HOF Questions and Answers Thread

[Pangaea]

Oh dear, I'm not entirely sure, but may have done a major muck-up It's possible I played a session yesterday using the BULL version of the DLL instead of the BUFFY one (I like to help out people in the forum). Hopefully I replaced them yesterday before going to bed, but am not sure now. Went to the folder to look at them now, and the BULL one is active (correctly named), which is 5.0 MB compared with BUFFY's 4.7 MB.

If this catastrophe happened, wouldn't it have been possible for me to tell in-game? Everything worked as normal, so I'm a bit confused now about what actually transpired.

Is it possible to figure out, or will you only be able to tell once I complete the game and submit it?

 

[Noble Zarkon]

It should have refused to load the game because of the wrong assets, PM the saves of you want me to check - or put the BULL one on and try to load your game, it should fail.

 

[Pangaea]

To my great disappointment ( ), the game is ruined. What must have happened is that I played the Buffy version of the game, but had forgotten to replace the DLLs after loading one of the forum games. Which I suppose means that I was pretty much just playing the BUG version (in that particular session). With the proper DLL, Buffy refuses to load the save, and the game crashes to desktop. There is a message on screen, but I can't read it because of the CTD.

Very distraught after playing for 18 hours and having such a nice start. Just captured Mids, and it looked like Hatty was building MoM right next door to Roosevelt's corpse. Mansa happened to be at my border as well, so there is a good chance he would have peace vassaled down the line.

Will have to try again. And think I have to redo the installation of BUG now, and put it in as a separate mod. It goes against advice from the forum at the time (and from what I can tell that is still the case based on some threads I found in the relevant sub-forum), but I don't want this catastrophe to happen again. I play too slowly to quickly rush through 150 turns to see if game x, y or z can have potential to be good.

Sad penguin

 

[lymond]

Sad penguin

Sorry I did not see this earlier, Pangaea. Your game should be fine and still valid, if you still have the saves, unless I misunderstand.

BUFFY ignores custom assets and the dll. It's LMA that is the problem. If you generated a HOF game, with BULL DLL active it is still valid. However, if you switch out the BULL DLL, and try to load the save again, LMA will balk at it.

Simply change back to the BULL DLL for this game, and you should be able to load it successfully.

 

[Pangaea]

Sorry I did not see this earlier, Pangaea. Your game should be fine and still valid, if you still have the saves, unless I misunderstand.

BUFFY ignores custom assets and the dll. It's LMA that is the problem. If you generated a HOF game, with BULL DLL active it is still valid. However, if you switch out the BULL DLL, and try to load the save again, LMA will balk at it.

Simply change back to the BULL DLL for this game, and you should be able to load it successfully.

Hmm, I'm even more confused about what happened now I thought the BULL DLL had to be inactive while using the Buffy mod, otherwise games would be invalidated.

Maybe I've misunderstood what Buffy and LMA really does all these years. Maybe the BULL DLL was actually active when I created the game, is that what happened here? Tried to load the save again now, and the game crashes to desktop when using the regular DLL. If I rename the files again so that BULL is active, the save actually loads without the game crashing. But I was sure the save itself had been invalidated from this mixup and it was pointless to try to play it out. But you're saying it should be fine, I can play using the BULL DLL instead?

 

[lymond]

Hmm, I'm even more confused about what happened now I thought the BULL DLL had to be inactive while using the Buffy mod, otherwise games would be invalidated.

Maybe I've misunderstood what Buffy and LMA really does all these years. Maybe the BULL DLL was actually active when I created the game, is that what happened here? Tried to load the save again now, and the game crashes to desktop when using the regular DLL. If I rename the files again so that BULL is active, the save actually loads without the game crashing. But I was sure the save itself had been invalidated from this mixup and it was pointless to try to play it out. But you're saying it should be fine, I can play using the BULL DLL instead?

Yeppers!

Do .bat files work on Linux? or converted to like programs?

edit: The save would crash for anyone that did not have BuLL DLL active since, as mentioned, LMA very much does not like that...ha. But ..say....if I load your save and activate my BULL I could load it fine. NZ did not have BULL active..I'm not sure if he uses it separately like we do.

As said, I've vetted HOF games before with this issue.

BOTMs cannot be loaded with BULL DLL active as the staff generating those games would not have it active...that would be a mess

And..yes..it would indeed be best not to have BULL active when playing HOF games, but it does not invalidate the games. BUFFY ignores it. LMA does not, which is simply a technical issue..not a HOF issue.

So finish that game with BULL DLL active. I will know it. But avoid it in the future, if you can.

 

[Pangaea]

Wow, thanks! Then I can try to play out that game instead, as from what I recall it was the most promising one. Looked forward to playing it more, then noticed that DLL thing and was sure I had crapped the bed.

.bat files don't work on Linux, the syntax is different, but something could probably be adapted fairly easily for usage in Terminal (basically a more powerful version of command line/DOS).

This should mean I can go back to using BUG+BULL in customassets instead of a mod as well, which should make it easier to play or help out people with various forum games. This is excellent news overall. Hope that other game was as good as I thought now. Tried to get another up and running because I was sure the one I was actually playing was ruined.

