v1.16f: Issues? Bugs? This is the thread - Page 11

Libertarian · December 24, 2001, 06:21

Corruption was fixed in the latest patch. It was reduced from outrageous to absurd.

Desert Dog · December 24, 2001, 09:06

Just curious how far you played with the patch installed to determine the corruption levels were better or worse? I could not get past the industrial ages in 3 games and modern age in last game. I was using a mod the last game to fix the dumb ass problems with combat the patch causes.
I play on 230x230 maps with only 8 civs. The game after a while really labors to handle this too! Almost seems like it was written in "basic" programming language!

I mean, comparing it to fast written code for 3D games that have no page flipping on the screen etc.

I mean anyone who knows anything about how computer graphics are supposed to be done knows better. I LOVE the new units and animation, but why does it take up to 2-5 minutes a turn in late games when I am using a 1.0 ghz AMD - New Radeon Video card - 256 meg of ram PC? I was expecting and hoping for a totally different game then what we have. Oh well!

Desert Dog

TheChief · December 24, 2001, 10:30

I've come to learn that by the year 1900 I'd better know how I'm planning on winning the game. Too many times I've noticed that it's the late in the 20th Century and I'm just about 3/4 of the way through the Industrial ages and then I try to make the United Nations and hope for a good vote.

In this last particular game, I won the space race around 2020 I believe. I had to take out a large Russian area because they were a constant threat. In doing so I pushed so far down that no matter what the amount of production was from the city, corruption consumed it all with the exception of one shield each. In most instances I was scrapping artillery, tanks, bombers, and mech infantry just to build the requisite temple and walls. All of this and having democracy, courthouses and police stations. The corruption levels are just a joke.

I'm happy to say that I racked up my highest score since I got the game. Lincoln the Terrible with a score of 3903 on Regent level and I'm very happy. Maybe one day I'll graduate to the next level..

Johnny

star mouse · December 26, 2001, 22:39

The game has numerous slowdowns that need addressing. Here are several I have noticed:

Game takes between 3 and 5 minutes between turns.
Game takes 15 seconds between clicking on the "Will you accept this deal?" button and the AI's response.
When cultural borders expand, the game pauses for 10 seconds, often pausing this long for each city's border expansion.

There is a common task that takes ages to perform at each of these steps. I'm guessing it's the calculation of culture borders and trade routes. These could be optimised easily.

barefootbadass · December 27, 2001, 20:54

Quote:

Originally posted by solo
1. No more trading of cities? The AI never consider it after the patch.

It seems to me that it will no longer trade for cities that are likely to revert. It will deal for good cities, at least some of them.

Mr. Socks · December 28, 2001, 04:13

For some reason, I haven't seen anybody else mention this (seems unlikely that it would be just me). Changing the audio preferences doesn't have the desired effect re: music / sfx on/off check boxes:
- the on / off checkbox status very often doesn't match what the game is really doing, especially right after loading a game or starting a new one
- If I turn off the music, it restarts next turn (turning it off a second time works for good though)
- some ambient sounds, like the bird chirp, seem impossible to turn off.

To Dr. K: I'd really recommend giving Civ III a try. I have the same civ background as you (playing since Civ I, but never tried the CTP or AC games) and I have to say that for me, Civ III is the best in the series so far. Sure, there are a couple of things I would change if it were up to me, but that's unavoidable. If I didn't have the game, and I was reading these forums, I'd probably think the same thing as you -- that it's a buggy POS. But I only experienced a couple of the many bugs people have been reporting. IMHO, it's more polished and has fewer bugs than a good two thirds of the games released these days, and has *never* crashed on me after about a dozen games and maybe 80 hours of playing, even though I'm constantly messing around with drivers & swapping hardware in & out of my system, and always have tonnes of things like spreadsheets and pr0n MPEGs running in the background. This must make it one of the most stable pieces of software on my system. Maybe I'm just lucky, but clearly not everyboy has had problems with it. Too bad there's no easy legal way to try it out without buying it.

sevensterre · December 31, 2001, 00:17

Quote:

Originally posted by Colonel Kraken

I didn't have the game before the patch, but I think it's curious that when I'm allies with a civ and I liberate one of his cities and offer to give it back to him, he refuses! Sometimes if I offer it for nothing in return the AI will take it. If I ask them what they will give me in exchange for the city, I get the, "That cannot be done at this time" or some such response. Not even 1 gold? Come on. Why would the AI refuse taking a city back that he formerly had? This happens also, of course, when I offer an ally a city that, although not formerly his, it is a city that is next to his borders and would connect contiguously with his empire. Why would the AI refuse to accept such a gift?

