A New Dawn Bug Reports and Feedback

[AndarielHalo]

I... don't understand. It IS slaved to my first HD, and I installed Civ4 to the slave drive, and the base game (without RoM and/or AND) never had these sorts of crash problems, which aren't as prolific for me as they seem to be for others here.

 

[JosEPh_II]

I rarely have problems with my XP Pro 64 OS on running these mods. Which to me means that I made a good choice 2 years ago on my OS for this machine.

My oldest son uses win 7 and up till lately was a computer repairman. He's tried to get me to use win 7 but....I'm a bit stubborn about some things. (if it's not broke don't "fix" it!)

JosEPh

 

[AndarielHalo]

Windows 7 definitely breaks things that were never broken to begin with (for example, no manual arrangement of files in folders

 

[Kwami]

I... I have a Windows 7 64-bit system, and I have Civilization IV installed on a second harddrive X. Would this stuff apply to me?

I have multiple 32-bit programs installed to secondary hard disks in Windows 7 and they all run fine. Don't worry about it.

 

[kormer]

Are there any reported issues with guilds? I'm noticing in one play through that anytime a guild is founded I crash a turn or three later. Could just be coincidence, but I've noticed this on maybe 5+ crashes that a guild was founded within a few turns. This is on eternity too, so it isn't like guilds are being founded every turn.

 

[Elana]

I'm sorry if this is the wrong place, but it seems no one goes to the ROM forums anymore. I need help getting it to run (necessary if I am to run a new dawn!) I'm on XP, with 2 gig ram, 1 meg video (nevdia card), duo core processor. I have civ 4 complete and have struggled for a week to get rom to run. i have done all the fixes mention in the forum, (the alt root = py thingy). I did not install colonization...) Plz... anyone who really knows how the mods work help me get rom to run? thank you. Plz, don't write again the obvious, i followed the directions... nada.

 

[BobTheBull]

Not sure if this is your problem Elana, but ROM-AND 1.75 is a self installing executable file. It installs ROM with the AND mods to ROM in it's own folder: /Rise of Mankind - A New Dawn. Your do not install ROM first. After you install RAND you need to install the 1.75c patch. That should be all you need to do. Why don't you try removing everything you installed before and reinstall RAND from the .exe file.

Note on the discussion about folder locations: Windows gets blamed for a lot of things which are not it's fault, but the fault of other software. One of these is that some programs will not work right unless everything is in their expected directories in /Program Files. I suspect that a lot of the problems people have with RAND has to do with this. Not sure how RAND keeps up with this, but I think it does actually search for and set the various paths on startup. Nonetheless it could be some modules still look for their default location in /Program Files/Fireaxis games, etc.

I tried installing programs on a different drive way back there, either 3.X or 95, and it didn't work at all. Too many things didn't work and I haven't tried it since. I installed Civ4, BTS and ROM-AND on a clean install of XP using the default locations and have not had any issues.

There is a thing called Symbolic Links, symlinks, which can be used to redirect any directory or file request to another location. Symlinks are associated with linux/unix but since Vista are available using the command mklink. If you want to keep your MyDocuments on your D: drive you set up a hard symlink to the folder on your D: drive and then any calls to Documents and Settings/User/My Documents will be redirected to the folder on your d: drive. Google symlinks in windows 7 for more information. You can do it in XP also but have to use an addon program. Google that as well.

Thus, you should be able to locate any files or folders in any location and have them work. Not saying you have to use symlinks for this, but it you do have a problem relocating files from their default locations this should fix it for good.

 

[Kwami]

Not sure if this is your problem Elana, but ROM-AND 1.75 is a self installing executable file. It installs ROM with the AND mods to ROM in it's own folder: /Rise of Mankind - A New Dawn. Your do not install ROM first. After you install RAND you need to install the 1.75c patch. That should be all you need to do. Why don't you try removing everything you installed before and reinstall RAND from the .exe file.

I think he's trying to just use RoM, not AND.

Without providing us more information, there isn't much that we can do to help you. RoM works just fine for me. What errors are you getting? Is anything loading at all?

Note on the discussion about folder locations: Windows gets blamed for a lot of things which are not it's fault, but the fault of other software. One of these is that some programs will not work right unless everything is in their expected directories in /Program Files. I suspect that a lot of the problems people have with RAND has to do with this. Not sure how RAND keeps up with this, but I think it does actually search for and set the various paths on startup. Nonetheless it could be some modules still look for their default location in /Program Files/Fireaxis games, etc.

