Play Now bug

[Swarbs]

I don't think this is specific to this mod, but it is happening when I try to start a new game using 'Play Now', either in WTP or in vanilla. The game simply crashes straight to desktop with no warning, which never used to happen until today. I've tried reinstalling my game and verifying the install. I have the steam version, installed in C:\Games so there should be no UAC issues.

My ThemeParseLog shows the following:

Spoiler ThemeParseLog :

[Apr 02, 2020 - 12:54:02] Messages while processing 'Resource/Civ4.thm'

Error : Decl - ('Civ4Theme_Common.thm', Ln:401, Col:13) Assignment source propertyId 'SF_CtrlTheme_Civ4_Control_Font_Size3_Italic' not found
Error : Decl - ('Civ4Theme_Common.thm', Ln:402, Col:13) Assignment source propertyId 'SF_CtrlTheme_Civ4_Control_Font_Size3_BoldItalic' not found
Error : Decl - ('Civ4Theme_Common.thm', Ln:408, Col:13) Assignment source propertyId 'SF_CtrlTheme_Civ4_Control_Font_Size1_Bold' not found
Error : Decl - ('Civ4Theme_Window.thm', Ln:3048, Col:9) Assignment source propertyId 'SF_CtrlTheme_Civ4_Control_Font_Size1_Bold' not found
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:401, Col:47) Could not load bitmap 'Colonization/end_turn.dds'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:884, Col:47) Could not load bitmap '../Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:885, Col:47) Could not load bitmap '../Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga'
Error : Syntax - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:887, Col:13) Unexpected '.' in the identifier assignment statement
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:888, Col:47) Could not load bitmap '../Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:889, Col:47) Could not load bitmap '../Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:904, Col:47) Could not load bitmap '../Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:905, Col:47) Could not load bitmap '../Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:907, Col:47) Could not load bitmap '../Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:908, Col:47) Could not load bitmap '../Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:909, Col:47) Could not load bitmap '../Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:924, Col:47) Could not load bitmap '../Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:925, Col:47) Could not load bitmap '../Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga'
Error : Syntax - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:927, Col:13) Unexpected '.' in the identifier assignment statement
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:928, Col:47) Could not load bitmap '../Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_HUD.thm', Ln:929, Col:47) Could not load bitmap '../Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga'

I appreciate there is a tech support forum, but it hasn't had a reply in for a year, so I'm hoping someone here knows something about it. From Googling it seems to have occurred to a few other players, but without any solution being found.

 

[raystuttgart]

I have no idea, because I do not have Steam version.
(Also never heard of this problem.)

But I am really quite sure that this is not related to WTP.
(We would have gotten bug reports much earlier.)

And as you said, it happens in Vanilla for you as well.

 

[Mr. ZorG]

edit. I apologize, have not woken up yet)

Steam games are installed by default in the X:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\game_name folder
try reinstalling Steam and the game, since the file you specified (Civ4Theme_Common.thm) should be located here (for my Steam game) D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Civilization IV Colonization\Resource\Themes\Civ4.thm

 

[raystuttgart]

Maybe an automatic Steam update messed something up.
(Would not be the first time that something like that happened.)

 

[Swarbs]

I've fully deleted and reinstalled the game, and all the files are where they should be.

Civ4.thm, Civ4Theme_Common.thm and Civ4Theme_Window.thm are all in Civilization IV Colonization\Resource\Themes\

The only odd thing is that it is referring to /Beyond the Sword/Resource/Civ4/HUD/HUD_BTS_icons.tga, when there is no "Beyond the Sword" directory for Civ4Col? HUD_BTS_icons.tga is in Civilization IV Colonization\Resource\HUD\

 

[Mr. ZorG]

Do you have an original civilization 4 and is it an addition to it?
I think this is some kind of glitch Steam. therefore, I advised to remove the game and Steam. and it’s highly advisable to clear the cache and restart the computer. I would do so.

 

[Nightinggale]

Try using the beta version from steam (the beta version of Colonization, not steam itself). They added an updated version with some network updates, but it's a step backwards for mod compatibility and it also lost direct IP networking (aka offline LAN support). There is no point in using the default version from steam unless you plan to use that steam only networking feature.

 

[Tugboatspotter]

I'm using the default steam install and I have not had issues.

Something to bear in mind is that almost everyone new to this mod/game will be downloading it through steam, so it is pretty important that it should be a priority that the mod is friendly for steam users. People don't tend to hang around for long if they run into problems.

 

[Mr. ZorG]

I use the current version of Steam and Steam version of the game and have no problems.

 

[Swarbs]

I tried uninstalling and reinstalling but it didn't help. I then reinstalled on my secondary HDD and that seems to have fixed the problem, so there was obviously something up with the initial install, just not sure what!

It definitely wasn't a mod specific problem, as it was happening with vanilla and all other mods as well

 

[Nightinggale]

Sounds like it could have been an encoding issue in the install path. The exe is based on the 2003 compiler and the path handing of international characters is not as stable as more recent games. Sometimes odd stuff happens, which can be fixed by only using pure ASCII in the full file path.