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- How can I tell which version of Civ I have?
- Which is the best version of Civ?
- What is the Advisory Bug?
- What is the Undefended City Bug?
- What is the Civ score Bug?
- What is the Bomber Bug?
- What is the Date Line Bug?
- What is the Ghost Civilization Bug?
- What is the Tale of One City Bug?
- Where is the map editor?
- Where can I get an updated version?
- What if I don't have FTP access?
1) How can I tell which version of Civ I have?
When you run Civ it asks various setup questions. The version number is on these screens. The number is 474 plus an increment, so v5 is shown as 474.05. If you have an older version, you can get the latest version by anonymous FTP from some of the big game sources such as ftp.uwp.edu. Note: Version numbers may be 475.X or 474.X, with the only difference being the distribution media.
2) Which is the best version of Civ?
There has been much debate on Usenet about the various pros and cons of the different versions. The only two versions worth considering are 474.01 and 474.05 (versions 1 and 5). The easiest of the two is v1. If you are playing with v5, and not having much luck, revert back to v1. This is also the version that allows the Shift-56 Cheat, which can be a good way of learning the ins and outs of the game. However, if you like a challenge, then v5 is really the only one to play. A further impetus to upgrade is that v5 contains far less bugs. If you do get the latest version, the chances that the game will not crash are far greater 
. The biggest problem with v1 is the Instant Advice bug, which is better known as the "Advisory Bug". This can be temporarily avoided by turning Instant advice off.
The following version information was compiled with the help of MicroProse:
- v1: The original game.
- v2: This version attempted---and failed---to fix the Advisory Bug. It did fix the Score Bug, and removed the Shift-56 Cheat.
- v3: Once again tried to fix the Advisory Bug, and failed again. Added some new pictures. Added "very unhappy people." Removed free barracks. No longer able to disband a population-1 city at Chieftain level by buying a settler. Transports no longer made people unhappy under a Democracy or Republic. Overall, the game became harder for veteran players. This version is harder to play than previous versions, mainly for people playing Despotic Conquest.
- v4: No changes; just converted for HD disks.
- v5: The most recent failed attempt to repair the Advisory Bug. Note: There is no other difference between v3 and v5.
3) What is the Advisory Bug?
I have never met this bug, but it is known by MicroProse, and has been reported by a number of sources.
If you leave the "Advisors" option on, then if the Domestic or Military advisors can't think of anything to suggest, the program dies. This will happen if your city has pretty much everything it needs or could build.
4) What is the Undefended City Bug?
Occasionally, when I have a lot of cities (around 50), I have one city that shows up as undefended in the map display (no dark border) but in the city display, shows fortified units inside. I usually take all of the units out and then all back in to correct the situation. Sometimes I get the "Romans plunder ..." message when I re-enter such a city and the population decreases by one. If a computer civilization attacks a city that is shown to be undefended, they capture it despite the fact that units are present in it. This has been detected in both v4 and v5.
5) What is the Civ score Bug?
Originally I thought this was connected with the advisory bug, but it turns out that it is something completely different.
Bob O'Bob points out that every time he looks at Civilization Score that he gets scrambled oceans, or extra land at the North Pole, and that if he tries to move there, the screen goes crazy. As a result, he's learned not to look at the Civilization Score anymore, because once the screen loops out, the save files become corrupted unrecoverably. He suggests that if you must see your Civilization Score that you do a save first, and a restart afterward.
He also points out that you can see the corruption in the small map: some of the people from the score screen remain on the map, and he believes that this is what screws up the .MAP file. Occasionally, there's lots of new grassland around the North Pole, and even some mystery houses. Finally, he points out that you can go get the 50 coin prizes, if you care to go to the trouble, but that your system may not be as forgiving as his is.
This problem occurs when your population increases over some number of millions, and the full width of the screen is used. They then get written into that portion of the map screen for some oddball reason. There is an advantage or two to gotten from doing this, although the game becomes a pain to play. Some of the grassland created becomes a mystery terrain type, with 112 food production (113 with irrigation, if you ever get that finished, plus 50% with railroads), 105 production (+50% with railroad) and 99 trade (+50% with railroads). It takes forever to build roads/railroads on these squares, and I went back to an old save game where I didn't have this city, as the game developed too many problems to be playable, for me, at the time, although I should be able to have a city size of 1764 (roughly 55 size classes per square, as 2 food is required per size). Note: your pollution would be impossible to deal with even two of these squares being utilized, as each produces 99 resources.
