HOF Mod Support/Suggestions

[mdstjohn]

I recently purchased the Civ IV Gold version US (it includes the Vanilla and Warlords packages) and installed it on my son's machine which runs Windows XP.

I installed the game in the normal position of C:\program files\firaxis games\sid meyer's civilization 4. This is a stock from the CD install (removed the previously installed version completely, uninstall, deleted files, deleted registry settings). I checked to see if either game needed upgrading and they do not.

Civ IV Vanilla is at:

Civ Version 174
Save Version 103
Build Version 1.7.4.0

Civ IV Warlords is at:

Civ Version 213
Save Version 200
Build Version 2.1.3.0

I then installed the HOF mods v1.74.001 and v2.13.001. Both of these mods give the "assets" error.

I then ran the asset checker. The asset checker says all is fine.
I have not loaded BTS on this machine (yet). I have attached the asset checker output .CSV file for comparison.

Any ideas? The HOF mods work fine on my machine which has the old versions of the game (upgraded of course)

 

[da_Vinci]

Where did the mods install to? The later patches seem to prefer the mods be installed in the progarm files path rather than the my games path, at least some have found that.

If the mods are in the mods folder of my games, move them to the mods folder in the program files path and see if that helps.

In Vista there is a permissions issue that can cause this, but you said this is XP. Still, who is the administrator of your son's machine? Some issues have arisen running out of non-administrator accounts.

dV

 

[Denniz]

Hi Denniz,

here are the python logs - hope it's what you need to help me.
One thing, I had them all renamed to ".txt" because the upload don't allow ".log" files.

Are you using Vista? The error is reading the HOF-3.03.001.ini file.

 

[Denniz]

I recently purchased the Civ IV Gold version US (it includes the Vanilla and Warlords packages) and installed it on my son's machine which runs Windows XP.

I installed the game in the normal position of C:\program files\firaxis games\sid meyer's civilization 4. This is a stock from the CD install (removed the previously installed version completely, uninstall, deleted files, deleted registry settings). I checked to see if either game needed upgrading and they do not.

Civ IV Vanilla is at:

Civ Version 174
Save Version 103
Build Version 1.7.4.0

Civ IV Warlords is at:

Civ Version 213
Save Version 200
Build Version 2.1.3.0

I then installed the HOF mods v1.74.001 and v2.13.001. Both of these mods give the "assets" error.

I then ran the asset checker. The asset checker says all is fine.
I have not loaded BTS on this machine (yet). I have attached the asset checker output .CSV file for comparison.

Any ideas? The HOF mods work fine on my machine which has the old versions of the game (upgraded of course)

Yeah, the Civ4 Gold came with different exe and DLL files than the old versions sold seperately. Or at least that is what the asset checker shows.

We can probably make a change to allow the Gold saves but the warnings will require another version. Truthfully, I total forgot about the Gold version differences when we were getting 3.03.001 ready. Not that that would help the other versions.

I guess if your son wants to submit, we can work something out for now. Make sure he checks his version in the BTS Versions Poll so we know who is using that version.

 

[HolyHandGrenade]

Are you using Vista? The error is reading the HOF-3.03.001.ini file.

No - I am using XP

 

[Denniz]

No - I am using XP

Did you do something with the HOF-3.03-001.ini file? Could you post a copy?

 

[Misotu]

Just a trivial thing and I did search the thread to see if it had already been covered with no result. I'm sure there used to be a HoF Mod option to turn on "yields" but it seems to have disappeared ? Playing huge/large maps, every time the graphics is a little shaky the yields disappear yet again. No big deal, but did it just get missed out? It'd be nice to have it back

 

[Denniz]

Just a trivial thing and I did search the thread to see if it had already been covered with no result. I'm sure there used to be a HoF Mod option to turn on "yields" but it seems to have disappeared ? Playing huge/large maps, every time the graphics is a little shaky the yields disappear yet again. No big deal, but did it just get missed out? It'd be nice to have it back

With BTS, the grid, yield and resource button settings are supposed to be remembered from game to game. So that part of the HOF Mod is no longer necessary. Just use the buttons above the mini-map.

 

[mdstjohn]

He will probably not submit this month, but he did want to play the game from the GOTM save (in competition with me ). Is there a way to get around this and be able to load the saves for GOTM21 and WOTM12?

Thanks for the help.

 

[HolyHandGrenade]

Did you do something with the HOF-3.03-001.ini file? Could you post a copy?

Hmm - I think I changed the options using "notepad" especially to adjust map-finder pathes to my needs. That's what I normally do when I install a new Hof Mod. Open both in notepads and ajdust the settings to what I had before.

I reinstalled the Hof-mod now and only modified my map-finder pathes. And it works now .

Thanks for the tips. If you want to debug further I have added the bad ini-file. And sorry for the inconvenience with this hand edited ini-file. I am sad that I didn't reinstall the hof-mod by myself.

 

[Denniz]

He will probably not submit this month, but he did want to play the game from the GOTM save (in competition with me ). Is there a way to get around this and be able to load the saves for GOTM21 and WOTM12?

Thanks for the help.

The HOF Warnings don't really apply to xTOM Games. In fact, those warnings are disabled if the HOF Mod detects a xTOM save.

If you can't load the GOTM21 or WOTM12 off a clean install, you'll have to take it up with Firaxis.

 

[Denniz]

Hmm - I think I changed the options using "notepad" especially to adjust map-finder pathes to my needs. That's what I normally do when I install a new Hof Mod. Open both in notepads and ajdust the settings to what I had before.

I reinstalled the Hof-mod now and only modified my map-finder pathes. And it works now .

