Pink title screen - up to date drivers, and was able to play the demo just fine!

[alifbaa]

Most things are pink - game is completely unplayable.  Demo worked just fine.  I went through an updated all my graphics drivers.

[knucracker]

Are you using the steam or non-steam version of the game?  If steam, try disabling the steam overlay and see if that helps.

[planetfall]

That looks like the result of an incomplete download.

[Karsten75]

Google is littered with references to "pink squares in game" and it's usually a graphics driver issue.

[alifbaa]

Are you using the steam or non-steam version of the game?  If steam, try disabling the steam overlay and see if that helps.

OK, so I first installed the demo.  That worked great - no issues.  Particle Fleet demo, not so much: pink screen and nothing else.

I purchased the CW3 Steam version first - didn't work.  So I then purchased the non-steam version, same result.  Did all the driver updates I could find.  No change.  I uninstalled all demos and CW2 and CW3...redownloaded and re-installed.  Still same problem =(

[knucracker]

Ok, let me see if I follow:

CW3 Demo:  Working.
Steam CW3: Pink
Non-Steam CW3: Pink
Particle Fleet Demo: Pink
CW2 : Working?

Magenta/Pink output basically means the GPU could not render the geometry.  Since the geometry is just quads in CW3 (on the splash screen) and the shader is really simple, even really old GPUs should be able to render it.  Driver and directx9 installation issues are a 99% probability cause.  I'd run dxdiag on your machine and see if it reports any problems.

[Karsten75]

You only need to have purchased one version. Contact Virgil with  your non-Steam purchase details for a refund of one game.

You can always use the non-Steam version to get a key for Steam. Details here:  http://knucklecracker.com/blog/index.php/2014/03/steam-keys-for-cw3/

or here: http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=15752.0

As for your current issue:

Please locate a log file and attach (see below a reply box for the Attachment and other options link)

Details on log file location:
CW3:  http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=16476.0
PF:E http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=21330.0

Edit: Virgil also responded while I was collecting links. Please also provide DXDiag results.

[alifbaa]

Ok, let me see if I follow:

CW3 Demo:  Working.
Steam CW3: Pink
Non-Steam CW3: Pink
Particle Fleet Demo: Pink
CW2 : Working?

Magenta/Pink output basically means the GPU could not render the geometry.  Since the geometry is just quads in CW3 (on the splash screen) and the shader is really simple, even really old GPUs should be able to render it.  Driver and directx9 installation issues are a 99% probability cause.  I'd run dxdiag on your machine and see if it reports any problems.

Correct on all: CW1, CW2, and Demo work.  All others do not.

I ran dxdiag, no problems detected.  DirectX 11 installed.  Machine is relatively new (2014) laptop; Intel i7 quadcore @ 1.8,GHz, 16GB RAM, Windows 8.1 64 bit with all updates. 

[alifbaa]

Log file attached. 

[knucracker]

Your problem looks almost identical to this thread's problem:
https://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=20266.0

In that case it was an issue with two GPU's (or drivers).

In your log there are:
d3d: creation params: flags=44 swap=1 vsync=80000000 w=302 h=193 fmt=21 bbcount=1 dsformat=75 pflags=0
d3d: failed to create device [queried technique not available]

And then that is followed later by a bunch of things saying most of the shaders aren't supported (which is because the GPU never initialized).
Googleing around for some of the above strings, I see some other folks have similar problems from on other games.  In all of the cases is came down to a driver issue.  As in a conflict, multiple GPUS, etc.  It looks like sometimes uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers fixed it.  In one case some guy just reinstalled his whole OS (which is a cave man way of reinstall drivers I suppose).

In your case I don't recommend anything you are not comfortable with.  If you can't get it to work and don't want to mess with it anymore, you can do a refund on steam and of course just email support@knucklecracker.com with your order ID and I can refund that purchase for you as well.

[chwooly]

1 thing that might work if you have 2 GPU's as I do is

1) Change default to the non-intel GPU

2) click on non steam desktop icon and select "run with graphics processor"

If you know what GPU is being used then you will be better able to figure out what drivers might need to be changed. Of course this is supposing that you in fact have 2 GPU's, I think you might since you are running 64 bit winders.

Cheers

[alifbaa]

1 thing that might work if you have 2 GPU's as I do is

1) Change default to the non-intel GPU

2) click on non steam desktop icon and select "run with graphics processor"

If you know what GPU is being used then you will be better able to figure out what drivers might need to be changed. Of course this is supposing that you in fact have 2 GPU's, I think you might since you are running 64 bit winders.

Cheers

Oh dude, I'm definitely going to go with the EOD guy on this one.  Never did me wrong before.  Like that time we had a demo shot on a chest-high pile of munitions and were 300m away to take pictures.  That was awesome. 

[alifbaa]

I opened Device Manager and disabled the NVidia GPU.  That fixed it - game is playable.  Unfortunately, it's not stable.  CW2 wasn't stable either...but I finished the game quick enough to be a problem.

Log attached documenting the crash.

[Karsten75]

Seems you might have run out of VRAM (video RAM) for Intel Integrated CPUs, that value can be adjusted.

http://www.pvladov.com/2013/10/increase-intel-hd-graphics-dedicated-video-memory.html

[chwooly]

I opened Device Manager and disabled the NVidia GPU.  That fixed it - game is playable.  Unfortunately, it's not stable.  CW2 wasn't stable either...but I finished the game quick enough to be a problem.

Log attached documenting the crash.

I have my Nvidia GPU set for default, It being the better of the 2 cards. I am always plugged in so battery drain is not an issue.  I don't even bother with the Intel one and have never had a problem.