VoxPopuli Modpacks (last update: 4.7.3)

[Uriel585]

Multiplayer feedback with the version: 4.6.2_VP_Only (no EUI):

I (and 2 other players) have played at least 12 long games (300+ turns) with different setups (- 3 humans, 3 AI or 2 Players, 5 AI, etc. on several different maps: mainly several Maps for VP and Small Continents Plus).
We have tested with using strict adherence to Clear Cache for all players and also not clearing cache for one or more players.

The settings have always included barbarians and only the events system has been checked off. Normally we play Epic on a large map with 14-16 City states and a total of 6 or 7 players (- 2-3 Humans, 3-5 AI, everyone on their own team).

Results: When every player ALWAYS clears cache before starting CIV 5 with the modpack and then we create or load a VP462 game, then the game is extremely stable with extremely rare sync saves (- maybe 1 or 2 per 300 turns). There will still be some Chat Pings with a message that one or more players desynced from time to time, but no real game affecting issues at all.

So far we have never crashed or had any serious issue (more than 12 games) as long as we ALL clear cache before starting civ 5 with the modpack.

However, as soon as one player forgets to clear cache or we test if cache is correlated with crashes, it will crash upon pressing next turn for one of the client computers. We then all have to go to desktop and clear cache and start (or load) the game again. After clearing cache it works fine with no problems.

So, in conclusion my experience is that 4.6.2 is extremely stable (even more stable than unmodded MP that has loading issues and sync saves) when all players always clear cache before starting Civ5 with the Modpack.

Note: On Marathon length we have found the AI not doing so well. It plays much better on Epic. We play on King or Emperor difficulty level. The AI puts up a good game on both these settings. So going back to unmodded is no longer possible since VP is much more evolved, interesting and fun than unmodded civ5.

 

[Agiwan]

Yeah, there is something off with the cache and EUI in multiplayer... The best bet is to not use EUI and always clear the cache when playing multiplayer. I still think 3.10.14 is more stable. But good to know that recent versions are ok. Thank you for the feedback

 

[Marian88]

Modded civs dissappear from the list when this is installed

 

[Agiwan]

Modded civs dissappear from the list when this is installed

You have to create a modpack with them inside. A modpack is way less "versatile" than the "traditional" way of activate mods.

 

[Uriel585]

Yeah, there is something off with the cache and EUI in multiplayer... The best bet is to not use EUI and always clear the cache when playing multiplayer. I still think 3.10.14 is more stable. But good to know that recent versions are ok. Thank you for the feedback

For the sake of testing I tried a 2-player 5 AI game on version 3.10.14 with the extra resources and super-settler (from your Google Drive) and we came to turn 243 and then the game froze during the AI turn (- the issue where after end turn it starts going through the computer players but gets stuck there). Loading to a previous turn doesn't help. Loading 5 turns or more might help but this is an old issue so it still exists in 3.10.14. It happened after the Spies came into play, so perhaps something is tied to the spies in 3.10.14.

However, that kind of issue has never happened on 4.6.2. So I'd say 4.6.2 is more stable. Too bad that 3.10.14 has the AI turn freezing issue because I liked the extra resources and more civ traits and supersettler for MP. But I'll go back to 4.6.2 because it doesn't have any game breaking issue (- and we've played it a lot and never had any game breaking issues).

 

[Agiwan]

For the sake of testing I tried a 2-player 5 AI game on version 3.10.14 with the extra resources and super-settler (from your Google Drive) and we came to turn 243 and then the game froze during the AI turn (- the issue where after end turn it starts going through the computer players but gets stuck there). Loading to a previous turn doesn't help. Loading 5 turns or more might help but this is an old issue so it still exists in 3.10.14. It happened after the Spies came into play, so perhaps something is tied to the spies in 3.10.14.

However, that kind of issue has never happened on 4.6.2. So I'd say 4.6.2 is more stable. Too bad that 3.10.14 has the AI turn freezing issue because I liked the extra resources and more civ traits and supersettler for MP. But I'll go back to 4.6.2 because it doesn't have any game breaking issue (- and we've played it a lot and never had any game breaking issues).