Is this a design decision? Hmmm . . . . I like to play the nice, benevolent civ, but this makes it kind of difficult.

I had a similar problem. After discovering the French, they did not show up in the foreign advisor screen. After wiggling the mouse pointer over the area where Joan's mug should have been I got a green disk to show up. After goofing around for a while and left-clicking in the green disk, Joan's face finally showed up. Wierd.

If you hold down the shift key while you right click on a picture in the foreign adviser you can bring one of the powers not shown to the front. Also with the patch the A.I. will trade cities while making peace to end a war they are losing, if they are small cities.

Junnila · January 4, 2002, 18:42

I was playing as Egyptians and Mahatma Gandhi contacted me and offered me a mutual protection pact. As the Russia was already devastating a few other civs and had an army of about 200 units at the ancient age or so I kindly agreed to his request.
It was already at the end of the turn, so after I had accepted to a mutual protection pact the game told me to press enter(I have "wait at the end of the turn" enabled).
So I went on and pressed the enter to end the turn... right after I did it, the Indians declared war on the Egyptians.
I guess it has to be a bug or its just plain stupidity. Why on earth would the peaceful Indians(least aggressive civ according to civ3 editor) who have weak military compared to me, declare a war right after we have sealed a mutual protection pact?
India was "polite" and their people were in awe of my culture.
Was Gandhi unsatisfied with the 1.16f patch and is showing his anger towards the Egyptians?

hurdygurdy · January 4, 2002, 19:36

Destroying harbors causes the game to hang proportionally to the map size and the number of civs. In a huge map, 16 civs, it lasts about 2 minutes.

Trade route calculations are horrid.

Shift-P also causes a hang as if it has to search all tiles for pollution instead of having a list of pollutioned tiles to search through.

typongtive · January 5, 2002, 07:02

Right now I am the babylonians and I am kicking butt...but the problem is now every time I go to a new turn the game crashes...geesh I am almost to the end of the amount of years I need...I am on a huge map with 8 civs..3 left besides my own..why is this game crashing so much..oh yeah I have the new patch and it did the same thing with the original install of the game...anyone help?..I did reinstall it all twice already..thinking of civ2 right now.

typongtive · January 5, 2002, 07:08

I am on Windows Me and I to am having the same issues..I freaked at first and thought it was a virus

Quote:

Originally posted by Biggles266
Has anyone else noticed this?

If I start my PC and then run Civ3, on the next boot or restart I get the message:

__________________________________
Please wait while Setup updates your configuration files. This may take a few minutes...

Completed updating files, contiunuing to load Windows...
__________________________________

To test, turn on your PC. Do not run anything. Restart. Watch for message while booting. Run Civ3. Quit. Restart PC. Watch for message while booting. I can reproduce this without fail.

Now I know this isn't much of a big deal but it takes my system boot time (from the Starting Windows 98... bit) from 13 seconds up to about 14 or 15 seconds so I don't like it.

Win98SE
Civ3 1.16f

I don't know if this really helps for this problem but here are the specs anyway:
Processor and Speed Intel Pentium III ~550MHz
Total System Memory 384Mb
DirectX Version DirectX 8.1 (4.08.01.0881)

Video Card Name NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 Model 64/Model 64 Pro
Manufacturer NVIDIA
Approx. Total Memory 31.5Mb

Sound Card Name Creative SBPCI Direct Sound Driver
Manufacturer Creative

Video Driver: 4.13.01.2183
Sound Driver: 4.12.01.2011

Venger · January 5, 2002, 14:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Libertarian
Corruption was fixed in the latest patch. It was reduced from outrageous to absurd.

I love seeing Libertarian turn on this game like a rabid dog. Go get em boy!

Venger

Venger · January 5, 2002, 15:01

The updating system configuration is usually caused by the wininit.ini file being run. You indeed could have a virus - there are some that work via wininit.exe and wininit.ini.

Venger

Martinus Magnificus · January 5, 2002, 20:45

I don't know if anyone has reported this before, but I noticed a bug when trying to load a saved game. I can't scroll down to the last saved game in the list. It only works correctly after I go to another folder and then return to the 'saves' folder. Maybe it has something to do with the number of saved games (I save a lot)?

Furthermore, I find it really hard to plant spies in foreign countries. In the 30 or so times I tried to do this, only once (!!!) I succeeded. Since every time you try to plant a spy it'll cost you a lot of money, I find this really annoying (here's one reason for my saved games list being so long!). Thus, I wonder if this was intended.

