C3C Load Errors – The game will now exit.

[AlanH]

FileValet currently only addresses two specific issues, as described in its readme. It won't fix anything else unless I tell it to. If you send me a file that fails I can look at it to see if FileValet can be persuaded to edit it to work, but no promises Email it to alanh <at> civfanatics.net.

Note that Aspyr are planning to release a Civ3 Complete patch soon that will resolve a lot of the problems they've had reported since initial release.

 

[Akhhorus]

FileValet currently only addresses two specific issues, as described in its readme. It won't fix anything else unless I tell it to. If you send me a file that fails I can look at it to see if FileValet can be persuaded to edit it to work, but no promises Email it to alanh <at> civfanatics.net.

Note that Aspyr are planning to release a Civ3 Complete patch soon that will resolve a lot of the problems they've had reported since initial release.

FileValet didn't help me with this problem, does anyone know when the patch is due to be released?

 

[AlanH]

Please describe your current problem. Is it present in the file you sent me?

 

[Akhhorus]

Please describe your current problem. Is it present in the file you sent me?

Yeah, and its the same problem as described in the start of this thread. The game won't load up. I ran the file through filevalet, and nothing changed.

 

[AlanH]

Well the save you sent me loaded fine here.

Correction - I just tried it and I get a missing pediaIcons.txt entry! Naval Academy?

EDIT OK, after a little investigation, if I'm seeing what you 're seeing this isn't the same as the problem in the first post. It's simply that your game is based on a scenario and it isn't finding the resources it needs. Those resources appear to be available, so it's a question of getting them into a position where the game can find them. I've managed to get the save to load as far as the password screen by using the following procedure:

1. Make copies of the Civ III Complete/Conquests Game Data/Art/ and Civ III Complete/Conquests Game Data/Text/ folders so that you can reinstate them later.

2. Copy all the contents of the folders within Civ III Complete/Conquests/Napoleonic Europe/Art/ into the equivalent folders in Civ III Complete/Conquests Game Data/Art/, replacing items with the same names.

3. Copy all the contents of the folders within Civ III Complete/Conquests/Napoleonic Europe/Text/ into the equivalent folders in Civ III Complete/Conquests Game Data/Text/, replacing items with the same names.

This is a bit tedious, but I think it might get you going. It *may* be possible, as an alternative, to edit the scenario path that's embedded in the save, but even if we found the magic formula, the save wouldn't then work for the PC players.

 

[Brad Oliver]

FileValet didn't help me with this problem, does anyone know when the patch is due to be released?

I thought it would be ready a week ago, but we ran into a few new multiplayer bugs. It should be any time now, really. I'd wait for it rather than screw around with altering your game data or whatever other hoops you need to jump through.

 

[jothoma]

Hey Brad (and anyone else),

I just purchased C3C for my Mac today and have been playing my first game. Around 520 AD i got the same error mentioned in the previous post. Missing Entry: "conquest game data\text\pediaicons.txt"_Large. I thought I would check the forums and noticed this thread. Any word yet on a fix for this bug? Is this going to happen on every game when the right combination of factors occurs? I just want to make sure I can avoid it in the future. I gather from the previous posts that i won't be able to finish the game I started so I am going to start a new one but I want to make sure that I avoid whatever caused it to begin with.

Thanks Mucho!!!

 

[bafreer]

I have now played deep into two games and got the same error as others. Here is the text of the error message:

Error Reading File
Missing Entry in "./Conquests Game Data\text\Pedia Icons.txt":_LARGE

Then the game shuts down.

This is the second game that this has happened in. Of course, having spent a lot of time on each of these games it is very frustrating to be unable to continue to play.

When can we expect a fix as it is difficult to spend time uselessly with unfinished games.

Thanks.

Brant

 

[AlanH]

I'm intrigued. Can someone send me a save that does this? I doubt if anything can be done to repair it, but you never know. In any case, I'd be interested to try to work out why it's failing.

You can send to alanh @ civfanatics.net

 

[bafreer]

Alan:

I will send it to you. I did just open a ticket with the save file attached on the Aspyr website.

Thanks.

Brant

 

[AlanH]

Just to clarify, I'm nowhere near Aspyr.

Physically, I'm literally an ocean away.
Professionally, I have zero links of any kind.
I'm just a Civ3 Complete customer, like you.

 

[bafreer]

Sorry Alan, I am new in these parts and don't know folks yet. I thought maybe you were somehow connected. Anyway, I have sent off the save file for you to look at in case you have any ideas. It seems like this is identical to the error at the beginning of this thread so something is clearly wrong.

Also, I have not installed any third party content, nor have I edited or created any scenarios or such. I am playing a clean install with no tweaks.