Nah, I've used both RoM and RoM+AND with Civ4 installed in at least three different locations. Doesn't matter.

What you need to ensure is that the mods themselves are in the right place. Either put them in your ..\Beyond the Sword\MODS folder or put them in C:\Users\<Name>\Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword\MODS. For WinXP, the path is slightly different.

I tried installing programs on a different drive way back there, either 3.X or 95, and it didn't work at all. Too many things didn't work and I haven't tried it since. I installed Civ4, BTS and ROM-AND on a clean install of XP using the default locations and have not had any issues.

Bah, Win95 is 16 years old! The current versions of Windows aren't even based on the same kernel.

 

[JosEPh_II]

Elana,
I posted a reply in the Main RoM Forum. If it's not a solution (and it is a common one) then like Kwami said we would need specific details as to how it loads/tries to start.

We would love to get it working for you to enjoy.

JosEPh

 

[Elana]

Elana,
I posted a reply in the Main RoM Forum. If it's not a solution (and it is a common one) then like Kwami said we would need specific details as to how it loads/tries to start.

We would love to get it working for you to enjoy.

JosEPh

OK, I really appreciate the kind words, and offer to help. Iv'e been extremely frustrated... here goes.. my system... (rig as my daughter calls it).

win xp, home, serv pak 3.
PC, AMD Althlon 64x2 Dual core processor 5200+
2.7GHz, 2.00 GB ram. Nvidia graphics card w 1 ram..
((My system exceeds - a little - minimum requirements for mod ))

Civ 4 complete, BTS patched to 3.19 (no 'unofficial' patches). Direct X and NET are fine. BTS runs fine,all the other mods (that came with it) - run fine. "save version 301"

A few hours ago I reinstalled Civ 4 complete, from retail CD, all default paths.
I just used the installer to install ROM -AND. And I just installed the patch to ROM - ANewDawn patch 'c.'

Prior to this I spent a week struggling to get just ROM running, I run BTS, and in advanced options, select ROM. Nada happens. Then I followed the directions for using the CvAltRoot = py doc, exactly, tried both 'fixs.' Nada.

THEN, in desperation, I put the c-root thingy everywhere, and I did get the mod to run, but without an interface.

Now, today, I discovered ROM-AND (c) has a self installer, so i did that. i put everything in the default folder for BTS mods:

"crogram files/2k games/firaxis games/sid meier's civilization 4 complete/beyond the sword/mods/rise of mankind - a new dawn"

The CvAltroot = py file is identical to the one in ROM. In fact most of the file s and folders look the same as ROM (alone)...

So, since I am obviously stupid, exactly what do i do? DO i put the ROM-AND in the mod folder in "... documents and settings ... my games...."?

-OR- do I leave it in the "... program files ... BTS/mods" folder?

the civ4.ini is in the "... my docs ... BTS" folder Again, default placement by Civ...complete installer. This IS this the BTS ini? (and not the civ vanilla ini, yes?)

The CvAltRoot=py has ONE line of code. It read, by default as :

"rootDir = "C:/Documents and Settings/[UserName]/My Documents/My Games/Beyond the Sword"

I have tried placing copies of this file in ONE, the other, and BOTH places it suggests in the "## comments.. directions, yada "
I have also tried all three of above with "[username]" changed to "[elana]" (name of computer) ... still nada.

So... trying to get A new Dawn to actually run seems to be exactly the same problem as trying to get ROM to run.

So, is the civ.ini placed by the default installer in the 'docs and settings ... BTS' the BTS ini? ( I note that in "...docs and settings...", the BTS folder is NOT 'in" the Civ4 folder. This is the default set up.. is this the cause of the problem?

Do I need to go into the docs and settings, and create a "Civ 4 folder" (or civ 4 complete?) and put the BTS folder inside it?

So, am I doing something wrong with the root=py? How should I write the "RootDir = ..."

Have I missed something else? Ask me, if I did not include info you think will help...

thanks again.... elana


addendum; when I load BTS, Ok, pick load mod, AND, CTD:

Dialog box reads:

" ... civ4beyondthesword.exe appver 3131
civcoredll.dll modver 3.1.9.0
offset 00086d60 ..."

are you suggesting I should move the mod from "... programs..." TO "documents .... BTS/mods..."?

