Running game on Windows10
- Thread starter droidus
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tjs282
Stone \ Cold / Fish
Unfortunately, most CD versions will no longer work on any modern Windows versions, ever since Microsoft disabled the driver that runs the copy protection (way back in 2017 or so).
Best option now is GOG or Steam.
Best option now is GOG or Steam.
That's unfortunate. My copy must be grandfathered or something as I've had it installed on my current computer since 2016 and it works fine. So it won't launch if installed on a computer with Windows 11? I realize you would probably have to get an external CD/DVD drive nowadays to try, but still. It shouldn't have to be an outmoded thing.
Then again, I just saw Civ III available on GOG for $1.10 CA. I wonder what the catch is.
Then again, I just saw Civ III available on GOG for $1.10 CA. I wonder what the catch is.
tjs282
Stone \ Cold / Fish
There are a few CD editions in circulation that didn't have the DRM installed, but most did. You might be one of the lucky owners.
The only real catch with the GOG/Steam downloads is that they don't include include the executables for the original 16-Civ vanilla and 24-Civ PTW releases, only the last one for Conquests/Complete. The original Vanilla/PTW .bic/.bix ruleset files are present, and can be copy-pasted into the ../Scenarios folder and run 'raw' from the Civ-Content menu, but I encountered several minor (but not gamebreaking) bugs, e.g. with the new Conquests terrains and upgrade-costs, when I tried that simplistic approach. To play a more Vanilla/PTW type game, the .bic/.bix needed to be tweaked a little in the Conquests Editor, and resaved as .biq files, to run nicely under the Conquests engine.
(Or one can go looking ... elsewhere ... for the original executables...)
The only real catch with the GOG/Steam downloads is that they don't include include the executables for the original 16-Civ vanilla and 24-Civ PTW releases, only the last one for Conquests/Complete. The original Vanilla/PTW .bic/.bix ruleset files are present, and can be copy-pasted into the ../Scenarios folder and run 'raw' from the Civ-Content menu, but I encountered several minor (but not gamebreaking) bugs, e.g. with the new Conquests terrains and upgrade-costs, when I tried that simplistic approach. To play a more Vanilla/PTW type game, the .bic/.bix needed to be tweaked a little in the Conquests Editor, and resaved as .biq files, to run nicely under the Conquests engine.
(Or one can go looking ... elsewhere ... for the original executables...)
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If your pc has win 11 simply buy the GOG version of Civ 3 Complete, that at present is on sale for only 99 Euro-Cents.
Since a microsoft update of Win 7 (and newer win versions), the microsoft support for the CD copy protection was cancelled, as the copy protection itself became a security problem for the pcs. As tjs282 wrote, nearly all Civ 3 CD versions are hit by that measure. The only excluded versions I know, are the Civ 3 Complete version of the Civ Chronicles compilation and the German Green Pepper version, that were released without that old copy protection.
I have my original CDs of CIV vanilla and PTW but I like being able to upgrade my swordsmen. 
So I'll stick with CIV complete. If I'm ever forced to get a new computer, it looks like GOG is the way to go. I bought a physical copy of CIV IV Complete a few months ago for a very reasonable price and it installed and plays fine. Don't even need to insert a CD each time to play it. But I just don't have the time and patience to learn a new CIV game at this time and the graphics took a step back IMHO. So I'll stick with III.
So I'll stick with CIV complete. If I'm ever forced to get a new computer, it looks like GOG is the way to go. I bought a physical copy of CIV IV Complete a few months ago for a very reasonable price and it installed and plays fine. Don't even need to insert a CD each time to play it. But I just don't have the time and patience to learn a new CIV game at this time and the graphics took a step back IMHO. So I'll stick with III.
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I completely agree with your sight of graphics in Civ 4,5 and 6. I like the Civ 3 graphics much better, too. If you install the GOG version of Civ 3 Complete don´t use the Galaxy installation but do the offline instalation. In that case you also receive an electronic installation file that can be used like an installation CD, but doesn´t need a CD drive. I show you here how to find it. So the screenshot is in German language, I think the place where to do the offline installation can be recognized:
If you start the game by the Civ 3 Complete launcher of the GOG version this also fixes the problem, that many modern graphic cards turn the letters from some C3C screens from black to purple.
The only small disadvantage is (as tjs282 wrote), that the electronical version of Civ 3 Complete has only the C3C exe and no exes of Civ 3 Vanilla and PtW, but in my eyes this is only an "academic" problem, as in my eyes C3C is the version how to play a Civ 3 game, especially since the C3X mod created by Flintlock has fixed many of the C3C bugs (among them the submarine bug).
If you start the game by the Civ 3 Complete launcher of the GOG version this also fixes the problem, that many modern graphic cards turn the letters from some C3C screens from black to purple.
The only small disadvantage is (as tjs282 wrote), that the electronical version of Civ 3 Complete has only the C3C exe and no exes of Civ 3 Vanilla and PtW, but in my eyes this is only an "academic" problem, as in my eyes C3C is the version how to play a Civ 3 game, especially since the C3X mod created by Flintlock has fixed many of the C3C bugs (among them the submarine bug).
