Help
Cities XL has a number of technical problems, some of which can be solved with easy workarounds.
This article details all known issues, solutions or workarounds where known and how to obtain additional support.
Please do not request tech support on the wiki - that's not what this site is for. Please use one of the options below.
Cities XL System Requirements[]
- OS: WINDOWS XP SP3 / WINDOWS VISTA SP1 / WINDOWS 7
- PROCESSOR: INTEL CORE 2 AT 2.5GHZ / AMD ATHLON64 X2 AT 2.5GHZ
- RAM MEMORY: 1 GB (XP)/1.5 GB (VISTA/7)
- GRAPHICS CARD: 512 MB 100% DIRECTX 9 COMPATIBLE
- ATI RADEON HD 3850/NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800 OR HIGHER*
- DVD-ROM: 2X DRIVE
- HARD DISK SPACE: 8 GB
- SOUND CARD: DIRECTX 9 COMPATIBLE
- INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED TO ACTIVATE THE GAME
- INTEL/SIS/VIA-S3G GRAPHICS CONTROLLERS ARE NOT SUPPORTED
- Note: Both Windows 7 32/64 bits are supported. If you have such OS and there's a problem, report it.
- Note: Experience shows that a 512 Mb video card is not required, it's just recommended. The game will run on cards with less memory, and also on slower CPUs.
- Note: The game seems to require a lot of CPU speed, so performance will improve with faster CPUs. HOWEVER, there's no real multicore support, so don't expect your latest quad-core to be 15 times faster than a normal Dual core.
Installing Cities XL 2009[]
Here's the correct procedure for reinstalling CXL 2009 now that the old MC system is not working anymore:
- Install the game. After you finish and try to start it, the familiar log in screen appears, but it tries to connect to the old MC system, which is no longer available. 'Unable to connect, service unavailable', etc. Game won't start.
- Find the solo patch. There are still a number of download sites where you could get it (OUTSIDE the old MC system, and also the new CXL 2011 site). I personally found it on Fileplanet here, but there are also other options. Just do a Google search for 'Cities XL solo patch' ... and of course there's this link in the new Focus Home forum
- Download and install the patch. It's a manual process, just click the patch file and it should start patching no matter where it's placed on the hard drive.
- After you've done all this, try to start the game again. The log in screen will appear - type in your old user and password (from the time you played the game with MC), and Connect. I'm not sure if the thing actually connects anywhere (it shouldn't - it's supposed to be a solo game already), but afterwards the 'Connect' button changes to 'Play'. There you go.
Installing Cities XL 2011[]
A short guide to installing and activating CXL 2011 (Metaboli download version):
- Buy and download the game. You should also receive an e-mail from Focus Home/Metaboli with your CD key. Don't get confused by a weird name like Multiplayer key - this is what you need to play the game.
- Try to start the game. The activation window will appear (for me it said something like 'Online activation failed. You need to activate the game manually'). There are several boxes there, in one you should put your CD key. Another says something like 'Unlock code' - leave it empty for now. Somewhere in the window there will be a link to the activation site - click it. (of course, you need an Internet connection to access it)
- Once in the activation site, you'll see three empty boxes. In one you need to enter again your CD key, in the second you need to enter (or copy-paste) the 'Unlock request code' - this is a long string of symbols that appears back in the activation window of the game. In the last box you need to enter one of those pesky 'security codes' that appear on an image. DON'T DESPAIR if an error occurs several times! It seems the SecuROM site is full of crap - you have the right codes, the site simply gets confused by the friggin security code. So, try several times in a row, entering the different security code - eventually you'll get the 'Unlock code'
- Go back to the game activation window and type (copy-paste) the Unlock code that you just got from the activation site. Click on 'Activate'. There you go.
- Enjoy the game. You won't need to do this again on starting it, unless you reinstall it. In the e-mail I received it said that I could activate the game 5 times, after which I should contact Metaboli customer support.
Finding The AppData Folder[]
Cities XL error logs, saved games, screenshots and more are kept within your AppData folder.
