[TOT] The Test Of Time Patch Project

[Regendur]

That worked! Loaded up a late game turn cycle with no issues after setting compatibility to Windows 8. Thank you very much!

 

[RhysApGruffydd]

Had a problem with ToT in that it stopped announcing when other civs started wonders, then a couple other bugs started to crop up. No biggie, found another game to play.

Now the new game is done, so back to ToT. found a directory of program files on my NAS and an uncorrupted ISO that won't run startup - of course.

SO, Windows 10. Current patch levels. Running TOTPP 18.4. BUT, when I run a map size over 10,922 - some civs stop researching at all.

I'm hoping this, by any chance, is a known bug or issue with a known fix?

 

[Blake00]

Welcome!
Hmm those are some interesting bugs you've found, @Prof. Garfield may have some advice but otherwise we may have to wait until if/when TNO comes back to the site and works on a new version of ToTPP.

 

[Prof. Garfield]

Had a problem with ToT in that it stopped announcing when other civs started wonders, then a couple other bugs started to crop up. No biggie, found another game to play.

Now the new game is done, so back to ToT. found a directory of program files on my NAS and an uncorrupted ISO that won't run startup - of course.

SO, Windows 10. Current patch levels. Running TOTPP 18.4. BUT, when I run a map size over 10,922 - some civs stop researching at all.

I'm hoping this, by any chance, is a known bug or issue with a known fix?

I have vague memories of someone reporting that they stop getting the foreign civ wonder messages. I can write Lua code to compensate for that. I haven't heard of civs stopping research. However, back when I was playing standard Civ II games, it was pretty common for some tribes to fall behind in research. Have they actually set their science rate to 0, or are they just falling behind?

Are you playing a game with 7 players? If not, then the missing "Key Civ" will raise tech costs for some tribes (since their key civ has 0 techs), and they might not be able to compensate for the deficit.

10. "KEY" CIV

There is a mechanism in the game called the KeyCiv that tries to adjust a player's beaker costs as the gap in techs between players grows larger. A brilliant player called Samson discovered that your KeyCiv is based on cross-referencing your PowerRating with the colors of the Player List.

Here are the two lists:
#1/White=Pathetic
#2/Green=Weak
#3/Blue(dark)=Inadequate
#4/Yellow=Moderate
#5/Cyan(light blue)=Strong
#6/Orange=Mighty
#7/Purple=Supreme

So if your PowerRating is Mighty (see top line of F3), your KeyCiv is whatever player is Orange. If that is not you, your beaker "cost" for the current research will be adjusted by a factor based on the difference in number of techs each of you has acquired since the beginning (starting techs don't count). If you have less than your KeyCiv your beaker cost will be lowered somewhat. If you have more, it will increase. Each "jump" in cost happens for every three techs difference, so you don't have to worry every time you get a tech, just every three.

 

[Prof. Garfield]

Had a problem with ToT in that it stopped announcing when other civs started wonders, then a couple other bugs started to crop up. No biggie, found another game to play.

Now the new game is done, so back to ToT. found a directory of program files on my NAS and an uncorrupted ISO that won't run startup - of course.

SO, Windows 10. Current patch levels. Running TOTPP 18.4. BUT, when I run a map size over 10,922 - some civs stop researching at all.

I'm hoping this, by any chance, is a known bug or issue with a known fix?

Try this:
1. Duplicate the Test of Time\Original folder, so you can easily revert to the 'true' version if necessary.
2. Extract this file into your Test of Time\Original folder.
3. Make sure that in the TOTPP launcher, you have enabled Lua scripting and Lua events (these are disabled by default when you set up the patch).
4. Start an original game, and enable the Lua events when you receive the warning.

You should be able to play the game, and these Lua events will compensate pretty closely for the messages you are supposed to get. The messages I wrote have the title "Travellers Report*" instead of "Travellers Report" (note the *), so you can tell the difference between Lua driven messages and "genuine" messages, in case it matters.

