Realism Invictus

[JohnCarterOfMars]

but this time I just had to keep going despite the MAFs every other turn.

I posted this earlier to another Realism: Invictus thread:

For the memory problems/crashes, I think I found a solution that works for me. It was suggested for another game, but works well here to. The app is called Process Lasso from Bitsum. It runs in the background and monitors/optimizes all the process that are running on your PC. It manages the priorities to keep background processes from hogging the CPU from foreground processes.

One feature it has is a thing called Trim. It will execute a Trim to have certain processes release memory at designated conditions. The other feature is Process Watchdog. This is a tool to monitor a specific process and take certain defined actions when defined conditions occur.

For Civ 4, I have a Watchdog set to Trim the working set memory whenever it exceeds 825Mb. I have not had an in-game memory problem ever since. The only problem is when I try to load a saved game from a running game. It crashes me to the desktop, but then I just restart and load the saved game fresh.

And I'm playing the historical scenario with 55 Civs and the Huge Earth map. I'm currently in game year 1781 and my save game file is 6,148kb.

 

[Colon]

It would seem the black tile issue went away for me, at least for now. Can't tell why. The only thing that I know for sure is different since I last tried (months ago) is that I have a widescreen monitor now.

 

[Colon]

And the black tiles are back. Didn't even end up playing RI since my previous post. As before, can't tell anything that's different on my computer since then.

 

[CastleRum]

The app is called Process Lasso from Bitsum..... <snip>..... For Civ 4, I have a Watchdog set to Trim the working set memory whenever it exceeds 825Mb.

This works beautifully. Not a single RI game crash even on the biggest maps since I started using it. Thank you.

And the black tiles are back. Didn't even end up playing RI since my previous post. As before, can't tell anything that's different on my computer since then.

I gave up on the official 3.55 release because of the black tiles. I've been using the SVN instead, and haven't had any black tiles with it.


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[JohnCarterOfMars]

This works beautifully. Not a single RI game crash even on the biggest maps since I started using it. Thank you.





I gave up on the official 3.55 release because of the black tiles. I've been using the SVN instead, and haven't had any black tiles with it.


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Thanks for the feedback on Process Lasso. It really works to sidestep the memory crashes, and I wonder if the word should be spread more widely to the Civ 4 community?

For the black tiles, I've never personally experienced them. I wonder if downgrading the rendering setting would help? I know that would degrade the graphics visually.

On the other hand, has anyone tried ensuring that the dedicated graphics card is being used on computers that have both an integrated and dedicate GPU? If one is causing the black tiles, try switching the game over to use the other one?

 

[Colon]

@Walter Hawkwood

I discovered something that could help you pinpoint the source of the problem. I don't have black tiles when I run Steam. When Steam isn't running they do appear. The thing is that I'm not playing the Steam version of Civ4 (Complete) but GOG's. Is it possible that there's something in your files that's interacting with Steam?

 

[Phylhom]

And the black tiles are back. Didn't even end up playing RI since my previous post. As before, can't tell anything that's different on my computer since then.

I don't understand why, but I have copied all the files .FPK from the folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Beyond the Sword\Mods\Realism Invictus\Assets,

to the folder:

D:\João Filho\OneDrive\Documentos\My Games\beyond the sword\CustomAssets,

and the problem was solved.

 

[Colon]

@Phylhom

See above. I got it working by running Steam in the background (even though I'm not playing a Steam version of the game). There seems to be a Steam connection in any case.

 

[ThirdOrbital]

I am super interested in the "New World is the new Old World" update in SVN. I find it especially noteworthy that the Aztecs can give their new Captive Taking promotion line to other units above and beyond their National Units. It seems like no matter the circumstances, you can bet on the Aztecs being just a little bit better at handling barbarians than anyone else, which is a great thematic element. The Incan Chasquis getting a national wonder isn't quite as theme-focused, but it's also a fascinating way to impact playstyles beyond just combat.

