Artstyles for Middle East and Greco Roman

[AlanH]

I note that there are three sets of resources .fpk files. They are called "Common", "DX9" and "DX9_LOW", and I think they contain the bulk of the graphics files used by the game. Note that you can use the latest version of Macapaka to examine and extract the contents of these files.

As far as I can tell, these files are identical to the equivalent Windows files. However, I wonder if the problem is that one of these files is faulty, but isn't normally used by the Windows version. If that one *is* used by the Mac version then perhaps it's unable to display the Middle Eastern city graphics, and falls back to the European ones?

 

[Ximphron]

I note that there are three sets of resources .fpk files. They are called "Common", "DX9" and "DX9_LOW", and I think they contain the bulk of the graphics files used by the game. Note that you can use the latest version of Macapaka to examine and extract the contents of these files.

As far as I can tell, these files are identical to the equivalent Windows files. However, I wonder if the problem is that one of these files is faulty, but isn't normally used by the Windows version. If that one *is* used by the Mac version then perhaps it's unable to display the Middle Eastern city graphics, and falls back to the European ones?

I've been using Macapaka 2.0 to look into the fpk files, but I didn't look there, perhaps I will check it out. I've already fixed more than one problem that Aspyr couldn't or wouldn't help me with so i'm motivated to fix this too.
The really confusing part of it all is that only civilizations have trouble displaying these city graphics. City States display them all just fine:

If I keep
<ArtStyleType>Polynesian for Polynesia, it shows European graphics,
but if I make Edinburgh have <ArtStyleType>Polynesian, then it displays polynesian buildings in that city state correctly. And so on for Greco-roman and Middle_Eastern

 

[AlanH]

If I keep
<ArtStyleType>Polynesian for Polynesia, it shows European graphics,
but if I make Edinburgh have <ArtStyleType>Polynesian, then it displays polynesian buildings in that city state correctly. And so on for Greco-roman and Middle_Eastern[/QUOTE]

Interesting. Does a polynesian city look different if it's owned by a city state instead of a civ? Maybe it uses a different image?

 

[Ximphron]

If I keep
<ArtStyleType>Polynesian for Polynesia, it shows European graphics,
but if I make Edinburgh have <ArtStyleType>Polynesian, then it displays polynesian buildings in that city state correctly. And so on for Greco-roman and Middle_Eastern

Interesting. Does a polynesian city look different if it's owned by a city state instead of a civ? Maybe it uses a different image?[/QUOTE]

I can't say unfortunately, as I have never seen the Polynesian, Middle Eastern, or Greco-Roman artstyles for a civ, because they display european buildings instead. I have only seen them in city states because that is the only place they will display.
European and Asian city states look just like European and Asian civs, as do Native American ones, so I guess they probably look exactly the same for both if it would work.
Also, both the city state and major civ codes seem to be pointing to the same files.

 

[OmegaKabob]

Tech talk me no understand. O___o. CS's always get the good stuff (strategic resources, luxuries, islands to themselves, actual city graphics, so on)

 

[AlanH]

Here are some Windows screenshots of ancient cities in each style, built by major civs.

 

[Ximphron]

Here are some Windows screenshots of ancient cities in each style, built by major civs.

Thanks, that confirms that the city states are using the correct stuff.
That is exactly what my city states look like, they use everything correctly.
So the correct graphics are somewhere, as the cs's use them just fine, but they just aren't being shown by major civs for some reason.

I wish I actually knew more about how all this stuff works.

I just can't figure it out, both the city states and the major civs appear to be pointing to the same ArtStyleType but they show up differently.


Just wondering Alan, do you have this architecture problem too?

 

[Swerv]

Just wondering Alan, do you have this architecture problem too?

Hmm, I'm not so sure that he does. If I were to take screenshots of the same cities that Alan did, Persepolis and Berlin would look identical.

Maybe this bug isn't affecting all Mac users?

 

[AlanH]

If I were to take screenshots of the same cities that Alan did, Persepolis and Berlin would look identical.

Please check if he palaces look the same.

Maybe this bug isn't affecting all Mac users?

I think it probably does. As I said, those screenshots were taken from my Windows installation.

FWIW, it uses DX9 as it's a Parallels virtual machine, but I don't know which versions of the .FPK files it uses.

If I do the same with either Mac version I get the ones attached here. Note that the Palace graphics *do* change, so it's only the basic city buildings that default to European. Apologies, I forgot to change the "minimum" (should that be "maximum"?) zoom level in the .ini file.

 

[Ximphron]

Please check if he palaces look the same.

My game looks exactly like those screenshots you took, the greco roman, middle eastern, and polynesian palaces show up correctly, but the city buildings that represent population do not.

So, yes, its only the basic city buildings that default to european.

 

[forty2j]

If the problem is with the art assets, can you copy them over from the bootcamp side?

 

[AlanH]

The point is that the assets are the same in Windows and Mac versions. That's why I speculated that the Mac version may be using a different subset of the assets.

 

[forty2j]

The point is that the assets are the same in Windows and Mac versions. That's why I speculated that the Mac version may be using a different subset of the assets.

Whoops.. I missed that there was a whole second page before I replied..

 

[Ximphron]

Still no luck figuring it out here.

 

[Swerv]

As I said, those screenshots were taken from my Windows installation.

My apologies, I see now...how embarrassing.

I can't confirm whether or not the palace architecture is intact--though I'm sure it is--as I've been unable to access the game recently due to an unrelated problem with Steam. I suppose it's just as well; I more or less put the game down when I first noticed the architecture bug back in April/May.

And thanks to everyone trying to get to the bottom of this...I wish Aspyr would do the same.

 

[AlanH]

I've drawn a blank on further investigation. I suppose it might be possible to swap the resources files around and rename them to see if one of the sets behaves differently from another. But it would be more work than I care to attempt right now, and the results might well be inconclusive anyway.

 

[OmegaKabob]

Hey AspyrRyan, could you help us out over here? We could use a life line with this

 

[AspyrRyan]

I'm no programmer, so I have no idea what's causing it. It's documented in our bug database, so it'll get looked at next time we hit a patch.

 

[Ximphron]

I'm stuck now too, I don't really know where to look anymore or what to look for.
Plus with RL stuff and actually wanting to play Civ V, I don't really have the time to figure it out, especially with my extremely limited experience.
I suppose we'll probably have to leave it to the professionals, even if it takes a while.

 

[Swerv]

I'm no programmer, so I have no idea what's causing it. It's documented in our bug database, so it'll get looked at next time we hit a patch.

Ryan, I have been back and forth with Aspyr support for the last 5 months...ever since the patch release that created this bug. Over this period, I have been told numerous times that the bug was logged for a fix in an upcoming patch. Two (delayed) patches later, and still no fix. Are you telling us your programmers are yet to have a look?