How to fix this game

[Æovin]

0. Install the recent 2015/2017/2019/2022 visual studio redistributables both
x86: https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe
x64: https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe

1. Download: https://github.com/narzoul/DDrawCompat/releases/ → DDrawCompat v0.5.1 → DDrawCompat-v0.5.1.zip

2. Put ddraw.ddl → (...Steam\steamapps\common\Europa 1400 The Guild - Gold Edition)

3a. Deutsche Version: Starte das Spiel über die Steam Bibliothek ! → Wähle "Launch with newer graphics cards".

3b. English Edition: Start the game from your Steam Library ! → Chose "Play The Guild Gold Edition".

4. Check if you started the right version: Graphics Options/Grafikoptionen -> Terrain Detail/Landschaftsdarstellung
(if you can't see the slider in the option menu you messed up step 3a/b)

(5) Use shift+F11 to open a menu which enables you to enhance the graphics enormously

Sometimes you can`t move after loading -> save -> quit the game -> start it again -> load

[DerRicker]

Whats this ? :)

[Æovin]

It`s a way to prevent those crashes which are occurring on most systems.

[Zorelnam]

How do we know this is not a virus?

[Æovin]

I`m not the creator of this file - no guarantee.
I used it without virus notification but if your anti-virus software doesn`t like the file you don`t need to use it.

[warpedgabs]

Thanks! This fixed the game and is working perfectly.

[DerRicker]

does it fix mp ? :o

[Æovin]

1. can`t check
2. don`t know
3. sorry

[DerRicker]

thats bad. i played it today with a friend of mine mp together over lan..
played like 30 years. with a couple of times loading the game again cause of crashes ..

i downloaded the dll. and did the stepps when i start the game with " newer graphics card" it wount start. but normal starting works for me

next time i give it a try into Lan with my friend and will give an update here

[Nobody’s Home]

Still crashes.

[Æovin]

Consider to install directx 9 ( https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8109 ) and restart your PC. Usually thats all.

[Nobody’s Home]

Thanks, but does not help.
I managed to notice that the game crashes due to a random event (at the very beginning of it). Something like a fire ... But I saw a lot of them - so this is not graphics. I generally lived a couple of dozen game years. And I tried to be in different places at the moment of the crash.
So this is an in-game breakdown.

[Ertman81]

Thanks, fixed the lag for me.

[Internet Algae]

One more thing that can be done is changing the emperor/pope history file so that there's only one for the whole who never dies; this avoids the 'reset of relationships between everyone when they die' bug. I don't have the exact edit right now, but I remember it being fairly easy to do, though it might require a hexeditor. You'll also need to play with the "historical" setting on obviously.

Will try to post the edited file later.

[Pavliss88]

I run game in HD resolution, but game felt down after first election to the office...

[Pavliss88]

After that first fall game worked great. I played like 6 hours without crash. Thank you very much for this fix!