Game dosn't start?!

[just_Salkin]

Moin, ich habe mir das Spiel gerade gekauft, denn ich habe dies schon vor Jahren gespielt und mich gefreut, als ich es auf Steam (wieder) entdeckte. Leider startet das Spiel nicht, wenn ich es versuche zu Starten. Der Bildschirm wird kurz schwarz und Windows 7 sagt mir, dass das Farbschema geändert wurde, mehr passiert jedoch nicht. Jmd Ideen/Loesungen für mein Problem?

Hello, i bought that game minutes ago and installed it. But now i can't start the Game. I have a windows 7 PC and i think it must work. Anybody have the same problem, that the game do not start? To check the files brings no result.

[CHE]

Originally posted by Salkin:

Moin, ich habe mir das Spiel gerade gekauft, denn ich habe dies schon vor Jahren gespielt und mich gefreut, als ich es auf Steam (wieder) entdeckte. Leider startet das Spiel nicht, wenn ich es versuche zu Starten. Der Bildschirm wird kurz schwarz und Windows 7 sagt mir, dass das Farbschema geändert wurde, mehr passiert jedoch nicht. Jmd Ideen/Loesungen für mein Problem?

Hello, i bought that game minutes ago and installed it. But now i can't start the Game. I have a windows 7 PC and i think it must work. Anybody have the same problem, that the game do not start? To check the files brings no result.

Sorry to hear that.... I suggest you try Steam Support (click "Help" in the top lefthand area of this Steam page, and then when the menu opens, click on "Steam Support").

[ZippyTheWonderMoonrat]

Some ideas:


1) Check if you have the right Microsoft Redist package installed. It takes version 7.1 guessing from the DLL files in the game directory ( C:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Pirates! )

2) Try running pirates!.exe in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP3. (Right click on pirates!.exe and go to compatiblity Run as )

3) Go to C:\Users\windowsuser\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Pirates! and open the config.ini file. Change graphics options to smaller resolution, like 1280x1024. Maybe its switching to a default resolution lower than your display can support.


I assume you have the right hardware and graphics drivers installed and can run other games without problems.

Good luck! Great game btw.

[Star Frost]

Same problem here but with Windows 8.1. All I get is a spinning wheel and a black screen

Originally posted by KillCity:

Some ideas:


1) Check if you have the right Microsoft Redist package installed. It takes version 7.1 guessing from the DLL files in the game directory ( C:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Pirates! )

I cant find any sites that I trust that have it. All I can find is Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x64) which wont install due to a newer version already being installed

Originally posted by KillCity:

2) Try running pirates!.exe in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP3. (Right click on pirates!.exe and go to compatiblity Run as )

Tried it, but when I lauch the exe I get a pop-up application error about "Failed to find Steam" even though its running.

Originally posted by KillCity:

3) Go to C:\Users\windowsuser\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Pirates! and open the config.ini file. Change graphics options to smaller resolution, like 1280x1024. Maybe its switching to a default resolution lower than your display can support.

That folder is empty. I tried to verify file integrity but its 100%.

Originally posted by KillCity:

I assume you have the right hardware and graphics drivers installed and can run other games without problems.

This seems to be the only game, new or old, that is having any trouble.

Originally posted by CHE:

Sorry to hear that.... I suggest you try Steam Support (click "Help" in the top lefthand area of this Steam page, and then when the menu opens, click on "Steam Support").

Steam does not offer support for this game, only refunds and the site that they direct you to does not seem to have any links to a support service.

Thank you both for your time and effort but if anyone has a solution to this, I am open to new ideas!

UPDATE: Found a solution that at least gets me to the main menu!

Originally posted by Everard:

goto the folder miles/win32/ under the Pirates installation and rename mssa3d.m3d to mssa3d.m3d.old

That should fix it for you.

Hope this helps others!

[joey791]

Thanks Killcity, #3 worked for me