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This How-To will explaing how to obtain, install and configure Civilization III conquest in order to play multiplayer over internet. Multiplayer game is quite different from single and at least by my opinion -- far more exiting.

Disclaimer: If you decide to follow steps bellow be warned that you are doing it AT YOUR OWN RISK. I don't take any responsibilty if your PC stop working / get damaged / infected with viruses or universe collapses.

Note: In order to be able to perform steps bellow you will need some basic technical knowlegde like downloading torrents, extracting (rar) archives (similar to zip), mounting virtual CDs (daemon tools, Alchohol 120% or similar).

1. Obtaining the Civilization III

There are two options:

1.1. Buy the game

I am not sure if it is still in sale. Check in your local software store if it is available. This is recommendable option. You will need Civilization III Conquest (ask if Conquest package includes Civ III. If not -- you will need Civilization III too).

If you bough the game install it following it's instructions and jump directly to step 4.

1.2. Download the game

You can check you favorite torrent site if Civ III is available. If not you may use following torrent:

http://zamunda.net/

Note: In most countries it is illegal to download and install pirated software (like downloaded from torrent site). You may go to jail (you will have a lot of time to play civ3 in there).

Please note that it is in bulgarian. Fear not, click on the UK's flag in top left corner and it will switch to english.

You will need to register -- it is free. After registring and logging in go back to home page, find the search box and enter in it "Civilization III" (without the quotes):

Hit the "Search!" button and following results will appear:

There is just one match (at least of the time of writing this article) and that is exatcly what you need -- "Civilization III Complete".

Download it.

2. Unpacking the archives

Go to directory where your torrent downloads get stored in directory "Civilization III Conquest". There are two files in there:

• CivIIIConquests.rar
• Civilization III.rar

3.Installing

Here you need first to "mount" virtual CD. Softwares that can accomplish this are (for example) Daemon Tools or Alchohol 120%. Links are to fully functional trial versions.

3.1. Installing Civilization III

First you need to mount Civilization III. File is named "Civilization 3.mds".

With Daemon Tools you do it as follows: right click on Daemon tools icon (red lightning), Virtual CD / DVD Rom -> Device 0: [G:] No media -> Mount image. In your case it may show different drive letter like "Device 0: [E:] No media" or D or whatever. Remember this drive letter.

File browser window will open. Navigate to your extracted Civilization III directory and select "Civilization 3.mds":

Selecting file to mount

Hit "Open" button and now Civilization III is mounted.

Open "My computer" or Windows explorer and you will see your virtual CD:

In my case it is on drive G:. Open it and run Setup. Follow the instruction in the installation wizard.

You have installed Civ III.

3.2. Updating Civ3 to latest version

Now go to directory of the extracted CivIIIConquest. There is a file Civ3v129f. Run it in order to update your Civ3 to latest version.

3.3. Installing Civilization III Conquest

You will need to mount file dev-cv3c.cue found in your extracted CivIIIConquest subdir CIVILIZATION.3.CONQUEST-DEViANCE/dev-cv3c/

Autorun will start. Follow installation wizard.
At some point you will be asked to install GameSpy Arcade -- install it also. You will need this to chat and find games in the game lobby.
At the end ot the installation of GameSpy Arcade you will be asked to update itself to latest version -- do so. After that you will have to create account in GameSpy -- do so. PLEASE NOTE: your nick in gamespy have to be different than your nick in the game itself otherwise both programs will conflict (resulting in that your chat will not be visible in GS, i.e. others will not see your messages). Usually nick in the GS is suffixed with "-gs". For example if you nick in the game is "Ogre", use "Ogre-gs" in GameSpy.

3.4. Updating Civ3 Conquest to latest version

In your extracted CivIIIConquest directory there is a file civ3conquestsv122full.exe. Run it in order to update Civ3 conques to version 1.22.

3.5. Placing No-CD version

In extracted CivIIIConquest directory there is a file CIVILIZATION.3.CONQUESTS.V1.22.ENG.FAIRLIGHT.BACKUPCD.ZIP. Extract it's contents into C:\Program Files\Infogrames Interactive\Civilization III\Conquest\

You will be asked to replace Civ3Conquests.exe -- do so.

OK, now you have all the software that you need to play.

4. Configuring the game

Start the game (Civ3 conquest). Go to preferences and make sure they look like (click on the image for bigger version):

5. Register yourself in the league

Go to http://civ3.civplayers.com/ and register yourself -- it is free. By registering you can take part in so called league / ladder games, i.e. games result of which is taken into account and each player has it's rank depending on his win/lost games. At the time of writing Top5 looks like:

You think you are good? Well see how you match the players above :-).

League has it's rules. Please read them.

6. Joining a multiplayer game

We usually find games at the game lobby in GameSpy. That is the place where all civ3 players meet in order to arrange games.

Start your gamespy and log-in using your account. On the left you will see:

Click on "Civilization III Conquest".

On the next screen in the middle click on "Main lobby" link. OK, now you are in the main lobby.

6.1. Main lobby explained

On the picture bellow you will see following areas:

(1) List of current games that are looking for more players

(2) Chat area -- here you can chat with other players in lobby

(3) List with the players in the lobby

6.2. Game types

6.2.1. Game types depending on accepted players

• open games -- everyone can join
• ladder games -- only registered ladder players can join. Result of the game is recorded and affects player's rank. Such games are usually protected by passwords. More about that will follow shortly.

6.2.2. Game types depending on numbers of players and their relation

• Duel -- 2 players playing vs each other. Winner is determined either by "last man standing" or highest score.
• Teamer -- 4 or more players playing in 2 teams. Often refered as MPT. Ladder games are played on scenario MPTournament.biq. Winner team is determined either by "last man standing" or highest score (team's aggregate).
• CTON -- 3 or more players playing vs each other. Winner is determined either by "last man standing" or highest score.

6.2.3. Game types depending on starting era

• ancient -- game starts 4000BC. Reffered as "anc";
• future -- game starts in modern era (not sure exactly which year, never played).

6.2.4. CTON subtypes depending on killer bonus

• killer -- if you kill someone you receive bonus points (usually +50). Bonus poinst are added at the end of the game to the player's score (manually);
• normal / non killer.

6.2.5. CTON subtypes depending on scenario

• UU (stands for unique unit(s)) -- each nation can build all unique units (even from other nations) if have needed resources in resource box. Ladder games are played with UUmadness v1.05 scenario;
• MPTournament -- played on MPTournament.biq scenario with CTON rules.

6.3. How to read game names

In the game list you will see games named like:

• MPT_anc_pw=mpt -- MPT means teamer, anc -- ancient starting age, pw=mpt means that password is mpt
• KUUanc_lad -- K stands for killer, UU -- unique unit (CTON), anc -- ancient starting age, lad means ladder
• Ogre's game -- shows host of the game. In such cases usually host advertises game type in the chat
• UU_ladder_Ogre -- ok, clearly it is UU ladder game. If it is password protected -- you have to PM (more on that follows) the host (Ogre) to give you the password.

6.4. Actual joining to game

Start Civ3 conquest, go to Multiplayer->Internet. Games will show up. Double click on the game. If game is password protected -- you will be asked for password.

Sometimes you will have to connect to a game by IP. Instead of lookig for the game, hit "Direct connect" button and enter the IP that host gaved to you.

This entry was posted by Ognyan Bankov on Monday, May 4th, 2009 at 10:58:01 and is filed under Други. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.