Reloading issues

[Own]

Tonight, my computer has had 5 errors, making me reload the game to play again (each a different turn, nothing different I did each time). Just wondering, does the software detecting cheating via reloading count errors? Just don't want anyone to be suspicious .

 

[AlanH]

The software can't tell the difference between crashes (if that's what you mean by errors?) and reloads for any other purpose. If you are suffering a lot of crashes then I recommend you fix the problem before playing on, if only for your own sanity. If it's Civ3 that's causing the crashes then it may be worth reinstalling Civ3. If other programs are causing it then maybe, as a temporary measure, you can quit those programs while playing.

 

[k-a-bob]

In GoTM 47, I had several crashes on the same turn after taking a major Aztec city (and after I got a Leader ) After recreating everything (and getting the leader again ) I ended up having to move one unit a different direction in order for it to let me continue with the game.

This latest game, I had a crash as I was finishing a Wonder, and I had some early troubles. Is there anything to fix - short of reloading the whole program?
(Mac 1.29)

Thanks

 

[AlanH]

Re. the first crash ... was the unit that caused the crash right on the edge of the map, where it wraps around west-to-east? I know of several instances where strange things have happened at that 'edge' of the map, including artillery firing backwards, bombers attacking from the wrong direction ... plus crashes and hangs.

I don't think this is platform-specific, BTW, I suspect a basic logic error in the way the wrap-arund is handled in the Firaxis code, and this logic is ported lock stock and barrel to the Mac.

The second problem sounds more random, and if the first wasn't at the map edge then it, too, could be indicative of a problem in your installation. What version of the OS, and how much memory and spare disk space do you have? If you are running an old installation based on the original fragmented GOTM mods then it may be worth reinstalling Civ3 1.29b2, and using the latest All-in-One GOTM installer.

 

[k-a-bob]

I have OS X 10.3 - whatever is the lastest update for that one - .9?

I have a lot of disk space (more than half of the drive) and 512MB on an iBook G4. I did the later install of the all in one GoTM mod.

I'm not sure about the edge of map thing - but I do know that all my crashes happen during the interturn, not during my movement.

Should I reinstall from the CD and then do the updates? I think (but can't remember for sure) that I reinstalled 1.29 before.

Thanks Alan.

 

[AlanH]

I think edge-of-map crashes do tend to happen in the interturn, but I'm going on a very small number of reported instances.

Your system config sounds fine, 10.3.9 is pretty good. As long as you aren't experiencing crashes in any other apps it sounds like a fresh installation of Civ3 could be worth doing. To prepare for a clean installationI would move your Saves folder out of the Civ3 folder to preserve your saved games, then trash the Civ3 folder and the main prefs file - ~/Library/Preferences/CivIII Preferences. ('~' means [your home folder]). You could trash the other prefs file, ~/Library/Preferences/com.westlake.Civ3.plist as well, but I think it only contains file paths for your Saved file locations, so it's probably harmless. Then do a clean installation from the CD, patch it using the version 1.29b2 updater, and then apply the GOTM mod installer. Move your old Saves folder back into /Applications/Civilization III/ and your done.

 

[denyd]

We also recently had a crashing problem when a fast unit was being attacked by a slow unit and retreated off the map and the only way to fix that was to cover the fast unit with a better defensive slow unit to absorb the initial attack.

For the wonder completion, you should probably check your gotm scenario install. Was the wonder the Great Wall? There's a known bug to do with bombarding cities with the Great Wall present.