Please help with Spellforce 2: game locks up and cant continue

Aug 11, 2008
10,451
642
126
Hi all

Got Spellforce 2 on the Steam 75% off sale and was starting to enjoy it. However I have run into a bug that will not allow me to continue the game. On the third island you visit, the home of the dwarves, I having a lockup that will not allow the game to continue.

It happens during the dialog cutscenes as the dwarf leader is telling you to build an army to defend the base because the Icewitch is about to attack. One line of dialog does not play the audio, but shows the printed dialog. If you hit space and go through it, the dialog continues and the cutscenes finish. However, after the cutscenes, when you are supposed to start building a base, the interface appears but the screen behind it is black except for a light blue area at the right of the screen. You can manipulate the interface, select characters, etc. but cannot move around on the map or see anything on the main screen.

Has anyone else had this problem or have any suggestions? I have about 15 hours into the game already and don't want to not be able to continue.

Specs: E4500, 9800GT, 3gb ram, vista 32 bit. Nothing is overclocked, all other games I have been playing run fine. I tried turning down graphical settings and runing in XP compatability mode. Neither worked.
 
Aug 11, 2008
10,451
642
126
I played the retail version on Vista x64 a few years back with no issues,have you tried updating your DX9.0c to latest version (Feb 2010) since that might help?...Link is here http://www.filehippo.com/download_directx/ .

Its for all Windows ie XP,Vista,Win7 etc...

I tried this, but when it tried to run the file, a box popped up asking me where to install the file. I did not know what to answer. Did this happen to you??
 

Elcs

Diamond Member
Apr 27, 2002
6,278
6
81
I tried this, but when it tried to run the file, a box popped up asking me where to install the file. I did not know what to answer. Did this happen to you??

From what I remember it does not ask where you want to install it, but asks you where you would like to extract the files to. Once the files are extracted into a folder, it automatically installed Direct X update. You can then delete the folder once you're done.

This is going off memory which has not been the best of late. Suggest this is verified by someone else or you can try it yourself and measure it up against this.
 

Mem

Lifer
Apr 23, 2000
21,476
13
81
From what I remember it does not ask where you want to install it, but asks you where you would like to extract the files to. Once the files are extracted into a folder, it automatically installed Direct X update. You can then delete the folder once you're done.

This is going off memory which has not been the best of late. Suggest this is verified by someone else or you can try it yourself and measure it up against this.

Yep basically you extract the files to folder of your choice then run the DX update.exe from the folder where you extracted the files,once its installed you can delete the extracted folder contents..
 

Mem

Lifer
Apr 23, 2000
21,476
13
81
I tried this, but when it tried to run the file, a box popped up asking me where to install the file. I did not know what to answer. Did this happen to you??


Quite normal,just select any folder of your choosing,then after look in that folder and run the DX update( lots of files in there )but one will be the exe. file to update DX9.0c.
 
Aug 11, 2008
10,451
642
126
Thanks to all who posted.

I finally found a way around the problem. I did search the internet initially, but I tried again and googled "Spell Force 2 crash" and found a solution this time. Apparently this is a known camera bug when both Spellforce 2 and the second game (Dragon Storm I think it is called) is installed. The package from steam did contain both games. Supposedly there is a patch to fix the problem, but either it didnt work or steam did not update the game.

Anyway, I can avoid the problem by hitting space (to skip the cutscenes) as fast as possible when the problem occurs. So for now at least the problem is solved.

Thanks again for the suggestions from those who posted.
 
Last edited:

heat901

Senior member
Dec 17, 2009
750
0
0
When I juice up my setting for this game my video card make a horrible sound like a high pitched whine....and its a 4870!!!