Forum games and mods

[I_suck@CIV4]

I'm a (very) long time lurker and infrequent poster here. I know that there have been a lot of similar questions over the years but I can't seem to find an answer and many of the threads on the subject are quite old so I'm not sure if they are still reliable.
I'm trying to improve my game by playing through some of the more popular shadow games with experts giving advice and target benchmarks throughout the game. However I'm having a hard time loading some of them because I am using the BAT mod version 4.1. I thought this was highly recommended and commonly used but it seems that a lot of the uploaded initial saves are not compatible. I did have success with a nobles club game which included a worldbuilder save. However these 2 shadow games in particular are a problem.

Thread 'Shadow Game: Immortal w/ Sitting Bull'

Apr 9, 2023

Hi again, fanatics! Happy Easter, and all the best to you and yours

I'm back to learn, this time on Immortal. As a long time Prince/Monarch player, this is way out of my comfort zone, as is playing a Philosophical leader - but, great! Let's have fun!

My plans/goals for this run:

• go all the way - otherwise, what's the point?
• no save-scumming - maybe to try a recommended strategy, but never for RNG
• 2 posts per week, a few turns each - will be slow, but that's what life allows at the moment
• end each post with my plans and thought processes - will be embarrassing...

• MrBungler
• Replies: 369
• Forum: Civ4 - Strategy & Tips

• 

K

[BTS] Thread 'Prince Shadow Game: Cyrus of Persia'

Jun 26, 2025

Hello! I am back and ready to learn more about How To Civ IV. Here is a new shadow game.

Pangaea
Balanced resources
No huts or events, Rising seas enabled
6 AI civs
Difficulty level: Prince

Civ: Persians
Leader: Cyrus
Traits: Cha/Imp

Starting location analysis:

- Flood Plains looks nice, however, I should be wary of unhealth.
- Southwestern edge of Flood Plains is visible 2S1E of Settler.
- Plains/Hill looks attractive for hammers.
- Tundra visible to the north, are we near the northern edge of the map?
- Flood Plains seems to continue to the east.
- There appears to be lots of Forest...

• keyboard-rider
• Replies: 41
• Forum: Civ4 - Strategy & Tips

• 

The first one doesn't seem to use a mod at all. The second one was saved with BUFFY which is not compatible with BAT.

Is there any way to play these with the BAT mod? For the second is there any option other than installing BUFFY? What is the recommended setup that would allow me to play my mod of choice and also run any of the forum games regardless of how the original game was saved?

Note that I am running the GOG version of Civ 4 BTS and BAT is installed in the My Documents folder.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Thrasybulos]

Here's the WB file for the first save.
Can't help you for the second file, though: I'm using an unmodded version.

It would be great indeed if people would just get into the habit of always posting the WB version of their save file, especially when asking for advice.

 

[a pen-dragon]

Is there any way to play these with the BAT mod? For the second is there any option other than installing BUFFY? What is the recommended setup that would allow me to play my mod of choice and also run any of the forum games regardless of how the original game was saved?

First one comment: These mods might differ in more than UI, as for instance BUFFY includes the unofficial patch, altering actual gameplay.

One way would be to load the save in the mod it is saved in, go into the WB and export the game as WBSave.

It is possible that a WBSave does not save barbarian techs (this is me speculating based on nobles club requiring to add these manually), and that you might have to add them manually.

One other way to run the saves of minor mods (no new buildings / units / leaders or effects) is to create an empty folder in your mods directory with the corresponding name and install the mod you want to play with in CustomAssets, but I consider that to be problematic, as CustomAssets (especially if it contains some files that implement logic) will probably then interfere with other mods you want to play, up to the point that these become unplayable. I would advice not doing this.

Yet another method is to just rename the folder of the mod you want to play to the one the save expects. This is less problematic than fiddling with CustomAssets, but you should definitely remember you did this, to avoid problems if you ever want to install the mod whose name you borrowed. This is probably the easiest solution.

I'm trying to improve my game by playing through some of the more popular shadow games with experts giving advice and target benchmarks throughout the game.

The advice given in these threads depend on how the player did things. Thus you would probably learn more from doing a shadow game of your own.

 

[Noble Zarkon]

These mods might differ in more than UI, as for instance BUFFY includes the unofficial patch, altering actual gameplay.

That's incorrect - in fact the U in Buffy is for Unaltered! I think there may be one patch we included but BUFFY is basically UI improvements and code for compettitive games.

 

[a pen-dragon]

That's incorrect

Really? AFAIK BUFFY allows for e.g. surplus overflow production being converted into gold, which is not present in 3.19? Also the AI definitely uses privateers more (fixed in the unofficial patch)...

Anyway these are no major changes.

in fact the U in Buffy is for Unaltered

That was in BUG, but I do not think in BUFFY. (I think it was later chosen to stand for BtS Ultimate Fun FactorY)