Patch 1.05 german version

There won't be a German update. But you can use your serial # to download the English version if you'd like. I.e. use Stardock Central and get the whole thing.

~SDC~

I have also the german version of Gal-Civ...

"There won't be a German update."
No problem.

"you can use your serial # to download the English version if you'd like."
Of course I like, this is fine.

"use Stardock Central and get the whole thing."
... the whole thing? Really? With a 56k-modem I'm not looking easily forward to download hundreds of MBs.
Is it possible to select somehow the language specific files via Stardock Central?

I asume, the expansion pack includes the latest patch. So will
1.) Installation from the german CD
2.) Installation of the expansion pack
3.) Overwriting remaining 'german' files with 'english' ones
work & result in the latest version of GalCiv?

@Laertes: Are you the Laertes from PBEM 44?

I can only give you the advice of trying to get the english copy and install it with your Serial. You could even download it from another guys PC and burn it on CD. Besides the Serial there is absolutely no copy protection.

Who is the publisher of the german version? They should be responsible for translating the patches into german and make them available!

@laertes80

Hi, I've got the german version as well.
Problem 1: Please insert the original CD to play..

So I downloaded Patch / Update 1.10xxx with the help of Stardock Central.

Problem 1) went away
Problem 2) now I got a mixed translated / untranslated Game of galciv.
Still I like it.
... and so nights fade away ...
Shaffer

Huh? So the publisher for the German version went gung-ho and put a CD check on there?!?

~SDC~

This is the second report I've seen of them having included a cd check with the german version.

Yes you are right.
The german publisher obviously did put on a CD check. That's why I mentioned the circumvention.
Having read the article of Draginol about CD checks I don't think this behaviour has been discussed with Stardock.

Yea, we're just the developer. Our publisher, Strategy First, makes deals with various countries.

I wonder how they managed to do that.  Anyway, if they don't have a problem with using an english version, the GalCiv serial # can be used to download the complete game right from Stardock Central.

@Shaffer

And does it work properly?
My game crush after few turns.

Darklor

@Darklor

History:
1) Installed German version => Game doesn't start
2) upgraded Win2000, game does start
3) upgraded GalCiv to 1.10A.073
=> Game does start,
I have been able to finish my first game
New games abort whenever a (new) expansion pack anomaly
like green bubble or golden red sike ball are being
explored or surveyed. (error log and smart exception log
have been sent to support)
4) uninstalled the game completely via Stardock Central; reinstalled it completely (Version 1.10A.073) => the game works just fine being the all english version. An it is now possible to survey the new anomalies (ball and bubble).

Nevertheless there is still something to complain about: Multimedia did not install completely. So no movies and no music. I can live without movies but would like the music respectively the sound effects.
Except for multimedia the game is playable.

So my installation consists of
- english version via Stardock Central
- without multimedia (problem still open)
... and I am happy for the moment.

You will have to draw your own conclusions wether this solution is acceptable for you right now.

Shaffer

@Darklor

oh I forgot to mention: looking at 4): don't give money to Telekom those 300+ MB don't install correctly! (At least in my situation.)
Good luck!

Thank you, shaffer, for your detailed information.

I intended to install the multimedia files from the 'german' CD to save the money for such huge downloads (@56k!).
and intended also to avoid a mixed language environment.

Oh well, this may be not as easy as it could be.

Learning from your efforts, it seems to be the best for a german user to download and install straightaway the base game & expansion pack. Right?
And to wait with the multimedia until it's patched?

Was the multimedia stuff operabel after 2) upgraded Win2000, game does start?


@officials
Is it possible, that new multimedia features have language-specific sideeffects???

---

On another thread (Translation of Patches and Library Objects for International Versions)

Citizen Walldorf2000 - 5/14/2003 11:42:58 AM wrote
>I already ordered my German version of GalCiv. I doesn't ship before August but luckly I found the demo
>My question is: Will the patches and Library Objects work with the international versions?
>I would even offer to make some translation work e.g. for the library stuff. Is there any tool to do so?

and Senator CariElf - 5/17/2003 3:27:09 PM answered
>They will work, but they will be in English. All the input files are just text files, so you will be able to edit them [...].


