Before I continue, first I need to address an off-topic topic.
My machine is above minimum spec, but below Recommended spec.
I do have some crash problems.
There are three categories of problems for me.
1. Unit-command CTDs (crash to desktop).
2. Interface-related crashes. (Hard, nasty crashes, total meltdown).
3. Rarely, something that is not one of the other two.
The Unit Command crashes I figured out. They arise from a bug, which is triggered if you give a unit an order (workers to improve a plot, great people to build something in a city, missionary to convert) RIGHT after moving them. Some kind of conflict if you don't let the animation of movement play out first. (This -should- be fixed in the first patch). This crash type crashes to the Desktop without disrupting the operating system at all.
The Interface crashes are specific to my machine. Never been seen on any other, never been duplicated. I bet there are a few others out there who have the problem, too, but probably not very many. Could be my vid card, but more likely my motherboard (which had rare but present crash issues with Civ3 expansions and with Pirates, too). These crashes always are traced to mouseover info or interface popups. I've played six hour games without a crash by studiously minimizing my use of certain parts of the interface. Other times, it's tougher to avoid.
The other stuff is really rare! Too rare to repeat, identify, or track down.
I have had zero problem with type 1 crashes since I launched RB1, but type 2 have plagued me. I was averaging 1 or 2 crashes per ten-turn round for a while there, but the last two rounds... Man. More than one per turn during the English War, and more than TWO PER TURN on the current round. (It's hard to minimize contact with the interface when we have so many cities, and they build stuff quickly and need new orders, and there are city specialists to manage, groups of units to manage, and advisors and other popup panels to check, where I'm at more risk to crash.)
This is the same machine I've worked on throughout my contributions to Civ4 development, and it's a dinosaur, yet I was more than able to be productive from it, for what that's worth. It's below recommend spec, and the game would run better for me if I upgraded. I'm actually planning to do that, been planning it, but have been too busy to pull the trigger on deciding what to get. I plan to make a move soon, though. The only part of the machine that is above spec is my vidcard, which I got specifically for Civ4, and which runs the graphics without problems.
My hardware issue has been tough to identify thanks to the nature of the crashes, which generate no error reports. If no other machine displays these symptoms, even with the same hardware, and there are no error reports, you can see why that particular issue isn't already fixed.
The patch should fix crash type 1, and probably clean up some if not all of the rare crash type 3, but that #2... I have no idea. Maybe yes, maybe no. Have to wait and see.
The fact that I had a particularly nasty run of crashes on this round is a large part of why it took me longer. And it's not something I'm hiding, but it's such a niche thing on my ancient computer that it's not something related to what others are experiencing. Since I can report my problems directly to Firaxis, there was no use posting about them. (I suspect a lot of people are running in to Crash #1, though. That's a bug in the game and has nothing to do with what hardware you have).
Sulla and I promised to release the saved games when we finish, and people who view the replay will wonder why there are so many "new sessions" recorded on my turns here in the late game. Well, now you have the explanation.
In order to minimize the disruptions from crashes, I've been making use of the Quick Save. You can only have one Quick Save at a time, but you can save at any point and it only takes a couple of seconds. By using the Quick Save often, I can preserve my progress and not have to replay much if I do crash. This has been a real life saver on this round. Some turns, with a LOT going on, I'm not sure what I would have done to get through them without Quick Save.
So here is how that works:
If you press Shift-F5, you save to the Quick Save. (Pink indicators).
You can load this game like any other, by finding it in your Save folder. If you have -any- significant instability in Civ4, this is a good way to reduce your frustration levels while you wait on patches. It certainly helps me! I love the game, but anybody will get frustrated by instabilities -- I can sympathize!
Also in the shot above, you can see my use of a command line parameter.
I've moved all of my Civ4 user files out of My Games folder and in to the Civ4 root folder. This is done by use of the /ALTROOT command line parameter. Setting alternate root path to the Civ root folder is done with the command you see there, which will cause the game to move all of your user files in to Civ4 folder -- IF you are running as an Administrative User on your machine. (If not, then don't try this!)
So anyway, my Civ4 files are all in the Civ4 folder on my D: drive, and I'm using Quick Save during these long, heavily active turns. In some cases, I had to reload four or five times on the same turn, due to crashes. I think I made it three or four turns without a crash near the end of the round, though. It's very much a random thing, I'm afraid: sometimes it crashes with little exposure to the crash-causing interface elements, and sometimes I can go for a long time without any problems. Sometimes I remember to minimize my exposure and I can avoid most crashes; sometimes I forget, and spend too much time doing at-risk things.
I can't discuss this topic any further, so please don't ask me about it. I'm just the gameplay guy, and the crash issues are out of my sphere. I know that most Civ4 users are not having problems, but I'm one of the ones who is. At least at this point! I'm hopeful I won't have to suffer these inconveniences for too much longer, though.
OK, now on with the show. There's a new continent to fight over!
Thats a lot of people waiting on this turn to finish! 
Yep.)
. Thanks !
That'll keep your bellies warm!
HinBudJewIsm the Magnificent! 
