I have a very,very serious problem with my game. When I edited the Civ3mod.bic file (changed the rules) my game froze and always froze between 300B.C and 200A.D. So I tried uninstalling it the reinstalling it that dident work. So I thought it was a glich with the cd (since it was cracked on the middle plastic part which is not a very important part on the disk), so I exchanged it for a new one and came home I was almost shure that it would work so I loaded it up on my comp and started a random map and it worked fine until 350 B.C when it froze again so I thought my comp had a virus on it so I did a virus scan and then I loaded another game up and it worked fine until 150 A.D when it froze again (By this time I was rippen the hair off my head)so I did a little thinking and thought I needed the lates patch (since my Warrior Kings game froze until I got the patch) So after I downloaded the patch I loaded another random map game and it froze again at 150 A.D.So the last thing Icould thing of was there was a error so I did a error scan and it dident work (well it was worth a try) So now I cant play my game at all! I need some serious help (and phycological help since I was bald the day after:lol: ) Well on my part thats my last laugh until I fix this. ~ANY HELP WOULD BE NICE.~I AM GOING TO MAKE A CIV3EDIT HELP CENTER AFTER I EXPIREMENT AND FIX MY GAME. ILL TELL YOU WHAT NOT TO EDIT AND WHAT YOU CAN EDIT. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

Uninstall Civ 3, delete the directory, and if you are feeling brave, go into the registry and delete everything Civ3

Reboot, re-install, install the patch. If the installation gives you any errors at all (i.e. it couldnt copy from the cd), dont just keep trying till it works. Uninstall and reinstall until it goes smoothly.

Then, if you still get the problem, make sure that your civ3mod.bic is the original. If it has any modifications that arent accompanied by graphic files, the game will crash.

If all else fails, return here.

GIDustin

Geez.....Sombody should of told me this earlier, that explains why my game crashes. But if you modify like how much science bonuses the scientist gets would that crash the game? Or if you modify an improvment or wonder. If it does how do you keep it from crashing? + If I uninstall it I would have to reload all the downloaded files like womoks terrain graphics and my new reasources I put in.....But if it fixes the game im willing to do it. (A true civer I am:love: )

Originally posted by Republic_Outlaw
and my new reasources I put in

Did you do all the graphics for everything you changed? If you added units, you need animations and PCX files. Resources can survive with just the resources.pcx edits, but most everything else requires much editing before it works flawlessly.

After you did all your changes, did you ever edit anything in the PediaIcons.txt file? If you didnt, I am surprised you were able to make it as far as you did.

GIDustin

This sounds like EXACTLY the problem I had with my mod. Did you add/rename ANY units? If you did, here's what I bet happened: You misspelled a folder while you were renaming it (or forgot to rename it entirely). I had added a unit called the "Eastern Spearman" that was only available to Eastern civs, but forgot to rename it. I played as a "Western" civ to test, so everytime around 3000-2000 BC the game crashed and I had no idea why. It was because the AI was trying to build the unit and that caused the game to freeze up (crash). I highly reccomend you check this BEFORE doing any uninstalling or registry editing. I bet five acorns to one thats your problem.

Hmm. If you don't have all the proper .flc's and text, etc, for me at least, isn't the game supposed to show an error box, then close to desktop? It has never froze for me.

Well, I did try to download 3 new units and never suceeded in putting them in the game. I named the 3 files that I put the attack, death etc. flic in that folder and named it exactly what the unit was named (did I do that right?). And I tried to putt the icons in the pedia icon thing and couldent get them in because they were lyin all over the place, but it never froze after I did that, it just froze after I edited the stuff in the Civ3mod.bic folder. Does that ring any bells? But im almost posotive its not the units I tried (and not the reasources eather) it had to be when I edited the rules. Who knows.....any ideas?

And no it did not close and have a black screen and no error message came up. it just.....stopped running. When I did ctrl+alt+delete it said {not responding} so I waited and waited and waited and nothing happend so I closed it.

And it always happens after I clk the "next turn" button. Its like it couldent load or read something?

Then I'm sure it's not the units that's causing it. Back before I knew what I was doing, I would add in units, but only when they were completed and about to show up over the city, the game would show an error message. Actually, every crash with Civ3 I've ever had has been like that.

You should NOT rename any FLCs. Instead, rename the INI to the name of the unit.

I am betting that is your problem. The INI refers to files that you just renamed, and cannot find them

GIDustin

What are your computer specs? In around the game period you're talking about, the waits start getting longer. Is it possible you're PC runs it so slow, that the wait between turns just seems like it's frozen?

No it goes very very fast but when you get to one of those turns in just freezes. I mean it sais {not responding} if it says that it eather stopped running or waiting from a response from me (I cant give a response because its frozen) so it just stops reading the disk when it gets to a certain point.