So patching should work (leading to a mixed language environment...).
What could be repaired by using the 'english' files from the Data folder of the base game from StarDockCentral.
Are this 2 assumptions correct?

Best regards, Achim
[Message Edited]

@civilis
As far as I remember yes! With the upgraded W2K (case 2) even the CD only installation has been working.
But ... I needed the CD whenever I wanted to play. Not a bug, it's a feature of the german distributor. They obviously implemented a CD check.
As I didn't want to always insert the CD into my laptop (the only one with a Windows system just for GalCiv!) I preferred the Stardock Central version.

Regarding your last point:
I have not been able to uninstall only the base game and keeping multimedia. Probably this could be possible by moving / copying several directories around and around.
In my opinion this would mean that Stardock Central doesn't have any longer any clue as to which version has been installed. So it would be kind of risky for follow up updates.

A possible solution could be to make Stardock Central (SDC) aware of language specific files and allow for an optional installation of these. Hopefully they do not interfere with the base code.
Base function = base Galciv program(s)
language function = language specific files
multimedia = movies, sound effects
... and so on

Achim it's time for some tough decisions

Heiner

Oh surprise it does work now.

I uninstalled the game and deleted the remaining files, then I installed the game two times. For the 2nd I used another path and let Stardock run. It upgraded automatic the 2nd installation. Now I have two different working versions (until now...)
(I don't think this way is necessary but safety comes before. It is better for me to have two working as one not working version.))

So I think the Problem could be the german save files.

Darklor

@shaffer
"With the upgraded W2K (case 2) even the CD only installation has been working."
Sounds to me, that if set up correctly (Hardware, drivers & OS knowing each other) your sytem is capable to run GalCivMultiMedia.

"upgraded GalCiv to 1.10A.073 [...] New games abort whenever a (new) expansion pack anomaly are being explored or surveyed."
A wrong path in an .ini file?
Would be interesting to know what happened, if you FIRST) upgraded Win2000, 2) Installed German version 3) upgraded GalCiv to 1.10A.073

[stuff not relevant to GalCiv]:)
"needed the CD whenever I wanted to play"
I was a VERY patient DJ all the years, until some weeks ago my CD-drive died & disabled in this process my Cleopatra-CD (with my new SurfingII-scenario in its final development stage). Well, was I PISSED. Thank you, Sierra, thank you, impressiongames, thank you, breakawaygames. I looked for NOCD versions, but gave up as on gamecopyworld.com there was no german up to date cleoV2.1 version and those myriads of (russian etc.) sites tried to install dialers & other nice programs prior to let me download something. Well, was I PISSED. I have not the time to look myself for this one JNE statement which is to turn into JMP. Thank you, Sierra ...
Probably I buy another Cleopatra-CD @ ebay to finalize my scenario for the Heavengames community.
[stuff not relevant to GalCiv];)


"I have not been able to uninstall only the base game and keeping multimedia."
Sorry, I was not clear enough. Without knowing the patching-routines, I would never suggest to try such things (and even with knowing: Murphys law ).

What I would like to do:
1. install the game from the 'german' CD
2. upgrade/update with the expansion pack
3. replace the 'german' pendants of the 'english' text files, which aren't changed & therefore already replaced by the patch, with 'english' files from a base game downloaded via SDC. This should work with simply copy.

If this doesn't work I'll
1. install the 'english' base game downloaded via SDC - and burn my CD with its multimedia glitz :(:(:(
OR
2. wait for something new


"possible solution could be to make Stardock Central (SDC) aware of language specific files"
They will LOVE this idea. Hipp, hipp, hurray, if they do it!!!
Ok, but what about the patches containing ALL the (I asume small) language-specific files? Sooner or later they will be ALL changed (and included) anyway - and it will patch ALL international versions.

--

@Darklor
"then I installed the game two times."
From the CD or the downloaded?

