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Sid Meier's Civilization V

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(Redirected from Civilization V)
Sid Meier's Civilization V
Sid Meier's Civilization V cover
Developers
Firaxis Games
macOS (OS X) Aspyr Media
Linux Aspyr Media
Publishers
2K Games
OS X, Linux Aspyr Media
Engines
LORE
Release dates
Windows September 21, 2010
macOS (OS X) November 23, 2010
Linux June 10, 2014
Reception
Metacritic 90
IGDB 87
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase, Expansion pack, DLC
Microtransactions None
Modes Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing Turn-based
Perspectives Bird's-eye view
Controls Point and select
Genres 4X, TBS
Themes Historical
Series Civilization
Sid Meier's Civilization V on HowLongToBeat
Sid Meier's Civilization V on IGDB
Sid Meier's Civilization V guide on StrategyWiki
Sid Meier's Civilization V on MobyGames
Sid Meier's Civilization V on Wikipedia
Sid Meier's Civilization 1991
Freeciv (unofficial) 1996
Sid Meier's Civilization II 1996
Civilization II: Test of Time 1999
Sid Meier's Civilization III 2001
Sid Meier's Civilization IV 2005
CivCity: Rome 2006
Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization 2008
Sid Meier's Civilization V 2010
Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth 2014
Sid Meier's Civilization VI 2016

Sid Meier's Civilization V is a singleplayer and multiplayer bird's-eye view 4X and TBS game in the Civilization series.

The game received two major expansion packs: Gods and Kings in June 2012, and Brave New World in July 2013, both introducing new civilizations, units, mechanics and scenarios. As the game was the first in the series to be distributed exclusively digitally, it also received a number of minor DLC with a smaller number of civilizations and scenarios; despite their modular nature, all players need to own them in multiplayer in order to use their content.

General information

PC Report - Sid Meier's Civilization V on Linux
2K Games Forum - Official Civilization V forum
Civilization Wiki - A detailed wiki for all Civilization games and their spin offs
Civilization Fanatics' Civilization V section
Civilization Fanatics' Civilization V Forums
Steam Community Discussions
Steam Workshop
Steam Forum Troubleshooting Thread - Troubleshooting Guide for Windows version.

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Icon overlay.png
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
GamersGate
Icon overlay.png
Published by 2K Games.
The Complete Edition also available.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
GamersGate
Icon overlay.png
Published by Aspyr Media.
The Complete Edition also available.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Gamesplanet logo.svg
Icon overlay.png
Published by 2K Games.
The Complete Edition also available.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Gamesplanet logo.svg
Icon overlay.png
Published by Aspyr Media.
The Complete Edition also available.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Green Man Gaming
Icon overlay.png
Published by 2K Games.
The Complete Edition also available.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Green Man Gaming
Icon overlay.png
Published by Aspyr Media.
The Complete Edition also available.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Humble Store
Icon overlay.png
The Complete Edition also available.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Mac App Store
Icon overlay.png
Campaign Edition. No online play.
macOS (OS X)
Steam
Icon overlay.png
The Complete Edition also available.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
All Windows and Linux versions require Steam DRM.
A demo is available from Steam.

Version differences

The Campaign Edition does not support online play; LAN multiplayer can work with other Mac App Store versions, or with the Steam version, if they are the same version. However, they are often updated at different times, so it can be months before they get the same update and are compatible.
The Complete Edition includes all DLC.

Monetization

Type Notes
DLC Minor DLC includes one or two civilizations and/or scenarios.
Expansion pack Expansion packs include multiple civilizations, scenarios, and mechanics.
One-time game purchase The game requires an upfront purchase to access.

