Playing an older version of the game.

OP, you did not say what the problem is with the work-around I suggest: Build just one or two more scouts.

There is a setting within Civ 5 Properties that allows you to set "Do not automatically update this game."

Where is this? I am familiar with the settings to put Steam off-line and let Civ5 play, but not what you describe.

There's no incremental patching possible. If you want to play the true, absolute vanilla game, then yes, that will work as long as you have the original disc, but there's no other way to do that via steam. There are other ways to do it, of course. Just not "supported" methods.

I now understand that, before activating, Steam will update the installed version. OP, I think you could try:
  1. Installing from disc using the reasonably current version I mentioned previously.
  2. Make a copy of the resulting directory.
  3. Activate (and patch) this version of Civ5 via Steam.
  4. Put Steam off-line and confirm that Civ5 is working as the developers think is ideal.
  5. Overwrite the Civ5 directory with the backup you made in step two.
Worse case, you are out $15 if the game detects this “hack” and prompts you to log into Steam.
 
Where is this? I am familiar with the settings to put Steam off-line and let Civ5 play, but not what you describe.

Steam Library, list of games on left side,
right-click Civ 5, click Properties at bottom of context menu,
second tab at top is updates, first drop down box on updates tab.
 
Steam Library, list of games on left side,
right-click Civ 5, click Properties at bottom of context menu,
second tab at top is updates, first drop down box on updates tab.

Yeah, you would need a vanilla copy of the game, however. Boxed, as it were. I don't know if Steam is required or not.

But your options with Steam are essentially, base game at release, absolutely no bugfixes whatsoever -- so no version 1.001 or anything that is VERY common as bugs get fixed after discs go gold, or fully updated. There's nothing in between.

If the version on the disc is v1.0 and the version "at release" was v1.012 or something to correct a major problem that was found later, you are entirely out of luck.
 
OP, it really sounds like a boxed version of the GotY edition is worth you trying.

I don't know if Steam is required or not.

All the boxed version state that Steam is required for activation.

But your options with Steam are essentially, base game at release, absolutely no bugfixes whatsoever -- so no version 1.001 or anything that is VERY common as bugs get fixed after discs go gold, or fully updated. There's nothing in between.

I don’t think Steam lets you even run the base game at release. As I recall, a forced update happens before activation, as a prequel to the activation process. I would like to be wrong about that.

The patches are verylarge, so you would think there would be an option for folks on dial-up who bought the game on disc and are happy to live without patches.
 
I don’t think Steam lets you even run the base game at release. As I recall, a forced update happens before activation, as a prequel to the activation process. I would like to be wrong about that.

Yeah, it's been years since I bought a boxed game, due to Steam being the awesomesauce, so I don't know the order of events required.
 
I don't know if version 1.0.1.705 is the version I am looking for, but it does kind of fall into the right time frame!

This is what I used to play until I purchased a G&K + vanilla package on steam, I couldn't remember my password or login details so I had to start as a different character than the one I had previously used.

Contrary to what some people are saying, some of the patches for G&K and BNW are having an adverse affect on the original game. All I am asking is can I have my original game back?

I mentioned this earlier in the thread, some of the guys on the HOF were implementing changes such as I am talking about. It was openly discussed on the HOF forum after one of the patches affected their saved games. These guys were clever enough to implement these changes without offending the stringent HOF ruling system, and without buying another package. I have spent hours looking for this thread but can't find it.

I thank you beetle for the five step advice you have given, I will ask my son what he thinks of it!
 
The patches are verylarge, so you would think there would be an option for folks on dial-up who bought the game on disc and are happy to live without patches.

The original was released without much thought, one of my grandchildren was playing the game and I noticed that he had a rifleman at 3,000 BC marathon speed, apparently obtained from a number of ruins by going back to the save each time until you got what you wanted. Much the same as a battering ram I suppose, and you only need one ruin for that, on the HOF site people are winning duel Deity BNW games in six turns or maybe even less, whatever takes your fancy I suppose!
 
The original was released without much thought, one of my grandchildren was playing the game and I noticed that he had a rifleman at 3,000 BC marathon speed, apparently obtained from a number of ruins by going back to the save each time until you got what you wanted. Much the same as a battering ram I suppose, and you only need one ruin for that, on the HOF site people are winning duel Deity BNW games in six turns or maybe even less, whatever takes your fancy I suppose!

Sounds like one of those game breaking bugs you should be concerned about. After all, once you realize that all you need to do is save the game and reload it if you don't get an upgrade from a ruin (which is the way it was in vanilla), how can you not exploit it?
 
