Aussie Group MP Game.

[The_Aussie_Lurker]

I will try and be there, but I can't make any promises. On a happier note, guys, the patch is out now, so we can probably look forward to much smoother gaming from now on (cache can be cleaned during startup!)

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.

[Blake]

Anyone using Xfire? I decided to install it with the patch. My username = grater
it actually looks pretty good.

[Master-Mike]

Yes ive updated to the patch, and im getting everyone i see to update as well. I installed xfire, never used it before, but will test it out when i got time.

Blake we play via direct ip, so you will need my ip which ill PM to you. Just join up at about 8pm.

It would help to if you had an msn so we can see when your online and chat.

[Master-Mike]

Well not much success tonight. After updating to the patch the game really ran slow in MP while hosting. To see if this was maybe a problem with connections or the patch, a number of us uninstalled and put version 1.0 back on, game ran fine, super smooth. So we diecded to upgrade again to 1.9, same thing happend very laggy.

I tested patch in SP seems to be fine, runs great. So wether its a combination of maybe a few slow connections tonight or a glitch in the patch im still unsure. Trev and a few others started a smaller game up and didnt have much trouble. It seems version 1 had no probs running up to 10 players but with 1.9 we are struggling with 6-7.

Well more testing is required to see what the problem is, maybe it was just connection speeds tonight. Anyway we will try again to get this game up and running early next week.

Saturday game is still on, maybe that will shed more light.

[Blake]

So, shall we revert or what?

I'll be up for testing or playing tonight (friday). Starting any time really.

[Master-Mike]

Wow, what a night. I guess you can tell by the time of this post ive have been doing alot of homework and reading to fix this problem, plus testing it with other people in games on gamespy.

I highly recommend every do this.

Looking for a quick and cheap way to improve Civ4's performance?

Creating a bat file to set the civilization4.exe to run at high priority might help (http://www.tweakxp.com/article37033.aspx). Creating the BAT file really made the game fly, the other system tweaks (pagefile, defrag, etc.) made it just playable.

Do the following.

This tweak will launch most executables with the priority setting you want it to have.

Let's say you have a game installed called HIGH NEEDS and the executable is called HN.exe

Here's what to do:

-Create a new textfile in the game-app wathever-directory (let's say C:\HN), but instead of giving it the .txt extension you name it HN.bat
-Right-click this file and choose 'Edit', you'll see it'll open notepad. Put this line in:
cmd /c start /High HN.exe
-Save (make sure you save it as .bat, not as .txt) and close.

Now create a shortcut to this file and place it on your desktop. Every time you doubleclick this shortcut HIGH NEEDS will open with priority set to 'high'. (ofcourse you can also create a batchfile on your desktop, containing the full path of the app you want to start but the nice thing of creating a shortcut is you can give it an icon).

P.S remeber to take out the HN.exe and make it CivilizationIV.exe (if thats the right spelling.)

I have done this with my civ iv with the 1.9 patch, and the damm game runs so fast on huge map, with max settings i can barely keep up. Fixed all my problems im MP, and should fix everyone elses as well espicaly with lower end machines.

Other tips are to turn off as many background programs as you can, you dont need antivirus programs while playing civ, do you really need those 3 firewall programs. Even small things like winzip, quicktime, they all take up CPU processes and memory.

The reason this fixes my problem is becuase some reason with the 1.9 patch with windows XP on my system forces CIV way down the list on CPU use, meaning CIV IV is always last out of the dozens of small programs, not to mention any large ones like anitvirus programs running. This fix makes civ iv higest prioity, giving it make CPU time and resources.

If you need help with this buzz me on MSN or ICQ.

I'll be around all day tommorow. I cant play tomorow due to other commitments for another game, but all day and arvo i can.

Cyas.

[Major Ball]

Mike
This sounds like Dutch to me...I will be home around 4.30pm t owork on it.
A step by step instruction specific for Civ 4 for the PC dummies might help

[Blake]

asdf I thought I'd (re)install MSN, figuring I was probably just being silly by refusing to use it.

I hate it when I'm proven right.

Immediately upon being installed it drove up smc cpu usage to over 100%, pratically crashing the system. I hope I can get NTFS write access under Linux to root this ****ing little piece of malware out.

[Master-Mike]

This is all you have to do.

-Create a new textfile in the game-app wathever-directory (let's say C:\HN), but instead of giving it the .txt extension you name it HN.bat
-Right-click this file and choose 'Edit', you'll see it'll open notepad. Put this line in:
cmd /c start /High HN.exe
-Save (make sure you save it as .bat, not as .txt) and close.

[Blake]

w00t! I rooted out that ****ing little piece of trojan malware. Subsequently, if anyone suggests I install MSN messenger, I shall shriek loudly and sling feces! feces I say!

I will however try and install an alternative IM'er capable of using MSN, minus the ulterior motive of bringing my system to it's knees.

[deity]

Originally posted by Master-Mike
This is all you have to do.

-Create a new textfile in the game-app wathever-directory (let's say C:\HN), but instead of giving it the .txt extension you name it HN.bat
-Right-click this file and choose 'Edit', you'll see it'll open notepad. Put this line in:
cmd /c start /High HN.exe
-Save (make sure you save it as .bat, not as .txt) and close.

So for Civ 4 it's:

* a file called say,
Civilization4.bat

* with a line in it
cmd /c start /High Civilization4.exe

* With the file placed in your folder
C:\Program Files\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4

Correct?

[Master-Mike]

Big saturday game is on tonight. We are only using version 1.0 (no patch) The game is unplayable and very unstable and a massvie step back for MP. This was confirmed again today with a totaly different group of people in the US, with our diplo game, they encounted the same problem with the patch and had to revert to 1.0

So until a better patch comes out all our games will be in version 1.0

If you still think the patch is good then go read the bug forums here and at civ fanantics, it is very extensive.

You can still use 1.09 if you which just have two versions installed on your PC.

Cya tonight around 7pm if you want to play.

[Blake]

Awesome, I'll be there.

A note about contacting me:
1) I use Googletalk: grater@gmail.com
2) Googletalk immediately announces if an email is sent to that address, poly pm's result in an email sent to that address. ergo, if you PM or email me, I will know it. (within a minute too probably)
3) I'm ALWAYS online =). Seriously. My connection is always on, and in the evenings I'm a permament fixture in front of my computer.


Okay. A question, what's the best way to go about multiple installs of Civ4?

edit: Screw the best way. I'm pretty sure my way will work. Rename both civ4 folders, run the uninstaller, install, make some batch files to switch versions .
edit2: All set .

[The_Aussie_Lurker]

Strangely, Mike, I have had no difficulties with MP outside of our Thursday night experience and, over all, I think the patch has improved the feel of my game considerably. What I don't understand is how can you have two versions of the game on the same computer?
Also, is tonights game a continuation of last weeks? If so, then obviously I am no longer in that one, so will save my energies for tomorrow's Diplo game.
Could you please let me know ASAP? Thanks

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.

[Major Ball]

Aussie...easiest way to get 2 installs on your system is to copy the whole Civ folder to another location(rename it if you have to). Then all you do is install patch on the original install. Set up 2 shortcuts and away you go.

I thin kwe are starting fresh tonight.