If you have problems finding a folder called "AppData", follow these instructions:
Go to: [Win XP]Workplace\Extras [Win Vista/7]System Control panel\Viewing and Adjustment\Folder preferences And tick "View" (not in Windows XP) Than search for an option saying "show all hidden folders and files" and tick it.
If you don't know how to do that, try this:
Go to "Run" and enter "%appdata%"
Backing Up Your Cities[]
Backing up your cities is of vital importance since uninstallation, patching, occasional bugs and other issues can result in you losing cities that took many long hours to build.
Where are saved games stored?[]
They are stored here: C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\Local\Focus Home Interactive\Cities XL 2011\live\offline\solo
(Insert your username and Cities XL Version above)
If you have trouble finding the AppData folder, please follow these instructions.
how to show hidden folder files in windows 7
Backing up saved games[]
This article (to be rewritten here eventually) details how to backup saved games
Recovering a lost city[]
If the worst happens and you lose a city and didn't have a backup, then the following two articles (to be rewritten here ultimately) detail methods that might allow your city to be recovered.
Importing 2011 Cities to 2012[]
How do I import my 2011 cities to 2012?
Copy the "solosaveregionXXmapXX" folder into your CXL 12 solo folder (XX stands for a number depending on the region/map you are playing on)
You can locate your 2011 saved cities in:
C:/Users/Username/AppData/local/FocusHomeInteractive/Cities XL 2011/live/offline/solo
Your 2012 saved cities should be located in: C:/Users/Username/AppData/local/FocusHomeInteractive/Cities XL 2012/live/offline/solo
If you have trouble finding the AppData folder, please follow these instructions.
Purchasing & Activation Problems[]
I lost my serial number / the dog ate my game / etc.
Just log into the site you bought it from and re-trigger the download - Focus themselves don't sell the game - they have partners that do.
When I try to buy from the Focus site, I get linked through to gamesplanet.com. Therefore, I can enter an url of http://www.gamesplanet.com to get the gamesplanet front page rather than the "buy the game" page.
On the gamesplanet front page, if I had an account, I could log in and presumably then re-trigger my download.
All of the game download websites (that I know of) ask you to create an account and store a record of the games that you own, so logging back into the site that you bought it from ought to allow you to re-download.
Of course, you may not have bought via gameplanet - another Focus partner is Metaboli. The game is also available on Steam and via a variety of international partners so it is important to identify who you made your purchase via.
If you have any issues with downloading CXL 2011 (Metaboli, Focus Shop downloads), activating it, or using CD keys, you should contact Metaboli (the online distributor), not Focus, at this site:
http://eptica.metaboli.com/shop_en/
Once there, use the option 'Ask a question' , and then 'Contact an agent'.
{C}Naturally, all of this is vastly easier if you still have the order confirmation email as it remove the need for the process of elimination when determining who you originally bought from.
If all else fails, then Focus may have a record of your details - to retrieve your Cities XL player key, the name, the password and the e-mail of your player account are required, as is either a photo of the game box (if you purchased the physical version) or your email receipt (if you purchased the virtual version). Please send all that information to support@citiesxl.com
I bought the game on Steam, where can I find my serial number?
Right click on Cities XL in your Steam game list, choose 'View game CD key'.
The following screen shows the key and even allows you to copy it to the clipboard. Mention of 'multiplayer' on this screen is incorrect.
How to manually activate Cities XL 2011
- You can get an Unlock Code in order to activate manually your game.
- You can get your Unlock Code from a computer with an Internet access.
- This is not necessary to install the game on the computer which has an Internet access.
- An Unlock Request Code is displayed from the Cities XL 2011 activation window.
- Do not close the activation window until you get your Unlock Code.
- Run Cities XL 2011.
- As soon as the automatic activation fails, copy the Unlock Request Code.
- Do not close the activation window (switch the computer on Standby mode).
- From a computer with an Internet access, connect to: https://support.securom.com/PAunlock/?c=1000
- Enter the Cities XL 2011 Activation Key and the Unlock Request Code.