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
Gods and Kings Free demo (allow steam popup): steam://install/213910
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Brave New World Free demo (allow steam popup): steam://install/242180
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Wonders of the Ancient World
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Explorer's Map Pack
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Civilization and Scenario Pack: The Vikings
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Civilization and Scenario Pack: Polynesia
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Civilization and Scenario Pack: Mongols
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Civilization and Scenario Pack: Korea
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Civilization and Scenario Pack: Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar II)
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Double Civilization and Scenario Pack: Spain and Inca
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Cradle of Civilization: Mesopotamia
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Cradle of Civilization: Americas
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Cradle of Civilization: Asia
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Cradle of Civilization: Mediterranean
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Scrambled Nations Map Pack
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Scrambled Continents Map Pack
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux

Essential improvements

Mods

Mods are available through multiple distribution channels. Easily accessible through the Steam Workshop, as well as manually installable. Popular sources include CivFanatics.
You must activate a mod after installing in order to make it work. To do so, enter the Mods menu and tick the checkbox next to the mods you want to activate.
Manual mod installation[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration files location.
  2. Copy the mod into the Mods folder here.
  3. Activate the mod in the game.

Notes

If the Mod Database is corrupted or deleted, any manual mods will be deleted.

Increasing the zoom level

Manually edit config.ini[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration files location.
  2. Open config.ini.
  3. Find and edit:
    Minimum Zoom Level = 11.000000
  4. Save changes.

Notes

Changing the variable to a lower level will make you able to zoom in closer.
Skip launcher, intros, legal window, mods warning

Skip launcher

Skipping new launcher[1][2]
  1. Right-click on Civilization V in your Steam Library.
  2. Select Properties -> Set Launch Options....
  3. Enter "<path-to-game>\CivilizationV.exe" %command%, "<path-to-game>\CivilizationV_DX11.exe" %command% or "<path-to-game>\CivilizationV_Tablet.exe" %command% to launch in their respective modes.
  4. Confirm changes by pressing OK.

Notes

The path ending in CivilizationV_Tablet.exe will launch the game in Touch Enabled mode on Windows 8 and later.
Skipping old launcher[citation needed]
  1. Right-click on Civilization V in your Steam Library.
  2. Select Properties -> Set Launch Options....
  3. Enter \dx9, \dx11 or \win8 to launch in their respective modes.
  4. Confirm changes by pressing OK.

Notes

\win8 will launch the game in Touch Enabled mode on Windows 8 and later.

Skip intro videos

Delete/rename video files[3][4]
  1. Go to the installation folder.
  2. Delete the file(s) starting with Civ5_Opening_Movie
  3. Go to <path-to-game>\Assets\DLC\Expansion (if present) and delete the file starting with Civ5XP_Opening_Movie.
  4. Go to <path-to-game>\Assets\DLC\Expansion2 (if present) and delete the file starting with Civ5XP2_Opening_Movie.
  5. Optionally, skip the legal screen as well.

Notes

Expansion is the Gods and Kings DLC; Expansion2 is the Brave New World DLC. These are only present if the DLC is installed.
File names and formats vary based on the game language and operating system (.ogv for Windows, .mov for OS X and Linux).

Skip legal screen

Skipping legal screen[5]
  1. Open <path-to-game>\Assets\UI\FrontEnd\FrontEnd.lua with a text editor.
  2. Find line UIManager:QueuePopup( Controls.LegalScreen, PopupPriority.LegalScreen );
  3. Replace it with -- UIManager:QueuePopup( Controls.LegalScreen, PopupPriority.LegalScreen ); .
  4. Save the file.

Skip mods warning

Skipping mods warning[citation needed]

1. Open <path-to-game>\Assets\UI\FrontEnd\Modding\EULA.lua with a text editor.

2. Find lines:

        --if(not isHide and g_QueueEulaToHide) then
	--	NavigateBack();
	--end

3. Replace them with:

	if not isHide then
		NavigateForward();
	end

4. Save the file.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\config.ini
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\UserSettings.ini
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\GraphicsSettingsDX9.ini
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\GraphicsSettingsDX11.ini
macOS (OS X) $HOME/Documents/Aspyr/Sid Meier's Civilization 5/
Linux $XDG_DATA_HOME/Aspyr/Sid Meier's Civilization 5/config.ini
$XDG_DATA_HOME/Aspyr/Sid Meier's Civilization 5/UserSettings.ini
$XDG_DATA_HOME/Aspyr/Sid Meier's Civilization 5/GraphicsSettingsDX9.ini
This game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux.
The configuration can be found in config.ini.
User preferences can be found in UserSettings.ini.
Graphical settings for DX9 mode can be found in GraphicsSettingsDX9.ini.
Graphical settings for DX11 mode can be found in GraphicsSettingsDX11.ini.

