UI not showing

mister geppetto

Chieftain
Joined
May 2, 2021
Messages
5
Hi,
I have a problem with the ui.
In some mod it works (like rand, ffh2, historical 1.05, etc) while with other ( world war II 1939; quot capita, etc) it does not show any text (only the glowing "arrows" on the side of where the text should be).
I have more copy of bts 3.19 so every mod can be by itself. I run win 10. the game is in a folder on the desktop (don't laugh so loud please:d) because the program(x86) folder seems to give problem.
Thanks in advance for any tip
 
Hi,
I have more copy of bts 3.19 so every mod can be by itself.

Please explain what you mean by this as it sounds very suspect. You only need one installation of BTS on your machine. One does not install a separate instance of the game to run a separate mod. Mods are simply installed to the Mods folder and loaded when you want to play them.

Do you run a disk version of IV? Steam version? Something else?

Game should run fine from your programs folder. Just set game to "run as administrator". Right click on exe > Properties > Compatibility mode. Also, set game to run in compatibility mode for Win 7.

UI problem you describe sounds like some sort of mod conflict. Some mods you mention may be unstable as well, that is, old and not maintained.

Also, we need to make sure you game is patched up. Depending on the version of the game you have this may already be the case.
 
I remember having similar UI issues when I installed mods in wrong folders; with Steam there are at least 3 Mods folders:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Beyond the Sword\Mods
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Mods
and a 3rd one somewhere in My Games\

I think only the first one should be used.
 
I remember having similar UI issues when I installed mods in wrong folders; with Steam there are at least 3 Mods folders:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Beyond the Sword\Mods
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Mods
and a 3rd one somewhere in My Games\

I think only the first one should be used.

Correct.
 
Please explain what you mean by this as it sounds very suspect. You only need one installation of BTS on your machine. One does not install a separate instance of the game to run a separate mod. Mods are simply installed to the Mods folder and loaded when you want to play them.

Do you run a disk version of IV? Steam version? Something else?

Game should run fine from your programs folder. Just set game to "run as administrator". Right click on exe > Properties > Compatibility mode. Also, set game to run in compatibility mode for Win 7.

UI problem you describe sounds like some sort of mod conflict. Some mods you mention may be unstable as well, that is, old and not maintained.

Also, we need to make sure you game is patched up. Depending on the version of the game you have this may already be the case.

Hi,
What I have done is: I created a folder on the desktop called "firaxis games". inside I put the game in a folder called "Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Complete".
Every time I install a mod I copy/paste the "Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Complete" folder and rename it with the mod's name (i.e. "Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Complete rand"). I do this because I was told to use every a clean copy of the game to run a mod, to avoid conflict.

I hava e phisical copy of the game, a disk that i buyed long time ago. I really like it; civ iv and it's mod are the best game around, togheter with the mod for medieval 2 total war

When you say: "Just set game to "run as administrator". Right click on exe.." you mean on the "Civ4BeyondSword.exe" file inside the "beyond the sword" folder?
Game shold be patched up, I installed patch 3.19 if I recalled correctly.
 
I remember having similar UI issues when I installed mods in wrong folders; with Steam there are at least 3 Mods folders:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Beyond the Sword\Mods
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Mods
and a 3rd one somewhere in My Games\

I think only the first one should be used.

Hi
thanks for the feedback, I don't have steam, but sometimes happens to me too to install in a wrong folder:) .The game do create a folder in documents/my game with some data from the game (like the mods folder) but they are empty, I don't really know what the are usefull for
 
Hi,
What I have done is: I created a folder on the desktop called "firaxis games". inside I put the game in a folder called "Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Complete".
Every time I install a mod I copy/paste the "Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Complete" folder and rename it with the mod's name (i.e. "Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Complete rand"). I do this because I was told to use every a clean copy of the game to run a mod, to avoid conflict.

I hava e phisical copy of the game, a disk that i buyed long time ago. I really like it; civ iv and it's mod are the best game around, togheter with the mod for medieval 2 total war

:lol: I have to say I've never heard of anyone doing that before. I think you misunderstood that advice. It certainly did not mean to create separate instances of the game. Just copying the game folder itself into multiple instances is not actually installing the game. It is already installed. So those separate "instances" should be very unstable.

I don't understand the full context (meaning) of the advice you were given at the time, but I'm sure it did not mean what you implied it to mean. (I realize English is not your native language :))

You should have only one installation of Civ IV on your machine. Desktop folder is probably not the best place to put it. I don't use disks, but I understand there were some issues to disk version with the Windows 10 upgrade a few years ago, which I think is why the Programs(x86) folder had some issues. I think it should work though, but you can create a new folder on C drive to install the game. Even though the desktop folder resides on C, I don't think it is the best place to install games, as I think items on the Desktop also use RAM. You really should only have shortcuts on Desktop (I actually keep a very clear desktop myself)

Anyway I suggest the following steps to get to where you need to be:

1) Uninstall the game normally. Delete all other instances of the game you created.

