==================================================================
                          Civilization II
                     Frequently Asked Questions
                           9 October 1996
==================================================================

  This FAQ is now divided into 5 major sections to make it
  easier for you to find information:
   
  Section 1: Startup/General Troubleshooting
  Section 2: Video
  Section 3: Sound
  Section 4: Error Messages
  Section 5: Gameplay

  Original text by Brian Reynolds with additions by Calvin Rien
=================================================================
   
Section 1: Startup/General Troubleshooting
------------------------------------------

Q: Where can I get the latest patch for Civilization II?
   
A: The latest patch is now available for download. If you're 
   having problems and you haven't downloaded the latest patch
   yet, DO IT! The patch can be found on our FTP site 
   (ftp.microprose.com under "new versions"), our Web site 
   (www.microprose.com), CompuServe, America Online or our 
   BBS (510-522-8909).
   
Q: How do I tell which version of Civilization II I am playing?
   
A: Go to the Game Options menu (Ctrl-O); the window title says 
   which version you are playing.
   
Q: How do I install the patch for Civilization II?
   
A: If the file name ends in .ZIP, then you will need the shareware 
   utility called Pkunzip or Winzip. This can be found easily on 
   most online services (or at www.pkware.com). You then use 
   Pkunzip or Winzip to extract the files from the archive. The 
   extracted files should then be copied to the CIV2 directory on 
   your hard drive. When you are asked if you want to replace 
   existing, say "yes to all."
   
   If the file ends in .EXE (CIV242.EXE), copy the file to the 
   CIV2 directory and run it. It will automatically extract and 
   ask you if you wish to replace existing. Again say "yes 
   to all."
   
Q: What are the system requirements for the game?
   
A: The minimum requirements are a 33MHz 80486 compatible, Windows
   3.1, 8MB RAM, Super VGA graphics, a double-speed CD-ROM drive, 
   MSCDEX version 2.2 and a Microsoft-compatible mouse. With the
   minimum system requirements, though, you may not be able to get
   full performance out of the Video for Windows portions of the 
   the game. (Check the Video for Windows Readme file on the 
   Civilization II CD-ROM for more information.)
   
   The recommended minimum system is at least a 66MHz Intel-based
   80486. Obviously the faster the system and the higher the display 
   resolution, the better the gameplay. The reason we recommend an 
   Intel processor is that some users have had problems with Video
   for Windows on non-Intel processors (such as NexGen, Cyrix and
   AMD).
   
Q: Does Civilization II work with Windows NT, OS/2 or 
   SoftWindows?
   
A: Although some users have had some success running Civilization 
   II under these operating systems, we did not test the game under 
   these conditions. We, therefore, cannot recommend or support such 
   installations.
   
Q: What programs could cause problems with Civilization II?
   
A: We recommend not running anything in the background when 
   playing Civilization II. Programs that we especially recommend
   avoiding are:
   
   Virus scan programs that stay resident in memory (Norton
     AntiVirus, McAfee, VShield)
   Third-party font managers (Adobe Type Manager)
   RAM Expanders (RAM Doubler, SoftRAM, MagnaRam)
   CD-ROM acceleration software (D-Time, FlexiCD)
   Third-party shell programs (PC Tools, Norton Desktop, Packard 
     Bell Navigator)
   Hard drive compression (DriveSpace, DoubleSpace, Stacker, etc.)
   Uninstallers (CleanSweep, RemoveIt)
   
Q1: I am getting a GPF @ 0041:_____ when starting CIV2.EXE.
   
Q2: I am getting a GPF @ 0044:_____ when starting CIV2MAP.EXE.
   
A: This problem usually means that WinG installation was somehow 
   skipped when you installed the game (it is supposed to be 
   installed automatically). To install WinG manually, run
   WINGSET.EXE in the WING directory on the CD-ROM. You'll also
   want to install Video for Windows manually by running
   VFWSETUP.EXE from the VFW_INST directory.
   
   Occasionally this problem persists. So far we've encountered 
   this on Windows 95 systems with Windows installed on some drive
   other than drive C. Windows 95 seems to have a hard time loading
   WinG in this case.
   
Q: I am getting a GPF @ 0042:____.
   
