heeeeeeeelp!

[Juggernaut]

I've just bought SMAC Planetary Pack, and the lousy game refuses to run in all possible ways! First of all, even my CD-ROM doesn't seem to like it. When I insert the SMAC CD, it makes a strange unplaesant noise, and sometimes it doesn't realize there's a CD in it. The CD-ROM work just fine on audio CD:s and other games.

If the CD accepts SMAC, there comes the 2nd problem: When starting the game, it seem to work fine, loading the Firaxis logo and all. But after that, it just crashes and I return to the desktop, now with changed screen resolution to 800x600, 256 colors.

So it doesn't even change the resolution itself, though it said it would in the 4.0 patch I've downloaded.

And if I switch the resolution manually, the third problem arise:
After reaching the menu, where I get to choose "Alpha Centauri" or "Alien Crossfire", it just crashes again. This time with an evil little window saying "Axstart has caused an error in AXSTART.EXE. Axstart will now close".

I've re-installed the game 5-6 times now, including the patches. I'm not sure the game will ever work on my computer, and I know I've got the hardware and system requirements. I run WinMe, Matrox Millenium G400 and Soundblaster Live! Platinum.

Does anyone know what to do?

[Lefty Scaevola]

You may need to download some the the games compatibility patch for the windows site. There are also patches for the smac/smax games, available here I believe, but these are probably unrelated to the problem you have describe. Someone else here will probably have a link to the compendium games compatibility patch for window ME, You can probably find it yourself at the windows ME site.

[Sikander]

Try selecting the game from it's icon rather than using autorun. A lot of problems (especially relating to resolution) seem to be avoided by doing this.

[Ken Hinds]

Originally posted by uncle_funk
When I insert the SMAC CD, it makes a strange unplaesant noise, and sometimes it doesn't realize there's a CD in it. The CD-ROM work just fine on audio CD:s and other games.

This is a problem that I've seen before. We had a Gateway at work with one of those very low cost CD Drives that Gateway used to use. Some CD's would just not run it that drive. The grinding noises were the signs of a CD drive slowly heading south. It took another 1 - 1 1/2 years before the drive finally just would not work at all. While I won't say that this is definately your problem, it very well may be.

Have you tried a full size install so that you don't need to have the CD in the drive to run the game? If so what happens?

Ken

[Iskandar Reza]

try full install and use the no-cd hack. i forgot where i got mine. i can email it to you if you can't find it yourself.

[Kirnwaffen]

The good CD hack can be found at www.gamecopyworld.com

[Cybergod]

Originally posted by Kirnwaffen
The good CD hack can be found at www.gamecopyworld.com

Looked at the site, can a hack be found for SMAC v4?

[Paul]

The standard SMAC v4 already doesn't require the CD, so you don't need a hack for that.

[Method]

ok, now i know that maybe this isn't the right thread, but: can someone here tell me the following:
1.where can i buy smax on the internet or in regular stores(don't say staples they don't have it)
2. is it possible for someone to e-mail all the game files(i dont care how big it is) and if it won't fit in one message send several
3.can someone do #2

please i'm desperate!

[Avenoct]

Ditto to what Ken said. CD's can be particular that way.

?: If you have upgraded to v1.4 or 1.5 (I'm on a Mac) can you play without the CD? I'm using a laptop and my drive has seen better days...I would like to save it's RPM's for music or other useful things.

-Smack

[johndmuller]

Originally posted by TKG
1.where can i buy smax on the internet or in regular stores(don't say staples they don't have it)

eBay.