News: GOTM 24 Saves Available

billybgame said:
I'm getting a little frustrated, with this inability to play the GOTM. Can no one help with the "The save file you selected is protected to ensure the assets in the mod folder are not changed" message? I'm pretty positive it has to do with the HOF mod.

I've posted in this thread, below in the normal threads, and in the Technical forum, and am getting no help. I read a lot had this problem before. Can't anyone tell me how to fix this?
Click to expand...

That message is either because you've installed mods that have changed some of the main assets of Civ, you have the wrong patch version(either pre 1.74, or have installed BtS patch 3.13), or you have either the Gold Edition or Steam editions of Civ.

If it is the Gold Edition or Steam editions of civ that are causing this problem, then right now unfortunately, you are out of luck...Firaxis broke the .exe compatibility with the Gold edition, and Steam shows as modded under patch 1.74

If you have the wrong patch version, then patch yourself to 1.74. If you've installed BtS patch 3.13, then you'll need to either move the CvGameCoreDLL.dll that you have and find the old 1.74 version in order to play. If you can't find it, you'll need to uninstall Vanilla and reinstall and patch yourself up.

If you've had a mod change some of your game assets, then unless that mod has a way to change it back automatically, you'll also need to uninstall and reinstall Vanilla.

Sorry you haven't seen any answers before now, perhaps you just didn't realize that your problem is the same one others have been having regarding this message.
 
Thrallia said:
Steam shows as modded under patch 1.74
Click to expand...

Steam players CAN play vanilla HOF and GOTM with the 3.13 patch. They cannot play Warlords or BTS-Beta HOF however. I can confirm this since i played GOTM 23 and submitted it, when i couldnt load before that patch. And i can load and play GOTM24, but not WOTM 12-14.

The issue is not as black and white as it seems.
 
zanzibar196 said:
Huh?? How does a turn 1, randomly generated map have any spoiler content? It's not even using the same save game as the official GOTM. So... wrong answer. It wasn't the GOTM save. It was just a randomly generated map I made using the settings in the GOTM OP.
Click to expand...

The fact that it claimed to be the GOTM 24 save gave me considerable work, as I had to check.

The fact that it claimed to be the GOTM 24 save may have led other players to believe it was, and resulted in people (a) attempting to cheat using it and (b) having their actual games ruined by believing it.

I deleted it because this is the official GOTM 24 Saves Available thread. It is not an appropriate place for players to post their own start files. If you want to post a start file for fun then do it somewhere else, and do NOT claim that it is representative of a GOTM start file.

Subject closed.
 
Thrallia said:
That message is either because you've installed mods that have changed some of the main assets of Civ, you have the wrong patch version(either pre 1.74, or have installed BtS patch 3.13), or you have either the Gold Edition or Steam editions of Civ.

If it is the Gold Edition or Steam editions of civ that are causing this problem, then right now unfortunately, you are out of luck...Firaxis broke the .exe compatibility with the Gold edition, and Steam shows as modded under patch 1.74

If you have the wrong patch version, then patch yourself to 1.74. If you've installed BtS patch 3.13, then you'll need to either move the CvGameCoreDLL.dll that you have and find the old 1.74 version in order to play. If you can't find it, you'll need to uninstall Vanilla and reinstall and patch yourself up.

If you've had a mod change some of your game assets, then unless that mod has a way to change it back automatically, you'll also need to uninstall and reinstall Vanilla.

Sorry you haven't seen any answers before now, perhaps you just didn't realize that your problem is the same one others have been having regarding this message.
Click to expand...

I'm no less confused, now. I have none of the above. Here is what I've done:

I purchased Civ 4, last year. I played it a bit, and set it aside. I played some more and downloaded patch 1.74. But, it defaults to the C drive, whereas I installed to the D drive(either that or I moved it there, later...can't recall...could have even copied it there, leaving the civ 4 folder also on the C drive). Until now, I've gotten no add ons/mods/nothing. Purely vanilla Civ 4.

Therefore, my situation applies to nothing you're mentioning. Any other ideas?
 
billybgame said:
I'm getting a little frustrated, with this inability to play the GOTM. Can no one help with the "The save file you selected is protected to ensure the assets in the mod folder are not changed" message? I'm pretty positive it has to do with the HOF mod.
Click to expand...

