EB on RTW for mac

[amdonati]

Hi all,

I am happily still playing Europa Barbarorum on my MacBook Pro in a Boot camp partition, which still exists almost only for RTW (that does not seem to like parallels).

I was wondering if it would be possible to install EB in the RTW version for mac that was just released or, as I suppose the installer will not work, is there a walkthrough on what must be done to bring EB in the MAC version of the game.

It would be great if I could stop switching and could play EB directly in OSX!

Many thanks in advance for any help!

amdonati

[Tellos Athenaios]

If you have your bootcamp partition set up and accessible from within Mac OS X, I gather that some smart copying of files should do the trick. You may want to start small, though: first try to install the Multi Mod Sampler (google it) which is a project to include a tiny piece of a multiple modes (samples) and present them as a mod of its own. (Demo!) The reason why I suggest it is that it is faaar smaller in size but similar in layout to EB (it also used the -mod switch for launching the mod), so it is suitable for quick experiments.

[amdonati]

Thank you for the feedback.
Yes I do have the Boot Camp partition with the windows version of EB.
But aren't in EB any executables that could not work on the mac?
I do not know the internal logic of the mod and would like be sure that there is a reasonable possibility of success before buying the game again.
MMS seems a win executable as well

Amdonati

[Tellos Athenaios]

The mod itself is purely a set of files, no executables. The file you download, however is a Windows installer which *is* an executable (usually some variation on a self-extracting archive). So unless you have a program capable of opening and extracting the EB mod files from the installer, your best bet is to *install* EB on the bootcamp partition using Windows; and *copy* the files to your Mac version of RTW. You will need to manually create the necessary shortcuts/launchers or whatever the Mac clone is.

Apart from the mod itself the installer bundles a few other items:
The EB validation tool is written in Java, so if you have the appropriate Java runtime (a Java 1.6. should do) installed on the Mac that works, too.
The recruitment viewer and trivial script won't work; but you can work around the latter issue using shell scripts.

[Skullheadhq]

using Windows;

Why would he want to play it on the MAC OS X when he has Windows to play it on? Also, do you have "Crossover Games"?

[Tellos Athenaios]

@skullheadhq:
Read post #1:

It would be great if I could stop switching and could play EB directly in OSX!

And why bother with Crossover when you can have a native version of RTW on the Mac these days?

[WinsingtonIII]

Why would he want to play it on the MAC OS X when he has Windows to play it on? Also, do you have "Crossover Games"?

Because then you need to keep a partition on your harddrive and reboot every time you want to play. If the only reason you have a windows partition is for EB, I can understand wanting to remove that partition if you are now able to play EB on OSX.

[Ludens]

Moved this to the tech help forum.

[Skullheadhq]

Can't you just run a virtual machine and play it that way?

[amdonati]

This was my first try but unfortunately RTW in Parallels 5 on a Macbook pro with a Core2 Duo 2.4 and nvidia 9400m is absolutely unplayable for its slowness even in the strategic map.
The funny thing is that on the same setup I can play Oblivion!
:-(

[Skullheadhq]

Same here, 3.0 ghz quadcore and NVIDIA 250 and able to play Crysis, but not EB sadly.

[amdonati]

Today I have tried to install the mod.
Have made the romedata archive R/W and have copied all the files in eb\data in the data folder, overwriting the original ones.

Interestingly the data folder's dimension moves from 4,6 GB to 2,51 GB and the files number from ca 6000 to 27000

But unfrotunately the game crashes immediately after the introductory video.
Did I forget to copy or adapt something?

[Skullheadhq]

Interestingly the data folder's dimension moves from 4,6 GB to 2,51 GB

That happens when you .rar it, yes.

Did I forget to copy or adapt something?

I believe you forgot the EDU backup and the preferences and it crashes while trying to loading it.

