MarkShot: This means that if you want to run any other UOP based total mod with the GOG version, you can. How to do it? (It should be noted all the various UOP total mods all will have problems with the GOG download if you don't follow the procedure below.)

(1) Install the GOG version.

(2) Save your GOG MOO3.EXE (it's effectively your own NO CD crack starter EXE).

(3) Unzip the UOP total mod to your MOO3 directory.

(4) Restore the original GOG MOO3.EXE.

(5) See the total patch readme and note what code patches were used.

(6) Reapply the code patches to your MOO3.EXE.

(7) NOTE: all the data files needed for the total mod will already be in place.

Faithful: Hello,

Thanks for the help, but I am a bit lost on how to accomplish steps 5 & 6.

I have looked for the total patch readme but not sure which file that would be.
Also, I have no idea what the code patches are or how to reapply them to the exe file.

Also, I am a bit fuzzy what you mean by 7. Already in place where?

Is it possible to give a more detailed step by step for the people like myself that is really not sure what to do, but now cannot play the game as it crashes on start up.

Thanks

MarkShot: In another thread and here, it was discussed that MOO3 was largerly fixed with the v1.25 patch by Atari and some all ecompassing third party mods. The "total mods" included both data file changes and code changes to the game EXE. One of the problems with the third party mods was that they all came bundled with a pre-patched MOO3.EXE rather than simply depending on the player patching their own EXE. They were all based on something called "UOP Vanilla" which basically stands for Unofficial User Patch Vanilla (meaning mainly fixes without changes to game play). When you attempted to use one of these various mods with the GOG version, you would get prompted for the CD when you tried to play. Of course, if you bought from GOG, then you would have no CD to insert into the drive.

This is resolved with the latest version and relatively obscure UOP Vanilla v1.6. (dated 06/08) How? Well, the individual who build it used as the base EXE a NO CD crack as opposed the original EXE (patched to the official v1.25 patch level). He also neatly included all the actual code modifying patches which are used in his version and all the other UOP versions structured in two directories. Basically, broken down by the two respective patch authors, Bhruic and Gerra.

This means that if you want to run any other UOP based total mod with the GOG version, you can. How to do it? (It should be noted all the various UOP total mods all will have problems with the GOG download if you don't follow the procedure below.)

(1) Install the GOG version.

(2) Save your GOG MOO3.EXE (it's effectively your own NO CD crack starter EXE).

(3) Unzip the UOP total mod to your MOO3 directory.

(4) Restore the original GOG MOO3.EXE.

(5) See the total patch readme and note what code patches were used.

(6) Reapply the code patches to your MOO3.EXE.

(7) NOTE: all the data files needed for the total mod will already be in place.

You can grab UOP Vanilla v1.6 here:

http://www.tfy5k.com/evlavsom/UOP_Vanilla_V1.6.zip

Enjoy!

sidgrabosky: I was wondering how to do this.
I lost my MoO3 CDs a while back, and got it off GOG to replace it.
Face-palmed when I realized I couldn't [obviously] install the fan mods on the GOG version.
The fan mods are what transform the game from... tolerable... to good.

Gonna try this- if it works, you will have my sincere thanks :)
Okay; verified.
This worked beautifully.
There do appear to be a few glitches here and there though.
For example, the "demographics" panel in the planet screen is always blank.

Do you know if any of the other common mods are compatible?
IE Strawberry, Tropical, whatever

ThorChild: I found it here, from a link by one of the main modders 'danib':

http://www.mediafire.com/?bab6i5ezwj6u1

Also a bunch of the other mods are there :)

Edit: Some Av's report the UOP Vanilla v1.6 as a trojan! mine did and i found this thread on it:

http://www.moo3.at/board/index.php?showtopic=1874

So proceed with caution.