PC Configuration and Memory

[LeSphinx]

I've played Civ III with my PC Intel III 500Mhz-128Mo and as I played with huge map and with a peace way, around 1800 , each turn is very long. So I stop playing because it was too long.

Do you think the game will be more playedable if I buy more memory (128Mo more for exemple) ? Will I see the difference ?

Thanks for answering.

LeSphinx

 

[Isak]

An improvement should be guaranteed, if you increase memory.

The only thing I wouldn't make any guarantees about is how much it would improve

Personally I wouldn't buy more memory if it was only to increase the speed of Civ3, but if you have other memory heavy programs, I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Try turning off memory-resident programs before starting the game though - this might improve the situation a bit.

Just my $2.00

 

[Solver]

Well, if you have a 500 MHz, this means an average processor and good memory. Yes, if you upgrade to 256 MB RAM, it will run faster, but probably not by much.

To enjoy games on Huge maps with 16 civs, you would need to get a slihghtly better processor.

However, if you don't want to do this, you can just go with a RAM upgrade. Civ 3 uses lots of memory, if available, it can use up to 650 MB RAM, so unless you have that amount, it will run faster if you install more.

 

[Ayatollah So]

I upgraded from 32M to 128+32=160M and found a HUGE improvement.

 

[Pliny The Elder]

I use a 1.33 Athlon, and 512 mb, it runs fine.

 

[HighCouncil]

Peraps, but that would be minimal.
The problem: Too much units:
Let's see:
About 100 Cities and 4 units in each one
100 workes (average)
150 fortified units in cities, which are useless, but there ( for example workers)
200 units as standing army
in war: +100

400
100
150
200
+100
--------
950 units, and in each turn, the progr checks location, what the do, how long, which type,...etc

O.K., ram helps probably, but the primary problem is, that the prog can't calculate that in real time -> The game runs from the info from the ram, but the necesarry operations bet up all CPU time, so "runs and runs not". What is completed and puffered, stands ready, but the unit calculation doesn't. Not easy to complain. I say, it would be better to buy a new processor, instead of ram (But ram could help too).