- Enter the security code that appears on the screen.
- Click Generate Unlock Code button to get an Unlock Code.
- Enter the Unlock Code in the Cities XL 2011 activation window.
- Enter the Serial Number (Cities XL 2011 Activation Key).
- Click Activate button.
Error: Trial Is Over
I am having the same problem when I press "Play game". I can run the tutorial but crash on "Play game".
I also noticed that after a while, a pop-up page will appear saying: "Your trial time is now over, if you want to play the game, buy it"
which I don't understand, the game installs fine, activation is successful after install using the serial I receive by email.
I tried re-installing the game several times, deactivating and re-activating the game without resolving the issue.
I managed to have the game working after a clean install of windows 7 this time without Norton Internet Security.
It seems that Norton, was blocking the activation process in some ways even though the installation and activation all say they were successfully installed.
Error: Could not write license data!
If you have Windows Vista or Windows 7, please configure Cities XL 2011 in order to run the game in administrator mode:
- Open Computer.
- Open (C:) Local Disk.
- Open Programs, Program Files or Program Files (x86) folder.
- Open Focus Home Interactive folder then Cities XL 2011 folder.
- Right mouse click CITIESXL_2011.EXE (CITIESXL_2011) application file and click Properties.
- Click Compatibility tab.
- Check Run this program as an administrator and click OK button.
- Run the game.
Please download and run SecuROM Removal Tool:
- Click http://download.securom.com/support/removal_tool.zip
- Save the zip-archive to your hard disc.
- Unpack the complete content to a location of your choice.
- Start "SecuROM Remover.exe".
- Agree to the terms of the EULA (click Next button).
- The tool shows all SecuROM related files, folders and registry keys present on your PC for the currently logged on Windows user.
- Agree to delete these files (click Next button then click Yes button).
- The tool displays the result of the process (click Exit button).
- You can delete the zip-archive and extracted files after completion of the removal process.
- Run and reactivate the game.
If you don't have the latest game version, please download and install the latest patch and right click, run as administrator to install it.
Can't Log In To Game - Capital Letters In Username / Password
Capitalization used when creating the account does NOT carry over to the account's actual password.
For example: PaSSw0rD17 would have actually been tied to the account as passw0rd17.
Try writing both your username and password with small letters.
Technical Problems With Known Solutions or Workarounds[]
Download Issues[]
How big is the download?[]
The size of the digital download is ~3.35GB, installed it's ~4.87GB.
The '8GB' listed in system requirements means "you should have at least 8GB free space before you install", not "the installation size is 8GB"
[]
To solve "The game is currently unavailable at this time" issue on Steam, you may try this:
- Run Steam and click Library.
- Right mouse click the game and click Properties.
- Click Local Files tab.
- Click Verify Integrity of Game Cache button.
The following Steam support link may be helpful: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_art ... -wexn-6831
Installation Issues[]
Install Button Doesn't Work[]
Disabling anti-virus software seems to cure this problem in some cases
Crashing On Launch Issues[]
CitiesXL.exe - Fatal error: CLR error: 80004005. The program will now terminate[]
Download the latest .NET framework from here, remove old beta versions of .NET frameworks and install the one you downloaded.
Freeimage.dll - Missing[]
Go to http://www.cdv-sevenm.hu and there you will find freeimage.dll and instructions on how to fix this bug (somewhere in the news (hírek) section, lol). (I did not try it yet). They actually claim this is not a cracked copy, it's absolutely official. So I guess it is just a coincidence that cracked versions make use of freeimage as well.
Failed to create D3D device (Bought from Steam)
To fix the problem is real easy just don't use HDMI cables use either DVI or VGA cables. Yes, we know how silly that is.
The application failed to start because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect.