 

[Elana]

OK, how I can I tell, for sure, which ini is the BTS ini, as opposed to the warlords, or vanilla ini? I assumed the ini placed with the default setting by the installer would correspond to the folder. - ie the civ ini in the BTS folder IS the BTS ini.... yes? So, why won't the cvroot thingy, when i tell to to look in the bts ini in the "...docs ... bts.... ' folder actually do it. I think the game is (civgameciredll.dll i) s timing out cause it dosn;'t connect with next part of program? I hate this hassle....

ok i did a clean install, and put the and in the "... doc... bts/mods folder" same thing... it installs fine, patches to 'c' fine... but when i activate bts, and then load the and mod, ctd, nothing happens, then the same error window...

is all this hassle because civ 4 complete has a different path? c:/programs/k2 games .... bts/mods/rom - and"

 

[Elana]

I found the problem. AND is running fine, i think (played 5 moves ok so far).

Problem: BTS says its patched to 3.19 However, when I go to updates (in game) it says an update IS available. When I download the update, it wants to UNinstall the patch. This morning I decided, OK, let it UN install the 3.19 patch. It did. The I manually re-installed the 3.19 patch. Seems to run OK, now.


Thank you all for your kind worlds and help. Thank you.

TO MOD MAKER: may i suggest you place a 'note' in the CvRoot = py that suggests UNinstalling the 3.19 patch and REinstalling it. Also,, perhaps put that in the install directions, as I cannot imagine that I am the only one who has faced this hassle.

Thanks again. elana

 

[BobTheBull]

Elana, your description is anything but clear. I don't really understand what you have done or why. It sounds like you have done way too much and this may be your problem.

For you and everyone who has trouble with this:

The standard arrangement of folders is: (I am abbreviating)

D&S/My Docs/My Games/Beyond the Sword
D&S/My Docs/My Games/Sid Meier's Civilization 4

There should be a set of identical folders under each of the above, Assets, Custom Assets, MOD, etc. (Note that MOD folder is always all caps; not sure if this matters).
In each of the above folders is the .ini file for the program always named CivilizationIV.ini (at least I have never seen another name). Pretty sure it would screw things all up if the ini file had any other name. Ignore the Civ4 folder here; the only thing we are interested is the BTS folders. Do not, however, delete the Civ4 folders. The save game files are in the /Saves folder, BTW.

You can set the Mod to ROM AND with this setting:

Mod = Rise of Mankind - A New Dawn
(note there is no slash and the spaces around the -). This will start RAND everytime you start BTS.

In /Program Files, or wherever you choose to put it, there will be a Fireaxis Games folder with a folder /Sid Meier's Civilization 4 right under the FG folder. Directly below that is the /Beyond The Sword folder, with a bunch of subfolders under that folder. Again, we are interested in BTS only, but do not delete any of the vanilla folders or files, ditto the BTS folders and files.

Like this:

/wherever/Fireaxis Games/Sid Meier's Civilization 4/Beyond the Sword/bunch of folders

As Kwami pointed out, the RAND main folder and ALL it's subfolders and files must be located (exactly as they were installed from the .exe) in:

/wherever/Fireaxis Games/Sid Meier's Civilization 4/Beyond the Sword/Mods
or
/D&S/My Docs/My Games/Beyond the Sword/MOD
(Note the different spelling and capitolization.)

Thanks for clarifying that for us, Kwami. Personally I think it is preferable to use the first location, which is the default. I am pretty sure the spelling must be just as above for things to work; if any one knows dirrerent, please tell.

There is a CVPath.py file for RAND which locates and sets paths, I assume these paths are for the various AND and BUG add ons. But I am pretty sure it won't work if you don't have the mod located as above.

Don't know what the CVRoot=py thingy is so have never used it. I wonder if using that could be part of your problem.

As far as reinstalling the 3.19 patch, I have never had to do that but others have reported the same thing you found.

Hope all this helps more than it confuses.

 

[BobTheBull]

BTW, is .NET Framework needed for Civ4? Elana's mention that her .NET was OK got me to thinking.

