Couldnt get further than the loading screen

[Roma]

Right. Since my last post, i have removed EBv.08 and re-downloaded it. All is good, and i put it in the Creative Assembly Folder, the bit in which my v1.5 RTW resides. Anyway, i click on the icon with my RTW disk in the drive, nd i get the typical loading screen. This is all well and good, but then that disappears, leaving me with just the normal desktop screen. I do the CTRL-ALT-DELETE thing, which usually tells me if anything is running. I know this is in itself working ,as when i run something like Microsoft Works then it shows up. Also, when i tried to get a screenshot for this post, an error message came up saying something about an error in the scripts over building. Is this because i was on the internet at the time? Might be a stupid question, but im not really that great at RTW scripts. Have i a corrupted download?

[Roma]

Alright, i found the supposed error:


Script Error in eb/data/export_descr_buildings.txt. at line 27230, column 146

Unexpected


And thats not me saying unexpected, that was actually on the error message. When i looked on this address, i did notice something odd. Among a load of building descriptions with the original RTW factions, like the Julii or the Parthians, there was the Saba, which i know to be on EB. I have my suspicions that the download was corrupt. Am i right?

[MSB]

Check you have RTW patched to 1.5.

[Tellos Athenaios]

@ Avlvs: apparently he did.
@ Roma, yeah looks like some corrupted download. But, having had similair trouble with installing EB 0.7.4, I recommend you try something else first:
1) Get a clean RTW 1.0 install (that's from the Disc)
2) Create a back up (for safety, and future convenience)
3) Patch it to 1.2 (here's what went wrong during my install of 0.7.4: the patch was somehow mucked up)
4) Patch it to 1.3
5) Patch it to 1.5
6) Make a back up (for safety and future convenience again)
7) Install EB 0.8

Just for 'safety', make sure all the files you use are uncompressed, and unzipped.

Should you, for whatever reason, be unable to play EB after step 7, you can now try and fiddle with different downloads & combinations. And that's where the back ups come in really handy...

Also: make sure you point the EB installer to you RTW folder, and not your ...\Data folder.

[Bonny]

)

Patch it to 1.2 (here's what went wrong during my install of 0.7.4: the patch was somehow mucked up)

Patch 1.2 is not needed any more. You can skip that step and install 1.3 on 1.0

[Dol Guldur]

Why the successive patches? The CA patches are cumulative. I have installed RTW/BI many times and never used anything but the CDs and the 1.6 patch. (and the RTW latest patch before buying BI).

[Roma]

Alright guys, i have a couple of questions/statements, that may sound a tad stupid, i just dont know;

1) We have two computers in the house, one upstairs (my laptop), and the one downstairs which i have downloaded EB onto. On the PC upstairs, i have RTW and BI. Does this mean that the RTW i have installed downstairs with the same disk has been also modified with BI?

2)OK. Assuming that it has been modified and i have a clean 1.0, how do i create backups? I am not very good at all this programming stuff, and in your list of things to do, creating backups seems well nigh essential.

3)How do i get all of the necessary stuff uncompressed and unzipped?

Oh and thanks for all the help. Its very much appreciated!

[Tellos Athenaios]

If you haven't installed BI downstairs, regardless of whatever is installed upstairs: you don't have BI downstairs.

A back up really isn't anything different from a copy. So the only thing you'd need to do is right click your RTW folder, select copy, paste it somewhere else... and wait till your computer is finished.

To unzip: go to the apropiate Winzip Archive, select the installer and press extract: this will bring up a screen in which you can select a target folder (the folder where the data will be extracted to).

To get your files decompressed: right click the folder which contains all the content that needs to be decompressed, go to properties, go to the 'advanced button', and there you'll see the 'Compress contents to save disk space' box. If this has been selected, then deselect it. It's standard though to have all data uncompressed (so if you haven't been messing around to save disk space, you won't need to worry about this).

[Pode]

What I did that worked for me, was to install RTW off the disc, then install BI from disc, then apply patch 1.6, then install EB. I changed the EB shortcut to use RTW-BI.exe instead of RTW.exe and was off to the races. By using the BI exe, I'm getting AI naval invasions that other folks don't seem to see much of, so I would recommend that highly since you own BI.
Word of warning, though. After doing this, my regular RTW.exe launches Civ 4 Warlords. Not the shortcut pointing to the wrong program, the actual RTW program itself fires up Civ 4 I'm not overly concerned, because Civ 4 still starts itself normally, and after EB I can't imagine EVER wanting to play vanilla again, but your mileage may vary.

[Roma]

ok, i've re-installed RTW. Does it matter that every time i go on the Imperial Campaign RTW turns off? Should i just continue and install BI, and then 1.6?
I have a feeling that its mucked up because of modifications made by RTR. I read that it does, when un-installed, leave something in the directory that needs to be deleted. But since that was so long ago, does it matter? If it does, what do i need to delete? Or am i wrong, and nothing needs to be deleted?

[blacksnail]

I recommend, upon re-installing RTW, doing so in a different directory than before. EB and RTR were not designed to share the same copy of RTW at the same time.

Try creating a "RTW-EB" directory or something and install all EB stuff there.

[Roma]

How do i do that?