After the game has loaded your GOTM start file, it does a check sum across all the key files in your Civ4 and HoF Mod installations. If the check sum does not match the one that was created when the save was originally made by ainwood then you see the message and Civ4 shuts down.

In order to avoid this message you need to be running a clean copy of Civ4 version 1.74, and to have a clean copy of the HoF Mod for version 1.74 installed in the Mods folder for that copy of Civ4. It should not matter which drive your Civ4 is installed on, but it must be patched to version 1.74.

If you have two copies of Civ4 on your C and D drives then several possibilities arise:

1. When you patched Civ4 to version 1.74 you may only have patched one of them.

2. When you installed the HoF Mod you may only have installed it in one of them. This may or may not be the same one you patched to 1.74.

3. Even if you have patched and modded the same copy, when you start up Civ4 you may not be starting that copy.

The basic checks are:

- Go to your D drive Civ4 installation folder.
- Look for the Civ4.exe file in that folder, right click it and select Properties.
- Check that it says it is Version 1.74. If not then patch *that copy* to version 1.74.
- Look in the Mods folder in that same installation. Is there a folder in there called HOF-1.74.001? If not then install that HoF Mod into *that copy* of Civ4.
- Make sure that you have a shortcut on your desktop to *that copy* of the Civ4.exe file, and you launch Civ4 using that shortcut before loading the GOTM start file.

NOTE: Even if all of the above is OK, your Windows Registry may still remember that you first installed Civ4 in the C drive, and it may be directing the software back to that copy. You may ultimately need to uninstall every vestige of Civ4 and reinstall it onto the D drive to clean your system up.
 
AlanH said:
After the game has loaded your GOTM start file, it does a check sum across all the key files in your Civ4 and HoF Mod installations. If the check sum does not match the one that was created when the save was originally made by ainwood then you see the message and Civ4 shuts down.

In order to avoid this message you need to be running a clean copy of Civ4 version 1.74, and to have a clean copy of the HoF Mod for version 1.74 installed in the Mods folder for that copy of Civ4. It should not matter which drive your Civ4 is installed on, but it must be patched to version 1.74.

If you have two copies of Civ4 on your C and D drives then several possibilities arise:

1. When you patched Civ4 to version 1.74 you may only have patched one of them.

2. When you installed the HoF Mod you may only have installed it in one of them. This may or may not be the same one you patched to 1.74.

3. Even if you have patched and modded the same copy, when you start up Civ4 you may not be starting that copy.

The basic checks are:

- Go to your D drive Civ4 installation folder.
- Look for the Civ4.exe file in that folder, right click it and select Properties.
- Check that it says it is Version 1.74. If not then patch *that copy* to version 1.74.
- Look in the Mods folder in that same installation. Is there a folder in there called HOF-1.74.001? If not then install that HoF Mod into *that copy* of Civ4.
- Make sure that you have a shortcut on your desktop to *that copy* of the Civ4.exe file, and you launch Civ4 using that shortcut before loading the GOTM start file.

NOTE: Even if all of the above is OK, your Windows Registry may still remember that you first installed Civ4 in the C drive, and it may be directing the software back to that copy. You may ultimately need to uninstall every vestige of Civ4 and reinstall it onto the D drive to clean your system up.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. The thing is, I've always been a Windows Explorer user. So, I'm aware of a lot of what you say. That's how I realized my 1.74 update had gone to the C and not D. I actually did some copying and pasting, to get 1.74 to the D file, and had issues, and did system restores, and the whole 9 yards. I think everything is kosher, now, and I actually just got all my save files, and everything copied to the C drive. And, my shortcut aimed there.

So, I think maybe you're onto something with the registry aspect. Maybe I'll just save my save files elsewhere, and do a Windows Add/Remove on the program, and delete the D drive folder too, and reinstall. Then, give it another go. Sound like a plan?
 
Sound like a plan?
Click to expand...
Maybe.

The things you have done to your installations with copy/paste don't fill me with confidence - Windows Explorer notwithstanding. The Assets folder has to be *pristine*, both in the Civ4 directory and in the Civ4\Mods\HOF-1.74.001 directory. *Anything* you have moved in or out of them, or edited, to change their contents from what ainwood has installed on his clean system, will cause the error you are seeing.

I must admit, as a Windows-hater non-Windows user, I consider the Registry the spawn of the devil. So, please don't rely on my, probably prejudiced, diagnosis. Please double check the Assets folders.
 
