Unable to Initialize DirectX: Possibly Solved?

[rickvoid]

Getting this game to run tonight has been a giant pain in the butt. First it told me it couldn't find Steam. Five minutes of Googling fixed that, just needed to copy and paste the steam.dll to the Pirates folder. Then it got upset because it didn't want to "Initialize DirectX".

Four hours of Googling and the heartbreak of learning that this has been a known issue for 8 years later... I've fixed it.

Why it wasn't working: Sid Meier's Pirates automatically attempts to detect your monitor's resolution the first time it runs (so as to build a configuration file that it will use for every subsequent attempt), but it wasn't built for the types of resolutions we use today. As a result, it attempts to set the screen resolution to something ridiculous (X 50000000, Y -100000000; or something similar, I didn't write it down). The program then reads that, says "Nope" and crashes with the initialization error.

The solution is two-fold: Sid Meier's Pirates needs to be told to run the game in a window, and it needs to be told what resolution to use. Both of these can be solved with a config file, but if the game never runs the first time, it won't create one.

How to do it: Open notepad. Copy the following text and paste it into the file:
[User Settings]
Gamma = 1.000000
KeypadStatus = 1
DisplayShadows = 0
TrilinearFiltering = 1
DisableShaders = 1
AdvancedLighting = 0
WindowWidth = 800
WindowHeight = 600
WaterDetail = 0
WorldDetail = 1
ObjectDetail = 1
MasterVolume = 1.000000
MusicVolume = 1.000000
SFXVolume = 1.000000
DanceVolume = 1.000000
IsSlowMachine = 0
MyName = Please Work
3DAudioDriver = Creative Labs EAX (TM)
Fullscreen = 0
CustomSail =
CustomFlag =

Save the file as config.ini to the following file path: Computer/OS(C:)/Users/USERNAME/My Documents/My Games/ Sid Meier's Pirates!

Go back to Steam and run the game as you would any other. It should start.

Do not attempt to adjust the video settings from within the game. The game will attempt to auto detect the settings all over again, flip out, and kill itself, requiring you to fix the config file all over again.

I am going to test different settings for the water, world, and object detail settings, but so far it seems that fullscreen and the window settings are the only parts that matter. Will check back shortly.

[rickvoid]

The following config.ini settings also work for me, and will provide higher quality gameplay:
[User Settings]
Gamma = 1.000000
KeypadStatus = 1
DisplayShadows = 1
TrilinearFiltering = 1
DisableShaders = 0
AdvancedLighting = 1
WindowWidth = 800
WindowHeight = 600
WaterDetail = 3
WorldDetail = 5
ObjectDetail = 2
MasterVolume = 1.000000
MusicVolume = 1.000000
SFXVolume = 1.000000
DanceVolume = 1.000000
IsSlowMachine = 0
MyName = Please Work
3DAudioDriver = Creative Labs EAX (TM)
Fullscreen = 0
CustomSail =
CustomFlag =

The window size doesn't have to be stuck at 800x600 either, I just haven't found a good one between it and 1280x720 yet. (1280x720 is my monitors default resolution, and the window needs to be smaller to fit everything in. I'd welcome any suggests for what else I could set it to.)

[Aleksei.Volchok]

You need to set resolution your screen supports. And it has to be 4:3.

My native screen resolution is 1920x1080. I had to add 1440x1080 resolution to my Intel Graphics Panel and set it in this config file. The game run fine after that. You get black border on sides but the graphics look much better.

[Kael]

Awesome! Thanks for this post!

[rickvoid]

If my day of frustration has helped someone else enjoy this game, then it was worth it. Happy raiding!

[Lieutenant Dan]

Thanks for your solution!! I got mine to run full screen windowed.

Just put whatever resolution is fullscreen for you.


Ex.

Gamma = 1.000000
KeypadStatus = 1
DisplayShadows = 1
TrilinearFiltering = 1
DisableShaders = 0
AdvancedLighting = 1
WindowWidth = 1920
WindowHeight = 1080
WaterDetail = 2
WorldDetail = 5
ObjectDetail = 2
MasterVolume = 0.631579
MusicVolume = 1.000000
SFXVolume = 1.000000
DanceVolume = 1.000000
IsSlowMachine = 0
MyName = Quinn McClane
Fullscreen = 0
3DAudioDriver =
CustomSail =
CustomFlag =

[Duality]

Well this is better than not being able to play but its still broken. As in cant change video settings without having to go the long way. Anyway I am able to play again so thank you guys :)

[[HC] Jaipoppaj]

I've created this config file, added the steam.dll to thed folder and Im still hitting a brick wall

[HCK]

I tried doing a config file edit but that's what caused the directx message to appear. Deleting it and letting the game run in its original resolution works but I wish I could get it to run at 1920. :(

[magsnus26]

I deleted the config.ini and everyting in the /saves folder and the game fired up nicely. I had no use for my old saves. I guess it would have worked if I just deleted the config.ini in the /saves folder. I played a long time a go in win7. Now I have win10 - I guess that is why the game would not start with the old settings.

[retro]

I tried creating the config folder, as well as running it without the config folder at all and its still giving me the directx error. It initially worked but then stopped working once I tried to make an edit to the resolution and it started spitting this directx error out to me, any solutions?

[[HC] Jaipoppaj]

Originally posted by bigpoppaj:

I've created this config file, added the steam.dll to thed folder and Im still hitting a brick wall

rebooted, good to go, works great

[[HC] Jaipoppaj]

you can't run it in 1080p, think of the resolutions that were popular when the game came out, I had to try several before I could get one that would work right.

[coupeskidoo]

Worked. Thank you!

[Valkyrie]

Originally posted by magsnus26:

I deleted the config.ini and everyting in the /saves folder and the game fired up nicely. I had no use for my old saves. I guess it would have worked if I just deleted the config.ini in the /saves folder. I played a long time a go in win7. Now I have win10 - I guess that is why the game would not start with the old settings.

That seems to have been the ticket - thank you.

[cgburrus]

You're a genius. Thank you so much this solved my problem.