Oolite Bulletins

Hi there, i just downloaded the game, looks great, however i do have a problem. Am using the latest test version, after using 1.65 or whatever it was and got the same. My Hud display is mangled, it's like 20 layered red triangles on top of each other. Every now and again, i get a flash of what it ought to look like for a split second when i'm travelling towards a planet at speed. I would be able to ignore it, except, baddies are red, and i have a block of red layered triangles for a hud, which means i can't locate them all that easily. Also the planets go iffy, flashing in and out of translucent at close range.

I'm a computer retard, so try not to be too technical, i don't even know what my graphics card is or anything like that. Is there anything i can try that isn't particularly difficult to try and sort it? - Oh i tried downloading other huds, which look great, but had the same problem in different colours.

Cheers in advance.

Hi, Nuttybongo, and first of all welcome to the boards, and of course to this great game!

Your problem sounds like a graphics card/driver issue. I think it would be extremely helpful to know what your graphics card is, and which driver version you're using. You should find this information in your computer's system panel.

Thank you for your prompt response and welcome. This is about my tenth attempt to reply and i have had to start a new account in order to reply. I'm about an inch away from some percussive maintenance, so i shall keep this brief.

sis 661 fx - is i think what you're after, although there's plenty of other stuff that means very little to me whaich i can see.

Nuttybongo, I am sorry to have to let you know that your graphics chipset is not up to the task of running Oolite. SiS cards are notorious for their poor (edging on the totally unacceptable) OpenGL support. I doubt that even a driver upgrade would be of help in this case.

It sounds like you're using an integrated graphics chipset. Those are notoriously feeble when compared with using an add-on graphics card. There are a couple of possibilities:
1. Your graphics chipset is simply old and/or incapable of fully supporting some graphics capabilities (particularly 3D features)
2. Your graphics chipset needs driver updates (as was already suggested).

If your PC a branded PC, like Dell, HP, EMachines etc? If so then visit the manufacturers website for driver downloads.

If not then visiting the SIS website might yield some more up-to-date drivers. (I post this link because it's the first thing I found when searching for "sis 661 fx")

UPDATE: Nevermind, another_commander gave a more definitive answer. Perhaps you could give your old PC a new lease of life by buying a better graphics card. Although I appreciate with somebody who is self-confessed non tech-savvy that might be a daunting prospect.

Thanks all, i found someone else with the exact same problem on these forums. Updating doesn't work, but i can work around it by changing the hud colour to a grrenish one from one of the hud downloads. It's arse, but it's dealable with, more like being in a Spitfire than a spaceship, and just having to have a good look round.

I don't see the point in changing the graphics card to play one game, especially not on this antiquated Chinese heap of bits that wasn't even good when it was new. Ho hum, thanks for the help.