I Fixed The Maf Error... Here Is How!!

When the hell can we get TR Mod for BTS????

ITs my belief that the amount of add ons they felt a expansion warrented would have been to heavy on an already strained workload of the average user's epic.
Its because the amount of add-ons already weighting down the frame from BtS xpak left no room for more weight added to what was already a huge formulation of calculations in the Warlords TR mod
I base this on the number of tech slows already occuring on the version at hand.

A bit pointless on any decent size map are these 'extra tech', type improvement mods. This type they favour a bigger map to coin up enough cash to climb the expanded tech tree, enjoy enough opponents to ring in suffient trade sales etc
. Having to cater to the reverse, that being smaller then average maps, is something not fair for the designer who went to so much work

TR was my favorite mod and was the closest to a unoffical mod pak like RnR or better Balancer Reloaded.

Rise n Rule was scrapped for Civ4 for what I think were similar reasons combined with pro only mentality of python scripting (IMO). I may be wrong about the reasons thought. It possable they are just taking a break after giving us so much
 
Hey,
it is very interesting reading the thread, but for me it is not so easy to understand all the facts.
So here is my question:

I play Civ Bts and more importantly the FFH 2 Mod.
I run Windows Vista 64 Bit and own 4 GigaByte Ram. Normally Civ can only use 2 GB. So with this tool i can make civ using alle the 4 GB and so running faster? Meaning the turn time in the endgame will be shorter?
And if that works, would it make sense to buy 4 GB more to speed up further?

Thx for answers
 
Hey,
it is very interesting reading the thread, but for me it is not so easy to understand all the facts.
So here is my question:

I play Civ Bts and more importantly the FFH 2 Mod.
I run Windows Vista 64 Bit and own 4 GigaByte Ram. Normally Civ can only use 2 GB. So with this tool i can make civ using alle the 4 GB and so running faster? Meaning the turn time in the endgame will be shorter?
And if that works, would it make sense to buy 4 GB more to speed up further?

Thx for answers

Yes, Windows (32-bits) has a limit of 2GB per program it runs. This fix allow Windows to use an advanced option to allow 3GB per program.

I wouldn't count on it making the game run faster. but it would keep it from crashing as often. It would take a long time for it to use up 3GB before crashing, not that it can't happen, but it would be hard to do.

If your game slows down late game it is because of the system using a lot of memory. Most of that memory is being taken up by the 3D graphics and puts a huge load on your video card and CPU. buying a faster CPU will help, as well as, a faster graphics card. more memory won't help unless you run out and the system starts using the pagefile (which is your hard drives.)

In most cases if your games run slow, upgrading the video card is usually the first step.
 
this fix brought me out of lurking to report that it worked 100% for me. Game was unplayable for me before, but now I can load the most insane map and mod, and have absolutely no problems whatsoever.

Thank you Slyflyer


athlon 64 4800+, 4 GB ram, 8800 GTS 640MB, Vista Ultimate X64

Hi I have now vista home edition intel 6600 4gb ram, 8800 gts 320 or 360mb (i don't remember but the smallest)... I'd like to pass to vista x64... there's a version of home edition or i have to upgrade to ultimate? And How many does it costs???
 
This should be in the FAQs. I was getting constant crashes on autosave in BTS (no the MAF isn't fully fixed there).

The flag was already set on the exe, but when I did the bcdedit part and rebooted, my crashes went away completely. After all this time, it was as simple as a single command line entry? Fireaxis should have publicized the fix long ago.
--
My system:
AMD Opteron 170 @ 2.9ghz on DFI LanParty UT NF4 Ultra D
3GB PC4000 RAM
Tons 'O Hard Drives
ATI HD2600XT 256MB PCIe
Creative Audigy LS with Alchemy for Audigy (the alchemy broke with SP1 though).
 
For documentation purposes I'm adding that .CivWarlordsWBSave files can be effected similarly. They don't generate a MAF, but instead the file gets truncated.

I followed the steps in the original post and was then able to successfully save the entire file from WB :)

The map is 5859 plots and has 48civs.
 
I just got a new computer. I tried to allocate the 3 GB, but it was already on.

I thought my new computer would fix my problems, but it didn't. I guess it's simply impossible to run with the map-size 279x186. I like to make maps as large as possible. A map og 300x200 crashed right away, but this map-size was running fine until all civilizations were fully developed. My, I seem unable to do more than a single turn in my save, have to load from autosave as the game crashes when advancing to the next turn.

