Can you play A Christmas story - Director's Cut on Steam or AOE2DE?

In 2006, "A Christmas story - Director's Cut" was designed for AOE2: The Conquerors (http://aok.heavengames.com/blacksmith/showfile.php?fileid=8144.) It looks like an excellent scenario.

Unfortunately, even when I follow the installation instructions correctly, it crashes after the opening Story screen. I think that it probably crashes because it was designed for AOE2, whereas I am playing it on AOE2:HD, the Steam Version.

When I downgrade my AOE2:HD version to one of the "Beta" versions like 4.3 that you can install by right clicking on AOE2:HD in your Steam menu, then at least the first minute or two of this Scenario works. I take this to mean that for some reason the Scenario works on the earlier releases of AOE2 rather than the later, HD Steam versions.

Another player told me that he was not able to get the Scenario to work on his Steam version either. He wrote that I should be able to play it using the AOE2:Conquerors Compaitibility Patch, (http://aoccs.net) though.

I was able to install the AOE2 Compatibility Patch version fine. At least the Compatibility Patch Version works when I run its .EXE file, and it is able to run the Christmas Scenario. Unfortunately, the Compatibility Patch version's graphics appear defective. Namely, the AOE2 main menu appears as a kind of simplistic grainy, shiny blue or purple hue, and in the game, there is a major smattering of red speckles on the green grass and green trees. It is so bad on the ocean tiles that they look neon purple.

I am running Windows 7. The original version of AOE1 has a known similar graphics problem when you run it on Windows 7- the ocean had white or yellow shining speckles, and one easy solution for that is to have the Desktop Resolution screen open and running in the "background" of your computer's programs.

I tried running the Desktop Resolution screen in my background when running the Compatibility Patch and it didn't solve the problem. I couldn't find a solution online either.