A: The initially shipped version of Civilization II requires a
   sound card in order to run properly. If you don't have a sound
   card or if it isn't active in Windows, you'll need to download
   the patched version of Civilization II.
   
Q: I am getting a lot of GPFs in the game.
   
A: Make sure you have the latest drivers for your video card and 
   sound card. Otherwise, check section 4 for more information.
   
   We are aware of problems with certain models of Cirrus Logic 
   and Diamond brand video cards. In most cases, these problems 
   can be solved by updating the Windows video drivers. If
   you have a Cirrus Logic card, new drivers can be found at 
   ftp.cirrus.com. If you are using any other brand of video
   card, we recommend checking your drivers to make sure they are
   up-to-date. If you are using older versions of video drivers,
   they can cause problems. Generally speaking, most GPFs can be
   solved by updating all your Windows drivers for video, sound,
   etc.
   
Q1: I accidentally selected French when I first set up the game;
   how do I get back to English?
   
Q2: I would like to see what the German version is like, but I
   don't seem to have the option to play in German.
   
A: If you are playing Civilization II version 1.01 or later, you
   will find a file called CIV.INI in the Windows directory. You
   can open this file using either the DOS editor or Windows' Notepad.
   CIV.INI has a "Language Preference" line: 3=German, 2=French,
   1=English, 0=Ask Me Again.
   
Q: The text in the game is unreadable, or I receive a TrueType 
   font error.
   
A: Make sure that TrueType fonts are enabled on the Control Panel. 
   Also, Adobe Type Manager has a known incompatibility with the 
   Authorware tool we used for the hypertext Civilopedia. You'll 
   need to disable ATM (and other third-party font managers) and tell 
   it to use resident fonts.
   
   If you've tried all of this and you're still getting text in 
   "Greek," we've had some success by actually uninstalling the 
   Symbol TrueType font (under Control Panel, Fonts) and then 
   removing the font file (SYMBOLE.FON) from the WINDOWS\SYSTEM 
   directory. This is a somewhat crude and last-ditch solution.
   
Q: I am getting GPFs whenever I discover a new technology, or 
   bring up the Civilopedia.
   
A: Try renaming or deleting the file GET_INFO.EXE from your CIV2
   directory. You won't get the fancy Civilopedia, but you will get 
   the beta version of the Civilopedia. In this case, the problem is
   some conflict with the Authorware package we used to do the
   hypertext version of Civilopedia.
   
Q: The game tells me to run "VFWFIX.BAT" on the CD-ROM, but I cannot 
   find the file.
   
A: Actually, the file is "VFWFIX.REG" and you can still run the 
   file. If you double-click on the file in the File Manager 
   (Windows 3.1) or "My Computer" (Windows 95), the information in
   the file will be added to the Windows registry and the problem
   should be fixed. Sorry for the confusion.
   
   If double-clicking on the VFWFIX.REG doesn't work, you will need 
   to run REGEDIT. This is usually found in the Windows directory, 
   or you can access it through the "Run" dialog. You will then 
   want to go to the Registry menu in Windows 95 or the File menu 
   in Windows 3.1. Choose Import Registry or Merge Registry, and
   then select VFWFIX.REG from the CIV2\VIDEO directory on the 
   Civilization II CD-ROM.
   
Q1: I get a window titled "(Inactive C:\mps\civ2\civ2.exe)."
   
Q2: I am receiving the message "Error -8 in Module 4, data 0 0" and
   "File open failed MODULES.DB"
   
A: When CIV2.EXE is run, its working directory must be set to your 
   CIV2 directory (usually C:\MPS\CIV2). Check the properties on 
   your Civilization II icon to make sure its working directory is
   set correctly. If you've been trying to start Civilization II
   in some other way (such as via File Manager or Explorer), try 
   starting it by double-clicking the designated icon/shortcut.
   
   These messages basically mean that Civilization II cannot find a
   file necessary to start the game. Another step to take is make
   sure you have more than enough hard drive space, and then delete
   and reinstall the game.
   
Q: I'm not sure what is causing my lockups or crashes.
   
A: Try the following steps:
   
   1) Try starting the map editor. If it crashes, the problem is 
      with WinG.
   
   2) Try starting Civilization II without the CD-ROM in the drive.
      If the game doesn't crash, the problem is with Video for
      Windows.
   