My question is, do you envision other civs getting the same treatment? Perhaps Scandinavian units get a unique line of pillaging-themed promotions. Maybe Spanish units go a different direction and get a spread religion or remove heresy charge? You could borrow from the newer civ games and let Italian melee units build roads. There's a world of possibilities here, I'm just curious if that meets your vision for the mod or if you just wanted to show these civs specifically some love.

 

[ThirdOrbital]

Another unrelated question - is there a way to predict which cities will levy a citizen militia when under attack or is it random? More mature cities are more likely but I can't nail down if it's based on population, culture, technology, etc. It would be nice if you knew that building a barracks/arsenal or walls/castle would guarantee you a citizen defense force.

 

[Zap0]

Another unrelated question - is there a way to predict which cities will levy a citizen militia when under attack or is it random? More mature cities are more likely but I can't nail down if it's based on population, culture, technology, etc. It would be nice if you knew that building a barracks/arsenal or walls/castle would guarantee you a citizen defense force.

It's based on culture afaik, but I don't know the exact numbers. It actually removes culture from the city tile to form the militia, so that makes the city easier to manage afterwards.

 

[Walter Hawkwood]

I discovered something that could help you pinpoint the source of the problem. I don't have black tiles when I run Steam. When Steam isn't running they do appear. The thing is that I'm not playing the Steam version of Civ4 (Complete) but GOG's. Is it possible that there's something in your files that's interacting with Steam?

I don't believe it is directly linked to Steam per se, but Steam definitely influences something. I am getting even more confident that the problem lies with how Windows caches shaders, as Steam has its own shader cache. No idea what to do with that knowledge though.

My question is, do you envision other civs getting the same treatment? Perhaps Scandinavian units get a unique line of pillaging-themed promotions. Maybe Spanish units go a different direction and get a spread religion or remove heresy charge? You could borrow from the newer civ games and let Italian melee units build roads. There's a world of possibilities here, I'm just curious if that meets your vision for the mod or if you just wanted to show these civs specifically some love.

Not in a major way, no. While I contemplated it before, it is just too much work at this point. I am just giving some units a facelift and improving stuff in the process. Just thought I'd make Aztecs and Incas a bit more unique while I was working on them. Don't plan anything as big as this for any other civ at this point.

Another unrelated question - is there a way to predict which cities will levy a citizen militia when under attack or is it random? More mature cities are more likely but I can't nail down if it's based on population, culture, technology, etc. It would be nice if you knew that building a barracks/arsenal or walls/castle would guarantee you a citizen defense force.

It's basically 100% at Legendary culture 100% nationality and -20% for every culture level and -% for non-titular nationality. And of course the city should actually be able to draft the unit in question.

 

[ThirdOrbital]

Not in a major way, no. While I contemplated it before, it is just too much work at this point. I am just giving some units a facelift and improving stuff in the process. Just thought I'd make Aztecs and Incas a bit more unique while I was working on them. Don't plan anything as big as this for any other civ at this point.

I understand, and I have no right to ask for anything more than what you feel inspired to do. Just know that you've still got fans out there checking out the new updates!

It's basically 100% at Legendary culture 100% nationality and -20% for every culture level and -% for non-titular nationality. And of course the city should actually be able to draft the unit in question.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm assuming there's some sort of scaled down version of this after the first spawn? I've seen as many as three in a row while taking a big capital city.

 

[Revolutionist_8]

Hello RI team!

First of all, thank you for the amazing mod, I'm having a lot of fun with it!

I'd like to have a question, if I may: I conquered the barbarian city circled with blue, and the city got destroyed, I wasn't able to capture it. The AI went, and captured what used to be a barbarian city circled with red.

Is this intentional, that the human can't capture barbarian cities while the AI can? Or it's random for everyone, that barbarian cities get destroyed? (Or other?)

 

[ThirdOrbital]

Is this intentional, that the human can't capture barbarian cities while the AI can? Or it's random for everyone, that barbarian cities get destroyed? (Or other?)
View attachment 610208

I'm assuming the city in blue was a small one? Frequently population dies when conquering a city. Therefore if you attack a city with only one population, it will likely be razed during the fighting. To directly answer the question, humans can conquer barbarian cities like any other.

