Synthetic Fibers Bug

dioync · February 13, 2003, 05:52

Has anyone else experienced this bug and knows of a work-around? I've attached a screen shot of the tech tree.

I'm using PTW 1.14f (US Version).

Bug description: I can't research synthetic fibers because I can't click on it in the tech tree (nothing happens when clicking on it). I can't even steal it from another civ; when I tried to steal it, I was stuck in a loop because the game wouldn't let me continue without choosing a tech from the other civ, but I couldn't choose synthetic fibers and the other civ had no other techs I didn't have. I had to terminate the game using Alt-Ctrl-Del. Also, as you can see on the screen shot, there are some graphical errors. Strange.

Todd Hawks · February 13, 2003, 06:40

I've never seen this. Try clicking between rocketry and ecology.

I recommend a reinstall.

WarpStorm · February 13, 2003, 06:43

It looks like you need to choose Recycling first.

The Mad Monk · February 13, 2003, 06:44

How much memory are you using?

CerberusIV · February 13, 2003, 06:46

I had a similar problem with civ3 when clicking on Banking didn't work. I found I had to click just to one side of where the tech was on the screen. I have since reinstalled (I reformatted my hard drive for unrelated reasons) and the problem has not recurred.

dioync · February 13, 2003, 08:17

I'm using 256 MB of memory, which should be enough. I already tried clicking on almost every single pixel on the tech tree screen (I'm suspecting that the "clickable area" for synthetic fibers is simply misplaced), but to no avail. Recycling is irrelevant, it doesn't matter whether it's researched or not.

Note: I *can* research synthetic fibers if I click on Stealth. It is then put into the research queue before stealth. But that won't help when trying to steal it from another Civ.

sabrewolf · February 13, 2003, 08:39

your boxes looked screwed up anyway. did you use a mod?

sometimes the coordinate references don't get calculated properly. i had this in civ3 vanilla when the choice of civ for diplomacy i had to click 3-4 lines further down (sometimes below the dialog box!). i solved it by removing one of the fonts.

in your case i don't know. if you can't even steal it from someone, it can't be the coordinate problem...

why don't you post the save game here?

sabrewolf · February 13, 2003, 08:40

other solution: nuke the enemy to death and get him with thousands of artillery, tanks and MIs

dioync · February 13, 2003, 09:14

I didn't use a mod, it's plain PTW with patch 1.14f installed. Posting the save game won't help, because the bug only appears on my machine. I sent the savegame to somebody else, who loaded it, stole the synthetic fibers advance, saved and sent the savegame back to me. On his machine the bug is non-existent.

sabrewolf · February 13, 2003, 09:32

reinstall the game...
and watch that you get the right patch (european version for the european game)

minke19104 · February 13, 2003, 15:16

Looks like ur using Civ3 graphics instead of PTW ones. I've had the same problem before. Reinstall everything from scratch, and make sure u install PTW on a different directory, I think, under Civ 3 dir... Or it must just be a patch problem.

February 13, 2003, 20:16

Quote:

Originally posted by dioync
Recycling is irrelevant, it doesn't matter whether it's researched or not.

Note: I *can* research synthetic fibers if I click on Stealth. It is then put into the research queue before stealth. But that won't help when trying to steal it from another Civ.

Hey dork, it DOES matter. That's why there is a line going from Recycling to Synthetic Fibers.

Also your graphics problem could be attributed to a pirated version, just a thought.

WarpStorm · February 13, 2003, 22:22

You can also get screwed up if you've modded Civ3 (PTW expects a clean Civ3).

Catt · February 14, 2003, 00:17

Are you sure there isn't a mod at work in your game? IIRC, under standard rules, Recycling is an optional tech and is not required to research Synthetic Fibers.

Quote:

Originally posted by bigfree1

Quote:

Originally posted by dioync
Recycling is irrelevant, it doesn't matter whether it's researched or not.

Note: I *can* research synthetic fibers if I click on Stealth. It is then put into the research queue before stealth. But that won't help when trying to steal it from another Civ.

Hey dork, it DOES matter. That's why there is a line going from Recycling to Synthetic Fibers.

I suspect dioync is referring to the fact that you can select any tech on the tech tree, even one with numerous prerequisites, and the "path" to reach your chosen tech will be highlighted (i.e., dioync can select Stealth and have SynFib highliughted as part of the queue, but can't directly select SynFib).

Catt

dioync · February 14, 2003, 02:57

@Catt: Exactly.

And no, I'm not using a pirated version, although I tried to install a No-CD crack for Civ3 (before I got PTW) because I couldn't find my CD at some point. Maybe that's causing the problem, though I can't imagine why this could cause something like this (after all, the No-CD thingy only affects civilization3.exe, which is not needed for PTW, right?). Anyway, I'm just going to reinstall the game. Thanks for the help.

The Mad Monk · February 14, 2003, 03:13

If it dosen't work after the reinstall, check your virtual memory -- Civ III apparently uses it in massive quantities.

February 14, 2003, 04:16

dioync's story doesn't jive with me.

He says that the only thing that is different, that *may* have caused the problem is a no-cd crack he obtained from who knows where (probably the same place he got the files to run the bugged version of the game he's got).

Fact is is that he is running a modded version of the game and doesn't state so in his posts because he doesn't *know* that they ARE modded.

He wouldn't know that the game was modded if he downloaded the game from somewhere (person who made the pirated version available could've easily seen to it that the game plays as he saw fit); but he WOULD know if he modded the game himself, no?

Also, most of us here would've just put any save game files into a temp folder and just re-intalled everything and then tried again to see what happened. Since he has not tried that (takes 10 minutes tops!); I'm concluding that he doesn't have a legit version of the game.

Maybe someone else who has the same version of the game as you might be able to point you in the direction of a fix, but not any of us who actually OWN the game.

Anyway, that's my theory on the matter. Sorry if I went to far, but there has been so many posts for bugs in the game, missing files, ect.... that can all be traced to pirated versions of the game. This is unfair to the companies that make it and to me because if they lack money to support the current release of the game at a high level or even enough to not consider making another Civ title, then we can blame those that stole their copies from Firaxis.

dioync, if you really own the game, I apologize; otherwise you are a thief that is hurting the game of Civilization.

dioync · February 14, 2003, 04:35

Re-installed everything now (I hate installing software

). The bug seems to be gone now. I'd really like to know what caused it... but I guess I'll never find out. Must have been the no-CD crack, although I can't imagine how that could have caused it. Whatever, I'm glad it works now.

Mad Mariner · February 18, 2003, 11:57

Quote:

Re-installed everything now (I hate installing software ). The bug seems to be gone now. I'd really like to know what caused it... but I guess I'll never find out. Must have been the no-CD crack, although I can't imagine how that could have caused it. Whatever, I'm glad it works now.

Translated into english this means

"Oops ive been rumbled best pretend its all sorted"

(wink wink say no more)