Civilization V

Sid Meier's Civilization V

Developer(s)	Firaxis Games
Publisher(s)	2K Games
First release date	Windows September 21, 2010 Mac OS X November 23, 2010

Civilization V: Gods & Kings

Developer(s)	Firaxis Games
Publisher(s)	2K Games
First release date	Windows and Mac OS X June 19, 2012

Civilization

Civilization	1991
Civilization II	1996
Conflicts in Civilization
Fantastic Worlds
Test of Time
Civilization III	2003
Play the World
Conquests
Civilization IV	2005
Warlords
Beyond the Sword
Civilization IV: Colonization	2008
Civilization V	2010
Gods & Kings
Brave New World

Key points

Game is actively maintained by Firaxis, with periodic updates.

Patches tend to introduce severe bugs into the game.

Poor multiplayer support.

The Mac version is outsourced to a third party, causing periodic conflict and incompatibility between PC and Mac versions.

General information

2K Games Forum - Official Civilization V Forum.

Steam Forum - Older Steam forum for Civilization series.

Steam Civilization V Discussion - New Community Discussions for Civilization V (Steam account required).

Steam Forum Troubleshooting Thread - Troubleshooting Guide for PC Steam versions.

CivFanatics very large Civilization community.

Availability

Source(s)	Store unlock	Notes
Retail		All versions activate on Steam. Game of the Year Edition includes most DLC. Gold Edition includes all DLC.
Steam		Gold Edition includes all DLC.
Greenman Gaming
GamersGate

All retails and digital versions of Civilization V and its DLC require Steam, and redeem on Windows and Mac.

There is a version sold in the Mac App Store called Campaign Edition. This is not compatible with retail or Steam DLC or expansions, and lacks online multiplayer.

Gold Edition

This is the recommended version of Civilization V, as it contains all current DLC.

Gold Edition Upgrade

If one has Civilization V base game in the Steam account, then one can upgrade to Gold at a reduced price.

The upgrade is not a store item, it can only be found on the Civilization V Steam Store page.

Game of The Year Edition

Some outlets are still selling the less desirable Game of the Year Edition, which is a less complete package than the Gold Edition.

Included DLC	Not included DLC
Civilization and Scenario Pack: Mongolia (Free) Explorer's Map Pack Civilization and Scenario Pack: Denmark - The Vikings Civilization and Scenario Pack: Polynesia Double Civilization and Scenario Pack: Spain and Inca Cradle of Civilization: Mesopotamia Cradle of Civilization: Americas Cradle of Civilization: Asia Cradle of Civilization: Mediterranean Babylon	Gods and Kings expansion Korea Wonders of The Ancient World DLC.

Improvements

Mods

Steam Workshop and subscriptions

The easiest way to find mods is to browse Steam Workshop.

Installing mods in Steam Workshop • Link Subscribed mods will automatically download on any computers with Civilization V when the Mod Menu is opened. The mod database often corrupts with Steam Workshop, causing all mods to redownload. Steam Workshop can be accessed from your Steam Library under Sid Meier's Civilization V After launching the game, click the Get Mods button in the Mods Menu, using the Steam Overlay, or from the Steam Workshop website. To download and install a mod, visit its workshop listing, and click "Subscribe".

Manual mod installation

Mods from other sources than Steam Workshop can be installed.

CivFanatics is a good place to find mods not listed on Steam Workshop.

Manual mod installation • Link Download the mod and extract the file. Copy contents into a folder inside %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\Mods. Start the game and open the Mod menu. If the Mod Database is corrupted or deleted, any manual mods will be deleted.

Activating mods

Activating Mods • Link From the main menu, click Mods, then agree to the terms of use. Click the checkbox next to any mods you want to use. Click Next to go to the Single Player Mod Menu. If an update is available, an update button will appear next to the mod in your Mod Menu. Clicking back on the mod menu to return to the main menu will deactivate all mods.

Miscellaneous

Improving waiting time between turns

Improving waiting time between turns • Link Download this file and rename it to lua51_Win32.dll Go to your Civilization V folder Replace the original lua51_Win32.dll with the one you downloaded Might cause issues with some mods It's a good idea to backup the original file before you replace it.

