GOG NWN Diamond

[Legacy_Guest_Faerunner_*]

               

So I bought and downloaded Neverwinter Nights Diamond on GOG.com: http://www.gog.com/g...diamond_edition

 

To the best of my knowledge, I have a 2008 Gateway gaming laptop that now runs on MS Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit SP 1 (whatever that means).

 

And every time I fire up the game, it appears as a small box in the middle of the screen, with black surrounding it. I've tried adjusting the Resolution to make the video bigger, but it never works. My computer even crashed at one point. 

 

So, any suggestions on what to do to make the video bigger?

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

Disable the intro movies and follow the setup instructions from the thread that is stickied here. You'll also want to run the 1.69 Critical Rebuild. Many of the GOG installers are borked as far as the patch is concerned.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Guest_Faerunner_*]

               

Thank you for the post.

 

So, I should remove the entire game from my computer and try re-downloading it while following directions from the stickie?

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Guest_Faerunner_*]

               

How do I disable the intro movies, anyway? I've searched and searched and can't find a way.

 

The GOG downloadable NWN Diamond Edition is also supposed to come with all patches and updates ever created. Would the 1.69 Critical Rebuild patch even make a differences? I've also read both stickies but they mostly just inform how to install NWN from a disk, which I don't have. (Well, I do, but it never actually runs. Just whirs and whirs but doesn't do anything, which is why I turned to GOG in the first place.)

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_olnorton]

               

In your nwn.ini file under [Display Options] add the line

Disable Intro Movies=1

 

I didn't need to patch the GOG version.

 

I think your problem is a graphics driver one.

First thing I would try, is while you have the game up in the small box press Ctrl+Alt+F11

And see if it toggles the scaling mode in your Intel integrated graphics card.

 

Then I would look in the Nvidia Control Panel or the Catalyst Control Centre, by right clicking on your desktop. (depending on which dedicated graphics card you have)

Being a gaming laptop it should have one.

 

Then look for a way to force the game to use the dedicated graphics card. (something like performance mode)

Then if still not full screen, look for scaling options for your dedicated graphics card.

 

Or possibly just update the drivers for both graphics options.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

The black box you are seeing is the launcher program hanging on the intro movies. This occurs either because of a video driver issue or issues with Windows 7 not having the full dlls from DirectX 9.0c (I haven't been able to determine which). Installing DirectX 9.0c also improves game performance.

 

This is the installation procedure I used on all the PCs in my house - both desktop and laptop. I run Win 7 and Win 8.1. I have used this method on all 7 computers without fail.

 

1. Download and install the DirectX 9.0c - http://www.microsoft...ls.aspx?id=8109. This will ensure you have all the necessary DirectX components to run the game and toolset. RESTART THE SYSTEM when install is finished.

 

2. Install game using a custom install. When you are given the path to the install folder, change the path using the browse folder button so that it is NOT installed in 'programs (x86)', but directly on C drive. Do not make any shortcuts during the install process. The directory should read c:\NeverwinterNights\NWN

 

3. Download the HotU 1.69 critical rebuild and install it (links below). I don't care what GOG or others say, the GOG "1.69 patched version" has multiple issues which are resolved by running the critical rebuild. It takes about 3 minutes to process and won't hurt anything.

 

4. Open your NWN folder and find nwmain.exe and nwn.exe.

 

5. Right click on these and select properties. Set them to run with full permissions, as administrator, and under compatibility mode windows XP service pack 2 or 3 FOR ALL USERS. I use SP3 for my system. 

 

6. Update your drivers for video and sound. (go to the manufacturers of your cards' support pages. Laptop support pages can be very behind the times).

 

7. Disable intro movies as above.

 

8. If you still get the launcher issue then bypass the launcher by directly opening nwmain.exe. The toolset can be opened by directly opening nwtoolset.exe. I created shortcuts to these and placed them on my desktop. YOU DO NOT NEED COMPATIBILITY MODE FOR THE TOOLSET.


These are the download links for the latest NWN Linux client patches and resource files:

English patch 1.69 for NWN with HotU

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_olnorton]

               

I got the impression the op could see & play the game, only in a small window surrounded by black & not full screen.

 

Pstemarie.. What are these issues you have had with an unpatched GOG version?

I have never had any, & I never patch anything from GOG.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Guest_Faerunner_*]

               

I got the impression the op could see & play the game, only in a small window surrounded by black & not full screen.

 

Indeed, this is the only issue. I just want to make the game screen bigger.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_olnorton]

               

Then you need to look for scaling options in your dedicated graphics card.

Is it Nvidia or ATi ?

 

I only have a desktop PC so the driver options aren't the same for mobile GPU's,

but under "manage 3D settings" in the Nvidia Control Panel  it has a option for "power management mode" & you need to set that for maximum performance.

