Games settings don't save -- this is annoying the heck outta me!!

Really? A guy makes a statement about a feature that would be really easy to program in and THIS is the kind of replies he gets?

Jim Bro said:

normally, if you have a life, you shouldn't play a thousand games. plus setting a game takes 30 seconds. you would save much more time by shutting off the combats in the advanced setup.

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There was no need to comment on him having a life nor to throw in a random number serving as some sort of comment on how many times he has played. Additionally, you don't even know if he plays with combat off. Sheesh ! There are a lot of other things done as a convenience in the game...what's wrong with mentioning this small item?

Save_Ferris said:

If you're really passionate about the game, you won't mind setup.

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With that kind of logic, I suppose we could just tell GM to quit putting automatic transmissions in their Corvettes. After all, if they really want a Corvette, they won't mind driving one with a manual transmission...

Colonel Bogey said:

Exactly. Nobody complained when board games refused to jump out of the box and set themselves up on the table.

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Oh, yeah...now, THERE'S an argument for not automating a computerized program--referencing paper and cardboard from ages ago...

Oneluv said:

Hello?... Civ Fanatics. That's the name of the web sight. You know...Fanatics

I agree with the O.P.! It's not a huge point, but so what? He felt strongly enough to come here and give his opinion about a GAME. And you decide to kill him for it?

Oh and please describe to me your great life and how it inspired you to jump this thread with hatred.

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Zachriel said:

If you are careful, you can also save Advanced Settings. Find the GameInfo folder, typically here:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\sid meier's civilization v\Assets\Gameplay\XML\GameInfo

There are two xml files of interest:

CIV5PlayerOptions.xml
CIV5GameOptions.xml

Be sure to save a copy of these files before modifying them. The CIV5PlayerOptions file already has default commands, which you can just modify. On the CIV5GameOptions file, you will need to add the default command. As an example, in CIV5GameOptions, you will find the Quick Combat option.

<Type>GAMEOPTION_QUICK_COMBAT</Type>
<Description>TXT_KEY_GAME_OPTION_QUICK_COMBAT</Description>
<Help>TXT_KEY_GAME_OPTION_QUICK_COMBAT_HELP</Help>

Then add the indicated line to set the default.

<Type>GAMEOPTION_QUICK_COMBAT</Type>
<Description>TXT_KEY_GAME_OPTION_QUICK_COMBAT</Description>
<Help>TXT_KEY_GAME_OPTION_QUICK_COMBAT_HELP</Help>
<Default>true</Default>

Of course, you'll have to restart the game for the changes to occur, but then you should see the option already checked in the Advanced Settings Menu.

(That setting should be part of the global user interface, and not set per game.)

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An excellent bit of assistance to a post that didn't need half the comments in it.

Selous said:

If you're really passionate about the game, you would care about the small things

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Seriously!

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For all the people who "bombarded" the OP with less than positive replies, perhaps ALL the defaults in ALL the programs you use should be reset every time you open any program.

I posted in the "Suggestions" area so that maybe someone of importance would see it and make a change.

It amazes me that people actually took my comment seriously.

jacktannery said:

Are all you angry people aware that CIV V basic set-up settings ARE automatically saved in non-modded games?

It does not save settings from the advanced menu, so if you change these (eg. selecting quick combat) then make sure to go back to the basic menu before pressing 'start game'. All basic setting are saved every time.

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That's true, but it's also a red herring.

Our (or at least, my) problem is that the Advanced Settings not only are not saved from game to game, but they're not saved from screen to screen either.

Consider this: Let's say you change your advanced settings to suit you for the current game. Then you go back to the prior screen and decide that you'd rather play Egypt this time rather than Rome. Problem is, if you make that change — a change to the basic settings — then all your Advanced Settings are wiped out, reverting to the default. If you still want them, you have to do them all over again.

Keep in mind as well that many of the Advanced Settings are not just personal preferences — although that alone is reason enough to save them for the user. Some of them are also necessary to accomodate people with different hardware configurations. People with weak machines will set things low, while people with powerful machines will set things as high as possible.

Once again, the user must tweak a lot of settings, and if he changes his mind about any of the basic settings afterward, then he must start over with the advanced ones.

How 'bout we meet half way. Let there be an option to save Advanced Settings. That way, those who like different settings all the time can choose not to save them, while those of us who like everything turned up full tilt and certain selections (like New Random Seed) every time both are accomodated.

That okay by you?

Libertarian said:

That's true, but it's also a red herring.

Our (or at least, my) problem is that the Advanced Settings not only are not saved from game to game, but they're not saved from screen to screen either.

Consider this: Let's say you change your advanced settings to suit you for the current game. Then you go back to the prior screen and decide that you'd rather play Egypt this time rather than Rome. Problem is, if you make that change — a change to the basic settings — then all your Advanced Settings are wiped out, reverting to the default. If you still want them, you have to do them all over again.

Keep in mind as well that many of the Advanced Settings are not just personal preferences — although that alone is reason enough to save them for the user. Some of them are also necessary to accomodate people with different hardware configurations. People with weak machines will set things low, while people with powerful machines will set things as high as possible.

Once again, the user must tweak a lot of settings, and if he changes his mind about any of the basic settings afterward, then he must start over with the advanced ones.

How 'bout we meet half way. Let there be an option to save Advanced Settings. That way, those who like different settings all the time can choose not to save them, while those of us who like everything turned up full tilt and certain selections (like New Random Seed) every time both are accomodated.

