Saving Early...Saving Often

[PRIMEMOVER]

Minor annoyance with the 1.29 b2 version...recently have been experiencing some "crashing" problems with the ol' "this application has quit unexpectedly' text box!

I'm on 10.1.5 iMac with all the necessary memory, etc. This hasn't happened to me since I discovered a bad memory chip that came with the unit (those damn third-party companies that build $@##$ing weak-ass memory installed for 'free' when you purchase the unit).

Right now it's not all that often, just enough to make me take notice and enough to make me save every 2-3 turns!

Any ideas?...maybe something I selected on the preferences is interfering with the game-play?

 

[AlanH]

My first recommentation has to be to get an OS upgrade. That means Panther nowadays. You are now over a year and two major releases behind Apple's learning curve, and I'm sure they've discovered several killer crash bugs in that period. On top of that it has some very cool enhancements. Jaguar made my Mac run faster, and now Panther has done it again. You know it makes sense.

My second recommendation, regardless of your decision on an OS upgrade, is to reinstall the whole Civ3 software package plus any add-ons such as gotm file sets you need. I had a spate of crashes a few months ago, and reinstallation completely eliminated the problem. If you need to add the gotm files, try my new alpha installer if you are feeling brave, and let me know whether it works OK in OS 10.1.

 

[PRIMEMOVER]

The upgrade is on my list for sure...and I'll try the reinstall. Would that include the 1.29b2? Everything I would assume that was in the folders before, huh? Trash and reinstall or just rewrite over the old?

Is there anything else I need to install besides your alpha installer for GOTM?

Thanks Alan...

 

[AlanH]

Civ3 consists of a folder containing all its files, its default name is Civilization III, default location /Applications, plus your preferences which are at ~/Library/Preferences/CivIII Preferences. ('~' means your Home folder)

1. It's wise not to delete or overwrite your existing setup until you know your new one is working, specially as you are going to be using an alpha version of my installer. So rename the folder or move it somewhere else.

2. Delete your preferences to be on the safe side.

3. Install Civ3 again from the CD.

4. Run Brad Oliver's version 1.29b2 patch installer, making sure you select the new copy of Civ3.

5. Get my new drag and drop installer.

6. Install the file sets for GOTM. I am currently arranging for a GOTM23 file set to be put on line that will work with my new installer. I hope this will happen later today, when I'll post the URL here and in my main GOTM installer thread. You will then be able to drag and drop that GOTM23 file set, followed by Cracker's GOTM24 and GOTM25 files for Mac. You will need to apply any patches and mods identified by Cracker for each of those file sets, and you must manually apply the resources changes specified in the Readme in Art/resources storage.

6. Launch the Civilization III application in your new Civ3 installation, set up your preferences again, and play.

 

[naum]

There should be an autosave folder underneath that holds the last 5 turn updates (I believe it's enabled by default and that's how it's working on mine - V1.21 GotY edition...).

Once in a while, when I attempt to use trackpad or mouse to move a unit and the destination begins offscreen, my game just freezes, locks up and I have to reboot my PB ... but I found that the last 5 turns are saved in that autosave folder (though I haven't figured out where in Preferences this can be altered...).

 

[AlanH]

Originally posted by naum
There should be an autosave folder underneath that holds the last 5 turn updates (I believe it's enabled by default and that's how it's working on mine - V1.21 GotY edition...).

Once in a while, when I attempt to use trackpad or mouse to move a unit and the destination begins offscreen, my game just freezes, locks up and I have to reboot my PB ... but I found that the last 5 turns are saved in that autosave folder (though I haven't figured out where in Preferences this can be altered...).

Auto is a subfolder of Saves, in the main Civ3 application folder. Its location, or at least the location of the main Civ3 folder, is undoubltedly stored in the prefs, as you sometimes find that if you change to another copy of your Civ3 application folder it may still be saving the Autosaves into the old one. But apart from this, I very much doubt if you can alter the location manualy.

I have produced a backup script that you can use to make copies of all autosave files that are produced into another directory of your choice. This allows you to keep the saves from an entire game if you wish, and if you have sufficient disk space. This means you are not limited to the last five or six turns, and can also be useful if you want to recover previous screenshots or information for a timeline.

The script is not your usual Mac gui application, it's a raw Unix shell script. But there are full instructions on how to configure it in the script file itself. So far there hasn't been enough interest in it to warrant making it look pretty. See the Civ3Backup link in my signature if you want to try it.