Spring on Mac?

[BlueTemplar]

What's new on this front?
The latest changes on the wiki about Spring on Mac are one year old...

Is there a mean to make it work on Mac at all?
Can you play multiplayer?
Is it easier to use an emulator? What good emulators are? Windows or Linux? What system specs do you need?

Thank you in advance.

[koshi]

did you read the last 2-3 pages of this thread: http://spring.clan-sy.com/phpbb/viewtop ... =12&t=8819 ?

[jackoverfull]

The latest changes on the wiki about Spring on Mac are one year old...

right, the wiki is a bit outdated. just a bit.

Is there a mean to make it work on Mac at all?

Download this build, then a map and a mod, and you're ok.
Check this topic for updates.

On my iBook some mods (eg: Balanced Annihilation)works good (as far i can judge: never used spring on other platforms), while others are terribly slow (eg: star wars), or have graphic glitces (like aa) or even sound problems (1944). Most maps works fine, some doesn't.
The audio is terrible but works.
On my iBook the game cannot load saved games, on other macs loading is reported to work.

Can you play multiplayer?

Not with other platforms, but it seems to work between macs with the same kind of processor (so no ppc vs intel for now).

Is it easier to use an emulator?

Surely not on ppcs, maybe on intel.

What good emulators are? Windows or Linux? What system specs do you need?

If you have an intel you can use vmware, parallels or boot with bootcamp, windows is probably a better idea for now.

Thank you in advance.

You're welcome.

[BlueTemplar]

Thank you. Since I want to play multiplayer, I think I'll try to install Ubuntu on my Mac G4 - looks like there are no emulators supporting graphic acceleration...

[jackoverfull]

i think that the situation on linux ppc is the same on that front: you will be able to play only with ppc macs with linux.

[BlueTemplar]

Anyway, I wasn't able to install the latest version of ubuntu... looks like I will keep myself to singleplayer.

[jackoverfull]

well, if you want we can try to do a multiplayer one of these days├óÔé¼┬ª

i use spring on an ibook g4, wich should be compatible with you're mac (if the multiplayer thing really works).

[BlueTemplar]

I have a G4 too... (1,2 ghz, 512 Mb RAM) - Spring is a bit slow, actually slower than I expected (I had a PC with a similar configuration) but should be playable, i'm going to try to configure it for maximal performance today.

How are we supposed to to connect to each other without a lobby? Simply using command line?

[jackoverfull]

How are we supposed to to connect to each other without a lobby? Simply using command line?

right.

i tried a couple of weeks ago opening multiple sessions on my mac, it worked, but crashed on start, but i suspect that it will work with two macs.

unluckily my other macs doesn't support spring├óÔé¼┬ª

[BlueTemplar]

Does nanospray cause slowdown on your computer? Did you manage to extract/play mods that are in .sdz files?

[jackoverfull]

Does nanospray cause slowdown on your computer?

sorry├óÔé¼┬ªwhat do you mean for "nanospray"? the building process?
if it is that no, absolutely.

with the right mods and maps there aren't many slowdown here. It runs well enough, at least in classicta view (the other views are nice, but i still play the entire game in the old one├óÔé¼┬ª )

Did you manage to extract/play mods that are in .sdz files?

Yes, the works perfectly for me.
Well, not every mod, but most yes.

Mods working good on my computer (although i tested extensively only BA61.sd7):

BA61.sd7
Classic_TA_56.sd7
ca-r1321.sdz
EvolutionRTS_Installer_Version.sd7
EvOTA light.sdz
evotapp.sdz
Expand&Exterminate+v0.163.sd7
FF 1.21 S.sdz
GUNDAM_Installer_Version.sd7
Kernel_Panic.sd7
MNv0.51.sd7
shinier.sdz
StarWars01.sd7
TA013.sd7
xect_vs_mynn05.sd7
XTA_Installer_Version.sdz

all these starts and i can at least start to build something, but some of these makes everything slow as an hell.

ah, you need also the ota files to play most of the mods.
get them here: http://ipxserver.dyndns.org/games/sprin ... ontent.zip

Just download and extract the file in your base folder.

same for springcontent.sdz. can't remember where i got that one, if you can't find it i can send you a mail, it's only 108 kb├óÔé¼┬ª

[BlueTemplar]

With nanospray on screen the game drops from 37 to 10-15 fps in TA and XTA at the begginning of the game. I sometimes had the same problem with CA on my PC, and on specific maps...
I didn't download springcontent.sdz as far as I can remember and it still works...
But it's weird that I extracted base-ota-content.zip, .sdz files in it were shown as "executable unix files", whereas the "Complete Annihilation -r1355.sdz" downloaded from springplayersclub is shown as a "Document". Where can you change this file property?

[jackoverfull]

With nanospray on screen the game drops from 37 to 10-15 fps in TA and XTA at the begginning of the game. I sometimes had the same problem with CA on my PC, and on specific maps...

sorry, didn't do fps checks, the game's playable and i'm fine.

I didn't download springcontent.sdz as far as I can remember and it still works...

oook.

But it's weird that I extracted base-ota-content.zip, .sdz files in it were shown as "executable unix files", whereas the "Complete Annihilation -r1355.sdz" downloaded from springplayersclub is shown as a "Document". Where can you change this file property?

Not sure about that. It is an os x thing that often happen, dunno exactly when.

anyway, i suppose that the base-ota-content.zip was packaged on a linux system in an archive which retained some of the permissions, the files were chmodded 777 and that made the finder to faulty assume that they were executables.