That okay by you?

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I don't even know why those who DON'T care whether the game saves the advanced settings (or not) would even care to have such a checkbox--if they're all excited about changing and making settings each time they start a game, then it shouldn't matter IF it saved the last settings or not (they're going to change them anyway).

Selous said:

If you're really passionate about the game, you would care about the small things

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Spot on. I certainly agree that setup memorization would be a welcomed feature. It's a damn shame I have to constantly reset things.

jagdtigerciv said:

It's a damn shame I have to constantly reset things.

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You don't have to reset anything. The game does it for you.

Colonel Bogey said:

You don't have to reset anything. The game does it for you.

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My biggest annoyance with the lack of saving the settings is that occasionally miss one of my favorite setting and find I am in a different kind of game than the one I wanted to play.

Example: I usually play with huge maps. Once I neglected that setting: the default seemed to be small. I found all the other civs an lot closer to me than I was used to. Then, I found the map was small. I was not prepared to play with that constraint (I might try it some time).

I don't usually restart a game unless I find I missed setting the options for the kind of game I want to play. I hate to waste the time I play before I discover the mistake.

I agree, not saving settings is annoying as hell. Many times I do a series of similar games and if you miss some setting, there's no option to easily fix it... so it's back to advanced setup and maybe AGAIN you miss a setting.

It would be great if settings process/regenerate were improved.

And on top of everything else, it is the easiest fix to implement of all. Anyone at Firaxis familiar with the code could knock it out in thirty minutes tops. And that's if he ... goes ... real ... slow.

I have been having a lot of fun with the game. I would be playing it right now except Steam wont let me. There are of course many things that people will like and not like about a game (or any program) of this complexity. Not saving my settings is the one that bugs me the most though. It of course is a minor thing, but each time I start a new game I run into this problem. Many times, it is the only problem I run into. Hate it? uh...pretty strong words...uh...okay, I hate too.

Zachriel had a suggestion I will likely look into, but I do hope that it "magically" fixes itself in one of these updates.

Sign me up as another one that is annoyed with this.

I tried Zachriel's suggestion to edit the XML files but I was unable to find all of the settings. I didn't find where you could set the default for things such as map size, game speed, age of world, etc..
Does anyone know where it is you change this?

EDIT: Or do you have to go through all of the XML-files and set the defaults in all of the separate files?

Harald said:

Sign me up as another one that is annoyed with this.

I tried Zachriel's suggestion to edit the XML files but I was unable to find all of the settings. I didn't find where you could set the default for things such as map size, game speed, age of world, etc..
Does anyone know where it is you change this?

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Map size and game speed should be remembered if you start the game from the first screen.

Galldammit!

I just got a freakin' "culture victory" in the middle of setting up the logistics for a war with the Aztecs — the last civ that was not a city-state.

This, despite that I had disabled every victory condition except time.

But guess what. After setting up everything, I went back one screen to be sure the ordinary settings were right, and they were.

Problem is, once you leave that Advanced Settings screen — for any gall-dang, freaking, shot-sucking reason — your settings vanish! Yeah, that's right: they revert back to the default.

Lesson learned: either wait until they fix something that will take them five minutes or else ALWAYS START YOUR GAME FROM THE ADVANCED SETTINGS SCREEN.

Whatever you do, don't go back. Ever. Even to peek at what leader you chose or what size map or anything else.

Jesus Horatio Christomopolis. Hours and hours and hours — just frigging wasted.

I agree - this is one of the most frustrating parts to this game. The only time I get a perfect starting location is when I accidentally forget to set one of the options (or the game changes an option and I didn't notice it). When this happens I usually get so mad that I just quit and do something else.

Libertarian said:

Galldammit!

I just got a freakin' "culture victory" in the middle of setting up the logistics for a war with the Aztecs — the last civ that was not a city-state.

This, despite that I had disabled every victory condition except time.

But guess what. After setting up everything, I went back one screen to be sure the ordinary settings were right, and they were.

Problem is, once you leave that Advanced Settings screen — for any gall-dang, freaking, shot-sucking reason — your settings vanish! Yeah, that's right: they revert back to the default.

Lesson learned: either wait until they fix something that will take them five minutes or else ALWAYS START YOUR GAME FROM THE ADVANCED SETTINGS SCREEN.

Whatever you do, don't go back. Ever. Even to peek at what leader you chose or what size map or anything else.

Jesus Horatio Christomopolis. Hours and hours and hours — just frigging wasted.

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This, I completely agree with and feel your pain.

Well, at least we got heard. Our request has been added to the Civ V Issues OP, under 1.1 Menu & Game Options.

I don't know which mod to thank, so I'll just thank them all. Thank y'all very much.

Lib

Mortac said:

Why oh why don't game settings save? If I choose "set up game", apparently I'm going to set the game to my liking. Even if I make a new game, it's doubtful I'll ever change more than a couple settings since this is my preferred way of playing Civ. But why for the love of all that is good and holy doesn't it save any of these settings??? Every single time I have to reset everything, and regenerating a map several times is soooo tedious.

Aaagghhhhrrrrr it annoys me so bloody much!!

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Yes, its a slightly annoying detail i agree. That, and the lack of a regenerate map-button. These might be small things compared to the much greater and more damaging problems CiV has but well worth mentioning.