Increasing zoom level

Increasing zoom level • Link Go to %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\ Open the config.ini file using a text editor such as Notepad There you should find the following lines: ; How close you can get (11.0=default, 4.0=debug zoom) Minimum Zoom Level = 11.000000 By changing the "Minimum Zoom level value" from 11.0 to a lower value you will be able to zoom in closer once you save the changes you made to the file.

Game data

Configuration file location

	Location
Configuration	%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\config.ini
User Preferences	%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\UserSettings.ini
Graphics Settings (DirectX 9 Mode)	%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\GraphicsSettingsDX9.ini
Graphics Settings (DirectX 11 Mode)	%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\GraphicsSettingsDX11.ini

Save game location

	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\Saves

Steam cloud

Civilization V supports Steam Cloud storage for saved games.

PC and Mac saves

Save games for PC and Mac versions of Civ V use the same format but the filenames are different. To use a PC save on Mac, or a Mac save on PC, you must rename the save file.

Soundtrack locations

	Location
Game of The Year	C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\sid meier's civilization v\Assets\DLC\DLC_Deluxe\Soundtrack\
Gods and Kings	C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization V\assets\DLC\Expansion\Soundtrack\

Video settings

Graphics option	Native	Notes
Widescreen resolution		Vertical resolution must be above 768.
Multi-monitor
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed		See Borderless fullscreen windowed.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
Vertical sync (Vsync)

Supported resolutions

Civilization V requires 1024x768 or greater resolution. Any resolution above this will work (widescreen or full screen).

The game interface will not display properly at 720p.

Borderless fullscreen windowed

Functioning using Borderless Windowed.

Mouse offset may be 15px off vertically.

Change resolution Change resolution to any other. Change back to previous resolution. Screen should be stretched correctly, and hitboxes aligned. • Link

Issues and fixes

Issues with Gods and Kings

The issues with Gods and Kings are usually also present in the original game. The issues and fixes on this page apply for all versions of Civilization V, including Gods and Kings.

Issues with latest patches (March 2013)

Intel graphics

The latest patches contains many changes and optimizations for Intel. The latest drivers are required.

Texture errors

If you are getting several error messages saying "Terrain texture error" and "Texture load failed!" that mention a file with cerro_de_potosi in the name, this is caused by some old files from a previous version.

Texture Error • Link Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\sid meier's civilization v\Assets\terrain\pieces\Wonder_Potosi\ In each of the four folders (Africa, America, Asia, and Europe), look for any .CSV files beginning with Feature_ and delete them.

Reported bugs

The following bugs have been reported since the Fall patch (1.0.2.13, November 1, 2012):

• The game may crash when playing saved games from before the Fall patch.

• Some players have had serious graphic corruption. Some causes of this have been fixed in the latest patch.

• The game may crash when attacking with a city. This has been fixed in the latest patch.

• The game may crash during the loading screen. (NVIDIA users may be able to fix this with an updated driver. 9.18.13.697 (306.97) is reported to work.) Some cases of this have been fixed in the latest patch.

• The game may crash when attacking with units. This is probably related to the City Attack Crash, and should be resolved in the latest patch.

• Mods may constantly redownload. This has been fixed in the latest patch.

• Units may no longer take the optimal path to an ordered location. This has been partially fixed in the latest patch.

• Captured/recaptured Workers are unable to complete tile improvements - (documented in LAN multiplayer, untested in single player)

• Workers may not be able to build improvements near captured cities.

• Captured cities may automatically annex, without offering the options to create puppt, raze, or liberate. This has two known causes, a shortcut key-related bug, and a problem with the Mayans. This has been fixed in the latest patch.

• Peace treaties may not expire.

• The Danish unique ability (moving from water to land) may not work. This has been fixed in the latest patch.

• Without Gods and Kings, pillaging still states you will heal 25 HP, yet no healing occurs.

• Workers may require orders every turn after being near an enemy or enemy lands.

Basic troubleshooting

Verify game cache

The first step in fixing problems is verifying the game cache with Steam.

