Barbarian Freezes!

[berzerker]

I'm disgusted with the current patch - I constantly freeze whenever barbs enter my screen. This seems to happen alot on raging hordes. What do I do?

[MacUser]

Can someone explain why the Barbs DON'T freeze me? Not that I'm complaining, but I seem to be and exception and I wonder why? I'll start several single player game and see if I can freeze one. I'd do it on my LAN, but I can't convince anyone to help me in the great scientific endeavor! :-P

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Different is GOOD!

AOL IM--JacSamDad

[MacUser]

Well, I played up to 140 A.D. on a largely unexplored world with numerous barb attacks (something like 10 to 15, I lost count!) with no freezes. The game was a large map, deity, raging hoards and 5 civs total. I'm using Patch 1.1, Mac OS 8.6 on an iMac Rev B. I'll try to freeze the Multiplayer using a LAN with a Performa 6300. Ah the sacrifices that that I'm willing to make....

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Different is GOOD!

AOL IM--JacSamDad

[Smash]

hehe...I'm reasonably sure he is referring to MP games only.

our friend Mr Nesse is not sure anything can be done.They are still not 100% sure why so many freezes involve barbarians.And if something were done we would probably lose PC compatibility unless the PC version was changed also.
The more I discover what "features" are available to PC civers that are not in the MAC version,the more I wonder how "compatible" we are.

Personally I don't think its' nearly as good but perhaps reducing barb activity is the way to go.A major hinderance to participating in organized competitive play.

[MacUser]

Okay, so I fire up a MP game, and play to 475 B.C. with about 5 barb attacks and had no freezes. Now I was in a "single-player" mode in that I haven't done the LAN thing yet. Baby steps. Off to launch the LAN...

Well, after about 2 hours of running back and forth between computers, and three barb attacks, I still can't make it freeze. Both machines are using the 1.1.1 patch. Also, I had no problems when I quit the games; my Macs didn't crash. So, what am I missing here? Next step, I need a new barb infested game with a human! Berzerker/Smash want to try and show me your freezes?

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Different is GOOD!

AOL IM--JacSamDad


[This message has been edited by MacUser (edited February 19, 2000).]

[Smash]

we're talkin tcp/ip connections here.Not over an LAN..
I can't show you something that is unpredictable

[MacUser]

I am using the TCP/IP over an ethernet. Isn't that the same thing as an internet TCP/IP connection? And wouldn't that make use of the same game code that is causing the problems? I know it is unpredictable, but I haven't been able to experience it at all! I'm wondering if my system is set up in such a way that I'm just not having the problem. Thus, if true, there may be a way to avoid the freezes.

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Different is GOOD!

AOL IM--JacSamDad

[finbar]

The Mac MP freeze problem, according to Mr Nesse, afflicts (or should afflict, because of the crappy PC code) AI turns in general. For some reason, for me, like berzerker, they occur on the Barb turn. It doesn't have to be a unit moving that freezes, it occurs as soon as the Barb turn is taken.

I quote from one of Mr Nesse's explanations to me:

"Apparently what is happening is that certain units (the barbarians appear to
be especially susceptible to this, but I've seen it happen with other AI
players also) get confused as to where they are located on the map. They
have some goofy queuing system where they process some events immediately
and queue some for later display. The net result is that the unit stacks get
messed up and it goes into an infinite loop trying to find the first unit in
the stack. My current version of the application does some sanity checking
for this that it wasn't doing before, but it's still not perfect... just
better."

The "current version" he refers to became the latest patch, and the "goofy queuing system", etc, refers to the original PC code. With which we - and Mr Nesse - are, sadly, stuck.

Why it doesn't affect you, MacUser, I don't know. You are obviously blessed.

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finbar
Mono Rules!
#33984591

[berzerker]

After trashing some of my hard drive software and miscellaneous other things to accomodate a CD recorder, I played a mp game without any freezes even on raging hordes - this after several games on raging hordes with so many freezes I had to drop out. A large part of my problem may have been with computer bugs...

[MacUser]

"Rabbi, is there a blessing for the PC version of Civ 2?"
"SHHH! "SHHH! Listen!"
And the Rabbi said, "May the LORD Bless and keep the goofy PC code FAR AWAY FROM US!"

(with appologies to Fiddler on the Roof )

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Different is GOOD!

AOL IM--JacSamDad


[This message has been edited by MacUser (edited February 22, 2000).]

[finbar]

LOL, MacUser! Trust you know to Fiddler off by heart!

Bez - software clashes could be part of the problem, I think, too. Trouble is, finding which bits are clashing. I played an extended game tonight with a PC person and had a complete crash back to the desktop, and a freeze, both on the Barb turns. Had similar problems the other night. Oh dear, looks like the good old process of elimination.

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finbar
Mono Rules!
#33984591

[Smash]

sounds like good excuse to spring for a cd writer


"I need it to keep civ from freezing"

[finbar]

CD writer? Che? Per favore?

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finbar
Mono Rules!
#33984591

[MacUser]

quote: Originally posted by berzerker on 02-22-2000 07:59 AM After trashing some of my hard drive software and miscellaneous other things to accomodate a CD recorder, I played a mp game without any freezes even on raging hordes - this after several games on raging hordes with so many freezes I had to drop out. A large part of my problem may have been with computer bugs...

I have resurrected this old post due to the question from CYBERAmazon regarding the crash on quit problem. In that post I commented that my crashing problems seemed to disappear after upgrading to OS 8.6. The reason I bring this up is that I performed a "clean install" of the OS when I upgraded. That along with Berzerker's above comment makes me wonder if cleaning up the OS was key to the problems.

BOY! Look at the date on this post! Can you belief it's been nearly a YEAR!!?? Sigh. Getting old...years screaming by faster and faster.....

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Be what you is and not what you is not. Folks who do that are the happiest lot!
- Mr. Wizard the Lizard,