Thanks for the tips. If you want to debug further I have added the bad ini-file. And sorry for the inconvenience with this hand edited ini-file. I am sad that I didn't reinstall the hof-mod by myself.

I am glad to hear you aren't afraid to modify your ini file using Notepad.

I am not totally sure what was causing the ini file parser indigestion. It is a freeware component so it bit of a black box to me. The only thing I noticed was that there were some commented out sections where you modified options. (Lines beginning with "#" are comments.") For at least one option, it was uncommented so maybe you caused a duplicate in the section above it.

I commented out a lot of options for BTS, because they were obsolete or temporarily not included. I guess I should been less of a pack rat and deleted them.

You might want to use the in-game options menu to modify your other settings this time.

 

[Dignitas]

Hey there Denniz, I am back with my log files. I am not sure if that's important, but there are quite a few warlords references and I don't have Warlords installed.
The problem existed since the original version of the BtS HoF Mod and I already tried to solve the problem by reinstalling Vanilla and BtS, no luck with that.

You might want to have a look yourself.

 

[Denniz]

Hey there Denniz, I am back with my log files. I am not sure if that's important, but there are quite a few warlords references and I don't have Warlords installed.
The problem existed since the original version of the BtS HoF Mod and I already tried to solve the problem by reinstalling Vanilla and BtS, no luck with that.

You might want to have a look yourself.

I don't think the Warlords references are anything to worry about. You get most of the Warlords content with BTS.

The error is occuring when it is trying to read the HOF ini file. The key line contains the following error:

WindowsError: [Errno 2] The system cannot find the file specified

If you aren't using an admin account you probably should. To make sure Civ4 is has access to all the files you should also follow the security procedure noted here: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=5740809&postcount=1142. Vista security has been causing a lot of headaches.

 

[Dignitas]

Hey again Denniz and thanks,

I tried removing the read-only flag on those folders before without success and my Vista account has Admin rights. Here are some more screens that might be helpful. The problem still persists...

 

[Denniz]

Hey again Denniz and thanks,

I tried removing the read-only flag on those folders before without success and my Vista account has Admin rights. Here are some more screens that might be helpful. The problem still persists...

Could you try the following with your Civ4 EXE’s:

Scenario 2: Mark an application to always run elevated
Scenario 2 is similar to the previous scenario in that you want to run an application or process as elevated with the administrator access token. However, in this scenario you want to run an application that has not been marked by the developer or identified by the operating system as an administrative application. Some applications, such as internal line-of-business applications or non-Microsoft products might require administrative rights but have not been identified as such. In this scenario, you mark an application to prompt user for consent, and if granted, run as an administrative application. The following procedure steps you through that process.

Note:
To perform the following procedure, you must be logged into a client computer as a member of the local administrators group. You cannot be logged in with the computer (or built-in) administrator account because Admin Approval Mode does not apply to this account.

Important:

This procedure cannot be used to prevent UAC from prompting for consent to run an administrative application.

To mark an application to always run elevated
1. Right-click an application that is not likely to have been assigned an administrative token, such as a word processing application.

2. Click Properties, and then select the Compatibility tab.

3. Under Privilege Level, select Run this program as an administrator, and then click OK.

Note:
If the Run this program as an administrator option is unavailable, it means that the application is blocked from always running elevated, the application does not require administrative credentials to run, the application is part of the current version of Windows Vista, or you are not logged into the computer as an administrator.

 

[da_Vinci]

The HOF Warnings don't really apply to xTOM Games. In fact, those warnings are disabled if the HOF Mod detects a xTOM save.

If you can't load the GOTM21 or WOTM12 off a clean install, you'll have to take it up with Firaxis.

Are you suggesting that the XOTMs should run fine without the HOF mods? HOF mod of some kind has been mandatory since 11/2006 (or is that just mandatory to submit for competition rather than madatory to open the save?).

On another note, I see that post 1142 has been getting a lot of citations!

dV

 

[AlanH]

Are you suggesting that the XOTMs should run fine without the HOF mods?

I don't think that's what Denniz is saying. Civ4 xOTMs require the HoF Mods. But since the xOTMs are created as fixed start files the tests performed on player-generated starts to ensure valid HoF submissions are irrelevant. Therefore the warnings for invalid HoF Mod start files are also irrlevant, and they should be disabled when the Mod detects a xOTM save.

 

[Denniz]

Are you suggesting that the XOTMs should run fine without the HOF mods? HOF mod of some kind has been mandatory since 11/2006 (or is that just mandatory to submit for competition rather than madatory to open the save?).

No I was suggesting that the built in warning messages in the HOF Mod are turned off. Edit: Cross-posted with AlanH, and he explained it better.

By clean install, I meant that neither the installed assets or HOF Mod had not been altered. If he can't open the xOTM then, that would mean that Firaxis own built-in asset checking won't accept the non-Gold edition saves.

On another note, I see that post 1142 has been getting a lot of citations!

dV

It is easier than typing it all in again. Plus, if something goes wrong, it isn't my fault.

 

[Misotu]

With BTS, the grid, yield and resource button settings are supposed to be remembered from game to game. So that part of the HOF Mod is no longer necessary. Just use the buttons above the mini-map.

Haven't installed BTS so it doesn't work with just vanilla and warlords installed

Still ... does this mean I'm now safe to install BTS without having to worry about my HoF submissions? Or will everything be beta until the issues are resolved? My copy of BTS is sitting there, looking at me yearningly, in its little plastic case so I'd like to install if I don't have to do the dual-install, rename the directories, fiddle around with all my shortcuts and edit 8 .ini files nonsense ... <tired grin>

Edit to add: Yeah, yeah, I know it's not 8 .ini files. But it *feels* like it