Problem Playing PBEM .SAV Sent From PC

[Blue Monkey]

I answered LouLong's invitation to join a PBEM based on the Rise of Rome MP included on the C3C disk. I ran the .SAV handed off to me through File Valet, then placed it in the folder where all my saves reside. Trying to load the game from the main menu I get the following message - "Missing entry in ./Conquest Game Data\text\Pedia Icons.txt:"Tech_Council . This looks similar to me to the problem I was having with transfering a sav from my Mac to my PC with a CFC built scenario's .SAV. If so, that means no Mac vs. PC PBEM until a patch fixes our problems.

.SAV as received in email attachment
View attachment 125824

for some reason I can't also attach the post-FV version even though their names vary.


Alan? Brad?

 

[AlanH]

FileValet will do nothing for that save. It considers it clean.

[TIP] Drop your file on the FileValet icon to open it. You should see a small window with the title equal to the name of your file. It will list the status of your file. In this case it says "Clean, Compressed" indicating that it didn't find any incompatible data and it's a compressed file.


The error message you report indicates that the game software is looking for data concerning the Tech: "Council" in the file: "./Conquest Game Data/Text/PediaIcons.txt" That's the standard pediaIcons.txt file for C3C, and doesn't have an entry for the Council Tech, which is a Rise of Rome add-on. So, Aspyr's inability to find scenario data strikes again.

You should be able to get past this error by backing up the standard file:

/Applications/Civ III Complete/Conquests Game Data/Text/PediaIcons.txt

and replacing it with a copy of the file at:

/Applications/Civ III Complete/Conquests Game Data/Conquests/Rise of Rome/Text/PediaIcons.txt

You may then, of course, hit another error Copying the contents of the scenario file into the standard file *may* work better.

The lesson is that, until Apyr releases the patch to improve scenario support you'd be well advised to avoid non-standard scenarios and stick to standard games.

 

[Blue Monkey]

I don't want to start messing around with "customizing" the standard files. I've contacted the PBEM team to let them know I've withdrawn; I also gave them links to this, and the other thread where we discussed problems with .SAV files.
I understand your advice about sticking to the "safe" zone; on the other hand, Brad and others need to know what isn't working in practice. I still play my regular games, so I still am getting my ration of Civ-related joy; it's part of my nature to always be trying something new, and I report the shortcomings to help my fellow explorers, knowing that together builds a better future than alone.

 

[LouLong]

Hope the patch solves that !

 

[Brad Oliver]

I understand your advice about sticking to the "safe" zone; on the other hand, Brad and others need to know what isn't working in practice.

Two things:

1. I strongly advise against doing AlanH's tweaks and messing with the original game data. Wait for the patch.

2. I'm already well aware of the third-party issues and a fix is just waiting to be unleashed. I don't need any more info on these for now.

 

[AlanH]

1. I strongly advise against doing AlanH's tweaks and messing with the original game data. Wait for the patch.

I thought that was my recommendation:

The lesson is that, until Apyr releases the patch to improve scenario support you'd be well advised to avoid non-standard scenarios and stick to standard games.

My description of the "tweaks" was intended to demonstrate the difficulties and uncertainties of trying to patch around these issues, and I didn't hold out much hope that they'd be successful. I apologise if I gave the impression that I recommend the "tweaks".

 

[Blue Monkey]

I don't want to start messing around with "customizing" the standard files.

I strongly advise against doing AlanH's tweaks and messing with the original game data. Wait for the patch.

My description of the "tweaks" was intended to demonstrate the difficulties and uncertainties of trying to patch around these issues, and I didn't hold out much hope that they'd be successful. I apologise if I gave the impression that I recommend the "tweaks".

We're all on the same page. It's good for any lurkrers to hear Aspyr's Civ3 Programmer, A CFC moderator/PHP Monkey, and myself as a lowly Mac-oriented Tech Support Analyst all agree: hands-off. For myself, when I post a problem seeking a solution I expect an answer to fall into one of three categories:

1. There's a known solution (in which case I apply it, and test the results)
2. "Here's what those of us who have been around a while are trying" (in which case I evaluate my skill vs. the difficulty/reward ratio, and experiment carefully on a seperate install/copy of backed up files, or else decide it's not worth the risk).
3. There's no known solution, and A: Brad, or appropriately someone like Alan, are working on creating something useable by all of us (like FileValet), in which case I wait. Or B: It's just the way things are, and I live with it.

Thanks both of you for devoting so much time to improving our mutual playground, and helping us all know how to safely try new ways to play.