What does your directx8.log file say?

Nothing special, just that it cant initiate it...

renegade : [06/18/04 10:45:15] Initializing d3d8.1...success!
renegade : [06/18/04 10:45:15] Setting up Mode List
Found 'nv4_disp.dll', 'NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X' driver version 6.14.10.5672
renegade : [06/18/04 10:45:15] Device has 130416640 bytes total.
renegade : [06/18/04 10:45:16] D3D8.1 is valid.
renegade : [06/18/04 10:45:16] SetMode(28, "Vendetta");
HAL (mixed vp)
Creating D3DDevice (fullscreen, 1024, 768, format = D3DFMT_X8R8G8B8, depth = D3DFMT_D24X8, aa = 4)...failed.
renegade : [06/18/04 10:45:16] d3dinit.cpp(109) : D3DERR_OUTOFVIDEOMEMORY
renegade : [06/18/04 10:45:16] SetMode(0, "Vendetta");
HAL (mixed vp)
Creating D3DDevice (fullscreen, 320, 200, format = D3DFMT_R5G6B5, depth = D3DFMT_D16, aa = 4)...success.
Initializing Device Objects...success.
Restoring Device Objects...
0[0]
1[0]
2[0]
3[0]
4[0]
5[0]
6[0]
7[0]
8[0]
9[0]
10[0]
11[0]
12[0]
13[0]
14[0]
15[0]
16[0]
17[0]
18[0]
19[0]
success.

--- This is after manually resetting it to the preset resolution. Just by changing the resolution ingame.

Reloading Textures...done.
Switching to fullscreen, 1024, 768, format = D3DFMT_X8R8G8B8, depth = D3DFMT_D24X8, aa = 4.
Restoring Device Objects...
0[0]
1[0]
2[0]
3[0]
4[0]
5[0]
6[0]
7[0]
8[0]
9[0]
10[0]
11[0]
12[0]
13[0]
14[0]
15[0]
16[0]
17[0]
18[0]
19[0]

And this shows up in the error log:

Windows 5.01.2600 (platform 2) Service Pack 1
Fri Jun 18 10:45:15 2004
[06/18/04 10:45:15] Found driver: "Windows Sound (WAV) driver". Type 1, Version 6.1. Load @0x10000000
[06/18/04 10:45:15] Instantiate address: 100017F0
[06/18/04 10:45:15] Found driver: "DirectX8.1 GKGL driver". Type 5, Version 25.1. Load @0x00d70000
[06/18/04 10:45:15] Instantiate address: 00D73800
[06/18/04 10:45:15] Found driver: "OpenGL Reference GKGL driver". Type 5, Version 25.0. Load @0x00f10000
[06/18/04 10:45:15] Instantiate address: 00F18E60
Input driver initialized.
LoadGKMeshes: Can't load 'weapon_missilepointy_lod2' in 'gaf/weapon_missilepointy_lod2.dfs'
[06/18/04 10:45:27] Playing 'ambient7.ogg'


cheers

Ok, no new info there. All I can suggest is turn off AA and it should work.

It's just annoying because it works if you manually change it. Like this:

STARTS IN 320x200 with 4xAA
CHANGE TO 1024x768 with 4xAA

And it works. errors.log shows no complaints.

Can you bind AA onto a key on a keyboard?

no you can't.