Game opens in corner

[CELTICEMPIRE]

I have the steam version of Civ 3 Complete (I bought it in 2010). Earlier today I was able to use it just fine. Then, steam updated and I tried to play it again. When I skip the intro the game goes to its start screen but only in the top left side of my screen. I don't think it's a resolution issue because it looks like the game wants to display everything but the majority of the screen is cropped out.

 

[WeirdoJoker]

I have the steam version of Civ 3 Complete (I bought it in 2010). Earlier today I was able to use it just fine. Then, steam updated and I tried to play it again. When I skip the intro the game goes to its start screen but only in the top left side of my screen. I don't think it's a resolution issue because it looks like the game wants to display everything but the majority of the screen is cropped out.

I bought & downloaded the GOG version, and I occasionally get stuff like this on startup. I just go to Task Manager to quit, and relaunch as many times as it takes (sometimes just 1, sometimes several).

 

[tjs282]

I just go to Task Manager to quit, and relaunch as many times as it takes (sometimes just 1, sometimes several).

Now this is interesting, because although I've never had this problem with Civ3, I did start getting it with Star Wars X-Wing (from GOG) on our old WinXP laptop (1280*800 monitor), a long time ago.

I figured I'd managed to mess up something somewhere in the (DOSBox?) configuration, but I could never figure out what, when or how (might have been a conflict with settings for one of my other GOG-games, maybe one of the Tomb Raider-s). But then support for XP ended, so I took the laptop offline, and never got it fixed. Just stopped playing STXW on it, transferred all my pilot-files over to the desktop installation instead.

Never thought that it might just be a case of turning-it-off-and-on-again (so to speak). Will have to try that, thanks!

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

It looks like sometimes it does this and sometimes it doesn't. I've been able to play recently.

 

[jarred!]

Might this be an issue with the .ini? If you play in the steam client, that may explain why the update messed with your settings... Are you able to load directly from the .exe (not sure if this would still load steam's config file) without issues?
Keepres=1 I think stretches the game to your monitor's resolution
videomode=??? I think allows you to specify a resolution
Just grasping at straws here...

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

Might this be an issue with the .ini? If you play in the steam client, that may explain why the update messed with your settings... Are you able to load directly from the .exe (not sure if this would still load steam's config file) without issues?
Keepres=1 I think stretches the game to your monitor's resolution
videomode=??? I think allows you to specify a resolution
Just grasping at straws here...

I'm not exactly sure what or where the .ini file is.

 

[tjs282]

I'm not exactly sure what or where the .ini file is.

I assume @jarred!'s talking about the conquests.ini, which is usually in the .../Civilization3/Conquests/ directory.

Admittedly, I have no idea where you'd find that directory + file under a Steam-install, but a Windows-search should find it?

Once you've found it, you can open/edit it using any .txt file editor.

All the settings and switches are listed in this post, text quoted originally from Mike Breitkreuz of Firaxis.

 

[jarred!]

To find where steam hides game files, browse: ...\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization III Complete\Conquests\conquests.ini
(This same Conquests folder is where you can run civ directly from the conquests.exe, instead of through the steam app, another potential fix.)

The ellipses signifies where you dled steam to, whether that's in program files or just in C.
Or, you can right click on civ 3 in the steam app, go to properties, then local files and browse local files.

The .ini is just some settings for the game to remember when it starts.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

I can't find any of this even after searching.

 

[jarred!]

I mean, we're kind of at an impasse. The files exist, although steam may have changed it's file structure.

 

[tjs282]

I can't find any of this even after searching.

I mean, we're kind of at an impasse. The files exist, although steam may have changed it's file structure.

@CELTICEMPIRE When you did your Windows-search, did you set it to show file extensions and show hidden folders/files? Because if not, it may not have found/displayed the file you want.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

I got into the file, put in KeepRes=1, and then the game wouldn't open. However, I've been having the corner problem less now.

 

[csprof23]

So I know I'm really late to the game but I found that none of the suggestions on here worked. I did find a method that did work.
1. Run the game (it only shows 1/4 screen)
2. Open TaskManager
3. Find the Civ 3 task and click on the > to expand
4. Right click on the subset Civ 3 task and choose Maximize
5. Close TaskManager (if you don't your fight scenes will be choppy)
6. Run Civ 3