Civ patch and Qs

[Theov]

Hi all.
I've been reading this site for years. First for Civ2. then Civ2. then again Civ2. then I skipped Civ3, because I was still hooked to Civ2. then Civ4 aka cIV came around the corner; I liked it but it wasn't any pizza for me so, there I was back to Civ2.
Then I bought C3C (where the second C is for 'complete'.) I like it, and still play it, but I'm a bad loser. So I'm back on my learning ladder.
I'm back to Civ1. Dos. Where it all started.
.
I have now Civ for Win and CivDOS. Is there a patch for either and why is CivDOS so slow?! Man. Civ for win is much more playable because there is no lags in screen loading. Or is that just me. What are the differences anyway?

 

[Whelkman]

I have now Civ for Win and CivDOS. Is there a patch for either[?]

I'm not an expert on CivWin, but there are two sets of Microprose sanctioned "patches" for CivDOS. One is a series of upgrades for civ.exe with sometimes major adjustments in gameplay depending on playing style and differences between patched versions. Changes are covered more or less completely in the classic FAQ hosted here:

http://www.civfanatics.com/civ1/faq/civfaq2.php

The other is a sound update that fixes Sound Blaster playback and adds modern (as of 1994) output methods. I believe the Hasbro buyout cut the patch from general circulation, but I store a cached copy:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/112588/civ-sound.zip

...why is CivDOS so slow?!

CivDOS has performed poorly in Windows all the way back to Windows 3.0. I've never heard a satisfactory explanation, but other than the "IBM sounds" workaround you already read on another thread, your only option is to run CivDOS from within a virtual DOS environment more complete than what Windows offers. DOSBox is the overwhelming favorite.

What are the differences anyway?

Maybe someone more knowledgeable will chime in, but, from what I understand, other than bug sets and graphics, the games are virtually identical across versions.