Hi, I have the same problem as the original poster (did getting a new card help, BTW?). I'm using Debian etch, lspci output: VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility M6 LY.

If I run the client from the command line, I get the following messages:
ATTENTION: default value of option force_s3tc_enable overridden by environment.

planeshift.application.client:
  PlaneShift Crystal Blue
  This game uses Crystal Space Engine created by Jorrit and others
  1.2.0 [Unix-x86-GCC]
    1913 LOG_ANY flag deactivated with no filter.
<snip>
    1922 All LOGS are off.
Mounting skin: /this/art/skins/default.zip
    5638 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5639 Could not open image: >/this/art/gui/border/topleft.png<
    5639 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5639 Could not open image: >/this/art/gui/border/topright.png<
    5639 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5639 Could not open image: >/this/art/gui/border/bottomleft.png<
    5639 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5639 Could not open image: >/this/art/gui/border/bottomright.png<
    5639 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5639 Could not open image: >/this/art/gui/border/leftmiddle.png<
    5639 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5639 Could not open image: >/this/art/gui/border/rightmiddle.png<
    5639 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5639 Could not open image: >/this/art/gui/border/topmiddle.png<
    5639 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5639 Could not open image: >/this/art/gui/border/bottommiddle.png<
    5640 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5640 Could not open image: >/paws/base/maps/leather/top_left_1.png<
    5640 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5640 Could not open image: >/paws/base/maps/leather/top_right_1.png<
    5640 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5640 Could not open image: >/paws/base/maps/leather/bottom_left_1.png<
    5640 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5640 Could not open image: >/paws/base/maps/leather/bottom_right_1.png<
    5640 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5640 Could not open image: >/paws/base/maps/leather/left_1.png<
    5640 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5640 Could not open image: >/paws/base/maps/leather/right_1.png<
    5640 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5640 Could not open image: >/paws/base/maps/leather/top_1.png<
    5640 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
    5640 Could not open image: >/paws/base/maps/leather/bottom_1.png<
Mounting skin: /planeshift/art/skins/base/client_base.zip
   13137 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
   13158 Could not open image: >/paws/real_skin/gui/cleaver.png<
   13159 <src/common/paws/pawsimagedrawable.cpp:56 PreparePixmap>
   13159 Could not open image: >/paws/real_skin/gui/longsd.png<
  psEngine initialized.
Using fontsize 13 for resolution 800x600

I do have the background properly rendered in the setup and the updater, and also when I get the error the message telling I need to enter passwd/no account with that name, so it doesn't look like it's a problem my video card (I'm no expert on the matter though, so it might be...). Any ideas?


edited to add: after leaving the login screen on for a while (while registering on the forums typing up my post), the program produced the following errors:

  959630 <src/common/net/netbase.cpp:1108 QueueMessage>
  959656 *** Input Buffer Full! Yielding for packet, client 0, type MSGTYPE_DISCONNECT, input queue 0!

<snip>

 1040421 <src/common/net/netbase.cpp:1116 QueueMessage>
 1040421 *** Input Buffer Full! Yielding for packet, client 0, type MSGTYPE_SYSTEM, input queue 0!
psEngine destroyed. <-- that was me pressing the Quit button
Segmentation fault

All progam output is now written in italics.

Thanks for any help...