hello eveyone,this is my 1st post on this forum and a need help!

[Dandy_Man]

i downloaded a 280mb version of the civ4 demo file not knowing it left a part out. later i realized that the true civ4 demo is 314mb at every site i looked at.
guys, i have dial up and that download took 30+hours!!! i'll have to re-download the entire thing unless someone can give me the missing file(s).when i try to enstall the demo it says "setup had determined u need to install directx"it then cancels and there is no way to make it stop canceling. i already have direct X 9 and on the read me it says "requirements:Sid Meier's Civilization 4 DirectX®". i belive this is a speacial direct X wich was SUPPOSED to have been included in the download! individual pieces or parts of the file are probabuly not available anywhere on the internet.my DirectX9 folder only contains a dll,was it supposed to contain a unique civ4 DX system/file? this is a perplexing problem, and i was wondering if i could SOMEHOW get ONLY the missing component i need off of 1 of you guys.? my e-mail adress is The_Dandy_Man@hotmail.com and i have msn messenger.(which allows file transfering)maybe someone with the complete civ4 demo download could draw up a list of the files(a complete list) and i could compare it against my own?guys,i use getright,and i'm sure the download was not simply corrupted.

 

[Efexeye]

My first question, before you do anything else: what are your computer specs?

I am not trying to be mean or flame, but, my gut instinct is that if you're still on dial-up, your computer is not going to run cIV at even a minimally acceptable playable level.

 

[Dandy_Man]

lemme get something straight. i only use the dreaded dial-up because i live out of town. i'm gunnu get high-speed signal reciever in about april out here;when i can.i CANT get anything better than dial-up out here,at the moment.
my computer's specs:
intel(R)pentium(R)M processor:1500MHz
598MHz,256Mb of RAM. windows XP service pack 2.
i have direct x9.

and i own civ3, play it often on my computer it works fine.
Any more Questions?

 

[Efexeye]

You are not going to like how it runs with only 256 megs of RAM under XP. The spec has changed to make 512 the minimum, running under XP. cIV is very different from CIV3, in that it uses a graphics-intensive 3D engine.

I do have another question- what kind of video card does your system have? If you have integrated graphics, just forget about it until you upgrade, or it'll be an exercise in frustration.

 

[Dandy_Man]

well, my video adapter is mobility radion 9000(ATI).
i dont know what kind of budget you are working with,but i cant just go upgrade my computer constantly. i'm lucky to even have one on my family's budget!
i have a laptop and takeing it apart to upgrade it would not be easy.
i work with what i have.and my page file for swapping RAM(Virtual Memory) is set to full(4095MB).i read the read-me and that ATI video problem only occurs AFTER YOU INSTALL IT. i cant even install it.it just cancels.

 

[Efexeye]

I didn't want to make it sound like the problem is just to throw money at it and hope it works, I understand being on a limited bdget.

That said, I don't think that your computer is a very good candidate for running cIV- it's gonna be more heartache than it's worth.

Is the 9000 even T&L capable? I don't think it is, and a video card that can handle T&L is a requirment for cIV...

 

[ainwood]

I am not tryng to be mean or flame, but, my gut instinct is that if you're still on dial-up, your computer is not going to run cIV at even a minimally acceptable playable level.

That's a little unfair - not everyone has broadband, or even access to broadband - I only got decent download speeds in the last 6 months.


@Dandy_Man: Unfortunately, you are skating on the very edge of our 'no piracy' policy here - we have zero tolerance on piracy, and asking for files from other posters at our forums usually results in the threads being closed. Reason being: You may (for example) have downloaded a pirated Civ4 install that someone decided not to include DirectX in.

I suggest that you can try downloading the directX runtimes - see here - however I cannot guarantee that they include the files that you require (maybe someone else can confirm).

Failing that - seeing as you're only after the demo version - it might be best for you to simply buy a magazine that has it included on the cover disk.

 

[Efexeye]

That's a little unfair - not everyone has broadband, or even access to broadband - I only got decent download speeds in the last 6 months.

True enough, I guess I wasn't thinking about people who don't have high-speed access available to them, although, in this case, my "gut instinct" (my original response was qualified as such ) appears to have been correct.

 

[Dandy_Man]

What is T&L?? i'm not a genius power advanced user that builds computers and programs them for a living, but i sure as heck ain't a noob.i can take some lag,i've seen it. i even play c+c generals on my computer despite the lag,do you know what the requirements on that are??

i mainly want to know what "Recommended System Requirements:"
DirectX®:Sid Meier's Civilization 4 DirectX®
even is.it is written in the read-me of the downloaded files.it's not like a traditional 'directX 9 or up required' as in traditional read-me's.what's with this
wording?

and i'm not looking to get banned or piss someone off if your wondering.

 

[Efexeye]

T&L stands for Transform and Lighting, and it means that the video card handles calculations related to changes in lighting and perspective from the viewer's perspective, rather than having the main processor handle those calculations. Most mobile video cards don't support T&L, although some people have reported that they can run the game on non-T&L capable cards.

I can't provide you with any more insight. Maybe the tech support forum can be more useful.

And for the record, you've been substantially more polite than most people- I think you're doing fine!

 

[aaronflavor]

In case it helps, these are the minimum specs for Civ4 copied and pasted from the readme:

Operating System:

Windows® 2000/XP

Processor:

1.2 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon processor or equivalent

Memory:

256 MB RAM (Windows 2000) / 512 MB RAM (Windows XP)

Hard Disk Space:

1.7 GB Free

CD-ROM Drive:

4X Speed

Video:

DirectX 9.0c-compatible 64 MB video card with Hardware T&L support (GeForce 2/Radeon 7500 or better)

Sound:

DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card

DirectX®:

Sid Meier's Civilization 4 DirectX® version

You are just barely on the edge of these. Assuming you get your DirectX issues worked out, the single best thing you can do to make newer games, such as Civ4, run better on your computer is to get a RAM upgrade. If you shop around a bit, this may cost less than you think.

I am not sure how the economy is where you are, but in many areas, it is possible to get the extra money necessary to both buy Civ4 and some new RAM working for just a few nights at a local restaurant. You will spend much more time than this playing the game once you get it.