Windows 8 - Is it impending doom for Civ2?

[Patine]

Does anyone know if Civ2 works on Windows 8, as I hear it's sharply different from Windows 7? I ask because I may be looking at a new computer in the forseeable future, which will no doubt have this operating system.

 

[McMonkey]

I don't know if W8 will be conpatible with Civ2 but I plan on keeping an old machine to play Civ2 on if / when I eventually have to upgrade PCs.

 

[Patine]

So, anyone actually tried running, or even installing, Civ2 on Windows 8 yet?

 

[McMonkey]

I don't know a lot about Windows 7/8 but at Apolyton defrancoj posted:

Every time this "can civ2 run on platform X" question comes up I point to VirtualBox. Just install WinXP in virtualbox and run civ2 on that.

Hopefully that is a workable solution!

 

[Fairline]

Modded-exe ToT on win 7 is fine. Not sure about win 8 though.

 

[Tabadi]

I tried loading Civ2 from CD onto my new Win8 laptop but the installation would not work. Had no problems with my old laptop running Win7. I've heard of emulation programs that are supposed to allow it to happen. Any recommendations?

 

[McMonkey]

VirtualBox?

 

[Catfish]

Hopefully that is a workable solution!

Discussions on whether Civ2 will work are next to useless without the following information:

1. The Civ2 version, ie, classic (including the CiC & FW expansions), MGE or ToT.
2. Is it a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system?
3. The operating system, eg, WinXP, Win7 or Win8.

The second factor is actually more important than the third.

I've not tested any version of Civ2 on any version of Win8. I'll predict that it'll be much the same as Win7. I can almost guarantee that someone will come along and state that they could not install Civ2 on Win8 (without declaring 1 and 2, above), therefore Civ2 does not work on Win8.

I've heard of emulation programs that are supposed to allow it to happen. Any recommendations?

Win8 no longer supports XP Mode, but there may be a workaround. Windows Virtual PC has been replaced by Client Hyper-V in the Pro version. VirtualBox and VMWare Player are popular virtualisation applications. Both of these will require a spare 32-bit Windows licence.

 

[Nikoagonistes]

Well, it hasn't been that long since I switched from XP to Windows 7, so hopefully I'll be sticking with that for a while...

 

[CurtSibling]

I can't see myself moving to Win8 till my next PC, which is many years away...
I can play CIV2 with no problem on Win7, but using some of the XP era utilities
(CIVcity, etc) can be a hassle. But I have a XP laptop which can be made into
my "CIV2 Toolbox", while the completed maps can be ported to mp Win7 PC...

 

[Squonk]

Civ2 does not work on Windows 8. I am downloading virtualbox, as suggested. Any tips on how to use it?

 

[Squonk]

It is downloaded, but I have no idea how to use it. Help me, please

 

[CurtSibling]

I have no idea about Win8, although my brother is having a heck of a time using it...

 

[Tsunamic]

1. I'm using MGE
2. 64-bit
3. Windows 8

It doesn't work for me.

I mean, I can get on the game, but it crashes and exits as soon as it gets to the "choose your name" bit for a new game, and for scenarios and premade world it just crashes as soon as you click "okay" on the main menu.

I tried Win 95, XP compatibility, running it in lower bit, nothing worked.

 

[Prof. Garfield]

Have you tried Mastermind's Patch?

 

[Magic_gorter]

The patch in the first post works great on Civ 2 Multiplayer Gold on Windows 8 64 bit! Thank you!!!

This is posted in the tech section. Looks like it is working for those using MGE (which can then be changed to classic).

 

[Patine]

So, MGE has a solution. Any word on ToT?

 

[timtofly]

TOT works in win7 without patches -changing city names. It should have no issues when played in compatabillity mode. I will try a test soon and give my results.

 

[Celebrine]

I posted this on a different Civ 2/Win 8 thread. In case you didn't catch it there ->

I just got Civ 2 MGE with No CD working on my new Win 8 Machine.

Here's what I did ->
First I put in the CD and installed the game.

Then I updated to 1.3 (considering the next step, this may have been unnecessary?)

Then I copied the No CD.exe from my Win 7 machine (via thumb drive) and simply dropped it into my Win 8 Civ 2 folder. I did have to add .exe to the filename.

I also downloaded Mastermind's 64 bit patch. I opened Civ 2 and immediately ran the x64 patch.
The x64 patch is giving me an error ->
ERROR : File Civ2 Exename does not exists
ERROR : Operation aborted
<- But is still working. I currently have Civ 2 up and running on my new Win 8 machine.

I'm now making several backups of all my Civ 2 files in case this is what I'll have to in future versions of Windows.

 

[BC1871]

CIV2 and ToT both work on Windows 8, if they're run off one of those connectable hardrives(anything from the lowest end model sold by AAFES to the most expensive high end models will do).