Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword

[lymond]

(I'm posting here as there is no way to get support or send feedback through the support system for this game)

Steam made modifications to Civ IV quite some years ago to accommodate the Steam multiplayer system after Gamespy shutdown their servers. Since that time the Civ IV expansions, like BTS , have been standalone. Beyond the Sword (the definitive version of Civ IV) has the message "Requires Steam Version of Civ IV". While that was the case in the old days and with other DD versions, I do not believe that to still be the case with the Steam version of Civ IV expansions. However, it still causes many that I help to be confused about what they are required to purchase. The IV: Colonization expansion does actually read that it does not require the vanilla game.

Please confirm if IV vanilla is required or not with Beyond The Sword. If not, please update the alert on the BTS store page. Thank you

[Maria]

head to it's discussion board ---> https://steamcommunity.com/app/8800/discussions/

[Satoru]

I mean yes you can’t play MP between other versions since you know Gamespy doesn’t exist anymore?

DLC on Steam needs the Steam version of the base game. That’s not new

Civ4 Colonization is a total conversion of Civ4 so it doesn’t need the base game. The others do as they are expansions to the existing game

[lymond]

Originally posted by Satoru:

I mean yes you can’t play MP between other versions since you know Gamespy doesn’t exist anymore?

DLC on Steam needs the Steam version of the base game. That’s not new

Civ4 Colonization is a total conversion of Civ4 so it doesn’t need the base game. The others do as they are expansions to the existing game

Yeah, I know all about that. I have been playing the game for almost 20 years, including different versions and the disks.

My question is specifically about the need for vanilla to play BTS, i.e., validate it. I know BTS does run standalone, and has a separate folder structure with Steam. That includes the vanilla assets. BTS can be purchased separately and run without vanilla installed. This question is not for me but so I can support players on CFC, where I am a mod, and discord.

I believe vanilla may not be required anymore to run the Steam version of BTS and; therefore, the alert is outdated. I would like Steam to review and confirm this.

[Lithurge]

Originally posted by lymond:

I believe vanilla may not be required anymore to run the Steam version of BTS and; therefore, the alert is outdated. I would like Steam to review and confirm this.

Posting here isn't going to get Steam to do anything, the only 'employees' we see around here are mods when they lock a discussion that's been reported.

It's going to need the publisher to engage with Steam to get it fixed.

[lymond]

Originally posted by Lithurge:

Originally posted by lymond:

I believe vanilla may not be required anymore to run the Steam version of BTS and; therefore, the alert is outdated. I would like Steam to review and confirm this.

Posting here isn't going to get Steam to do anything, the only 'employees' we see around here are mods when they lock a discussion that's been reported.

It's going to need the publisher to engage with Steam to get it fixed.

gotcha

[Satoru]

Note I think you're confusing things

Its still an expansion, meaning you are required to own the base game to purchase it. Its sort of irrelevant that it can 'run' outside of that bcasue its still considered an expansion and thus before ran on top of the existing install

otehrwise lirterally no one woudl buy civ4. they'd just get BTS since its cheaper and 'runs'

[lymond]

Originally posted by Satoru:

Note I think you're confusing things

Its still an expansion, meaning you are required to own the base game to purchase it. Its sort of irrelevant that it can 'run' outside of that bcasue its still considered an expansion and thus before ran on top of the existing install

Otherwise literally no one woudl buy civ4. they'd just get BTS since its cheaper and 'runs'

Everything you said, I already fully understand. And actually, you can purchase BTS on Steam separately. It is irrelevant to me personally, as I've owned the game for at least 10 years on Steam (before other DD versions, and I used to play on the original disks - I know completely how it works. The question was for someone else who posed it on firaxis' discord. I am a mod at CFC and try to help folks as much as possible. Since I purchased Complete years ago, I was trying to answer his question about whether he could just purchase BTS on Steam without base. (I know that, in that past, and other versions, one had to have vanilla to install and activate BTS).

However, I also know that Steam significantly changed the assets. BTS used to install within the higher-level vanilla core assets. Now, BTS on Steam, at least technically, is completely standalone, folder structure and all, to the root. So, basically could one just buy BTS on Steam and play it, or would they still have to buy vanilla just to get BTS to run as it does say on the Store Page. Probably so, but otherwise, BTS does not need vanilla at all. I was just wondering if maybe that alert was outdated now. (There is no way for me to know )