I too have the problem that others mentioned before in this thread: I get black rectangles and misplaced city borders for settlers on my screen when using higher resolutions (I have a Nvidia Geforce 2 video card and downloaded the latest Nvidia driver).

Speaking of which, adding the line "Video Mode=1792 / Video Mode=1600 / Video Mode=1280 / Video Mode=1152" in the civilization3.ini file (supposed to force the screen resolution to one of these settings, see the readme file that came with the patch), doesn't work for me. Instead, I have to set my desktop resolution to 1280x1024 and ad the line "KeepRes=1" in the civilization3.ini file to get the desired resolution.

Hopefully these and other issues (like no stacking option and rebelling foreign citizens killing all stationed cavalry/tanks when deposing) will be adressed in the next patch.

Martinus Magnificus (AKA Imperator)

Grrr · January 5, 2002, 21:00

I was also having the problems of constant update setup files, until I switch my computer OFF entirely. Since then it hasn't done it. It doesn't really matter for me because my Scanner and Flashrom drive fight eachother for 2 minutes during startup, so the couple of seconds aren't noticed.

Code Monkey · January 6, 2002, 17:14

Three things to add if someone else hasn't mentioned them already (way too many posts to read through them all):

1. If you change the border factor setting the game doesn't display the new thresholds in the city view - someone hardcoded the border thresholds into to the display function rather than use the border factor variable.

E.g. I changed it to 8, so my city should display say 24/64 but instead it shows 24/100. It continues to diplay '/100' even after the borders have grown to level 2 at 64 culture. A minor bug but an annoying one to people trying to mod the game more to their liking.

2. If you change the production values for terrain the game doesn't display it correctly with the "show values" option on.

E.g. I changed grassland to a base of 2f/1s since I have a hard time believing that desertification to plains magically makes shields appear. Nonetheless, the game still only displays two green dots on regular grassland.

3. This one is a real bug. The game is prone to totally lock up when using the goto command for certain units being sent to certain squares. I'll go to send a Modern Armor to a certain city and, bonk, whole machine is completely locked up. If I reboot and repeat the same move with the same unit, lock up again.

Alexander's Horse · January 6, 2002, 19:42

For some reason I can't do espionage on all the civs even though I have embassies with all of them. One civ doesn't come up on the menu - this time the Russians, last time it was someone else.

Qilue · January 7, 2002, 20:30

Corrections.

Be'lial
City list is based on culture total, sooner or later, that German city will overtake your city based on culture output.

Pythagoras
Find city = ctrl-F or ctrl-shift-F or somthing like that. It's one of the 'hidden' hotkeys. :P

Father Beast
Non working harbors? Were you,
a) at war with another civ
b) had not yet researched astronomy
c) Did not have the great lighthouse
If you answered 'yes' to all three, then he/she had a ship somewhere along each coast and was blockading your luxury city.

GeorgePauley
Use ctrl-shift-m and scour the map, the coal is there, it's probably just well hidden.

hurdygurdy
The game doesn't 'hang', it's recalculating the trade network. I bombarded a city with a harbour and the game froze for about 30 seconds. During this time I pondered whether the game had crashed or I got the harbour. Still a bug because this takes far too long in late game.

Possible bugs.

Free update of world map.
If you have most of the map de-blacked through trades or exploration and later (say 100-200 turns) having not traded any maps, if you save, exit and restart the game, your world map is now fully updated.

Unit moving using left click.
If you click+hold on a distant square, it takes 1 or 2 seconds for the move path and destination circle to appear. However if you click+hold and then drag from 1 square away from the destination square, there is no delay. (I think I explained this the right way)

eyes · January 7, 2002, 21:37

I'm not entirely sure but I think the Win ME setup bug (where it says it is updating the system files each time you reboot) is because of the safedisc cd copy protection.

I get the same thing everytime I boot up AFTER playing Operation Flashpoint. If I don't play flashpoint and then reboot it doesn't happen - there was some complaint about this over at the flashpoint forums and I think the finger was pointed at safe disc.

Seeing as Civ3 uses safedisc and the same "problem" is being reported then it is reasonable to assume it is safedisc.

Try booting up, not running anything that uses safedisc or changes the system files then switching off and rebooting. If you STILL see the message then I would recommend running a virus scanner. I've heard there are some good free ones online these days but I've never tried any. I f you don't have a virus scanner then Try one of these (or alternatively do what I do and use Inoculate IT personal Eddition)

Haven't noticed if civ3 causes the "setup bug" cos after playing so much flashpoint I don't really notice anymore.