   3) Try selecting something from the Civilopedia. If this
      crashes, the problem is with the Civilopedia (see above).
   
   4) Try selecting the High Council, If you get black windows,
      the problem is with Video for Windows.
   
   5) Try turning off sound effects or music in the game options 
      window (Ctrl-O). If the game stops locking up or crashing, 
      the problem is with the sound card drivers.
   
Section 2: Video
----------------
   
Q: I am having problems running the videos in the game 
   (particularly if they always show up as black squares).
   
A: Try reinstalling the "Video for Windows" program (VFWSETUP.EXE 
   found in the Vfw_Inst folder on the Civilization II CD-ROM).
   When reinstalling, make sure that you agree to all the licensing 
   questions and restart Windows so that the changes take effect.
   
Q: The heralds appear but they aren't animating (Windows 95
   machines only).
   
A: You are probably using the 32-bit Indeo driver. You can
   check this by looking for a file called IR41_32.DLL in your 
   C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. If the file is there, you can 
   either uninstall the 32-bit version and install the Video for 
   Windows on the Civilization II CD-ROM or you can wait for a 
   patch which we hope will be ready soon.
   
Q: I get strange shifting colors when the videoes for the Wonders
   of the World or the High Council are played.
   
A: Switch your video display to 256-color mode.
   
Q: The Civilopedia causes a black screen.
   
A: This will happen if you have Windows 95, did not install the 
   Civilopedia files to the hard drive and are playing with the
   CD-ROM. You'll simply need to download the latest patched
   version.
   
Q: I have an STB Lightspeed 128 video card and whenever I try to
   access "Advances" from the Civilopedia menu, my monitor goes
   black or I get a fatal exception error.

A: This problem is caused by the 16-bit driver for QuickTime. 
   (The 32-bit QuickTime player works fine.) You will need to edit 
   the QTW.INI files in your \WINDOWS directory using Notepad. 
   Change "Optimize=Driver" to "Optimize=BMP" in the QTW.INI file. 
   Then right-click on the QTW.INI file and select "Properties" 
   from the popup menu. In the Attributes section, click to put a 
   checkmark in the "Read-only" box.

Section 3: Sound
----------------
   
Q1: I can't hear music, even though the CD-ROM is in the drive. 

Q2: When I select "Pick Music," it tells me this option is not 
   available unless the CD-ROM is in the drive, but the CD-ROM is
   in the drive.
   
A: The music in the game is standard Redbook CD audio. This means 
   that you can put the Civilization II CD-ROM into any CD player
   and the music should play just like any regular music CD (except
   for track 1). In order to hear the CD audio music, you must have
   the following:
   
   1) The Civilization II CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.
   
   2) The proper (and up-to-date) Windows MCI CD audio drivers for 
      your sound card loaded.
   
   3) A CD audio cable connecting your CD drive to your sound card. 
      This last is part of the standard system configuration and is 
      probably present unless you installed your sound card or
      CD-ROM drive yourself.
   
   If these conditions are satisfied, the music will play. If you 
   do not have the latest sound card drivers, you should contact
   your sound card manufacturer for an update. Also, there have been 
   reports of other CD programs (such as Microsoft FlexiCD) causing
   a conflict with the game. In this case, disabling these other 
   programs should fix the problem.
   
   If you're having problems with the music, you may want to check
   if you can play a regular audio CD on your CD-ROM drive. Open up 
   the Media Player (found in the Accessories program group), make
   sure CD Audio is in the device list, select it and press "Play."
   If music plays in the Media Player, you should be able to hear
   music in Civilization II.
   
Q: The game can't find the CD-ROM after I have been playing for a 
   while.
   
A: If you open the CD-ROM drive during the course of gameplay, the 
   game will stop recognizing the presence of the CD-ROM. For now,
   the only fix is to not to open the CD-ROM drive while you are
   playing.
   
Section 4: Error Messages
-------------------------
   
Q: I am getting "SMEDS Application Errors" or "PORTALLOCFAILED" 
   messages.
   