I've only briefly tested this code. I played an OCC game to about 550 BC, just enough to see a few wonders started, changed, and completed. Let me know if you run into problems. As a bonus, I also added the ability to press SHIFT+F1 to enable the One City Challenge rules. Basically, it just prevents huts from giving you advanced tribes.

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

Whoops, notifications bugged out and I didn't see the bump.

Had a problem with ToT in that it stopped announcing when other civs started wonders, then a couple other bugs started to crop up.

I have vague memories of someone reporting that they stop getting the foreign civ wonder messages.

That was bruno.uy; two save extension options interfere with wonder notifications:

Bug report: ToT isn't notifying me when another tribe starts a wonder. I'm enabling Edit control + No CD + Save file extensions/Extra unit types. If I only enable Edit control + No CD I do get the notifications, so extra unit types seems the cause. I'm uploading a savegame and my config just in case.

Building on this, it seems different save extension options interfere with different wonder popups in Game.txt: as stated, 'Extra units types' blocks @STARTWONDER and @SWITCHWONDER, and 'Extra technologies' blocks @ALMOSTWONDER.

Haven't tested the Lua patch myself (yet), but at least it sounds like we have a workaround.

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

A request: The mod loader can parse the special rules for the Fantasy and Sci-Fi game modes; can support be added for Extended Original? The flag that prevents the spaceship arrival from tallying the score seems to be hard-coded.

 

[zwei833]

Hello everyone, is it possible to apply xbrz filtering to TOT's default sprites and textures like pic related ? You know, currently Test of Time sprites and textures scaled horribly when played in a 1600x900 resolution

I am also very interested in this idea. Personally I'm not a fan of sharp pixel graphics, and the game doesn't look like that when I played on a CRT back in early 2000s.

I still doesn't find a way to apply a filter on Civ 2. One way I can think of is:
1. Install RetroArch
2. Install DOS core on RetroArch
3. Install Win 98 in that DOS core
4. Install Civ2 ToT on that Win 98
5. Use the filter function of RetroArch

Unfortunately, this is quite complex and currently I have no time to test this.

An easy, yet not perfect solution might be use integrated graphic card (that mean, non discrete graphic card) to render ToT, and lower your desktop resolution. When using a 1980x1080 screen, I lower my desktop resolution to 1366x768. With this resolution setting, and scaling function of integrated graphic card, the graphic of ToT (in default zoom) looks softened and nearly not pixelated at all, and objects on maps are in appropriate size.

 

[DeepSight]

Hi,
I'm trying to setup the french version of Civ 2 for my father, but the patcher doesn't seems to recognize it.
I did manage to find a 1.1 patch for the game, which i uploaded here, but it still wasn't recognized. Is there a possibility to add the french version to the patcher ?

Edit : For some reason, it's working now. I have absolutely no clue of what i did different but i'll take it.

Big thanks for the patch

 

[Dadais]

Hello, a little question about rules.txt's section "@ Civilize"

I believe "Epoch" value is still limited to 0-3 while "Category" value is still limited to 0-4 ?
(tested, trying to use a 0,6 icon result in no icon displayed per exemple)

Considering areas waiting for us to use them in Icons.bmp,
is it possible to have 11 "epoch" and 8 "categories" values associated with the current display in Icons.bmp extended ?

 

[duplj]

Hello, a little question about rules.txt's section "@ Civilize"

I believe "Epoch" is still limited to 3 while "Category" is still limited to 4 ?
(tested, trying to use a 0,6 icon result in no icon displayed per exemple)

Considering areas waiting for us to use them in Icons.bmp,
is it possible to have 11 "epoch" and 8 "categories" values associated with the current display in Icons.bmp extended ?

The storage area for the read values from icons is limited in size just for this grid of icons, so it won’t be possible to expand (I looked at Civ2, but in ToT it’s probably all the same)

 

[Dadais]

The storage area for the read values from icons is limited in size just for this grid of icons, so it won’t be possible to expand

Strange ?
0 to 3 could fit in 2bits indeed,
but 0 to 4 needs 3 bits thus allows 8 values (0to7) ?

