The 'Civ 3 Edit', manual or user guide.

Zenith09

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Mar 19, 2021
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B.C. Canada
Hello,

I have a Question please and thank you:


The 'Civ 3 Edit', included with 'Civilization 3', "Where can I find a manual or user guide for it?"
When I try to access the "CIV3EDIT-Help File" also available at Civ 3 it offers following answer:

"The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows. However, you can download a program that will allow you to view Help created in the Windows Help format."

For more information, go to the Microsoft Help and Support website.

And on going to the above MS Help and Support Website, "Nothing!"
Is there anywhere else one can go to retrive a User Manual or the CIV3EDIT-Help File?

Thank you,
r
 
Hi,
Since posting the above, I started wondering if I'm missing something? So I did a thorough search of "Civ. Fan. Center; Civ. 3 Forum etc"., to see if I'd missed any links to location of Civ 3 Editor, no luck.
Been away too long from doing searches, forgot how it used to take certain amount of skill to do a good search.
If someone can point me in right direction maybe I'll be more successful next time, thanks for any help.
Have a Great Day!
r
 
Zenith09, welcome at CFC! :band:[party]

C3C and Civ 3 Vanilla (both included in the current Civ 3 Complete versions of GOG and Steam) cannot start their help functions by the editor on my pc. I can start the the Civ3ConquestsEdit on my Win 10, 64 bit pc, by directly clicking on the file with this name in the Conquests mainfolder.

I cannot start the Civ3Edit file for Civ 3 Vanilla by directly clicking on that file. As I have no special computer skills I hoped, that somebody with these skills would answer your question about the Civ 3 Edit in Civ 3 Vanilla. As this unfortunately was not the case, I can only post here a guess: May be you need a 32 bit pc to open that file by directly clicking on it.
 
Thank you "Civinator-Blue Lion," for your reply, I've been trying "every-which-way," to some-how access the Civ3 Edit.
Now that you explained the current situation it make a bit more sense, you see, I'm remembering what we used to do
back in those twilight-years with Civ. When we were operating on Win. 98 and XP etc, and I'm sorry, my excuse for meandering up the garden path and taking you along is my age.
I've been away from Civ. for a very long time so of course things have changed and also how you get things done!
My previous Civ. Era favorite 1st place destination was always the Editor where I'd build a new playing field every time,
making it harder and harder for 'em to get at each other.
Anway, I do go on............!
So if that's not to be 'so-be-it', I'll explore the game again and see it through fresh eyes.
Thank you for helping the "penny to drop", sincerely!
r
 
Is something in Win10 preventing you from accessing this?

Because I am running a download-version of Civ3Complete (bought from GamersGate prior to the Steam-compatibility update) on a 64-bit Win8.1 machine, and I can open both the Vanilla and PtW editors, and then access the help-screens via the 'Edit Rules' windows.

I have not set any special compatibility options, but (speaking as a non-techie, here!) it might be worth trying that:

-- find the Editor executables in your installation (.../[your CivIII folder]/Civ3Edit.exe and .../[your CivIII folder]/civ3PTW/Civ3XEdit.exe)
-- right-click on the file-icon to open the file-menu
-- choose "Properties"
-- switch to the "Compatibility" tab
-- set compatibility for WinXP SP3
 
May be you need a 32 bit pc to open that file by directly clicking on it.

64-bit PCs are downward-compatible. So that should not matter.

What Zenith09 may need to do is to install the help function in the 32-bit version. If i am not mistaken it can be downloaded for free from Microsoft.

I do recall doing something like this at some point, but it is all a bit foggy now, hence my reluctance to post.
 
Thank you to both, "tsj282 and justanick".
Where to begin?
Yes, A while back I was running the "Civ3Complete" off Steam on Win 10 64 bit and it worked fine, the basic game that is what I'm talking about.
Up until I tried to follow the route to the Civ 3 Editor that they i e., meaning Steam have printed in their literature on Civ3, and which got me no where, so no matter what I tried with the Steam version I couldn't get into the editor.
After that I went to my cd version I've had for ever, and never had problems getting into the editor. Until now and having it on Win 10 the same as above, no luck now could not access civ3edit and no 'ms-htlm help' either.

Oh! By the way I went to the Microsoft Website in hopes of finding the 'MS-HTLM Help' or what ever it is that supposed to open the civ 3 edit.
No cigar! ..and tried to find anywhere else where a copy might be hiding, like internet archives etc, no luck. Its like those "goldy oldies," get swept up and flung out to disappear.
I noted you say, there's a 32 bit version help function? I'll have to go back and take another look, like I said I couldn't find anything whether, 32 bit or 64 bit and I'm really not savy enough to know the difference anyway? I'm puzzed I thought those 'WindowsHelp Programs', were out long before they started talking about 32 bit and 64 bit I thought like back in the dawn of this our computer age wasn't it 16 bit then?
But you want to compare foggy? I live down here in the swamp with ma bro's the "Foggy Bottom Boys!"

I think the problem is I'm out of my depths, so I think I'd better hang up my water-wings and head for the shallow end before I drown!
Thank you for your help, appereciate
r
 
The .hlp file format is ancient. The MS Support link works for me, and in fact if I try to open the .hlp file it opens Edge and takes me to that site. It has download links for WinHelp32.exe . This is the latest 64-bit link: http://www.microsoft.com/download/details.aspx?familyid=8cc63c95-edb3-4192-8a4a-aa4ce50cac7c

But, instead open the Conquests folder and and use the Civ3ConquestsEdit.exe editor, and you should be able to use Civ3ConquestsEdit.chm help file on Win10 with no problems!

Think of the main folder as the original 2001 release, the civ3PTW subfolder as the PTW expansion/patch/DLC, and the Conquests subfolder as what Steam let's you play with Civ3 Complete. (Note: Yo dawg, there is a Conquests folder in your Conquests folder; don't dive too far.)

Also, there is a massive collection of modding info in the Creation and Customization forum as well as alternative 3rd-party editors.
 
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