[amdonati]

Still no luck.
Eb crashes even before arriving to the introductory FMV!
I have done the following:
1) Overwritten the data folder with the content of:
* EB/data folder
*EB/Lighting/Recommended
*EB/Modesty/Default
*EB/mp game edu backup
2) Copied EB/preferencies in the prefernices folder under library

I could not copy the content of the presets folder as I cannot recognize where the it should go.

I have also noticed that the 2 Eb intro videos (EB logo and Placeholder_intro) are in a wmv format that I cannot see in my mac.
Could this be the reason?
Would it be possible to have the 2 files in mov?
And where should I put the presets files?

[Skullheadhq]

I would delete everything (just throw TCA map away) and reinstall RTW and EB from scratch. Could you say what happens then?

[amdonati]

The process mentioned before was done on a fresh install.
The only other think I could post is the error report, but from what I could see there is not much info on where or on what file the crash happened

[Skullheadhq]

Are you doing this on Rome.exe or BI.exe?

[vartan]

Sand you're missing a major key component here: the guy is playing on a MAC! for Pete's sake. Do you have the option of disabling intro vids? Someone tell the guy how to set his launch options with the analogue of the "-nm" option. Those WMV's can be deadly.

[amdonati]

I could not find how to disable the videos but this was an idea I also had.
If someone can help me out here I am happy to try it out

[vartan]

http://www.feralinteractive.com/?sec...uy&game=rometw

I would buy the game for the Macintosh. Buying from the developer costs you no shipping (as long as you're in the US, AFAIK). Buying from other locations (see Google shopping results) will cost you some for shipping. Then, copying over the EB files (overwriting the Rome files) should allow you to launch EB by launching using the Rome launcher. I say this because I don't know how you can keep EB mod-foldered in a Mac and still play it (i.e. how do you set launch options?).

[Tellos Athenaios]

Add the "-nm" switch (without quotes) to the commandline.

You'd probably put it in a shell script like this:

program="command-to-launch-RTW";
$program -nm;

Or more directly:

command-to-launch-RTW -nm

Where "command-to-launch-RTW" is usually the program (e.g. /usr/local/bin/rome-tw if the thing was ever ported to Linux)

[OneoftheLost]

Hello all. I'm er... new. One of the EB members on the TWC forums directed me to this thread in reference to my own Mac RTW:G troubles. For the video, when any mac user tries to run RTW, a little popup window will show up, with multiple tabs. Under 'Advanced' check the checkbox next to 'advanced options' and then put -nm to disable the intro movie to the game. Which coincidentally gets you to the main menu ALOT faster then simply cancelling out of the silly video.

Here's MY issue with EB. I'll list the steps below.

1. Installed RTW:G on my Mac.
2. Downloaded EB 1.1
3. Copy the RTW data file, and then, using DiskUtility, I made it 'read-write'
4. Backing up the old files, I put the new Rome Total War Data, in the folder.
5. Opening Rome Total War Data, I then moved everything over from EB. Notice, that on Macs, replace all REALLY does replace all. You have to manually move the files over, or the old folders get deleted, as opposed to Window's merging system. (then again, its been a while since I used Windows...)
6.Now, I wasn't sure what the hell to do with the EB Trivial script, so that went into the Rome Total War folder. While all of the data stuff went into data.
7. put the -nm in the advanced options.

Here is the result. When I start the game it goes to the EB Splash screen. Unfortunately no matter what I press, or how long I wait, it simply hangs there. Pressing enter/return will crash the game to desktop.

That's as far as I can get the game to go on a fresh install. Also, something to note, Mac's can't use .exe files. The Rome Total War.exe is actually RTW.app. While the whole rome total war folder is wrapped into a shell file, or .dmg.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[vartan]

You guys are installing RTW using the MAC version, right? otherwise would be silly. You need a MAC game to mod to play EB.

[OneoftheLost]

Uhm.. I didn't know you could install using the regular version of RTW, hence the mac release.

