Civ2 Modification: 2020 -> 9999

E

Elys

Chieftain
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
33
I've started playing Civilization II Multiplayer Gold again recently, and sometimes I've been annoyed (mostly in multiplayer) by the 2020 end of game limit playing random maps.

I've looked at the Utility section here but found nothing to change it, so I took a look at Civ2.exe and made the modification I wanted.

I dunno if this has already been posted so below are the infos if some players may be interested by the same alteration.

If you use the original (unmodified) CIV2 MP Gold V1.30 US
Increase End of Empire year limit from 2020 to 9999:

Open Civ2.exe with an hexeditor, find the following red Hexadecimal strings and replace it with the green ones:

Change the "Retirement plan in 20 years popup message" from year 2000 to year 9979:
0F BF 05 FA 5A 65 00 3D D0 07 00 00
0F BF 05 FA 5A 65 00 3D FB 26 00 00

Change the Retirement from year 2020 to year 9999:
YOU HAVE 2 DO IT TWICE, THERE IS 2 TIMES THE SAME STRING TO MODIFY!!
0F BF 05 FA 5A 65 00 3D E4 07 00 00
0F BF 05 FA 5A 65 00 3D 0F 27 00 00

Finally, open Game.txt and modify the following section (english version):
@DORETIRE
@width=440
@title=Retirement Announced!
%STRING1 dynasty ends after glorious 6000 year reign!
%STRING1 dynasty ends after glorious 14000 year reign!

If you use CIV2 No Limits (MGE) by Julius Brenzaida
Increase End of Empire year limit from 2020 to 9999:

Open Civ2.exe with an hexeditor, find the following red Hexadecimal strings and replace it with the green ones:

Change the "Retirement plan in 20 years popup message" from year 2000 to year 9979:
0F BF 05 B2 BA 62 00 3D D0 07 00 00
0F BF 05 B2 BA 62 00 3D FB 26 00 00

Change the Retirement from year 2020 to year 9999:
YOU HAVE 2 DO IT TWICE, THERE IS 2 TIMES THE SAME STRING TO MODIFY!!
0F BF 05 B2 BA 62 00 3D E4 07 00 00
0F BF 05 B2 BA 62 00 3D 0F 27 00 00

Finally, open Game.txt and modify the following section (english version):
@DORETIRE
@width=440
@title=Retirement Announced!
%STRING1 dynasty ends after glorious 6000 year reign!
%STRING1 dynasty ends after glorious 14000 year reign!
 
What u say here. Civdood do this? Is it true? we all must do it? how i open i is it hexeditor.exe? I find not this in my macine, maybe is hidden in special fiel.

If i never never played to so long a game is it that i must do too? Tanks to u.
 
Oh i see your post #1! I give big welcome to you before other dood see it! Welcome now we have big beer and big bomb! :beer: :nuke:
 
That's 2, civdood! Welcome to another first poster: Elys. Judging by the post, you are an experienced computer user and Civ 2 player.


My own 2 cents about editing (any) binary file (like an .exe file)...

1. Only do it after you back that file up (like "zip" or "RAR" the original into a compressed file, just to be sure).

2. Make sure you have nothing else running on your PC... if you make a mistake, and allow the binary to run amok (& windoze can't control it), no telling what might happen (worst case, probably a BSOD, or "Blue Screen of Death" which means an error that will lock up or restart windows, causing any open files to be closed & unsaved data probably lost).

3. Make absolutely sure your are editing the correct file, including the correct version (CIV2 MP Gold V1.30). Doing it on other versions is at your own risk :).



To Elys: It might be best if you just modify the files you mention yourself, and then zip it up, and post it as a custom "mod", and include instructions (a Reademe.txt) that explains how to install, and how to uninstall. My guess is that most people are not confident in binary hexediting; I have not tried it myself, but I might... what do you use for a hexeditor?

To civdood: the hexeditor is just the general name of a type of program which is used to edit bits and bytes in programs and on disk drives. You must buy or download one, then install and run it... its not built into Windows XP that I know of. Elys might recommend one (see above). :)
 
If i never never played to so long a game is it that i must do too?
Click to expand...
He's not saying everyone must do it; he's just sharing a way to allow MGE to play past year 2020. The method seems like it should work, but you might want to wait until he replies... hopefully he can just make a custom mod that he can post, and you won't have to try all that yourself. If you don't need/want to play past 2020, then you do not need to worry about this procedure. :D
 
Hi all.

I've made a mistake originally in the first post. The modifications I posted were designed to work on the Civ2 NoLimit(MGE) modified executable. I've updated the message with the correct informations for people using the original Civ2.exe. Sorry.

As for posting directly the modified executables, I can of course but I dunno if it's not against the policy of the board.

Mercator, it's not possible to get past 2020 in multiplayer games. That's the reason why I made it. I did not really care about single player since you can just choose to continue after 2020.

However, I do not agree on your "this is cheating" comment. Cheating is to not play by the rules.
However, scenarios, mods, or hacks are created to modify these rules. So in single player or in multiplayer, as long as everyone playing together is respecting the same rules , I don't see any cheating in that. :)
 
Elys said:
Mercator, it's not possible to get past 2020 in multiplayer games. That's the reason why I made it. I did not really care about single player since you can just choose to continue after 2020.
Click to expand...

Ah, okay thanks. I didn't know that.

But then I'm curious. Why did you choose 9999? Do you really continue playing your games that long? Does the way game turns evolve (starting with 50 years per turn, then 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1) change if you change the retirement year? Because if it doesn't you'll change a game of ~400 turns to ~8400 turns. That's a pretty massive increase. Or is that on purpose, with the idea that you just want your multiplayer games to end when someone is victorious, not when the time is up, and 9999 just looks nice?

However, scenarios, mods, or hacks are created to modify these rules. So in single player or in multiplayer, as long as everyone playing together is respecting the same rules , I don't see any cheating in that. :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, you have a point. Changing any of the rules is cheating if you compare yourself against games played with the standard rules. Scenarios aren't obviously cheating, but their scores certainly won't compare with regular games either.
 
The game does not change its evolve rate. It goes normally until 2020 and continue year per year. It changes the maximum turns from the original 571 turns to 8550 turns.

Yes, I just wanted the game to not finish in MP until someone is victorious, or at least to have the possibility to do so and to not be forced to quit the game. And it's always possible to stop the game with the Retire command if you wish to stop at any time.
And so yes, no particular reason for the 9999 choice, excepted the esthetic ;) , I just had to choose a number that would remove the 2020 limit.

I have also another idea in mind that I wanna test later with the 2020 limit removed: To slow down the science discovery rate in rules.txt so I can have more "each era" war time for many years (Catapult for lot ot turns :p ) on giant maps.
 
I'm sorry for the bump, but what hex editor should i use? I suck utter horsehockeye at these things. :O
In Hex Workshop it says it can't find anything. Or maybe I'm just doing wrong?
 
Hex Workshop is fine. Are you sure to have the last patched CIV2.EXE Multiplayer Gold version 1.30 US?

civ2hex.gif
 
There is many Skyer's submissions. He spent time debug/disassembling many different aspects and sometimes it requires to find and modify many codes (and time) just for one thing compared to this simple year cap remover. So for sure you can't expect him to be all detailed and clear about each ones ;)
 
Not at all, I just mean finding and modifying stuff is more fun than writing docs and he is better busy at modding the executable than trying to explain clearly any details of what he did :)
 
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