Guide to installing Civ V on Macs

[civ_king]

Apple made this nice PDF detailing how to set up Boot Camp on your Mac,
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/Boot_Camp_Install-Setup_10.6.pdf

If running Windows XP make sure to update it to Service Pack 3

It should explain everything you need to know,

Now if you have any questions after reading the PDF feel free to ask

After that install Steam by either downloading it or putting in the Civ V. Follow the instructions to the letter.


It will ask you if you want Direct X 9 or Direct X 11
If you are running a Portable Mac (MacBook, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air) choose Direct X 9
If you are running a Mac Mini choose Direct X 9
If you are running an iMac from before the Mid 2010 update choose Direct X 9
If you are running a Mac Pro with a Radeon 5770 or Radeon 5870 choose Direct X 11 (if neither of those choose Direct X 9)

Make sure to install the drivers from Apple or it will be horrible




For those who want to play on OS X or don't have space.
NOTE: There is a performance hit


This details how to play without bootcamp or vmware, you need an Intel based machine. It works on Snow Leopard It has been reported that dual booting works better, this is just a solution for those who can't or don't want to install windows on their machines.

Step one: Download http://portingteam.com/zero/2010/05/steam-pc/

Step two: Install it, just drag the app to the folder you want the steam in

Step three: Open the app and log into steam

Step four: Download the game (whether you have bought the full version or just want to dl the demo)

Step five: After it downloads go to your library and hit "play game" when given the option select Directx9

Step six: Once in the game go to the graphics option and set it to windowed mode.

Step seven: play

Step eight: after your start up the game again you need to go and change the game from windowed back to full-screen and then to windowed again.

Known issues:
The fog of war does not show clouds, in minimum it is black raised hexes and above its just grayed out. (seems to happen on Windows too)

the mouse is not entirely accurate, keep an eye out for which button is glowing, not just on what your mouse is over.




If you are going with CrossOver Games please visit their support forum, some discussion of issues related to civ5. (Thanks Peter)

 

[The_J]

Moderator Action: And stickied.

People, please let's try to collect all possible issues with crossover and how to fix them here.

 

[civ_king]

For those who want to play on OS X or don't have space.
NOTE: There is a performance hit


This details how to play without bootcamp or vmware, you need an Intel based machine. It works on Snow Leopard It has been reported that dual booting works better, this is just a solution for those who can't or don't want to install windows on their machines.

Step one: Download http://portingteam.com/zero/2010/05/steam-pc/

Step two: Install it, just drag the app to the folder you want the steam in

Step three: Open the app and log into steam

Step four: Download the game (whether you have bought the full version or just want to dl the demo)

Step five: After it downloads go to your library and hit "play game" when given the option select Directx9

Step six: Once in the game go to the graphics option and set it to windowed mode.

Step seven: play

Step eight: after your start up the game again you need to go and change the game from windowed back to full-screen and then to windowed again.

Known issues:
The fog of war does not show clouds, in minimum it is black raised hexes and above its just grayed out. (seems to happen on Windows too)

the mouse is not entirely accurate, keep an eye out for which button is glowing, not just on what your mouse is over.

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

Gonna boot camp it. All system resources need to focus on windows for this one IMO.

 

[peter grimes]

If anyone is planning on using CodeWeaver's CrossOver Games software, please visit their support forum. There is some discussion of issues related to civ5.

I've had limited success (game plays, and I figured out the resolution issues), but I'm not yet ready to commit the US$40 for the full license...

 

[RRtexasranger]

A few questions regarding the "Playing on Mac without Boot Camp method," If I already own the game on Steam, and I want to play it on the Mac, would I be able to simply redownload it again for free? What about online play? Would it be possible with this Steam port? (I know, playing online with only one copy isn't morally right, but until a full fledged MAc version gets released, I don't believe it is right for me to $50 on a buggy port for a game I already own, and shell out ANOTHER $50 when the real port comes out for the mac)

 

[civ_king]

A few questions regarding the "Playing on Mac without Boot Camp method," If I already own the game on Steam, and I want to play it on the Mac, would I be able to simply redownload it again for free? What about online play? Would it be possible with this Steam port? (I know, playing online with only one copy isn't morally right, but until a full fledged MAc version gets released, I don't believe it is right for me to $50 on a buggy port for a game I already own, and shell out ANOTHER $50 when the real port comes out for the mac)

Yes you can redownload it, Steam gives unlimited downloads because it ties it to your account (as long as you have it then you are good). Yes you can play online.

 

[RRtexasranger]

Okay, I wasn't quite sure if how exactly that Steam port thing worked.

 

[peter grimes]

And don't hold your breath for a Mac port. There has been an official 'We don't have any info on a Mac Port' from 2K games.

Also, it's unclear whether or not a Mac version would have to be purchased separately through Steam from the PC version. So you may in fact have to buy the Mac version (if one is ever even released, that is!)

 

[jodilynne516]

This details how to play without bootcamp or vmware, you need an Intel based machine. It works on Snow Leopard It has been reported that dual booting works better, this is just a solution for those who can't or don't want to install windows on their machines.

