Take2Games says patch is coming!

[alva]

Originally posted by ryhelm63
One thing I'd like to see is having auto save taken off. I can't find any place in the menu to stop it. Slows the game a little. Is there a patrol option for units yet or have I just missed it?

Go to the INI file and set (MyDocuments\MyGames\civIV\CivIV.INI):
AutoSaveInterval = 0

[yin26]

My only concern is that the publisher might limit Firaxis' number of patches so that certain fixes or additions get pushed to an X-pack (theoretically = more $). Additions going to the X-pack I don't mind, of course, but the line here gets fuzzy on issues such as the usability of the UI or, for example, the advisor screen (think Military).

I certainly hope some of those usability issues can be addressed before we are asked to buy an X-pack. Best case scenario for us is that Firaxis already had a slew of enhancements ready to go but the release date simply didn't allow them, but they'll be here soon. Worst case is the two patches fix compatbility or performance issues only.

[sophist]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Take2Games says patch is coming!

Originally posted by Stuie

I hope Civ 4 receives the same level of support that past Civ games have - technical issues aside, there may not appear to be a lot that needs patching right now, but I'm sure stuff will come out as more and more people play further into the game.

Firaxis has a good record as far as these things go, but really, all they need to do is release the SDK when they said they would, and for it to be what they have said it will be. Having access to that would allow the community to fix some 80% or 90% of the game bugs; it's only network, sound, some graphics and similar code that isn't going to be included (afaik). Not to say that they should rely on that, because they shouldn't, but rather that the worst case scenario isn't very bad.

[Traelin]

Originally posted by gregules
Would one of you that have had no problems mind posting your computer profile? Just curious.

Gregules

Hrm lemme think...

Pentium D 840 (3.2 GHz)
2GB 667MHz RAM
ATI Radeon X850 XT PE
XP MCE (which is really Pro), SP2

That's about all the info you need, right?

[gregules]

Traelin - yes, thank you.

[Stuie]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Take2Games says patch is coming!

Originally posted by sophist
Firaxis has a good record as far as these things go, but really, all they need to do is release the SDK when they said they would, and for it to be what they have said it will be. Having access to that would allow the community to fix some 80% or 90% of the game bugs; it's only network, sound, some graphics and similar code that isn't going to be included (afaik). Not to say that they should rely on that, because they shouldn't, but rather that the worst case scenario isn't very bad.

True on their record.... but this is a new publisher. What's Take2's track record?

As for fan fixes... as long as whatever is released actually sticks to fixing bugs, I'd be ok with it. However, with Rome: Total War, many of the fan "patches" that were attempted ended up fixing definite bugs in the text files, but then went on to "fix" stuff that was more an opinion as to how something should have been implemented rather than a true bug. A bug patch needs to be a bug patch, not a bug patch with some extra "stuff" added. But hopefully we can rely on the developer and not the fans...

[DrrD]

Dell XPS with

P4 3.2
Radeon X850
1 GB ram

[Willem]

Originally posted by Leezell


So to sum up, I wonder just how many of those with problems happen to have that one itsy bitsy quirk that isn't in the developer's computers (methinks it's porn).

I have a situation with my Radeon 9550 and Neverwinter Nights. It seems that if I have Shiny Water selected in my video options, some mods will crash if I try to load them. It has nothing to do with the game being buggy, it's just an incompatibilty. It runs fine as long as I don't use that option. Though it does crash to desktop occasionaly, but I can live with that.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Leuenberg
I'm still hoping your answer is not totaly authoritative based on the fact that Intel say T&L software emulation is doable. I sent an email about this issue to the support team of 2KGames and hope a formal reply before I return my CIV

Yes it is doable but that would mean more load on the CPU. So instead of having 1.8 ghz as recommended for the game, it might have to be 2.4 or higher. And it's cheaper to upgrade a video card than it is to upgrade a CPU, and possibly the motherboard as well.

[sophist]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Take2Games says patch is coming!

Originally posted by Stuie
True on their record.... but this is a new publisher. What's Take2's track record?

It depends on whether patches actually are Take2's responsibility. Do we know that they are?

Originally posted by Stuie
As for fan fixes... as long as whatever is released actually sticks to fixing bugs, I'd be ok with it. However, with Rome: Total War, many of the fan "patches" that were attempted ended up fixing definite bugs in the text files, but then went on to "fix" stuff that was more an opinion as to how something should have been implemented rather than a true bug. A bug patch needs to be a bug patch, not a bug patch with some extra "stuff" added.

Yeah, that would be pretty lame. I would try to edit the patches so that such functionality changes weren't Trojaned into the game, and if I'm doing it for myself, I might as well let everyone else in.

[George Geczy]

Considering that Civ4 hit the store shelves less than ten days after the latest date stamp on the files, I'm sure Firaxis need a bit more time to finish a first patch

PS - I've never seen a game make it from gold to street so quickly - Take2 must have really, really wanted this out before November!

Unfortunately, there does seem to be a hint of "last minute rush because the publisher is forcing us" smell, and those issues always get resolved in the first patch or two. Personally I favour open beta's to catch issues like the ATI and DirectX stuff that is catching some people, but again there's a time issue - open betas can extend a project timeline by six months or more.

-- George.

PPS - as far as the T&L comments above, technically non-T&L requires almost no additional code because DirectX will do full software emulation of it; however, as mentioned above, this takes a hit in CPU performance (frame rate etc), and it opens up the game to a lot of video cards that have very old, unstable drivers and hardware. Limiting it to T&L will eliminate having to be compatible with old Intel, S3, Savage, Matrox, etc etc etc - usually a support nightmare if you haven't done an open beta

[Mace]

Originally posted by Leuenberg First, I AM a gamer, but one interested in strategic games like AoE, EUII and CIV which are not supposed to be graphic demanding like any FPS (BTW AoE III run very well on my config).

Leuenberg I am sorry to say, but I agree with Locutus. No one who is intending to play modern 3D games such as Civ4 should have one of those Intel graphics boards that don't have T&L.

[Brutus66]

I could be wrong, but it seems to me that most of the howling is coming from laptop owners, and usually because their vid cards aren't up to the challenge.

I guess it takes all kinds to make a world, but I honestly never understood the obsession with mobile computing. Laptops don't make a practical gaming platform, and if you try to make one into a hotrod it gets expensive. They are also known for limited upgradability, so chances are that in five years from manufacture that hotrod isn't going to handle new gaming software requirements very well.

Personally, give me a tower that I can upgrade with off-the-shelf components, a big old 21" trinitron monitor (you can keep your trendy LCD screens), and plenty of room for scalability.
Leave the laptops to do what they do best: business applications.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by yin26
My only concern is that the publisher might limit Firaxis' number of patches so that certain fixes or additions get pushed to an X-pack (theoretically = more $). Additions going to the X-pack I don't mind, of course, but the line here gets fuzzy on issues such as the usability of the UI or, for example, the advisor screen (think Military).

I certainly hope some of those usability issues can be addressed before we are asked to buy an X-pack. Best case scenario for us is that Firaxis already had a slew of enhancements ready to go but the release date simply didn't allow them, but they'll be here soon. Worst case is the two patches fix compatbility or performance issues only.

AIUI any UI changes could be copied using the python scripting.

[Civfreak1970]

Agree

So true! Yet those Laptop owners need them for game playing at work. Now what are they going to do with 8HRS?