Playing TW games on MAC

**AntonM** · January 28, 2011, 12:21 PM

Just got a new MacBook Pro and wanted to install this mod when it comes out, does anyone use MAC and how do you run games? Parallels, Bootcamp? Any tips. Thanks

**Peteriscoolz** · January 28, 2011, 12:58 PM

This isn't the right forum for this.

**AntonM** · January 28, 2011, 03:55 PM

Why not this is the mod i wanna play

**WinsingtonIII** · January 28, 2011, 05:04 PM

You should use bootcamp, in my experience it does a good job. With a macbook pro you should run M2TW pretty well, although probably not on higher settings.

I haven't tried parallels, but I've heard it's not great for gaming (it's more of an emulator I think? so the performance isn't as good), whereas with bootcamp you're actually using windows so it will run just as well as on a PC with comparable hardware.

Out of curiosity, how much RAM does your pro have?

**AntonM** · January 28, 2011, 05:53 PM

Ok will have a look at bootcamp. I have VMWare installed that runs Win 7 will try that aswell see what is best.

Spec for my MacBook - Intel Core i7 2.66GHz 8GB RAM

**WinsingtonIII** · January 31, 2011, 09:30 AM

OK, with 8 gigs of RAM, Vista or Win 7 should definitely be fine. I was just checking, because if you only had 2 gigs you would want to go with XP for better performance.

With that setup you should play M2TW just fine, I wish you luck!

**Csatádi** · February 01, 2011, 06:33 AM

This guy wants the same and has problems. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=418445

**WinsingtonIII** · February 02, 2011, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Csatádi

This guy wants the same and has problems. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=418445

Well, he seems to be using "Crossover" which is a windows emulator (just like parallels) for mac. This is why I would suggest Bootcamp instead, because with bootcamp you are actually installing and using windows to run windows games instead of using an emulator. The fact it's an emulator is probably leading to all the problems he is having with opening .bat files, because ultimately, the mac os cannot open .bat files. Running windows on bootcamp, I open .bat files just fine, because I'm actually using the windows OS.

**stoogeofstooges** · February 03, 2011, 02:38 PM

Actually, this runs flawless on Crossover 10.0, you just have to rename the launcher and, because of that, Kingdoms doesn't wor. But the original works flawless. I have a 2009 imac.

**Aleksander the Average** · February 03, 2011, 08:32 PM

the first thing you should do is turn of aero. it will cut your load times in half for most mods

**WinsingtonIII** · February 04, 2011, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by stoogeofstooges

Actually, this runs flawless on Crossover 10.0, you just have to rename the launcher and, because of that, Kingdoms doesn't wor. But the original works flawless. I have a 2009 imac.

Well, unfortunately, since most mods require Kingdoms, it sounds like you wouldn't be able to play most mods in Crossover, since Kingdoms does not work.

**stoogeofstooges** · February 04, 2011, 03:50 PM

Thats true, but for me it was just the thrill of playing the original, not necessarily the mods. You an manuel install mods like Agarts strat map castles and cities, mapmod 1.7, and a few others I have tried by putting the files for them in the data folder, an then adding [io] file_first=true to the medieval2preference.cfg. You have to add this each time you start the game, but i think its worth the extra minute considering the mods work. And by the way, I installed the game by getting crossover 10.0 (trial version), installing steam which is supported and then purchasing medieval 2 from steam in crossover. Crossover 9 had some issues, but crossover 10 fixes them all. The cd install does not work because of a Digital Rights Management thing, and a launcher bug needs to be fixed on the steam version, which is why you have to rename the medieval2.exe to launcher.exe. Its all explained on crossover's website where they have a forum for this game and the tricks to use it.

EDIT: Also, bootcamp is a good idea, it just comes down to personal preference

EDIT 2: I HAVE KINGDOMS WORKING AND THIRD AGE TOTAL WAR!!!!!!!YYYYAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY

**Kull89** · November 09, 2011, 08:13 PM

Hi stoogofstooges,

I hope you get this message. I'm currently having a problem you once had in trying to launch Medieval 2 total war via steam in crossover. Whenever I try to launch the launching box appears for a few seconds and nothing happens whatsoever. I read that the trick is to rename the medieval2.exe file to launcher.exe. but I CANNOT FIND this .exe. file. All I have is the M2TW logo in my steam library and another M2TW logo under my 'Steam' folder. Could you PLEASE tell me where to find this medieval.exe so that I can rename it and hopefully get the game to launch?

I have only installed the M2TW original on my steam account, not the Kingdoms expansion pack that came along with the game package. Would this have any influence in preventing the original's launch? Is so, should I install the expansion?

Any response is much appreciated.

**smoesville** · November 10, 2011, 01:12 AM

I've done the same with my 2.2 ghz 2gb macbook pro, not as good as yours but it could run it just not at the highest settings. A few things to note;
1) Macbooks run hot, they always have (they're too thin to circulate air properly) so i'd install fan control which can carry the higher fan settings into bootcamp and give better performance.
2) Bootcamp used to have a problem with the ethernet (it's been a while so it may have been fixed), a conflict which caused the mac (in windows boot) to freeze and force a hard reset so if it does freeze like that turn off the ethernet port in control panel. It may not happen, M2TW tended to run smoothly but other games, mostly fps, crashed it a lots that way.
3) I would advise getting one of those fan platform things, the ones that the mac sits on top of which greatly helped cool mine. If you couldn't be bothered then just prop up the back a little (as little as a centimetre at the back) which will help the air circulate.