[Tellos Athenaios]

Or, hit start, control panel, add/remove programs. And remove your RTW from there: this will erase all traces of RTW from your hard drive (well at least WINDOWS won't be able to see them anymore, so neither will the installer). It is something like: "If the uninstaller fails to do it's job, I still have the 'control panel' to sort it out." But it works... like a charm.

[blacksnail]

Roma, try following the instructions in this post and see if it works.

[Roma]

i have got a fair few responses to my query, so i have no choice but to try each solution in turn. This is just a progress report:

the first one ive recently tried is the one from Pode;

i installed BI; after that i did the 1.6 patch. I download EBv0.8 from one of the sites mentioned on the homepage. I try to play it, get as far as the loading screen and then it all goes back to the screensaver, which goes blue. Upon trying to restart the computer (i got annoyed with it as it takes ETERNITY, so i switched it off at the wall) it came up with a message saying it had to check the integrity of disk c. Im trying Blacksnails solution now.......

[Bonny]

it came up with a message saying it had to check the integrity of disk c. Im trying Blacksnails solution now.......

this sounds serious

[Roma]

I know Bonny, i know. For Blacksnail, a question:

When you mean save to a different directory, you mean the address in the computer i save it to, right? If this is the case and im just being stupid, would it be safe to save it to the Activision folder? Or would i have to create a new folder? If so, how? I'm not really up to date (so to speak) with all of this computer jiggery-wiggery......

I seriously dont mean to be patronising in any way whatsoever, and i know you gave me a straightforward guide, but could you make it simpler in anyway? Please?

[blacksnail]

Sure thing, Roma! I should be able to sit down later tonight and work up a basic walkthrough with some screenshots for you.

EDIT: My apologies, did not have as much time as I thought and it will have to wait for tomorrow - in the meantime, I should have said "create a new folder." For example, when RTW asks where I want to install it I typically type in:

C:\Games\RTW

Then say "yes" if the computer asks whether or not I want to create the folder. Then when I install EB I would tell it to go to C:\Games\RTW as well. Both the RTW folder and the EB folder need to match up during the install or the mod won't even load.

[Roma]

Cheers Blacksnail. I might not be able to do the download until the weekend though.....

[Tellos Athenaios]

this sounds serious

Sounds like WINDOWS to me... You know, that sort of language which is only used by your PC to nag you...each and every time you did something...

Now, seriously though: it's more of a standard message that appears when you've completely 'removed' any power supply (generally not that harmful), which was the case, or when you've mucked it up otherwise.

[Roma]

Blacksnail, are you going to do that guide? Otherwise, i have no idea what is going to happen!

[blacksnail]

My apologies. Real life took precedence over EB this past weekend. I will do what I can to get something up within the next few days.

[Roma]

thanks a lot!

[blacksnail]

Hey Roma, I haven't forgotten you but my time has not been my own lately. I am very sorry for the continued delays. I hope to have time by the weekend to get this done.

[Roma]

i know your time isnt your own, but if your arent even in the process it is getting pretty darn ridiculous!

[Foot]

i know your time isnt your own, but if your arent even in the process it is getting pretty darn ridiculous!

Woah! Don't be so harsh here, Blacksnail works damnhard for us and for the fanbase and it is not fair that you attack him like this. He hasn't had time to help you because - he hasn't had time to help you. Perhaps you would rather he quit his job and move in with you full-time as your technical consultant slave? At least he had the decency to apologise.

Bascially, respect the fact that Blacksnail is volunteering to help you and don't get angry if other, more important commitments stop him from doing so.

Foot

[Roma]

im sorry. i find it admirable that you defend him like you have done.

[Tellos Athenaios]

In the meanwhile: did you get EB to work on your PC?

[Roma]

no, not at all

[Tellos Athenaios]

Well, since you have been trying to so much, and have been left without succes... I suppose, let's start all over again. For larger versions of the pictures in this reply, left click them.

Beginning with:

Step 1: Uninstalling your previous RTW & EB installs

Hit/ Click start and left click "Control Panel":
Go to "Add/Remove Programs", and left click this tool:
Wait a bit, and you'll see a list of programs. Now, find all traces of RTW, and click remove: . If you're asked whether you're sure, well - you are! Are you not?
Do the same with all traces of EB you find: .

Step 2: Installing RTW from the disc

Which needs no further explanation. Though, for convenience, you may want to write down in which folder you installed RTW - since you'll need that piece of information later on.

Step 3: Preparing your RTW install for EB

Make a back up of your newly installed RTW. To do so, create a new folder outside of the folder which you installed RTW in, and copy your RTW folder to that folder. Now, you basically should have two folders containing the whole RTW install.
Next, load up RTW, just as you would do to start playing it, but when you get to the main menu: select "Options". You should now see what version number your RTW is. This number is the key to what you're going to do next: patching.

If your install was 1.0, or 1.1 you must patch to 1.3 and then to 1.5 using the patches provided by CA. These should auto detect which folder you installed RTW in. After that run RTW another time, and check if your version number now reads "1.5".

If your install was 1.5: you don't need to patch at all.

Step 4: Installing EB

Make sure you have downloaded EB v0.8.1 Full Install - this is the easiest, and fastest way to install the latest EB build. Use this link: https://www.europabarbarorum.com/downloads_mod.html
When you have to select a folder to save the file in, select "desktop".

Now, run the EB installer: when it asks you to specify your destination folder, fill in the exact same folder, as the one which you installed RTW in.

And then, give it a try!