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Mac v PC: Can it be played on Mac?

 
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Mac v PC: Can it be played on Mac? - 3/14/2010 12:07:07 AM   
wolf727


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I like playing Advanced Tactics - I think it is a great hex game. While "cruising" through YouTube I came across the famous PC versus Mac debate. I don't know enough about computers but there is always someone who will say how much they prefer the Mac. I am curious by their enthusiasm. I wrote in the YouTube debate that I would like to try out a Mac but the only thing stopping me is that Mac does not support many games.

However, one person responded by saying that in April "Steam" will be available for Mac. Therefore, any game that is available for "Steam" one can play on a Mac. That is good news because it is well known that Macs are not good for gaming. Most games are made for Windows Vista, XP and 7, but not for Mac. I went to the "Steam" website and, not surprisingly, Advanced Tactics was not on the list of games played on "Steam". Hex based games are not games that most people like to play on PCs, and I can understand that.

So fearing that I already know the answer to my question, is it still possible to play "Advanced Tactics" on a Mac? Is there perhaps some technological way that "Advanced Tactics" can be played on a Mac that I am not aware of? Just as I was not aware that in April "Steam" was coming out for Mac.

By the way, I hope this does not turn into a PC versus Mac debate! LOL.
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RE: Mac v PC: Can it be played on Mac? - 7/8/2010 6:35:11 PM   
ehzorg


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If I may resurrect a dead thread...

Steam does not give us the ability to play games made for Windows on OS X. Steam is a distribution tool which allows publishers that use the service to collect payment for, distribute, and maintain their games without having to create their own web infrastructure. The good thing about Steam being available for Mac is that it makes games that are out there easier to find, and it encourages developers to port their games to OS X because they can be delivered alongside the PC version.

More specifically regarding Advanced Tactics, to play on my MacBook I use VMWare's Fusion to run a virtual machine with Windows 7 on it. Fusion makes it easy to run both Windows and OS X at the same time, albeit with a slight performance hit in Windows. Otherwise any user of a recent (Intel based) Mac can simply choose to install Windows on a second partition of their hard-drive, and they can choose which operating system to use at boot time. This way they can achieve full performance and take advantage of their graphics card's full capabilities.

(in reply to wolf727)
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RE: Mac v PC: Can it be played on Mac? - 7/8/2010 7:22:14 PM   
wolf727


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Thanks "ehzorg" for your comment.

Just out of curiosity did you happen to read the comments made by "GrumpyMel" on the Mac versus PC debate? It is located in my posts and wonder if you have an opinion regarding what he says.

Yeah I know...I am definitely taking a risk of turning this into a Mac versus PC war. I am trying to get as much information on this debate.

Thanks for your post.

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RE: Mac v PC: Can it be played on Mac? - 7/9/2010 10:11:01 AM   
Vic


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Actually i am considering looking into making a Mac version.

_____________________________

Visit www.vrdesigns.net for the latest news, polls, screenshots and blogs on Shadow Empire, Decisive Campaigns and Advanced Tactics


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RE: Mac v PC: Can it be played on Mac? - 7/9/2010 12:53:46 PM   
wolf727


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Hi "Vic"

There is an article written in "The Independent" newspaper today on Mac and Windows. After reading it you may what to reconsider. LOL.

Here is the link: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/could-apples-first-mistake-come-back-to-haunt-it-2022128.html


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RE: Mac v PC: Can it be played on Mac? - 7/9/2010 2:11:50 PM   
ehzorg


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Hi Vic,

If I may, here's my thoughts on that:

Unless you've got contacts with the ability and motivation to port the game over to OS X for you, I wouldn't worry about it. People with Macs who want to play your games can always use Bootcamp / Fusion / Parallels to run Windows - that's what most Mac users who play games are already doing.

I would rather see you spending your time putting out the best game possible on one platform. This coming from a primarily Mac user.

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RE: Mac v PC: Can it be played on Mac? - 7/9/2010 2:39:57 PM   
wolf727


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From: From Italy
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I second "ehzorg" comments. Seems much more sensible what he says.

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RE: Mac v PC: Can it be played on Mac? - 7/9/2010 2:50:56 PM   
explorer2

 

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I have used Macs to play games in both native and Windows emulating modes (various sorts).
I agree that if a Mac user wants to play a PC game, esp. AT, it's easiest, and quite commonly done, to just do so in Windows mode of various sorts.
Vic's time IMHO is best spent in Windows version. IMHO, I don't think it would change sales volume one bit to have it also in Mac mode.

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RE: Mac v PC: Can it be played on Mac? - 7/9/2010 3:36:23 PM   
ehzorg


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And to wolf727:

Rather than resurrect a second dead thread, I'll post here regarding the Mac vs PC debate:

As everyone else in that thread has said, the answer is "it depends on what you want to do with your computer".