Then I don' have a clue. I still don't think it's the units, though.

Back when I had my ole P-75 and played Imperialism I, I had that happen to me, but tha was because I didn't have enough RAM for all the info it needed to go through.

Sorry dude, hope you get it working.

Originally posted by GIDustin
You should NOT rename any FLCs. Instead, rename the INI to the name of the unit.

I am betting that is your problem. The INI refers to files that you just renamed, and cannot find them

GIDustin

Thats what I renamed, the INI files. Not the flics.

I cant even get to the mid middle ages anymore! This bug needs to be idenified and fixed in the next patch! Im sick of this happening, I know there has to be a answer out there I just know it. This also happend when I first got the game after I edited the rules, and it would make me real mad if I cant! I took this game to one of my friends houses and downloaded it there to see if it would work so I edited the rules and loaded a game, and it too froze but at 1500 A.D. I know its a error with the CD it needs to be fixed!This better not happen when I edit the rules when I get PTW... If it does ill knock Firaxis for a loop... BAMM! BAMM! BAMM! (hitting his head on the wall)

OWW! Now ive got a headache.............

Ill post a PIC when I get back from campin (Im only gone for today and ill be back tonight) so if you can think of anything pls post, any reply might be the answer.

Originally posted by Republic_Outlaw
When I edited the Civ3mod.bic file (changed the rules) my game froze and always froze between 300B.C and 200A.D. So I tried

You shouldn't edit the original bic file, save your changes as a scenario in the folder that's provided, and use the Load Scenario option on the first screen.

I have a problem myself. Every so often (no particular time when it occours), when I zoom into my city or investigate an enemy city it crashes. Completely! It closes Civ 3 and returns me to my desktop! What is wrong! It is really anoying me and yes I have installed some units/graphics. Nothing to do with the cities though!:aargh: :aargh3: Please help!

Originally posted by Senoj
I have a problem myself. Every so often (no particular time when it occours), when I zoom into my city or investigate an enemy city it crashes. Completely! It closes Civ 3 and returns me to my desktop! What is wrong! It is really anoying me and yes I have installed some units/graphics. Nothing to do with the cities though!:aargh: :aargh3: Please help!

I'm having a similar problem, occasionaly, when I try to establish an embassy. As soon as it tries to go a certain civ's city view, the game crashes to desktop. I'm guessing, in my case, that it might have something to do with adding a couple of Citizens. I added an Engineer available with Steam Power, and I just recently discovered that when I try to select it, the game will crash. So I suspect that the civs I tried to establish an embassy with had an Engineer in it's city view. However, I'm just guessing at this point.

So far the problem as only occurred with the English and the French. With all other civs, I've been able to establish an embassy with no problems.

Yes me as well! I haven't added any citizens though. I also get problems when establishing an embassy!

Originally posted by Willem


You shouldn't edit the original bic file, save your changes as a scenario in the folder that's provided, and use the Load Scenario option on the first screen.

It still would freeze anyway.

When you make a scenario and edit the rules does it freeze? If you dident pls try and if it does freeze that means that the game has a unidenified bug and or bugs (with your problem included) so I posted mine on 1.29 bugs in the general discussions area. So it could be fixed.....I hope

Heres a pic this might help. I really want to know how to fix this. It could be because the AI and me are trying to reaserch the same tech and it just freezes? I dont know but maybe you know. Hope this helps.

I just remembered that when I edited a certain rule (I forgot what) and started a game it worked fine all the way but when I edited somethin else it started crashing. Any ideas? I think there is only certain things you can edit without screwin it up, anybody know exactly what?

Originally posted by Republic_Outlaw
I just remembered that when I edited a certain rule (I forgot what) and started a game it worked fine all the way but when I edited somethin else it started crashing. Any ideas? I think there is only certain things you can edit without screwin it up, anybody know exactly what?

If you don't know what you changed, there's not much anyone can help you with. There's a thousand things that could cause your game to crash. I suggest you reinstall and start over, next time paying attention to what you change.

Ya but I have no idea if what I change will screw the game up. Thats why I asked what things I edit will cause the game to crash, im not a technical person so how would I know what would crash the game? (Im not an expiremental person also, thats why I ask people like you). (BTW I change the great library wonder and the laboror, scientist, entertainer, and the tax collecters bonuses, IE: Changed the taxe collecters mony rate to 4). I still need help though.

(BTW I change the great library wonder and the laboror, scientist, entertainer, and the tax collecters bonuses, IE: Changed the taxe collecters mony rate to 4). I still need help though.

