I'm also having the same issue.

Re-installed the game... twice, changed screen resolution etc. and followed most of the instructions for issues such as deleting certain ini files etc..

Steam login works, can play other games, issue appears to be that you launch from steam, steam indicates game is "running" in green. Steam has the usual blue  "X Stop" button displayed.

Click "Play" game...Steam then returns to green "> Play" icon.

You can repeat this ad naseum.

Have had similar nonload issues in the past with updates following the instructions on the support thread sorts the issue...sometimes this resolves the following day. This thread alas has not resolved the issue.

Any pointers would be greatly received.

Are you even getting to the launcher?

You should see something like this:

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are having trouble.

I assume you mean the instructions to go to:

\Documents\My Games\GC3Crusade

And delete the prefs.ini, correct?

If that is all you did, I would like you to rename the entire folder:

GC3Crusade

to:

GC3Crusade.OLD

And try to run the game again.  If it still fails, is a new GC3Crusade folder created in MyGames?  If not, follow the instructions here for turning off Windows Controlled folder access. 

To turn off Windows Controlled Folder Access in Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Open the Start menu and type "Windows Defender Security Center"
2. Click on "Windows Defender Security Center" to open the app
3. Click on "Virus & threat protection"
4. Under "Virus & threat protection settings", click on "Manage settings"
5. Scroll down to the "Controlled folder access" section
6. Toggle the switch to "Off"

If that fails, and with the Stardock Launcher open, are you able to run the GalCiv3.exe directly from the install directory (wherever you have it installed)?

If that all fails, zip up your debug.err located here:

\Documents\My Games\GC3Crusade

Upload it to a cloud drive service of your choice and past a shared link here. 

Thanks.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

It will only ever be recreated when the game is run.  If you have run the game and its still not being created, then the game has not made it far enough to do so. 

I do hope you did that under:

\Documents\My Games\

And not the game install folder.

I am afraid, none of that makes any sense to me... Placed on your desktop?

In the following directory:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Steamworks Shared\_CommonRedist\DirectX\Jun2010

Please run: DXSETUP.exe

For the latest redistributable:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170

Reboot and try to run the game again.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Yes

when clicking the green play, nothing happens on my screen and 

the steam screen running disappears

Original complaint

I could not run Galactic Civilization III after the latest update

The game run well before the update

The other 2 games run well (Civilization V and Offworld trading company)

1)      Start Steam

Run well and show I have 3 games

2)      Selected Galactic Civilization III and clicked the green play

Stardock screen appears

The steam screen shows Galactic Civilization III – running and the green play button change to stop

3)      Clicked the green play button on the Stardock screen

Stardock screen disappear

The steam screen shows Galactic Civilization III (running disappear) and the stop button change back to green play

The game did not run.

It happened just as kj3292 described

1^st follow-up action

1)      Uninstall both steam and Galactic Civilization III

2)      Deleted folder   this pc > documents > my games

3)      Deleted folder   this pc > C drive > program files (x86) > steam

4)      Reinstall both steam and Galactic Civilization III

The same thing happened again as (I) Original complaint

2^nd follow-up action

C:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common steamworks shared\_commonredist\directX\jun2010

Run dxsetup.exe

Restart

Game start loading but I do not have opportunity to play it yet

THANKS

Hello sdRohan,

Thank you for following up.

The game loaded.

I also loaded a saved game.

It seems to be running well.

Unfortunately, I do not have the time to play the game until the not vacation.

Conclusion

DirectX seems to be the problem for my game not running.

Thanks

Hello Sean,

Unfortunately doing all the above see's me with the same issue. Have uninstalled and re-installed the game numerous times and have followed the process chengseow1938 posted which sorted the issue for him/her, has not worked for moi.

I had visited the MS forums regards the VCRruntime140_1.dll issue. I feel this maybe a red herring as it only displays this if the CG3.exe file is clicked on in the apps.

As chengseow1938 mentions, we both had the issue after the update. To my way of thinking chengseow1938 having to delete both Steam and CG3 points to this being an update issue.

Any more pointers would be helpful.

Hello Sean,

Once again thank you for your reply.

Note I am using Windows 7, links are for Windows 8 and beyond. However it does state that it is the same as safe mode. Have booted into safe mode with networking, unfortunately same symptoms, GC3 still will not run.

Hope the above information is of help.

I have a large sledgehammer which may be of use for "fine" tuning my system.

Keep well.

I had visited the MS forums regards the VCRruntime140_1.dll issue. I feel this maybe a red herring as it only displays this if the CG3.exe file is clicked on in the apps.