HELP!!! - A Major Blunder!!!

[papamike1959]

Man, did I apparently do a VERY stupid thing! Although already having a copy of HOI (Version 1.0, bought Sep 2002), I purchased a newer copy of the game yesterday (Version 1.02), thinking there might be significant differences in performance. After uninstalling the older version and performing a file cleaning to remove any remaining traces, I installed the newer version. What I found were differences in the unit names, the unit colors of the minor powers were all the same (color of Norway), and the weather screen didn't seem to work (i.e., no weather to speak of). Seeing this, I decided to reinstall the older version.

To my horror, after performing the reinstall, I saw exactly the same things as with the newer version...same unit names, minor power units of all the same color, and no weather! Installing the 1.04 patch seemed to correct everything, except the weather. What I now have, and this is the same with either copy of the software, is that the weather doesn't change in some areas. Running the game in the 1936 scenario from 1 Jan until 1 August, I watched Berlin, Chateauroux in France, and the North Sea area receive snow from the beginning until 1 April...when it then changed to rain, which continued until I ended the game!
The Reichstag surely must be flooded by now!!!

All kidding aside, I assume that I've managed to corrupt files in both copies of the software in some fashion. I don't know if the newer copy's files were the source, or if there were some hidden files of the older one that I missed. As far as I can tell, the only area of the game effected after installing the 1.04 patch IS the weather screen, every other function appears to be working as it should. Would anyone, from my fellow HOI players to anyone at Paradox, have any suggestions for a cure? Any assistance is most certainly appreciated. I have a Dell Dimension 4400 with Windows XP Home OS, a Pentium 4 processor @ 1.7GHz, 256MB DDR SDRAM @ 266MHz, a 40GB ATA-100 7200 rpm HD, a 16X DVD-ROM drive, a 64 MB NVidia GeForce2 MX graphics card, and SB Live! 1024 Digital sound card.

One last thing, when I bought the older version last year, it already had two saved games on it (which now appear on either of my copies)! Apparently someone at Strategy First was either playing or testing, because that was part of the computer name left next to Germany on the bottom of the scenario screen. Odd that they never replied when I e-mailed them about that.

 

[Castellon]

Why would you purchase another copy?

You could have just patched your original.

My advice is to reinstall your original version and install the 1.04 patch. Make sure you clear the register and manually delete all folders and files.

You may want to check the bug forum first and see if this is a known bug in 1.04.

 

[papamike1959]

Why would I purchase another? A good question. As I mentioned at the end of my original post, there were two saved games with a Strategy First id already on the copy I originally purchased last year...which gave me the idea that I may have a copy that was meant only for testing, then had slipped through quality control and was shipped for retail sale. I just thought that a newer copy of the software, and one actually meant for retail sale, might perform better in general than what I already owned. I have actually installed all four of the available patches over the time I've had that original copy, and had been playing it recently with the 1.04 patch installed.

And I had tried what you suggested in clearing all traces of the game from my pc, then reinstalling the older copy and adding the 1.04 patch. The basic versions of either copy are now exactly the same, as if the programing has been rewritten and merged on both. I've come to the conclusion that some file or other part of the game was missed during the cleaning I did, and has caused the problem. Installing the 1.04 patch DOES apparently cure all the problems I mentioned...except for the weather.

After my first posting last night, I popped the game back in and played it for six months of game time. Actually, it seemed to play quite well, and the weather problem didn't seemed to be as widespread as earlier...although there were still some areas in Europe that received precipitation every hour of every day. Water must be up to the base of the Victory statue atop the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin by now...lol!

 

[Castellon]

Well, you could have saved yourself some money by checking here first. However now you can give a copy away and play MP.

 

[papamike1959]

The Game Is Doing A-OK!!!

After a few days of playing, my game seems to be working properly...even the weather! I've been playing six months of game time at each sitting (on the Below Normal game speed setting), and the weather problem disappeared by 1 Jan 1937. The only oddity I noticed was that the Nationalists won the Spanish Civil War in approximately two months, with virtually no opposition. Then again, one can never be certain what the ai is going to do, lol!.

I'll probably take that extra copy and trade it in, along with some other games that I no longer play, on my next trip to the nearest pc/video games store. Hey, at least I'll get something out of it besides giving myself a major aggravation!

Castellon, thanks for your input...its been greatly appreciated!!!

 

[Castellon]

Get a store credit and wait for Victoria.