Save My Sanity

[Orv]

So, playing Darksiders has finally made me want to put an end to this question, considering how many cutscenes there are.

For years now (quite literally) I've had an issue where what I assume is a certain video codec cause my videos, however rendered, to run perfectly smooth graphically, but have two sound issues.

One, the sound plays far, far faster than the video happens. Leaving me lines, if not paragraphs ahead of a video, with no sound for a good third of it, or more. This even happened with C&C 3, which seems odd because of the FMV. It's not that the sound is going so fast it's intelligible. It's perfectly even and you can understand every word. That part of it just blows my mind.

Two, it stutters horribly. It's like listening to a particularly energetic William Shatner. It never fully cuts out, but it constantly chops, with a very precise, every other second or so rhythm. Constantly. Even after the sound from the video is long gone, my speakers just pop like that until the video ends.

This doesn't happen in nearly every game, and even in games where my system is more than well above the requirements. It seems to come along every few years, one game, maybe two. I believe Overlord, C&C 3, Sacred 2 and Darksiders are the primary offenders, but it happens from time to time.

Any ideas?

Marginally-related side observation for those who have played Darksiders;

Is The Watcher voiced by Mark Hamil or have I lost my touch at identifying voices?

[ThunderPeel2001]

Must be annoying. Hmm. Latest soundcard drivers?

[Thompson]

Correct me if i'm wrong, video game industry people, but I believe Bink is the standard.

[CaptainFish]

I agree with the two preceding suggestions. Update drivers, see if you can find a Bink video test, or support. Hopefully the solution isn't getting a new sound card.

Marginally-related side observation for those who have played Darksiders;

Is The Watcher voiced by Mark Hamil or have I lost my touch at identifying voices?

Yes. It's very close to how he played Joker in Batman AA.

The only other voice actor whose name I recognize is Phil LaMarr as Vulgrim.

[Orv]

So if I read this correctly, it's running sound functions off my little headset in-board, instead of the perfectly functional Realtek audio card in there. Anyone know a way around this that won't prevent my headset from simply not working?

Edit: Simply went out and got a jack headset instead of a USB. We'll see if that fixes it.

Edited March 20, 2011 by Orvidos

[twmac]

Because PC fans are so fond of highjacking these kind of threads in reverse.

Solution: Play it on Console

I am sorry, couldn't resist.

Are you enjoying Darksiders? I had a hell of a lot of fun with it last year.

[Orv]

No dice on the new headset.

I'd be enjoying it a lot more if:

A. I could watch the cutscenes properly.

B. I had ever played a brawler at all before in my life. (I've played maybe 5 minutes of DMC3, max.)

C. There was no platforming.

Once I figured out that minibosses were simply "Avoid until they laugh, or do something stupid" it's been pretty much pie from there. But the platforming is not something I have ever been able to do well (my split-second timing is poor) so I could be enjoying it a lot more.

But still, not a bad game. Just wish I knew what was going on.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Your onboard soundcard shouldn't really be switched on if you've got an independent one. If you don't have an independent one, getting one might help (presumably your CPU is getting overwhelmed -- that is presuming that you are using the latest drivers, right?)

[elmuerte]

This may sound ridiculous... but clean up the "Human Interface Devices" on your machine. Either disable unused devices, or "remove" them. Reboot a couple of times. It's a trial and error thing.

It's usually a device called "HID-compliant device" or "USB Human Interface Device". For some odd reason some of those devices mess up certain games that rely on Microsoft's WindowsMedia crap (like Darksiders and Prototype). And usually those devices are not even used for anything physically attached to your machine.

[twmac]

No dice on the new headset.

I'd be enjoying it a lot more if:

A. I could watch the cutscenes properly.

B. I had ever played a brawler at all before in my life. (I've played maybe 5 minutes of DMC3, max.)

C. There was no platforming.

...

But still, not a bad game. Just wish I knew what was going on.

Wow, that sounds like some pretty big complaints. Sorry you are finding the platforming so fiddly, don't really know what to suggest in regards to that.

As for the hacky/slashy parts, sounds like you have nailed those now, Darksiders is far from the deepest in that regards.

Glad you are managing to find some good in it despite those things.

[Orv]

Human Interface Devices.

TP, I updated what I was able to, so hopefully, I have the latest.

I seem to remember HIDs messing with Kane & Lynch 1 and another game in the past, I had forgotten about that. Definitely something to try, thanks.

I have never been good at platforming, so it's just something I tend to avoid (part of the reason I've not properly played Trine, for instance) things with it, but Darksiders was a gift, so I'm giving it a go.