Topic: Starfleet Command 3 Black Screen after Videos Loaded

[privatepile]

Hello All
Im trying to run starfleet command 3 on a win 8 laptop.I install the game and run it,The videos load and i get to the main screen,However all i can see is the start trek cursor and a black screen.Ive tried running in compability mide but nothing happens,

Does anyone have a fix

[vonfrank]

I have the same problem, as discussed here: http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163393276.0.html

I think its a windows 8 problem. Armada 2 suffers from the same issue.

[Age]

Right click on Icon and set it to disable visual themes as well patch up.Give that a try.

[privatepile]

Thanks for the reply but that does not work on Win 8,However i did get a solution
I have a solution to your problem,I also had the same problem

(1)Download VMWare Player its freeware,Its basically lets you run an OS from within an OS,
(2)Get a copy of Ubuntu (Also Free) and the red wine app (also free) or a copy of XP

[teeth_03]

Hi Guys,

I tried installing SFC3 on my 8.1 tablet last night with the same results and after some searching, I only found 1 piece of info that wasn't "install a virtual machine", and that is some guy suggesting to install a .DLL that converts DirectX 8 to 9.

http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?690337-Win8-Backwards-Compatibility-Frustration-Starfleet-Command-3/page2&s=4bb9551d2ea2016f3c29cf3e07631c02

It does do something, since it now gives me an error message.

I'm wondering if maybe anyone else wants to try it to see if they have any success. I don't have the time or drive space on my tablet to install a VM so I'm hoping a more direct fix can be found.

[JanB]

I figured out how to run SFC3 under Windows 8.1. It works with a native D3D8.dll file ( http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?d3d8 ). You have to place that in the game's main directory (not in components). Then run the game in windowed mode by opening sfc.ini and setting "windowed=1". No compatibility settings are necessary. Do note that placing D3D8.dll in the game's main directory can cause an error when the operating system is not Windows 8.1. Also, on 64bit systems you should not install the game in programfiles (programfiles(x86) is fine though).

[Tumulorum Fossor]

Tried this under Win8.1 for OP because...
... well, just because.

Anyhow, got OP going a little FURTHER than it had.  I get a window opening, with a visible altered SFCOP cursor, but the window is totally black, without graphics.  I can hear that it seems to be clicking with the SFC beep and I THINK everything's there... just invisible.  Then I have to right click on start bar to close the window.

But it doesn't freeze.  And it launches SOMETHING.

Sigh.

Maybe Windows 10.

[TarMinyatur]

Perhaps try wireframe=1 in sfc.ini. Do not use more than one monitor.

(I don't have Windows 8, so I can't test these recommendations.)

[Darkonblood]

Hey guys, not sure if people have figured out a way to fix this or not, but I thought I'd share my solution. I got it to work completely, game and all, after spending a hour tinkering with stuff. What you do is download and add the .dll that is mentioned above, then run the game in compatibility mode for xp (I dont think it matter which sp). Next, before running the game, go into the setup utility and change the resolution to the highest it will go (1280 X 1024?) and then change the desktop resolution to match. Finally, as mentioned above, run it in windowed and as administrator and viola! Enjoy you're game guys ^_^.

[JanB]

Just found a way to make SFC3 work on Windows 10 (again in windowed mode, but still), the fix is attached.

[JanB]

Btw, if you use these compatibility fixes without my mod then you might want to set "BlueLight=1" to BlueLight=0" in the SFC.ini file, otherwise you will have blue phasers instead of yellow phasers.