How do you alter default game options?

Ilkuul · April 3, 2001, 19:13

This may be a simple question, but... can someone tell me how you can change the defaults for the game options in Civ2 MGE -- all the stuff like sound effects, waiting at the end of each turn, tutorial help, etc.? Oh, and also whether the production-completed notices default to 'Zoom to city' or 'Continue'?

In my version, for instance, tutorial help is always off until I turn it on (at any level higher than Chieftain) -- even when I reload a saved game; and the production-completed notices always default to 'Continue'. But I've noticed in MP games played online, and others I've downloaded, that these defaults seem to be different. Can anyone tell me how this is done?

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Ilkuul

Every time you win, remember: "The first shall be last".
Every time you lose, remember: "The last shall be first".

finbar · April 3, 2001, 22:14

Go to the File Menu, open it, you'll see various options - Game, City Report, Graphics, etc. The Game Options sub-menu will solve most of your problems.

You'll also find - or I do, anyway - that when you start a session continuing a MP game, your City Report options all revert to default. Most annoying.

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Ilkuul · April 4, 2001, 13:45

Thanks, finbar, but I think you missed my main point, which was how to alter the DEFAULT options: I'm well aware of the Game Options on the file menu, but I want to know how to change the settings it starts out with each time -- for instance, to have tutorial help always ON when you start a game. As I say, I've seen this in other people's games, but can't seem to change it in my own.

DaveV · April 4, 2001, 14:12

Ikkul - my impression is that the game reloads the last options you used if you begin a new game. But the options seem to be stored in the save file, meaning I have to go in and adjust the options if I load someone else's save file.

Ilkuul · April 4, 2001, 14:50

quote:

Originally posted by DaveV on 04-04-2001 02:12 PM
Ikkul - my impression is that the game reloads the last options you used if you begin a new game...

That may be true for the other game options (music, pausing at the end of a turn, etc.), but it definitely does not happen with tutorial help. I find that whatever I do, whether I'm starting a new game or loading a saved game, it starts out with tutorial help OFF (except at Chieftain level). What you say about saved games may apply if I'm loading a game saved on someone else's machine; but not to my own saved games!

What I'm wondering is if there's any way of changing GAME.TXT or CIV.INI (or some other control file) to alter these defaults.

DaveV · April 4, 2001, 15:05

There's a file called CIV2.DAT that seems to be updated each time I play; but it's a binary file so your chances of modifying it are slim. I couldn't turn off the tutorial help fast enough, so I can't help you much with having it enabled all the time. It may be tied directly to difficulty level.

finbar · April 5, 2001, 01:22

Sorry for the confusion, Ilkuul.

Like DaveV, I suspect it might be locked into the software. That aside, though, how have you seen the changed default in MP games? Or the downloaded games?

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Chris1111 · April 5, 2001, 09:51

Dont know if I should put this here to but... What about changing the letters you can press to build something?

example: when you press 'r' it builds a road or railroad, is it possible to change that to a different key?

Reason I asked:
My 'o' key sticks a lot and I just hate when it does and all of a sudden I have like 20 settlers all changing the terrain

Scouse Gits · April 5, 2001, 10:47

I think you are stuffed Chris ... your only hope is to change the line in menu.txt which includes the 'hot key' designations -- however, a quick glance assured me that in the the other language versions menu.ger & menu.fre the same hot keys are used suggesting that the hotkeys are hard wired and not read from the menu file -- sorry.

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finbar · April 5, 2001, 20:40

You're not wrong.

Maybe it's worth pursuing the originator of the downloaded game if that's possible. Most games posted for downloading are sourced to their originator.

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Ilkuul · April 6, 2001, 00:13

quote:

Originally posted by finbar on 04-05-2001 01:22 AM
How have you seen the changed default in MP games? Or the downloaded games?

Well, for instance I recently downloaded a saved game from another website: it was at Emperor level, but came up with tutorial help ON. I've played the game, saved it on my own machine, and reopened it, and every time tut. help remains on. That DOESN'T happen with my own games: if I start an emp. level game, turn tut. help on in the game options, save, exit, and then reopen it -- tut. help is OFF, and I have to go into game options again to turn it on. This suggests that whoever started that game must have had tut. help turned on by default, so his saved games 'remember' that.

The same downloaded game also defaulted to "Zoom to city" in the production-completed screen, rather than "Continue", as mine does.

Rather a baffling mystery...

Ilkuul · April 6, 2001, 16:22

Well, it does look as tho' no-one here has found a solution to this problem, so I'll see what I can find out from the originator of the game. (It was from the Civ Fanatics website.)

Thanks for your suggestions, tho'!