Mac+Bootcamp+Windows=SC4?

[sendarrow 3]

Hello, Probably somebody have asked this question before, if I'm correct, sorry, if not, please read: Now with the upcoming new Mac with bootcamp right within the computer, do you think that I will be able to play SC4 for PC in my Mac running Windows with bootcamp?

[LivingInThePast 364]

Yes. Works great I've heard.

[bwatterud 7]

I haven't used boot camp to run SC4, but I do use it to play other games (Star Wars: EAW, Homeworld 2, Empire Earth 2, Rome: Total War), and they run great.

[callagrafx 3]

It runs as well (if not better) as it would on a Wintel "box of many cheap taiwanese components"....XP runs natively. so does SC4..although I have heard of issues with the dual processors and switching, but the trick there is to turn one core off in the processes window.

[Bookworm 1]

I've heard that there can be a lot of problems setting up WinXP on a Mac, but once you get it started, its great, just like having Windows on a non-mac computer. I'd give it a try... or I would if I had a Mac.

[callagrafx 3]

I'd been putting off doing it for a while, as I was still busy with work and didn't want to screw up the machine while I had deadlines...but I did it yesterday and the whole thing took less than an hour with no problems whatsoever. My only problem is I made the partition a bit smaller than I need, so I may have to repeat the process, but everything installed without a hitch. Bootcamp is a very clever bit of software.

[GoaSkin 2]

Has anybody tried OSX+DarWINE to run SC4? That may be much earsier and save resources - works on Linux. Not tested on OSX.

Edit: Works... just install WINE (using the link above, enter the SC4 CD and run setup... that runs SC4 in OSX directly without needing to boot windows on Intel-based Macs only

Edit2:If you're asked to insert the second CD and cannot open the tray, use the disc utility (Applications/Utilities) to eject it!

[sendarrow 3]

Thanks guys. I look forward to see Boot Camp with Mac not as a betta, but for real when they launch the new OS.

[kbooms1w 1]

Been running it for 2-3 months, works fine, BAT, LE, etc. as well, all work good.

[corryzahn 0]

the only thing I can't figure out, is what key do I use to rotate a building?

It's END on the PC, but there IS NO END KEY on my macbook.  It's the only thing that doesn't work... otherwise, it actually runs better on my new macbook than it did on the old laptop.

[dsl4c 0]

Fellow Intel Mac User here.. before I reinvest in the pc version of RH, I was just curious of what kind of performance are you guys getting on your intel macs running SC4 with W.I.N.E.? does it faster than the PPC version, and is it a better gaming experience? last question, is the UDI running full speed and graphically smooth?

[kbooms1w 1]

Originally posted by: corryzahn the only thing I can't figure out, is what key do I use to rotate a building?

It's END on the PC, but there IS NO END KEY on my macbook.  It's the only thing that doesn't work... otherwise, it actually runs better on my new macbook than it did on the old laptop.

quote>

Use the "fn" key (lower left hand corner of your keyboard) in combo with the arrow keys (don't remember which one exactly off the top of my head) for those functions.

[callagrafx 3]

it's FN left & right...Up and down rotate the map.

[GoaSkin 2]

WINE isn't really suitable because the copy-protection procedure allways fails. So you need to crack it to start.

[jrvegeeta 0]

Boot camp can give you a bit of trouble, but it should run games well. The best Windows-on-Mac program is parallels, but it doesn't support direct X, so it may or may not work.

[callagrafx 3]

Bootcamp simply allows you to switch between hard drive partitions...XP and SC4 runs as it would on a Dell or Compaq or other PC. I run 3dsMax 7 on mine without any problems, and that's one bit of fickle software.

[SODATWIN 7]

i'm planning on getting a macbook fairly soon, and i'm going to install windows xp... how big of a partition should i format if i'm only going to install SC4 amongst a few other things? i'm getting one with 160 gigs

[bwatterud 7]

I gave 20 gigs to Windows, and that's more than enough for 4 games, with expansions. Look at the minimum space needed, and give it maybe 5 more gigs. Of course, you might find more games that you want to install, and changing partition sizes is near impossible to do without risk of deleting files.

