Note to Mods: this is a repost from the PPC forum. It has relevance to both forums, that's why I'm posting it here too.
Diablo II is my favourite game of all time. I’d say that more than half my motivation for getting into vintage Macs was this game alone, and the versions you can run on them. Unfortunately, the gaming scene for Diablo II is massively dominated by PC users, who have laughed at Mac gamers their entire lives. That means that useful information for Mac D2 fans is hard to come by.
Since I’m really passionate about the game, and especially the historical versions (I don’t care about the D2 Resurrected remaster), I’ve made this guide, discussing the main patches of Diablo II, and the Mac hardware and software required to run them.
Of course, many Diablo II Mac gamers will have tried running the game in Parallels or BootCamp already. These solutions work fine, and of course there are plenty more mods and convenience elements to doing so. However, if using vintage Mac hardware is interesting to you, and you want to experience the game under native Mac OS, then this guide is for you.
Versions:
D2 has had 14 main patches since its 2000 release, including the 2001 expansion, Lord of Destruction (LoD, 1.07). In terms of the gameplay however, most of these patches served as bug fixes, and are virtually identical. Unlike many games, it's not fair to simply assume that the newest version is the best; older versions have their own features and mechanics that were later removed. There are about 5 different core versions of the game: 1.03-1.06, 1.09, 1.10+, and 1.09 & 1.10+ played on non-LoD.
Getting the game:
Diablo 2 also has been released in different CD formats over the years; there is a Mac OS 9 CD version, a Mac OS X version, and the modern version, downloadable from Blizzard. The CD versions are no longer for sale, but can be readily found on Ebay. Read below for more details on the different versions.
Classic Mac OS CD:
The first Mac CDs come with version Diablo II 1.03, with a 1.07 LoD disc (the first version of LoD). If you want to play pre-version 1.03, you must play on Windows. (Version 1.00 is quite fun, but very buggy.)
This CD is intended for Classic Mac OS; I believe Mac OS 8.6 works, but I’ve always stuck with Mac OS 9.2.2. To play on these OS 9-based CDs, you must have the CD in the drive when playing. However, if you want the disc to spin far less, all you need to do is drag over the “Diablo II Music” file from the CD into your “Diablo II Files” folder. Once you’ve done this, you can force-eject the CD while playing – the only time the Disc is truly needed is when you launch the game, or when you complete an Act and progress to the next (not needed when just swapping Acts once the quest is done).
Patch 1.06b: From pre-LoD patches, 1.06b is the final patch, and arguably the best version of Classic D2, since it has the least bugs and balance problems, while retaining the character of D2 before LoD. (There are some minor builds and variations that work better in 1.04 and 1.05, but they’re very niche.)
Some features of 1.06:
– No monster immunities (these were introduced in 1.07). This opens up a huge range of character builds that are hampered in LoD.
– You can’t buy mana potions (only introduced in 1.10). This means mana is a much more precious resource, and fundamentally changes how you play mana-heavy classes (Sorceress and Necromancer especially).
– Being the last pre-LoD patch, you know that everything in the game was designed with Classic D2 in mind. Some of these details are minor, but noticeable.
Patch 1.09d: For LoD, 1.07 has some interesting aspects, but the best version of the expansion is arguably 1.09d. The game changed massively in 1.10 with the introduction of synergies, online-only features, new game-breaking runewords (such as Enigma), and completely rescaled monster stats. In LoD, the game also can be played at 800x600, which feels much better compared to pre-LoD’s 640x480, however this and the new features of LoD mean a higher toll on your processor. And of course, you get the features of LoD, including 2 new classes, Act 5, runes and runewords, class-specific items, new sets, etc. 1.09d is also the easiest version to achieve the maximum level 99, and in terms of item-finding, is considered by many to be the most refined version of the game.
Patch 1.13c/1.13d: For most purposes, versions 1.10 to 1.13 are essentially the same, “modern” version of the game. They have the same core elements of 1.10 (including online-only features you can no longer access), but have their own class builds that make them still a good experience.
Mac OS X CD:
The newer Diablo 2 CDs come with version 1.12 installed (you can’t downgrade), and require Mac OS X, 10.3.9–10.6.8 only. Running the game under OS X causes more strain on older Macs; I’ve found that anything below a 450MHz G4 can’t really handle it (especially in multiplayer TCP/IP). The game runs extremely well in Rosetta. The best aspect of the 1.12 CDs is that they don’t require the CDs to play the game, once it’s installed onto your HD. The CD key system changed with these discs, so you must use the CD key these; the old ones won’t work.
Thankfully for older Macs, there are Classic Mac OS updates going up to 1.13d, meaning it is possible to run the same version of the game on a Power Mac G3 and an early-2011 iMac, and play multiplayer. Using the Classic Mac OS version of 1.13d, a G3 Mac can more readily handle the higher graphical demands of LoD, and 800x600 resolution.
Patch 1.14d: To everyone’s surprise, in 2016, Blizzard released 1.14, a patch with no features, which brought back OS support for Mac. A gesture of good faith, it was sadly spoiled by Apple when Catalina removed 32-bit application support, killing off D2 Mac support for good (as of this post; D2 Resurrected has no Mac version, and hasn’t been found to work properly under any virtualisation). 1.14 plays exactly like 1.13, requires no CD, and though no longer downloadable from Blizzard, can be found through archives. It runs on OS X 10.10 Yosemite through to 10.14 Mojave.
The major advantage of 1.14d is that the official Blizzard servers still operate for this version, so you can go online and play a ladder character, and get access to all the online-only LoD items (and have fun with the thousands of bots... lol). Ladder tends to reset every 6 months, I’m not sure if this has changed now that D2R is released. 1.14d will NOT work with D2R, for the record. You can buy 1.14 from Blizzard’s website, and while it only gives you a Windows download link, once you’ve got the Mac version elsewhere, it’ll all work, and the CD key will be recognised as valid.
