues in vista 32-bit, i myself have been getting CTD every 10-15mins, so i was fooling around and decided to plug in my 4gb usb pen/zip drive and enable readyboost. Lo and behold, The Witcher benefits from this tremendously, i now have just left the game running for 3 days straight alt+tabbing out when i want to use my internet or WoW, no CTD, no reboots, The Witcher now works perfectly, hope this helps u guys out too.
My system specs are as follows,
Core 2 quad Q6600@2.4ghz
geforce 8800GTX 768mb
Ageia PhysX 256mb
4GB DDR2 800mhz

[Acleacius]

Nice find thanks, if this up and coming 1.2 patch doesn't help, I made need to get one. ;)

[aaron552]

I've installed the game and it plays fine... most of the time

The only recurring issue i've had is specific textures becoming partially transparent and possibly reflecting the sky too.
certain parts of the ground in Kaer Morhen are an example, where you can see right down through the castle to the ground with trees on it. It happens frequently with cave/crypt walls and window textures.

No one else seems to have reported this... let alone suggest a fix

I also get random CTDs while saving, opening the map or journal, or changing area, but these might be normal (considering the experiences of other people here) and these became less frequent after installing the 1.2 patch

My system, if it helps:
Intel Core 2 Duo 6550 (2.33GHz)
2GB DDR2-800 RAM
512MB ATi Radeon HD3870
Windows XP SP2

EDIT:
I found that disabling antialiasing fixes the semitransparent texture problem. I liked my antialiasing, though :(
Hopefully this is an ATi driver issue and will be fixed soon.