Lord of the Rings Online Forum

Ok, so I have installed Lotro, Pylotro,etc into Crossover, patched it, and it lets me log in and my character come up on screen, but when I select one, it goes to the loading screen, the progress bar loads, and then....nothing. Endless black screen. Any ideas what tis could be?

Patrick quilty wrote:

Any ideas what tis could be?

Not without more information.

Are you using OS X or Linux?
If it is Linux what distro are you using (does it include pulseaudio)?
Have you set the VideoMemorySize registry entry?

also, what version number of CrossOver Games are you using?

I am using crossover 8.1.3 and OSX Snow Leopard

Have you entered any registry tweaks (VideoMemorySize for example)?
Have you installed anything else in the same bottle (not including PyLotRO or the VC2005 run-time)?
Have you copied any dll (d3dx9_*.dll for example) into your bottle?

It might help if you tell us what you have done.

And finally, what graphics card are you using?

Have you tried CrossOver Games 8.1.4?

OK, I updated to 8.1.4 and the same problem is happening. In the bottle, I have installed Microsoft Visual C++2005, PyLotro 0.1.11a, Microsoft DirectX Runtime-Modern, and Lotro. I have d3dx9_36.dll in my PyLotro folder (I was not sure where to put it).

Also, my graphics card is an Intel GMA 950

Also, I do not know what a VideoMemorySize registry is or where to find it. Is this something I should have done?

Patrick quilty wrote:

Also, my graphics card is an Intel GMA 950

*cough*cough

Good to know, we have the same Mac in-house... guess we can strip almost everything off of the poor thing and load LOTRO on it...

Seems a bit like torture, I'm pretty amazed that LOTRO runs on it, but I'll prep mine and see for myself.

Patrick quilty wrote:

Also, I do not know what a VideoMemorySize registry is or where to
find it. Is this something I should have done?

That is from the other 'Black screen of death' forum thread:

Alan Jackson wrote:

The thread on the US forum is
http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php?t=85079

I think the problem could be with CXG not detecting your graphics
card correctly, there is a registry entry that you can set that
tells CXG how much memory your card has, it's one of those safe
options as long as you don't state too much it can only improve
things (ie CXG might get it right anyway so you won't harm anything
by setting it).

The entry (use regedit) is
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Wine/Direct3D/VideoMemorySize and you
need to set it to how much memory you have in MB.

The registry entry needs to be a string value... but like I said, I'll try loading this up today to see if I can reproduce what you're seeing (if the gma 950 is in a good mood today)

Patrick quilty wrote:

OK, I updated to 8.1.4 and the same problem is happening. In the
bottle, I have installed Microsoft Visual C++2005, PyLotro 0.1.11a,
Microsoft DirectX Runtime-Modern, and Lotro. I have d3dx9_36.dll in
my PyLotro folder (I was not sure where to put it).

Move d3dx9_36.dll to your game directory (i.e. where lotroclient.exe is located). I know from personal experience you can get the black screen because the current implementation of CXGs directx9 didn't have a fully working function that certain graphics cards could use.

So my guess would be that you do need that file in the game directory. If that stops the black screening the next problem you might have is blowing the graphics memory because CXG didn't detect it right but that usually tends to manifest as a proper crash (i.e. game client dies and you get chucked back out onto your desktop) or rather the last time I got hit by it it was doing that still.

Patrick quilty wrote:

Also, my graphics card is an Intel GMA 950

As I mentioned in another thread back on 6 October 2009:

From all the various boards I've read, there is VERY DEFINITELY a problem with the Graphics in 10.6, partially addressed in the 10.6.1 update. In particular if you have a system with the "Intel GMA950 graphics chip" there are serious issues. [About this Mac; more info; Hardware; Graphics/DIsplays]

http://www.codeweavers.com/compatibility/browse/name/?app_id=2869;forum=1;msg=63832

10.6.2 was supposed to also address these issues, but it is unclear if it did or not.

Patrick quilty wrote:

Also, I do not know what a VideoMemorySize registry is or where to
find it. Is this something I should have done?

I've tried several times to get this information into the tips and tricks section with no success....
From an earlier post (7 September 2009) in the thread:
http://www.codeweavers.com/compatibility/browse/name/?app_id=2869;forum=1;msg=55795

On a Mac, the Instructions should read:

To set your video memory:

• launch Crossover Games
• in the "programs" pulldown menu select "Run Command"
• in the resulting pop-up box, under "Use Bottle" select the appropriate bottle
• type regedit into the command box and click "run"
• In the left-hand pane open HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Wine
• If under Wine there isn't a folder called Direct3D, highlight Wine then right-click on Wine, select new -> key and type Direct3D (case sensitive)
• Make sure Direct3D is highlighted
• Right-click anywhere in the right-hand pane, select new -> string value and type in VideoMemorySize (again case sensitive)
• Now double-click that entry and type in the amount of video memory you have in MB
• Close regedit using Registry -> Exit
• Exit out of the CXG configuration and you should be good to go

Note: To find out how much video memory you have.... under the "apple menu" select "About this Mac" then select more info.
In the "System Profiler" window which pops up, select "Hardware" "Graphics/displays" Look for an entry "VRAM"

Ok, i followed all of these instructions and the world loads....for about 2 minutes and then I get black screen again. Something tells me this was not meant to be. I take it my video card isn't up to par. I'll check back in a couple days to see if you had any last ideas. If not, thanks for all the advice.

I've had the same issues. Yesterday I found the solution for my problem (display going black after few minutes, while audio is still playing):

• Run winecfg
• switch to the Graphics-tab
• in the section Direct3D: disable the support for Vertex Shader (choose "off" in the dropdown-box)
• in the section Direct3D: check the option "activate Pixal Shader"
• click OK and you should be good
  Also, I have set the VideoMemorySize in the Registry as suggested by others here in the forum. (but that did not solve the problem for me)

I have a german system, the texts above might differ slightly.

My Mac (I do own several Apple Macintoshes, but use this one mainly for gaming and running Mac OS X out of curiosity):
Hackintosh Quadcore CPU
8GB of RAM
Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS (640 MB)
Snow Leopard 10.6.2
CrossOver Games 8.1.4
LotRO running in a virtual desktop at the display size 1600 x 900 (fullscreen)

Hi Darius

This worked for me so thanks - the only problem with disabling the Vertex Shader is the graphics look rubbish :(

But at least I can play in OS X again :)

Cheers.