6) The Bomber Bug
This bug has been reported recently. It appears in v1 and 5. When a bomber has finished its turn, if you try to reactivate it, it will be destroyed.
7) The Date Line Bug
You cannot fly all the way around the world. There is a seam that extends from pole to pole. You can spot this seam by looking at the world map and seeing where there is no land in a band from pole to pole. On Earth, if you build a city in Brisbane Aust, you see a funny land type on the right side of the city display. Anyway, if you try and fly a plane across this seam, it goes on a psycho goto away from the seam.
8) The Ghost Civilization Bug
If you destroy a civilization BEFORE it builds its first city, you will not be able to conquer the world. It seems that you need to destroy the civilizations capital for the computer to register its death. This bug occurs even if it is a computer controlled civilization that kills the settler.
9) The Tale of One City Bug
I found yet another bug in Civilization: when I captured Babylon, the Babylonian capital, I got the message: "Due to the fall of their capital, the Babylonian Empire splits in a civil war. The country divides into loyal (Babylonian) and rebel (American) factions." (or a message like that, you get the picture...)
Unfortunately, Babylon was the only city they had left, and the game locked... (I suppose the computer can't divide 0 by 2).
10) Where is the map editor?
There is now available a form of map editor that can be used from inside the game. It is written by Holger Eichmann, and although a little awkward to use, it certainly appears to do the job. The file is called civmap21.zip and can be obtained from wuarchive in the uploads directory. The following is quoted from Holgers distribution archive to give an idea of its complexity:
Here it is, version 2.1 of my Civilization Map Editor! Due to version 1.0 having some bugs and because this week my time is very limited, I want to ask you to test it a little bit. When you try it, please send me a short mail stating whether or not it works (like: 'civ version 1: it runs' or 'version 5: nothing happens' or gladly something more detailed).
How to start it?
First you have to change the following bytes in your civ.exe file e.g. by using a file editor (don't forget to make a security copy of your file before you do it):
version 1 + 2(?): E9 54 00 B8 32 00 -> E9 54 00 CD F1 90
version 3 + 4: 02 75 53 B8 32 00 -> 02 75 53 CD F1 90
version 5: E9 59 00 B8 32 00 -> E9 59 00 CD F1 90
all versions: 3B C1 75 BB B8 01 00 -> CD F2 90 90 90 90 90
(You can get the version number of the civ.exe file by starting it. When you are asked for your graphics and sound in the top window you will find a 474 followed by the version number (e.g. 474.05 for version 5)).
After that you only have to start civ_map2.exe before starting civ.exe (you have to make the changes first, because you have to insert an int $F1 and $F2 call into the civ.exe file). While playing you can switch the editor on/off by pressing the print screen key.
You get the editor for a map field, when you right click on that field with your mouse. For further informations see the .inf file of version 1.
11) Where can I get an updated version?
MicroProse does not charge for their updates. (LD charges not included ) You can call their BBS at 410-785-1841 and download the latest versions of Civ and their other titles as well... It is also available at
ftp.uwp.edu:/pub/games/romulus/misc/civv05.zip.
12) What if I don't have FTP access?
For those of you that do not have access to FTP, it is possible to obtain both the FAQ and the upgrade via E-mail. This can be done using an ftpmail server.
TO: FTPMAIL at DECWRL.DEC.COM
*no subject*
..... body of letter .....
reply you at your.own.address
connect ftp.uwp.edu
binary
uuencode
cd /pub/games/romulus/misc
get civv05.zip
quit
You will then receive a number of mails numbered from 1 to n. All you need to do now is run them through a uudecoder.
For downloading the latest FAQ, you should send a request to my mail server with the following subject:
Civ FAQ please
My address is
DJH at WCL.BHAM.AC.UK
Do not use the FORM mailer for this! The subject field is important as you will not receive the FAQ without it! Also, remember that the FAQ is large and some gateways object to mail larger than 64K. If you do not receive a FAQ within three days (to cover weekends) then contact me with a different subject.
Simple, really!
Index, General, Cities, Strategies, Tips & Info, Cheats, The Future