Just loaded up the Caveman2Cosmos mod for the first time. WHY IS THE WHOLE INTERFACE MISSING?

How do I restore the interface?

And has anyone else had the no-interface issue when starting C2C? I wonder why this even happened in the first place.

I dusted off this account and logged back in for the first time in over 3 years because this same thread on Reddit's "Civ" subreddit isn't generating any discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/civ/comments/cwg87b/just_loaded_up_the_caveman2cosmos_mod_for_the/

 

This means you failed to follow instructions:


First: Delete old version of mod except user settings before installing new version - you always have to do so, as tons of files are deleted/added inbetween each release.
Second: Make sure mod folder is Caveman2Cosmos, it can't be nested and it can't be in my documents.
This is for people not using SVN/Github version.

 

Old version? The only version I've ever downloaded was Version 39 - the newest one.

Here is where it is currently:

C:\Program Files (x86)\2K Games\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Gold\Beyond the Sword\Mods\Caveman2Cosmos

Where is it supposed to be?

 

Looks like path might be too long, install game directly in program files (without 2K Games\Firaxis Games).
Also since you have game on C drive, you must run game as admin.
Right click BTS exe, click on properties, then on compatibility tab, and there should be "run as admin" checkbox.

 

How come I'm able to run BtS (the modless version of the game) as-is? I'm running the modless version of BtS right now (alt-tabbed out of it now) and it's been running the way it's been since I started it last month.

I have a feeling that whether the game runs as admin or not will not make a difference in how the C2C mod loads up the interface.

And how does the length of the path make a difference in how the game runs? And especially in whether the interface shows up in C2C?

 

There are bugs with windows 7/10, that break caveman2cosmos - file path can't be longer than 255 characters - mod has extensive directory tree, and mod saves some stuff in its directory - it tries to create UserSettings folder but somehow it isn't working if game isn't run in admin mode (if game is in system drive).

Make sure you don't have mod twice - for example copy in my documents.
Reinstall game, so Civilization folder is in program files or in dedicated games folder, that is on drive root (next to Program files and other stuff if on C drive) - some files are effectively lost for game in your case.

 

I ran my filepath through a character counter. It has 114 characters. That leaves 141 characters for the subfolders and files. What are the chances that the deepest file will have over 255 characters in the filepath?

How can the devs make the filepath allotment longer?

There's a copy in C:\Users\Christian\Downloads\Games & Game Patches\Caveman2Cosmos so is that going to be a problem? Or is it only a problem if it's in "My Documents?"

In other words, is it a problem if a second C2C folder is ANYWHERE on the drive?

 

There is chance, that deepest file has too much characters in file path.
Devs cant change windows 7/10 to allow it more than 255 characters in path, also make sure you don't have old version of mod here: C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword\MODS
Also make sure you don't have nested mod folder.

Now move game to program files, so it isn't needlessly two folders deeper just in case.
Also you MUST run game as admin, as you have it on C drive.

 

What is the deepest file of the whole C2C mod (or the deepest folder)?

I'll see how many characters that folder's files' filepath takes up. If it exceeds 255 characters, I suppose I may take some action.
​

The MODS folder in the Documents folder's instance of BtS is empty, so no worries there after all, I guess.

I'll run the mod as admin, just to see if that'll solve the interface problem. (I have doubts though, but it doesn't hurt to try.)

 

No idea, it is just how we debug no interface issue, which is caused by wrongly setup game/mod.
You would have interface back long ago, if you just reinstalled game directly in program files and run game as admin.

 

Running as admin may not fix the missing UI but it will allow the ini files to be built and changed when you set up your options. Actually if it is failing when setting up the initial User Settings folder that could cause the UI not to complete its installation and so the UI would be missing.

 

I don't think your folder path is too long.
B:\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Beyond the Sword\Mods\Caveman2Cosmos - This is my path, and I've had it longer than this without issues.
C:\Program Files (x86)\2K Games\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Gold\Beyond the Sword\Mods\Caveman2Cosmos - This is not the problem here, cases where it is a problem usually result in a quite unique error message when launching the game.

 

Its been reported before that on first time installation of C2C one sometimes have to do a "play now" (missing interface), exit game, relaunch game and start a custom game, then interface work.

I dunno if this would work for you, but the issue you're having may be related to the default map options stored as a "01011011...." in your CivIV.ini file, and that all the new map options added in this mod somehow clashes with that default.
But the option bit-string in CivIV.ini does get updated to the C2C format after doing what I said in the first line there. This is all just speculation, I don't know for sure about this as I've not experienced the missing interface bug, I'm only referring to what's been said about the issue in the past on this forum.

 

You can remove the 260 character limit under Windows 10: https://www.howtogeek.com/266621/how-to-make-windows-10-accept-file-paths-over-260-characters/

 

Alright you guys, I ran the game "as administrator" and successfully got the interface to show up on my C2C game.

Now I have a new problem: I can't get the tribal villages (goody huts) to give me different results every time I reload the game. I've made a new thread about that. Please pay it a visit and offer answers/suggestions there:

https://forums.civfanatics.com/thre...-unlike-on-bts-when-i-reload-the-game.649602/

 

That's not a problem... that's the way it works. You would need to go into the worldbuilder and turn on the random seed on reload option that is hidden and off by default because it messes up the ability to debug games that find problems when you get a different result with every load. The bug is often avoided by the difference in random results if that happens and debugging relies on the turn being able to process exactly as it did to get to the same problem spot when under analysis later.