Sorry, ignorant as I am of civ2 code

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

is it possible to have 11 "epoch" and 8 "categories" values associated with the current display in Icons.bmp extended ?

Assuming it's possible, an important consideration for expanding era and category icons is that they also have images defined in mk.dll (Image #10 in Gif Xtractor, GIFS/215 in ResHack), and any new definitions will need to fit within the game's existing four-era framework. (The diploscreen icons use the civ's current era, rather than the advance's prescribed epoch.)

 

[Patine]

Assuming it's possible, an important consideration for expanding era and category icons is that they also have images defined in mk.dll (Image #10 in Gif Xtractor, GIFS/215 in ResHack), and any new definitions will need to fit within the game's existing four-era framework. (The diploscreen icons use the civ's current era, rather than the advance's prescribed epoch.)

Though eras don't mean as much, mechanically, and are pretty much purely esthetic, compared to later iterations of Civ, which makes adding a new era or two easier to implement.

 

[Dadais]

Assuming it's possible, an important consideration for expanding era and category icons is that they also have images defined in mk.dll (Image #10 in Gif Xtractor, GIFS/215 in ResHack), and any new definitions will need to fit within the game's existing four-era framework. (The diploscreen icons use the civ's current era, rather than the advance's prescribed epoch.)

You are right indeed. A clear limit exists there.
Thankd for this reminder Thorvald !

 

[EnglishEdward]

I have just bought a new PC with Windows 11.

Please advise me where I can find the latest version of the Test of Time project patch that will run on that ?

I have the ToT CD.

 

[Prof. Garfield]

I have just bought a new PC with Windows 11.

Please advise me where I can find the latest version of the Test of Time project patch that will run on that ?

I have the ToT CD.

Here's the page with TOTPP v18.4:

[TOT] - The Test Of Time Patch Project

Just tested using 0.18.2, and I can confirm that fundamentalism doesn't appear after a revolution. All the other governments appear in the menu. Statue of Liberty doesn't make fundamentalism appear.

forums.civfanatics.com

@Catfish 's installation instructions may prove useful. I'm not sure if there is anything more up to date (I run Linux, so I do different troubleshooting).

Catfish's Cave - ToT Installation Guide

An installation guide for the turn-based strategy game, Civilization 2: Test of Time.

foxahead.github.io

The bug mentioned in step 5 has been corrected.

 

[EnglishEdward]

Thanks for your very prompt reply.

I downloaded that zip and extracted its files, and I downloaded the v1.1 patch and ran that.

Had to suspend McAfee dynamic scanning as it kept quarantining things.

The ToT launcher application identified the version of Civ and said the patch had applied (went green)
so I launched it, it displayed the first screen and then died; no trace of anything according to task manager.

 

[Prof. Garfield]

The ToT launcher application identified the version of Civ and said the patch had applied (went green)
so I launched it, it displayed the first screen and then died; no trace of anything according to task manager.

Did you remove the Test of Time CD (or unmount the .iso file)? The No CD patch doesn't like having a CD in the drive.

Did you happen to try running a version of Test of Time without TOTPP? Have you tried RightClick->Properties->Compatibility and then experimenting with compatibility settings? My Windows 10 Virtual Machine (which hasn't been updated in months, possibly years) runs Test of Time in Windows 7 compatibility mode. I don't do very much with this, so I can't say its the "best" mode, but it at least works.

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

The ToT launcher application identified the version of Civ and said the patch had applied (went green)
so I launched it, it displayed the first screen and then died; no trace of anything according to task manager.

Do you have the DirectShow Video patch enabled? 0.13.2 was supposed to have fixed crashes if Indeo video codecs aren't installed, but it seems to have slipped back in with later versions.

Note that you may need both Indeo 4 and 5: supposedly ToT only uses v5 but I've still suffered crashes without 4 installed. Both are included with K-Lite.