New BTS 3.13 patch & Vanilla GOTM issue?

[Sarek]

Does this new BTS patch alter either Vanilla or Warlords (as BTS originally did)? I have downloaded (eagerly) thru the game and patched - work nicely.

BUT, went to open my GOTM23 ongoing game save in Vanilla and now it says it's "protected" and will NOT open?
Any ideas?

I REALLY don't want to uninstall and reinstall everything (again)...

[RobertTheBruce]

I had the same issue starting a warlords game. It looks like the patch updates a common asset.

[AlanH]

:sigh: I've alerted ainwood. I can't check this myself as I don't run Civ4 for Windows ... or BtS.

Until we can investigate further, I recommend NOT installing this patch until you've finished the current GOTM, WOTM and SGOTM games. I've stickied this thread to bring it to everyone's attention.

If you feel a desperate need to use the patch, I suggest doing it on a copy of your current installation so that you keep an unpatched version to complete the current games.

[ArcadicGamer]

On a related and exciting note, the patch fixed the asset issues for STEAM. I assume its ok for me to play it now that their isnt an actual patch difference.

[da_Vinci]

Originally Posted by AlanH

If you feel a desperate need to use the patch, I suggest doing it on a copy of your current installation so that you keep an unpatched version to complete the current games.

As in make your dual install into a triple install? Wow, I hope they don't have too many patches then ...

@ Sarek and RobertTheBruce: Did the version number of your Vanilla and/or Warlords change after the BTS patch? Is it just the HOF mod that is a problem after the patch, or is there an additional problem V or W?

dV

[RobertTheBruce]

da_Vinci -

It loads as Warlords build version 2.1.3.0; build date Wed May 16 2007. I'm not sure what this was before the patch but it doesn't look like it changed. The game doesn't appear to have any problems but the HOF game I was starting warned that it wouldn't be acceptable due to modified assets.

[AlanH]

Originally Posted by ArcadicGamer

On a related and exciting note, the patch fixed the asset issues for STEAM. I assume its ok for me to play it now that their isnt an actual patch difference.

Interesting! I can't imagine how that's happening at the same time as it's modifying the non-STEAM installations to be *different* from the assets used when the start files were created

Originally Posted by da_Vinci

As in make your dual install into a triple install? Wow, I hope they don't have too many patches then ...

I assume you'll only need two again once you finish the current games and the dust settles - non-BtS and BtS. Of course, if we're optimistic, maybe the patch has reverted the vanilla/warlords assets to the non-BtS state. If that's the case then there will be no need for multiple installations to play GOTMs.

[Conquistador 63]

Sorry to be a little off-topic, but once you don't need a dual install anymore (like I have 1.61/2.08 and 1.74/2.13), how do you remove the unneeded one? Uninstall program should remove the later version, so then just delete the old version folders?

[Methos]

Originally Posted by Conquistador 63

Sorry to be a little off-topic, but once you don't need a dual install anymore (like I have 1.61/2.08 and 1.74/2.13), how do you remove the unneeded one? Uninstall program should remove the later version, so then just delete the old version folders?

Locate your dual install folder and simply delete that folder. For example, I would have to delete this folder:

G:\Program Files\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4 v.1.61

[Conquistador 63]

Thanks, Methos. I think the related stuff under \My Games\etc. should also go to recycle bin. Maybe it will still be some garbage left in the registry but I won't touch that as it is beyond my computing abilities.

[ori]

Originally Posted by RobertTheBruce

da_Vinci -

It loads as Warlords build version 2.1.3.0; build date Wed May 16 2007. I'm not sure what this was before the patch but it doesn't look like it changed. The game doesn't appear to have any problems but the HOF game I was starting warned that it wouldn't be acceptable due to modified assets.

Vanilla and Warlords CvGameCoreDLL.dll files have a last changed date of 9/24/07 now (BtS 3.13 CvGameCoreDLL.dll has 9/21/07) so this patch definitely changed those, not the .exe though. I assume it has something to do with the *mod* warnings in MP.

[Methos]

Originally Posted by Conquistador 63

Thanks, Methos. I think the related stuff under \My Games\etc. should also go to recycle bin.

Whoops, forgot about that. Yes, that has to be removed too.

[da_Vinci]

I think there is more complexity here than we might first think.

I posted this in the SGOTM maint thread, but I think it has an audience here as well ...

The dual install details are here:

The thread is

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=232115

The key starting post is (post 12 to post 19)

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpo...6&postcount=12

Here is a description of the issue for those unfamiliar ...

The issue is that pre BTS, we had vanilla 1.61 and warlords 2.08. Installing BTS automatically patches vanilla to 1.74 and warlords to 2.13.

The wrinkle is that the HOF mods are patch-specific: an HOF mod designed for 2.08 won't work with 2.13.

And the XOTM are HOF mod-specific ... has to run in the mod that created it. This meant that a WOTM made with an HOF mod designed for 2.08 won't run on 2.13, so if you had unfinished games in 1.61 or 2.08, you either had to not install BTS until those were done, or generate a dual install of each game, one in the old 1.61 and 2.08, and a second copy that would update to the 1.74 and 2.13 when you did the BTS install.