If you have run the game, one file will always fail to validate. This is normal and not a bug.

Check your steam connection

Civilization V requires a working connection to Steam for installation and activation.

Secondary installers

If Civilization V doesn't launch after installation, make sure the following programs are installed:

Secondary Installers • Link Exit Steam Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steamapps\common\sid meier's civilization v\ Run C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\Common\sid meier's civilization v\VCRedist\vcredist_x86.exe Run C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\Common\sid meier's civilization v\DirectX\DXSetup.exe Reboot your computer. If you are still having problems, and using Windows Vista or 7, run C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\Common\sid meier's civilization v\DirectX\D3D11Install.exe Reboot again.

Unable to run DirectX 11

If the DirectX 11 option is unavailable, try the following.

Ensure Steam is not running in Compatibility Mode.

Disabling Compatibility Mode • Link Quit out of Steam. Right-click on the Steam.exe application (found in the Steam installation folder) and select "Properties", then select the "Compatibility" tab. At the bottom of this tab is a button called "Change Settings for All Users". Click it. Make sure Compatibility Mode is unchecked. Relaunch Steam.

This may also be caused by out of date drivers.

DirectX 10/11 Mode will not work on XP.

Not all video cards are capable of running DirectX 10 or 11, even with Windows 7. Intel Core i3 integrated graphics do not support DirectX 11 Mode in Civilization V.

Steam Workshop issues

Mods may disappear, or subscribed mods will not download. Deleting the mods database can resolve this.

Clearing Mod Database • Link Go to %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\cache. Delete Civ5ModsDatabase.db. Restart the game, go to the Mods menu, and allow the mods to reinstall.

DLC troubleshooting

DLC may not be available or installed after purchase.

DLC Troubleshooting • Link Check the in-game DLC menu, and make sure DLC is listed and enabled. Go to your Steam Library and right click Sid Meier's Civilization V and select View Downloadable Content. Ensure your DLC is listed. If your DLC is not listed in the Steam Library, contact Steam Support. If your DLC is listed in the library, verify the game cache. If verifying doesn't work, do a complete uninstall and reinstall of the game.

Map Packs are not listed on the DLC menu or standard setup menu. To use the new maps, you need to go to advanced setup.

Game corruption

If for any reason, the game will not work and the other fixes here do not help, you have strange behavior in the game (such as a damaged interface/no interface), or the game suddenly begins crashing on loading a game, you may have problems with the database files, user settings, corrupted saves, or other damaged data files. These are stored in %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5. Everything in this folder can be deleted, and will be regenerated the next time the game is run, using the original factory settings for the game, with the following exceptions:

1. Saved games, logs, replays, or other user created data will be deleted unless a backup is made. This does not apply to Steam Cloud saves.
2. User settings (config.ini, GraphicsSettingsDX11.ini or equivalent, UserSettings.ini) will be removed and replaced with the default settings. All preferences, including screen resolution, will be reset and need to be changed.
3. All mods will be deleted. Steam Workshop mods will be redownloaded automatically, however mods from other sources will have to be reacquired.

Problems with files in the user folder are not checked by other troubleshooting means, for instance, verifying the game cache will overlook these files. Deleting the contents of this folder may correct many problems with the game. It should be done as a last resort, however.

You could also try deleting the contents of the %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\cache folder first, followed by the .ini files listed above, if you wish to preserve your data.

Complete reinstallation

If none of the above work, do the following to reinstall the game:

Complete Reinstall Instructions • Link Right click the game in your library and select "Delete Local Content". Alternatively, you can use the Windows Control Panel to uninstall the game. Delete the Sid Meier's Civilization 5 folder from %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games. Restart your computer. From Steam, right click the game in your library, and click Install Game. Run the game to reactivate and recreate the game folders.

Video and graphics issues

Driver issues

Many game problems are caused by outdated drivers. The latest patches are optimized around the newest drivers, and may not work with old drivers.

NVIDIA users may need to update to version 306.97 to correct glitches and crashes.

The latest NVIDIA driver may cause unusual leader textures.

