Flicker with SE5 1.7.4 using 3870X2 VGA

PS I just realised I didnt see the tech support forum because I did not go high enough in the website heirarchy, I expected it to be under SE5 forums. I cant seem to edit it so please move if possible.

I am using this thread as a reference thread for Catalyst feedback. So I am reporting here that catalyst 8.11 did not improve the issue with incorrect display of SE5 by my 3870X2 card. The major issue now is mouse lag, but the only near playable driver configuration produces text flicker.

I just submitted the following report to Catalyst Crew FYI.

using 8.11

I made a report earlier about flickering text in SE5 with Cat AI on in 8.10, and another report that the problem persists in 8.11. It does and I have tried different settings with 8.11, cat AI on and off and using programme settings. I just thought a bit extra info might help.

With Cat AI on and programme settings un-checked the mouse pointer fails to show at all in game, just the odd glimpse here and there where it crosses mouse-over boundaries. It is unplayable.

With Cat AI on and programme settings are checked the mouse pointer shows in game but the mouse pointer movement lags especially in subscreens eg research window (text is not flickering but mouse lag makes it unplayable) the more list elements there are in the subscreen the laggier the mouse, but certain subscreens (with the biggest lists) cause a crash to desktop with an access violation.

With CatAI off and programme settings un-checked there is mouse pointer lag in submenus and the programme freezes in the problem submenus and results in access violation when I alt tab out and close it.

The game is only playable with CatAI off and programme settings checked when the text flickers in submenus which is unsightly but the mouse cursor moves properly and the game does not freeze.

FYI I am using a Logitech MX518 mouse, vanilla. I dont think that is an issue though as the mouse & driver seems to work well otherwise and it seems to be a display problem due to Catalyst drivers on the 3870X2.

OK good suggestion, but I just tried video memory safe mode and initially it gives an FPS of 1 to 4 ! lol - unplayable

I also found btw the display selection in game setup shows two options as below

display, Primary Display Driver
\\.\DISPLAY1, ATI RADEON HD 3870 X2

If I use the primary PDD I get all the above problems in full screen mode, but if I select the second option "DISPLAY1 etc" I get windowed mode at 1024x768 32bit no matter what I set the resolution to, ie it ignores resolution settings in this mode. It will also run safe mode without issues at about 94 FPS (it is 118 FPS without safe mode) and there are no problems with lag in the second mode. However the window it runs in is sized according to desktop resolution so to get full screen I have to set the desktop to 1024x768. But if I do that it runs with low resolution just fine. Not ideal but a workaround if I suddenly develope epilepsy.

Judging from this thread its not just ATI cards having issues, I dont know if their reported mouse lag is down to FPS issues, using the FPS monitor in options I can see that for my set up low FPS is the real cause of apparent mouse lag outside battles.

http://www.spaceempires5.com/en-US/node/6220

With some driver settings the lag completely vanishes but the text flickers and with other settings it completely cripples the game but text is fine, very odd.

Anger management for SE5 players deserves a thread of its own.

OK just reporting that I tried 8.12 and its exactly the same performace as 8.11, still flickers and the optimum settings are the same. So ATI have done diddleysquat about it.

what card and settings hammersinger?

I have just tried what you suggested and unfortunately the text flicker in windows containing a list of elements did not go away.