2) Create a new folder on C. Call it what you like. "Firaxis" or "Civ IV"....does not matter

3) Install the game by pointing to the new folder. (Use run as administrator to run the install executable)

4) Patch the game, if needed. I think disk versions of Complete can vary on whether they come patched. Most drect download versions like Steam come patched. You can check this after installation by running BTS and going to "About this Build' in the menu option under "Advanced". Should see something like this:



If you see something different - like an earlier version of the game - you will need to find the patch and install it. Vanilla and Warlords will need to be patched as part of the process. There is directions on this in the Tech Forum, but the links to patches may be broken, so let me know if you need help with this.

If your game matches the above image, then you are fine and can proceed. Note that it is important to be on patch 3.19 for BTS as most mods simply will not work or work properly.

5) Once the game is installed properly, go to the main BTS folder. Right click on BTS.exe and select Properties. Click on the Compatibility tab. On this tab turn on "run as adminstrator" by checking the box there. Also, select compatibility mode for "Windows 7"..that is important.

6) Run the game once and exit, if you've not already. (there's a reason for this but does not need explanation)

To install mods, follow any directions included with that mod. Regardless, mods are installed to the main BTS\Mods folder (not the one under My Documents)

Please note that some mods can have particular oddities about getting them to work. I'm mainly familiar with RAND and FFH of the mods you mentioned above. I'm pretty sure RAND is still maintained, and FFH has always been pretty active with new modmods, although the base mod has not been updated itself in years. Point though, is that if you encounter any issues please direct questions to the specific subforum for that mod. There should be some folks around that can help you with your issues. The other mods you mention I'm not as familiar with, but I'm pretty sure Quo Capita has not been maintained in years and I think was left a bit unstable when the modders quit. Not sure if there is still activity there or some modder took over the mod. Again, check their subforums for help. But it may be best for now to stick with a couple of solid/stable mods that are still maintained currently. Some examples are:

RAND
FFH (and modmods)
Realism Invictus
Pie's Ancient Europe (PAE) - really great ancient era mod that Pie keeps updated regularly to this day.

Also, for vanilla BTS gameplay, which I highly recommend as well. You really should learn to play the base game. I recommend getting the BAT mod and/or BUG/BULL. These are UI enhancement mods that improve overall gameplay, but don't change the gameplay. BAT is basically BUG/BULL plus some graphics.

BUFFY is BUG/BULL + the HOF mod which allows you to play forum games here like Game of the Month and Hall of Fame (see my signature)

Lastly, Blue Marble is a graphic mod that improves terrain and water graphics. You can find it where BUG is located. Blue Marble is basically an overlay mod. Once installed you do not need to load it, and the mod is non-conflicting. That is to say, it will not conflict with other mods. Most mods are standalone and come with their own graphic enhancement and will simply ignore BM when those mods are running.

You can learn a lot about the game over in the Strategy & Tips forum. I'm speaking here of base gameplay, not mod gameplay. (except for BUG/BULL which most everyone uses for base gameplay)







Hi
The game do create a folder in documents/my game with some data from the game (like the mods folder) but they are empty, I don't really know what the are usefull for

The My Documents Civ IV folders are important. Saves are located here. Also, Custom Assets and the Config file. Most stuff here you won't mess with otherwise. Do no delete this folder or change anything here unless you understand first what you are doing.

(You can open the Config text file though and find the line that allows turning of the intro movie)
 
Last edited:
oh...I'll ping signore @Gumbolt here too. Pretty sure he runs a disk version, and may have some insight running the game on Win 10 if you are still having issues.
 
Not sure you need my help. I have all 3 versions on disk and there are many patches. One of the reasons I never try to uninstall Civ 4 as it's a pain setting up with all the bug/bull and other mods. Also with the compatibility view settings which can also be an issue. You need to run civ 4 as administrator and with Win 7 compatibility mode. Right click on BTS to check these are bother ticked. I had issues as Win 7 Compatbility was not ticked.

Not tried the scenarios myself.
 
:lol: I have to say I've never heard of anyone doing that before. I think you misunderstood that advice. It certainly did not mean to create separate instances of the game. Just copying the game folder itself into multiple instances is not actually installing the game. It is already installed. So those separate "instances" should be very unstable.

