text dialogue doesn't highlight

[pyrogirl446]

I'm getting very confused playing MI4 because the text never highlights when I try to select dialogue. Is this an error?? Or is it not supposed to highlight? If it is an error how can I fix it? Thanks--

[Jamus]

You are not alone. I just started the game and am having the same problem. I will try to find an answer somewhere. If I do, I will post you a reply.

 

It is very frustrating.

[Dee]

I too have that problem. I'm probably gonna end up having to write LucasARts support or give them a call because this is very annoying.

 

Dee

[futharkred]

I've already written to LucasArts twice on the problem. First time I received a comprehensive troubleshooting guide to anything and everything--but not this problem. Second time (in response) I was a bit blunter about specifying the problem, but no response yet.

Must say I'm glad (relatively speaking) that others are having the same problem--that it's not just myself or my unspeakable system. Will post any reply that comes when it comes.

[futharkred]

The response I got from LucasArts was: "The problem you are having is most likely a video problem. The suggestions I sent deal with those issues as well as a few others that could cause the problem you're having."

Being reluctant to go through the whole original formula, I looked in the game files themselves, and found the "monkey.rtf" file in the "Install" folder. (This format is unfortunate, in that it does not have hyperlinks; judicious use of "Find" is needed to find items quickly.)

In the section (5) on Video Issues is extensive fine-printed information on a host of specific video cards, chips, etc., amongst which I found two items.

First was the general table which (among other things) specified my own card, etc. (STB Velocity 128--NVIDIA RIVA 128--3.37w9xpci--4.11.01.0337), the latter #s being the version I should (but did not) have for the game to work.

Second was the more specific and important news that, since my system was from Gateway, its OEM card would not work at all with EfMI (though it did, except for this one problem); I should get the driver specified above from the nVidia web site.

The most important part of this was that Gateway had claimed in the past that only the drivers available on its site would work with their card, and that mine were the latest such; supposedly going directly to the manufacturers would make the card itself inoperable. Not being fond of Gateway in any case at this point, I decided to give it a try.

Strangely, nVidia is one of the few web site addresses not given at the end of the .rtf file, but the address is as you would guess. And having installed said drivers (you must first completely remove the old ones, in this case)--the games's dialog selection of the moment now is highlighted in red! Oh, joy!

It's always nice when things work even a little bit. If you have similar luck, or a different kind, please post. It still seems strange that only this one feature should be so effected by this driver change, and it would be nice to understand it in more depth. As per my original letter to L-A, playing blind man's buff with the dialogs and such is not my idea of improved game play--but sometimes figuring out problems such as this can be a puzzle-solving adventure in itself.

Yours,

Paul (and Eric) Nelson

 

[spf1978]

I had the same problem. The problem is all about video cards. You must have the most updated driver for your card. This problem is especially common with Voodoo cards. just go to the website that made your 3d card and download the most recent driver.

[juno]

Thanks for the reply, that worked!!

[Jamus]

My text is also now highlighting.

 

LucasArts sent me the driver info and I loaded riva.

 

I am still having a movement problem. My character circles and so do my inventory items.

 

I did not uninstall my orginal Gateway driver yet, but when I figure out how to do it, I will, to see if that makes a difference.

 

Tech support at Gateway was useless. They sent a standard reply that they do not help with other vendor software issues. All I needed to know was whether or not the suggested driver would work. Thanks for nothing from them.

[futharkred]

 

 

One issue that has come up for owners of Gateway systems might apply to others as well, in dealing with this problem. That is, Gateway uses proprietary versions of its drivers (STB Velocity 128 with nVidia Riva chipset, in my case), with special updates available on its own site.

 

 

There are two problems with this, at least. First, as EfMI points out in its technical notes, even the latest such update from Gateway is no good for our purposes. Second, Gateway claims variously that a)its drivers are the latest available (not true); and b)that newer drivers obtained directly from nVidia will not work with the OEM card that Gateway supplied.

 

 

From the experience of a few of us by now, this last claim is not true, either. The newer drivers available from nVidia (being careful as to which card you've got--NOT the Detonator 3 in my case, for instance)--do work, and at least solve the problem of dialog highlighting.

 

 

In addition, at least one person's experience has been that, contrary to Gateway's instructions, it is not necessary to remove the old drivers and all mention of them in the registry before installing the new ones. Such a procedure can be a technical nightmare for many of us, and prevent our even trying it.

 

 

Exactly why Gateway is doing this is not clear--aside from its general policy of refusing to help with anything but the system (and software) precisely as delivered by it. If anyone has had similar experiences with OEM systems, such as might be mistakenly preventing us from improving our systems, it would be good to hear about it.

 

 

Yours,

 

Paul (and Eric) Nelson</p>