Patch 1.17 not available currently?

BeBro · February 16, 2002, 07:32

Yes, the dl from civ3.com doesn´t work since yesterday, is there a special reason? Serious problems with the patch?
It would be nice if a Firaxian could give official info about this...

MonsterMan · February 16, 2002, 07:53

I can't play or even work with the editor since I installed the patch

so my guess is I'm not the only one with problems, and they removed it.

BeBro · February 16, 2002, 07:58

Yes, I know about problems here and there, I just think Firaxis should clarify the situation...

John Paul Jones · February 16, 2002, 08:15

They've possibly removed it until they put up a new one with the right editor included.

That patch is still DL'able though from:
http://www.firaxis.com/downloads_detail.cfm?file_id=44
The right editor is here:
http://apolyton.net/civ3/files/patches/Civ3Edit.exe

BeBro · February 16, 2002, 17:19

I know, I already have the patch, and the improved editor

But there is currently a bit confusion in the German community, some say the patch was removed from civ3.com due to serious bugs. They say currently it is not recommended to install the patch v1.17. I simply want a clarification if this is also the official postion of Firaxis (in this case, it would be strange that the patch is still available via Firaxis.com)...

ColdFever · February 16, 2002, 17:28

Quote:

Originally posted by BeBro
Some say the patch was removed from civ3.com due to serious bugs.

Hi Bernd, I know you are referring to me.

I didn't say it was removed BECAUSE of bugs, I stated that it was removed by Infogrames from their server (FACT) and >assumed< the reason was, that some people found the patch very problematic regarding some aspects (at least that is the best explanation to me). So i recommended to everybody with a good game running not to install the patch until we get the "final" patch 1.17...

Jaybe · February 16, 2002, 19:30

I continued a game with 1.17 and haven't had any SERIOUS problems with it (knock on wood).

Indeed, it would have been appropriate if Firaxis Dan had put a note on the main and patches pages that the update had been temporarily withdrawn.

klesh · February 16, 2002, 19:37

I am glad I learned my lesson after patch 1.16. I downloaded that 'broken' patch because I got to it before they realized they posted the wrong one.

One time I can forgive... people make mistakes... but doing the same thing 2 times makes me lose a little faith.

So is there any correct patch out right now? I have been debating wherther to reinstall Civ3 and try it again with these changes, but all that I read causes me to think otherwise.

-FMK.

BeBro · February 16, 2002, 19:58

Well yes, FMK, the mistake with the wrong editor was annoying. However, I just played the first game under 1.17 (dled it after the editor thing was solved - don´t know if the patch is a "modified" v 1.17). All works fine so far...

I have not tested the improved editor yet, I hope it runs fine too...

If only Firaxis would tell us the reason for the download problem at civ3.com...

Gramphos · February 16, 2002, 20:01

Quote:

Originally posted by BeBro
I have not tested the improved editor yet, I hope it runs fine too...

The patch is not improved. It is an earlier version then the one the included with the editor (that the game won't recognize)

Dan Magaha FIRAXIS · February 16, 2002, 21:05

The patch on Firaxis.com is the correct one. We sent the correct v1.17f patch to Infogrames on Friday (basically corrected the mistake with the wrong version of the editor) and they were going to swap the new 1.17 in. By the looks of it, someone deleted the old one but never checked to see that the new one was in place.

Unfortunately I can't update civ3.com from home so there isn't anything I can do until I get back to work on Tuesday.

Dan

BeBro · February 16, 2002, 21:07

Thanks for this info, Dan.

Minuteman · February 16, 2002, 21:32

I hope it's cool with the mods here that I post this link.

http://www.firaxis.com./downloads_allfiles.cfm

As Dan said, the CORRECT version of the editor is included with the patch available at Firaxis.com.

ColdFever · February 17, 2002, 03:16

Quote:

Originally posted by Dan Magaha FIRAXIS
The patch on Firaxis.com is the correct one.

Thanks Dan, it is really good no have you around.

Quote:

Originally posted by Dan Magaha FIRAXIS
Unfortunately I can't update civ3.com from home

civ3.com runs on an Microsoft-IIS/4.0 and your authoring software probably as well, so you possibly might be interested in this free software:
http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/

I regularly use VNC as an admin to connect to our WinNT/2K computers at work from home in case of need (there even is a client for WinPocketPC). Although a VNC connection is not very well secured, the VNC service is protected byWinNT/Win2K. So I keep the VNC service usually terminated and start it remotely via dialin just in case of need.

yin26 · February 17, 2002, 04:02

Once again, some stellar QA! Thanks for giving us so much to talk about Jeff!

notyoueither · February 17, 2002, 04:10

I was wondering when the voices of darkness would make an appearance. 2 days. Woohoo.

Salve

yin26 · February 17, 2002, 05:20

These days I'm only acting as a result of Union Contracts, which clearly state: "In the event that Words of Darkness are not spoken at opportune moments, Yin shall, in accordance with Paragraph 4, Subsection D, post such a response no later than three (3) calendar days from the moment of said event's public appearance."

If I don't comply, the Prince of Darkness makes me sit down to playtest the latest Civ3 patch.