Sounds like one of those game breaking bugs you should be concerned about. After all, once you realize that all you need to do is save the game and reload it if you don't get an upgrade from a ruin (which is the way it was in vanilla), how can you not exploit it?

You are continually antagonistic and I am fed up with having to go into detailed explanations of how I refused to use said exploits. This is a Vanilla thread and your ignorance of Civ5 Vanilla is apparent from your immature responses.

The above mentioned was patched very quickly and has never been available from the time when competitive sites were put together.

I notice you call yourself chum, well in England we have pedigree chum and that just about sums you up.
 
The "workers not working" bug only appears in vanilla, doesn't it? It seems to me that switching to BNW would get rid of that problem...

To be honest, I am totally with the OP here. The Vanilla thing initially cost 50 or so bucks, and if that bug is easily fixable (which it obviously seems to be because it's fixed in BNW) then it should also be fixed in the Vanilla version. Forcing people to spend more money on expansions to get bugs fixed is a pathetic approach - no matter how much people try to rationalize it away.
 
OP has said he does not mind spending a little money. So upgrading to BNW and turning off game play features he does not care for should be an easy solution.
 
OP has said he does not mind spending a little money.

I also usually don't mind spending a little money. But I also usually don't want to spend it on expansions to games where the developpers don't even bother to properly fix the vanilla product...
As said: it's pathetic - no matter how much people try to rationalize it away.
 
So gps, are you in similar situation to OP? Anyway, releasing vanilla versions at full MSRP that require major balance patches for three major releases in a row (III, IV, V) is a much worse sin.
 
So gps, are you in similar situation to OP? Anyway, releasing vanilla versions at full MSRP that require major balance patches for three major releases in a row (III, IV, V) is a much worse sin.

You don't seem to have understood this thread, I repeat, Vanilla worked perfectly when the final patch was introduced. What I am saying is that the programming and patches for the add on games are affecting the well being of the original game and this is an absolute travesty.

Some people are still buying the original game and those newcomers are very disenchanted with what they find. They actually believe that the Vanilla version was a crap game, and they don't know any different!

I thank you gps for backing me up on this issue, I was starting to believe I am going senile!
 
Vanilla was weak after the final patch, and before the patches you think made it worse. Just about anyone familiar with Civ4 would believe that the Vanilla version of Civ5 is a crap game. It is pretty, but it just does not have enough to it. Unless maybe if you thought BtS was a step backward from vanilla Civ4!
 
Anyway, releasing vanilla versions at full MSRP that require major balance patches for three major releases in a row (III, IV, V) is a much worse sin.

I really can't remeber any major "balance patches" for Civ IV (especially compared to what happened even in BNW) - but I am also not really happy with the patch history of Civ III and the messy and unfinished state in which Civ III "Complete" was - well, kind of abandoned.

I thank you gps for backing me up on this issue, I was starting to believe I am going senile!

You're welcome, no big deal! :)
 
CivIII there was the issue w/ corruption. CivIV they admitted not play testing any difficulty besides normal, and so the higher difficulties were impossible as shipped.
 
Vanilla was weak after the final patch, and before the patches you think made it worse.

You are entitled to think it was crap, we are all entitled to our opinions!

Here you go again, talking about my statements of a game breaking bug as if I am making it up, there is large element of disbelief in your responses.

What I am saying is that for anyone who purchases the Vanilla game as a package in it's current condition would also think it is crap and how many potential future civ fanatics have been lost in this way?
 
CivIV they admitted not play testing any difficulty besides normal, and so the higher difficulties were impossible as shipped.

Bold claim considering the fact that the first HOF Deity games date back to december 2005 and were achieved with Vanilla version 1.09:

http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/ind...=diff&pubID=2&expansion=0&incBeta=2&submit=Go

The 1.09 patch was released just about three weeks after the game actually shipped - and I don't see that much rebalancing mentioned in the read-me (raised cost for tech or spaceship parts, if any!). Sure you remember things correctly?
 
Bold claim considering the fact that the first HOF Deity games date back to december 2005 and were achieved with Vanilla version 1.09:

Some of the HoF overachiever are quite amazing. I think the necessary fixes I am remembering happened more than three weeks out.

Sure you remember things correctly?

No, but I clearly remember Faraxis talking about not play testing difficulty settings before release because I was dumbstruck. Could that have been III? I also remember IV having lots of issues upon release. I was so disappointed in myself for being fooled again, by purchasing both III and IV early. Maybe you remember better the problems with early IV? Do you good links to the patch summaries handy?
 
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