This is a Steam issue, isn't it?

[Nesretnik]

Steam support has washed its hands of my problem, but it seems to me to be a problem with Steam, and not with the game.

I've installed Civ5 several times now, and each time Steam says it's done, and gives me a button saying PLAY instead of INSTALL. So I press that button and, instead of the game launching, that PLAY button turns back to INSTALL. As far as I can tell, the game files are sitting right there in Steam\SteamApps\common\etc., but Steam evidently can't see them any more.

And another thing... I don't know how relevant this is, but I can't see a 'My Games' folder under 'My Documents' on my C drive, which means I can't try fiddling with config settings, doesn't it?

I've been appalled at Steam's (lack of) response to my problem, and I'd like to hear some confirmation, from those of you who know better about these things, that this really is their problem, before I go back to Steam Support and give them another piece of my mind.

Thanks!

 

[timtofly]

Are you installing/playing under an administrator log on?

 

[Nesretnik]

Are you installing/playing under an administrator log on?

I am indeed.

Admittedly, this computer (running Windows 7) doesn't quite meet the minimum requirements to PLAY the game (so I'm willing to accept poor performance), but that shouldn't persuade Steam that it hasn't INSTALLed it, should it? I have another computer (running XP) that's way below the min reqs, but the game has apparently successfully installed on that one - although, not surprisingly, launching the game doesn't produce more than a blank window.

 

[timtofly]

Yes there are certain video cards, that are below spec that will prevent the game from launching. The video card itself may need to be above specs. If it is, I don't know what else to try other than using a system that is above specs.

 

[Luziadus]

i dont have steam and have problems with the game when its launching.

 

[FeiLing]

i dont have steam and have problems with the game when its launching.

There is no support here nor anywhere else for "CiV Versions without Steam".

 

[Nesretnik]

Yes there are certain video cards, that are below spec that will prevent the game from launching. The video card itself may need to be above specs. If it is, I don't know what else to try other than using a system that is above specs.

Thanks for this. I take it, then, that my old computer's video card is too below-spec to launch the game. Fair enough.

As for the newer machine, the display adapter is AMD Radeon HD 7340. I'm afraid I'm not enough of a techie to know how this compares to the models cited in the specs on the game's box.

And I'm still mystified as to why Steam installs the game and then (when I try to play it) forgets it's just done so.

 

[FeiLing]

Sounds to me like some Antivirus Suite is causing problems (they always do this (causing problems)).
Try disabling/uninstalling that .

Only other explanation I've got would be a defect hard drive (so you might wanna check it with some S.M.A.R.T. tool ()HD Tune or CrystalDiskInfob for e.g.).

 

[timtofly]

Thanks for this. I take it, then, that my old computer's video card is too below-spec to launch the game. Fair enough.

As for the newer machine, the display adapter is AMD Radeon HD 7340. I'm afraid I'm not enough of a techie to know how this compares to the models cited in the specs on the game's box.

And I'm still mystified as to why Steam installs the game and then (when I try to play it) forgets it's just done so.

It probably won't work. It falls below HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge). If it did, your gaming experience would not be that fun any ways.

 

[Nesretnik]

Well, guys, I'm mighty relieved to say that it's now up and running Big, big thanks to you both, timtofly and FeiLing (who I'm now tempted to think of as SuXiDing) for achieving in a few days what the 'professionals' at Steam Support couldn't manage in several weeks!

It does seem to have been an antivirus problem. I had Avast (free version) installed, so I uninstalled it. (The damn thing doesn't seem to offer a 'temporarily disable' option!) Then, when I reinstalled Civ5, Steam didn't forget it was there, and allowed me to play it. I've now downloaded AVG (free version again, which DOES give a 'temporarily disable' option), and Civ5 runs with that installed and enabled.