In what way did you change the Great Library? Also, I'm not sure about the laborer bonus.:confused: The DyP mod changes the tax collectors and scientists to 2, but leaves everything else the same (no bonus for laborers and 1 happy face for entertainer), that could be your problem.

I suggest you uninstall civ3, re-install it and this time save a copy of the original mod.bic file so if you have these problems again you can easily go back to the original rules without having to uninstall everything. I make a couple of changes, then play a few games, then will change some more stuff. Making only a couple of changes at a time helps you troubleshoot and know where the problems are coming from.

Senoj and Willem, the zoom to city crash sounds like a unit has it's icon set to a number higher then the number of icons in the Units_32.pcx.

How many units are in units_32? I'm don't understand what you're saying.:confused:

In the editor you can set the icon number for each unit, if a unit has it's number set to one higher then the number of squares in the Units_32.pcx file it will crash, this only apliys if the BIC was made with a larger Units_32.pcx then the one you are using now, if this is the problem you can fix it by geting the Units_32.pcx it was made with, making the one you use larger, or by geting a larger one like Zulu's and seting the icons to the right numbers.

Originally posted by Willem
If you don't know what you changed, there's not much anyone can help you with. There's a thousand things that could cause your game to crash. I suggest you reinstall and start over, next time paying attention to what you change.


Republic_Outlaw,

This is the stuff I was trying to get into your head last week when you started asking questions before trying to understand the tutorial. You really need to know that tutorial, nothing else can help with modding civ3 than that. You need to pay attention to every little thing that you change to the .bic files when you mod. Whenever you do any mod changes you need to:

1) Read the tutorial. Print it out if that helps you or make it available offline. if you print it out, you can highlight the important steps so you don't have to sift through it all.

2) If 1) wasn't completed, go back and do it or do it again.

3) As mentioned before, don't mod the civ3mod.bic file. If you must, make sure you know exactly what you are doing. Which means go back to 1). Also, I used to change this file, but I have a text file that listed all of the changes that I made and I saved every version of it so I could revert back if there was a problem. It is easier and safer to do 4).

4) When you do make a change to a "scenario" file (make a copy of the civ3mod.bic and rename to whatever you wish), change something and test it. Set the values so that it comes up right away (no pre. reqs. or resources needed). Then you will know whether you screwed up or not. And make sure you change all stuff that is used by that new unit, resource, etc. (i.e. changes in the civilopedia.txt, pediaicons.txt, etc.) Then you can reset the pre. reqs., resources, etc. back to what they need to be.

5) If you think you have done everything correctly and you have double checked to make sure that you did everything right, then come here and be specific about the problem that you are having and what you have added, changed, etc. No one can help you when you are completely vague about your problem or you don't have an answer about what you changed. Stating which version of Civ3 you are using is also very helpful (like 1.29f or 1.21f, etc.)


Whatever you have missed or didn't do right, it only comes available at that time (300 bc - 200 ad). So if you added a resource that comes up with the discovery of chivalry, plan for it ahead of time so you will know that that new resource is what is causing the problem. Don't make a bunch of changes all at once so you don't know what is causing the game to crash. Now do you understand? Did you download (i.e. print) the tutorial and read it ALL? If not, go do so. You can ask a 1000 questions here, but will never get as good of an answer as you will from that tutorial. And any answer you get from the message board will be from people who have read it and are regergitating the tutorial to you.

Sry im not a very good person at modding and not a very good player eather. Just wanted some help, o well guess I have to go expiriment now:enlighten bring out the coffee!:sleep:

So far I have not come across a situation where I change anything on a wonder or building that will crash the game.

In most instances the game crash because it cannot find a file. This could be due to wrong spelling of unit folder/ini/flc or it could also because of a missing wonder splash. Since it crashes during the inter-turn, its pretty easy to trace.

You will need Gramphos' Civ3MultiTools for this. Use the tool and start savegame editor to load in the turn before the game crashes (say a autosave file). Look at each cities to see what they are building (especially look for those that are building a modded unit or wonder that will complete in a turn). This way you can narrow down what could be the possible cause of the crash. And especially since your crash always happen around the same time period, I dare say it must be caused by a certain unit. ;)

Oh, one last thing, when you have a problem next time, posting the bic file or the savegame file will help others to trace the problem for you. :D

One more thing, when you add in any units and othr stuff, edit the rules for them to be available immediately at the start of the game, save it as a test.bic, then start up a new game and test it out. I do this for each and every thing I change, so when a problem occurs, I know exactly where the source of it is.

Thanx level I'll try it next time I play!:)

If it still freezes Senoj, when you add the unit after you edit the stats ect...... restart the game if it crashes before playing with the new unit. This helped me figure out my unit problem :)

Sorry I don't understand:confused: