Civ2 2.42 with multiple languages

[Jokemaster]

Does anyone has any idea how to have different versions of Civ2 2.42 with a different language? I tried copying my MGE folder and then going through the process of applying the 2.42 patch once again (like I did a couple of months ago) but that failed as the civ2.exe interface was still in French, with no ''choose language'' option at first run. So...


I'm planning on making a Civ2 guide as part of a English project and it would be, well, kind of weird to have the guide written in English and the screenshots made with my French version of Classic...



Does anyone has any ideas how to do it? Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Titi]

It's been a very long time since I last played with the settings, but I think all you have to do is change a line in Civ.ini (like Language=1 for English, 2 for French, etc...)

 

[Jokemaster]

I don't have the civ.ini file in my 2 Classic folders... nor do I have it in my MGE folder. (have a Civ2.dat however. Googling .dat tells me it is a binary data file...)

(btw, I originally had the MGE disk. I used the MPS patch to downgrade a spare copy to 2.42)

 

[Verrucosus]

The civ.ini file should be in the windows folder.

Changing the value for Language Preference from "1" to "0" should make a language menu appear when the game starts. (This is according to an entry in the patch.txt file (in the game folder). I did not test this myself. Maybe values higher than "1" will give the French or German text without the menu.)

 

[Jokemaster]

Version 1.11 changes
====================

French and German
-----------------
If the game is now playing in English only, make the following
correction to reset the game in your language.

1. In Windows 95, double-click on the file CIV.INI in the
directory C:\WINDOWS\CIV.

2. Change the last line from "Language Preference 1" to
"Language Preference 0."

3. Save the file.

4. Then restart Civilization II and you should see the "Select
Language" menu.

There is no ''Civ'' folder under Windows... Nor there is a civ.ini file under the MPS folder. Maybe this is because I originally had MGE before DL'ing the 2.42 patch... should take a look there.

EDIT: What do you know?!? No patch file for my MGE folder...

 

[Verrucosus]

"There is no ''Civ'' folder under Windows."

Same here. In my case (classic version, no upgrade from MGE), the civ.ini file is in the C:\Windows folder itself.

 

[Jokemaster]

Searched the entire Windows folder, and got TONS of .ini files. But no civ.ini ...

(I'm running Vista btw)

 

[Verrucosus]

I use Windows 7, but have to run Civ2.42 under DosBox and Windows 3.1, but I do recall searching the civ.ini file and finding it in the C:\windows folder on my XP laptop.

Anyway, I'm afraid I'm running out of ideas. Just in case you want to try creating the file yourself, it looks like a simple text file. Mine reads like this:

[Civilization 2000]
WhereAmI=c:\civ2
WhereIsCD=d:\civ2
Herald Warning Shown=1
WinG=Installed
VFW=Installed
Language Preference=1
Window Name=Sid Meier's Civilization II

 

[Prof. Garfield]

Does your game have a copy of the English Language text files somewhere? Pretty much everything in the game gets its words out of some text file (even the "failed to load, not saved game" message was in French in my French Language version of Civ 2). If it does, you should be able to switch simply by deleting the contents of each text file and copying in the corresponding English text instead. I got copies of French and German civ 2 classic on my computer that way, although I didn't try doing it in a downgraded civ 2 game (in fact, I was unable to get a language other than English when I installed, despite a selecting a different language).

 

[Jokemaster]

Does your game have a copy of the English Language text files somewhere? Pretty much everything in the game gets its words out of some text file (even the "failed to load, not saved game" message was in French in my French Language version of Civ 2). If it does, you should be able to switch simply by deleting the contents of each text file and copying in the corresponding English text instead. I got copies of French and German civ 2 classic on my computer that way, although I didn't try doing it in a downgraded civ 2 game (in fact, I was unable to get a language other than English when I installed, despite a selecting a different language).

Worth a shot I guess... I do have English and German files for Civ2 in my downgrade civ. But my original MGE folder only contains French text files.

EDIT: Did it today, and it works! Well, not completely, there's some bits that are still in French or mixed Fre/Eng (like ''Empire des Celts'' in the F5 and F6 windows) but still way better than expected. Thank you very much Prof!