Sorry, a little confused here.... I have a Macbook Pro, Snow Leopard, but no Windows. Are you saying I could play it on there with just some graphics loss?

 

[civ_king]

Sorry, a little confused here.... I have a Macbook Pro, Snow Leopard, but no Windows. Are you saying I could play it on there with just some graphics loss?

Worse graphics and longer time between turns, but yes you don't need windows for that

 

[DarinDC]

Hi Folks,

I'm playing Civ V on my 27" iMac i7 through bootcamp. I've been using bootcamp since it came out and find it a great way to have the best of both worlds. I had been using Windows XP SP3, but.... with Civ V, I found the game to be almost unplayable-- glitchy graphics. I upgraded to Windows 7 64bit, which has direct X 11. Whole new world. Definitely get Windows 7....much faster and the graphics in Civ V are beautiful. BTW I'm using an ATI 4850 520MB graphics card. Go for it Mac people and play Civ V through Bootcamp with Windows 7.

 

[flxeken]

So, is there no way to run direct X 11 on a mac laptop?
I have the latest macbook pro with i7 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M but when i try to start civ V using dx11 it just shuts down.
dx9 really looks horrible and is almost unplayable.
Im using parallels 6, windows 7..

 

[jodilynne516]

Step six: Once in the game go to the graphics option and set it to windowed mode.

Step seven: play

Step eight: after your start up the game again you need to go and change the game from windowed back to full-screen and then to windowed again.

Known issues:
The fog of war does not show clouds, in minimum it is black raised hexes and above its just grayed out. (seems to happen on Windows too)

the mouse is not entirely accurate, keep an eye out for which button is glowing, not just on what your mouse is over.




If you are going with CrossOver Games please visit their support forum, some discussion of issues related to civ5. (Thanks Peter)

I installed the trial of CrossOver games and tried the steps above, worked great. There was some graphics loss, but not substantial. Played on small with 6 civs and 12 city/states. Went to war twice - once to eliminate a civ and once to eliminate a city/state. The extra units did slow things down a bit, and they weren't big wars. I had about 5 or 6 extra units. One other civ went to war with others later in the game and that seemed to slow things down a little as well, but didn't seem too far off from on my husband's PC.

Also, first time I played was only for a few minutes, played in window mode & had issues w/the pointer, scrolling didn't work, etc. Second time tried full screen and it worked just fine for an entire game (8hrs.)

 

[civ_king]

So, is there no way to run direct X 11 on a mac laptop?
I have the latest macbook pro with i7 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M but when i try to start civ V using dx11 it just shuts down.
dx9 really looks horrible and is almost unplayable.
Im using parallels 6, windows 7..

no, sorry they are all DX10 or 9

I installed the trial of CrossOver games and tried the steps above, worked great. There was some graphics loss, but not substantial. Played on small with 6 civs and 12 city/states. Went to war twice - once to eliminate a civ and once to eliminate a city/state. The extra units did slow things down a bit, and they weren't big wars. I had about 5 or 6 extra units. One other civ went to war with others later in the game and that seemed to slow things down a little as well, but didn't seem too far off from on my husband's PC.

Also, first time I played was only for a few minutes, played in window mode & had issues w/the pointer, scrolling didn't work, etc. Second time tried full screen and it worked just fine for an entire game (8hrs.)

thank you for the information, eight hours seems pretty reasonable (might have been the patch fixing it)

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

DarinDC: I have your hardware setup w/ 12gigs of ram. I have tried to play the game in Parallels, but can only select DirectX9, and the view is pretty crappy.

Are you saying that using Bootcamp and Windows 7, you can play the game using DirectX 11?

If so, at what resolution and how much of the graphics options are turned up?

 

[civ_king]

DarinDC: I have your hardware setup w/ 12gigs of ram. I have tried to play the game in Parallels, but can only select DirectX9, and the view is pretty crappy.

Are you saying that using Bootcamp and Windows 7, you can play the game using DirectX 11?

If so, at what resolution and how much of the graphics options are turned up?

if it sucks then slowly increase the settings one by one

 

[jodilynne516]

Are you saying that using Bootcamp and Windows 7, you can play the game using DirectX 11?

My husband had an Alienware laptop with Windows 7 and the game was virtually unplayable on DirectX 11. It would freeze after a few turns. It was fine on 9 though with setting turned up.

 

[civ_king]

My husband had an Alienware laptop with Windows 7 and the game was virtually unplayable on DirectX 11. It would freeze after a few turns. It was fine on 9 though with setting turned up.

The Alienware card is DX 10.11 not 11 so it struggles

 

[freaknout]

So, is there no way to run direct X 11 on a mac laptop?
I have the latest macbook pro with i7 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M but when i try to start civ V using dx11 it just shuts down.
dx9 really looks horrible and is almost unplayable.
Im using parallels 6, windows 7..

New here but thought I would answer this one

I'm running Civ on my Macbook Pro 2.166, 4gb, 9600M in bootcamp and with Win7. It ruins well when I select dx10/11 especially fate updating the nvidia drivers! Am still crashing every 2-3 hours and it's slow to skip the opening movie.

Apart from that all is good and am really enjoying it.

Jay