What have I done wrong?

[Nodgene1]

I tried to get a simple XML-only mod to work over the internet with a friend. But it did not work, I was told to look into the .INI file, but I need someone else to tell me what is wrong here...?
(The mod folder and .ini file names are exactly the same...)

"
[CONFIG]

; This mod is only for single player games
SinglePlayerOnly = 0

; Set to 1 to disallow use of WorldBuilder scenarios
IgnoreWorldBuilderScenarios = 0

; Allow public maps to be used with this mod
AllowPublicMaps = 1

; Mod Image file
ImageFile = 0

; Name of Mod
Name = GFM v1a

; Description of Mod
Description = x10 normal tile resources mod. Terrain tweaking.
"

What's wrong? Should it work online? Should it not?

 

[Snuffs]

Um, this probably has nothing to do with the actual problem, but in all the mods, etc. I've seen the name and description are not text written directly into the file, but references to TXT_KEYs buried somewhere in the xml.

What exactly is the problem? The game crashes? You can't load the mod? Multiplayer is grayed out?

 

[Nodgene1]

Sorry. Didn't specify... It's that we can't see each others games over Gamespy. Besides having the same mod. Everything else works fine.

 

[the_jp]

Without more detail, I'm not sure how much I can help. But here's what I've done to successfully test my own mods:

1. Make sure that all players have identical Civ 4 versions.
2. Test the mod on my own computer first (and make sure there are no errors on startup).
3. Copy the created mod from my own mod folder to the other computers' mod folders.
4. Make sure everyone understands how to load the mod (start the game>click advanced>click load a mod>select mod>click OK>game restarts with mod loaded).
5. Start playing.

With my mods, I'm using the ini files that are created by default (the first time you load the mod), so I don't know what to tell you there.

Incidentally, the mods that I have created only contain new civilizations (with new leaders, leaderheads, flags, colors, unique units, with matching text and civilopedia entries).

 

[The Great Apple]

I take it all aspects of the mod are the same, right down to the title of the folder? If so, I would suggest attempting to use directIP to connect. I have found it much more reliable and mod-freindly.

 

[the_jp]

Ah, I haven't played over gamespy with Civ4, so someone else will probably be more helpful. Sorry. But if gamespy ends up being the only problem, there are other methods of remote multiplayer that you might want to look into.

 

[Nodgene1]

JP; I've done and assume 1-5. The friend is computer-competant and the files are exact.

TGA; I would love to try directIP. But it doesn't work well for us. His internet is iffy for that kind of thing and I have not yet found specific allows for my own firewall.

 

[The Great Apple]

Well if it doesn't work with direct IP I wouldn't expect it to work with Gamespy. I admit I don't know much about it, but in my experience simpler systems seem to work more reliably in most cases.

 

[Nodgene1]

Well I best try to get that to work then. Thanks for the help.

EDIT: I have tried matching files, tried IP, tried gamespy... It simply does not work. I tried to disect the American Revolution mod to see what makes it tick online... (It works on gamespy) but it doesn't help. Ergh.

 

[Gerikes]

JP; I've done and assume 1-5. The friend is computer-competant and the files are exact.

TGA; I would love to try directIP. But it doesn't work well for us. His internet is iffy for that kind of thing and I have not yet found specific allows for my own firewall.

If firewalls and nat problems are the issue, you might want to try hamachi.


It takes a bunch of computers and puts them together on what seems like a local network so you can have it set up so everything seems like it's on a lan.

 

[Nodgene1]

Ah, I figured it out. The reason it wasn't working was so stupid it had to be true...

I had installed the game into \My Programmes\Firaxis\... But ALSO, it had created a directory in \My Documents\My Games\... I had put the mod file in the later folder and it didn't work. However when I switched it around to the first it worked perfectly.
So there's a valuable lesson! Thanks to all who offered help, regardless

 

[Snuffs]

Ah, that would do it. I've had problems with the My Documents\My Games folder, too... "Where are all my saved games?!" Good to hear you've got it all working now.