Sometimes the game froze but you should wait, like sometimes 5 minutes then the game unfroze and continue normally, I have one froze like that per 2 or 3 games. When you mean froze you mean that one AI take forever to play ? There was no "froze" fix since like 3.7.x so the problem still here on 4.6.2. But it is really rare.

What makes me hesitant about 4.6.2 is that I see way more desyncs in the logs than on version 3.10.14.

 

[Agiwan]

For the sake of testing I tried a 2-player 5 AI game on version 3.10.14 with the extra resources and super-settler (from your Google Drive) and we came to turn 243 and then the game froze during the AI turn (- the issue where after end turn it starts going through the computer players but gets stuck there). Loading to a previous turn doesn't help. Loading 5 turns or more might help but this is an old issue so it still exists in 3.10.14. It happened after the Spies came into play, so perhaps something is tied to the spies in 3.10.14.

However, that kind of issue has never happened on 4.6.2. So I'd say 4.6.2 is more stable. Too bad that 3.10.14 has the AI turn freezing issue because I liked the extra resources and more civ traits and supersettler for MP. But I'll go back to 4.6.2 because it doesn't have any game breaking issue (- and we've played it a lot and never had any game breaking issues).

If you want I can create a 4.6.2 modpack with the same modmods as the 3.10.14 modpack you tested, without EUI ?

 

[Uriel585]

If you want I can create a 4.6.2 modpack with the same modmods as the 3.10.14 modpack you tested, without EUI ?

Thank you! That would be great. I would be happy to have the same added sub-mods in an alternative Modpack for VP4.6.2 and I'll also report back how they work with 4.6.2 as base.

 

[Uriel585]

Sometimes the game froze but you should wait, like sometimes 5 minutes then the game unfroze and continue normally, I have one froze like that per 2 or 3 games. When you mean froze you mean that one AI take forever to play ? There was no "froze" fix since like 3.7.x so the problem still here on 4.6.2. But it is really rare.

What makes me hesitant about 4.6.2 is that I see way more desyncs in the logs than on version 3.10.14

You're correct, I did not wait 5 minutes, I waited more like 3 minutes. However this is an issue that stands out since VP versions from 2019 (May versions) and even earlier.

Details: We all press end turn and the game mode switches to the computer players' turns where the icons of the AI civs and barabarians and city-states are supposed to fade in and out and progress until it is the human players' turn again. However it gets stuck on the first AI civilization and it is lit up but not fading in and out. It just sits there and the cursor on the screen is the Civ-globe and nothing happens. It just never continues from there. And reloading the game doesn't help either. At the same turn it goes into this mode even if the game is reloaded several turns earlier. Perhaps the random seed being static and not changing is triggering the same pattern for the AI and in this pattern it tries to do something that freezes the game. One way to test would be to check the option for different random seed when reloading a game (at game setup options before creating the game*). That might alleviate the issue. Otherwise one has to load back more than 5 turns earlier and do something that breaks the pattern. That has been shown in our play-throughs from before to at least bypass the freezing issue until it happens again. However, it gets unplayable when having to do this several times.

In 4.6.2 that behavior has never occurred so far (- and we have played many games lasting 400 turns or more before one player gives up due to being defeated). Granted: It can and will "pling" often in the chat window and inform that a player (or more) has desynced. But that doesn't crash or freeze anything. Also on rare occasions a regular syncsave will occur, but that happens in non-modded Civ5 too. And in 4.6.2 it is less prevalent than in non-modded in my experience.

*The random seed option is only selectable in SP though so it would need to be exposed in MP too.

 

[Agiwan]

You're correct, I did not wait 5 minutes, I waited more like 3 minutes. However this is an issue that stands out since VP versions from 2019 (May versions) and even earlier.