Libertarian · February 17, 2002, 05:35

Thank God you're here, Yin. I should have listened to you about stacking. But the list seemed so ... glamorous.

notyoueither · February 17, 2002, 05:44

Love the new Avatar Yin.

Yeah, contracts are a b*tch. Especially with THEM.

Salve

notyoueither · February 17, 2002, 05:47

Lib.

[NYE puts fingers in his ears.]

You don't like stacking? I haven't had time to get so far into a game to need it yet.

Salve

yin26 · February 17, 2002, 06:07

NYE: Thanks for noticing the avatar! I think it captures most of my posts nicely.

Lib: WHAT?! C'mon, don't tell me there are problems with the stacking. I thought it worked nicely with your style of play?

Libertarian · February 17, 2002, 06:14

I do like stacking, Salve. I'm just disappointed with its implementation here. As it turns out, to coordinate stacking of workers (for which the feature was most needed) they must be engaged in identical tasks, else the stack will split out into one subset of working workers and one subset of idle workers.

For example, say 5 workers are on a grassland tile, and you are an industrious civ. You put one of the workers to the task of building a mine, and stack-move the other 4 to a nearby hill. on the following turn, you build a road on the hill. Later, the worker you left behind will, without warning, follow the moves of the other 4 to the hill.

In other words, as it turns out, you must coordinate not only likeness of units, but likeness of tasks.

Moreover, key to making stack movement useful was sensible unit activation sequencing, which was allegedly fixed. But it does not appear to be the case. Setting aside the ambiguities pointed out by Soren, the sequencing doesn't even work the way it is designed. The stack from which you activate is supposed to be reordered, so that activation does not move to some other unit outside the stack before the stack's actions are depletion. Lo and behold, it is just like it was before. If you select a unit from a stack and do something with it, the next unit activated might or might not be in that same stack, and it might or might not be anywhere at all nearby.

So, the short of it is that, while the intention was good, and the list looked promising, the features don't work or don't work right.

Yin, see above.

notyoueither · February 17, 2002, 06:14

I think the old one was more, welll, you.

Salve

notyoueither · February 17, 2002, 06:23

Ahhhh. Lib. You found a bug by the sounds of it. Pain in the *ss that they are cropping up now. Do we know any of the *testers.*

Unit sequencing. Yeah, I am disoriented by this from time to time. However, going back to my last conquer-a-thon, which was pre first patch, I mostly found right-clicking-stack picking-bottom-unit kept it fairly focused. Not all the time though.

Is it any better? I'm just creeping up to 10bc in my first 1.17 game. Too busy working and kibitzing here. How far have you gone?

Salve

yin26 · February 17, 2002, 06:29

NYE: Yeah, I liked the old one quite a bit, but Markos chose it for me (I posted the full photo of the dog, he cropped it and slapped in on me without asking me using his Godly mod powers). This one from SimGolf, I guess you know, and looks a little 'lighter' compared to that pitbull, don't you think? See, I'm getting happier in my old age.

Lib: I see. Please keep offering them your input and proposed fixes so they can get it down at least come x-pack time.

Libertarian · February 17, 2002, 06:46

Well, Salve, I stopped fairly early on. Already, with merely five workers, a warrior, and a couple of scouts, I had discovered that stack-moving the workers was counter-productive and that units refused to activate in a sensible order. There was no reason to believe that the problems would spontaneously clear up as the game increased in complexity. And I certainly had no desire to re-experience the tedium that the "fixes" were intended to address.

I shudder to think how I might have reacted had I continued, fighting these new interface complexities, and the Domestic Nag suddenly appears insisting that I build aqueducts. I might have shot my computer.

notyoueither · February 17, 2002, 07:22

Yin. You mean Mark picks your Avatar. Hehehehe. Ohhhh Mark....

Happier, yeahh. I see it. Really. Golf is doing you good. Hehe.

Salve

notyoueither · February 17, 2002, 07:26

Lib. Sorry to hear it.

Oh well, you'll have to rely on reports from the front.

notyoueither
In case you didn't notice a difference between a handle and a statement

Libertarian · February 17, 2002, 07:57

Thanks for clearing that up. These days, it's hard to tell.

Shaneequa

Dan Magaha FIRAXIS · February 17, 2002, 12:51

Quote:

Originally posted by ColdFever

Thanks Dan, it is really good no have you around.

civ3.com runs on an Microsoft-IIS/4.0 and your authoring software probably as well, so you possibly might be interested in this free software:
http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/

I regularly use VNC as an admin to connect to our WinNT/2K computers at work from home in case of need (there even is a client for WinPocketPC). Although a VNC connection is not very well secured, the VNC service is protected byWinNT/Win2K. So I keep the VNC service usually terminated and start it remotely via dialin just in case of need.

Thanks Kai, but it's little more complicated than that, civ3.com is Infogrames' server (actually it's three load-balanced servers), and I have a few things I have to do in sequence to upload files and publish them to the production servers.

Does VNC work with WinXP? I just upgraded to WinXP at work and the version of pcANYWHERE I was using is now "not recommended" by Microsoft

Dan