Go to google and type in the following to download:
- Microsoft visual 2005 c++ redistributable x86
- Microsoft visual 2005 sp1 c++ redistributable x86
- Microsoft visual 2008 c++ redistributable x86
- Microsoft visual 2008 sp1 c++ redistributable x86
- Microsoft visual 2008 ALT c++ redistributable x86
- Microsoft visual 2010 c++ redistributable x86
- Microsoft visual 2010 sp1 c++ redistributable x86 -
If your on a 64-bit system, ALSO get the 64bit versions:
- Microsoft visual 2005 c++ redistributable x64
- Microsoft visual 2005 sp1 c++ redistributable x64
- Microsoft visual 2008 c++ redistributable x64
- Microsoft visual 2008 sp1 c++ redistributable x64
- Microsoft visual 2008 ALT c++ redistributable x64
- Microsoft visual 2010 c++ redistributable x64
- Microsoft visual 2010 sp1 c++ redistributable x64
- First, Uninstall any and all Microsoft visual c++ redistributable using the control panel.
- Then install them in the order I listed.
- Then run windows update. Install all of the updates.
- Then run windows update again. Install all of the updates.
This application has failed to start because the application configuration is incorrect. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem.
- Download Windows Installer Cleanup Utility from Major Geeks at http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4459 (use the Australian download site, none of the others had the file).
- Install then run the Utility, and remove the 2005 Redistributable.
- Install the 2008 Redistributable
- Install Cities XL 2011
mcCrypto: ERROR in CryptAcquireContext() with CRYPT_NEWKEYSET() msg:<Access is denied. (Error code = 5)>[]
{C}This error occurs when the encryption key is not present on the host computer.
Reinstalling Windows did not work.
However, I tried a final idea and I copied the encryption key from my laptop to a shared drive between my computers and moved it to my pc. It worked!!!!! CXL 2011 loaded up and plays wonderfully.
I wish I knew how to actually fix this problem though for people who don't have the option of installing the game on another pc and moving the key over.
In Game Issues[]
My machine kept rebooting
Got the game and started it up all went well for about 30 minutes then the whole machine shut down and started up again..... Played again for about 30 minutes or so and it shutdown again...
So I turned off the alerts that kept popping up about 1000 people and 10 this being built and 10 that being built...
I also turned down shadows and atmospheric stuff.
That is all I did and have been playing for hours on end with no problems.
Mouse Cursor - Missing[]
If you can't see the mouse cursor in game, your problem is probably that you have mouse trails turned on. Turn them off and everything will work fine.
Mouse Cursor still missing in my game. Why is this? running on 512 Nvidia pentium 2dual core 1.8 GHz. Mouse will not show could this be a timing issue with the refresh rate?
Crash To Desktop During Play And Then Can't Reinstall[]
This problem occurred on a Windows 7 64 bit system, but the game seemed to be working fine for a time. The member then experienced a CTD (Crash To Desktop) and after this, his installation become non functional, which suggests corruption to the game files.
The obvious steps are to completely purge all trace of cities xl from the machine (keeping saved cities somewhere safe) and then reinstall.
Unfortunately complete removal of the game seems not always to be a straightforward task as this case demonstrates:
Problem:
- I was just about to lay a new block of heavy industrial lots 2x8 and I right clicked on the linear format(last one on the right) to make sure I had the right size road selected.
- As soon as I right clicked it the game crashed and the message said "failed to save dump file".
- I shut it down and restarted it and the same thing happened,even on the other two maps I had started.
- I decided to reinstall the game, it went through the install process(took about 5 minutes each time) and all that showed up in the install directory was the Pak folder,even though the main folder, one level up says it has 81 files and one folder in it (4.47 gigs, I think)but I can only see the pak folder
- so that's my problem - the reinstall isn't working...it is not copying all the files to the Cities XL 2011 folder.
- I have tried to install it in other directories but the same thing happens.
- I can't even apply the patch because it says game not found.
I've also:
- used a registry cleaner - ultra win cleaner 2011- to check for invalid reg entries etc.
- cleaned the temp folder
- ran it as admin
- turned off desk top composition
Initial Suggested Solution:
- Please reset the settings of Cities XL 2011:
- Open Computer then your (C:) local disk.
- Open Users folder.
- Open your username folder.
- Open AppData folder (*)
- Open Local folder.
- Open Focus Home Interactive folder.
