In an effort to stop the girlfriend nagging about my Civ problem, I'm getting her hooked on the game. A simple thing, really. I recommend it.

We want to mess around with Direct IP, and went to set up a MP game. Seems we cannot select MP if mods are loaded, even if we're both using the same [HOF-2.00.002] mod? Am I doing something wrong, is it the HOF mod in particular, or does MP simply fail to work with any mods loaded?

Thanks!

The HOF mod is single player only. There are probably some others that are single player only, but I think most of them also work for MP if you both have the same mod.

Yes, the HoF Mod is, indeed set for single player mode.

I recommend you upgrade to HOF-Mac-2.08.004, as it fixes some bugs in the earlier version.

As long as you are using it for personal play and not for GOTM then you could try setting it for multi-player. Edit the following file in TextEdit:

Civ4/Warlords/Mods/HOF-Mac-2.08.004/HOFSettings.txt

Find the comment text:

# This mod is only for single player games

Change the next line, defining the SinglePlayerOnly flag, to read:

SinglePlayerOnly = 0

This should enable the Multiplayer options when you start the game. However, I have no idea whether the mod will still work in this mode, as a lot of its display functions may depend on the current player being player #1, and you can't both be player #1. I have no way to test it, as I only have one workable Civ4 Mac and one copy of the software, so please let us know how you get on.

I've been holding off on the latest HOF upgrade until I finish my current game, but I'll make the switch and let you know how it goes. And I'll be sure to be player #1! :D

Actually, I lied about the player number. A single human player is always #0. I was thinking Civ3 for a moment there.

I run the HOF software by putting the Assets folder from the mod in Documents/Civilization IV and renaming it CustomAssets. That way you can open any game as it doesn't lock you into using a specific mod when you open a save.

When I tried to open a PBEM game with that loaded parts of the interface just don't show up. I had noticed this in vanilla earlier, and I tried the latest HOF last night with a Warlords PBEM and saw the same thing.

That figures. It probably can't cope with the concept of multiple human players.

We haven't played too much yet, but as far as I can tell it's mostly, or entirely, the diplomacy interface that doesn't work, so the mod is still useful.

A graphic oddity: On a dual iMac the gamescreen behind the various interfaces crashes, then restores itself when exiting the interface. This isn't an issue on the MBP. I don't know if the problem only exists with the MP function turned on.