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last updated on February 22, 2003 - by cracker
Please read all instructions before doing anything.
These setup instructions will help you
accomplish three tasks to make it possible for you to play Gotm17-Carthage in PTWv1.14:
First,
we have a short list of stanadard rules fixes that have been implemented to fix
some of the features of the PTW Multiplayer Game that have leaked over into
the Single Player game functions.
Second,
you will be downloading and installing some animation files to allow the game to
play on your computer. Without these files properly installed your game will crash. The
graphics installation process is different for PTW compared to all other versions.
Third,
you will be combining these two setup phases and some special game features unique
to Gotm17-Carthage to load and begin play.
Follow the instructions step-by-step and you will find the game simple to setup and easy to play.
You must have PTW installed on a PC computer and patched to v1.14f in order to play this version of the game. This version will not run properly in any prior version of Civ3.
Changes Required to Separate PTW Single Player from the MP Mode
(Note that this section of information only covers those changes that are required to make PTW functional in the Single Player mode for Gotm17-Carthage. Other required changes will be discussed in future months if they are not fixed in expected patches from Firaxis.)
PTW includes two new units (Mace and Rambo) that
allow for upgrades of the ancient age units of swordsmen and archers/longbows. This upgrade
sequence seems to reduce the need for strategic decision making and also may not be
effectively programmed for use by the AI in Single Player games. This upgrade
sequence has been converted to a game setup preference and was turned off in
all versions of Gotm17-Carthage and Gotm18-Celts. The option to upgrade Swordsmen and Longbows
is turned on for all civilizations in Gotm19-Ottomans, Gotm20-Spanish and Gotm21-Melee.
The
"Outpost" feature of Multiplayer is disabled and does not appear in any version of
the GOTM Games.
Two features of PTW that are not incorporated
into the V1.29f equivalent game at this time are Radar Towers and Airfields.
Not including equivalent options for these PTW features
at this time is designed to provide better testing
of the differences between a game that includes the features versus a game that does
not include the features. Our initial testing indicates that these features have no value
in Single Player game score except in those cases when a player may be avoiding an impending
defeat late in the game. Players who are in command of a balanced game will probably obtain
no scoring or victory timing advantage from these features.
War Mobilization that normally
becomes available with Nationalism has been disabled to prevent a game killer exploit.
All of these features are built into your game and you need not do anything special to make them function during game play. If you would like to discuss the details of implementing the Single Player features of the PTW Expansion Pack, we have an open discussion thread for those topics in the Civ3 GOTM discussion forums.
Significant feature modification.
The base worker task turns required to build Airfields have been increase from 1 up to
288. This effectively sets the time required for an individual worker to build
an airfield at three times the number of turns required for the same worker to clear the jungle
from a terrain square in the early game. Airfields are also restricted to only being built on
Desert, Plains, Grassland, and Tundra. You may stack workers in crews to build airfields
in less elapsed time but the first worker will still die in a construction accident
when the Airfield is completed.
Significant feature modification.
The base worker task turns required to build Radar Towers have been increase from 1 up to
48. This effectively sets the time required for an individual worker to build
a Radar Tower at eight turns in the modern age. You may stack workers in crews to build Radar Towers
in less elapsed time but the first worker will still die in a construction accident
when the Radar Tower is completed.
Loading the Graphics Packages
If you have not previously installed additional unit graphics into your Civ3 game, do not be concerned that is process may alter or change your regular games. Additional unit graphics can only be recognized by those game files where the units have been inserted internally into the game rules.
The Game Graphics for Gotm17 are divided into three pieces:
The "Squid" unit graphics first
used in Gotm16 are now potentially required for all GOTM games. If you already have
this unit installed from Gotm16 and you are playing Gotm17 in PTW then
need to do nothing else for the squid to function. If you need to install the squid, you may
download that unit independently by clicking on this link.Make
sure you have the "squid" unit folder properly and permanently installed
in the .../Civilization III/Art/Units/ folder and not in the corresponding folder that
is tucked under your /Civ3PTW directory.
Your Unique Unit (UU) for this game
is the Numidian Mercenary and is already installed in PTW.
