"The Ages of Man": A.C.S. Delivers Online Distribution Exclusively

[DanQ]

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?postid=4172869#post4172869

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Dan; Apolyton CS

[Vince278]

[DRoseDARs]

I'm looking at the purchasing screen right now and I'm confused. I never got CTP2 so I'd have to buy that as well as AoM, but I'm seeing three seperate "Add to basket" options. The wording is strange for the two CTP2 options, hence my confusion. Please help.

Edit: Erm, I just noticed the link to the AoM .zip file in the OP. Does that mean it's being offered as a free donwload, that you pay only if you're getting it on a physical CD? Obviously, one still needs to pay for CTP2.

[Vince278]

Expansion packs normally do require that you own a copy of the game...

[DRoseDARs]

No kidding, Vince. That's not what I'm asking. Hence my stating "Obviously, one still needs to pay for CTP2."

Edit: Perhaps you saw the post before I tacked that on...

[DrSpike]

Can someone test it and confirm whether an acquired copy of CTP2 works with AOM?

[MarkG]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
Edit: Erm, I just noticed the link to the AoM .zip file in the OP. Does that mean it's being offered as a free donwload, that you pay only if you're getting it on a physical CD?

yes, you pay only if you want a CD

[DRoseDARs]

Thanks Markos. Payday is today at one job and Monday at the other so I'll probably order CTP2 sometime next week and download AoM while I'm waiting.

[Solver]

Originally posted by DrSpike
Can someone test it and confirm whether an acquired copy of CTP2 works with AOM?

You will most likely get it working. However, the best way to run CtP2 is to run the Source Code patch (which doesn't currently work with AOM, but hopefully will soon), and you'll never get an acquired copy to work with the Source Code patch.

[DrSpike]

Do you need the source code patch if you are running the AOM mod though?

[Solver]

No you don't. As said, AOM won't even run on the source patch now due to a problem with arrays in the patch. However, the code patch already has superior AI decisionmaking (which will only help the AoM's improved AI), plus the source patch crashes a lot less and has a ton of bugs fixed - otherwise, CtP2 is very buggy.

[DrSpike]

Doesn't fully answer my question: are there bugs/poor AI problems that (a) the source code patch addresses and (b) are both still relevant with the AOM mod and not addressed in AOM.

I would think that the mod would change stuff that was crap in the original CTP2 anyway, so that the source code patch would no longer be necessary.

[Martin Gühmann]

Originally posted by DrSpike
Doesn't fully answer my question: are there bugs/poor AI problems that (a) the source code patch addresses and (b) are both still relevant with the AOM mod and not addressed in AOM.

Of course there are problems that aren't addressed in AOM and are in the source code patch. Otherwise we wouldn't need the source code. There are things fixed not only related to the AI.

Originally posted by DrSpike
I would think that the mod would change stuff that was crap in the original CTP2 anyway, so that the source code patch would no longer be necessary.

Of course it changes stuff that was crap in the original version, but first there is more that can only be fixed with the source code and second you shouldn't reduce a mod to a patch. Primarily a mod should add elements to the game that aren't in the original game. And indeed AOM does it intensively and addresses along the way issures that it can address.

-Martin

[Solver]

Martin is right. AoM fixes, for instance, the AI, which is quite capable in AoM - although the source enhcancements would help it even further. But, there's a number of problems with CtP2 that AoM can't fix, but the source patch does. For instance, quite a few crashes, bug where your tech progress isn't saved if you save the game after discovering a new tech, bug where you can see if enemy cities are defended or not, several not-working buildings, and so on.

[DrSpike]

Thanks Martin.

Though I am still puzzled as to why, if the source code patch is necessary for an optimal AOM game, the two are not compatible at present.