Brant

 

[AlanH]

I know Brad is aware of the issue, and at the top of this thread nylarthop sent him a file exhibiting it. He then stated that he'd fixed it for the patch, and gave this explanation of its cause:

It's actually related to having multiple items in your research queue. On occasion, the queue gets whacked and out of sync. The crash then presents itself the next time you achieve a tech and it removes the old research from the queue.

That being so, it *may* be possible to repair the data in your research queue so that you can continue the game. But no promises

For future games, it seems you should be able to avoid the issue by never queueing multiple research projects. Just select the next project as you complete each one instead of clicking a target project to highlight the intervening ones.

PS. File received. You haven't found my FileValet yet, then? It compresses Civ3 saves. Check my sig for a link.

 

[bafreer]

Thanks for the info.

How would I go about trying to fix the data file?

Maybe Brad can chime in as to an ETA on the patch. It looks like it has been about a month since he promised it RSN.

Brant

 

[AlanH]

Thanks for the info.

How would I go about trying to fix the data file?

Check your email

Unless you know a fair bit about the .SAV file format, and are adept with a hex editor, I wouldn't recommend trying this at home.

Based on the information I've gleaned by doing it, it would be possible to adapt FileValet to fix files that are broken in this way, but it's not worth doing if Aspyr are going to release the patch soon, as that should fix the root cause.

 

[jothoma]

Hey Guys,

I was the one who posted on this issue last week and I put in a trouble ticket with Aspyr too right after it happened. The response I got was that they are aware of the issue and it will be fixed with the next patch but they were not forthcoming as to when that patch would come. It is helpful to know that it is something to do with the research queue. It would have been nice to have heard that from Aspyr. The first game I did use the research queue and that was the one I have not been able to finish. It is a shame too as I had an awesome starting position. I have saved it hoping to finish when the patch comes in. The next game I did not use the research queue and I have had the game crash and shut down on me twice but I was able to launch from the auto save and continue without hampering the game. I am looking forward to that patch though. +/_\

 

[AlanH]

Hey Guys,

I was the one who posted on this issue last week and I put in a trouble ticket with Aspyr too right after it happened. The response I got was that they are aware of the issue and it will be fixed with the next patch but they were not forthcoming as to when that patch would come. It is helpful to know that it is something to do with the research queue. It would have been nice to have heard that from Aspyr.

You did! Brad stated that as the cause earlier in this thread. Brad works for Aspyr.

The first game I did use the research queue and that was the one I have not been able to finish. It is a shame too as I had an awesome starting position. I have saved it hoping to finish when the patch comes in.

Send me the save if you like, and I'll see if the same remedy I applied above works to get you going.

The next game I did not use the research queue and I have had the game crash and shut down on me twice but I was able to launch from the auto save and continue without hampering the game.

Interesting. I doubt if that's the same issue, but it sounds like one that isn't reproducable, so not much point trying to investigate. I would be tempted to blame your installation, as I haven't heard any crying about random crashes of that kind. But maybe Aspyr have more data.

 

[jothoma]

Thanks for the reply Alan,

I didn't notice Brad mentioning the Queue issue on this particular thread. It must have been on an earlier thread I missed. I have only had my Mac 2 months now and C3C for a few weeks so admittedly I haven't been reviewing the Mac forums much until a few weeks ago. I was irritated with the response I received from Aspyr support because I turned to them first for assistance when I got the initial crash my first day playing the game. Aspyr's response was basically "we are aware of the problem and will fix it on the next patch". That wasn't really helpful for the here and now and that was what really got me trolling the forums looking for another answer. As I wasn't able to continue the game I started I wanted to make sure that if I started another game that I wouldn't cause the same error twice. Taking your advice on the queue I have since successfully played a full game to its conclusion with little problems (just that one crash I was able to reboot from). Thanks also for the offer to fix my previous saved game. I have deleted it already but I appreciate the offer.

 

[AlanH]

didn't notice Brad mentioning the Queue issue on this particular thread. It must have been on an earlier thread I missed.

It's in post #17:

It's actually related to having multiple items in your research queue. On occasion, the queue gets whacked and out of sync. The crash then presents itself the next time you achieve a tech and it removes the old research from the queue.

I simply edited the queue in the save I rescued, adding the current research project back in, and that seems to have worked.

Thanks also for the offer to fix my previous saved game. I have deleted it ...

Sorry I couldn't help. If the patch doesn't come soon I might have to add a fix in FileValet

 

[pediaicons]

It's winding its way through our QA department now. I'm told there are some multiplayer issues that have cropped up, so likely once those are fixed, it'll be ready. I can't imagine it being more than a week or so away at this point.

Hi brad, I see you had this fixed in march. its now July, i am still having this problem. on civ iii complete for mac on my powerbook g4. is there a patch? can't find one for the life of me.
thanks