AlanH said:
Maybe.

The things you have done to your installations with copy/paste don't fill me with confidence - Windows Explorer notwithstanding. The Assets folder has to be *pristine*, both in the Civ4 directory and in the Civ4\Mods\HOF-1.74.001 directory. *Anything* you have moved in or out of them, or edited, to change their contents from what ainwood has installed on his clean system, will cause the error you are seeing.

I must admit, as a Windows-hater non-Windows user, I consider the Registry the spawn of the devil. So, please don't rely on my, probably prejudiced, diagnosis. Please double check the Assets folders.
Click to expand...

Ok...was at work...just got done looking at the Assets folders. Mine has some extra files, outside of the 3 folders. Assets0.fpk, the same 1 thru 3. Also, a
CvgamecoreDLL.dll

Will these differences do it? Maybe I'll move those out, and give it a whirl. Do I need to make sure the contents of each of those 3 folders within Assets are the same, too? Sounds kind of painstaking....

Thanks again.

Edit: I take that back...I have two more folders, even, than the Mods Assets has in it. I have a Sounds and res folder, in addition to Art, Python and XML folders each have. Hmmm...what to do? Will I screw my game up, if I delete these? Or, how about if I just copy the HOF Assets folder over mine? Would that work?

Edit 2: Nope...game won't even work, without that extra stuff in the games Assets folder. So, what differences am I looking for?
 
Thrallia said:
ah...so Steam owners who've patched to 3.13 can play, but Steam owners who have not(or cannot), show as modded.
Click to expand...

Pretty much, except steam auto-updates unless you tell it not to, which most general users dont know about. This also makes dual-installs, and patch rollback impossible, since the version avalible to d/l is always the most current version.
 
@billybgame: I think you are in danger of making things worse. The files and folders you listed are all supposed to be there. Removing them will just break your software, as you have discovered.

If you can't be sure what you have done to your installation to change it, I recomment doing a full uninstall of everything, try to ensure that there are no registry keys left for 'Firaxis Games', and reinstall onto the drive of your choice. Then patch it to version 1.74, and install the HoF Mod.
 
AlanH said:
@billybgame: I think you are in danger of making things worse. The files and folders you listed are all supposed to be there. Removing them will just break your software, as you have discovered.

If you can't be sure what you have done to your installation to change it, I recomment doing a full uninstall of everything, try to ensure that there are no registry keys left for 'Firaxis Games', and reinstall onto the drive of your choice. Then patch it to version 1.74, and install the HoF Mod.
Click to expand...


Ok...willdo. Although, I'm not quite sure how to check for "registry keys". Not real comfortable messing with the registry as I know the problems that can arise there.

Edit: Oh, just great. Removed Civ 4, and now can't update to 1.74. I'm assuming the stupid program needs to see 1.61 before it can go to 1.74? So, now have to download that. This is becoming almost not worth the effort............After all this, it damn well better work.

Edit 2: So close, but yet so far. Now, just as it starts to load the GOTM, the game crashes, and says it's a memory error, and to reduce graphic settings. I've known this laptop was dicey running Civ 4, but has always managed to. I hadn't had the trio of warriors showing, for instance. The graphic settings were reduced automatically by the game, and it works. I reloaded the game, and it works for me, in my games. Tried the GOTM again, and it quits again. What gives? Is it a factor if the graphical settings of the GOTM game don't match my settings, or something? Sounds ridiculous, but with everything I've had to do to get this to work............ I'm so close....don't even tell me I can't play the GOTM due to this.
 
billybgame said:
Ok...willdo. Although, I'm not quite sure how to check for "registry keys". Not real comfortable messing with the registry as I know the problems that can arise there.

Edit: Oh, just great. Removed Civ 4, and now can't update to 1.74. I'm assuming the stupid program needs to see 1.61 before it can go to 1.74? So, now have to download that. This is becoming almost not worth the effort............After all this, it damn well better work.

Edit 2: So close, but yet so far. Now, just as it starts to load the GOTM, the game crashes, and says it's a memory error, and to reduce graphic settings. I've known this laptop was dicey running Civ 4, but has always managed to. I hadn't had the trio of warriors showing, for instance. The graphic settings were reduced automatically by the game, and it works. I reloaded the game, and it works for me, in my games. Tried the GOTM again, and it quits again. What gives? Is it a factor if the graphical settings of the GOTM game don't match my settings, or something? Sounds ridiculous, but with everything I've had to do to get this to work............ I'm so close....don't even tell me I can't play the GOTM due to this.
Click to expand...
Did you patch to 1.74 from the in game update function of the main menu or from a patch download site? That may determine whether you patched to the pre or post 3.13 versions of the 1.74 patch.

But if you are not getting the HOF protected assests warning, then maybe that is not the issue.

Can you load up a Civ 4 game without the HOF mod and run that? Sounds like yes.

Can you then go to the load a mod (under advanced in main menu IIRC) and load the HOF mod to run a random game under the HOF mod (as opposed to the GOTM save file). If not, then where is the HOF mod located (what is the path)? It can go in two places, for some only one place has seemed to work.

If the random game does work under HOF, then try loading the GOTM save file after you have opened Civ 4 and loaded the HOF mod up and see if that works (if double clicking the GOTM save is not working).

Also, might re-download the GOTM save file in case it was corrupted in the first download attempt.

Good Luck! :goodjob:

dV
 
da_Vinci said:
Did you patch to 1.74 from the in game update function of the main menu or from a patch download site? That may determine whether you patched to the pre or post 3.13 versions of the 1.74 patch.

But if you are not getting the HOF protected assests warning, then maybe that is not the issue.

Can you load up a Civ 4 game without the HOF mod and run that? Sounds like yes.

Can you then go to the load a mod (under advanced in main menu IIRC) and load the HOF mod to run a random game under the HOF mod (as opposed to the GOTM save file). If not, then where is the HOF mod located (what is the path)? It can go in two places, for some only one place has seemed to work.

If the random game does work under HOF, then try loading the GOTM save file after you have opened Civ 4 and loaded the HOF mod up and see if that works (if double clicking the GOTM save is not working).

Also, might re-download the GOTM save file in case it was corrupted in the first download attempt.

Good Luck! :goodjob:

dV
Click to expand...

Well I'll be. After all this, it finally works. Da Vinci, that was the ticket, I guess. I guess the game had to be taught that the HOF mod could work, or some such thing, before it would load the imported save file. I started a new game under the mod, exited, and reloaded the GOTM, and it worked.

Pshew....hopefully I can just play for a long time now, and leave the inner workings alone.

Thanks for all the help!

Bill
 
Well done! I really can't imagine what that sequence can have done, but, hey! It worked!
 
AlanH said:
Well done! I really can't imagine what that sequence can have done, but, hey! It worked!
Click to expand...
I occasionally do have some redeeming social value! ;) :lol:

I expected the sequence to be diagnostic, not therapeutic ... and I still wonder if billybgame can load the game if the mod is already open, but perhaps not from a double click (or a right click > open) on the save file itself.

I still don't have a clue why the always war Rome GOTM would not make a save on exit for me, when every GOTM before or since does it just fine (and yes, it fails with the option selected :rolleyes: :lol: )

dV
 
Well I just started playing civs and gotta say love it. I was interested in this gotm, but am having problems.

I installed the hof mod, and it shows up on teh load a mod screen ingame. When I try to load it, though it errors and closes civ IV out. It doesnt give me an exact error, just looks like a general windows error. I can play other mods like next war and fall from heaven. Just for whatever reason I cannot launch this mod.

thx in advance. I did read how you guys helped out billy, but it doesnt seem like my error is not the same as his. The game just crashes whenever I try to load up the hof mod.
 
ImSoToast said:
Well I just started playing civs and gotta say love it. I was interested in this gotm, but am having problems.

I installed the hof mod, and it shows up on teh load a mod screen ingame. When I try to load it, though it errors and closes civ IV out. It doesnt give me an exact error, just looks like a general windows error. I can play other mods like next war and fall from heaven. Just for whatever reason I cannot launch this mod.

thx in advance. I did read how you guys helped out billy, but it doesnt seem like my error is not the same as his. The game just crashes whenever I try to load up the hof mod.
Click to expand...
Are you patched up to 1.74? Do you have BtS installed and patched or just vanilla? Where did you get your 1.74 patch from ... menu upgrade function or a patch download?

In the main menu, if you go to load a mod, does the 1.74 HOF mod appear as an option? Or is it missing? Can you play a random game under the HOF mod? Does the GOTM fail either as a launch from the save file, or as a load game after opening civ?

dV
 
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