A: The most likely problem is a lack of global memory space. Even 
   when you have the required amount of physical memory, it is 
   possible for other applications or disk cache programs to 
   drain these resources.
   
   a) Usually the best solution is to increase the amount of 
      virtual memory swap space you have available. If you are 
      running Windows 3.1, go to Control Panel, 386 Enhanced,
      Virtual Memory and increase your swap memory to 32MB or
      more. Of course, you'll need to make sure you have enough
      disk space to accommodate the swap file. (The minimum you
      should set it for is 10MB or about 11000K.)
   
   b) If you're running Windows 95, it will usually manage your 
      virtual memory for you correctly. However, you must have 
      enough disk space available for Windows 95 to create and
      use a swap file (at least 15MB free on the hard drive).
   
   c) The above will usually eliminate the GPFs, but you may also 
      be able to improve performance by freeing up physical memory, 
      particularly by reducing the size of your disk cache if you 
      have a large one.
   
Q: I am getting a "Page Fault" error.
   
A: Try the above steps for SMEDS Errors. Also make sure that you 
   have the latest driver for your video card.
   
Q: I received a "Can't find WinG" error message.
   
A: Some computer systems have their Windows System directory 
   write-protected. To fix this problem, you need to change this
   attribute and reinstall both WinG and Video for Windows.
   
   Also on some systems, the WinG files fail to decompress when
   they are copied to the system folder. Check the following chart 
   against what is in your Windows\System folder:
   
   FILE NAME      COMPRESSED     EXPANDED
   --------------------------------------
   WING32.DLL            7k          13k
   WINGDE.DLL           86k         185k
   WING.DLL             47k          91k
   WINGDIB.DRV           6k           7k
   WINGPAL.WND           4k           5k
   
   If one, or all, of these files is still compressed, then 
   something is preventing the WinG installation from completing 
   properly.
   
Q: I received a "Cannot find MSVideo.dll" or "Cannot find 
   AVIFile.dll" error message.
   
A: This appears to happen when the Video for Windows installation 
   is skipped. Rerun the VFWSETUP.EXE from the VFW_Inst folder on 
   the Civilization II CD-ROM.
   
Q: I'm getting an "Undefined Dynalink" error message.
   
A: This is an error message caused by having two Dynamic Link 
   Library files (DLLs) of the same name on your system. It 
   usually has to do with the Video for Windows drivers. Try 
   rerunning VFWSetup from the VFW_Inst folder on the Civilization
   II CD-ROM. If this fails, try starting the game without the
   Civilization II CD-ROM in the drive. This should get you around
   the problem. To fix it, however, you will have to find which
   two *.DLL files installed on your system are trying to do the
   same function.
   
Q: I am getting a GPF in WING.DLL.
   
A: This probably means you are using some kind of "RAM doubling" 
   software (such as RAM Doubler, SoftRAM) which seems to cause a 
   conflict.
   
Q1: I am getting an "Incorrect Windows Version" error when trying 
   to launch Civilization II.
   
Q2: I am getting a "Not enough memory" error when trying to launch 
   Civilization II, even though I have enough RAM and enough virtual
   memory. (See SMEDS above for virtual memory info.)
   
A: We have encountered rare cases in which the Windows 
   configuration itself is at fault; somehow Windows has been 
   corrupted since it was installed, possibly by some other 
   application or by a faulty "uninstall" procedure for another 
   application. Several users with mysterious problems have cured 
   them by reinstalling Windows. Obviously, this is a last resort.
   If you decide to reinstall Windows, you must then reinstall 
   Civilization II completely, including WinG and Video for Windows.
   
Section 5: Gameplay
-------------------
   
Q: Why can't I find the portrait option in the game?
   
A: Unfortunately, this feature was planned, but not implemented, in 
   the game. It was, however, left in the documentation.
   
Q: It states on page 93 of the manual that, with the railroad and 
   supermarket advance, appropriate terrain will be automatically 
   upgraded. Why isn't this happening?
   
A: The terrain in the city square will be automatically upgraded.
   This is true and is implemented. Some players have read this and 
   thought that all squares around the city are improved, but this 
   was not the intent.

Q: My file listing is filling up quickly with saved games. How do 
   I get rid of them?
   
A: Civilization II's saved game files are files that contain the 
   first two letters of your ruler's name and the year. Their file 
   extension is .SAV.
   
   With Windows 3.1, use the file manager to search for *.SAV. You
   can then select and delete the files as you wish.
   
