the black screen is not something I know how to fix. All I know about it is that it's been there forever. I didn't change anything that could possibly cause this. My guess is that it could be connected to some desynch problem. Usually, when other players are in town (not in dungeons) and you join, it doesn't happen.
Also, I would recommend playing private games. Olaf knows how safe it is to play this way. Noone interrupts your game. No lags, no severe desynch, etc. Scratch me a PM if you want to know more about it