- Delete Cities XL 2011 folder. ( You may want to make a copy of your saved files: C:\Users\romfromfocus\AppData\Local\Focus Home Interactive\Cities XL 2011\live\offline\solo )
- Run Cities XL 2011.
Note: This should have worked. It is actually unclear why it didn't, so we don't know whether this was a weirdness of the Cities XL installer, or user error. Any way, the story progresses:
1st Response To Suggested Solution:
- unfortunately when I went to look for that folder in apps/local/focus.... (prior to posting my question).....it was gone.!
- I had already unhidden all files/folders a few months back.
- I did some more reading on the forum and found a post along the same lines as my prob and it mentioned something about a SecuROM issue that may have been causing it.there is a prog (Secure Rom Removal tool.rar) to remove all SecuROM entries in the registry. I downloaded it and ran it. it cleared out about 10 entries in the reg but did not fix the problem.
- I had also been browsing through some of the config files a few days earlier and found one config file (sorry I can't remember which one) but right near the bottom there was a line that mentioned the log entries and how many could be stored. it was set to only copy 10 entries. the error window that popped up when my game crashed was trying to copy # 11. unfortunately I did not right down what the error message said so I have no way to find that error message.
- when I reinstall/try to reinstall.....it does not make an entry in the appsdata folder for focus / cities xl 2011.
- I wonder if the patch was uninstalled properly when I 1st went to reinstall it.
- if not then that could also cause problems for a new clean install ?
End Solution
OK, well I've managed to get it working again....for those of you having tried to reinstall it and just get the Paks folder in their main cxl2011 folder....here's what I did....1st do not delete the " paks " folder. I reinstalled the game on my old XPsp3 machine, then copied everything in the main CLX2011folder, except the Paks folder( it's HUGE 4+ gigs ), to a flash drive,( or you could burn it, I guess ). I then just put everything I had copied back into the main game folder and there you go. repatch, and launch the game!
Notes:
The member had been editing game files before the initial error occurred, including the file that allows log creation. In the crash, logs were not created. Since Cities XL routinely creates logs, it is possible that this edit stopped the game from creating the logs that it usually needs.
It is still not clear why an uninstall and reinstall didn't work - it seems likely that despite the member's best efforts, game content was left on his computer and that this prolonged the problem. Installing on a clean machine and copying across shouldn't be necessary, but clearly it worked in this case and any problematic old content may well have been overwritten when the game was copied back.
Lesson: If you edit your game files, (1) Keep a record of which you edited and (2) Keep a backup of the relevant files
The image vibrates during play[]
The screen seems to "vibrate" shift up and down (a very-very little amount, but rather fast), no other performance issues noted. Just uncomfortable to play (very).
To solve, please disable Steam Community In-Game:
- Run Steam.
- Click Steam then Settings.
- Click IN-GAME tab.
- Uncheck 'Enable Steam Community In-Game'.
- Click OK then run the game.
or try:
Setting the game Options > Resolution to match your current desktop Resolution. Example if your desktop Res. is 1980 x 1080 60 Hertz, make sure the games Res. option is also 1980 x 1080 60Hertz.
Game Crashes On Utility Centre Construction[]
{C}This is some kind of graphical issue. It is unknown which particular element of graphics config causes this problem, but where users change everything (worst case set to minimum) the problem goes away. Anecdotal evidence suggests the problem also goes away at higher settings.
Terrain "Chunks" At Different Levels
Separate "chunks" of the terrain are being rendered at different heights, as are water and trees.
This makes it very hard to build in some areas because all my roads and buildings might end up under the terrain (because while I see it at the wrong height, it seems the game treats all the chunks as if they're at the correct height).
I have attached some screenshots so you can see what I'm talking about. One shows the corner of 4 different chunks - you can see that three are rendered above the water. The other screen shot is of an area where the terrain is at water level, but all the trees are up to high and thus are floating.
This problem can be resolved by updating graphics drivers.