First realize that Apple computers don't have to run Mac OS X. You can buy any Apple MacBook / iMac / MacPro / Whatever these days, delete OS X, and put whatever version of Windows you want on it, and never ever use an Apple piece of software* as long as you own the computer.

However - if you're going to do that, then you paid too much for a shiny, aluminum-body PC with an Apple logo on it. You can buy a Dell with similar performance capabilities for 60% of the cost of that Apple product. Granted, Apple computers are built very well, they have a very polished look and feel.

If your primary goal is to play the latest, coolest games, you want a PC. New video cards for Macs are about a generation (1.5 years) behind what they put in new PCs. If you can find one of the newer models of graphics cards made for a Mac, expect to pay double the cost you'd pay if you were going to put it into your PC**.

Contrary to what some people say, I feel that if your primary goal is to surf the web, check email, and consume media (music/movies) - it's a toss up. PC's are cheaper and you have more choices for software. Macs are less frequently targeted by malware / virus creators and seem to have slightly less published security vulnerabilities. Both can do the above mentioned tasks without problem.

Ease of Use: Really, Macs are more friendly to someone who knows very little about computers. The environment is more controlled, you see less bugs/incompatibilities/glitches in the software. This is because Apple is more restrictive about what hardware goes into a Mac. Installing software is easier. Installing drivers is a hassle that is almost non-existant in OS X***.

Media Creation: It's a toss up. Media creation software on the Mac is one area that gets a lot of use, so the software tends to be fairly mature and bug-free. Most artists tend toward Macs, and Apple surely targets them in it's marketing campaigns. Above considerations apply re: price/ease of use.

If you're in IT, then you probably aren't reading this and don't care about my opinion anyway. I like the flexibility of being able to switch between any OS I want on my MacBook Pro using VMWare Fusion. I use OS X because I feel more comfortable in a unix-like environment and it's easier to get "under the hood" and tinker with OS settings. I also like the stability, look, and feel of OS X - granted I also like many things about Windows 7 too. When I want to play a newer game, I go home and use my Windows 7 desktop computer.

* aside from drivers specific to your hardware
** Your choices are limited and nevermind the infuriating fact that it's the exact same piece of hardware, only difference is the BIOS
*** because 1) you have a very limited choice of hardware upgrades and 2) for the few choices you do have, drivers are already bundled into the OS.

(in reply to wolf727)
Post #: 9
RE: Mac v PC: Can it be played on Mac? - 7/9/2010 4:06:04 PM   
Vic


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I have never seen how well AT runs in some sort of virtual Windows enviroment. I was thinking it might be to slow in high resolutions. Any feedback on how its speed on such virtual running on a Mac compares to it running on a regular PC would be welcome.

thanks,
vic

_____________________________

Visit www.vrdesigns.net for the latest news, polls, screenshots and blogs on Shadow Empire, Decisive Campaigns and Advanced Tactics


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Post #: 10
RE: Mac v PC: Can it be played on Mac? - 7/9/2010 6:45:53 PM   
wolf727


Posts: 29
Joined: 8/11/2009
From: From Italy
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quote:

OS X

Thank you "ehzorg" for taking time out to make your general remarks on Mac vs PC.

You described very well the main important issues that make them different in a clear precise manner without getting bogged down in minor technical details that a novice like myself would fail to understand with regard to PCs.

At the moment I am still into gaming but not sure if this is going to last in the future as I finally begin to grow up! Everytime I sit down to do some gaming I get that guilty feeling.

I am getting a little fed up of the many so-called mindless games that are a little too juvenile for my taste. I tend to prefer strategy games. Some strategy games for the PC are good and a lot are not so good, being too fast, throwing all you can at the opponents base quicker than he can throw at you without giving you time to think about strategy. Classic example are "Command and Conquer" games which I find a huge disappointment because of the mindless rush for the opponents base.

I am still undecided on the Mac versus PC.

But one thing I do love about the Mac is its stability and polished look. Granted this is because Apple has a restriction on what hardware is to be allowed because it is in a controlled environment.

Anyway, after reading the article on the Mac I am now having doubts on whether Mac will be around in the future.


(in reply to Vic)
Post #: 11
RE: Mac v PC: Can it be played on Mac? - 7/9/2010 7:13:36 PM   
ehzorg


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Vic,

Running Win 7 with VMWare Fusion, in general I'd estimate I get about 85-90% native performance compared to if I was running Win 7 natively with Bootcamp. This is of course for apps that don't require hardware 3D acceleration. Fusion presents windows with virtual devices for Graphics / Network / Hard-Drive / etc that run generalized drivers. These generic drivers are of course nowhere near as capable at trying to squeeze performance out of a graphics card compared to the device manufacturer's drivers.

So...

For a game like AT that doesn't require 3D acceleration, performance is quite acceptable. However, I wouldn't want to play Eve Online under Fusion. Honestly, I think that anyone who really wants gaming performance would use Bootcamp instead of a virtualized solution.

(in reply to Vic)
Post #: 12
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