I ask this because I run Civ in XP in a virtual machine. I also use the vm for 3D CAD and some other applications I cannot get in linux. Between games and the graphics programs my XP install had gotten a little cluttered, so I set up another virtual machine for games only and the original vm would then be for other apps only. The games vm would have only the minimum services running to maximize memory. It would also have more free disk space.

I set it up, installed from scratch vanilla, patched to latest, installed BTS, patched to 3.19 and installed RAND with the 1.75b patch. I then renamed the RAND folder to keep a virgin set of files available and copied my saved game files, the entire mod folder (which I have modded) and other files from the old to the new vm. And it works.

Except it is verry slooowwww. I mean, the first vm is slow, it takes 6-8 minutes to load from a saved game file, and 2 minutes to load a saved game file after that and between turn times are a little long, but not so bad that I can't play. In the new vm, which as far as I can see is set up exactly the same as far as Civ is concerned it takes 20-30 minutes to load and movement in the game is painfully slow.

I had not posted anything here as this would seem to be not a Civ issue at all. But, the old vm does have .NET installed as well as JVR for some other programs I use. Is it possible this is why it's so much slower? Does anyone know what other processes or services need to be running for Civ to run well?

 

[BobTheBull]

And to answer one question, Yes, if you change the spelling it won't work, but capitalization apparently does not. I changed the Mods folder to MOD and it really screwed things up; tried to load standard BTS which of course didn't work and wound up with three instances of the .exe file which had to be closed.

However, changed Mods to mods and everything loaded fine.

 

[Kwami]

@BobTheBull

Just a few points.
1. Windows is not case sensitive, so the capitalization of letters never matters for file names. It's stupid, but that's how it is.

2. The reason I recommend using the My Documents location instead of the Program Files location is that it doesn't require administrator privileges (UAC) in Vista and Win7.

3. I don't think Civ4 uses .NET at all. It does include it's own Visual C++ runtime DLLs in the main install folder, though. So, I think you should be fine.

As for your virtual machine, I don't know what's up. It could be any number of things, really. Most likely, the problem is a result of the way you configured everything and not something Civ4 or the mods did.

@Elana:

Glad you got it working. Sorry we couldn't be of more help. I've never had to reinstall the patch. Usually, it's a simple process of installing Civ IV, installing 3.19, installing AND 1.75 (and Patch C) to the 'My Documents' location, and then playing. I've never had to set the root the way you did, either. It seems that you should only need to set that value when you install AND to a directory other than the two mentioned here.

 

[Elana]

Thanks again, all.

 

[JosEPh_II]

Good to see you figured it out. The python root fix was for some ppl that had trouble when the BBAI or the BULL mod was added to RoM's/REVDCM's base. But was not a generally needed item.

Since you have win xp home SP3 (a 32bit OS) then the Program directory is a better path than the My Documents directory. But like Kwami stated, if you have Vista or Win 7 then My Docs path is a viable path.

All that aside, it was your perseverance that actually won the day! Congratulations and Welcome to the RoM Forum!

JosEPh

 

[xyzxyz]

EDIT -> created own thread ("plasma tanks broken"); please post any reply there

Aye, I definitely need help - urgently! I'm very deep into an engaging game - at the point where I and another Civ start building Plasma tanks. Problem is, that particular unit art is buggy - it just messes up the screen whenever one of these tanks scrolls into view on the map (render issue, it seems, it just draws lines across the whole screen left to right). Otherwise this game is perfectly stable and I'd love to play it thru - less than 400 turns to go. So I'd need to delete this particular unit art/substitute it with another unit art that works (Stealth Tanks are perfectly ok, for example). In which folder do I find the Plasma Tank artwork/unit data - and in which folder would be a suitable replacement artwork/unit data that I could copy/paste in its place? Could someone please offer a brief step-by-step walkthru on how to proceed here? Thanks! Thanks very much indeed!!!

 

[Docus]

I just installed this modpack and have been experimenting... unfortunately, it's quite broken for me. My capital city works as it should, but every other city I build is effectively stuck at size 1. When I click on the city to view the worker management, it's apparent why: there's only one "worker" available, and it's the tile that the city is built on. There's no additional worker to be sent elsewhere to gather food, etc.
In the capital, the number of workers is normal: the population size + 1. So at size 9, I have 10 workers (including the city tile).
Any ideas what's going on here?