After more investigations, I found the files referenced in the various xml files. It is really strange :notsure: Maybe the files haven't the correct date when I have updated Galciv.

I've found something strange about the "Huge Primal" custom map. The nine sytems found in the sectors (9,9-11,9;9,10-11,10;9,11-11,11) have no planets which doesn't fit the symmetry of the rest of the map. Also, apparently the lack of planets at system "Westerfield" (sector 9,9) has caused the Drath homeworld to move to a sector adjacent to the Torian homeworld. Since the map shown, when selecting custom maps, shows the Drath at 9,9, I'm assuming this map needs to be adjusted.
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mullein, it's best to use Stardock Central to update Gal Civ and Altarian Prophecy, as they always have the latest version of both.  You can also use it to back up your current version to easily burn them to a CD.

Here is a link:

http://storage.stardock.com/files/stardockcentral20.exe

Umm, not sure why it would hang while it's autosaving.  How regularly do you defrag your hard drive?  If you e-mail me your prefs.ini file I can see if there are any settings that you may want to change.

You can't change the resolution of gal civ. It will always be 1024x768. If your desktop is set at a higher resolution with 16 bit color, you can run in windowed mode.  To do this, create a shortcut to galciv.exe by right clicking on the exe and choosing Create shortcut.  Right click on the shortcut and choose properties.  Click in the target field and hit the End key on your keyboard.  Hit Space and then w and then click the ok button.  Then use the shortcut to start Gal Civ.

Glenn, what version of Stardock central do you have? Can you please e-mail me your entire debug.err file? [email protected] Make sure to tell me what it is I'm supposed to be helping you with--I get a lot of e-mail.

I'll have to take a look at the Huge Primal map.

--Cari

[email protected]

Hi there.

Sorry this isn't a bug report, but what is the best way to migrate a GC/AP setup to a new computer? I'm ditching my Windows 98 (no comments from the peanut gallery!) and upgrading to XP. I hate upgrading over an existing setup (I believe that doing that is just asking for trouble), so I am just going to wipe the drive and do a fresh install.

Any tips?

Thanks!

Bill

~SDC~

Does the peanut gallery include me?

You are right, it is much better to install Windows on a clean hard drive.

The best way is to use SDC to archive all your files (Files->Archive) and then burn the backup folder with the zip files in it to a CD, or transfer them to another hard drive, or whatever. Back it up somehow. Then once you have your computer all set up (make sure that you get SP1 on your machine as soon as you've connected to the internet again), download the latest version of SDC, restore your backup folder from the CD (or whatever) and then use the Restore Archive feature. Yes, it's that easy.

LOL Peanut gallery.. Funny.. Great advice CariElf on fresh installs of windows should be done on a formatted HD.. Not many understand this concept.

That sounds way too easy...

Thanks, Cari! I would've never known...

Bill

And yes, you are the peanut gallery, but you're my favorite peanut, so comments from you are quite welcome.

~SDC~
[Message Edited]

LOL I love Galciv forums.. always a good laugh or interesting comments..

And sometimes the amusing comments are in the most unexpected threads.

~SDC~

Update - GalCiv reinstall:

Too easy! Minor glitch - forgot to archive the multimedia stuff so (fortunately I also backed up the entire StarDock directory to the network - just in case of something like this!) so I just copied all the folders over to the new one and it works fine.

Thanks, Cari!

Bill

~SDC~

Odd problem when trying to reinstall Galciv..

I was trying to type in the CD Key from the disc. It kept indicating that the CD Key was not valid for this installer? I could install it through my totalgaming.net account. Is this some bug or a planned feature?

NeoTech Network http://www.neotechgaming.com Sci-fi themed site supporting galciv & Stardock.. various discussion forums
[Message Edited]

Ummm, it might be confused by the fact that you have a Total Gaming.Net Serial.  It's best to just use that anyway so that Gal Civ doesn't get confused when trying to submit scores to the metaverse.

That means I will need to keep up my subscription.. I see the angle here now.. LOL Thanks..

Seeing some weirdness with auto-survey. Doesn't seem to always be able to automatically see anomolies.

I have come across a rather odd bug. I saved a screenshot. The game I am playing now the Arcean have came to me on two occasions wanting to trade techs. The first time he asked he indicated what tech of mine he wanted but offered nothing in return. The next time he says I want to trade techs and nothing showed up at all??