Save game data location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\Saves\
macOS (OS X) $HOME/Documents/Aspyr/Sid Meier's Civilization 5/Saves/
Linux $XDG_DATA_HOME/Aspyr/Sid Meier's Civilization 5/Saves/
Steam <Steam-folder>/userdata/<user-id>/8930/
Save files are differently named for each OS, but are compatible when saved with the same version. To use them, you will need to rename them.

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
OneDrive
Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud
Only 10 saves can be synced. Select "Steam Cloud" in the Save menu to access.

Video

Video settings.
Video settings.

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Interface does not scale with resolution, and can be quite small in 4K. It's recommended to have both the "Auto Size Interface" and "Small Scale Interface" UI options unchecked.
Field of view (FOV)
Camera can be zoomed in-and-out freely.
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed
See Borderless fullscreen windowed. Enabled by default on Linux.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
MSAA, up to 8x.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
No frame rate or refresh rate cap.[6]
High dynamic range display (HDR)
See the glossary page for potential alternatives.
Requires a resolution at least 768 pixels tall.
Direct3D 11 graphical features, including anti-aliasing, are not available in the OS X and Linux versions of the game.

Borderless fullscreen windowed

Functioning using Borderless Gaming.[7]
Mouse offset may be 15px off vertically.
Change resolution[8]
  1. Change resolution to any other than the current one.
  2. Click "Apply Resolution". When it asks if you want to keep this resolution, click "No" (This is quicker than manually switching resolution back and forth as was previously advised)
  3. Screen should be stretched correctly, and hitboxes aligned.

Notes

May function if you disable always-on-top.

Input

Input settings.
Input settings.

Keyboard and mouse, touch State Notes
Remapping
See Remapping.
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Touchscreen optimised
Only available on Windows 8 and later.
Controller
Controller support
Official Steam Controller bindings only.
Controller types
Steam Input
Steam Input API support
Official Steam Controller bindings only.
Hook input (legacy mode)
Official controller preset(s)
Steam Controller button prompts

Remapping

Edit CIV5Controls.xml[9]
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\Assets\Gameplay\XML\Units
  2. Open CIV5Controls.xml.
  3. Change the controls to match the desired ones.
  4. Save changes.

Audio

Audio settings.
Audio settings.

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Music, SFX, ambience and speech.
Surround sound
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Traditional Chinese
Windows-only.
French
German
Hungarian
Fan translation.
Italian
Japanese
Windows-only.
Korean
Windows-only.
Polish
Windows-only.
Russian
Windows-only.
Spanish

Network

Network settings.
Network settings.

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
Local play
6 Hot seat
LAN play
6 Campaign Edition only supports LAN with other Mac App Store players.
Online play
6 Campaign Edition does not support online play.
Asynchronous multiplayer
Via the Pitboss system.

Connection types

Ports

Protocol Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP 53, 80, 1745, 1795, 3074
UDP 53, 88, 1745, 1795, 3064, 3074
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.

VR support

3D modes State GG3D Notes
Nvidia 3D Vision
3D Vision Ready. GG3D certification might be unjust.[10]
TriDef 3D
iZ3D
vorpX
G3D
Officially supported game, see official vorpx game list.

Issues fixed

General

Mods disappear, fail to download

Clear the Mod Database[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration files location.
  2. Go to cache
  3. Delete or rename Civ5ModsDatabase.db.
  4. Restart the game, go to the Mods menu, and allow the mods to reinstall.

