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giants010

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 16, 2010
5
0
Hey everybody... hopefully you can help me out on this one as I'm completely lost. I recently decided to install my old copy of Jedi Knight:Jedi Academy on my new Intel Macbook. Installation went fine, everything seemed right, but when I started it up for the first time, it came up with a black screen. If I turn the volume on I can hear the game sounds and I know its showing the LucasArts logo, blah blah blah, but I can't see anything on the screen. I tried updating it to 1.0.1e with the "JKJAMacRevE" installer, and even the Beta F one, but nothing works. I even deleted the game and all the preferences I could find, and then reinstalled it. I couldn't find anything with this problem online, so does anyone know why this is happening? I'm running 10.6.4.
 
I downloaded both the 1.0.1e and 1.0.1f patches... should I download a 1.0.1d patch and try that instead? I can't seem to find that anywhere.

Also, the apple link you provided doesn't seem to work. Where would I get a universal binary patch? Nothing seems to be around except for the e and f patches.

EDIT: I found a 1.0.1d patch and installed that, but it's only a MP patch that replaces the Jedi Academy MP application. I still used it and tried to start the JA MP app, but it still gives me sound with a black screen. I don't think it has anything to do with the patches, because I've tried every one short of the 1.0.1b/c patches. I don't get it, because as far as I can tell, no one else is having this problem using JA on an Intel Mac.

EDIT2: Ok scratch that I've tried the 1.0.1b and 1.0.1c patches, neither fixes the problem. Again I'm convinced its something else that is causing the problem. Any help would really be appreciated....
 
Sorry for the bump, but since no one seems to be able to answer, I thought I'd try something different.. I'm wondering if it has something to do with the graphics because as far as I can tell there is absolutely nothing wrong with the game. I don't think its a patch problem or an intel problem (the app says "universal" when I get info). Is there a way to edit a preferences file to change the default graphics setting, if that is actually the problem?
 
Hey, what graphics card are you using?

It's a long shot, but you can try contacting Aspyr
http://support.aspyr.com/index.php/kb/browse/001076

Do you run software update regularly?

Try downloading the demo
http://www.macgamefiles.com/detail.php?item=18005

Can you run it?

Another long shot. When you get to the black screen, move your mouse all around. If the game is running and just not displaying the menu, you should hear a bleep noise as your mouse moves over any of the buttons. Unfortunately there are, like, seven menus to go through before the game actually starts, but it tell us how much the game actually is loading.

I doubt this issue would affect you, since you said your version was old, but the digital download version comes with this warning:
NOTICE: This game is not supported on volumes formatted as Mac OS Extended (Case Sensitive).
 
Hey, what graphics card are you using?

It's a long shot, but you can try contacting Aspyr
http://support.aspyr.com/index.php/kb/browse/001076

Do you run software update regularly?

Try downloading the demo
http://www.macgamefiles.com/detail.php?item=18005

Can you run it?

Another long shot. When you get to the black screen, move your mouse all around. If the game is running and just not displaying the menu, you should hear a bleep noise as your mouse moves over any of the buttons. Unfortunately there are, like, seven menus to go through before the game actually starts, but it tell us how much the game actually is loading.

I doubt this issue would affect you, since you said your version was old, but the digital download version comes with this warning:
NOTICE: This game is not supported on volumes formatted as Mac OS Extended (Case Sensitive).

My Macbook has an NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M. I guess if nothing else I'll maybe try contacting Aspyr about this but I doubt they really offer that much support for this game. And yea everything should be updated just fine.

I actually did download the demo just to try it out and it did the exact same thing to me. I still get a black screen and I can't see anything, but I know the menu has loaded. I've tried as you suggested and clicked around, and I know I'm clicking on buttons because I hear the "bleep" noise when I select something, but I have no idea what menu I'm in or how to even start the game since there are so many menus to go through. So far I haven't been successful in getting to the point where I can hear the game actually starting.

Well I know that it ran on my iMac that was running Mac OS X 10.4 as I believe. And I have updated the JA files to the point where they say that they are universal binaries, so they should be intel compatible, right?
 
I have the same graphics card on my current computer. I'll try running the demo (I didn't bring my CD to college ><) and see what happens.

Did you check if your system was formatted as case sensitive or not? I know it says it only affects the digital download, but you never know . . .
 
I have the same graphics card on my current computer. I'll try running the demo (I didn't bring my CD to college ><) and see what happens.

Did you check if your system was formatted as case sensitive or not? I know it says it only affects the digital download, but you never know . . .

Haha yea me either... I'm kinda pissed I didn't, if I ever get it working I'm gonna have to find a CD crack.

How do I check that?
 
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1410?viewlocale=en_US
Mac OS Extended and Mac OS Extended Journaled is case-preserving
If a volume is formatted using the Mac OS Extended and Mac OS Extended Journaled format, you cannot have two files in the same location (the same folder or directory) with the same name--even if the case varies, such as "My File" and "my file".

UFS is case-sensitive
With a UFS-formatted volume, you may have the two "My File" files in the same location as well as other similarly named files -- "My file," "MY file," "My FiLe," "my File," and so forth.
I hope this is relevant.

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/512/cpsid_...Reinstall_on_a_non_case_sensitive_file_system
To check if Mac OS X is formatted with a case-sensitive file system :

Click the Apple menu and choose About This Mac.
Click More Info.
Under Hardware, select Serial-ATA.
Select the drive Acrobat 9 has been installed on and check the file system in the list. Note if the file system is case sensitive.

I really don't know the ins and outs of this stuff- I'm just Google bombing now.

I'll try testing the demo tonight, too.
 
After playing around with the demo, I found a work around.

After the game loads to the black menu screen, hit cmd+H to toggle the screen mode to windowed. Now everything works fine. You may need to use a four-finger swipe to switch to finder (or another app. I used textedit) Then click back into Jedi Academy. Otherwise my mouse got stuck outside the game window.
 
After playing around with the demo, I found a work around.

After the game loads to the black menu screen, hit cmd+H to toggle the screen mode to windowed. Now everything works fine. You may need to use a four-finger swipe to switch to finder (or another app. I used textedit) Then click back into Jedi Academy. Otherwise my mouse got stuck outside the game window.

What worked for me what using Cmd-H to get it to display in a window. Then press Cmd-M to toggle on mouse mode. Then click on SETUP and change the Video Quality to High Quality, which will also set the Color Depth to 32-bit (which was needed). Additionally set the Video Mode to your desired resolution (it defaults to 800x600) and turn Full Screen back to On. Apply the changes and you should be good. The cause of the problem is the Color Depth which must be 32-bit. At least on my Mac.

Regards
 
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