So I got the game, it installed just fine.

Started the game, played through Act 0, and had just completed the first Act 1 mission (getting the ore from MAAS at Aldo).

Docked up again, saved, and was back out in space to do some regular pirating.

All seemed quite happy so far.

At the Alexander point, bumped into some XXXXX (MAAS style Corvettes) and got mauled.

Fair enough, I get back to the main menu and quit out to go get some lunch.

I come back to start the game up again, and nothing doing. No splash screen, no videos, no nothing.

Help?!

Any suggestions welcomed.

Flux Log Excerpt:

-------------------------------------------------------------------
LOADER: [unknown] Entering WinMain
FLUX: [unknown] Trying to create application of class "iwar2.icGame"
FLUX: [unknown] Application created successfully
FLUX: [unknown] Starting Flux services...
FLUX: [unknown] Starting resource manager...
FLUX: [unknown] Starting devices...
DXINPUT: [unknown] **** Initialising fcInputDeviceDI...
DXINPUT: [unknown] Creating DirectInput...
DXINPUT: [unknown] Looking for keyboard...
DXINPUT: [unknown] Looking for mouse...
DXINPUT: [unknown] Looking for joysticks...
DXINPUT: [unknown] Setting cooperative level
DXINPUT: [unknown] Initialising force-feedback support...
DXINPUT: [unknown] WARNING: Forcefeedback support unavailable
DXINPUT: [unknown] **** Device initialised OK
FLUX: [unknown] Starting input mapper...
FLUX: [unknown] Input mapper started successfully
FLUX: [unknown] Cannot create graphics device // I'd guess that this is the problem here, but I can't see why it's not wanting to play ball.
DXINPUT: [unknown] **** Terminating fcInputDeviceDI...
DXINPUT: [unknown] **** Device terminated OK
FLUX: [unknown] Destroying application
FLUX: [unknown] Application destroyed
LOADER: [unknown] Leaving WinMain with return value 0

Have you installed in %\Program Files%?
If so reinstall the game outside this folder, make a backup of your savegames first so you can copy them into the new installation.

Other thing you can try, within the gamefolder there is a file called flux.ini, rename this to flux.ini.bak, restart the game and pray it autogenerates a new one as I don't know if it will.
If not, make backup of savegames and reinstall the game, that's how I got the game going again.

By the way did you unplug joysticks or anything?

It's installed to a different physical drive.

I've tried it as admin.

No hardware has been plugged in/removed.

Will attempt a reinstall.

If you do reinstall, make a backup of the flux.ini immediately, so you can copy it back if the problem raises its head again.

Well its something in the graphics settings certainly, though not resolution or colour depth.

I'm now running it with max detail models and lighting effects and its still running fine.

I'm loathe to go bashing at it any more than that though this evening, maybe tomorrow when I'm less exasperated!

How did you enable max models and lighting? Did you just use the DirectX 8 mode or anything else?

Through the in game config.

Tedious process mind you. Backed up the flux, launched game, bumped the models slider, loaded into the game proper, did some pirating, docked, saved, quit, relaunched.

Once it relaunched fine, I quit back out, backed up the flux again (sequential backups are your friend...) and then went through the same process for the lighting.

At some point over the next few weeks when I've got the spare time I'll probably repeat the process for all the other options till I find the one that breaks it.

CCIEmrys, can you pls post the content of your flux.ini? I'd like to improve my visuals, but so far the only thing I managed to get to work without breaking anything was to enable the DirectX8 mode. It looks much better, the LOD is pushed backwards (meaning the models show max LOD on longer ranges), but I'm still not really satisfied.

Today's a bit of a hassle atm, I'm waiting for a super carrier to arrive on eve, I'll see if I can set aside an hour or two tomorrow and rattle through the rest of the settings and get it posted.

Thanks man! :-) Take your time, it's not urgent..