Every player for Gotm17 must install
added graphics files that are included in the zip folder along
with your starting save game file. Read the readme.txt file that is included in your
download package to install the graphics folders before your initiate
the Civ3 game for the first time and attempt to load and play your game. Once again make
sure these unit graphics folders are properly installed in
the .../Civilization III/Art/Units/ folder.
Please read and follow the instructions in the readme.txt files that are included with your game download pack before you attempt to load and play the game.
Beginning Play for Gotm17-Carthage
Prior to March 1st, when you download the Gotm17-Carthage game pack, you will have all the components that you need to setup the game but you will not have the starting save game file. This files will not be available until March 1st to help us avoid risk of spoilers while allowing players to freely discuss what they think the game announcement means and how they expect to use certain strategies in the game. If you would like to carefully read the Gotm17-Carthage game announcement, then you may participate in the Pregame Discussion thread in in the CivFanatics Discussion Forums. Once you open the starting save game file to begin play, you must either be very careful not to spoil the Pregame discussion or you must choose to no longer participate in the Pregame discussion in any way. This is a player courtesy to all the other players who may not have started their games and who do not want to have their games spoiled or disrupted in any way by release of any information about the surprise features of the game.
If you need any assistance with getting your game to play or if you have any questions
about what you may post of discuss about the Gotm17-Carthage game, you may contact a knowledgable
GOTM staff representative by email at one of three email addresses:
gotm@civfanatics.net
gotm_submit@civfanatics.net
quick_start@civfanatics.net
You may not post any messages or questions related to internal content of the game in any public discussion forum outside of the Civ3 Game Of The Month discussion forum on CivFanatics.com as long as the game is open for play by other players. This prohibition is designed to protect you and other players from inadvertent spoilers or leaks that could disrupt your enjoyment of the game.
You may freely discuss features of the games, strategy, and tactics in the spoiler discussion threads in the Civ3 Game Of The Month discussion Forum when those discussions have been opened by a moderator and when you meet the tests of being far enough along in your game to join in the discussion of events that have already taken place. Spoiler discussion threads ARE NOT designed to provide you with tips and cheats to help you play your current game.
Gotm17-Carthage is an Archipelago landmass game. This means you can anticipate some separation of landmasses by intervening bodies of ocean (dark blue terrain). The first spoiler discussion thread will not open until March 5th, 2003 and this initial discussion will be totally restricted to areas of the map defined by your starting Archipelago. No discussions or screenshots of how, where, or when, you get off of this start position will be included in this initial spoiler discussion.
We want you to plan ahead for these discussion breaks and try to preserve save files and/or
screenshots that correspond to the time periods just before you begin any
exploration (if you do explore). Try to save map views of the world immediately before
you gain contact with any of your rivals and then immediately following any events where
contacts or maps or partial maps of the world may be traded.
The discussion of these parts of the game may be exciting and very enjoyable and
if you are prepared to participate in the second discussion phase, then you will get
a lot more out of the process.
Any
players who carefully document how their world map unfolds by using images of
maps and minimaps and then present their experiences in the second discussion phase will
be individually acknowledged with "player's choice" recognition in the Gotm17-Carthage results
and the GOTM Staff will carefully review these player contributions to select players who may be
eligible for the own personal GOTM Player Profile page as well as recognition in a news announcement
on the frontpage of the CivFanatics web site.
Quick Start Challenge: If you would like to participate in the optional QSC portion of the GOTM competitions you will need to prepare a timeline of events covering the details of your game and your decisions up to the end of the 1000bc turn. To particpate in the QSC, you must submit your timeline and a copy of your 1000bc save file to quick_start@civfanatics.net prior to March 20th, 2003. If you would like more details on how the QSC event is processed as a separate competitive learning event, you may view the QSC Information Pages.
Good luck in playing Gotm17-Carthage and we hope you find the game and enjoyable and exciting opportunity to share your Civ playing experiences with other CivFanatics. If this is your first GOTM experience, please take sometime to browse the Civ3 GOTM website on CivFanatics and familiarize yourself with some examples of past GOTM games so that you will be more familiar with how the games are conducted and how some of the procedures work to provide you with a quality and enjoyable gaming experience. Remember that discussing and sharing your experiences in the GOTM games are an important part of what continues to make the GOTM of Civfanatics one of the premier Civilization gaming experiences in the world. Here is your link to download your Gotm17-Carthage game pack to begin installation and play:
