Dosbox Civilization Freezes

Hi guys,

I've been playing civilization in dosbox and have to say it work pretty well. But I have noticed that occasionally it freezes and the end of a turn and it can't be repaired. For example say my game is up to the year 1950 and I finish my turn, it will freeze. I will have to shut down dosbox and reopen it and then reopen civilization, I will reload my saved game and it will crash at the year 1950 again. No matter what I do. If I load an older savedgame it will also crash at the year 1950.

But I start a new game, that could freeze at an entirely different year. It is like each game has a pre determined time where it will freeze.

Has anyone experienced this?

Yes, this has happened to me on several occasions. But I'm pretty sure I've experienced it even in the pre DOSBox days, so I think its a general Civ issue, not a native DOSBox one.

Judas1984 said:

...Has anyone experienced this?

Click to expand...

As the error is repeatable perhaps you could upload the MAP & SVE file for others to examine.
A few questions:
1) What version of DOSbox are you using?
2) What version of CIV/DOS are you using?
3) Are you sure that you have an unaltered CIV.EXE?
4) Are you using the English language version of CIV/DOS?

Look here to check version

Thanks for the help guys,

CRC - d65325aff
Dosbox - v0.73
Civ version - 474.04

I'm also happy to attach the sve and map files if you think that would help.

for. apple device ( iPad & iPhone ) use. idos 2.0.1 emulater
version : all civ version

Hello,

I've got the following problem: at the end of a turn (1695 AD), the game freezes. Water is still animated, but the next round won't come up.

I've already switched off the advisor and the enemy moves in the options menu, but this doesn't change anything.

I already changed the production in every city, but this doesn't change anything.

I'm using DosBox 0.74 under Win7 Pro 64bit.
I tested several versions of Civ1 (474.05, 475.1).

Does anyone know, if there is a solution for my problem?

DId you solve the problem? Because I've got the same...

joke1981 said:

... the game freezes. ...

Click to expand...

If you would answer the three four questions in post 3 of this thread and attach the MAP & SVE file that precedes the freeze I’ll take a look at it.

Hi Dack & thx 4 the reply...

1) I'm using DOSBos 0.74 on a Win7 Pro 64bit machine.
2) Dos version (according to "ver" command) is 5.0
3) CIV version is 475.01, CRC 35c3108f (but I also tried 474.05)
4) CIV is in english, for DOSBox I use the german language files

Files:
View attachment CIVIL1.MAP
View attachment CIVIL1.SVE

joke1981 said:

3) CIV version is 475.01, CRC 35c3108f (but I also tried 474.05)

Click to expand...

I ran your MAP & SVE in version .05, at the end of the turn I get a divide by zero error. Looking thru the MAP & SVE I have yet to find anything strange.
The crc32 value you posted does not match the value I would expect for version .01. Does the file date and length match this? Does this error happen with ever game you play?
Have you used any editors on the SVE or the EXE?
Did you play the game up to this point entirely with .01?

If you don't know how to generate CRC32, I suggest downloading HashTab, which adds a tab to file properties (right-click):

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/File-Management/HashTab.shtml

EDIT: this wasn't directed at the most recent poster but is here for future reference.

Dack said:

The crc32 value you posted does not match the value I would expect for version .01. Does the file date and length match this?

Code:

version      file date          size    crc32
.01     12/03/1991 17:17:08   304,512  45F95F3B

Click to expand...

This is the CRC for 474.01, right? My game version is 475.01.

The error seems to occur in every game - but not in the same year.
I didn't use any editors on sve or exe.
I played the hole game with the same exe file. But because of the error, I tried different exe verions. That's why I'm not 100% sure, if the original one was 475.01, but I think so.

joke1981 said:

… My game version is 475.01. ...

Click to expand...

joke1981 Five more questions.
This is the CRC for 474.01, right? Yes

I have always been fascinated by version 475. This leads me a few questions.

1. What is the file date & time stamp on CIV.EXE?
2. What is the size of the file CIV.EXE?
Also the following file, its properties should be
INTRO.TXT December 02, 1991, 11:50:50 AM 965 bytes
3. What are the properties on your copy of INTRO.TXT?
Byte 209 (first byte numbered 0) is the version string. In my case 474.01

4. What is yours?
I ask this because CIV 474.01 just reads this file to show the first screen.
Version .02 also displays .01
Versions .03, .04, and .05 display the number corresponding with their version number. They appear to do this by reading INTRO.TXT and replacing the 214th byte (again from zero) with the version number in the screen display only.

The reason I mention this in that all of the version after .03 modify the INTRO.TXT file data on the screen display only, with no reference to 474 or 475

I graduated to version .05 so long ago I don’t remember why I didn’t like .01 or .03 .

5. Does the properties of your version .05 match the following?

All this has some interest, and later today I will poke around the SVE file to see if I can find out what triggers the event.
What really has my interest is 475. What is it? Where does it come from? (5.25 inch floppies or DVD’s) The following is an image of my original distribution. 474.01 . As you see it is marked 4741A thru 4741D. Four low density, 3.5 inch, 720K, floppies. The point of this does any one have the original medium of a 475 or for that matter any that differ from my version. I would like to see images of all the different forms that CIV DOS was distributed in. Mine is an early version I think there were hi-density floppies with only 2 or 3 disks.

Okay, it seems as if I was wrong in my last post. The game version I used until the error was 474.04, CRC 40D34607. The game was saved using this version. Sorry for the wrong info.

I used ver 475.01 just to check if it works with a newer version. I googled and downloaded this one, so I'm not sure from which media it originally came.

Do you still need the answers for the 5 questions? And if yes, for which version?

One more thing:

When I wrote my first post here, I thought that there could be a known and easy solution for my problem (e.g. like for the advisor problem). Of course, you do not have to invest your time in solving my problem...

Dack said:

I graduated to version .05 so long ago I don’t remember why I didn’t like .01 or .03 .

Click to expand...

.01 allows debug cheating and is generally easier. .03 added all the algorithmic updates, while .05 attempted to fix the advisory bug. 474.04 was the high density disk version.

Dack said:

What really has my interest is 475. What is it? Where does it come from? (5.25 inch floppies or DVD’s)

Click to expand...

474 refers to floppy disk distribution, while 475 is CD distribution. The sole difference between the two is distribution media.

Source: Microprose's original FAQ, which is mirrored here:

http://www.civfanatics.com/civ1/faq/civfaq2.php

joke1981 said:

I used ver 475.01 just to check if it works with a newer version.

Click to expand...

My opinion is that the link given above on the size, file date and CRC32 values for each CIV DOS version are correct across any medium. Any deviation from those values indicates a patched or modify EXE file. I think you have a file that has been modified for good or bad I can’t say.
I wonder if version .04 is the source of your anomaly. I think most people play with version .01 or .05. I’m willing to be corrected if other opinions show the facts to be different.
I’ll give it another look just to see if I can find something, but I doubt that there will be any resolution.

…answers for the 5 questions? No as I’m convinced that that version .01 is not as provided by Microprose.

Maybe I'll play with version .04 on my next game to see what happens. You did say that this happens every game?

Dack said:

I think most people play with version .01 or .05.

Click to expand...

I played with 475.04 for years before downloading .05. It did have occasional save corruption issues but they were neither predictable nor consistent.

Still OT about freezing, but seemingly for new causes.

On all games I've played on my original 3.5" disk copy of Civ - originally installed on my 386 but copied across to newfangled PC recently went it finally died - since the beginning of this year (2013) will lock-up when reaching the city screen post -construction of a (apparently) random wonder. For one game, it was the Pyramids, in another the Oracle.

The screen locks as it's about to display the Selection screen for the city, offering the Military Advisor advice, but nothing else. Attempts to change the construction from a game saved prior to the error also produce the same error.

DOSBOX: 0.74 (running under Win7 Enterprise *OR* Ubuntu 12.04 LTS)
CIV Ver: 474.04 (listed upon running - INTRO.TXT & INTRO3.TXT give .02)
Is CIV.EXE unadulterated? Hmmm, possibly not - may've been stripped of usurper challenger's teeth with CRACK.EXE sometime in the mid 90s. File size: 302,982 bytes, Time/date stamp: 21 July 1992, 9:52:34 AM
Language: English
Attached is the most recent game (Canberra about to build Oracle) and the screenshot of what happens when I click on the "CHANGE" button.

An error creeping into Civ's code, or how it produces games? Or something I've induced recently - did upgrade DOSBox from 0.72 when installing new O/S.

I have Civ 474.04, Windows 8, Dosbox 0.74. I loaded your game and pressed change and the two advisers and the list of possible purchases came up; no hang.

The timestamp and size on CIV.EXE is exactly the same as yours. I have not had a hang on this configuration.

Sorry I can't be of more help. Michael W.

Try turning off "Instant Advice". If the adviser doesn't know what to do, which becomes increasingly likely as more things are constructed, then the game, I believe, goes into an infinite loop and effectively freezes, though the water animations still display.