8800 GTX 16 bit backwards compatibility

[Sneak]

Is it true that the new Nvidia cards have limited 16 bit rendering backwards compatibility in games? More specifically the 8800 series.I have a GTX.

The older game Thief 2 is a 16 bit game with 16 bit textures but the 8800 gtx seems to render it in 8 bit only and the shadows are very dark, almost to dark to see in.The game itself does not look as good as it did on older cards. I can not find a way to force it to render the game in 16 bit. There are rumors of the same thing in System Shock 2 but I don't know that personally.

Not sure about other games from back when as I have not tried them yet. But is this an Nvidia hardware thing or might it be corrected with updated drivers. Yeah I know technology marches along. But sometimes I play old and new games and it would be nice to play them all on one card.

 

[Sneak]

Anyone?

 

[Jokoto]

I heard there is a compatibility problem with 16 bit colors, but there's some kind of workaround - I don't know what it is, though. Also, the workaround doesn't work on Vista, but who in their right mind would use that anyway.

(What do you mean, "old games"... In my book old games are stuff you need an emulator for, or a dedicated retro machine! By the way, System Shock 2 uses the Dark engine that was used in the Thief series, so it can have the same issues.)

 

[Sneak]

I heard there is a compatibility problem with 16 bit colors, but there's some kind of workaround - I don't know what it is, though. Also, the workaround doesn't work on Vista, but who in their right mind would use that anyway.

(What do you mean, "old games"... In my book old games are stuff you need an emulator for, or a dedicated retro machine! By the way, System Shock 2 uses the Dark engine that was used in the Thief series, so it can have the same issues.)

Thanks Jokoto.
If you find a link or remember what that work around was just let me know. So far the only thing that has corrected it that I know of is one guy put an older vid card in his second PCI-e slot and manually loaded some compatible drivers for it through device manager. Then he switched to that second vid card in Display Properties and Thief worked fine again. So he can switch back and forth from his old card to the new 8800 card as needed. Yep, I also know Sys Shock 2 is a Dark Engine game, one of my favorites. I do not have it loaded right now but you are right. The trouble might be there as well.

True Thief is not really that old. I guess in Computer years it is but I still love the game. Lots of Fan Missions made for it.

I am with you on Vista. Am waiting and watching for a bit.