Users of Intel HD graphics may have issues with the latest patch. Updating their drivers may resolve these. If you are using an HP computer, get your Intel driver from them, not from Intel.

Issues with opening movies

If the game crashes to desktop or loads to a black screen, then there may be an incompatibility with the video files. Deleting the WMV video files from the Civilization V folder may allow the game to run, as the expense of losing the opening movies.

The video files for Civilization V are located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\sid meier's civilization v. If you have Gods and Kings, you will also need to delete the videos from C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\sid meier's civilization v\Assets\DLC\Expansion

"N" Versions of Windows may not be compatible with the opening videos.

Issues with resolution (screen cutoff)

Sometimes after installing the game, the game resolution will be larger than the screen and parts of the game will be cut off. To fix this, go into options and change the game resolution. If you are unable to access the options, manually edit GraphicsSettingsDX9.ini or GraphicsSettingsDX11.ini (depending on which DirectX mode you use) in %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5 to the correct resolution (1024x768 Minimum).

Checkerboard patterns

This can be caused by insufficient video memory. Try the following:

Checkboard Troubleshooting • Link Close all open and background programs. Disable Aero. Update video drivers.

MaxSimultaneousThreads Fix • Link Open %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\config.ini Change the value of MaxSimultaneousThreads = X to half (for instance, if it is 8, change it to 4). Save your changes.

Gray Tiles/Tiles Not Loading

In recent patches, the way tiles were loaded during scrolling was changed. This can lead to slow loading times or an abundance of gray tiles on the screen after scrolling.

Gray Tiles Fix • Link Go to %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5. Open GraphicsSettingsDX11.ini (or GraphicsSettingsDX9.ini for DirectX 9 Mode) in Notepad. Change the value of MinimizeGrayTiles = 0 to MinimizeGrayTiles = 1

Black Squares

The screen may contain a number of black squares (not gray).

Black Squares Fix • Link Go to video settings, and switch to a resolution that has a refresh rate of 59 or 60 MHz.

Disappearing cursor

Enabling pointer trails in Windows may cause the cursor to disappear or act strangely. Disable this feature while playing.

Black screen (anti aliasing issue)

Enabling anti-aliasing on DirectX 11 mode may cause the game to turn black. It is recommended that you enabled anti-aliasing through your graphics software, and not the game. If antialiasing is enabled and this issue is present (causing the screen to be black), you can edit GraphicsSettingsDX11.ini to fix this.

Nebuchadnezzar DLC causing errors

Nebuchadnezzar DLC might cause error messages to appear when selecting the civilization you wish to play with. Nebuchadnezzar's icon's will appear as red squares. To fix this issue, do the following:

1. Go to %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\assets\DLC\DLC_Deluxe\.
2. There should be a file there named "babylon". Open it using Notepad or any similar text editor.
3. The bottom of the file you opened should look similar to this:

<VisEffectParticleDefines>Civ5ArtDefines_VisEffectParticles_DLC_Deluxe.xml</VisEffectParticleDefines>
<VisEffectModelDefines>Civ5ArtDefines_VisEffectModels_DLC_Deluxe.xml</VisEffectModelDefines>
<Paks>
<File>BabylonianModels.fpk</File>
<File>BabylonianNebuchadnezzarTextures.fpk</File>
</Paks>
</Civ5Package>

1. Compare the file you opened with the text above and copy and paste whatever is missing to your "babylon" file.
2. Save the changes and close the file.

You can disable Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon DLC by clicking on the "DLC" button in the main menu.

Performance and crashing

Crash After Starting a New Game

The game may crash after starting a new game.

Fog of War Crash Fix • Link In the video settings, change Fog of War to low. This is particularly important on DirectX 9 or graphics cards with low memory.

Can't select units or end turn (EnableGameCoreThreading)

If you have a delay in units responding, or the end turn button does not work, try the following:

EnableGameCoreThreading Fix • Link Open %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\config.ini Replace the line EnableGameCoreThreading = 1 with EnableGameCoreThreading = 0. Save and restart the game.

This has been improved in the latest patch, but the problem still exists.

Turning down graphics settings may also correct this.

Leaderhead crash

The game may crash when meeting other leaders.

