I got Grandia 2 for PC today! :) But...one problem with it

[Xelcor]

For some reason the game's intro will not show, I hear the sounds and music, but no display in the FMV part (when you start a new game). But, after the FMV piece ends, then it's fine. Here's my system specs, dunno why it's doing this, I can't figure it out and ubisoft has no info about this either that helped me(called them).

Windows98
384mb pc100 sdram
650mhz AMD Duron
GeForce2 MX 400 64mb agp card (using detonator driver version 28.32)
Sound Blaster Live!
32x Goldstar CDROM
8x4x32x Cendyne CDRW
30gig ATA100 7200rpm Maxtor Hard Drive

[REi_FoX]

try scandisk check for errors first and then reinstall the game

[sxamiga]

Xelcor, I know this will sound strange, but, what edition of Win 98 are you using, first or Second? The reason I ask is because I use Win 98 First Edition and I have 640megs of PC133 sdram installed, Grandia II did the exact same thing to me that it does to you. What you can do (it fixed it for me) is go to run on the Windows start menu, tyoe in msconfig, cick on run, in the box that comes up, click on advanced, you should then see a box that shows how much memory you have, type in 256, click apply or ok. You have now just set your memory so that Windows only sees 256megs of it. Why you may ask, well, an MS Technician (I called MS) told me that Win 98 First Edition has trouble w/larger amounts of memory.
He said that 256 is ideal and he told me what I have just told you. When I tried it, Grandia II and Dungeon Siege both worked perfectly. Best of luck and let me know if it helps, if you don't mind.
sincerely,
sx/amiga

[Shiori]

You don't miss much anyway by skipping that part... just some VERY grainy video.

[Demigod]

Yes, but some spell effects and special moves use movies as well.

[Xelcor]

Yep, using first edition of Windows 98, I'll try that, although I might take it back to the store, it's very slow in game, dunno why, I got sufficiant system specs.......

Limiting 256mb of ram to be recognized by windows now, will edit post again to let you all know if that worked.

Update: Ok, I got the slowdown problem solved by limiting Windows to detect only 256mb of ram, but still the black screen problem at the FMV is still there, as for spells I'm not sure yet, haven't gotten to any yet. Game looks nice, just about like the DC version from what I can tell, some sound effects are different (opening doors, coins dropping from defeated enemies, etc...), looks like a good port to me, other than the problem I'm having with FMV.

[Demigod]

I think it may be a codec problem (you don't have the proper video codec to view the movies). Maybe you can try updating your DirectX or something. I'll try to find more information on the movie encoding format.

[Xelcor]

Ah, I got DirectX 8.1 though.

[Xelcor]

Ah, definately found out the problem, have anyone else have this problem? With FSAA enabled, for some reason (at least for me), no matter what, the FMVs are not viewable, just black out, the music does play and it does play through and continues on through the game normally, but still, no FMVs. Maybe my GeForce2 MX400 doesn't got a feature or something that better GeForces have that cause this problem?

Also, one more question if anyone reads this, the game's system requirements doesn't say it can run in Windows XP, but have anyone tried it, or in the Windows 98 compatability mode?

[Demigod]

It works in Windows XP. And Grandia 2 works fine with 4xFSAA on my GeForce 2 Pro. Strange how it won't work on yours..

[Xelcor]

Ah, ok. The reason why I asked about it if it works with WindowsXP is that I'm gonna get a whole new computer system this month. :)


Here's the specs(I'm gonna build it myself):

CPU: AMD Athlon XP 1800+
Motherboard: ASUS A7V266-E VIA KT266A Chipset 266mhz FSB UMDA up to 100
Ram: 512mb DDR PC2100-266mhz
Hard Drive: 60gig UDMA 100 7200 RPM Hard Drive (made by maxtor)
Hard Drive2: 40gig UDMA 100 7200 RPM Hard Drive (off of my current computer)
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce4 Ti4600 128mb DDR TV-Out/DVI-Out
Sound Card: Sound Blaster Audigy X-Gamer
Modem: 3com us robotics Hardware Modem (pci version)
CD-ROM: 56x ACER
CD-RW: 24x10x40x Sony CD-RW
OS: Windows XP Pro (hoping to later on dual boot with Windows98 so I can play games that have no hope in running on XP)

As for monitor, I got a 2 year old 17 inch monitor that goes up to 1280x768 resolution which I feel is high enough since I mainly run everything at 800x600, so don't really need to waste 300 bucks on a new monitor right now, hehe.

[Neojag]

i want that sistem :(

[ShADoWFLaRe85]

Me Too!! :D

[Xelcor]

Heh, so I take it I'm gonna end up with an awsome system? :)

Getting it in 2-3 weeks

[Cless]

That is nice system...mine is close to that but not that good.. mabey i will upraged when the gf5 comes out.

[Kane]

The next card from nVidia anyway, as the announced there won't be a GeForce 5

[Xelcor]

Isn't the GeForce 4 top notch graphics right now, even compaired to the current console systems? If it is, I don't see any point for them to release anything better, I mean I'd say with the technology we got now games can be created to look awsome provided that the gamers have up to date hardware of course.

[Kane]

You mean you don't want every game ending up looking like Final Fantasy the Spirits Within?

[Xelcor]

Well, yes, only if it's got gameplay as good as the graphics will be.

[sxamiga]

Yes the GeForce4 TI 4600 is the top of the line graphics card, right now. But sooner or later, something else will come along that will top it. Something always does.
Xelcor, I wouldn't bet on the gameplay being as good as the graphics will be. It seems that, with Game companies today, they'll give you great graphics or they'll give you great game play, but they never, quite, seem to give both.
One last thing, buy a game depending on what you like, not just because everyone else does. Everyone jumped on the Dungeon Siege wagon after seeing screen shots and then they quickly got tired of it. I bought Dungeon Siege because that is the kind of game I like and I know I will enjoy it (which I do). Now everyone is going for Morrow Wind, but, to me, that one is a lot like Dungeon Siege and if they got tired of, or bored with Dugeon Siege that quickly, then they will w/Morrow Wind as well. Think about it, it makes sense.
sincerely,
sx/amiga

[Kane]

I'm not gonan bother with Morrowwind, at least yet. I'll finish Ds first, and read some reviews, then: maybe.

[Xelcor]

I only got the Dungeon Siege Demo, pretty good game. :) Dunno when or if I'll get the game though, after I get new computer, by the time I get some spare money saved back up, Warcraft 3 and NeverWinter Nights will probably be out(this June I think if nothing delays them again) which I am eager to get both of them.

[Killua]

I can't wait for those two to come out,...