black screen when looking for npc

valock · 07-05-2010, 06:07 AM

When I use guard to find an NPC, the entire screen goes black excpet for the redish 'tunnel' that I am supposed to follow..it stays black until I reach the target NPC. I can sometimes see my siloette when I'm running....I can still see object names when I get close (including other NPCs and mobs.

I have no idea where to begin going through my graphics settings.

I am running an NVIDIA 9800GT, Win7 64bit

Thanks for any suggestions

edit..one more minor thing..is there a way to force game to stay in full screen when you alt-tab, instead of going back to windowed? I have to change the setting manualy to get it to go back to full screen, subsequent alt-tabs just switch it back and forth to desktop view.

valock · 07-05-2010, 11:25 AM

So it looks like shader 3.0 was causing this...I should have known lol

But why for?? Is this just an NVIDIA thing? or a 9800 GT card issue? Or a driver issue...lets see I have...9745 drivers, for which windows says is up to date..maybe there are some other drivers that fix this?

Rothgar · 07-05-2010, 02:22 PM

valock wrote:

So it looks like shader 3.0 was causing this...I should have known lol
But why for?? Is this just an NVIDIA thing? or a 9800 GT card issue? Or a driver issue...lets see I have...9745 drivers, for which windows says is up to date..maybe there are some other drivers that fix this?

You could try the latest drivers from NVIDIA rather than going by the Microsoft drivers and see if this fixes the issue. My guess is that its related to the video card or driver combination because I haven't heard of this issue being widespread.

If the latest driver doesnt fix it, PM me a DXDiag and we'll have someone in our compatibility lab try to reproduce the problem on your hardware.

valock · 07-05-2010, 03:20 PM

trying to send PM...is there no way to attack a file to a PM?? dxdiag is huge lol

edit - sent it in pieces..appologies if there is a better way to do that :/

edit - attack a file..haha just noticed that..think i'll leave it lol

Uwopo · 07-06-2010, 09:59 AM

This seems to happen if you have Shader 3.0 and Anti Aliasing enabled at the same time. Whenever you get the tracking wisp trail, the rest of the screen goes black.

valock · 07-06-2010, 02:19 PM

[email protected] Bayle wrote:

This seems to happen if you have Shader 3.0 and Anti Aliasing enabled at the same time. Whenever you get the tracking wisp trail, the rest of the screen goes black.

ou ou! I don't think I checked if I had both enabled..I think I may have tho! I will check this as soon as I get home tommorow (at work, on the laptop today). Thanks for the tip!!

grhuff · 07-06-2010, 04:43 PM

The same thing happens to me when it rains in Qeynos. All I can see is blackness, the outlines of raindrops, and tooltips. I am also running the latest NVIDIA driver with shader 3.0 and antialiasing enabled. The screen returns to normal as soon as the rain stops. The same thing happens when I enable the map POI trail.

valock · 07-08-2010, 08:59 AM

in the EQ.ini file, locate the line:

#r_aa_blit 1

Change the 1 to 0

Also in game, make sure under options - display - advanced - force anti-alising is not checked (its at the very bottom of the display options)

This fixed the issue for me!! Has something to do with using AA and Shader 3.0 at the same time I guess.

Thanks to Greg "Rothgar" Spence for helping me with this!!

Sarceous · 07-12-2010, 02:25 PM

yep fixed mine also, thanks guys

07-05-2010, 02:22 PM	#3
Rothgar Developer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,273	valock wrote: So it looks like shader 3.0 was causing this...I should have known lol But why for?? Is this just an NVIDIA thing? or a 9800 GT card issue? Or a driver issue...lets see I have...9745 drivers, for which windows says is up to date..maybe there are some other drivers that fix this? You could try the latest drivers from NVIDIA rather than going by the Microsoft drivers and see if this fixes the issue. My guess is that its related to the video card or driver combination because I haven't heard of this issue being widespread. If the latest driver doesnt fix it, PM me a DXDiag and we'll have someone in our compatibility lab try to reproduce the problem on your hardware.

07-06-2010, 02:19 PM	#6
valock Scholar Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 9	[email protected] Bayle wrote: This seems to happen if you have Shader 3.0 and Anti Aliasing enabled at the same time. Whenever you get the tracking wisp trail, the rest of the screen goes black. ou ou! I don't think I checked if I had both enabled..I think I may have tho! I will check this as soon as I get home tommorow (at work, on the laptop today). Thanks for the tip!!

07-05-2010, 06:07 AM	#1
valock Scholar Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 9	When I use guard to find an NPC, the entire screen goes black excpet for the redish 'tunnel' that I am supposed to follow..it stays black until I reach the target NPC. I can sometimes see my siloette when I'm running....I can still see object names when I get close (including other NPCs and mobs. I have no idea where to begin going through my graphics settings. I am running an NVIDIA 9800GT, Win7 64bit Thanks for any suggestions edit..one more minor thing..is there a way to force game to stay in full screen when you alt-tab, instead of going back to windowed? I have to change the setting manualy to get it to go back to full screen, subsequent alt-tabs just switch it back and forth to desktop view.

07-05-2010, 11:25 AM	#2
valock Scholar Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 9	So it looks like shader 3.0 was causing this...I should have known lol But why for?? Is this just an NVIDIA thing? or a 9800 GT card issue? Or a driver issue...lets see I have...9745 drivers, for which windows says is up to date..maybe there are some other drivers that fix this?

07-05-2010, 03:20 PM	#4
valock Scholar Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 9	trying to send PM...is there no way to attack a file to a PM?? dxdiag is huge lol edit - sent it in pieces..appologies if there is a better way to do that :/ edit - attack a file..haha just noticed that..think i'll leave it lol

07-06-2010, 09:59 AM	#5
Uwopo Server: Antonia Bayle Guild: Vertigo Rank: Officer Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 164	This seems to happen if you have Shader 3.0 and Anti Aliasing enabled at the same time. Whenever you get the tracking wisp trail, the rest of the screen goes black.

07-06-2010, 04:43 PM	#7
grhuff Philosopher Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 7	The same thing happens to me when it rains in Qeynos. All I can see is blackness, the outlines of raindrops, and tooltips. I am also running the latest NVIDIA driver with shader 3.0 and antialiasing enabled. The screen returns to normal as soon as the rain stops. The same thing happens when I enable the map POI trail.

07-08-2010, 08:59 AM	#8
valock Scholar Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 9	in the EQ.ini file, locate the line: #r_aa_blit 1 Change the 1 to 0 Also in game, make sure under options - display - advanced - force anti-alising is not checked (its at the very bottom of the display options) This fixed the issue for me!! Has something to do with using AA and Shader 3.0 at the same time I guess. Thanks to Greg "Rothgar" Spence for helping me with this!!

07-12-2010, 02:25 PM	#9
Sarceous Loremaster Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 5	yep fixed mine also, thanks guys