Game Crashes Multiple Cores WinXP / D3D9.dll
{C}Launched the game several times, logo popped up on desktop and crashes directly after. So I began to read the messages here on board, and delete Visual C++ and Framework. {C}Same procedure before launched game, and next crash. After some hours of thinking and deactivating two of my six cores in Bios and the game run fine. {C}Not a really solution, I went back to work and activated all six cores again. {C}After some sessions I got enough and read messages again, so launched game again as admin. But this time I got an error message while the game crashed. Don't damn every time Focus-Team have done bad work. You can damn Microsoft for a bad and bugged library in directx called D3D9.dll. {C}This issue occurs because DirectX creates worker threads that are based on the number of cores or logical processors. DirectX has a global data array, and each worker thread accesses a dedicated element in that global array. However, there is a hard-coded limitation of four elements in the array. If there are more than four cores or more than four logical processors, some worker threads in DirectX try to access memory that has not been allocated. Therefore, DirectX experiences an access violation issue when it tries to create more than four worker threads. {C}The only solution looks like the three year old hotfix KB-953028 waiting for next Microsoft ServicePack, to run this game without D3D9.dll error {C}Read the Article ID: 953028 - Last Review: May 21, 2008 - Revision: 1.1 on Microsoft Help and Support . {C}I have installed the hotfix for myself and my own risk and the game is running fine on a hexacore without crash.
Discussion Of Ongoing Technical Problems[]
Game crashes[]
Most of the crashes reported happen with a particular city, whenever you try to load that city again. Some crashes reportedly start after building a blueprint. A few crashes when trying to start the entire game, or on the Planet view. I also saw a crash when building a metro station.
Most mods are still incompatible with CXL 2011, so please do not report a problem if you're playing with mods, or if you imported a CXL 2009 city where you used mods.
Trading problems/bugs[]
There are glitches with the trading interface; sometimes attempted trades yield more cash tokens than they're supposed to, or less. All those happen when trading with Omnicorp; until now I haven't seen any problems when trading between cities.
- There are messages 'Token trade with city X .....' appearing constantly. This might be a bug, but it could be also a gameplay problem when you're having a workers/industries issues that temporarily diminish the production of a certain token.
Slow interface issues[]
Most of those are related to the initial problem with the Steam version, which should have been solved automatically already. If not, take a look at the sticky in the Tech Forum main page.
The other interface issues are related to the infamous 'memory leak' (which might be improperly named after all, because it seems it's not related to memory at all). Anyway, it consists in slow access to interface buttons after some time of playing the same city, especially when the city has a big population. It is a known issue that has no real solution so far (it's probably due to bad coding), but it helps if you exit the city and enter it again.
Graphical glitches[]
- Parts of the ground invading roads is the most common problem. Focus has stated that it might be related to graphical drivers, so try to update them.
- Cars vanishing at roundabouts: this is probably not a bug, but the same graphical problem as cars vanishing or stopping at highway connection pieces. It amounts to the fact that the graphical engine obviously considers those places road intersections, where cars are supposed to stop. It also relates to another problem with roundabouts (see below).
- Cars going only one line at a time when the light opens - again not a bug, but a graphical problem that needs to be resolved.
- Nightlights are dull
Gameplay bugs/problems[]
- The skilled workers' residences from the American pack don't fill
- All residences from the China pack are described as being for Skilled, despite half of them functioning correctly as Unskilled
- The shops from the Old England pack seem to provide a negligent amount of shopping satisfaction in the area, while in the same time producing a normal amount of retail resource. This results in low satisfaction of citizens in the area, while at the same time overall retail production skyrockets.
- The metro rate of fill is too low - although this might not be exactly a problem/bug, the fact is that the metro can't perform its intended function as a major traffic relief, sinse too few people use it. Re-balancing needed.
- Roundabouts can't be included in zones - probably related to the fact that they're not really a part of the road network, and thus the zoning engine reports an error when you try to click on them and include them as part of the zone borders.
- Again, it might not be a bug, but it is clearly a problem barring the normal functioning of roundabouts.
