Solved Installed the game but cant run it?

[CaptainDom]

Hello, I just downloaded the original PotC game and installed it on my laptop. Its windows 10 and everything went fine once I figured out how to install the bin files with an iso programm..


Anyways. Its installed and when I try to run it theres a screen for like 5-10 seconds running some stuff through it, I get an error message and then its gone. I can include a screenshot.

What do I do about it?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Anyways. Its installed and when I try to run it theres a screen for like 5-10 seconds running some stuff through it, I get an error message and then its gone.

Do I understand correctly you don't even get to the Main Menu at all?
I'm reminded of how some computers don't like the video files.
Quick thing to try would be to rename RESOURCE\VIDEOS to "VIDEOS_backup" or something.
The game won't be able to find the files then anymore and should therefore skip them.

Alternatively, enabling error logging could help too:
New Horizons FAQ | PiratesAhoy!

 

[CaptainDom]

Exactly, I dont even get a main menu. Its literally just this message and thats all of it.

Edit: So I just tried renaming Video to Videosbackup but still the same thing. Does anyone know what this error message means? It seems like the game loads stuff and then has a problem with that.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Does anyone know what this error message means?

I recall seeing those words quite commonly; but they're not usually a problem.

I wonder if the "No CD Patch" might solve the problem.
Try attached ENGINE.exe instead (extract the archive).
This is the version from my modded install; but effectively its the same engine so that shouldn't matter.

 

[CaptainDom]

What is the no cd patch again? Think I read it somewhere. Thank you for the exe, Ill try that out when Im back home.

 

[CaptainDom]

Hm. Now I installed the mod just to try and it starts, I can customize but it crashes when I want to actually start the game. Hmmmmmm....

 

[Pieter Boelen]

What is the no cd patch again? Think I read it somewhere. Thank you for the exe, Ill try that out when Im back home.

The No-CD patch removes the copy-protection so you can play the game without disc.
It is purely contained in that ENGINE.exe file.

Hm. Now I installed the mod just to try and it starts, I can customize but it crashes when I want to actually start the game. Hmmmmmm....

That's progress; we're onto the classically obnoxious "Intel Graphics" issue then.
Simplest (imperfect) workaround: Intel Graphics Fix addon - Pirates of the Caribbean: New Horizons mod for Pirates of the Caribbean

 

[CaptainDom]

AHHH Finally!! It works. I just had to get the simple intel graphics solution installed. Now I can finally play this game! I loved SId Meiers Pirates, but its getting old. Old in a sense that I played it so much over the years it lost its taste. Thank you for your big, big help

Can be closed now!

 

[Pieter Boelen]

AHHH Finally!! It works. I just had to get the simple intel graphics solution installed. Now I can finally play this game!

Glad to hear it!
There are other ways of working around that Intel silliness, but I'm not myself familiar with those.
@The Nameless Pirate perhaps?

I loved SId Meiers Pirates, but its getting old. Old in a sense that I played it so much over the years it lost its taste.

Happens even to the best of 'em; doesn't it?
Hopefully this game can scratch the same itch too; in a different enough way.

Thank you for your big, big help

You're welcome, matey.

 

[The Nameless Pirate]

Glad to hear it!
There are other ways of working around that Intel silliness, but I'm not myself familiar with those.
@The Nameless Pirate perhaps?

The other practical way I know of is using DGvoodoo.
Using that and uninstalling the Intel fix you can keep the water reflections.
Downloads - Dege's stuffs

If your browser/anti-virus complains about it, it's a false positive.
Or at least that's what I know from using it.

 

[Black Iron Oyster]

I recall seeing those words quite commonly; but they're not usually a problem.

I wonder if the "No CD Patch" might solve the problem.
Try attached ENGINE.exe instead (extract the archive).
This is the version from my modded install; but effectively its the same engine so that shouldn't matter.

Hi there Pieter, after a few years today I tried to go back to playing my vanilla with the engine.exe (id est, no disc fix), but it didn't worked as intended, the game launched just fine, with the different screen (other than the original wave), but it asked for the disk regardless. By the way, downloading the final build 14 version right now...

 

[Pieter Boelen]

That's weird.
Pretty sure a No-CD was included ever since Build 13.

 

[Grey Roger]

By the way, downloading the final build 14 version right now...

The "final" version turned out not to be all that final. Make sure you get the update:
https://piratesahoy.bowengames.com/potc/Grey Roger/post_1Jan_updates_081122.zip
This fixes a lot of bugs as well as adding some new character and ship models.

 

[Black Iron Oyster]

That's weird.
Pretty sure a No-CD was included ever since Build 13.

I agree, it' weird, I remember that it worked in my previous laptop. (I had the files saved in a external hard drive and then copied into a new laptop recently. Could that be the issue? (no native installation of the .exe?) the .exe of build 14 install I did yesterday worked just fine without the insert disk warning.

 

[Black Iron Oyster]

The "final" version turned out not to be all that final. Make sure you get the update:
https://piratesahoy.bowengames.com/potc/Grey Roger/post_1Jan_updates_081122.zip
This fixes a lot of bugs as well as adding some new character and ship models.

Aye, aye. Thank you sire! I downloaded 14 from moddb, it doesn't have those fixes?

 

[Black Iron Oyster]

PS: I noticed that the mod without the intel fix crashed on the new laptop, despite it having not only an integrated intel but also a dedicated AMD GPU chipset, is there a workaround to make the game use only the dedicated gpu so that I can enjoy the prettier water?

(I know it's another issue and maybe would be better suited for another thread) feel free to move it accordingly but here it goes)

 

[The Nameless Pirate]

@DavyJack has written this guide on this. Best try this first I think.

Guide - Installing New Horizons for Laptops with two GPU's

I recently have a new laptop with two GPU's and installing New Horizons can be a bit tricky so... For people that have two graphics card like me(check my specs in my signature below), this is how you should install this MOD without losing any visual improvement(s) and how to make it run...

www.piratesahoy.net

She has an Nvidia GPU, but I think it should work for you too.

If for some reason this doesn't work for you, DGvoodoo can make it so the game runs on the Intel graphics and still have proper water effects.
You may also be able to use it to make it so it runs on the AMD card.

Downloads - Dege's stuffs

dege.freeweb.hu

However using DGvoodoo means that the anti-aliasing for example from AMD software will not work. So I would recommend trying the first solution.

Hope this helped you. Good luck at sea!

 

[Grey Roger]

Aye, aye. Thank you sire! I downloaded 14 from moddb, it doesn't have those fixes?

No, it won't have the fixes in the update because the update is a collection of fixes for the most recent installer (January 2022).

Apart from looking at the date in the lower left quadrant of the main menu screen,one quick way to find out if you have the January 2022 installer is to start a FreePlay game choosing "Engineer" as your background career. If you have the newest installer then you'll be given a letter right at the start of the game which leads you to a special quest for FreePlay Engineer characters. If you have the 2022 installer, a quick way to see if you have the update is to start a FreePlay game choosing "Agent" as your background; the update adds a special starting quest for FreePlay Agents.