Not sure to buy,Video card issue and friendship

[unmerged(618933)]

Hello all!

I have been hearing around about Europa Universalis since years but i was not sure about buying it.So i asked a friend to log in in steam on my pc and try the game togheter.After he downloaded the game,an error came up "create vertex declaration". Looking on the internet i have came to understand that the error comes from the last expansion requiring Pixel Shader 3.0 . My pc is quite old and i only have Pixel Shader 2.(1 i think?)
but using www.canyourunit.com it says it works well on my pc-
I managed to play some EU with my friend doing epic campaigns as the roman empire (Actually papal state,but near enough!) and i really liked it and since my birthday is due i was thinking of "buying" (convincing my parents buying it for me ) it so we could play togheter.
But the last time i have got that error and was wondering if it is a video card related issue or it can be fixed :unsure:

Has anyone else got the same error? Was the error caused by my friend accessing from his Steam account from two computers?

Help? :C

 

[I8Strudel]

If it weren't for your old CPU I'd recommend holding out for Europa Universalis IV, but it must be old if EU3 gives it trouble (even my old Windows XP computer can run it).

The error would only come up if you don't have the right version of pixel shader, and it's entirely related to your video card. Also, I wouldn't trust www.canyourunit.com further than you can throw it. For 3/4 of the games I own on Steam it said my (new CPU's) video card couldn't handle their graphics, even though it has 4-8 times the power that these games need.

Simply put you at least need a new graphics card, and if the computer is really old, then perhaps you could save up for a better CPU, then get EU3 when it's on sale before EU4 arrives. Of course this all depends on your financial situation, which I do not know.

 

[AndrewT]

Yes, EU3 with the last expansion Divine Wind does effectively require Pixel Shader 3.0 and there's nothing that can be done about that. You need a new video card or new PC to run the game. Note that PS 3.0 came out in like 2004 ...

 

[unmerged(618933)]

Thank you for the huge support!

Thank you for the huge support,i expected less.

Now i think that Pixel Shader 3.0 is also required for EU4,and my CPU is a AMD Sempron(tm) Processor LE-1100 (1.,9 GHz).
In fact,i had a 3.0 Pixel Shader,but it broke and i have to replace a whole motherboard but i can't do it and don't wish to pay for it ATM.

So,will EU4 require PS 3.0-4.0 and a better CPU or i simply buy EU3 and do not install the lastest expansion? (Is the last expansion really necessary in your opinion?)

 

[cacra]

im not sure what the exact specs are for eu4 but it is almost a certainty they will be higher then eu3

 

[I8Strudel]

EU4 will certainly be more hardware-intensive than EU3 given the general push to increase the series' graphical quality. To give an idea, here's Crusader Kings II's requirements:

Windows XP/Vista/7
Intel® Pentium® IV 2.4 GHz or AMD 3500+, 2 GB RAM
2 GB free hard drive space
NVIDIA® GeForce 8800 or ATI Radeon® X1900 video card (A comparable Intel card works also)
Direct X-compatible sound card
DirectX 9
3-button mouse, keyboard, speakers, Internet connection for multiplayer (standard stuff that you should already have)

I would expect EU4's requirements to be slightly higher than these.

On the topic of EU3's expansions, they are totally worth getting if you're going to get EU3. They run smoother, add a bunch of features, will allow you to play mulitplayer with everyone else, and will allow you to take full advantage of all of the mods that have been made for EU3.

 

[AndrewT]

Now i think that Pixel Shader 3.0 is also required for EU4,and my CPU is a AMD Sempron(tm) Processor LE-1100 (1.,9 GHz).
In fact,i had a 3.0 Pixel Shader,but it broke and i have to replace a whole motherboard but i can't do it and don't wish to pay for it ATM.

The issue here is with the video (GPU) not the CPU.

Obviously, if EU3 needs PS 3.0 then EU4 will too.