"used another path"
Maybe the first and only installation works if ANOTHER path is used (conflicting definitions of a default path)

"the Problem could be the german save files."
Please clarify, are the NO saved games in the two installations prior the patch?

As I may not edit above post I append:

Heavengames Pharaoh community # Heavengames community

---

Ok, but what about the patches containing ALL the (I asume small) text files in english? Sooner or later they will be ALL changed (and included) anyway - and it will patch ALL international versions right away.

#

Ok, but what about the patches containing ALL the (I asume small) language-specific files? Sooner or later they will be ALL changed (and included) anyway - and it will patch ALL international versions.

---


Maybe the first and only installation works if ANOTHER as the default path is used (conflicting definitions of a default path)

#

Maybe the first and only installation works if ANOTHER path is used (conflicting definitions of a default path)



PS. I "PREVIEW" function would nicely support the SUBMIT.

@Civilis

From the CD.

The 2nd was without any savegame.

Only one was upgraded so I can play the pure german version, if in the other game problems do pop up, which is happen (game crashed after a survey ship explored one of the new planetoids).

(before this, crashed my game allways after some turns (maybe the same problem))

Darklor :notsure:

I try to summarize:

When galciv1.1 is patched onto a 'german' installation from CD,
it may help, if this installation was fresh (containing no saved games etc.) and/or made to another as the default path.

@Darklor
"game crashed after a survey ship explored one of the new planetoids"
Seems to be the same status as #10 by Citizen shaffer "New games abort whenever a (new) expansion pack anomaly like green bubble or golden red sike ball are being explored or surveyed"

@all
Maybe this problem can be circumvented:
#10 by Citizen shaffer "game works just fine being the all english version via Stardock Central without multimedia (base game). An it is now possible to survey the new anomalies (ball and bubble)."

1. start game with the galciv1.1-patched 'german' installation from CD & multimedia
2. survey the new anomalies with the 'base game via SDC' installation without multimedia
3. continue game with the galciv1.1-patched 'german' installation from CD & multimedia

I patched my 1.05 German version with the standalone 1.10 patch. Fist I was happy since the copy protection was removed.

I started a new game and the game crashed back to desktop when I push "Turn". I can restart the game and load the autosave game and every time I push "Turn" it crashes .

I send all files form the autosave game and the error logs to Stardock but the answer ist that the German version was never tested by Stardock and that the patch happens to be incompatible with the German game.

Solution: fresh install of the English version from scratch.

This is fine for me since I have fast internet access and I don't mind the English texts. But I don't think it is a good solution for every German customer.

The stand allone patches should work with the German version and there should be a warning that all German texts will be lost.

Best regards, Volker

~SDC~

Some news regarding multimedia.

There still is hope!
I have been too stupid to realize that multimedia did not install because of "disk full" condition.
Problem was a disk with 400 MB free space. So at start of download no complain from SDC. But at some time both files exist on disk: the compressed archive as well as the uncompressed install files. Both of these consume disk space of about 600 to 700 MB disk space which my disk could not deliver.
This resulted in error messages I did not interpret well enough.

So problem solved. Install those multimedia movies and music. And have fun. LOL

Let us create a contest for the dumbest user imaginable (DUI) Hopefully I qualify.
Any other nomination?

Since I have a new monster.ship and Monsters.mdl file can I play the updated german version. (Until now ;))

Thanks to CariElf!

Darklor
[Message Edited]

Yea, I must admit that Stardock's vocal presence does add some confusion to the mix.

Normally when you buy a game you deal purely with the publisher. The "developer" usually is confined to some logo.

But with GalCiv, Stardock, the developer, runs this website and handles updates to the game directly.

But our publisher, Strategy First, works with companies around the world to make the game available there.

Technically, you would get updates to the game from them. Not here.

But here's the added wrinkle -- Stardock Central. If you're willing to use an English version, you can use your serial # to get the full game (if you can download that much).

Generally any problems the game has will show up in a file called debug.err.

i.e. Alle mögliche Probleme das Spiel sollten in einer Akte sein, die debug.err genannt wird.

