Quirky Mac Questions

[benjiface]

Hey guys,

I have a couple questions, that Alan will probably be able to answer...

First, I am so used to making moves with units using the numberpad on my iMac. Is there a way to do this on my MacBook? I know this has been addressed in other threads before, but I couldn't find it...so I am bringing it up again...

Secondly, why are the Qin and Kublai avatars switched back to normal on the Vanilla patch but not on the latest Warlords patch? I am still trying to figure this one out..

-Ben

 

[AlanH]

Hey guys,

I have a couple questions, that Alan will probably be able to answer...

Your faith is flattering, but probably misplaced.

First, I am so used to making moves with units using the numberpad on my iMac. Is there a way to do this on my MacBook? I know this has been addressed in other threads before, but I couldn't find it...so I am bringing it up again...

I don't have a MacBook, and have never used one. Most Apple laptops provide a facility to change the function of a cluster of keys towards the right of the keyboard so that they work like a number pad - sort of a NumLock key.

Secondly, why are the Qin and Kublai avatars switched back to normal on the Vanilla patch but not on the latest Warlords patch? I am still trying to figure this one out..

-Ben

Are they? Sorry, I've no idea, except we are on the latest vanilla version, but we are one version behind on Warlords. Please understand - I don't actually *play* Civ4.

If they are just swapped, then it ought to be possible to simply rename the relevant files to make them the right way round, no?

 

[Welnic]

If you hold the function key down you can use the number pad that is superimposed on the MacBook keyboard. The function key is the far left bottom key, and you can see the numbers on the letters in the right hand side of the keyboard, I don't recall which ones they are exactly.

Qin and Kublai were switched by accident in vanilla, this was not fixed until the Warlords 2.08 patch. The Warlords 2.08 patch is the way they are really supposed to be, and they are that way in BTS also.

 

[benjiface]

I have the Warlords 2.08 patch installed and yet Qin and Kublai are still switched...

Any suggestions for explaining this? I am sure I have the patch installed correctly.

I will try the function key. Do I just hold it down once I get into the game? I am still confused about this...

 

[benjiface]

Okay, I tried holding the function key down and pressing all kinds of buttons, but that didn't work. Obviously I need further instruction. Anybody use a MacBook to play CIV? How do you use the function key to move your units?

 

[Skippy_Kangaroo]

Okay, I tried holding the function key down and pressing all kinds of buttons, but that didn't work. Obviously I need further instruction. Anybody use a MacBook to play CIV? How do you use the function key to move your units?

I use a MacBook Pro - same dif as far as you are concerned.

I find it easier to use an external mouse and ctrl-click to move.

The faux numpad just doesn't work conveniently because it is a num lock rather than a simple modifier key. (You need to hit F6 or fn-F6 to turn it on and it prevents you from using the keyboard as a keyboard - so it is a bit of a pain to turn it on and off all the time when playing Civ to move then issue other commands that use the alphabetic keys).

 

[benjiface]

Okay Skip, that helps a lot.

 

[CTCiv]

Alright, so nobody laugh at me. I've got Civ IV running in a window on Leopard so as to enable me to multi-task while playing. However, for some reason the top bar of the Civ IV window appears behind the menu bar at the top of my desktop, preventing me from moving the window, or accessing the menu or viewing my gold conveniently. It is very frustrating, and I can't figure out how to move the window. I know it may seem silly, but any help would be appreciated.

 

[AlanH]

Hello, welcome

I assume you discovered the trick of holding down the Command/Apple key while launching Civ4 to open the video options dialog?

When you have that dialog open, what resolution have you selected? And what resolution is your screen?

 

[CTCiv]

Hi, sorry that was my first post, I registered in a fit of desperation! I forgot to mention my screen resolution. My computer is set to 1680 x 1050 and according to "Graphics" under "Options" in Civ IV, my screen resolution is set to 1024 x 768. The only other option is 1152 x 768 and when I click it it only makes the window a bit wider, the handy draggy bar is still trapped behind the menu bar!

 

[AlanH]

So you haven't found the Command-launch trick I mentioned? Try setting window mode and the resolution in that dialog instead of in the in-game settings.

 

[Skippy_Kangaroo]

Hi, sorry that was my first post, I registered in a fit of desperation! I forgot to mention my screen resolution. My computer is set to 1680 x 1050 and according to "Graphics" under "Options" in Civ IV, my screen resolution is set to 1024 x 768. The only other option is 1152 x 768 and when I click it it only makes the window a bit wider, the handy draggy bar is still trapped behind the menu bar!

When this has happened to me I have managed to free the window by careful clicking. I believe there is a one-pixel high part of the menu bar that you can click and drag on to free the window.

 

[CTCiv]

Thanks everyone! You all are lifesavers.

 

[OscarWildebeest]

I just use Command-H to hide the screen when I want to do something else.