GameBanshee Forums

I get the "Failed to lock index buffer in CMeshDX8::LockIndexBuffer" error when starting a new game. Hence, I have not started any as yet.

I manage to get past the main screen and character creation screen using both methods (the question answering and straight point allocation, i tried both). The game would then load The Embrace about halfway before it crashes back into the Operating System with the above message.

I have found little help online and wonder is anyone here can help out.

My system:
1.7 MHz Pentium
256 RAM (do i NEED to get it to 512??)
WinXP Pro
Nvidia Riva TNT2 (yea.. i know, lame... do i NEED to get something new??)

I have read about setting graphics to 800x600x60, but that seems to solve a different problem (tho i have not tried it yet).

Any suggestions to a solution would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Well, I'm no computer wiz, but your configuration seems a bit too weak. I'm running a P4 2.7, 512 RAM, Radeon9200 128MB and I have to run the game in 800*600 with fairly low details and I still get performance issues (low framerates, jerky graphics, etc.). This reminds me of the time I tried to run Duke 3D on a 386....

lol.. i haven't gotten past the loading of The Embrace screen yet, so I can't say tho I'm expecting poor quality. I have set all visuals to absolute minimum.. having some consideration of the "No Shadow" option.

Admittedly it is out of date, but then when one has to budget, one does with the bare minimum. I'll enjoy the better of Bloodlines has to offer after a few months when my $ builds up again somewhat sacrifices are in order and blame me being too eager and that the specs meet the min posted (as i found)

But as far as the Clan selection screen goes (using the non question character creation method), I suffer a 1-2 second delay when initially loading a character when switching clan or gender, but otherwise the figure/doll breathes/sways etc without problem. Of course, this is merely ONE figure, and I have no idea how it might screw up later. Loading screens can take up a minute or so though...

I am seriously hoping that this is not a RAM or graphics card problem or I will be stuck without Bloodlines for a few months (in the end ) I read about suggestions that it is DirectX 8 problem... but I have 9.0 installed.

Turning shadows off is generally a great way of dealing with performance issues (on of the best, short of dropping the resolution; I usually do it), but if you're having a lag during character creation, things are looking quite bleak for you....

Sounds like a driver problem. Do you have DirectX 9.0c and the latest nVidia drivers installed? Try that and let us know what happens.

thanks for the suggestion. will check and try it out if i'm not on 9.0c...

other forums suggest a reinstall, i do not think its worthwhile trying, do you?
as a note, other users on other forums (like planetvampire) who are suffering this problem are facing it at irregular intervals, as in after character creation of thier SECOND character (implying the first went ok), reloading a save game, entering a new area etc.

it seems only a select few configurations suffer this problem..

anyways, saving up $ for a new graphics card, while i put bloodlines down for awhile (need to visit ppl sigh).

If the drivers update doesn't work, then yeah, you might as well try a reinstall. By the way, for the price of the game ($50 US), you can get a decent video card from http://www.newegg.com . Just search for a Geforce FX5200 of some variety-- its not a screamer, but it goes for aound $50-$60 on that site, and will get you playing again at decent frame rates, if at low quality.

256 megs of Ram is not enough, period. I promise you that if you do ever get to play, you will not get frames per second in the double digits.

system requirements

if you look on the bottom of the Bloodlines box it gives minimal system requirements.. those have to be followed to a tee. We have a 1.2 ghz athlon.. and we had just 256 mb of RAM and a 32 gig Rage Fury Pro video card in it and tried to run that game.. it would load to the embrace and LeCroix's speech but it ran realllly choppy and then just froze up.. we had to install another 128 megs of RAM and upgrade our card to 128 mb and now it runs but it still runs slightly slow when loading pages and sometimes it skips just after a new page loads.. but it runs the game.. sorry hon but it sounds like you'll definitely need an upgrade to even try running the game

256 RAM (do i NEED to get it to 512??)

As the last two posters suggested, you need more memory, and badly. I suggest 1 GB, total. This should hold you for at least a couple of years. With only 256 MB RAM, the game is going to function erratically at moments of heavy scripting, whatever the requirements may say.

