Technical FaQ

[toby1kanobi]

Tech Issues Index

Troubleshooting 101

1. Minimum System Requirements
2. Thin Client
3. Firewall and Log Files
4. Setting up DSO on an old machine or integrated graphics card
5. How to clear the Browser cache
6. Clearing the Java Cache
7. Clearing the Temp Cache
8. Flushing the DNS
9. Downloading and Installing Java

If you play on both Test and Live server, you may need to follow these instructions:
Test to Live conversion

[==Viper==]

Curious about what kind of system is required to play Drakensang?

Pentium 4 2.8 GHz or comparable CPU
RAM: 1 GB for Windows XP; 2 GB for Vista/Windows 7
nVidia 6800GT with 256 MB RAM or comparable graphics card
Windows XP with Service Pack 3, Vista or Windows 7
DirectX 9c compatible sound card

[toby1kanobi]

Heroes of Duria

We are happy to announce the Drakensang Thin Client Installer, A very small and very simple to use client

Select Download and Read and Accept the User Agreement:
http://www.drakensang.com/community

[==Viper==]

Make sure these remote addresses and ports are NOT blocked:

Best bet is to make sure ports 2190, 32303, 30582, 30330, 31886, 30611, 9338, and 80 along with *.bigpoint.net are unblocked.

Log:
Also, it would be VERY helpful if you can provide the client log file! Click on computer, type %tmp%\DSOClient\dlcache\logfiles into the address bar and press enter. In the curent folder, you should see a file named DSOClient.log. You can open it in a notepad or any other text editor. Only the last ~100 lines are important.

It will tell us exactly what happened before an exception was thrown and other useful informations.

((Thank you Ashbane for your post))

[tchahin]

My mother has a slow computer with 2ghz Semprom, 1 gb RAM and nvidia FX 5200 with 128 mb of VRAM (turbocache if I'm not mistaken - it means it uses both the RAM and VRAM).

Sometimes when I go to her home, I would like to play Drakensang Online or other games but It was not possible due to the lack of pixelshader 2.b or greater, according to DSO error message.

Then I thought on 2 possible solutions :
* Videocard emulator (3d analyze)
* Pixelshader emulator (swiftshader)

I tried using 3d analyze but when I deactivated the 'pixelshader verification' DSO crashed without any error message at all.
It did not work for me but it could work for you depending on your computer specifications.

After the previous failure with 3d analyze, I tried swiftshader.
Swiftshader is a DirectX modified file and it comes in 2 flavors :
* x86 for x86 systems
* x64 for x64 enabled systems
You should pick the d3d file in the respective folder and the initialization file ( .ini file ) it comes with and copy it into your game folder - in this case the DSO folder which is [for XP users]:
C:\Program Files\Drakensang Online

I also recommend copying the files to your DirectX default folder which is [for XP users]:
C:\Windows\System32

After copying the files you will need to reboot your computer.

Now the computer is ready and you can logon to the game, it will take some time to load the graphics because you are using your CPU to emulate the pixelshader.
Since your computer is slower it obviously should take more time than a computer that meets the requirements.

After the graphics are fully loaded, characters, interface, scenario, you can start playing. It will probably load slowly every time you change map, since it has to cache different graphic models and textures all over.

Swiftshader may draw their logo in the bottom left of the gamescreen.

Again, I want to remember that different computer specifications will have different results, and I do not consider sluggish gameplay as much enjoyable as a normal gameplay.


I am just writing this for those players willing to run DSO in old computers and some old computers might actually have good playability if you have a strong CPU and decent amount of RAM with or without a videocard.

Thanks for reading this long text.

[==Viper==]

How do I clear my cache and registry?

Every web browser stores a cache of the websites you visit (e.g. HTML pages, images) to reduce bandwidth usage and server load.

This is called the browser's cache.

Clearing it occasionally can free up space on your computers hard drive if it's running low. Since every browser is different, the following sections will outline the steps involved in clearing the cache for the more popular web browsers.

