How to get Civ4:BTS working on OS X Yosemite

[Xyth]

Hey I'm having the same problem with, "You can’t use this version of the application “Civilization IV” with this version of OSX." and I don't know how to find the application package, contents/MacOs or how to make an alias of the CivIV script, or where to locate that either. Could you please expand or detail a more in depth solution, because I can't even play vanilla.

Ctrl-Click on the CivilizationIV app and select 'Show Package Contents', and follow the instructions from there. Creating an alias is also done via Ctrl-Clicking, and the alias can then be dragged somewhere more useful, like the dock or the desktop.

I seriously wouldn't bother with Vanilla Civ IV though. Just run BTS instead, much better game, avoids all the hassle.

 

[Innings]

My problem is that neither clicking on the Apple icon nor opening Finder nor any other root than I can discover offers a menu with /library as an option. Pl could you explain where else I need to look?

 

[Innings]

'ON STEP 3 make sure you're going Mac HD>System>Library as opposed to just Mac HD>Library.'
That assumes you can find the menu Mac HD>. I certainly cannot find anything with that name, nor any other route to /System/library. Any suggestions, please?

 

[kobachi]

(Deleting, I misunderstood the guide.)

 

[Xyth]

My problem is that neither clicking on the Apple icon nor opening Finder nor any other root than I can discover offers a menu with /library as an option. Pl could you explain where else I need to look?

'ON STEP 3 make sure you're going Mac HD>System>Library as opposed to just Mac HD>Library.'
That assumes you can find the menu Mac HD>. I certainly cannot find anything with that name, nor any other route to /System/library. Any suggestions, please?

In the Finder's Go menu, select 'Computer'. This will open a Finder window showing your computer's network and drives. Your computer's hard drive will be listed here, named 'Macintosh HD' unless someone has renamed it at some point. Double click on that to open it, and this will then display the root directory of your drive. Here is where you will find the System and Library folders described in the instructions.

 

[Innings]

Thanks Zyth, I/ve done exactly all of that. The end result is a different error message! I think I'm reduced to finding someone to re-config my PC with the previous version of the OS and remove Yosemite, which is pretty stinky anyway. Frankly, Apple should not have released this half-ready OS in its present form, and it's proved to add nothing but time delay and error messages to the whole experience of being an Apple user.

 

[s.bernbaum]

Innings:
If You have had Time Machine running, you can restore your computer to the way it was just before you installed Yosemite. This will return you to your previous OSX operating system version. However, it will also return everything to the way it was on that date, so be sure to copy any files that are new or changed, that you want to keep, since that save date to an external hard drive, DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, or flash drive. You can then copy them back onto your main hard drive after restoring the older OSX.

FWIW, I still run Snow Leopard because I feel that each OSX since then has been worse than its predecessor. I actually think Tiger was the best one but since it won't run on an Intel CPU, I have settled for Snow Leopard.

 

[Innings]

And eventually, with help from a great guy from Apple support, I got Yosemite kicked into the long grass, reloaded the previous OS and all works wonderfully. Yosemite now just a distant memory of an unpleasant itch that I scratched away! Civ works, everything else works, and I thank Zyth in particular who tried very hard to help me sort it out by less dramatic methods.

 

[Shangalar]

Xyth and ancestral

Awesome work guys. We haven't made the move yet to CIV V so don't want to lose Warlords or Beyond the Sword yet.

I followed ancestral's solution with a slight change

I first changed the name of the existing folder 2.3 to "old 2.3"

Then I copied the 2.3 folder from an old mac book with OS X Mountain Lion to the versions folder on my OS X Yosemite laptop.

Done. No re start required and I still have the Yosemite version of the 2.3 folder if I need it.

Warlords and BTS both work now

Easy.

Thanks again.

Shane

 

[UK_Brad]

Thank you so much for sharing the fix. I would have been miserable if I couldn't play Civ on my Mac anymore.

 

[ladshofowitz]

Just to let you know, after installing the python older frameworks, I still couldn't run Civ IV with a message of
You can’t use this version of the application “Civilization IV” with this version of OSX.

So I opened the application package, navigated to Contents/MacOS and made an alias of the Civilisation IV script. Double clicking this then bypasses the incompatible application list and launches it fine. All good

Thank you for the tip.
I installed my Civ 4 with Steam.
Can you please detail how you
"made an alias of the Civilisation IV script"
and
"bypasses the incompatible application list"

 

[d1miami]

When you try to launch BTS (or Warlords) on OS X Yosemite, it fails with the message "Failed Initializing Python". This is because Yosemite drops support for Python 2.3, which is needed by Civ4 and it's expansions. The solution is to reinstall Python 2.3 on Yosemite. Unfortunately I couldn't find an OS X version of 2.3 on Python.org, so instead I copied the relevant folders across from Mavericks.