 

 

Then under Display, I have "Adjust Desktop Size & Position" . That is where the scaling options are.

sometimes it's enough to just toggle between scaling performed by GPU or Display.

 

With a lot of laptop drivers, the scaling options are greyed out, & you need to set your desktop resolution to something less that default in order to access them.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Guest_Faerunner_*]

               

Then you need to look for scaling options in your dedicated graphics card.

Is it Nvidia or ATi ?

 

Nvidia. (Apparently NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS, if that means anything.)

 

Right now I'm trying to follow your advice about right-clicking the desktop, clicking on the NVIDIA Control Panel, and checking out Manage 3D Settings. It seems to have two types of settings: Global Settings and Program Settings. When I open Program Settings, it says "1: Select a program to customize," and I can select Neverwinter Nights (nwmain.exe). Below it is "2: Specify the settings for this program." I'm searching for "Power Management Mode," but so far it alludes me.

 

I'm also searching under Display, but I think I have different labels from Adjust Desktop Size & Position, so I'm trying to find the equivalent.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Guest_Faerunner_*]

               

Pstemarie: I'm preparing to try your advice too. I actually tried following your advice about custom installing, but for whatever reason GOG doesn't let me. I need to use their GOG.com Downloader to get NWN into my computer. It's late over where I am, so tomorrow I'll probably try installing and updating everything you recommended.

 

Right now, I'm just trying to improve everything I have to work with and keep hitting road blocks.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_olnorton]

               

The first screen you get when you run the GOG setup program has a place that says options, that is where you choose a custom installation directory.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

I got the impression the op could see & play the game, only in a small window surrounded by black & not full screen.

 

Pstemarie.. What are these issues you have had with an unpatched GOG version?

I have never had any, & I never patch anything from GOG.

 

The 1st run that GOG released had a corrupt patch file. The XP3 BIF was about 1/3 the size it should be. Since there are many GOG installers out there that are corrupted it became standard procedure to just patch the game with the critical rebuild. 

 

OP, if you can indeed play the game, but in that small window then you will need to either try running nwconfig.exe or manually editing the graphics options in nwconfig.ini to set your screen size. Try the exe first - although it should have run when you first started the game.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Guest_Faerunner_*]

               

Sorry to ask for help and then not respond for a couple of days, I tried everything you both recommended and nothing worked, so I got really frustrated and needed to take a break.

 

Let me cover everything. My own comments are in bold since it's faster and easier.

 

In your nwn.ini file under [Display Options] add the line

Disable Intro Movies=1

 

Can't find nwn.ini, though I've looked through every folder.

 

I think your problem is a graphics driver one.

First thing I would try, is while you have the game up in the small box press Ctrl+Alt+F11

 

Tried that, but nothing happened.

 

Then I would look in the Nvidia Control Panel or the Catalyst Control Centre, by right clicking on your desktop. (depending on which dedicated graphics card you have)

Being a gaming laptop it should have one.

 

Then look for a way to force the game to use the dedicated graphics card. (something like performance mode)

Then if still not full screen, look for scaling options for your dedicated graphics card.

 

Searching, not finding it.

 

I only have a desktop PC so the driver options aren't the same for mobile GPU's,

but under "manage 3D settings" in the Nvidia Control Panel  it has a option for "power management mode" & you need to set that for maximum performance.

 

Trying, but it's all labeled differently on my computer so I'm trying to figure it out.

 

Then under Display, I have "Adjust Desktop Size & Position" . That is where the scaling options are.

sometimes it's enough to just toggle between scaling performed by GPU or Display.

 

Unfortunately, I don't have the same "Adjust Desktop Size & Position" under Display.

 

I did manage to find something that adjusts desktop display, but every time I change it it goes right back to the way it was before. ='(

 

With a lot of laptop drivers, the scaling options are greyed out, & you need to set your desktop resolution to something less that default in order to access them.

 

Something less than default? What does that mean?

 

OP, if you can indeed play the game, but in that small window then you will need to either try running nwconfig.exe or manually editing the graphics options in nwconfig.ini to set your screen size. Try the exe first - although it should have run when you first started the game.

 

I tried both, but manually editing the graphics caused my laptop to crash. T_T

 

While I appreciate all of your other advice, none of it seems applicable to me. Tried to custom installing, couldn't find a way on GOG. Tried downloading DirectX9, computer wouldn't take it. Tried downloading NWN HotU 1.69 patch, computer wouldn't read it.

 

I guess that basically leaves updating my drivers and trying to figure out how to adjust Nvidia settings.

 

Considering everything else has been met with failure, I'm kind of dreading it, but I'm just letting you both know where I am in this endeavor. I appreciate both of your advice and am trying to follow it to the best of my ability, though it might not seem like it. I just have bad luck with PC games and this laptop, which is ironic since I got this laptop with PC games in mind. >_<

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

Do you have UAC - User Account Control - turned off?