Will the Mac version of kingdoms be able to run mods?

**Rampton** · January 13, 2016, 03:27 PM

Just wondering if the Mac version of medieval 2 total war and kingdoms will be able to run mods? Specifically stainless steel?

**Silverheart** · January 14, 2016, 03:38 PM

You'd think it shouldn't be a problem - there doesn't seem to be anything to suggest that there should be any issues with downloading and playing it if you already have the main game. I haven't looked into it much, though, so there may be something I'm unaware of...

**SamueleD** · January 22, 2016, 07:06 AM

Yes, it is possible to run mods on the Mac version (I have run Rise of Three Kingdoms on Mac, I'd also assume that on Linux it's the same). However, it is a bit more complicated.
You must manually install the mod (the installers only run on windows), so manually copying the files to the right folder, and the settings and savegames are in a different folder. Also the Stainless Steel configuration tool will not work (it only runs on windows).
The Mac version has a launcher (a decent one), to run mods on it you must use --features.mod=mods\Mod_Folder_Name under "advanced options" (I tried the usual "@mods" but it doesn't seem to work).
On Mac by default the settings and savegames folder is "/Users/<yourUsername>/Library/Application Support/Feral Interactive/Medieval II Total War/VFS/Local/mods" (you can reach it by choosing "Open Preferences Folder" in the launcher) and the Medieval II folder is "/Users/<yourUsername>/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Medieval II Total War/Medieval2Data/mods" (you can reach it with steam by choosing "browse local files").

**texoman81** · January 24, 2016, 09:47 PM

First off a thousand thanks to SamueleD for saving me from having to deal with Feral's tech support to get mods to work like i did with Rome. I now have EB2 running natively on my Mac! I did run into a problem, but I figured out a solution. I couldn't save. Would get an error saying it couldn't write to disk. So i had to create the folder Library/Application Support/Feral Interactive/Medieval II Total War/VFS/Local/mods/"name of mod"/saves then give permission to all to read & write that folder. Now EB2 is running and i can save my game.

**overthewater** · April 07, 2016, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by texoman81

First off a thousand thanks to SamueleD for saving me from having to deal with Feral's tech support to get mods to work like i did with Rome. I now have EB2 running natively on my Mac! I did run into a problem, but I figured out a solution. I couldn't save. Would get an error saying it couldn't write to disk. So i had to create the folder Library/Application Support/Feral Interactive/Medieval II Total War/VFS/Local/mods/"name of mod"/saves then give permission to all to read & write that folder. Now EB2 is running and i can save my game.

Doesn't EB2 have an .exe? How'd you swing this?

**overthewater** · April 08, 2016, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by texoman81

First off a thousand thanks to SamueleD for saving me from having to deal with Feral's tech support to get mods to work like i did with Rome. I now have EB2 running natively on my Mac! I did run into a problem, but I figured out a solution. I couldn't save. Would get an error saying it couldn't write to disk. So i had to create the folder Library/Application Support/Feral Interactive/Medieval II Total War/VFS/Local/mods/"name of mod"/saves then give permission to all to read & write that folder. Now EB2 is running and i can save my game.

Actually, different question. Do you know if there are EB2 files extracted from the .exe anywhere? Or might you consider uploading them and becoming a hero to Mac users everywhere?

**Robdavid1111** · March 18, 2016, 03:47 AM

How about third age? Anyone made that work? :-)

**SamueleD** · April 07, 2016, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by Robdavid1111

How about third age? Anyone made that work? :-)

I haven't tried, but I'm pretty sure it should work, like other mods.
The only problem is that you can't run the installer on OS X or Linux. Sometimes you can extract the files from the installers without running them, but it doesn't always work. In that case you'll have to first install the mod on a Windows PC and then copy the mod folder over to OS X/Linux, or contact the creators of the mod or someone who has the mod installed, and ask them for the files.

Another problem I have found is that it seems impossible to tell the game to use a particular configuration file (like most mods do). It always uses the main configuration file. You can change it, to do things like disabling/enabling unit banners, disabling/enabling the date display, but then you have to make it read only, to prevent the game from deleting those settings (it has a habit of doing that).

So basically, yes you can, but it's more complicated to setup than on Windows.

**Gigantus** · April 09, 2016, 06:09 AM

EB2 doesn't have an exe file afaik.

**overthewater** · April 09, 2016, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by Gigantus

EB2 doesn't have an exe file afaik.

I was talking about the EBII installer--EBII.exe

**overthewater** · April 09, 2016, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by overthewater

I was talking about the EBII installer--EBII.exe

Correction, I meant the 2.1 patcher. EBII v2.1b.exe.

**Gigantus** · April 09, 2016, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by overthewater

Correction, I meant the 2.1 patcher. EBII v2.1b.exe.

The 'patcher' is a regular installation program, it contains files that will overwrite\add files in the existing installation.

**overthewater** · April 09, 2016, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by Gigantus

The 'patcher' is a regular installation program, it contains files that will overwrite\add files in the existing installation.

Ah, right you are, I was able to "open" the .exe with The Unarchiver. The only problem now is the EBII.exe file in the EBII mod itself, which can't be opened by The Unarchiver. Is Wine the only way to crack this one open?

**Gigantus** · April 09, 2016, 09:28 PM

There is an EXE file? Not a BAT file? Please check the size of the EXE file. I am not aware that there are special functions\menus - I'll post your query in the internal EBII forum.

**overthewater** · April 10, 2016, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by Gigantus

There is an EXE file? Not a BAT file? Please check the size of the EXE file. I am not aware that there are special functions\menus - I'll post your query in the internal EBII forum.

Yep, it's an EXE. The size is 3MB. However, I found out that I was using the wrong program--I was using this Wine Bottler program, rather than Wine itself. I got EB2 on my Mac--almost. I'll ask in the EBII forum, since you're right that that's probably a better place to ask. Thanks!

**bovi** · April 12, 2016, 12:35 PM

The EBII.exe file is the installer program itself. It is not needed in the EBII installed location. The other files (EBII-1a.bin and so on) are the packs that the installer uses to populate the file structure with the mod files.

The next release will feature a zip file with all the required files to get it to work on Linux. Well, almost all the files at least. Unless the Linux M2TW gets patched by that time to fix an error concerning unit banners, another file outside of the mod folder may be required. We'll see about that when the time comes.

I don't know about the patch exe. I did not create that.

**DiorEluchil** · April 26, 2016, 07:59 AM

Is there an easy way to explain how to install mods without the computer jargon? I'm so lost when it comes to the folders and things

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**Nart** · April 28, 2016, 02:43 PM

so guys i am mac user and i can play MTW2 with SS 6,4
actually really easy to setup
firts you have to use wine download mod and create a empty folder on ur desktop
after that use wine and install mod in this folder
step 2 drag installed mod in your game to mod folder
after that u can also patch it
sorry for my deutsch