Thanks a lot, Frogboy, for showing up.

Alle mögliche Probleme des Spiels werden generell vom Programm in einer Datei namens "debug.err" (im GalCiv Hauptverzeichnis) aufgezeichnet.


Für deutsche Unterstützung und/oder deutsche Patches ist www.galciv.de bzw. www.modern-games.de zuständig. Die verkaufen das deutsche Spiel.

For german support and/or german patches is www.galciv.de respectively www.modern-games.de competent. They sell the german game.


In my oppinion this point of view is absolute correct. On the other hand, I believe, there is a problem for customers, who are willing to convert to an all american version:

#19 by Citizen Walldorf2000
"I sent all files form the autosave game and the error logs to Stardock but the answer ist that the German version was never tested by Stardock and that the patch [ie. ExpandedUniverseV1.1] happens to be incompatible with the German game.
Solution: fresh install of the English version from scratch."

No, it's NO solution to download ALL the original version for about 30US$ (56Kmodem, depends on the ISP), because the customers own legally already more than 99.9% of the downloaded stuff.

And if the standalone ExpandedUniverseV1.1-Expansion is 'incompatible' with the germanCDversion1.05 (and future patches inherit this status), german customers will be hesitatingly about checking out the compatibility of the AltarianDarkness-Expansion.

Methinks it will pay off for stardock to provide the compatibility with the German game, the problems are probably small fishes:

I installed the 1.05 German version from CD. After a few hours of testing, I concluded "It works on my system: Hardware, drivers & OS:D ready to take off".
Then (to avoid mixed language troubles) I renamed the DATA folder and replaced it by the whole DATA folder of an american installation (~140kByte, don't know version, newest file is english.str dated 25.02.03 16:10), as this one contains the american versions of the files, which haven't changed since the first releases & therefore won't come with the patch.
Next I cleaned up a bit more (not sure wether this is necessary): deleted prefs.ini and the save file folder.
At last, I applied the standalone ExpandedUniverse V1.10 patch, which has overwritten most (but not all) of the text files.

I started a new game and it works so far (for several turns peeking around). There is quite a difference, straight from the beginning, but seems nothing abnormal to me (?):
Earth (PQ16) is almost in the corner of this small universe, two systems are 4-5 tiles away (with PQ20 and PQ26, sic!26 without any improvement or start modifiers, I chose speed, diplo & morale). Next are 2 eggs of star sharks and the Drengines block all ways to the rest of the (far away) other systems... But hey, 3 good planets on small as 'beginner'.

Natürlich wäre es hilfreich, wenn diejenigen, die weiter oben Probleme beschrieben haben, nun weiter in diesem Faden ihre Ergebnisse bzw. Probleme schildern würden, damit dieser nicht gleich wieder völlig in der Versenkung verschwindet.

Ich habe jetzt keine Schwierigkeiten mit deutscher CD & ExpansionPackV1.1 mehr. Geht das allen anderen plötzlich auch so?

PS. mit der Suchfunktion "germ", "deu", "internat" findet man allerlei Spezifisches

Anybody experiencing problems like described by Citizen shaffer #10 - 9/27/2003 12:09:41 PM

>>>Installed German version, upgraded GalCiv to 1.10A.073 [ie. expansion pack], New games abort whenever a (new) expansion pack anomaly like green bubble or golden red sike ball are being explored or surveyed. error log and smart exception log have been sent to support.
solution: uninstalled the game completely via Stardock Central; reinstalled it completely (Version 1.10A.073) => the game works just fine being the all english version. An it is now possible to survey the new anomalies (ball and bubble).<<<

may instead of downloading hundreds of megabytes choose to just replace the content of the file monster.ship, located in the galciv subdirectory 'data', with the following content:

//------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHIP SpaceShark
//------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name "Space Shark"
Model "Monster01"

HitPoints 50
Attack 10
Defense 4
Speed 1
Cost 50
SensorRange 10
Ability "Attack"
Tech_Requirement_ID 999
Maintenance 0
Range 4
Weapon "Photon"
ENDSHIP