Details: We all press end turn and the game mode switches to the computer players' turns where the icons of the AI civs and barabarians and city-states are supposed to fade in and out and progress until it is the human players' turn again. However it gets stuck on the first AI civilization and it is lit up but not fading in and out. It just sits there and the cursor on the screen is the Civ-globe and nothing happens. It just never continues from there. And reloading the game doesn't help either. At the same turn it goes into this mode even if the game is reloaded several turns earlier. Perhaps the random seed being static and not changing is triggering the same pattern for the AI and in this pattern it tries to do something that freezes the game. One way to test would be to check the option for different random seed when reloading a game (at game setup options before creating the game*). That might alleviate the issue. Otherwise one has to load back more than 5 turns earlier and do something that breaks the pattern. That has been shown in our play-throughs from before to at least bypass the freezing issue until it happens again. However, it gets unplayable when having to do this several times.

In 4.6.2 that behavior has never occurred so far (- and we have played many games lasting 400 turns or more before one player gives up due to being defeated). Granted: It can and will "pling" often in the chat window and inform that a player (or more) has desynced. But that doesn't crash or freeze anything. Also on rare occasions a regular syncsave will occur, but that happens in non-modded Civ5 too. And in 4.6.2 it is less prevalent than in non-modded in my experience.

*The random seed option is only selectable in SP though so it would need to be exposed in MP too.

Thank you, with your help maybe we will find the origine of the "froze bug". Let me know if you have more issues with VP 4.6.2+modmods than VP 4.6.2 alone
Here your requested Modpack: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E6e3McZbrZQJIHUjYmXqLbuLxvsypXb0/view?usp=sharing

And have fun !

Also if you want I can try to do a 4.6.2 modpack without the "player X has desynced" spam. Personally it makes me anxious when I am really playing the multiplayer game with friends without testing the stability.

 

[Uriel585]

Thank you, with your help maybe we will find the origine of the "froze bug". Let me know if you have more issues with VP 4.6.2+modmods than VP 4.6.2 alone
Here your requested Modpack: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E6e3McZbrZQJIHUjYmXqLbuLxvsypXb0/view?usp=sharing

And have fun !

Also if you want I can try to do a 4.6.2 modpack without the "player X has desynced" spam. Personally it makes me anxious when I am really playing the multiplayer game with friends without testing the stability.

Thanks! I played one 2H 5AI for 200 turns so far today with no issues at all (Small Continents Plus, Simultaneous turns, epic time frame, 13 city states and regular barbarians). It seems as stable as base VP4.6.2 (- which means no crashes at all as long as cache is cleared before game start). It "pings" in the chat menu from time to time to notify about "desync" but those messages have no negative side effects at all. (I'm used to them and don't care about them.)

 

[Agiwan]

Thanks! I played one 2H 5AI for 200 turns so far today with no issues at all (Small Continents Plus, Simultaneous turns, epic time frame, 13 city states and regular barbarians). It seems as stable as base VP4.6.2 (- which means no crashes at all as long as cache is cleared before game start). It "pings" in the chat menu from time to time to notify about "desync" but those messages have no negative side effects at all. (I'm used to them and don't care about them.)

I tested on my side and sadly got the non-host CTD issue one time (turn 164 in quick speed with 6 AIs 2 humans), even if both cache folder were cleared. I will continue the game to see if it happens again or not.

 

[Uriel585]

I tested on my side and sadly got the non-host CTD issue one time (turn 164 in quick speed with 6 AIs 2 humans), even if both cache folder were cleared. I will continue the game to see if it happens again or not.

One thing I've forgotten to note is that it has crashed one time after a player alt-tabbed to desktop to check something in a web browser. But then it would not repeat crash after everyone quit and cleared cache and went back to the game.
We finished a 600+-turn game on regular VP4.6.2 yesterday with no crashes either. It went to modern era on epic pacing and in the end one of the 3 human players gave up due to being too far behind and being destroyed by the score leader (which was an AI player). I feel confident when playing VP4.6.2 that the game will last until the end nowadays

Kudos to you for the good mod packs and I think the dev team for CP, VP and its submods have done a great job in creating a greatly improved civ5 experience and in addition made it workable in MP.