Internet Explorer 9 and 10

Internet Explorer 8

Internet Explorer 7

Firefox

Google Chrome

Safari Windows

Opera

Clearing Registry A registry cleaner such as CCleaner or Advanced System Care, both of which are free from their respective sites is recommended.

[==Viper==]

Internet Explorer 9 and 10
--> Internet Explorer 9 Homepage <--
1.Once your browser is open, click the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
2.Be sure the General tab is selected.
3.Under "Browsing history", click "Delete..."
4.In the new window, be sure the Temporary Internet Files box is checked. You can uncheck everything else you don't want to delete.
5.Click “Delete”.


Step 1

Click 'Tools' (the Gear-shaped button on the top-right section of the browser), point to 'Safety' and click 'Delete Browsing History...' (Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + Del or Ctrl + t + d).



Step 2

Choose the desired options you would like to delete (Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, etc) and click 'Delete'.





Step 3

Internet Explorer 9 will now silently delete the items you've chose. Once finished, the notification bar (the bar at the bottom of the screen replacing the Information Bar in older IE browsers) appears stating that the selected browsing history has been deleted.

[==Viper==]

Internet Explorer 8--> Internet Explorer 8 Homepage <--
1.Once your browser is open, click the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
2.Be sure the General tab is selected.
3.Under "Browsing history", click "Delete..."
4.In the new window, be sure the Temporary Internet Files box is checked. You can uncheck everything else you don't want to delete.
5.Click “Delete”.

Note: IE8 has a "feature" which retains some cookies even after you clear your cache if you do not UNCHECK the "Preserve Favorites Website Data." If you truly need to clear your cache, you will want to uncheck this!

Step 1

Once your browser is open, click the Tools menu. Or, optionally you may simply press Ctrl-Shift-Delete to open the Delete Browsing History window (and skip step 2)





Step 2

Click on Delete Browsing History.




Step 3

Select Temporary Internet Files.




Step 4

Click the Delete button near the bottom of the window to delete your temporary files(i.e. clear your cache).


Step 5

If you want the browser to automatically clear the cache whenever you close it, click the Advanced tab. Click to check the box next to the Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed option (in the section labeled Security). Click OK. This will delete everything except cookies

[==Viper==]

Internet Explorer 7 --> Internet Explorer 7 Homepage <--
1.Once your browser is open, click the “Tools menu”and select “Internet Options”.
2.Make sure the General tab is selected.
3.Under "Browsing History" click "Delete"
4.In the new window, click Delete Files in the Temporary Internet Files section. If you want, you can also opt to delete cookies and browsing history.
5.Alternatively, clear your cache for just the current page you're visiting. Press and hold [Ctrl] on your keyboard, then Press [F5] or click on the Refresh button (square button on the toolbar with opposite-facing arrows).

Step 1

Open IE 7 and click the Tools menu. Click the Delete Browsing History link at the top.




Step 2

Under the Temporary Internet Files heading, click Delete files.





Step 3

Click Yes when you see the prompt asking if you are sure you want to delete all temporary files.





Step 4

Alternatively, clear your cache for just the current page you're visiting. Press and hold [Ctrl] on your keyboard, then Press [F5] or click on the Refresh button (square button on the toolbar with opposite-facing arrows).

[==Viper==]

Firefox --> Firefox HomePage <--
1.Below is the full method, although it is possible to simply go to Tools, and select Clear Private Data, or to just press “Ctrl+Shift+Delete”. Please note that these options clear what you have set the browser to clear in Tools > Options... > Privacy, which can mean the cache, although it may also include passwords, and search and browsing history, so be careful.
2. Go to “Tools” and select “Options”....
3. Go to the “Privacy tab”, and click “Settings”... (in the blue box in the image).
4. Select what you would like to have cleared.
5. Return to the Options menu. If you want your cache cleared automatically, every time you close the browser, click the appropriate checkbox (shown in red in an earlier image).
6. Press "Clear Now" under the Settings button.

Firefox


Step 1

Click the Tools menu, then select Clear Recent History.




Step 2

Choose the time range of cache you'd like to clear.





Step 3

Click on Details and make sure Cache is checked.





Step 4

Select Clear Now.