Is this really Civ 3 Gold?

[Oldenbarnevelt]

I used to be a Civ 2 player, but I haven't played it for some time. Now I ordered Civ 3 Gold, in a double pack with PTW. If I recall correctly, the Gold edition arrived only just a few months ago. Yet, in the bottom left corner of the menu screen it says v.1.07f, while the latest patch has number 1.29f. So is this really the Gold edition, as it says explicitly on the pack, or did they make a "mistake" here? (I haven't checked the PTW version yet.) I know, it's no big deal, I have already downloaded the latest patch. I just wondered about the low version number.

O l d e n b a r n e v e l t

 

[subbss]

They call it gold only because it comes with PTW not because it has the newest patch.
You are right though, it should have it. That was stupid production on Atari's part to not include the new patches with the Gold version. Or maybe they started putting the Gold package together a long time ago before v1.29f came out.

 

[Padma]

<scratches head>

I would have sworn that Civ3 Gold was *supposed* to come out as Civ3 v1.29f plus PTW v1.27f. Yet, you are saying that's not what you got ....

 

[subbss]

Maybe its the right version but they forgot to change the title screen .

 

[Padma]

Well, the title screen is updated when they patch it - *almost* aotomatically.

The best word I can find on the subject comes from Jeff_ATARI, the marketing rep who posts here, from back in September:

Originally posted by Jeff_ATARI
Civ Gold will have the latest and greatest versions of both Civ III and Civ III: Play the World. I believe that means it's the 1.29f version of the original coupled with the 1.27f version of Play the World.

In North America, Civ III Gold is being released as a single product, rather than as a repackaging/compilation. (In other regions it will have different packaging and will contain both individual product CDs). This release is a single 2-CD installation, with a new manual combining the information from both manuals, and some new artwork for the menu screens and introductory video. It is a complete product, rather than just a bundle. It may not mean much to all of us who are long time Civ players, but we want to welcome those who are new to the addiction, and Civ Gold is our best foot forward to do just that.

Best,
Jeff Foley
Atari

 

[Oldenbarnevelt]

Just installed PTW. My version is v1.14f. So I need not tell you that I don't have the new updated manual. (For that matter, there's no _paper_ manual in the package at all). The bottom line should be that Jeff's wonderful plans haven't materialized, at least not where I live.

O l d e n b a r n e v e l t

 

[sealman]

Originally posted by Oldenbarnevelt
Just installed PTW. My version is v1.14f. So I need not tell you that I don't have the new updated manual. (For that matter, there's no _paper_ manual in the package at all). The bottom line should be that Jeff's wonderful plans haven't materialized, at least not where I live.

O l d e n b a r n e v e l t

Bummer about not getting the patchs, but I believe, according to some idiot at EA games, that it is an industry practice not to include the manuals with GOLD editions. Not sure if Atari/Firaxis follows this "industry practice" that this idiot over in EA's customer relations is refering to.

 

[Oldenbarnevelt]

Sorry to bother you again about patches, but this site's Search has been disabled.

I saw that the latest PTW patch, 1.27f, comes in two flavours, US and UK (the difference is 4MB!) I have trouble finding out which of the two versions I have. I couldn't find any clues in the Readme or on the disk itself. On the PTW box it says, in fine print: Distributed by Infogrames UK (etc.) London England, which seems to indicate I'll have to pick the British patch (?).

O l d e n b a r n e v e l t

 

[Padma]

There is some strange problem regarding the UK v1.27f patch. My suggestion would be to install the *US* patch, and see if that works. If it doesn't, uninstall the patch, and try the UK one.

(Many UK players found they had to install the US patch to work. )

 

[Oldenbarnevelt]

I'll follow your suggestion, Padma. Thanks.

Edit: The US patch seems to work fine.
Except one thing: instead of the trailer I got a naughty clip of Janet Jackson.

Only joking. Thanks for helping me out.

O l d e n b a r n e v e l t

 

[cl_dude11]

Well i also got civ 3 gold but mine is 1.29f and PTW 1.27f

 

[Oldenbarnevelt]

And with a _paper_ manual? I've seen pictures of the official Civ 3 Gold box on this site. What I got was just two game CDs wrapped together in a different, smaller box. It probably depends on where you live. (Whether you belong to a civilized or a barbarian tribe

O l d e n b a r n e v e l t

 

[Padma]

cl_dude11: You're up around Tornto, right? You probably have the *US* version of the game. That was different from the "Rest of The WOrld" version that Oldenbarnevelt has.

 

[daleli]

After installing Patch v1.29 and PTW v.1.27 for gold edition, I cannot play the game because it keeps telling me to insert civ3 cd-rom or Play the world cd-rom, what should I do?

 

[Turner]

Wasn't there something about the very first release that didn't have the right version, but it was corrected rather quickly? Or am I mis-remembering something else?

 

[CellarDweller22]

I just purchased the Gold edition myself. When I installed it, I read the release notes. Civ III said 1.29f (good, considering that when I purchased Civ III in December, 2002, it was at 1.29f); PTW said 1.26...... (ARGH!!!!)

So, like a moron, I decided to install the patch. Then the game wouldn't run (the "CD" error). So, I said "oh, well.... I guess I'll play the lesser patch", had to UNINSTALL and REINSTALL the game, and play the old version......

So, I load up the game, and guess what the version is?!

1.27f .....

So even though the DOCUMENTATION for PTW said a lesser patch, the actual game came with the "real" patch.

So far, I'm really enjoying my first PTW Monarch game! Even though I'm behind, I can usually find a way to dig out of a bad situation (no restarts; all random; huge map 16 civ, etc.)

I will ALSO say that the huge map isn't slowing down like it used to for me! Perhaps my new, 2.8 GHz, 512 MB memory Dell helps with the speed a bit more than my old, 550 MHz e-machine....

-- From The Cellar

 

[Padma]

FWIW, remember that documentation is almost invariably out-of-sync with the product.

When the documentation went to press, the latest patch was 1.26. By the time the package was physically put together, they were able to use 1.27....

 

[CellarDweller22]

True! However, I would at LEAST have thought that they would have updated the "readme" files (where I read about which patch was being used) when they updated the software itself..... BUT, all's well that ends well.....

-- From The Cellar