Is there any way to reduce loading times between turns?

[HoMM3 fanatic]

It seems I can´t play even the smallest map without having to wait like 5 minutes for my turn after the early stage of the game. The start goes well even in larger maps but somewhere around turn 100 (?) the loading times between turns are just unacceptable! Especially when waging wars, does the AI really plan his moves so long or what? I don´t know about the game mechanics so could someone tell what a heck is consuming that much time? And is there something that can be done about it? Could it be graphics? I have already set them to minimum. I have 1,79 Ghz processor, 512 Mb memory and ati radeon xpress 1100 graphics card, and because this is a laptop, I can´t really update these.
So what´s taking time and can I do something about it?

 

[kazapp]

You need more RAM memory. It's as simple as that.

What you could do is try an operating system that doesn't hog so much memory for itself; say installing Windows 2000 instead of Vista.

If you already have W2K, you could try to change the settings for virtual memory. The slowness you experience is probably caused by thrashing (i.e. the amount of available memory isn't enough for the Civ program).

Do shut down all non-essential pieces of software that might run (including autostart utilities and several windows processes - definitely shut down/uninstall antivirus or firewall programs even if this means you shouldn't connect the computer to the 'net.) That can save you tens of MBs which can add up. That ATI graphics is probably integrated graphics: see if you can't squeeze out a little free RAM by allocating less memory for the graphics (this would be a BIOS setting if available).

But this can't hide the fact that 512M is a little on the small side for Civ 4, no matter how you cut it.

Installing more memory on a laptop isn't as impossible as upgrading the CPU or GPU. With luck, you should be able to add another memory chip (or replace the one you got with a bigger chip). It won't be cheap and it might require someone with hardware experience to do it right, but the chance is there.

As for in-game settings, I don't know how much of an impact that might have. Try disabling everything there is and lowering all options to the minimum, if only to test if things improve.

 

[Soneji]

Laptops are generally slower than their desktop counterparts anyway.

I can't play CivIV at all on my laptop, and lack of number pad is annoying.

More ram always helps civ, normally when I play task manager shows Civ using almost exactly 1Gb.

 

[Civfan333]

yep, the best thing to do is either use a desktop comp. or get more RAM.

 

[HoMM3 fanatic]

Ok, thanks! I´ll see what I can do... So how much ram is enough? 1024? More? I guess the more the better but what´s "minimum" for civ?

 

[Soneji]

2048 I would say is the minimum, you can play with a gig but doubling it makes a world of difference.

 

[Silbeg]

Ok, thanks! I´ll see what I can do... So how much ram is enough? 1024? More? I guess the more the better but what´s "minimum" for civ?

I would say that the min for running XP in any case would be 1GB. I have noticed a performance improvement when I went from 1GB to 2GB on my laptop... assuming yours can take it, it should cost less than $200 these days.

However, that being said, unfortunately your laptop is a little long in the tooth, so to speak.

 

[Airefuego]

As for in-game settings, I don't know how much of an impact that might have. Try disabling everything there is and lowering all options to the minimum, if only to test if things improve.

Low graphics helps for sure.

Also definitely install the latest patches, performance in comparison to the version in the box is improved slightly for BTS, and massively for Vanilla.

 

[Cheeze]

Well, I also only have 512 mb of RAM, but I have a 2.97 GHz processor, and I don't experience much more than a 10 second wait between turns ever until the middle ages.

Although I'm sure more RAM would help as well.

 

[lutzj]

a CPU slower than 2 ghz probably isn't helping either

 

[DigitalBoy]

If you've been playing for a while, try saving and quitting to main menu, then reload the game.

When I've been playing for a little while, I get bad lag time, not just between turns, but also when selecting units and cities. If I save and reload, it usually fixes the problem.

 

[Soneji]

Well, I also only have 512 mb of RAM, but I have a 2.97 GHz processor, and I don't experience much more than a 10 second wait between turns ever until the middle ages.

Although I'm sure more RAM would help as well.

Well my Core 2 Duo E6400 @ 3.2Ghz, 2.5 GB ram equates to immediate turns. No waiting. I only start to see 'seconds' between turns after the middle ages, normally quite a bit into the modern era.

 

[dragodon64]

Well my Core 2 Duo E6400 @ 3.2Ghz, 2.5 GB ram equates to immediate turns. No waiting. I only start to see 'seconds' between turns after the middle ages, normally quite a bit into the modern era.

I would kill to have a computer like that! My PoS takes a lunar month to load large/huge modern era maps.

 

[Soneji]

That rig cost less than £250 to build!

 

[Civfan333]

you need at least 700 megs of RAM.

 

[Reiko]

Also if you use something called "cachmanXP" running in the background it helps.
What it does is optimize your memory.

 

[JosEPh_II]

If you are still using DDR ram as I am the speed of the Ram also makes a difference.

As stated before More Ram is always better.

I was having serious lag recently using the Rise of Mankind Mod (bigger tech tree,bigger maps, more bldgs, units, etc). I had 512 mb of 266 DDR ram. I upgraded to 1Gb of 400mhz DDR ram it is a whole New ballgame in performance. My CPU is still only a 2.4 PIV.

But I'm using a desktop and not a Laptop, so I might be comparing apples to oranges.

JosEPh

 

[JJ Boston]

Maybe I'm just more patient than the rest, but I'm on a laptop with a 1.86 GHZ processor and about 1 GB of ram, and it works fine. There's a few seconds between turns, but it's certainly do-able, not much at all.

 

[Bushface]

I have found a way to increase the end-of-turn lag enormously, unavoidably and profitably. Having discovered that a blockading Privateer produces 2 or 3 gold per turn, I turned them out in dozens from all my coastal cities and sent them to all the AI's coastal cities. Each report "Your privateer has plundered X gold outside YYYY" takes about 4 seconds, accompanied by a beep and the jingle of coins. At their peak, I had 62 plundering privateers and a few in reserve, so about 4 minutes of reporting.
Alas, once the others had built Caravels it took only 2 or 3 to sink a privateer, and I couldn't build more, so now I'm down to 25 or so. But I've made piles of gold, and enough XPs for 2 GGs without fighting a land battle.

 

[Ossian]

I have a 3.2ghz 1.5gb RAM and 256 vid ram, so I can run on huge maps with maxed gfx without problems on load time.
Also what Digital Boy said, Reload the game every time it gets really bad, the game slowly takes RAM as time goes on and you can recover it by starting fresh.

Only thing that gets to me is Hotseat, switching between 2 civs every turn can drain the system fast.