HOF Questions and Answers Thread

HOF noob question:
Is it OK to play a session, save it, and later open it, give it a look (no moves, etc.) and quit without saving to resume playing later? I know it is fine in GOTM but have read elsewhere (can't remember where) it could not be acceptable in HOF games.

I ask because I have 2 ongoing games for Gminor27 (BC years) and would like to compare my stats/status in them to choose the better one to keep playing.

 

I'd just play out both and see which comes up with a better date. A lot can happen between BC and Space.

However, I'm 95% sure that is legal, provided no moves are made as they would potentially give an advantage by knowing what the effect of X action is.

 

Yes I thought so, until I read this post from a previous GMajor thread.

 

Couldn't you just open it and resave it under a different name, and then play from the resave?

 

In quattromasters, what is the difference between a score victory and a time victory?

 

Score can be any victory condition.

 

So it's like a freebee? Our highest score is counted for score as well as the other victory condition that it fulfills?

 

Basically, although, the highest scores don't always come from the best dates. Maybe for Conquest or Domination.

 

Is it ok to play a map/game until some point, then decide to trash it, reload the starting save and regenerate a map, just to avoid configuring the custom game parameters from the main menus?

It seemed pretty obvious to me this isn't a problem. But having done it once in a continents map I found it funny that I had the same 3 out of 8 predefined AI's in the starting landmass in both runs. I assume this event was just random luck, but I thought I should ask here just in case.

 

Well thanks to this thread (I kept looking for "Victory Conditions" on the HOF website, not in my game.. duh) I finally found that my problem was with modified assets. You suggest above that this requires re-install of the game to correct.. This seems completely rediculous on first thought. I did an absolutely standard install, no mods etc other than the patch 1.74 and the HOF mod 1.74.001. How did my asets get configured WRONG to start with.. and why would I expect the condition to change when I re-install?

 

Replacing the new CvGameCore.dlls with the old ones seems to have no side effects in BtS and allows Warlords and Vanilla to be compatible.

 

No.. Its a plain vanilla install with no expansion packs .. sorry.,.. thought that was clear from the above, but since i don't have the expansions, I really don't know..

 

Since we don't know the details of your installation, all we can do is give you general advice that has worked for people in the past.

Deleting anything left behind between uninstall and reinstall is the key as that makes sure anything that might be causing a problem is cleaned.

 

Well, ignorance forces superstitious solutions. Let me rephrase the question. What sets the "asset modification" flags? I find no mention of it in anything but HOF. Does some version of Civ4 have a .ini entry or an initialization flag for this asset status? Can someone tell me what it even is?.. that is what ingame result occurs based on the 2 states of the assets? Is it an element of the multiplayer games? Thanks

 

Civ4 uses a CRC algorithm to create a checksum match the contents of the assets folder in the Civ4 Install directory will values in the save file. This is the basis of the their "Protected Assets" checks. It is controlled by the "Lock Modified Assets" Game Option, which is a required setting for the HOF for that reason. The HOF Mod's Assets folder is also checked. (I assume that Civ4 does that automatically too.)

If you change a file, add a file or delete a file, then it won't match the expected values we capture when we create the HOF Mod.

The only known/outstanding issues that I am aware of that can get you that error message:

• Gold edition
• STEAM purchased
• BTS patch 3.13

Since you have said you have a regular version of Vanilla Civ4, we know those are not involved. That leaves a install/patch problem or something changed in your assets. The only other thing I can think of is not installing/running Civ4 with Admin rights.

 

Ok, I took the advice. Used Control Panel (I have Win XP Pro sp2) and uninstalled Civ4. Then deleted all folders remaining in the install directory including the install folder itself. I installed direct from the plain vanilla Civ4 2CD install set... used the "get updates" from the "advanced" heading and dl'd/ installed patch 1.74.. then installed the 1.74.001 patch from the civfanatics Civ4 plain vanilla HOF section. When I start the game, then used advanced to "add mod" for 1.74.001 and restart and "create new" game and get to the 1st move I still get the "locked assets" error warning that the game is not valid for HOF.. Now what?

BTW both this time and the last I cannot get the modified shortcut with mods=\HOF-1.74-001 added to the target technique to work for starting the game with the mod added.. only way I can get it to start with the mod is to either do the double start thing or modify the .ini file. I don't believe the modified shortcut target method works unless I am completely missing the syntax somehow.. I followed the directions to the letter and triple checked it to keep trying to get it to work.