Running WDS games on Mac OS (or Linux)

[Llaird]

I started playing games by John Tiller back in the Talonsoft days even before John's Campaign series (I am sure you remember Battleground:Ardennes) and played games by John ever since. At the time I used Windows, but switched to Mac OS in 2011 or so.
With the switch the question came up how to continue playing Panzer Campaigns, Squad Battles, etc.

At first I used Bootcamp to start my iMac on Windows. This works of course without any problems, but to always change your boot drive is a bit annoying to say the least.

So next came Parallels, a software which enables you to install a virtual computer, on which you then can install a Operating system, like Windows, Linux or even another Mac OS. This works also problem-free, but comes with a downside. First you need next to the Parallels license a paid Windows license and second parallels needs a lot of CPU load. At least in my experience, it's not the most convenient solution if the only thing you want to run on Windows are John's games.

What I then found - and using ever since - is CrossOver. CrossOver by CodeMasters is a so called compatibility layer. In short, it enables you to run Windows stuff on Mac (there's also a CrossOver version for Linux)

In older CrossOver versions there were some minor issues, like non-blinking cursors and such, but in the current version I noticed no problems at all. The games feels like it was a native Mac application.

I created a small PDF guide to show you how to install games on CrossOver and run them on Windows.

The guide can be found here: https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0829 ... cuA#WDSMAC
Note: After clicking the link, just press "download a copy". You DON'T have to sign in or need a iCloud account.

[rahamy]

Thanks for the post!

[count_fuzzball]

Excellent guide, Llaird, thanks for the info.

Just to add to this on the Linux side of things.

From my experience running Ubuntu Linux to play the WDS games, all of the series that use DirectX 9 work like a charm with no issue.

Kriegsmarine and now the whole Naval Campaigns line are the biggest issue for running the games under Wine (a microsoft windows compatability layer) as they now use DirectxX 11 as its graphics API.

After some googling and such, the issue appears to be that neither wine, nor the 'alternative' directx-to-vulkan API layer DXVK have support for a very specific DirectX feature that the WDS games make use of, sub-window support within a windows application, specificly the DirectX 11 version of the function.
The sub-window function is for the 'main chart' of the game where you control your ships and see the action happen. With no support for the directx 11 sub-window function, the games now crash. So it's best to stick with the DirectX 9 versions of the games for Linux users.

Question for WDS though, would you be able to offer (on explicit request) older directx 9 i.e (4.01, etc) versions of older current titles?

[parmenio]

From my experience running Ubuntu Linux to play the WDS games, all of the series that use DirectX 9 work like a charm with no issue.

Only the Naval Campaigns series and Modern Air Power use DirectX for their graphics display. The other game installers which install DXD9 do so for DirectSound - the graphics display in those games is solely GDI/GDI+.

Question for WDS though, would you be able to offer (on explicit request) older directx 9 i.e (4.01, etc) versions of older current titles?

To be specific, those two games series use the Direct2D APIs (since they are 2D applications rather than 3D) within DirectX11. As far as I know there were no versions of Direct2D prior to DirectX11, so that would be a little tricky for us to accomplish.

[count_fuzzball]

From my experience running Ubuntu Linux to play the WDS games, all of the series that use DirectX 9 work like a charm with no issue.

Only the Naval Campaigns series and Modern Air Power use DirectX for their graphics display. The other game installers which install DXD9 do so for DirectSound - the graphics display in those games is solely GDI/GDI+.

Oh, I see. Thanks for the clarification there.

Question for WDS though, would you be able to offer (on explicit request) older directx 9 i.e (4.01, etc) versions of older current titles?

To be specific, those two games series use the Direct2D APIs (since they are 2D applications rather than 3D) within DirectX11. As far as I know there were no versions of Direct2D prior to DirectX11, so that would be a little tricky for us to accomplish.

Sorry, I don't mean backporting the changes from Directx11 to DirectX9 (or however NC/MAP did it previously), but would it be possible to get the older non-upgraded versions before "support for directx 11" came in for these titles?

[parmenio]

Sorry, I don't mean backporting the changes from Directx11 to DirectX9 (or however NC/MAP did it previously), but would it be possible to get the older non-upgraded versions before "support for directx 11" came in for these titles?

I'm afraid that's a question for Rich and David...

[rahamy]

Sorry, I don't mean backporting the changes from Directx11 to DirectX9 (or however NC/MAP did it previously), but would it be possible to get the older non-upgraded versions before "support for directx 11" came in for these titles?

You need to send an email to Helpdesk@wargameds.com with the specifics of your request.

[Franciscus]

I started playing games by John Tiller back in the Talonsoft days even before John's Campaign series (I am sure you remember Battleground:Ardennes) and played games by John ever since. At the time I used Windows, but switched to Mac OS in 2011 or so.
With the switch the question came up how to continue playing Panzer Campaigns, Squad Battles, etc.

At first I used Bootcamp to start my iMac on Windows. This works of course without any problems, but to always change your boot drive is a bit annoying to say the least.

So next came Parallels, a software which enables you to install a virtual computer, on which you then can install a Operating system, like Windows, Linux or even another Mac OS. This works also problem-free, but comes with a downside. First you need next to the Parallels license a paid Windows license and second parallels needs a lot of CPU load. At least in my experience, it's not the most convenient solution if the only thing you want to run on Windows are John's games.

What I then found - and using ever since - is CrossOver. CrossOver by CodeMasters is a so called compatibility layer. In short, it enables you to run Windows stuff on Mac (there's also a CrossOver version for Linux)

In older CrossOver versions there were some minor issues, like non-blinking cursors and such, but in the current version I noticed no problems at all. The games feels like it was a native Mac application.

I created a small PDF guide to show you how to install games on CrossOver and run them on Windows.

The guide can be found here: https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0829 ... cuA#WDSMAC
Note: After clicking the link, just press "download a copy". You DON'T have to sign in or need a iCloud account.

Hi, LLaird. I also use CrossOver, for several years now.

But with three caveats:


1. The naval games do not work (I think it is because of directx 11)

2. I have to install DirectMusic in the CrossOver bottle. Otherwise the game SEEM to run well but with one graphical glitch: when a unit fires the sound is always played but sometimes the arrow between units is not displayed. This happens specially in Napoleon's and ACW games

3. Some of the big 3d bmp maps of Napoleonic games do not load at all

I am running CrossOver 22 in a Mac 27 from 2019 and a MacBook Pro from 2017, both have these issues.

Because of this I am using Parallels.


You do not have them ?


Cheers

[panther421]

I'm using Linux Mint, MX, and have a Macbook Pro, and have had the same issue with the naval game I have (Guadalcanal). Reading the posts above I see it is due to DirectX 11.

I use Play on Linux/ Play on Mac to play my other WDS games, and apart from a few minor issues (combat losses don't display unless On Map Results is not selected), it works well enough.

If anyone else is playing WDS games using Linux, with Play on Linux, I've found it is much easier to create a PBEM folder on the desktop, and create specific game folders in it for all the games you play, then save the PBEM files to those folders. Just be sure to click on the Desktop icon when you open the game to save and load from the right place.

[Steve_R.]

I am using Linux (Mint 21). To use WDS games, I have been using Bottles. So far so good.
How to Run Windows Software in Linux Using Bottles
How To Run Windows Software On Linux With Bottles
How to Run Windows Software on Linux With Bottles