Change Leaderhead Quality • Link From the main menu, go to options. Go to video settings. Change Leader Scene Quality to low. Leaders will not be animated.

Disable Leaderheads • Link Open %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\config.ini Change LeaderHead = 0 to LeaderHead = 1. Save your changes. Leader screens will be blank.

Multiplayer

Multiplayer bug overview

Common problems include:

• Players dropping from the lobby.
• Mass disconnecting of players
• Freezing
• Graphics glitches
• Increasing lag
• Ancient ruins not working
• Game locking until a player quits.
• Lag can allow some players to double-move.
• Some people find it impossible to play up to turn 100 in a multiplayer game.

Increasing lag

The game lag may increase each turn until the game disconnects. The following suggestions may help:

Disable Hamachi • Link Disable or uninstall Hamachi or other VPN software. To disable Hamachi without uninstalling, open the Device Manager and go to Network Adapters. Right-click Hamachi Network Interface and click Disable.

Change MTU Setting • Link From a command prompt, enter netsh interface ipv4 show subinterfaces and check the MTU size. It should be 1500. If it is not 1500, enter netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface "Wireless Network Connection" mtu=1500 store=persistent to set it. Make sure you replace "Wireless Network Connection" with the name of your adapter.

Miscellaneous issues

Achievements not unlocking

To unlock achievements, you must be playing single player with no mods enabled.

Some achievements can only be unlocked in scenarios.

Auto-scrolling between turns

The game may scroll out of control between turns during a battle or action.. The latest patch fixes most cases of this, although it still occurs.

Overheating

Civilization V has been connected to overheating of graphics cards on some computers (especially high end graphics cards).

Overheating symptoms include increased fan noise, graphical corruption, and computer freezes/automatic shutdowns. While there is no official fix, there are a few workaround for the issue.

Enable vsync • Link Vsync automatically limits the framerate to the refresh rate of the monitor, therefore reducing framerates and therefore temperatures. The simplest in-game option, which does not require external programs.

Fan speed increase • Link Using a program such as SpeedFan to increase fan speed and reduce temperatures.

Framerate limit using Bandicam • Link Bandicam is recording software which can also limit the maximum framerate. Bandicam is available for trial, which includes the framerate limiter.

• DirectX 11 mode may not be available on Core i3 integrated graphics. Core i5/i7 graphics are compatible with DirectX 11 mode.

Issues and fixes

Multiplayer

Mac and PC version mismatch

The Mac version is not handled by Firaxis or 2K Games, so they only develop patches for PC. Another company (Aspyr) handles the Mac version of the patches, after they have been released on PC. As a result, Mac patches are released later than PC patches. You cannot play multiplayer unless the versions match, so after a PC update, you cannot play online against a Mac. There is no solution to this, other than waiting for the Mac patch.

Mods

Mods and Mac

The Mac version of Civilization V does not officially support Mods or Steam Workshop. You may be able to manually install a mod, but it is complicated to do so, and has varying results. There is a tutorial on the Steam Forums at http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2917532 that shows how to manually install mods on Mac.

At this time, it is not possible to use Steam Workshop on a Mac.

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	Windows XP SP3	Windows Vista SP2/Windows 7
Processor (CPU)	Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 2.0 GHz Processor	1.8 GHz Quad Core Processor
System memory (RAM)	2 GB	4 GB
Video card (GPU)	256 MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT / nVidia GeForce 7900 GS video card, or Core i3 integrated graphics*	512 MB ATI 4800/nVidia 9800 or better video card
Hard disk drive (HDD)	8 GB free	8 GB free

Mac
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	10.6.4	10.6.4
Processor (CPU)	Intel Core 2 Duo (Dual-Core) CPU Speed: 2.4 GHz	Intel Quad Core
System memory (RAM)	2 GB	4 GB
Video card (GPU)	(ATI): Radeon HD 2600; (NVidia): GeForce 8600 256 MB of VRAM	(ATI): Radeon HD 2600; (NVidia): GeForce 8600 or better 512 MB of VRAM
Hard disk drive (HDD)	8 GB free	8 GB free