[BlueTemplar]

Ok, I managed to extract the mods, looks like the CA file was simply corrupt (and also I was trying to open .sdz files with 7zip and .sd7 with the normal unzipper )

I tried to play a game vs KAI, it went fine except that the whole game he kept his army in his base and only sent out builders...
I can't get AAI to work, I lack the config files for mods, and can't find them now that UF is down.
Looks like that for other AIs to work I'll have to decompile their dlls and recompile them in a format that a mac can understand, but I have no idea how to do that...

EDIT: Oh, I also didn't find a way to open replays, Spring is "grayed out" when trying to choose an application to open them.

[jackoverfull]

Ok, I managed to extract the mods, looks like the CA file was simply corrupt (and also I was trying to open .sdz files with 7zip and .sd7 with the normal unzipper )

I can't get AAI to work, I lack the config files for mods, and can't find them now that UF is down.

be my guest├óÔé¼┬ª

it happened also to me: aai was installed bud didn't work.
Just download that file, decompress it and put the AAI folder in "AI". It works with some mods, but not everyone.
Supported ones are (but not only):
BA61.sd7
AA3.2.sd7
FF 1.21 S.sdz
GUNDAM_Installer_Version.sd7
Kernel_Panic.sd7
StarWars01.sd7
XTA_Installer_Version.sdz

Looks like that for other AIs to work I'll have to decompile their dlls and recompile them in a format that a mac can understand, but I have no idea how to do that...

i don't think that the decompile option is really a viable way, only opensource aiis will run on mac, imho, unless the original developers of others chose to support our platform.

EDIT: Oh, I also didn't find a way to open replays, Spring is "grayed out" when trying to choose an application to open them.

The terminal is your friend!

open it (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal), drag the spring app on the window, you'll get it's path (mine is "/Applications/Giochi/Strategici/Spring/Spring.app/ ", but it will be different for you), delete the final space, add "Contents/MacOS/Spring " (without quotes and with a final space, then drag the replay on the window, then press return.

you an also add a "-w " after "Spring " to open it temporarily in a window, if you only want to check if a mod or map works├óÔé¼┬ª

[BlueTemplar]

Yay, it works!

I've made a small script for a game against 3 computers:

Code: Select all

[GAME]

{

   Mapname=SmallDivide.smf;

   StartMetal=1000;

   StartEnergy=1000;

   MaxUnits=500;

   StartPosType=0;

   GameMode=0;

   GameType=Balanced Annihilation61.sd7;

   LimitDGun=0;

   DiminishingMMs=0;

   GhostedBuildings=1;



   HostIP=127.0.0.1;

   HostPort=8452;





   MyPlayerNum=0; 



        NumPlayers=4; 

        NumTeams=4; 

        NumAllyTeams=2; 





       [PLAYER0] 

        { 

                Name=Player0; 

                Spectator=0; 

                Team=TEAM0; 

        } 

        [PLAYER1] 

        { 

                Name=Bot0; 

                Spectator=0; 

                Team=TEAM1; 

        } 

        [PLAYER2] 

        { 

                Name=Bot1; 

                Spectator=0; 

                Team=TEAM2; 

        } 

        [PLAYER3] 

        { 

                Name=Bot2; 

                Spectator=0; 

                Team=TEAM3; 

        } 



        [TEAM0] 

        { 

                TeamLeader=BlueTemplar; 

                RgbColor=1 0 0; 

                Side=Arm; 

                Handicap=100; 

                AllyTeam=0; 

        } 

        [TEAM1] 

        { 

                TeamLeader=Bot0; 

                RgbColor=0 0 1; 

                Side=Core; 

                Handicap=100; 

                AllyTeam=1;

AiDLL=/Users/owusu/Desktop/game/AI/bot-libs/AAI.dylib; 

        } 

        [TEAM2] 

        { 

                TeamLeader=Bot1; 

                RgbColor=0 1 1; 

                Side=Arm; 

                Handicap=100; 

                AllyTeam=1;

AiDLL=/Users/owusu/Desktop/game/AI/bot-libs/KAI.dylib; 

        } 
        [TEAM3] 

        { 

                TeamLeader=Bot2; 

                RgbColor=1 0 1; 

                Side=Core; 

                Handicap=100; 

                AllyTeam=1;

AiDLL=/Users/owusu/Desktop/game/AI/bot-libs/KAI.dylib; 

        } 

        [ALLYTEAM0] 

        { 

                NumAllies=0; 

        } 

        [ALLYTEAM1] 

        { 

                NumAllies=0; 

        } 

}

[jackoverfull]

yes, i did a similar script too├óÔé¼┬ª

a question: how long it takes the game to start on your mac when using kai? becaus on mine it takes several minutes├óÔé¼┬ª

[BlueTemplar]

It takes some time... no more than 1-2 minutes though.

[jackoverfull]

thanks. on mine it take a lot of time.

another question: can you load saved games?

[BlueTemplar]

Nope, .load doesn't even work, and when loading with terminal, spring crashes:

Code: Select all

Spring(217,0xa000ed88) malloc: *** vm_allocate(size=4026531840) failed (error code=3)
Spring(217,0xa000ed88) malloc: *** error: can't allocate region
Spring(217,0xa000ed88) malloc: *** set a breakpoint in szone_error to debug