Still haven't gotten to try any solutions yet... will have to wait for the weekends before I have enough time to twink around.

I have, actually on many occasions sacrificed quality and "full emmersion" for the sake of saving the money. I do not live in US, I live in Malaysia in the SE Asia. Games here can cost an upward to 30% of a month salary the lower end of the average income group (Our conversion rate to USD is slightly less 1(USD):4. Factor in shipping and entertainment taxes and the numbers are scary.. at least to me), and a good graphics card a good 50% by the same view. The cheapest legal games cost as much numerically (ie ~$50 locally, and those are well, rather undersireable ones, to me). Now you see my reluctance to get new hardware whenever possible. It IS a luxury over here.

Perhaps this is a very biased point of view. How are the relative cost in your area?

Admittedly that my machine is due for an upgrade.. but I am also having problem deciding on an affordable graphics card. I read about PCIe and all that stuff and do not want to spend on something that might be oudated again, within the next year. I can double the RAM I suppose... do you think that getting a 256 DDR RAM straight will be ok? I am having two 128 slotted right now.

I'm scouring the internet for information on graphics card and get alot of recommendation for a Radeon 9800.. I'm not sure what that would cost me. I will be going to the shops this weekend to check it out. Is it top of line for the moment? As no one seem to recomment anything less. I also read about how the Source engine is better run with an ATI than an NVIDIA.

Oh, and as a note to other with this problem monitoring this thread. A poster in planetvampire forums claims to have solved the problem by "updating" all drivers (video, BIOS etc). "Updating" as in not necessarily the latest available to your device, but that which is most suitable. Arguably, this needs some research online.

Ah, it seems that exchange rates are killing you. The Radeon 9800 128 mb version will go for ~$150 US. That card would do fine, but if you're afraid of wasting money on new tech, only to have it replaced by something newer, you're better off with getting a Geforce FX5200 series, or an ATI Radeon 9600 series... those would cost less, ~$50, ~$100.

256 mb is cutting it close though... it would probably be better to take the cheaper video card and get up to 512, or 1 gb.

Now for relative cost... an 'average' person in the US makes $20,000 a year. That's $384 a week, so a $150 video card is easily a third of your money a week. That's quite a bit more than most people can afford, as you can see. That's why you find most people with those incomes playing consoles ($150 for an entire system, instead of $150 for a part).

Finally... ATI vs. Nvidia. Yes, its Source Engine. nVidia cards run... noticeably faster, but its alright to get a nVidia card. Keep in mind that Vampire is sponspored by Nvidia... "The Way Its Meant to Be Played". Don't worry about the brand issue.

And finally: no, the 9800 is not the top of the line. That would be the ATI Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition or something like that, and then the Geforce 6800 Ultra (actually, for the Nvidia one, you can use two at once with a special motherboard to get increased frame rates). Don't worry, its best to wait a bit longer for when you can afford a new computer with PCIe. For now the Geforce FX5200 or the ATI Radeon 9600 will be fine.

Maxinion, thx for your relpy. It was quite informational.

I've done some more reading, and yes you are (of course) right about 9800. It is about halfway down the "top-of-the-line" list here locally as well.

Just for your info, a Radeon 9800 costs ~$650 locally, and yes, we have an approximate weekly earning too (as I know).

[QUOTE=shift244]Just for your info, a Radeon 9800 costs ~$650 locally[/QUOTE]

Yikes! Those exchange rates are really killer... A few more performance notes, culled from this forum and others:

Increase your page file size! I'm on my Linux comp right now so I can't pull up the exact process, but keeping it at 12 gb or so (though that's probably overkill) improved my framerates quite a bit from when I had the pagefile at 4 gb (and I'm running a top-of-the-line comp, too).

Every so often when playing, type "flush" in the console to clear some game associated memory. Helps out as well.

Before playing, turn off ALL running applications... anti-virus (be careful with this one), internet browsers, Kazaa in the background, etc.

Get rid of spyware! Search for Spybot and Adaware and destroy the spyware that slows your system.

And other things. Best of luck, shift, and good luck getting a better card/ RAM so you can play this fantastic game.