Fall patch is out

[Hammer Rabbi]

here's something i need to test. to prevent AI pillaging can you place a worker and have them change the tile for one turn? they wont finish the new tile improvement but they usually get rid of the old one in the turn they decide to so. might be useful in mp to get rid of the tiles in the 1st ring around your better cities so the melee guys cant time their pillages to take the cities.

only played a little last night but havent tried mp with this yet.

 

[ThisNameIsTooLo]

here's something i need to test. to prevent AI pillaging can you place a worker and have them change the tile for one turn? they wont finish the new tile improvement but they usually get rid of the old one in the turn they decide to so. might be useful in mp to get rid of the tiles in the 1st ring around your better cities so the melee guys cant time their pillages to take the cities.

only played a little last night but havent tried mp with this yet.

So basically, you want to see if it's possible to use the Scorched Earth tactic using just your workers?

 

[Voodoo111]

I'm relatively a new Civ player, a month or so, but I came across something last nite that I haven't encountered yet. Playing a marathon,immortal,huge map game as Iroquois somewhere around turn 500 Dido (Carthage) now appears as 2 separate countries on my diplo screen

I am at war with one Dido and yet the other Dido is asking me for open borders, asking me to trade resources etc. She actually has another different colored small empire to the south of me, which is not the same as the one adjacent to me that I am warring with.

Not sure if this is patch related or a known issue as I said I am relatively new. Love this game and the patch has some great tweaks

 

[greenfishciv]

Steam/valve is not the developer or publisher of Civ5.

Whatever policies they have (other than forcing me to keep their program on my computer to play a game I bought...annoying but not for here or now), it was acceptable to Firaxis and 2k.

I think it would be acceptable to question why they don't allow people to take an older patch over a newer one that isn't working for them. I have not played much these days, but I have found no problems.

However, I sympathize with those that do have problems, because, as far as I could tell, and as you seem to confirm, there is no way to go back to an older patch.

If they have made decisions that make that choice unavailable for the players, perhaps the best solution would be to revert everyone to the older patch. I do like many of the changes, but I'd rather have the endless scrolling screen back and everyone able to play than to get rid of my problem but have some people experience game breaking problems.

The patch could be put back in when some of the more serious problems are solved.

All the questions you have regarding the forced patch is all on VALVE. Just like every patching policy is Microsoft responsebility if you chose to go through LIVE/GAMES. Like I said it's been mentioned before a way to rollback. If this was a multiplayer game only I could support VAVLVE, but a single player game it makes no sense to force updates on customers.

Everytime a company supplies a patch to the FTP, VAVLE then starts spreading the updates on the server, when you (client) connect you have to use the latest patch in order to validate with their master server.

Also remember we can't even change any of the source files without steam going nuts. VALVE could have easily sovled this by:

Either offering patches for single player games as an option or being able to revert

Or being able to fork your copy of the game, example you clone your copy on steam and mark it as your "own" for mods and being able to run the version vanilla.

 

[ThisNameIsTooLo]

Somewhere around turn 500 Dido (Carthage) now appears as 2 separate countries on my diplo screen

Generally, when playing against a random selection of opponents, the game is supposed to avoid choosing the same leader multiple times. But as you describe it, it appears that two different civilizations have picked Carthage.

When two AI players pick the same leader, they do not team up. They are just as capable of being enemies with each other as any two civilizations. Similarly, you can be friends with one and enemies with another. They will both be trying to win the game independently of each other. The fact that they use the same leader and unique benefits does nothing to change that they are two distinct players.

However, just as in real life, trying to maintain separate relationships with twin sisters is fraught with perils, not the least of which is making absolutely certain you're not confusing one for the other.

 

[wgene]

That's soley on STEAM and their policy (DRM). Yeah I agree it's a problem, just like steam goes down for "maintenance" 3 times every month.

A lot of people have asked VALVE for a policy where a user could re-roll to vanilla or x patched version, but VALVE isn't interested.

Firaxis should be putting pressure on Steam to have a backup to the previous patch. But of course Firaxis will never do that.

 

[wgene]

Finally, people are beginning to get it. Too late though as Steam has its fingers in Civ now, like nearly every other game.

That`s my whole problem with Steam. Everything is shoved down your throat without the option to choose. Before Steam, you could opt out of having a Patch and take theone you liked. Valve hold all the cards now and we have to suck on it.

This is the last Steam-Forced game i`ll ever buy, no matter how good the game is.

I agree with this. Developers and publishers like 2K should be giving gamers choices of a Steam version and a non Steam version. Lots of people have complained on the 2K forums wanting the non Steam version but 2K don't seem to care.

 

[RonMar]

@Buccaneer

Thanks for mentioning the October NVIDIA drivers. I have been getting BSODs about once a game before the update. I also got one during a YouTube play through. I had been using the latest (at the time) AlienWare driver update. I rolled the drivers back and still had the problems.

Your comment led me to go immediately to the NVIDIA website to download and install the October drivers. Thanks. Of course, that will really depend upon whether it solves my problem

 

[Rooftrellen]

All the questions you have regarding the forced patch is all on VALVE. Just like every patching policy is Microsoft responsebility if you chose to go through LIVE/GAMES. Like I said it's been mentioned before a way to rollback. If this was a multiplayer game only I could support VAVLVE, but a single player game it makes no sense to force updates on customers.

Everytime a company supplies a patch to the FTP, VAVLE then starts spreading the updates on the server, when you (client) connect you have to use the latest patch in order to validate with their master server.

Also remember we can't even change any of the source files without steam going nuts. VALVE could have easily sovled this by:

Either offering patches for single player games as an option or being able to revert

Or being able to fork your copy of the game, example you clone your copy on steam and mark it as your "own" for mods and being able to run the version vanilla.