Also, if you ever want to go back and replay an old XOTM, you would have to keep a dual install of the version for that game.

That was then, pre the 3.13 BTS patch ... now, 3.13 apparently changes shared assets. So ...

Newer XOTMs and SGs may require 3.13 versions of BTS, Warlords, or Vanilla (or newer pitboss games?), while older XOTMs and SG's (or older pitboss games?) might still require pre 3.13 versions of BTS, Warlords, or Vanilla. Or maybe only if HOF mod is being used (which would exclude pitboss I assume)?

If you need to be able to play old 1.61, 1.74, and now 1.74post3.13 games (or only if using the HOF mod?), then you may need a triple install of vanilla.

If you need to be able to play old 2.08, 2.13 and now 2.13post3.13 games (or only if using the HOF mod?), you may need a triple install of warlords.

And if you have pre 3.13 BTS games, then I assume you might need a dual install of BTS, one pre 3.13 and one post 3.13 to continue to play the old ones.

Ouch. And if you already updated and need to go back ... super ouch.

@ Staff: correct any errors I have made here, but unforturnately I think I am right, or close to it.

dV

BTW ... 1500th post!

[da_Vinci]

Originally Posted by AlanH

Until we can investigate further, I recommend NOT installing this patch until you've finished the current GOTM, WOTM and SGOTM games. I've stickied this thread to bring it to everyone's attention.

Looks like WOTM 13 and GOTM 23 are pre 3.13 versions of their games.

Will WOTM 14 (if we have one) be a pre 3.13 version, or a post 3.13 version?

I guess we will need post 3.13 versions of the HOF mod for all three iterations of Civ4 ... which might dictate the answer to my question.

dV

[spacemanmf]

So, I've just eagerly installed 3.13, without having finished the latest GOTM and WOTM. Do I need to uninstall and reinstall everything?

[AlanH]

Gyathaar tells me (and I have no way to verify it) that the change that's made by the 3.13 patch is to install a new version of CvGameCoreDLL.dll in the top level folder of your Civ4 software installation.

To revert your patched vanilla installation it should, therefore, be possible to delete this file and run the vanilla 1.74 patch installer to reinstate the old version of the DLL. This should then play the existing GOTM/WOTM/SGOTM games.

If you then want to run BtS 3.13 you will need to copy your reverted Civ4 installation and re-apply the BtS patch to the copy to create a dual installation.

[spacemanmf]

Oooh, that seems to have worked.

For me, the file was called CvGameCoreDLL.dll (i.e. without the first 'i') and it was in the Games/Civilization 4/Assets directory.

I deleted that (well, actually copied it somewhere else just in case) then reinstalled the 1.74 patch and the relevant HOF mod, even though it said they were already installed.

I can now load up my GOTM23 save.

Thanks AlanH/Gyathaar.

I've not got round to doing the same with the WOTM yet but, y'know, one step at a time...

[cabert]

Copying CvGameCoreDLL.dll helped (me at least) finishing current games, but what about the ones to come?
If I understand things right, there are 2 different and equally valid 1.74 versions, one for those who don't have BtS (or haven't patched) and one for those with 3.13 installed.
Hopefully, for future (S)GotMs using vanilla or warlords, there will be some kind of solution!

I can think of 2 basic solutions :
- 2 versions of the initial save (will make the SGotMs very complicated, but seems doable for GotM and WotM)
- using the 3.13 CvGameCoreDLL.dll files for everyone. Even those without BtS would have to DL the file and overwrite the 1.74 file. This could be made by a 1.74b patch for vanilla.

[da_Vinci]

Originally Posted by cabert

I can think of 2 basic solutions :
- 2 versions of the initial save (will make the SGotMs very complicated, but seems doable for GotM and WotM)
- using the 3.13 CvGameCoreDLL.dll files for everyone. Even those without BtS would have to DL the file and overwrite the 1.74 file. This could be made by a 1.74b patch for vanilla.

For solution 1 in SGOTM you would have to have teams that are all patched players or unpatched players I would think (like PC vs Mac): how would you swap patch versions and corresponding HOF mods after play has started?

1.74b patch makes sense, and of course a 2.13b for warlords. Then folks get to decide how many of the eight recent versions they need to keep on their machines (1.61, 1.74, 1.74b, 2.08, 2.13, 2.13b, BTS pre-3.13, and 3.13). Octuple install, anyone?

dV

[cabert]

Originally Posted by da_Vinci

For solution 1 in SGOTM you would have to have teams that are all patched players or unpatched players I would think (like PC vs Mac): how would you swap patch versions and corresponding HOF mods after play has started?

1.74b patch makes sense, and of course a 2.13b for warlords. Then folks get to decide how many of the eight recent versions they need to keep on their machines (1.61, 1.74, 1.74b, 2.08, 2.13, 2.13b, BTS pre-3.13, and 3.13). Octuple install, anyone?

That's why I suggest option 2 !
If all GotMs are using the 3.13 files, there is no need for dual, triple, or more installs .
To be honest, I find it's rather dirty work to go modify vanilla files in a BtS patch, but I having no power on this, let's find a way out.