 

[lymond]

Wow, thanks! Then I can try to play out that game instead, as from what I recall it was the most promising one. Looked forward to playing it more, then noticed that DLL thing and was sure I had crapped the bed.

.bat files don't work on Linux, the syntax is different, but something could probably be adapted fairly easily for usage in Terminal (basically a more powerful version of command line/DOS).

This should I can go back to using BUG+BULL in customassets instead of a mod as well, which should make it easier to play or help out people with various forum games. This is excellent news overall. Hope that other game was as good as I thought now. Tried to get another up and running because I was sure the one I was actually playing was ruined.

I originally got the idea - and actual files - from dhoomstriker years ago. Basically simple bat files. One click way to switch your dlls, which has been always nice for me as I do so often. Files are attached. If you have the wherewithal to convert these into something usuable in Linux, I think you will be very happy with them.

Of course, make sure you have the start save as well for your bully HOF game.

I see no reason not to have bug/bull in custom assets. I have it all, man. BUG in CA, BUG standalone, all the BULLsheet, BUFFY, BAT, etc. etc. I'm ready for anything.

 

[Noble Zarkon]

it would indeed be best not to have BULL active when playing HOF games, but it does not invalidate the games. BUFFY ignores it. LMA does not, which is simply a technical issue..not a HOF issue.

Ah I see, good to know!

 

[Pangaea]

If you have the wherewithal to convert these into something usuable in Linux, I think you will be very happy with them.

I can do the switcheroo in about 2 seconds once I have the correct folder up (control C V F2 End Backspace to delete e.g. ".original"), but I'll look into creating a bash script for this on Linux. Might be useful. The scripts you attached only switch the files, right? It doesn't launch the game too? I'm a little confused why there are two files. Probably pretty easy to compare the files and then replace. Seems like there is already output to the user, so I was thinking of using just one file.

Been a while since I wrote anything script-related, but seems pretty straightforward, once I read up on the syntax of bash again.

 

[lymond]

I can do the switcheroo in about 2 seconds once I have the correct folder up (control C V F2 End Backspace to delete e.g. ".original"), but I'll look into creating a bash script for this on Linux. Might be useful. The scripts you attached only switch the files, right? It doesn't launch the game too? I'm a little confused why there are two files. Probably pretty easy to compare the files and then replace. Seems like there is already output to the user, so I was thinking of using just one file.

Been a while since I wrote anything script-related, but seems pretty straightforward, once I read up on the syntax of bash again.

Two files for 2 DLLs - bull and original. The scripts are only for switching the dll back and forth. I’m sure it could be condensed to one program though that asks which version to switch to.

 

[Pangaea]

Two files for 2 DLLs - bull and original. The scripts are only for switching the dll back and forth. I’m sure it could be condensed to one program though that asks which version to switch to.

Managed to rewrite the DLL switcher for use on Linux. Obviously the path needs to be corrected so it fits with where it is installed on your system (if there are others who play on Linux, hah). It works on my end using the GOG version of the game, but maybe the relative paths will be different on other versions, so look up that if it throws weird errors.

This switcher uses only one file, but there is feedback about the currently active DLL.

It works on my end, but is obviously not heavily tested, so please don't blame me if your computer jumps out the window.

Spoiler :

 

[Chaosquo]

Can anyone link me to a good writeup about espionage victory strategies? How far do you even tech? Just CoL, go full CE and turn the slider to 100%? Cripple 1 AI so you can easily reconquer the gifted cities?

 

[Pangaea]

Can anyone link me to a good writeup about espionage victory strategies? How far do you even tech? Just CoL, go full CE and turn the slider to 100%? Cripple 1 AI so you can easily reconquer the gifted cities?

Probably something good in here: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/the-espionage-victory-for-enthusiasts.562699/

 

[Chaosquo]

Probably something good in here: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/the-espionage-victory-for-enthusiasts.562699/

Thanks for the link. I gave away my starting city, but the Spread Culture mission is not available. It is only available in a small city where I have no culture. I even tried giving back the conquered capital to the original owner, but I still cant spread culture

 

[Noble Zarkon]

Very strange, you have waited a turn after giving away the city? There is another city with your culture in it pressuring the city you're trying to spread culture in?

 

[Pangaea]

Have never tried that type of game, or even that type of spy mission, but my understanding is that the city needs some of your culture -- otherwise you can't boost it.

 

[Chaosquo]

Noble Zarkon was correct, I need to have another city in range. I also want to make sure Im not missing any EP point reductions in this screenshot? There is a open border one, but Im skipping that one.

 

[Conquistador 63]

When playing the oasis mapscript the human player always start on the lower half of the map. Is there an acceptable (for HoF) workaround to it? Asking as I have loaded another player's published save for learning and stumbled upon a upper half start.

 

[Noble Zarkon]

When playing the oasis mapscript the human player always start on the lower half of the map.

Always as in 100% or virtually always so if you regenerate often enough you will find an upper half start.