Tweet
We have a hypothesis on what is causing this, and so far it seems logical in theory, so here goes:
If you are having the "can't do anything on the Science advisor" problem when you try to load a custom BIC file in using the "Load Scenario" option, please start a game (preferably loading a game where you've already contacted a few other civs) and go to the foreign advisor.
Click around, select different civs in the advisor and play with the display options (turn on and off the display of agreements, etc.)
-- Are you seeing the lines drawn between the other civs?
-- Does the screen seem really slow?
Now go back to the main map screen and use the "Go To" command (click the icon and/or use the 'G' key to select a destination).
-- Does the game lag significantly while you're dragging the cursor?
We think the problem may be a video driver issue. Several parts of the game use the OpenGL API to handle antialiasing, and older video drivers might need to be updated to properly handle this.
In the specific case of the science advisor, when the game thinks it's dealing with a mod, it uses the OpenGL API to dynamically draw the lines which connect technologies in the tech tree.
It uses predrawn arrows for the default game tech tree, which may be why mods are not exhibiting this problem when they are saved as "civ3mod.bic". The game thinks it's loading the default rules, and doesn't use the dynamic line drawing.
Anyway, this is one theory, and seems the most plausible at the current moment, so let me know if you are seeing this kind of slowdown in either of the other two places, since they both use OpenGL as well. Please also let me know what your machine specs are; if you're playing the game on a slower PC or a PC with less RAM it's entirely possible you'd have some slowdown in these areas even with totally up-to-date drivers.
Thanks for your patience.
Dan
If you are having the "can't do anything on the Science advisor" problem when you try to load a custom BIC file in using the "Load Scenario" option, please start a game (preferably loading a game where you've already contacted a few other civs) and go to the foreign advisor.
Click around, select different civs in the advisor and play with the display options (turn on and off the display of agreements, etc.)
-- Are you seeing the lines drawn between the other civs?
-- Does the screen seem really slow?
Now go back to the main map screen and use the "Go To" command (click the icon and/or use the 'G' key to select a destination).
-- Does the game lag significantly while you're dragging the cursor?
We think the problem may be a video driver issue. Several parts of the game use the OpenGL API to handle antialiasing, and older video drivers might need to be updated to properly handle this.
In the specific case of the science advisor, when the game thinks it's dealing with a mod, it uses the OpenGL API to dynamically draw the lines which connect technologies in the tech tree.
It uses predrawn arrows for the default game tech tree, which may be why mods are not exhibiting this problem when they are saved as "civ3mod.bic". The game thinks it's loading the default rules, and doesn't use the dynamic line drawing.
Anyway, this is one theory, and seems the most plausible at the current moment, so let me know if you are seeing this kind of slowdown in either of the other two places, since they both use OpenGL as well. Please also let me know what your machine specs are; if you're playing the game on a slower PC or a PC with less RAM it's entirely possible you'd have some slowdown in these areas even with totally up-to-date drivers.
Thanks for your patience.
Dan
Comment