My bugs:

Corruption

Civ3.exe and Sound.dll repeatedly crashing.

Oh and please add an option to disabel the into vid (like a cmd line -nosplash as it really is a waste of time after the first view and annoying in terms of changing vid resolution)

Willem · January 8, 2002, 00:07

Yeah I know you didn't design the editor to add Wonders, so it's not really your problem. But there's one out there so I figure you may as well deal with it.

Anyway, there's a problem with the splash screen graphics that pop up when my small wonder is finished, and the game tries to crash. My Norton Crashguard let's me continue with no further problems though, until I complete my next "illegal" wonder. Any chance you could give us a preference that allows us to turn off those pop-ups? That would eliminate my problem quite easily, and I really don't need to see those things all the time. Once is enough frankly.

Grrr · January 8, 2002, 01:45

Don't know if this has been mentioned yet:

If I have removed the interface (DEL), double click a city to open the city status. Exit the city status, and the interface is back GRRR!!.

Oops, shouldn't quote myself!

Drunken5yearold · January 8, 2002, 03:31

If you have access to a resource, but can't find it on the map, it's because it appeared on one of your city squares. I found this out when I noticed a city was producing a lot more gold than it should have.

Besides some small problems everybody else has experienced (sound during battles, lines disappearing) I've also had two other problems:

1) On my computer with a 17 inch monitor, I have problems with the font size. For example, the options at the bargaining table aren't visible, but if move the mouse beneath it several of the top options get highlighted. Does anybody know anything I can do about font trouble?

2) On another computer, the game stutters whenever I try to use the Civilopedia. The computer is fast, and works fine outside of the civilopedia.

Any help would be appreciated.

ullteppe · January 8, 2002, 07:15

To Drunken5yearold:

As for 1) , textproblem, look here:
http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...514#post589628

.....

bloodysmurf · January 8, 2002, 14:54

I've encountered two problems in gameplay that I'm not sure have been mentioned yet:

Worker Automation: When automated with Shift-A, my workers will still sometimes replace mines with irrigation, and vice versa.

Trade: When I offer a Technology for trade and ask what the civ will give in return, they often offer a great deal. However, when I remove one of the items that they're offering, the deal suddenly becomes insulting. Plus, I'm fairly sure that some civs give away more gold/turn in deals than they could possible come up with.

-ollie-

Captain Sponge · January 8, 2002, 17:17

Well so far I have encountered two fairly serious issues.

The first was the 'integer divide by zero' bug. That was solved easily enough, although it was rather annoying to have to delete two thirds of my fonts in order to play the game at all. I would certainly like this to be fixed.

The second I haven't found a solution for, and it looks like at least one other person has encountered a similar bug in this thread.

While playing my first game (huge map, only a few civs, so I can get a feel for the new rules without being under pressure) all of a sudden it crashes when I start a new turn. (access violation, kernel32 also crashes with an AV when I use the start bar after the crash) I can reload the last save, but it crashes at exactly the same point. I can send the saved game if it helps - the save is right before the point where it crashes.

Drunken5yearold · January 8, 2002, 19:44

ullteppe, thanks for the help, that's pure genius! How did you ever figure that out?

justjake73 · January 8, 2002, 22:58

Long thread, so this has likely been addressed already, sorry but...

Could you please make resources more prevalent? I have a Huge map 80pct land and the continent I am on has not ONE source of Saltpeter or Horses! Saltpeter seems to be concentrated on another continent in France, and the Japanese have 3 horses! I know I know, trade, but I do not like to be dependent on another power for strategic resources!

Maccabee2 · January 9, 2002, 01:00

Hmm, Kemosabe. Me thinks me wait longer to buy new computer just to buy Civ3. Game sound like it have more bugs than Custer's moldy corpse. Me wait to see if Firaxis get patch to fix rest of bugs .... and not use Win ME or 2000. Engineer friend say it bad medicine.

Willem · January 9, 2002, 02:17

Quote:

Originally posted by justjake73
Long thread, so this has likely been addressed already, sorry but...

Could you please make resources more prevalent? I have a Huge map 80pct land and the continent I am on has not ONE source of Saltpeter or Horses! Saltpeter seems to be concentrated on another continent in France, and the Japanese have 3 horses! I know I know, trade, but I do not like to be dependent on another power for strategic resources!

You can adjust the prevalance of resources in the Editor. Saltpeter now has an Appearance Ratio of 120. You can set it for a maximum of 300, so more than double the amount that exists now. You can also set it so that it won't disappear on you.

Libertarian · January 9, 2002, 08:00

And how do you set its distribution by continent?