Game corruption

This may be caused by database files and user settings becoming damaged.
Erase game cache[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration files location.
  2. Remove cache.
Remove user settings[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration files location.
  2. Remove cache, Logs, ModUserData, Text and all *.ini files.

Checkerboard patterns

Decrease MaxSimultaneousThreads[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration files location.
  2. Open config.ini.
  3. Halve the value of MaxSimultaneousThreads (e.g., if it is 8, change it to 4).

Gray tiles, tiles not loading

Enable MinimizeGrayTiles[11]
  1. Go to the configuration files location.
  2. Open the configuration file for your graphical mode (DX9/DX11).
  3. Change the value of MinimizeGrayTiles = 0 to MinimizeGrayTiles = 1

Crash after starting a new game

This is particularly important on DirectX 9 or graphics cards with low memory.
Fog of War Crash Fix[12]
  1. In the video settings, change Fog of War to low.

Can't select units or end turn

If you have a delay in units responding, or the end turn button does not work, try the following:
Disable EnableGameCoreThreading[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration files location.
  2. Open config.ini.
  3. Set EnableGameCoreThreading to 0.

Notes

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[citation needed]
  1. From the main menu, go to options.
  2. Go to video settings.
  3. Change Leader Scene Quality to low.
Leaders will not be animated.
Disable Leaderheads[citation needed]
  1. Open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\config.ini
  2. Change LeaderHead = 0 to LeaderHead = 1.
  3. Save your changes.
Leader screens will be blank.

Restore the original launcher

Restore the original launcher[citation needed]
  1. Right-click on Civilization V in the Steam Library.
  2. Select Properties -> Set Launch Options....
  3. Enter "<path-to-game>\Launcher.exe" %command%.
  4. Confirm changes by pressing OK.

Notes

The original method of restoring the launcher using a Steam beta access code discussed on reddit[13] is no longer valid and cannot be used to restore the original launcher. The original launcher is still included in the files, so the code is unnecessary.

Multiplayer

The latest patch resolves most of the reported multiplayer bugs.

Multiplayer games dropping or disconnecting during play

Sometimes players will be dropped after a multiplayer match has progressed for several dozen turns or more. After reloading the game, the player will repeatedly disconnect. This problem can be caused by an insufficient MTU value on the network connection. Changing it before starting the multiplayer game can often fix the problem. To do so, enter the following in the command prompt:

Set network MTU value[citation needed]
  1. Open Windows command prompt ( Win+R and type cmd)
  2. Enter the command set subinterface "Local Area Connection" mtu=1500 store=persistent. Replace Local Area Connection with the name of the used network connection (e.g. Wireless Network Connection)

Windows and macOS version mismatch

The macOS version is not handled by Firaxis, but Aspyr, after they have been released on Windows. As a result, macOS patches are released later than Windows patches. Different OS versions can not connect in multiplayer unless the versions match, so after a Windows update, it is not possible to play online against macOS until the macOS has also been patched, and vice-versa.

Since the launch of macOS Catalina, the macOS version has been updated to 64-bit only, disabling cross-play entirely unless reverted.[14]

Restore local and online cross-play between Mac and Windows since the 64-bit Catalina OS update[15]
  1. Right-click on Civilization V in your Steam Library.
  2. Select Properties -> Betas.
  3. Enter ineedlegacyaccess.
  4. Confirm by pressing Verify code.
  5. Select legacy- Beta.
  6. Wait for the new files to automatically download in your library.
The latest version of macOS in which this works is Mojave, as Catalina can not natively run 32-bit applications.
Disabling the "Gods and Kings" DLC in the multiplayer lobby's options could help if the game crashes after launch.

Windows

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[citation needed]
  1. Quit out of Steam.
  2. Right-click on the Steam.exe application (found in the Steam installation folder) and select "Properties", then select the "Compatibility" tab.
  3. At the bottom of this tab is a button called "Change Settings for All Users". Click it.
  4. Make sure Compatibility Mode is unchecked.
  5. 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.