 

[Revolutionist_8]

I'm assuming the city in blue was a small one? Frequently population dies when conquering a city. Therefore if you attack a city with only one population, it will likely be razed during the fighting. To directly answer the question, humans can conquer barbarian cities like any other.

I guess that'd explain it, I didn't pay attention but sounds reasonable. Thank you!

 

[[Y]]

Is there any way to reduce/remove the bonus that barb-turned-civs get after uniting? If I remember what I saw in the world builder correctly (and understood it properly), they get a 150 turn bonus or so of +50 military unit production. Is that right? It's been a while since I investigated, but it's been a thorn in my side for a while.

From a play experience, that bonus is very negative. On emperor it's hard enough to afford a decent military, and having a neighbor pop up that's technologically advanced and pumping out units non-stop is not enjoyable. And worse, it usually happens after investing a lot into building an invasion force meant/designed to take on barb cities, but as soon as you're ready they unite. If you choose to invade anyway, you're facing an endless tide of skirmishers keeping your army on "wait to heal". The AI isn't good at defeating your army, but it's suicidal and "we can build more" tactics are sure to prevent you from getting anything done. And if you change your mind on invading, then all the hammers and gold spent on training up your army were a waste, and you're now stuck paying the upkeep costs (or deleting the units).

I like the revolutions component, and barbarians uniting is a great feature. But they're getting way too many bonuses. I think they should be weaker and vulnerable, both from a realism perspective and a game design perspective. If I wanted more capable and sturdy civs in the game, I'd turn off revolutions and add more starting civs. United barbarians should pose more of a threat than just barbarians, for sure, but they shouldn't be as formidable as they are, and maybe not formidable at all.

Edit: Just noticed that the game has Pacal II The Sheild (603-683), though wikipedia attributes those years and titles to Pacal I with Pacal II being a later ruler in the 8th century.

 

[ThirdOrbital]

Is there any way to reduce/remove the bonus that barb-turned-civs get after uniting? If I remember what I saw in the world builder correctly (and understood it properly), they get a 150 turn bonus or so of +50 military unit production. Is that right? It's been a while since I investigated, but it's been a thorn in my side for a while.

In addition to the military units they build quite a few settlers and expand quickly I've noticed. It IS a strong bonus, and really makes you prioritize taking out barbarian cities near your land before they have a chance to settle down. Once the settling starts, it tends to go nuts for a few turns BUT all barbarians globally are stunned / unable to move for a turn each time that happens so if you see one new civilization, you can sometimes rush over and raze the problematic city before it converts.

I think they should be weaker and vulnerable, both from a realism perspective and a game design perspective. If I wanted more capable and sturdy civs in the game, I'd turn off revolutions and add more starting civs. United barbarians should pose more of a threat than just barbarians, for sure, but they shouldn't be as formidable as they are, and maybe not formidable at all.

Here I tend to disagree. I play with raging barbarians turned on and find that even on emperor a few of the AIs won't survive the onslaught. Generally speaking, the number of barbarians unifying is close to the number of civs that were wiped out, so the overall number of civs doesn't increase that much. I think the churn is a great way to show the rise and fall of civilizations. In my opinion, the ex-barbarian civs should be reasonably equivalent to the starting civs and while they may be a touch overpowered at the moment, I would hate to see them relegated to second class citizens.

 

[aantia]

I would personally like it if the anti-barbarian promotions still worked against them. There's no logical reason for it, but it feels bad when you build up your anti-barbarian task force and the bastards proclaim themselves civilised just before you get there.

 

[sazhdapec]

I would personally like it if the anti-barbarian promotions still worked against them. There's no logical reason for it, but it feels bad when you build up your anti-barbarian task force and the bastards proclaim themselves civilised just before you get there.

That's why I never make these upgrades except a starting warrior.