For clarification, I am using MAC Rome Total War. Released by Feral Games.

Hope that helps!

[vartan]

Uhm.. I didn't know you could install using the regular version of RTW, hence the mac release.

For clarification, I am using MAC Rome Total War. Released by Feral Games.

Hope that helps!

So have you tried what Tellos suggested? You have MAC Rome. You have copied over the EB 1.1 + 1.2 installation files into ROME. And you have run the script with -nm and -mod:eb. Try it eh?

[OneoftheLost]

I didn't apply the 1.2 patch because I didn't think it would work if 1.1 didn't. However, I just applied it, and added -mod:eb to the -nm. Same resultes, I simply can't get past the first splash screen. Any other ideas? Also, everything outside of the data folder should go into the rome total war folder itself right? Nowhere special?

Any other suggestions?

Wait, stop. Run the script? You mean the EB Trivial Script? It's an .exe file, and I can't run it. Should I move the entire installation to a window's comp, and run the script? I didn't actually install the game on a windows computer, I simply installed the mod onto a flashdrive from a windows computer and then moved it over.

*EDIT* Nm, that was me jumping at straws. I just read up on the script. Even looked through the validation faq thingie. Still no dice.

[vartan]

EB is in a mod folder of its own. One of those folders alone is the 'data' folder. You want the entire EB folder moved into the RTW installation directory. -mod:eb will access that EB folder content as opposed to the default RTW files.

[WinsingtonIII]

I would really suggest just using bootcamp to install win xp and run windows RTW and EB off of that. I can assure you that this works on my macbook pro. Plus, then you can play others windows games that haven't been released for mac. Also, the price reduction in old windows games in comparison to mac versions of old games (mac RTW gold is $28 as opposed to windows RTW gold, which is $13) means that you make up the expense paid buying windows xp fairly quickly.

However, since you already have mac RTW, I guess you already made the investment, so I wish you luck but I cannot really help you with that issue.

[OneoftheLost]

Man. All these threads, and a whole lot of pain. Feels kind of anti-climactic that the solution is BRUTALLY simple. You sir, nailed it on the head for me! I am now, happily playing EB. Having never played it before, I checked the main menu, and found the single player campaign started just fine. Then, I went to historical battles... and nothing showed up? Is that normal? Does EB not have any historical battles? Aside from this, I tried a simple battle involving 1 unit of Spartans vs 1 unit of Something Cohort, and a Gallic swordsmen merc unit. The spartans got destroyed. I noticed they didn't have a phalanx formation... anyway. Umm. My only other question is that, when choosing units for custom battles, the Romani only show mercanaries. For me to fight a cohort, I let the computer choose, because I didn't see anything.

Sorry if that's a little long-winded. I'm ecstatic that I finally got EB working! After everyone said it couldn't be done on the mod version. >.< I might even put up a guide or something. Thanks for all your help man!

*EDIT* That was directed at Vartan. The solution was for me to LEAVE THE DAMN EB folder alone. :P I thought I had to pull everything out of the EB folder, and overwrite the RTW's folder. Hence all my issues! I think all of the threads about people not getting mods on the mac, made me overlook the simple stuff. Now I gotta install the 1.2 patch. :)

[vartan]

OneoftheLost, I'm not sure if this is written in the FAQ, but there are two EDUs for EB. An EDU is simply a text file that lists all the units for the game. The reason EB has two EDUs is that there is a Single Player EDU (for when playing the campaigns), and a Multiplayer EDU, for when playing custom battles, historical battles, or online battles. In Windows, we simply use the Trivial Script software to automatically switch EDUs for us. On a Mac, or a Windows without Trivial Script installed, one must manually switch out the EDUs. I hope someone can explain where the directories exactly are, but essentially, you have the current EDU, the SP (single player) EDU backup file, and the MP (multiplayer) EDU backup file. You want to copy the backup file over the current one, not MOVE it (you always want a backup). Good luck...