Let me know if you need the screen shot or not.

I have had the same issues with auto-survey.. Another issue that happens quite often is that the game is skipping over turns.. I do not have it set to skip over turns but it does anyways.. Only at odd times I have no idea when it will happen..

I don't need the screenshot for the Arcean thing.  That's a bug that I'm going to have to find by examining the code. 

I've been over the code for autosurvey several times and I can't find anything that looks like it would break down.  If the anomalies were out of range, it wouldn't go for them, but that's about it.

When you say it's skipping over turns what specifically do you mean it's doing?  Skipping ships that have moves left?

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I do not know for certain that it IS skipping turns it just appears that way at times. The unit is highlighted like I can move it, I try to move it, but the turn is underway preventing me. :notsure:

I would guess that the problem is because the AI wants to trade a tech, but either the player doesn't have anything the AI wants, or vice-versa. However, I've seen it handled by the Altarians (for example) by having the Altarians say something like "just keeping channels open in case you wanted to trade something."



It seems that if I have more than one ship capable of surveying, these things can happen:

1) A surveying ship will choose an anomaly all the way across the galaxy even though there is an anomaly right beside it. None of my OTHER surveying ships have targeted it, and if I look at the map, the anomaly is definitely within that ship's highlighted range. Could it be that an AI ship has targeted that anomaly so my ships mark that anomaly as being surveyed?

2) A surveying ship will pass by an anomaly within its range while enroute to an anomaly that is further than the one right next to it. While I would certainly understand if it were too difficult to program, or if it were simply a programming choice, you first survey ship WILL change course to investigate a closer anomaly! Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to notice if the behaves correctly when you are again down to one survey ship, since I ALWAYS have more than one going since I get my first Ranger. Maybe the proposed explanation for 1) applies to this problem, too? Maybe the reason why the first survey ship can do this simply because the AI is busy targeting anomalies close to them and haven't yet needed to target anomalies close to me.

3) Sometimes a ship will stop surveying as if there was nothing else to survey, yet you can see an anomaly in the same sector just waiting to be explored. This could be related to 1) above. Again, the proposed problem above could result in THIS happening, too - the anomaly is being targeted by an AI ship, so my ship sees it as already being targeted.

I hope this offers some insights into what may be happening.

Bill

~SDC~

AP v 1.51

Two things I've noticed -- both probably bugs. 1) If you save a game after the UPC passed resolution that should last for 3 years, when you reload, it no longer shows up as an enforced law -- even if the time limit has yet to expire.

2) The Minor Races starships do not show up when you initiate a dialog with them.

Thanks...

Bill Ko this is like a normal trade is happening which tells me it is a bug. I have had the same issues with the auto-survey as you and the same as the previous post.

I have also had them miss at times finding one that is there. I send the ship to a planet, the very next turn it will go off to inspect it.

I have stopped using auto-survey altogether, but I have an question that might point to why it passes by an anomaly enroute to another. Does the survey-ship reevaluate each turn to se it a new anomaly has been discovered closer to it's pressent possition then the one it's currently enroute to?
And what happends when te anomaly the ship is enroute to disapeares, either due to a reload or it being investigated by another survey-ship?

Once it has a target, it doesn't check for a closer one.

Ships weren't saving the id of the anomaly destination so if they lost that at anypoint, it could be that the anomaly thinks that they are still targeting it when they aren't.  I've made that change and it will appear in the next update.  I don't know if it'll help.  I may have to make a debug mode to test it.

Minor races don't trade ships. It's to keep them from getting ripped off.

 

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That's a good idea, it keeps people from getting everything the minors worked hard for! No wait a minute thats what I do, steal from the minors; never mind! LOL LOL

Thanks CariElf, for the response.

That is definitely good to know about the Minor Races.

Any idea on what is going on with the United Planets Council after reloads though? Unfortunately, in my current game, I don't have a good way to test whether the law is still in effect even though it isn't showing up in the enforced laws screen of the UPC.

Stupid question time. I just recently repurchased GalCiv for my new computer, it's version 1.20. I will be buying Altarian Prophecy soon, probably inside of a week. My question is, do I have to download any more recent version of GalCiv for Altarian Prophecy to work when I install it?