It's really a shame that my computer cannot handle it - it shatters my dream for many delightful scenarios.

I included my savegame. If anyone can run in for more than 4-5 rounds, I don't get it. I notice that, on my old computer, with high graphic settings it crashed due to video memory, with low graphical settings it would run 1.5 round and crash due to problems with memory allocation. I wanted to get a 1GB graphic card, but those are apparantly expensive.

My computer specs:

Windows XP Pro Edition

Inter Core 2 Duo CPU E6850 @ GHz (2 CPUs)
4 GB RAM (only 3,3 used due to XP)
GeForce 8800 GT, 512 MB (driver version 6.14.0011.6932)
 

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well I tried to load it and it choked on me right away and wouldn't even load. It was a Visual C++ runtime error. Do you have any mods or anything loaded?

-=Mark=-
 
No, only slightly altered XML-files - nothing that should matter.

If I remember correctly, I got a runtime error on my old computer as well if I tried to load a game after Civilization had crashed because I didn't have enough memory to load it (having to reboot).
 
It didn't seem a memory error. Do you have a smaller modified version of thiss that doesn't give errors? Then I could try that. otherwise, not sure on the issue. The Visual C++ error wasn't very informative.

-=Mark=-
ps, I tried in both Vista x64 and XP x64. My 32-bit machine is currently down and waiting on repairs.
 
I've been unable to recreate the error on my new computer, since it refreshes enough memory after I exit the game to be able to load again. I wanted a screenshot, but you'll just have to take my word for it. None of the few XML-changes I made could by any means mean you cannot load the game. As I recall, actually, all I did was change the Leaderheadinfos to make leaders more warhungry and remove global warming.

I think that you get a virtual basic error because the load is incomplete before it is forced to stop. Therefore, it doesn't get a momery error, but is simply unable to run correctly because the whole game hasn't been loaded.
 
yeah, it seems some sort of loading problem. it doesn't get me to the game at all.

I do run a couple items that aren't suppose to interfere. I have Bruic's patch for the 3.13 patch, plus the BUG mod that I unload before loading in your file. also, it is smart enough to know it won't work with BUG mod and auto-unloads BUG Mog for me anyway.

But either way it won't load at all. I was hoping for a file from you as maybe the file got corrupt or something?

also, does it work now? you sounded like it was working fine now.

-=Mark=-
 
No, it's doesn't work now. Actually, Civilization was crashing like crazy, rebooting my computer, but I think that's because I lowered the resolution to make it lower than the one in Windows. The first time I'd click I leader to talk, it's either take 5 minutes to load or crash. When I would exit to Windows, it would crash the computer 50% of the time as well. Seems better now that I changed back to the same resultion.

Right now I'm resigned to having to play or the usual, boring, huge-size maps. It's nice that you're giving it an attempt, but you not being able to load it isn't very encouraging. I doubt the savegame is corrupt, anyhow, but tomorrow I'll download it and check.

Edit: Now I get what you mean. What I meant when I said "I cannot reproduce the error" was that I am no longer able to produce the virtual basic error upon loading with insufficient memory. My computer seems to always have enough memory to load the game, so I cannot get of screenshot of me getting the error was well. So, that's why I said that you will have to believe me.
 
just want to thank the guy who found the solution - it works. I was playing a snail game on a giga map with 20 civs (with rise of mankind) and it started crashing on me on turn 800 or so. Every 9 or 10 rounds.

Then I applied this nifty solution. Played three hours straight, got to round 1000something and no CTDs no MAF no nothing. Of course I have a feeling I'll get some more trouble later, because the save file size is already above 2 gigs.

My specs: Win Vista home, intel quad cpu, 4 gigs RAM, 9600 video card.
 
MAF problem was annoying sometimes. Now I work with huge maps and complex societies, especially with the great Amrad's Mod (thanx!), the MAF problem became a real pain in the neck. Good to read this thread.

To add my experience with Vista, for what it is worth:
Thanx slyflyer. This trick with CFF Explorer worked fine, especially in combination with enlarging the virtual memory. See middle part of this thread.
I changed the virtual memory from "automatic" to mininmum 4Gb and maximum 10Gb, which is no problem with nowadays cheap an large HD's. Works fine!