I really couldn't care less about Steam or Valve in this situation. Firaxis and 2k are the ones that need to do something about it, as the developer and publisher of the game. I don't know what kind of deal they have with Valve, other than the game is purchasable and patches available though Steam, but how the game works has nothing to do with them.

I've had situations where the internet was out and I couldn't play Civ5. I didn't get mad at Valve, I got mad at 2k. I was unable to buy G&K for quite some time because it was impossible to do though Steam. Still, I didn't get mad at Steam but at 2k for making it nearly impossible to find a box version.

If I got a patch that broke my game forced on me, I wouldn't be mad at Steam, but at 2k. If they choose to use the services of another company to...do whatever Steam does for them...and that service hurts customers, I won't get mad at the other service but at the company I am doing business with.

If you buy a Sony TV made with shoddy wires, and Sony says it's the wire supplier's fault, you don't try to avoid the wire supplier, you avoid Sony.

I am lucky enough to be with those that have no gamebreaking problems, as far as I can tell so far, but if I do, I won't blame Valve for Steam forcing the patch on me but at 2k for deciding I should have to use Steam.

I have no love for Steam, but don't blame it for the decisions of another company to force it's use.

 

[SammyKhalifa]

@Buccaneer

Thanks for mentioning the October NVIDIA drivers. I have been getting BSODs about once a game before the update. I also got one during a YouTube play through. I had been using the latest (at the time) AlienWare driver update. I rolled the drivers back and still had the problems.

Your comment led me to go immediately to the NVIDIA website to download and install the October drivers. Thanks. Of course, that will really depend upon whether it solves my problem

What was your bluescreen? Did it have to do with dxgmms1.sys by chance?

 

[Rooftrellen]

I'm relatively a new Civ player, a month or so, but I came across something last nite that I haven't encountered yet. Playing a marathon,immortal,huge map game as Iroquois somewhere around turn 500 Dido (Carthage) now appears as 2 separate countries on my diplo screen

I am at war with one Dido and yet the other Dido is asking me for open borders, asking me to trade resources etc. She actually has another different colored small empire to the south of me, which is not the same as the one adjacent to me that I am warring with.

Not sure if this is patch related or a known issue as I said I am relatively new. Love this game and the patch has some great tweaks

It should never pick 2 of the same civ randomly...SHOULD, but who knows?

Did you meet Carthage twice? I know you likely didn't notice, but if you met Dido on two separate occasions, it would point to both being there from the start, while if you only met her once, it might suggest something else is up.

 

[Gucumatz]

Another thing I have had 2 times so far where the game just "froze up the map". It wouldn't allow me to scroll to any other part of the map. I could select cities, units, etc. but couldn't move the map.

I reloaded it both times and fixed it. Seems like there may now be an anti-scrolling bug too?

 

[fuzzatron717]

The game avoids this but as people said earlier there can be the same civ one time I purposly played greece and then picked everyone else as the ottomans and i will never play or face the ottomans again.

 

[gunslinger6792]

I hope they come out with a patch for their patch soon. as it stands now with my game crashing when ever i play with mods i'm about to give up for the time being. can't reload while in game without crashing. People here have been helpful so I thank those who have helped.

 

[Hammer Rabbi]

So basically, you want to see if it's possible to use the Scorched Earth tactic using just your workers?

im talking about defensively. when my cities are attacked i'd rather they not pillage and heal. i could try to have my worker replace a farm with a trading post just before they land inside my borders. im more worried about humans in mp really making use of the pillage heals and I would like to deny them that buff.

 

[Hammer Rabbi]

This happens if either you or your RA partner break the friendship by denouncing the other one.
I don't think it's a bug.

just now saw this response buried a few pages back. i know for certain that i never had a broken friendship with every one of them. there were certainly a couple though. one of my fizzled RAs could have only come from stealing 1 tech--no denouncement, i removed my spy, and that was the only red text in our relationship. if that would cause a fizzle then there should be an icon to say your RA was broken. otherwise it is a bug, imo. im pretty sure i had regular RAs even when i stole a tech, too, but i dont remember what saves they were in to check them out to replicate.

 

[RonMar]

What was your bluescreen? Did it have to do with dxgmms1.sys by chance?

Nope, all of mine seem to have started with dxgkrnl.sys

 

[Mark the Bold]

Just finished my first patched game and I have to say I am impressed.

The AI plays defense much, much more effectively. For instance, the AI no longer just floods their units into your territory the second you declare war to let you pick them off one by one. AI will hang back and wait if you are militarily stronger. I fought a brutal war of attrition with Ethiopia in my last game after he stole one too many techs from me.

I don't want to give the AI credit where it is not due, but I'll be darned if it didn't feel like I was fighting an ACTUAL thinking opponent. Ethiopia kept a large fleet off their northeastern shore (Gondar) that prevented a flank attack with a Navy /amphibious assault. The only option was to go through the desert where he waited by the river.

I know, I know I don't want to claim a Deus Ex Machina where there isn't. But I never had more fun playing an AI. I attached a save game of the game just before launching the assault for you peeps to enjoy.

PS: Oh yeah, before you go all total war with Ethiopia, be wary of France the new rising power in the West.

 

[Avatan]

Yep, same sentiment here than everybody: better combat AI, AI attacks and settles more aggressively, had a proper submarine blocus pulled on me, the pillage thing is awesome but the game still very unstable and frequently crashes (ranged bug and weird grey lines on dx9).
If it were for any other game I'd be pretty pissed at the instability, but heck, I can't stay mad at you ciV. I would say that gameplay wise we have reach BtS level.

 

[flairin]

Just now started steam and updating... My patch size was 19.9 mb.
game loading... loading... took forever but loaded