   With Windows 95, you can use the Find command from the Start menu
   to search for *.SAV. Then select and drag the unwanted files to 
   the Recycle Bin. Remember: you must empty the Recycle Bin to 
   reclaim the hard drive space.
   
Q: I have selected the Capitalization advance in 10 of my cities 
   and none of them seem to build anything.
   
A: If you've built Capitalization in 10 cities, you must be very 
   rich by now. Capitalization is a nonstandard improvement; it 
   turns the shield production of a city into tax income. It is 
   generally used in cities that are well-defended and that don't
   need other improvements at the moment. Use the money to bribe,
   buy and influence.
   
Q: Sometimes, when I try to move a unit one direction (even one 
   square), it moves the opposite way. It then goes around the 
   world to get to the point I selected!
   
A: What is happening is the unit is trying to cross the 0 degrees
   longitude line. Since the game's Goto function doesn't know that
   the shortest route would be to cross this line, it avoids this
   line at all costs.
   
   What we recommend is, early in the game, click with the right 
   mouse button. This changes you to the flashing diamond cursor. 
   On the right-hand side of the screen, it will display 
   coordinates. When the first number reaches 0, you have found
   the line. Find or place a visual landmark (a fort or boat). 
   Remember not to use the Goto function to cross from one side of 
   this landmark to the other. Instead approach the line with 
   Goto and use manual moves to cross it.
   
Q: I placed a city in a really dumb place. How do I get rid of it?
   
A1: If you are playing in Chieftain level, there isn't much you 
   can do. Just leave it at size 1 (don't allow it to produce much 
   food) and let an enemy destroy it.
   
A2: If you are playing Warlord or higher, you can do the above or 
   you can get the city down to size 1 (again by starving the 
   citizens) and build, or buy, a settler.
   
Q1: I've gotten the necessary advances, but I can't build 
   Granaries.
   
Q2: I've gotten the necessary advances, but I can't build Police 
   Stations.
   
A: These are two city improvements that are directly linked to 
   certain Wonders of the World. Pyramids count as a Granary in 
   all friendly cities; Women's Suffrage counts as a Police Station 
   in all cities.
   
Q: I've gotten the necessary advances, but I can't build Nuclear 
   Plants.
   
A: This answer is similar to the above. The Hoover Dam Wonder 
   makes Nuclear Plants obsolete. Also, if you haven't built a 
   Factory in the city, you can't build Electric or Nuclear Plants. 
   Also, if you have built a Solar Plant, this makes Electric and 
   Nuclear Plants obsolete.
   
Q: I've gotten the Apollo Program Wonder, but I can't build Space 
   Ship Parts.
   
A: If you got the Apollo Wonder without using the cheat menu, you 
   should be able to build SS Structural right away. To build SS 
   Components and SS Modules, you need a few more advances.
   
   Note that for technical reasons no one is allowed to build 
   spaceship parts in the B.C. part of the game. If you want to 
   cheat and build spaceships right away, you need to set the date 
   to at least A.D. 1.

Q1: I downloaded the Civilization II demo. When I try to run it, 
   though, it says "Cannot find SMEDSNET.DLL."
   
Q2: I downloaded the Civilization II patch. When I try to run it, 
   though, it says "Cannot find SMEDSNET.DLL."
   
A: The file you have is not a demo or an update program. It is a 
   replacement executable file for Civilization II. What you need
   to do is copy this file, along with the other files that came
   with it, to the CIV2 directory that is on your hard drive. If
   Civilization II isn't on the hard drive yet, you need to install
   it before you can copy over the patch.
   
Q: I'm having trouble with my user-defined techs and units.
   
A: User-defined techs are pretty easy. Just edit the RULES.TXT 
   file (or RULES.GER or RULES.FRE) and change both "no" entries 
   for the user-defined tech to either "nil" or any valid advance 
   abbreviation. Also remember that no matter what you name the 
   tech, the abbreviation will always be U1, U2 or U3.
   
   The extra units are basically the same, but you will want to 
   experiment with different attack and defense ratings. Also 
   certain things will cause the game to act weirdly, like an air 
   unit that can carry air units doesn't work. Remember: if you 
   want these units attached to your user-defined techs, you must 
   use the U1, U2 or U3 abbreviations.
   
   You can only create three extra techs and units.
   
