A quick important question

[icemanjsg]

I am having problems with my Civilization 4 and my computer.

Is the latest version of better AI known to increase load times between turns? In any cases?

Thanks

 

[Arlborn]

yes if you get the version with 'assets'..

Somewhere in the source page I believe there is the version without them and thus faster.

 

[Iustus]

I am having problems with my Civilization 4 and my computer.

Is the latest version of better AI known to increase load times between turns? In any cases?

Thanks

I believe you mean the time it takes the computer to do its turn. If you do mean 'load times' which is traditionally the time it takes to load a save game file, then this is unlikely, but possible.

As far as the times between turns, there are some things that BetterAI does that will cause turns to take longer, but there are also some optimizations that cause it to take less time. I do not believe anyone has done comprehensive tests to determine how the two stack up.

yes if you get the version with 'assets'..

Somewhere in the source page I believe there is the version without them and thus faster.

Alborn is talking about the 'Assert' version, which in this incarnation may be slightly slower, but it should not be noticably so. The 1/16 version had a lot of extra, time consuming checks in place, but the 1/25 assert version does not, so it should not be noticably slower than the non-assert version.

The reason that it is called an assert version is that imbedded in the code are 'assertations' of things that should be true. When they are not true, but are expected to be true, a window pops up, saying so. For example, in the function that you call to go to war, there is an assert that 'asserts' that the person you are going to war with is alive. If he is not alive, the window will appear, saying that your assumption was in error.

-Iustus

 

[icemanjsg]

I just uninstalled civ 4 , warlords and better AI, then re installed just civ 4 and warlords, and the game no longer has 20 to 30 turn load times by the classical era? it take under 5 again?

I asked my friend to check and his has sped-up as well?

 

[Iustus]

I just uninstalled civ 4 , warlords and better AI, then re installed just civ 4 and warlords, and the game no longer has 20 to 30 turn load times by the classical era? it take under 5 again?

I asked my friend to check and his has sped-up as well?

First, you do not have to go through this much effort to remove BetterAI. It is just one file, you just move the file (or delete it), and BetterAI will be off.

20 to 30 turn load times

Do you mean 20 - 30 second turn times?

BetterAI should not be extending turn times from 5 seconds to 30 seconds. That to me seems pretty extreme.

If you have a save game file that takes 30 seconds to end the turn, but if you remove BetterAI it only takes 5 seconds to end the turn, I would like to see that save.

A different possiblity is that BetterAI games have more units, which take longer to process the turns. See the discussion about reducing the amount of units for progress on that.

-Iustus

 

[icemanjsg]

YES YES i mean turn times.

basically i was having troubles running the game smoothly so i wrung the xps number for my laptop. I wanted to totally uninstall the game and use a fresh version without better AI the game i loaded and played still took 30 seconds.
I also un-installed and re-installed nearly every driver on my computer.

However, the new game i started with just warlords never slowed down to the extent it did with better AI.

This is the lamest news ever! I don't want to play civilization IV without better AI, but i can not stand the way it conflicts with my laptop. So now i don't play at all

 

[icemanjsg]

Sorry Istus, what are the specifications of your computer because both my friend and I experienced this problem (his computer is more powerful than mine) and by the renaissances age with 12 people on a large map, turns were taking up to 50 seconds.

For the first time yesterday since the release of civilization IV i saw a computer with a battleship, and Mao Zaedong had loads! hence why Better AI is the best thing ever!

I was using the Assets 1/25 version i didn't realize it was a beta test not an actual release

So i guess i just have to suspend my civilization playing until the next release!

 

[shadyforce]

While playing Warlords in full screen, I hit end turn and sat there for about 30 seconds with no change in the screen. It was only afterwards, when I used ctrl+windows key to minimize the game, that I saw that an assert has appeared. That is, the assert did not pop up (like I was led to believe it would), it appeared in the background.

I'm not sure if that's relevant to your situation or not. Just thought I'd mention it.

 

[icemanjsg]

No every turn was taking 20+ seconds.