Boundaries

[aLakeEffect]

I just re-installed BTS. Ever since, as soon as I (or any opponent) found a city, the cultural boundaries are HUGE, like 50 tiles or more. They used to expand slowly. What would cause that?

[DanQ]

A couple of questions for you to better get at what you're experiencing...

1. What prompted your re-install of BtS? Did you perform a complete uninstall beforehand
2. Had you modded the game in any way (either yourself and/or with the install of a third-party MOD)?

Also, for additional context, are you running the latest BtS patch (3.19)?

[aLakeEffect]

1. I re-installed because the game was freezing a few minutes into the game every time I played. (It was weird. I'd played problem-free for years and suddenly it started freezing my whole computer). I had to buy a new BTS because I'd lost disc 2 of the old one.

2. No, I haven't modified anything.

I haven't done 3.19 yet on my new installation because I was afraid that was causing the freezing problem. But I'll try it now.

[aLakeEffect]

Okay, now I've installed 3.19 and it's still doing it. The cities boundaries immediately become huge.

[Willem]

1. I re-installed because the game was freezing a few minutes into the game every time I played. (It was weird. I'd played problem-free for years and suddenly it started freezing my whole computer).

That kind of sounds to me like you may be having some sort of hardware problem, especially since you're experiencing problems after a reinstall. Maybe your video card is on it's last legs, are you having any strange things happening in other games?

[Blaupanzer]

Video card issues would show as difficult to interpret graphics. That card has no dsirect effect on cultural boundaries except their display.

The normal game procedure would give you one square out, then two, then three, undsoweiter based on accumulated culture points. I have no idea what glitch would give you that big a boost without the cultural score to support that in that city. None exists to give you a burst of cultural points to cause that expansion except great artists.

Note that if you start a game in a different era than ancient, the cities and settlers you chose to have at hand from your points available will have instantaneously large boundaries at start. This will go away once those assets are used up. Such cities will also have buildings and some of the land will be developed already. Is that also occuring in your settlements?

[Jaybe]

I wonder if "no espionage" is being used.

[DanQ]

I wonder if "no espionage" is being used.

Good point. It's quite plausible given that with espionage disabled, culture takes over its in-game 'pieces'. I've never done this before myself so I haven't seen it in action.

[aLakeEffect]

Thanks for the quick responses. I've found the option that made the difference. It only happens when I choose "Marathon" for the game speed. There's something strange about the Marathon option since I've reinstalled. The other gamespeed choices are listed normally (Epic, Normal, Quick). But instead of just saying Marathon, it says TXT_KEY_GAMESPEED_MARATHON.

[TriMiro]

Thanks for the quick responses. I've found the option that made the difference. It only happens when I choose "Marathon" for the game speed. There's something strange about the Marathon option since I've reinstalled. The other gamespeed choices are listed normally (Epic, Normal, Quick). But instead of just saying Marathon, it says TXT_KEY_GAMESPEED_MARATHON.

XML corruption. You can try to uninstall the game, completely delete the folder where Civilization is and then reinstall. However, try that only as a last resort.

On theory it should be possible to just delete the XML folder and overwrite it with the one from the install CD, but I don't know where that folder is or if it will actually work.

[Theben]

Thanks for the quick responses. I've found the option that made the difference. It only happens when I choose "Marathon" for the game speed. There's something strange about the Marathon option since I've reinstalled. The other gamespeed choices are listed normally (Epic, Normal, Quick). But instead of just saying Marathon, it says TXT_KEY_GAMESPEED_MARATHON.

I had a similar problem not to long ago, for 3.17. Turns out that for some reason- after I un/reinstalled the game- the update for vanilla 1.74 didn't run and that messed up my 3.17 BtS game. So un/reinstall everything again, and make certain you get EVERY update for vanilla, warlords, and BtS (or try checking for any missing updates 1st and see if that fixes the problem. If not, then try a full reinstall).

[aLakeEffect]

Wow. That was it. I just ran the Civ IV 1.74 update and it fixed it. Thanks so much.

[Theben]

Glad my pain prevented someone else's. Did you have to do a full reinstall or just the 1 patch?

[Dis]

So you are saying you have to update vanilla Civ even if you never play it? And you have to do it separately from BTS? It would seem to me that BTS latest patch would fix vanilla and warlords as well..

[aLakeEffect]

Even though I always play BTS, not vanilla, and was updated on BTS, just running the vanilla update fixed that border thing.

I still have the problem that made me reinstall in the first place. I think I better save that for another thread.