my fix - nvidia

[jo0ls]

my system:
athlon fx55
twin GF6800 in SLI
1GB ram

I have the dodgy map when zoomed out, and the sluggish behaviour after a few minutes play (seems to be when I meet another race and get the animated character).

The fix was mentioned somewhere, but didn't work til I cleared the cache.

Download "nVHardPage SE" - guru3d have it
Start it
Click the directX logo
scroll down to
"Direct 3D pixel and vertex shader settings"

scroll the pixel shader to pixel shader 1.3
scroll the vertex shader to 1.1
click apply

next start windows explorer (file explorer) and do:
tools -> options -> folder options -> View
and set "show hidden files and folders"

Navigate to
"C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\My Games"
and delete the Civ4 folder.

I then started the game and it works without the slow down. You can probably get away with not lowering the settings as low. I will experiment later and post back.

[Raion]

How about the game just getting a patch, because it is the game of Civ IV and not the game of Pirates! that does that!

That may be a bandaid but it is the game of Civ IV that needs a patch!

In fact, looking, Pirates! is not even there in that section (folder) you mentioned.

Have to think about it as maybe those are files that should have been deleted upon install or something??????

[Raion]

Oh, the the Vertex and Pixel Shaders, maybe have to be used for --- other games! (Gasp!)

I play more than one game sometimes!

[Raion]

I think those *.dat files are for the current game you are playing, and the CRC.dat is especially needed to read the checking-sum of the game.

[GAZ082]

I did it and improved a lot the performance. Just that the second time i entered the game, i see a "white terrain"