Hey fellow MAC folks,

For all those who are familiar with TAM and have been playing 1.96, I've been trying to get the newer 1.97 made MAC compatable but the guy running it now doesn't know what needs to be done.

From what I was able to find out 1.97 is almost the same as 1.96 but has a lot of updated graphics and unit graphics, but otherwise is the same. Does anyone here know what would be needed to make the MAC version?

Also, I've asked for .zip copy of 1.97 to compare with the current version and try and update it with someones help from our (CivMAC) side. I haven't got it yet and I know nothing about modding, but I'm willing to give it a go, anyone else?

Dalmuti

What is TAM?

What is TAM?

See this post (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4510484&postcount=11).

Also, I've asked for .zip copy of 1.97 to compare with the current version and try and update it with someones help from our (CivMAC) side. I haven't got it yet and I know nothing about modding, but I'm willing to give it a go, anyone else?

Dalmuti

There is no need for a zip version. the file you download is a 7z archive. It looks like a Windows .exe because it can self-extract in Windows. However, it can also be extracted in OS X using EZ 7z, available from the usual Mac software download locations such as VersionTracker.

Open EZ 7z and drop the TAM_1.97.exe onto its window. It will then decompress to produce a Mods folder and a PublicMaps folder.

Put the contents of these folders into the equivalent folders in your Civilization IV application folder. My Civ4 application folder is in /Applications/, but your mileage may vary depending on how you organise your hard drive.

I loaded it up and tried to run it. There were only two XML files that failed to load: XML/text/Hittiles.xml and XML/text/TAM_Civilopedia_BuildingsProjects. I zapped gremlins in these files and reloaded the mod successfully. There are two caveats:

1. The Python error log indicates that there's a problem with the CHARCOAL resource data. This may relate to ...

2. The mod includes a CvGameCoreDLL.dll file. The Mac version of Civ4 cannot handle this file, so, depending on how critical its functions are, the mod may well not perform as designed, and may even crash when played.

Attached is a zip file containing the two zapped XML files.

Thanks Alan. When you were talking to thamis, back whe he was still running TAM, did he mention that he had to clean up the CvGameCoreDLL.dll file to keep the MAC version (1.96) from crashing or is it just that we can't access some of the features?

Regardless I will load it up and report back here in a week or so and let people know how it's working out.

Thanks a lot for your help on this and all your other posts. I, like many others in the MAC Civ comunity, really appreciate what you and others like you do around here.

Dalmuti

When I was in touch with Thamis last year he said the DLL just changes the AI, so TAM will revert to the normal Civ4 AI behaviour on a Mac. Assuming there are no further changes in the DLL, the 1.97 version will probably do the same.

They couldn't do anything Mac-specific to the DLL file, since OS X just ignores it. Its contents can't be made any more or less Mac-compatible - they are a closed book on a Mac.

Thanks again Alan.

By the way what is zapping gremlins and how does one go about zapping them?


Dalmuti

PS TAM 1.97 seems to run fine so far(100 turns+-) with the only problem I've found is crashing when looking at some units in the Civilopedia.

Text files can contain invalid character codes that can screw up the XML parser. They are often found in translated text that uses non-standard character encoding for accented characters, and they are known as gremlins.

Zapping gremlins means finding and deleting them, and I use BBEdit to do it. The shareware version of BBEdit is called TextWrangler, and I believe that can do it as well.

If you can post the Civilopedia crash details I may be able to work out what's causing that.

I have a copy of BBEdit 6.5, but I'm not that familiar with it's use. I do know how to find and replace text but I'm not sure what would I look for. Does BBEdit know?

I will force a crash from the Civilopedia later tonight and post it

~D

BBEdit has a Text menu option called Zap Gremlins ...

Fantastic! Thanks again Alan.