- Some roads of size that should fit with the roundabout are actually unable to connect with it. This is valid for both sizes and both types (normal/grassy). Example: large avenues connect with large roundabouts, so do wide uptown avenue, but not large uptown avenues (which have basically the same width and traffic flow abilities as the other two). Again, it might not be a bug but a poor/incomplete designer work.
Key discussion topics for ongoing technical problems[]
Problems with ordering via Steam
Problems with ordering via Metaboli/Gamestop
Download and installation issues
Poor Performance or Multicore Support discussions
How To Report A Technical Problem[]
Please do not request tech support on the wiki - that's not what this site is for. Please use one of the options below.
Steps to follow before reporting a problem[]
- Check out INFO threads on the official forum. On the top of this board are some FAQs and infothreads pinned. Many common problems can be solved by reading them.
- Search for threads where the problem may have been discussed already. Maybe there is a solution posted for your problem.
- Opening a thread. If step 1 and 2 brought no solution for you, you have to open a new thread. As said in 2, please don't use anyone others thread for that. It's better to open an own one. When opening a new thread, please choose a suitable, short and informative headline. It should give the users reading your thread a short description on what is discussed in it. Positive e.g.: "Game crashing after screenshot" And the absolutely NO-GO (please never, never, never, never ever post something like this): "HEEELP!!!"
Info to include with an error report[]
- Exactly what you were doing when the problem happened (e.g. placing a special house)
- The problem you experienced (e.g. Crash To Desktop (CTD)
- Screenshots are always helpful (if possible).
- Your game version can be helpful too, you can find it here:
[Win XP, Vista, 7] Harddrive\Program Data\FocusHomeInteractive\CitiesXL 2011 Scroll down, one of the last files in this folder should be named "version.cfg". Open it with standard installed "Editor" and copy it's content into your post.
- If your system gives an error description, post it.
- Either manually post your PCs specifications or provide the report from a DXDiag (including hard-drive space, RAM and vRAM, graphics card, operation system (OS), monitor resolution, graphics card driver version & date)
- Cities XL internal error log:
Go to: [Win XP]Workplace\Documents and Settings\AppData\local\FocusHomeInteractive\Cities XL 2011\log [Win Vista/7] Users\Username\AppData\local\FocusHomeInteractive\Cities XL 2011\log Search for an .txt file which was created when the error occurred. Open it with "Editor" as used vor version.cfg. Please copy the last few rows of this file into your post.
If you have trouble finding the AppData folder, please follow these instructions.
Communities[]
abc
Tech Support[]
abc
Shops[]
abc
Can We Resurrect The Planet Offer?[]
Why can't I play online?[]
The original Cities XL had online / MMO play known as the Planet Offer when it was first launched.
This failed to make money and was closed, shortly followed by the bankruptcy of the developer, Monte Cristo.
As such, there is no longer any online play for any version of Cities XL.
Will it come back?[]
No, we can't rule out the possibility that it will come back one day, any more than we can rule out the possibility that Michael Jackson will rise from the dead, but believe me, it really is unlikely.
Can we do it ourselves? / Can we set up our own server?[]
Yes, I guess you could set up your own server, but the bandwidth requirements are high and you'll need to develop code to allow sharing of trade, planet slots, cities etc. You'd probably infringe a copyright somewhere along the line so it's probably not all that good an idea.
Why won't Focus give us the source code?[]
Because then they would have given away their intellectual property. The code would shortly be available to anybody and it would be quite unlikely that the game would see any further development. Besides, even if they did, it's code for the 2009 version and wouldn't work for the 2011 version, which is heavily modified to allow it to be more usable in single player.
If you wish to discuss the Planet Offer further[]
Planet Offer | Multiplayer Mode - MMO Thread
Lost Solutions[]
Issues that were dealt with on the 4th page of the FAQ on the official forums and which may now be lost forever.
Further research required to identify any solutions that can be recovered.
- I bought the game via the Cities XL Website - Actually bought on Metaboli / Gamesplanet)
- Patch - Can't Install
- Launcher Crashes
- Steam Game Version - Crash To Desktop (CTD) On Play