Steam Verify Game Cache

Need to check every time the game is launched?

from GalCiv3 Forums

Since the B5 release I have noticed that "Verify Game Cache" is frequently reporting that one file needs to be downloaded.    I became suspicious about this, so this morning I repeated it although I had not had any noticeable problems with the game when I finished last night.   Yep, 1 file needed to be downloaded.

So I tested this by verifying again immediately after the first verification.   This time it stated there were no problems.  Well, good, but I am starting to think I need to check this every time I start up the game ---- something is corrupting one of the files.    I am going to start checking this.

Question is does anyone else see this frequent 1 file corruption issue?  Or is it just me?

 

14,688 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

custom race?

Reply #2 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I do have three custom races in the game:  the Wisps, the Borg, and the Little Green Men, as well as all the standard races.  Could that be causing an issue?  

 

 EDIT: and when I closed my session this morning, again one file had to be downloaded again.   So it appears to be a regular feature.

 

Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

i dont know i was just wondering if the custom races are being checked as a file if they are and your file is not the same as what is being checked from Verify Game Cache (which it wouldent be)  then it would show up as 1 file

it was just a thought

Reply #4 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Not a bad thought.  I wonder what the right thing to do is in this case: just ignore it or keep verfiying.    Or maybe it doesn't matter.   Hmmm, guess maybe it is ticket time.

 

Reply #5 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I have edited some xml files to create my custom race (I don't like the limited in-game option) Steam never asked me to verify game cache. In fact it never does unless you ask for it or probably it's a critical game file being corrupted? Maybe the game's .exe file?

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting alphaprior, reply 5

I have edited some xml files to create my custom race (I don't like the limited in-game option) Steam never asked me to verify game cache. In fact it never does unless you ask for it or probably it's a critical game file being corrupted? Maybe the game's .exe file?
End of alphaprior's quote

Perhaps I have not explained clearly enough.  Steam does not ask me to verify: I have done this on my own (to make sure when ticketing other bugs I don't just have a corruption) and I have been surprised that it always found one file that needed to be downloaded again.   Then if I verify again before playing it says no problem.

That it has to do with custom races is just a guess, but it's all I have to go on at the moment.

 

 

Reply #7 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I've noticed the same thing, but I've never bothered to try to find out what file Steam is complaining about.

Reply #8 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Probably game alters something because it wants to and as long it works you shouldn't verify again.
Custom races are being saved into My Documents/My Games/GC3 folder not in game's program files.
Unless of course you alter something yourself even a minor change the file will be replaced.

Reply #9 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

If it's only one file it might be prefs.ini.  I remember another game where doing a Steam verify would download 1 file and I'd find all my settings changed.

Reply #10 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

That is odd, were you able to figure out which file it was?

Reply #11 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Not as yet, but I am going to give it a bit more effort now that 5.1 is in.

EDIT:  Turned out to be fairly easy.   I did a new verify, then went through My Games/Galciv3, Program Fiies/Stardock/Galactic Civilizations, and ...common/Galactic Civilizations III.

The only directory with a new timestamp was ...common/Galactic Civilizations III/data

Looking in this directory, there was exactly one file with a new time stamp:     GC3.bin.

So that is the file that is causing the issue.

-------->  ...common/Galactic Civilizations III/data/GC3.bin

I immediately revalidated the cache and no issues were found.     (It did show a "downloading 0 of 1 files" at the bottom of the screen while validating however).

I started the game only to the initial menu, then exited.

Then I checked and guess what...GC3.bin had a new time stamp, in spite of the fact that the program said there were no issues.   

 ========================================

Wonder if I should reinstall Steam.  Pretty drastic, but whatever.

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Well, I can more easily do a complete reinstall of GC3.

This morning I carefully removed everything from My Games, Program Data, and the Steam directory for GalCiv3 and used the Steam function to delete local files.  Then I reinstalled the game (with optin patch).  The behavior was the same.   After installation and running the game to the opening menu, I exited and validated the files and it found 1 to download and it was GC3.bin, based on the time stamp.