Until now this works with 2Gb RAM.
Reading this thread I think I'd better extend my RAM to 4GB to give Vista some space. What do you think?

This CFF explorer is an eye-opener anyway ! Thanx for the tip.

FYI, my machine: Dual Core E6600, MB ASUS P5B-E Plus, 2Gb SDRAM c6400, Geforce 8800GTS, Vista Ultimate and investment in separated HD's saves me a lot of trouble at system crashes: a small one for System Only (may crash) and seperate large ones for Game and a very large HD in RAID1 (Mirror) for my Data. My tip for you.
 
MAF problem was annoying sometimes. Now I work with huge maps and complex societies, especially with the great Amrad's Mod (thanx!), the MAF problem became a real pain in the neck. Good to read this thread.

To add my experience with Vista, for what it is worth:
Thanx slyflyer. This trick with CFF Explorer worked fine, especially in combination with enlarging the virtual memory. See middle part of this thread.
I changed the virtual memory from "automatic" to mininmum 4Gb and maximum 10Gb, which is no problem with nowadays cheap an large HD's. Works fine!

Until now this works with 2Gb RAM.
Reading this thread I think I'd better extend my RAM to 4GB to give Vista some space. What do you think?

This CFF explorer is an eye-opener anyway ! Thanx for the tip.

FYI, my machine: Dual Core E6600, MB ASUS P5B-E Plus, 2Gb SDRAM c6400, Geforce 8800GTS, Vista Ultimate and investment in separated HD's saves me a lot of trouble at system crashes: a small one for System Only (may crash) and seperate large ones for Game and a very large HD in RAID1 (Mirror) for my Data. My tip for you.
A question:... with vista ultimate 64bit could you still have the maf?
 
A question:... with vista ultimate 64bit could you still have the maf?

Yes, you will still get the MAF error. Civ IV is still a 32-bit program and 64-bit windows will run it in 32-bit emulation mode and it will still have all the limits of 32-bit windows. That's why you need the CFF Explorer program. It tells the program it is OK to use up to 3GB of RAM. Normally 32-bit Windows only allows 2GB for any one program to use at one time.

@viator:

You should change your page file's minimum and maximum sizes to be the same(4GB is good). What happens with different sizes is when windows hits the minimum and needs more it will stall the system greatly while it resizes the pagefile from 4GB to 10GB. this process can take a long time especially if your system is under a heavy load. You will also end up with a fragmented pagefile when done.

I highly recommend to temporarily turn off your pagefile and then defrg your hard drive. Then set your pagefile to 4GB for both minimum and maximum. then you should be fine.

As for recommending more ram, since you run Vista and only have 2Gb ram and you hit the MAF error, then I'd recommend more memory and 4GB sets are cheap lately(under $100) if you go over 2GB (MAF error) then that means you are actually using the pgefile which is located on your hard drive. Your hard drive is the slowest part of your whole computer and with the extra memory, it should keep things running smoothly.

-=Mark=-
 
@viator:
You should change your page file's minimum and maximum sizes to be the same(4GB is good). What happens with different sizes is when windows hits the minimum and needs more it will stall the system greatly while it resizes the pagefile from 4GB to 10GB. this process can take a long time especially if your system is under a heavy load. You will also end up with a fragmented pagefile when done.

:) Thank you Mark, I already wondered about the maximum to choose.
I will set both the minimum and the maximum to 4Gb.

As for recommending more ram, since you run Vista and only have 2Gb ram and you hit the MAF error, then I'd recommend more memory and 4GB sets are cheap lately(under $100) if you go over 2GB (MAF error) then that means you are actually using the pgefile which is located on your hard drive. Your hard drive is the slowest part of your whole computer and with the extra memory, it should keep things running smoothly.

I can get extra 2Gb SDRAM of the same type and brand (fast c6400) for €47.
I'll order it now.

Thanks again.
 
I am using Vista 64 Home Premium and have a P35 MB with 8GB RAM. I never!!! receive MAF allocation errors even when playing Huge maps late in game. Sometimes my save files reach alomst 3gb in size. When I had XP or Vista 32 I had those same errors. I am not a programer and make no claim to being otherwise, but the move to Vista 64 and 8gb of memory solved every issue that I previous had with Civ4 all the way from vanilla to BTS. Has any other member using Vista 64 with 8gb of memory hads any MAF errors???
 
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