Civ IV The Complete Edition - Steam

[Zygmunt]

So i see after installing there's CIv IV, Civ IV: Beyond the sword and civ IV: Colonization. Civ IV is the base game and Civ IV BTS is both expansions, right? I wasn't sure why the base game would be an option to play when i bought the complete edition. Who would want to play the base game without the two expansions?


*edit
Would like to add steam gives you the base game Civ IV, the Civ IV warlords expansion, Civ IV beyond the sword expansion all in the complete edition and as 3 seperate installs. Thrown in there is Civ IV colonization

 

[lymond]

Actually, IV Complete comes with Base IV, Warlords (1st Expansion), BTS (2nd Expansion), and Colonization (Completely separate game using IV engine). With Steam, Base (or Vanilla), Warlords, and BTS are completely standalone. That is you can install BTS without having to install Vanilla or Warlords which are actually separate Steam library items.

The old disk versions and most non-steam digital versions, the expansions install on top of the vanilla such that vanilla must be installed. One can still play each version though.

BTS is the definite version of IV, yes. Includes everything before it, adds stuff, and improves things.

However, some folks like to play Vanilla or Warlords still. For one, those versions include their own scenario content which is not playable on the higher version. Warlords has some interesting scenarios. (I do believe a member at one point tried converting some Warlords scenarios over to BTS). Not long ago, the Game of the Month team (GOTM) was still providing games fairly regularly on the earlier versions, but that has pretty much stopped now. Lastly, in very rare cases you might find some still playing vanilla or warlords simply as they prefer it for some reason.

But yes, BTS is really all you need to play and all you need to install from the Steam IV Complete version. Pretty much all mods are for BTS, especially the one maintained even today.

Note, I recommend going to the Betas tab under Properties for BTS in Steam and switching to the "original release...unsupported" version.

 

[Zygmunt]

So clicking on CIV IV brings up base version civ IV or warlords too? I think Ill stick with BTS like you said, it's the full game after all

 

[lymond]

So clicking on CIV IV brings up base version civ IV or warlords too? I think Ill stick with BTS like you said, it's the full game after all

In Steam, Civ IV would be the base version. You should have separate library items for Warlords and BTS. All you need to have installed is BTS, if you care not to play the earlier versions.

Basically, with the Steam version of BTS, the vanilla assets are installed/included as well. Notice the file path to the BTS folder as something like: D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Beyond the Sword

So you have 2 BTS folders. The higher level folder (red) contains the vanilla assets. The lower level (blue) is the main BTS folder where BTS assets reside. One reason I mention this is that this is the location (blue) to install mods, if you choose. (I've seen others in the past confused by this). The main BTS executable is located here as well.

I recommend right-clicking on the BTS.exe > Select Properties > Compatibility tab. Here perform two actions. Check the box to "run as administrator" and change Compatibility Mode to run as "Windows 7", if your OS is newer than Win 7.

Always run BTS from the executable, not from the Steam Library....though Steam does need to run for the DRM stuff.

Note that mods will not run well or at all, if you don't switch to the BETA version that I mentioned earlier.

 

[Ita Bear]

In Steam, Civ IV would be the base version. You should have separate library items for Warlords and BTS. All you need to have installed is BTS, if you care not to play the earlier versions.

Basically, with the Steam version of BTS, the vanilla assets are installed/included as well. Notice the file path to the BTS folder as something like: D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Beyond the Sword

So you have 2 BTS folders. The higher level folder (red) contains the vanilla assets. The lower level (blue) is the main BTS folder where BTS assets reside. One reason I mention this is that this is the location (blue) to install mods, if you choose. (I've seen others in the past confused by this). The main BTS executable is located here as well.

I recommend right-clicking on the BTS.exe > Select Properties > Compatibility tab. Here perform two actions. Check the box to "run as administrator" and change Compatibility Mode to run as "Windows 7", if your OS is newer than Win 7.

Always run BTS from the executable, not from the Steam Library....though Steam does need to run for the DRM stuff.

Note that mods will not run well or at all, if you don't switch to the BETA version that I mentioned earlier.

Hello Lymond,

Interested to hear which mods you mean won't work well. I have never switched my Steam version of BTS to BETA and I have ran many mods with zero problems. Which mods have problems and what are they?

Kind regards,
Ita Bear

 

[Lemon Merchant]

I don't seem to have an issue with mods either with the standard Steam installation. Perhaps Steam made it a little more compatible with an update?

 

[Zygmunt]

Thanks all. I think I"ll play vanilla scenarios for now, and than go to the mods. I haven't played Civ IV in quite a few years and would just like to get back in the groove of it. I'll keep this thread in mind when it's time for the mods

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Thanks all. I think I"ll play vanilla scenarios for now, and than go to the mods. I haven't played Civ IV in quite a few years and would just like to get back in the groove of it. I'll keep this thread in mind when it's time for the mods

A game without mods is fine. I would suggest that you play BTS instead of vanilla Civ4 though, but that's just me.

And if you do want to try a mod that gives you better unit and city art, more information and other good things (with no gameplay changes at all), try the BAT Mod in my sig. It comes highly recommended and not just by me.

 

[lymond]

..... BAT Mod in my sig. It comes highly recommended and not just by me.

Count me as a lover of BAT (and her Lemoniness)

As to the issue with the BETA install, it centered mainly around issues with Lock Modified Assets. Like running BUFFY and trying to play GOTM games or whatever. However, at the time I recalled some feedback indicating issues running mods, but maybe that is not the case. The assets are indeed different, albeit minor ones.

Scenarios are fun, but not necessarily the best way to learn. (Ha..granted that was pretty much all I played the first year with the game...like 14 years ago..and before I even found these forums)

 

[Zygmunt]

I remember enough from the early 10s about scenarios vs a complete mod. Both are fun and something unique and different to play. Of course this was in CIV IV modding heyday, before CIV V even came out

 

[Zygmunt]

I just logged back onto steam. I saw Warlords siitting there pending install. Wil use BTS though


Just edited my original post

 

[Zygmunt]

In Steam, Civ IV would be the base version. You should have separate library items for Warlords and BTS. All you need to have installed is BTS, if you care not to play the earlier versions.

Basically, with the Steam version of BTS, the vanilla assets are installed/included as well. Notice the file path to the BTS folder as something like: D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Beyond the Sword

So you have 2 BTS folders. The higher level folder (red) contains the vanilla assets. The lower level (blue) is the main BTS folder where BTS assets reside. One reason I mention this is that this is the location (blue) to install mods, if you choose. (I've seen others in the past confused by this). The main BTS executable is located here as well.

I recommend right-clicking on the BTS.exe > Select Properties > Compatibility tab. Here perform two actions. Check the box to "run as administrator" and change Compatibility Mode to run as "Windows 7", if your OS is newer than Win 7.

Always run BTS from the executable, not from the Steam Library....though Steam does need to run for the DRM stuff.

Note that mods will not run well or at all, if you don't switch to the BETA version that I mentioned earlier.

So the mods go into Beyond the sword/beyond the sword/mods folder? Not the first beyond the sword mods folder? The second

 

[lymond]

Correct