[corryzahn 0]

I have 15G for WinXP and 40 for Mac.

I'm only running two programs on the windows side, and the speeds beat my old windows machine hands down.

[jeffypop 0]

I posted this in another discussion, but maybe I'll get faster responses here... I have an intel mac and got it partitioned and everything... but then when it rebooted it gave me a blank screen and didn't start the XP installation. I left it for 30 min (cuz a lot of people on other boards said they encountered the same issue DURING the actual setup process, but it eventually corrected itself)... alas, for me, nothing happened. So I rebooted and now every time I try to boot into XP, it gives me the blank screen. I'll try a fresh install once more, but has anyone else experienced this problem? Like I said, most people get it during the driver installation or somewhere else in the XP setup... but for me it happens right at reboot.

Maybe I should just buy the mac version of the game... but I have a billion plugins already. Can I just copy the already-extracted ones to the mac, or are there compatibility issues? And does it work on intel macs, because supposedly it won't without a plugin that's offered on the aspyr site... and that said, I can't find it anywhere. Clearly, I'm too confused to know which direction to go in. I don't know what decision to make. I've read bad reviews of the mac-version. But I have been playing Sim City since the old skool days and I get antsy when I have to spend so much time without it.

[bwatterud 7]

If you do get the mac version, yes you can use the same plugins. It will work on intel macs, but it will run a bit slower until Aspyr makes a universal patch. Aspyr made a pretty crappy port. The gameplay isn't bad, it just takes a really long time to load.

[jeffypop 0]

Thanks! Good to know. Is it only the load time that's slow, or does everything else lag, too? It would be such a shame. I was running the PC version on a really old DELL so I've never seen the game+NAM+plugins all at their full potential. Getting a new machine had me all excited to play it the way it SHOULD be played.

[SODATWIN 7]

Originally posted by: GoaSkin Has anybody tried OSX+DarWINE to run SC4? That may be much earsier and save resources - works on Linux. Not tested on OSX.

Edit: Works... just install WINE (using the link above, enter the SC4 CD and run setup... that runs SC4 in OSX directly without needing to boot windows on Intel-based Macs only

Edit2:If you're asked to insert the second CD and cannot open the tray, use the disc utility (Applications/Utilities) to eject it!quote>

its telling me i need x11... what on earth is it talking about??

[Kakaze 0]

X11 is what *nix systems use to display GUIs. When you run *nix software on OS X that has a GUI you need to run it in X11 as *nix software isn't written to take advantage of the OS X GUI. X11 can be found on your install disk. Insert your install disk and look for the Optional Installs.mpkg. Open it and continue on until it gives you the option of what software you want to install...x11 should be in there.

[SODATWIN 7]

okay, now when i try to install SC4 with Darwine/X11, i get the message "could not copy 'V:\Applications\Darwine\WineHelper.app\Contents\Resources\Autorun.exe to 'C:\Windows\temp\autorun.exe'..." whats going on? i followed these instructions - http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=18111

[Kakaze 0]

I don't know what to tell you, other then to install Windows on the computer, as I don't have an Intel Mac and can't test this for myself.

[SODATWIN 7]

its all bad

[SODATWIN 7]

okay, i got simcity 4 installed on windows xp via bootcamp, but now i get an error message that says "could not initialize direct draw" when i try to run sc4, and it gives me a blank screen, eerily similar to the blank screen right before your computer yells "EA GAMES! challenge everything" but it never quite makes it that far... i tried installing directx 9.0c but to no avail.... any suggestions?

[Kakaze 0]

Are all your drivers installed correctly?

Try using the Catalyst or Omega drivers for the video if the Apple drivers aren't working right.

[SODATWIN 7]

are you talking about the apple drivers for bootcamp?

and where do i get these catalyst / omega drivers at? edit: i installed the mac drivers and the game loads up... have to play around with it to see if it fully works