Help with installing BUFFY

[AlanH]

If I try to load your save in my BtS by double clicking it, I get the "Invalid Mod directory - ignoring" error, because your save contains a full path name: ModPath="C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Beyond the Sword\Mods\BUFFY-3.19.003\". That path doesn't exist on my system because (a) I don't have a 64 bit system, so no C:\Program Files (x86), and (b) I don't have the Steam Civ4 release.

So I created the entire folder path that BtS is looking for, and put a copy of BUFFY in it. I was then able to load your save, complete with the BUFFY mod and its interface. But I get a similar warning to yours in the Settings screen. Mine says: "BUFFY must be installed to C:\Program Files\2K Games\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Complete\Beyond the Sword\Mods". This is the path containing my live BUFFY mod, so it is objecting to the fact that the save has loaded a copy of the mod that isn't in its own Mods folder. I DON'T get the CRCs are missing error, though.

Note that the BOTM start saves contain ModPath="Mods\BUFFY-3.19.003\" which doesn't contain a fully qualified path. That path should exist relative to your BtS executable regardless of which version you have installed. I don't know why your save contains a fully qualified path. I imagine you would have problems sharing saves with anyone who doesn't have exactly the same Steam/BtS installation structure on their C drive.

[PS] For reference: My Windows BtS is a DVD Civ4 Complete installation in a Windows XP SP3/Parallels virtual machine.

 

[ChrisShaffer]

Thanks. I think I'll try installing Steam and BtS in my user directory, rather than in the Program Files (x86) directory.

 

[ChrisShaffer]

Success! Installing Steam in /Users/[username]/ worked! I ran CivBeyondSword.exe as an administrator in Windows XP SP2 compatibility mode and everything is fine.

Thanks for all your help!

Chris

 

[AlanH]

Well done! I wonder why this installation failed where your previous one was fine

 

[ChrisShaffer]

I have to imagine it's something to do with permissions - it works fine inside my user directory but not in the Program Files directory.

 

[kcd_swede]

Glad you got it solved. Hopefully your troubles will aid the next person with something similar.

 

[vranasm]

just to make things a little bit more complicated, but add some layer of flexibility which I didn't knew before some tries on my side...

Steam allows multiple "libraries" or better said, you can have more directories with games for steam games.

for example on my desktop since I am using SSD and have SATA HDD backup I have in steam actually 2 different libraries (directories), one is the 'standard' program files(x86)/steamapp etc etc, the other is created on my sata backup (in my case it's something like e:\steam games...)

you can relatively easily move games between the libraries without downloading the game all the time, since if you "install game" the steam app looks into the requested library (btw at the time of install you choose which library you want to use) and if it finds that the files are already downloaded it just checks them.

So I occasionally migrate games between fast and slow disk according to my current need.

I guess having library separate from the main installation folder of steam would solve Chris's problems from the get go.

Another thing about your solution which I really don't like is that the "users" directory is not guaranteed by M$, since it occasionally creates new profiles (especially in domains) and you will have to move your files from old profile to new profile...
I would never use "standard" users subdirectory for anything important...

 

[ChrisShaffer]

Steam allows multiple "libraries" or better said, you can have more directories with games for steam games.

Thanks for the tips!

Another thing about your solution which I really don't like is that the "users" directory is not guaranteed by M$, since it occasionally creates new profiles (especially in domains) and you will have to move your files from old profile to new profile...
I would never use "standard" users subdirectory for anything important...

I have a hard time considering Steam games as "important" since you can always download them again. At any rate, if I consider a directory important, I mirror it to Dropbox.

 

[Gumbolt]

Can anyone help Packers on advice on how to best remove multiple copies of steam and maybe Civ 4 BTS?

Does steam have an uninstall option??? How to best clear up the registry entires for steam?? He has got himself into a bit of a mess over this.

 

[ChrisShaffer]

I used the Windows add/remove programs to delete Steam, then went into the hard drive and removed the install folder and all the folders in the My Documents/My Games folder.

 

[Gumbolt]

Can someone post a working screenshot of the link for the buffy mod using steam. Apparently Steam needs to have a certain directory link so buffy will work with steam.

 

[Gumbolt]

Could this help? http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=474905

Set up the mod in the ini file?

Mod = Mods\BUFFY-3.19.003

Where does this code go??

Any other thoughts on how to stop this error message??

 

[Gumbolt]

Any thoughts on this error message Packers keeps getting. He has apparently reinstalled Steam already.

No, I still get the original error of steam thinking that civ4 is still open when civ4 restarts to open a mod. If I can bypass loading a mod and opening the mod directly with the shortcut, that should do it, I think. But the shortcut is producing this error:

Spoiler :

[/URL][/IMG]

and opening civ4 without BUFFY

 

[ChrisShaffer]

I had the same problem. For me, the solution was installing Steam in my user directory, instead of inside of Program Files.

C:\Users\ChrisShaffer\Steam

Installing Steam in this location solved the invalid mod directory problem for me.

His original error of Steam thinking Civ4 is still open remains a problem for me. To solve that, I edited the CivilizationIV.ini file as follows:

; Specify a Mod folder (Mods\Mesopotamia), '0' for none
Mod = Mods\BUFFY-3.19.003

Specifying a mod from the command line didn't work for me. I have to edit the ini file every time I want to use a different mod.

Hope this helps

 

[Gumbolt]

Well it worked, so we're getting somewhere. While I can open my games with the correction, I cannot open the SGOTM saves. I get this:

Spoiler :

[/URL][/IMG]

]

Latest update.

 

[Gumbolt]

Have you reinstalled buffy over this whole process??? How many installations of buffy do you have on your system. Hmmmm.

 

[AlanH]

Have you run the Asset Checker?

 

[ChrisShaffer]

I suspect BUFFY is installed in My Documents. If so, try moving it to the Steam directory.

 

[Packers5280]

BUFFY was installed in both Steam and My documents. Deleted BUFFY from My Documents, and it works. Thank you much, Chris!

 

[Doshin]

Hmmm. In trying to look into the problem I have now broken my own access to BUFFY. I even reverted to the previous settings with no luck.

Here are the problems as best I can tell:


(1) BTS Set to Require Admin Privileges

Spoiler :

Apparently when BTS crashes/closes in order to load the mod, Steam now thinks that BTS is still open when it tries to relaunch. It leads to this error. This problem is universal, e.g. if I try to launch another mod while admin privileges are required:



Same issue.

(2) BTS With no Admin Privileges, Load BUFFY

Spoiler :

All of the above follows the relaunch.

(3) BTS with No Admin Privileges, Load Another Mod

Spoiler :

No problems.

(4) BTS with Admin Privileges, BUFFY Auto-Launch

Spoiler :

---

Is number 2 really not valid? I assume it isn't, but I can load and play games with locked assets, and this is how I used to load BUFFY. Compare my final picture in #2:

Spoiler :

with the following:

The problem happens whether I load BUFFY from the Civlization4.ini file or the command line. In both cases, I'm able to load BUFFY and other mods fine. When I load BUFFY, via either the command line or the Civlization4.ini file, it is active. I can access the BUFFY options screen. BUFFY features are in the interface. "BUFFY-3.19.003" appears in the top right of the menu screens as you can see in the screenshot I provided above.

I created a new game with BUFFY loaded and saved it: http://gesserit.net/misc/buffy.CivBeyondSwordSave

On the settings page, it gives these HOF errors:

Spoiler :

Can someone try loading this save file and see what they get?

The error message only occurs when I launch BUFFY or begin a new game.

Well, either way. It'll be irritating if I have to change the .ini file every time I need to play BUFFY now, but it's not the end of the world.