My game runs SLOW!

[elslasher26]

I have 2.19GHz 768MB of RAM. I just purchased an Invidia 128MB video card hoping to solve the problem. I even dowloaded the 1.09 patch. IT IS STILL RUNNING SLOW!!!!!! It happens whenever I'm around the year 1500A.D and gets worse until I can't take it any more around 1700A.D. Please help before I crush my computer with a sledgehammer!!!!!!

 

[Efexeye]

How many civs?

What size map?

If it's 18 civs and a huge map, you're gonna have to upgrade to a gig of RAM, I think...

 

[robaughjr]

Try the Harkonnen patch. It helps control the insane memory useage and slowdowns resulting from it. Its easy to remove if it doesn't work
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=146309

 

[elslasher26]

Its just a standard map and 8 civs. Why the bogdown at 1700A.D?

 

[Efexeye]

Hmmm...hardly seems like that's taxing your system, mine is considerably crappier than that, and I run with 8 civs on standard maps with largely no problem.

Are you running other things in the background? An antivirus that updates? Anything like that? Is it always exactly 1700 A.D. that the problem occurs at?

 

[RX2000]

I agree with robaughjr man, you GOTTA install Hark's patch. My system is crappier than yours and civ runs very well now. Try it out!!

 

[CVDon]

I installed the Harkonnen patch last night. Firaxis owes him some money. My opinion of Firaxis took a BIG hit last night. For them to ship a game with a flaw of this magnitude is very poor business practice. Depending on a player to fix it is inexplicable.

(throws rose petals for Harkonnen to walk on. )

 

[elslasher26]

how do I install it? Instructions tell me to go to different places to reduce graphics and all that. Whenever I open the patch to install, my computer says it does not have the program to unzip folder. I'm very confused!

 

[Efexeye]

You need a program like Winzip to unpack the files that you downloaded. You should be able to get a free trial version by Googling the word "Winzip".

 

[Lateralus]

I get pissed off with Firaxis as well. I have an AMD3000+, 1024MB RAM, FX5600 256MB videocard and I still consistently get CTD's. The Harkonnen patch does help btw, but still it's not enough to stop the crashes fully

 

[Smidlee]

I installed the Harkonnen patch last night. Firaxis owes him some money. My opinion of Firaxis took a BIG hit last night. For them to ship a game with a flaw of this magnitude is very poor business practice. Depending on a player to fix it is inexplicable.

(throws rose petals for Harkonnen to walk on. )

Warpstorm this statement in ther bug forum:

Originally Posted by Moose - Lead Programmer for Civ4
Your reports and feedback have enabled us to fix the top issues for the next patch (available soon). Enhancements and improvements have been made in many areas, including a significant reduction in memory usage. Besides sharing more graphics data (also done by the latest forum memory patch), we have reduced sizes of source code systems and data, for a big win. Stayed tuned...

So it seems Firaxis is working on the problem. The game wasn't that flawed and not anymore than any other PC game I ever bought when it's first released. One reason why some was having trouble running the game was they had low end PC and graphics cards which normally all that is needed to playing strategy games.

 

[Smidlee]

PC Gamers should know by now that games will probably have problems when they are first released. As for Civ4 in my experience is above average and very playable right out of the box including multiplayer.

 

[MickyLuv]

Also, something like EndItAll should help. It closes down all the crap running in the background. I think you can get it from Downloads.com

HTH.

 

[Natronomonas]

Smidlee, experiences vary : )
Many people are having severe problems. At least it seems Firaxis are working on it but the patch can't really come fast enough. And publishers like Valve manage to release games without this many bugs.

Lateralus, try the INI changes in the "unofficial tech support FAQ" sticky. It worked a treat for me. No CTD since implementing them...

 

[RX2000]

The things that Hark fixed look to me like Jr. level "someone-needs-to-get-their-@ss-fired" mistakes. I mean he changes a few things and all of a sudden hundreds of people can run the game better on all different kinds of machines? WTH is that?

Its also very very very STUPID on Firaxis's part to release a strategy game that requires so much computing power out of the box. People who have TWICE the recommended requirements cant play the game very well without Hark's patch.

Now, I'm no Firaxis basher. I love cIV and I love a lot of the games that Firaxis has made, but I have to call them on this one. They need to send Hark a phat check and include his patch in with the next official patch. They definitely goofed up the requirements on cIV.

 

[Comraddict]

memory size on the graphics doesn't guarantee performance. you are victim of not knowing what are you buying.

 

[QFG4]

Elslasher, may I ask what graphics card did you buy?

 

[GIO888]

Agree with RX2000.

I reckon a lot of the CIV4 gripes and even the "it ain't what it used to be" comes directly from the technical bugs. Harks patch means someone at firaxis effed up, cos what it fixes shouldn't need fixing!

CIV4 is easily the best in the series IMO, love the civics, got used to the religion, but the frustration of just loading the thing initially really took the shine off the first couple weeks - until the patches and mods started to hit the forums!

Firaxis, hire Harkonnen!!!

CIV ON!

 

[Aks K]

I like Civ4 alot. But due to performance issues I gave up playing it for a while until I saw the fix made by Harkonnen. Now I don't play without it.
I am a bit puzzled in this way Harkonnen improved Civ4. Why did Firaxis not do something similar? They had their hands on the code for far longer. Anyway the next patch may work better than the Harkonnen fix.

Aks K