As for the graphics, they seem just fine to me. I've played for a couple of hours with no visible glitches. And not only is the display adapter apparently below spec, but so is the CPU (1.7, not 1.8 GHz) and possibly the RAM (advertised as 2 GB, but Windows reports that only 1.59 GB is usable). Fortunately, no problems that I can detect -- although I'm still on the tutorials, and haven't tried a proper game yet.

Anyway, guys, thanks again!

 

[Luziadus]

There is no support here nor anywhere else for "CiV Versions without Steam".

I dont think theres any support for who have it either

at least until now I read that many people cant play the game and not even steam can solve it, the game crashes all the time when you set up, when you change the graphics, when you change the map size, when you.....

if the support is for you to low the graphics when your machine support high ones then the game should be sold with a lower price.

 

[timtofly]

You could also write code and create your own game. After a couple thousand hours, you may appreciate the fact that one can pay a flat price, and not a monthly fee.

 

[Luziadus]

nop, when you buy a product that product should serve you with what its says in the package, its like buying a LCD which only shows black and white colors.

 

[timtofly]

The price of Civ5 is fair considering what you have to pay for other games. There are always problems after a patch, however after a couple of successful downloads and reboots of the computer, the game is working just fine again. It is not an exact science, but it is doable.

 

[Luziadus]

The price of Civ5 is fair considering what you have to pay for other games. There are always problems after a patch, however after a couple of successful downloads and reboots of the computer, the game is working just fine again. It is not an exact science, but it is doable.

i can play but only in small maps when my laptop can handle the maximum of the game.

 

[timtofly]

I am not understanding your plight then. The only option, I know of that people who have too much computer power is to change the leaderhead or cpu core usage in the config file.

I have never changed anything. After a patch, I just wait. I make sure that all the updates have been done in steam and CivV. I reboot the computer and go back to playing the game like I always have.

If one has a faulty memory DIMM, or a bad sector on their hard drive, it is quite possible that files are being corrupted.

I learned long ago when playing with a below specs computer to put steam and company on a separate thumb drive. At least then, if you start having issues, you can purchase a new thumb drive and start over.

 

[SarahEspresso]

i can play but only in small maps when my laptop can handle the maximum of the game.

If you're somehow playing Civ V without Steam, don't be surprised when the game doesn't work as intended and no one helps you fix it...

As for Avast, I've had a lot of problems with it causing false positives (and just being annoying in design) that I can't recommend it, despite what many people will say about it. I've had problems with AVG over the last few years as well, mainly because it's bloated and uses too many resources, but it sometimes makes false positives as well.

 

[Luziadus]

If you're somehow playing Civ V without Steam, don't be surprised when the game doesn't work as intended and no one helps you fix it...

As for Avast, I've had a lot of problems with it causing false positives (and just being annoying in design) that I can't recommend it, despite what many people will say about it. I've had problems with AVG over the last few years as well, mainly because it's bloated and uses too many resources, but it sometimes makes false positives as well.

well as i said many people have steam and didnt help to get it fixed.

my game works, but in small maps, vsinc/high detailed view/ gpu decoder all three unchecked, then the rest is in high definition.

 

[FeiLing]

When you say you play on a laptop chances are high that it is not able/supposed to run the game on max settings. The "m" in the notebook graphic card name does make a huge difference and even when the generation digit starts with "7xxx" that doesn't mean anything. Likewise with the CPU. Seemingly similar numbers in your model compared to the games recommendation is greatly misleading. Don't know if that's the case for you, but it seems likely to trick a lot of people.
Laptops aren't made for gaming (sure, some are sold as if they would and also with the label 'gaming laptop' but they're still not^^) and CiV is a very hardware demanding game. Huge maps are still horrible to play on the most modern desktop PCs.
Also note: the recommendations are most likely for standard size maps only (and min recommendations usually mean min size, min settings, and how well it runs doesn't matter, just that it starts and runs somehow seems to be a factor for this).

TL;DR: Don't expect any laptop (even so called gaming laptops) to run any game fine.

 

[Luziadus]

my laptop is made for games, have a Geforce GTX 660M 8GB RAM Intel Core i7