The Descendant from Steam

Hi

I just bought this game, but when I try to run it, I get this error message:

"Descendant_windows.exe has stopped working"

I can still run other Steam-games on my PC (win7,2,7 Ghz,4 GB RAM)

Is there anything I can do about, I have no idea how to handle it.

You don't mention your video card - does it meet the system requirements for the game?

yes, its a Radeon PCI-E HD4890 1 GB, the game only requires 256 MB

I hope that the techies here will be able to weigh in and offer you some suggestions/advice.

Sorry,correction: the minimum graphic Card for Descandant is NVIDIA 430 or better, meaning I cant use a Radeon 1 GB Card ?

It shouldn't matter whether you have an NVIDIA or a Radeon card, provided you have enough video memory.

Your card should meet the requirements (actually it exceeds them), but there's the possibility that the game wasn't properly tested on Radeon and isn't compatible with anything but Nvidia.

Steam's page at
http://store.steampowered.com/app/351940/
only lists Nvidia and the game's webpage at
https://descendantgame.com/
only lists Nvidia.

Most games can work with either Nvidia or Radeon cards, but this may be an exception.

I couldn't figure out how to contact the developer.
Maybe you could ask in the Steam forum whether anyone else is able to run the game with a Radeon -- and if so, what driver version they're using.
http://steamcommunity.com/app/351940/discussions/

Ok, I have done that now. Thanks for your help, we will see if anybody respond.

Please let us know if you find out. Others here have Radeon cards also.

Good Luck!

I did see someone in the Steam discussion forum playing the game with an AMD card, but this person was reporting a graphics glitch, I believe, in one part of the game. It didn't sound like playing the game as a whole was an issue, though.

It never occurred to me that a game would be video-card specific. I'll be watching this thread for any updates.

I found this thread on the Steam forum where the developer replies; the developer gives an email address, so you could also try contacting the developer that way.

Thanks, I have now send an email to the developer, I will let you know their answer, if and when I get one.

Good luck!

This is the answer, I received today from the developer:

"Your Radeon 4000 series video card is apparently not DX11 compatible.

You should consider upgrading to a Radeon HD 5000 series or newer as those are DX11 compatible."


A most disappointing one, since I have used my Radeon 4800 video card for years and played dozens of adventure games without ever having any problems with DirectX. And version 11 has been around for quite a while, as far as I know. I have certainly had it for a long time.

Anyway, It seems I have wasted my money here.

P.S. The patch they released just yesterday, does not solve my problem. And they dont mention anything about video cards in their comments to the patch.

Correction:

I just received another answer from them:

"Our research finds that your card which has started manufacturing in 2008 is only up to DX 10.1 compatible."


I guess I was wrong then, a Radeon 4800 card does not support DirectX 11. I have played several games that demands DirectX, but not specifically version 11.

That stinks.
The Radeon HD 4890 is in every other way superior to the Nvidia GT 430 they list.
However the Radeon is only DirectX 10.1 compliant.
http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=644&card2=608

The game's screenshots certainly don't look like it's using any fancy graphics enhancements.

I don't know how many games specifically call for DirectX 11.
Since Windows 10 uses DirectX 12, I wonder if the game works with Windows 10.

Hm. Interesting. Thanks for letting us know the reason opcvop.

I suspected that it was some sort of video card problem, but in this instance this is a problem that by rights shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for letting us know what the developer said.

The system requirements at Steam do say the game requires DX 11. I guess this is a word to the wise to double check the capabilities of your video card.

They really should list the minimum ATI card as well as the minimum Nvidia card. It's not obvious that a card isn't "DirectX 11 compliant" when the card works fine in Windows 7, which uses DirectX 11.

You can get a refund from Steam since you haven't played it for 2 hours or owned it for two weeks.

"I don't know how many games specifically call for DirectX 11."

That is a good question. I checked my last 12 adventure games, finding no one, actually. They are all from major developers, popular games. 6 of them requested 9.0c, the other 6 had no demands of Directx at all.
I have a feeling The Descendant could be the very first to ask for 11.

Of the latest GB reviews, only Layers of Fear is listed as requiring DirectX 11. Steam lists it as requiring DirectX 11, but also lists the requirements for both Radeon and Nvidia cards.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/391720

Dreamfall Chapters, Day of the Tentacle Remastered, Heaven's Hope, and some other adventures can use either DirectX 11 or DirectX 9. So requiring DirectX 11 is not the norm for adventure games.

No, it sure isn't. I wonder how many other people with video cards as good as ocpvop's have not been able to play this game. Not that it will ever happen, but since this is kind of unusual for an adventure game, maybe a "Please Note" in bold letters by the DX 11 requirement?

You are absolutely right, Draclvr. System requirements are often too short, inaccurate or even misguiding. Improvement here is certainly in everybodys interest, including the developers themselves.

I did notice that only NVidia cards were mentioned for this game, but I chose to ignore it, hoping they just had forgotten the ATI cards. Which they in fact did, since the game apparantly does run on the ATI 5000 series.

As for the DirectX versions, I just had no idea that my card only supports 10.1, my mistake indeed.

By the way, no problem getting a refund from Steam, they confirmed it less than an hour after I asked for it.

Good to hear your were able to get a refund.