Crash and BSOD with DX11 fullscreen on laptops

On some old laptops with a combination of Intel integrated graphics and a pre-GCN AMD GPU, the game will fail to start in DX11 mode if fullscreen is enabled. Such a crash also corrupts some of the internal state of the AMD driver, resulting in a BSOD if you try to start the game a second time, or activate the AMD GPU in any way. The system regains stability upon reboot. This is likely a bug in the AMD driver that will never be fixed due to the end of support for these old GPUs.

Workarounds:

Use DirectX 9[citation needed]
Edit GraphicsSettingsDX11.ini and set FullScreen = 0[citation needed]

Disappearing cursor

Enabling pointer trails in Windows may cause the cursor to disappear or act strangely.
Disable pointer trails in the Windows Control Panel[citation needed]

Black screen (anti-aliasing issue)

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

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 unable to access the options, manually edit GraphicsSettingsDX9.ini or GraphicsSettingsDX11.ini (depending on which DirectX mode is used) in %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5 to the correct resolution (1024x768 minimum).

Virtu MVP

If the game does not run, or will not start most of the time, and nothing else seems to fix the problem, Virtu MVP might be causing the issue. Try unchecking "Civ 5 DirectX 9" and "Civ 5 DirectX 10/11" in the Virtu MVP control panel.

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 game directory may allow the game to run, at the expense of losing the opening movies.

They are found in:

"N" and "KN" versions of Windows may not be compatible with the opening videos due to missing Windows Media Foundation; see the general troubleshooting guide.

Linux

Audio stuttering

To fix the audio stuttering when using PulseAudio just follow this guide: Setting the default fragment number and buffer size in PulseAudio

If the issue persists, close the game, run pulseaudio -k and start the game again.

Game crashes on launch

If your game crashes immediately after launching, use the following launch command: LD_PRELOAD='./libcxxrt.so:/usr/$LIB/libstdc++.so.6' %command% or: LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libopenal.so.1 %command%

Game crashes randomly on some Ryzen CPUs

If the game crashes to desktop randomly while in game with a Ryzen CPU, modifying the MaxSimultaneousThreads setting in the config.ini file can fix this issue. For 8-core Ryzens, setting the value to 16 can fix the issue.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 9.0c, 11
OpenGL 3.3 OS X and Linux only.
Shader Model support 3, 5
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Not supported on volumes formatted as Mac OS Extended (Case Sensitive). Support for 64-bit was added in November 2019, but the 32-bit version can still be accessed in a beta branch accessed with the ineedlegacyaccess key.
Linux

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Audio Miles Sound System
Cutscenes Bink Video
Multiplayer Steamworks

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) XP SP3, Vista SP2, 7
Processor (CPU) Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz
AMD Athlon X2 64 2.0 GHz
System memory (RAM) 2 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 8 GB
Video card (GPU) ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT
Nvidia GeForce 7900 GS
Intel Core i3 integrated graphics
256 MB of VRAM
DirectX 9.0c compatible
Sound (audio device) DirectX 9.0c compatible
macOS (OS X)
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 10.12
Processor (CPU) Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz
System memory (RAM) 2 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 8 GB
Video card (GPU) ATI Radeon HD 2600
Nvidia GeForce 8600
Intel HD 4000
256 MB of VRAM
Linux
Minimum
Operating system (OS) SteamOS, Ubuntu
Processor (CPU) Intel Core i3 2.4 GHz
AMD A10 2.4 GHz
System memory (RAM) 4 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 10 GB
Video card (GPU) Nvidia GeForce GT 640M
AMD Radeon HD 6450
Intel Iris Pro
1 GB of VRAM
Ubuntu and other distributions of Linux should be compatible with the game, albeit this isn't guaranteeed.
Intel Integrated video chipsets (GMA 9XX, HD 3XXX) are officially unsupported with SteamOS and Linux, although they might work anyway.


References