I don't understand the full context (meaning) of the advice you were given at the time, but I'm sure it did not mean what you implied it to mean. (I realize English is not your native language :))

You should have only one installation of Civ IV on your machine. Desktop folder is probably not the best place to put it. I don't use disks, but I understand there were some issues to disk version with the Windows 10 upgrade a few years ago, which I think is why the Programs(x86) folder had some issues. I think it should work though, but you can create a new folder on C drive to install the game. Even though the desktop folder resides on C, I don't think it is the best place to install games, as I think items on the Desktop also use RAM. You really should only have shortcuts on Desktop (I actually keep a very clear desktop myself)

Anyway I suggest the following steps to get to where you need to be:

1) Uninstall the game normally. Delete all other instances of the game you created.

2) Create a new folder on C. Call it what you like. "Firaxis" or "Civ IV"....does not matter

3) Install the game by pointing to the new folder. (Use run as administrator to run the install executable)

4) Patch the game, if needed. I think disk versions of Complete can vary on whether they come patched. Most drect download versions like Steam come patched. You can check this after installation by running BTS and going to "About this Build' in the menu option under "Advanced". Should see something like this:



If you see something different - like an earlier version of the game - you will need to find the patch and install it. Vanilla and Warlords will need to be patched as part of the process. There is directions on this in the Tech Forum, but the links to patches may be broken, so let me know if you need help with this.

If your game matches the above image, then you are fine and can proceed. Note that it is important to be on patch 3.19 for BTS as most mods simply will not work or work properly.

5) Once the game is installed properly, go to the main BTS folder. Right click on BTS.exe and select Properties. Click on the Compatibility tab. On this tab turn on "run as adminstrator" by checking the box there. Also, select compatibility mode for "Windows 7"..that is important.

6) Run the game once and exit, if you've not already. (there's a reason for this but does not need explanation)

To install mods, follow any directions included with that mod. Regardless, mods are installed to the main BTS\Mods folder (not the one under My Documents)

Please note that some mods can have particular oddities about getting them to work. I'm mainly familiar with RAND and FFH of the mods you mentioned above. I'm pretty sure RAND is still maintained, and FFH has always been pretty active with new modmods, although the base mod has not been updated itself in years. Point though, is that if you encounter any issues please direct questions to the specific subforum for that mod. There should be some folks around that can help you with your issues. The other mods you mention I'm not as familiar with, but I'm pretty sure Quo Capita has not been maintained in years and I think was left a bit unstable when the modders quit. Not sure if there is still activity there or some modder took over the mod. Again, check their subforums for help. But it may be best for now to stick with a couple of solid/stable mods that are still maintained currently. Some examples are:

RAND
FFH (and modmods)
Realism Invictus
Pie's Ancient Europe (PAE) - really great ancient era mod that Pie keeps updated regularly to this day.

Also, for vanilla BTS gameplay, which I highly recommend as well. You really should learn to play the base game. I recommend getting the BAT mod and/or BUG/BULL. These are UI enhancement mods that improve overall gameplay, but don't change the gameplay. BAT is basically BUG/BULL plus some graphics.

BUFFY is BUG/BULL + the HOF mod which allows you to play forum games here like Game of the Month and Hall of Fame (see my signature)

Lastly, Blue Marble is a graphic mod that improves terrain and water graphics. You can find it where BUG is located. Blue Marble is basically an overlay mod. Once installed you do not need to load it, and the mod is non-conflicting. That is to say, it will not conflict with other mods. Most mods are standalone and come with their own graphic enhancement and will simply ignore BM when those mods are running.

You can learn a lot about the game over in the Strategy & Tips forum. I'm speaking here of base gameplay, not mod gameplay. (except for BUG/BULL which most everyone uses for base gameplay)









The My Documents Civ IV folders are important. Saves are located here. Also, Custom Assets and the Config file. Most stuff here you won't mess with otherwise. Do no delete this folder or change anything here unless you understand first what you are doing.

(You can open the Config text file though and find the line that allows turning of the intro movie)


Lymond thank you very much for the tips you gave in your post and the effort you put in making it:hug:. Tomorrow I will unistall and try to do what you said, hopefully it should work, or at least I will have a cleaner desktop:lol:!
Definitevely I will look in the other mod you suggested, thank you very much again!
 
Not sure you need my help. I have all 3 versions on disk and there are many patches. One of the reasons I never try to uninstall Civ 4 as it's a pain setting up with all the bug/bull and other mods. Also with the compatibility view settings which can also be an issue. You need to run civ 4 as administrator and with Win 7 compatibility mode. Right click on BTS to check these are bother ticked. I had issues as Win 7 Compatbility was not ticked.

Not tried the scenarios myself.

Thanks!
 
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