• This fix involves making some additions to folders and frameworks located in OS X's System and Library folders. It shouldn't cause any problems, but please be extremely careful and be sure to have your system backed up before trying this. Just in case.
  
  
• I've included Python 2.3 and 2.5. Both were present in Mavericks but gone from Yosemite. I don't know if both are needed by BTS, but I thought it best to include both just in case.
  
  
• I had to use 7zip to pack the files so they be small enough to host on with my sharing service. If you don't already have a way to unpack 7zip I highly recommend getting 'The Unarchiver' from the MacAppStore. It's free and, in my opinion, an essential Mac utility.

Step 1:

Download the necessary files from here. Unzip them. You should have a folder called 'BTS Yosemite Python Fix'.

These are taken direct from my installation of 10.9.4 and you may copy them from Mavericks yourself if you prefer. Locations are described below.


Step 2:

Navigate to <Your Drive>/Library/Python/. This is NOT the Library folder in your Home folder. In this location you should see two folders called '2.6' and '2.7'.

From the 'BTS Yosemite Python Fix' folder, copy the folders '2.3' and '2.5' to this location. You'll need to enter your administration password to do this.


Step 3:

Navigate to <Your Drive>/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/. There should be 2 folders and 3 aliases here. You need to remove the aliases '2.3' and '2.5'.

From the 'BTS Yosemite Python Fix', open the 'Framework' folder. You should see another '2.3' folder and another '2.5' folder. Copy these to where the aliases used to be. Again, your administration password is required. Don't copy the 'Framework' folder itself.



BTS (and Warlords) should now work. Vanilla Civ requires additional steps (see post #8) as it's blocked by OS X for being too ancient.

Hi, I tried following these steps but at the BTS Yosemite Python Fix folder I don't see where to get 2.3 and 2.5. There's no "framework' folder that I can see. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Xyth]

Hi, I tried following these steps but at the BTS Yosemite Python Fix folder I don't see where to get 2.3 and 2.5. There's no "framework' folder that I can see. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

They're in the package you download. Have you unzipped it? If so, what is in it?

 

[OscarWildebeest]

Just given this a try, having just bought a new Retina 5K iMac, and it works perfectly. I migrated all my old data over from my old Mac and I found I could skip Stage 2; but Stage 3 was necessary.

Graphics look nice on the 5K, and the game runs much faster. Yosemite as an OS is a bit of a PITA, however.

Many thanks, Xyth, you're a star.

 

[Banana88x]

Hey banana, I had the same problem, then i realized i was making a mistake: ON STEP 3 make sure you're going Mac HD>System>Library as opposed to just Mac HD>Library. Check it out Wish me luck I'm going in now myself to try to get civing again

Holy S***
It works!

Thank you so much

 

[d1miami]

They're in the package you download. Have you unzipped it? If so, what is in it?

there are folders there with names like "assets" "custom assets" "replays" "patch" "MODS" and others but no folder with Frameworks.

 

[Xyth]

there are folders there with names like "assets" "custom assets" "replays" "patch" "MODS" and others but no folder with Frameworks.

Sounds like you've downloaded some sort of Civ4 patch or mod, not the Yosemite python fix. Download it again, from here.

 

[d1miami]

Sounds like you've downloaded some sort of Civ4 patch or mod, not the Yosemite python fix. Download it again, from here.

I downloaded straight from the link you supplied and got the same thing. Guess I just either am screwing something up or I just can't do it. What sucks is that I just got the game as a gift from my nephew the very same day I downloaded yosemite. How's that for a joke?

oh well, thanks for trying. much appreciated

 

[Xyth]

I downloaded straight from the link you supplied and got the same thing. Guess I just either am screwing something up or I just can't do it. What sucks is that I just got the game as a gift from my nephew the very same day I downloaded yosemite. How's that for a joke?

oh well, thanks for trying. much appreciated

The link should give you a file called 'BTS Yosemite Python Fix.7z'. It has to be unarchived, which will then give you a folder called 'BTS Yosemite Python Fix'. What application are you using to unarchive it?

 

[mans0011]

Has anyone else encountered a problem with BTS and the trees glutting out? They are not completely illustrated and seem to move. It's very disconcerting...