(Edit: I should also mention that we run mixed OS version computers. 2 players have Win 10 and one has Win 11.)

 

[Agiwan]

One thing I've forgotten to note is that it has crashed one time after a player alt-tabbed to desktop to check something in a web browser. But then it would not repeat crash after everyone quit and cleared cache and went back to the game.
We finished a 600+-turn game on regular VP4.6.2 yesterday with no crashes either. It went to modern era on standard pacing and in the end one of the 3 human players gave up due to being too far behind and being destroyed by the score leader (which was an AI player). I feel confident when playing VP4.6.2 that the game will last until the end nowadays

Kudos to you for the good mod packs and I think the dev team for CP, VP and its submods have done a great job in creating a greatly improved civ5 experience and in addition made it workable in MP.

(Edit: I should also mention that we run mixed OS version computers. 2 players have Win 10 and one has Win 11.)

Let me know if it's the same on the new modpack

I am starting to think that maybe non-host Civ5.exe application use more RAM than the host player for unknown reason. Because my crashes are always at the beginning of a new turn (but random because I can reload the last save before the crash and continue the game normally) and point on a memory violation, but only for the non-host player, even if I swap host and non-host PCs.
What are your non-host player graphics settings and resolution ?

 

[Vehuiah]

I seem to crash to desktop in modded multiplayer, the turn after loading multiplayer sessions. This has been consistent in between most versioning, fresh installs, etc.
I'm not sure where to find a crash log, but is anybody else having this problem or explored potential solutions?

 

[Agiwan]

I seem to crash to desktop in modded multiplayer, the turn after loading multiplayer sessions. This has been consistent in between most versioning, fresh installs, etc.
I'm not sure where to find a crash log, but is anybody else having this problem or explored potential solutions?

Everyone must delete their cache folder

 

[Uriel585]

Let me know if it's the same on the new modpack

I am starting to think that maybe non-host Civ5.exe application use more RAM than the host player for unknown reason. Because my crashes are always at the beginning of a new turn (but random because I can reload the last save before the crash and continue the game normally) and point on a memory violation, but only for the non-host player, even if I swap host and non-host PCs.
What are your non-host player graphics settings and resolution ?

We are on 1080p with NVidia 1050ti cards for the Win10 systems and AMD6700XT on the Win11 system. 16GB RAM on Win10 systems and 32GB RAM on the Win11 system. We alterate hosts between games sometimes and we have no issues. We use Directx10/11

I do know of a player who started having all kinds of crashes with civ5 (only civ5 it seems though) and they prevented him from playing civ5 until he reinstalled Windows. Then it worked again for him. But that happened unmodded for him.
we don't have the issue with crashing as you have. Basically we are stable (- we just have the chat messages about "desync" and the very rare syncsave). We're currently playing a 3H/7AI Huge Terra for VP game (epic, simultaneous one city challenge) with event system on and it has been running fine so far as well. We haven't gotten too far into it but nothing unusual is ongoing and it works pretty much as we expect with 4.6.2.

 

[Agiwan]

We are on 1080p with NVidia 1050ti cards for the Win10 systems and AMD6700XT on the Win11 system. 16GB RAM on Win10 systems and 32GB RAM on the Win11 system. We alterate hosts between games sometimes and we have no issues. We use Directx10/11 View attachment 691549

I do know of a player who started having all kinds of crashes with civ5 (only civ5 it seems though) and they prevented him from playing civ5 until he reinstalled Windows. Then it worked again for him. But that happened unmodded for him.
we don't have the issue with crashing as you have. Basically we are stable (- we just have the chat messages about "desync" and the very rare syncsave). We're currently playing a 3H/7AI Huge Terra for VP game (epic, simultaneous one city challenge) with event system on and it has been running fine so far as well. We haven't gotten too far into it but nothing unusual is ongoing and it works pretty much as we expect with 4.6.2.

Thank you for the detailed answer. When you say it works as expected with 4.6.2 you mean 4.6.2 alone or 4.6.2 with the modmods ?