Classic D2: It is possible to play LoD patches (e.g. 1.09, 1.13), but create Classic characters. This is again a completely different experience, as you miss the LoD features while gaining some effects of the updates. For instance, all the online-only and overpowered items of 1.10+ is not present in Classic, while synergy-based skills and mana potions from shops are. This makes 1.13d/1.14d really interesting to play with Classic characters. Also, the Whirlwind Barbarian and Static Sorceress are much more powerful in Classic, so the builds are entirely different. Even if playing Classic only, you should still install LoD, because without it, you can’t set the resolution up to 800x600. Once again, versions 1.09d and 1.13d/1.14d are the best to play.
I won’t go into greater details here about all the features of different versions, but trust me, they feel like entirely different games when you try them out and compare. Early D2 feels closer to Diablo 1, with a lot of challenge and patience required; Post-1.10 LoD feels like the inevitable power-creep, ‘big-explosions’ game that most ARPGs end up transforming into (yet still fun, since it’s built on such a strong core game); 1.09 feels like a completed masterpiece, a balance of challenge and great long-term rewards.
In conclusion, here is the hardware and software you need for different D2 patches:
1.00-1.02: Windows only.
1.03-1.11: CD version 1. PowerPC G3 Mac (or better) running OS 8.1-9.2.2. (There was also a support patch for Classic under OS X from about version 1.10, but it’s probably not worth the effort.) Graphics-wise, anything ATI is supported with RAVE; Nvidia is not, and should be run using “software” mode. For LoD (1.07+), don’t expect it to run well on anything below a 350MHz iMac G3.
1.12-1.13: 450MHz G4 Mac (or better) / Intel Mac, running OS X 10.3.9–10.6.8 (Intel using Rosetta) using version 2 CD; or use Mac OS 9 patches with CD version 1 for low-end PPC Macs.
1.14: Any Intel Mac running Mac OS X 10.10-10.14.
Feel free to contact me if you need help getting certain versions. They are all still available online, but can require a bit of digging.
Diablo II is my favourite game of all time. I’d say that more than half my motivation for getting into vintage Macs was this game alone, and the versions you can run on them. Unfortunately, the gaming scene for Diablo II is massively dominated by PC users, who have laughed at Mac gamers their entire lives. That means that useful information for Mac D2 fans is hard to come by.
Since I’m really passionate about the game, and especially the historical versions (I don’t care about the D2 Resurrected remaster), I’ve made this guide, discussing the main patches of Diablo II, and the Mac hardware and software required to run them.
Of course, many Diablo II Mac gamers will have tried running the game in Parallels or BootCamp already. These solutions work fine, and of course there are plenty more mods and convenience elements to doing so. However, if using vintage Mac hardware is interesting to you, and you want to experience the game under native Mac OS, then this guide is for you.
Versions:
D2 has had 14 main patches since its 2000 release, including the 2001 expansion, Lord of Destruction (LoD, 1.07). In terms of the gameplay however, most of these patches served as bug fixes, and are virtually identical. Unlike many games, it's not fair to simply assume that the newest version is the best; older versions have their own features and mechanics that were later removed. There are about 5 different core versions of the game: 1.03-1.06, 1.09, 1.10+, and 1.09 & 1.10+ played on non-LoD.
Getting the game:
Diablo 2 also has been released in different CD formats over the years; there is a Mac OS 9 CD version, a Mac OS X version, and the modern version, downloadable from Blizzard. The CD versions are no longer for sale, but can be readily found on Ebay. Read below for more details on the different versions.
Classic Mac OS CD:
The first Mac CDs come with version Diablo II 1.03, with a 1.07 LoD disc (the first version of LoD). If you want to play pre-version 1.03, you must play on Windows. (Version 1.00 is quite fun, but very buggy.)
This CD is intended for Classic Mac OS; I believe Mac OS 8.6 works, but I’ve always stuck with Mac OS 9.2.2. To play on these OS 9-based CDs, you must have the CD in the drive when playing. However, if you want the disc to spin far less, all you need to do is drag over the “Diablo II Music” file from the CD into your “Diablo II Files” folder. Once you’ve done this, you can force-eject the CD while playing – the only time the Disc is truly needed is when you launch the game, or when you complete an Act and progress to the next (not needed when just swapping Acts once the quest is done).
Patch 1.06b: From pre-LoD patches, 1.06b is the final patch, and arguably the best version of Classic D2, since it has the least bugs and balance problems, while retaining the character of D2 before LoD. (There are some minor builds and variations that work better in 1.04 and 1.05, but they’re very niche.)
Some features of 1.06:
– No monster immunities (these were introduced in 1.07). This opens up a huge range of character builds that are hampered in LoD.
– You can’t buy mana potions (only introduced in 1.10). This means mana is a much more precious resource, and fundamentally changes how you play mana-heavy classes (Sorceress and Necromancer especially).
– Being the last pre-LoD patch, you know that everything in the game was designed with Classic D2 in mind. Some of these details are minor, but noticeable.
Patch 1.09d: For LoD, 1.07 has some interesting aspects, but the best version of the expansion is arguably 1.09d. The game changed massively in 1.10 with the introduction of synergies, online-only features, new game-breaking runewords (such as Enigma), and completely rescaled monster stats. In LoD, the game also can be played at 800x600, which feels much better compared to pre-LoD’s 640x480, however this and the new features of LoD mean a higher toll on your processor. And of course, you get the features of LoD, including 2 new classes, Act 5, runes and runewords, class-specific items, new sets, etc. 1.09d is also the easiest version to achieve the maximum level 99, and in terms of item-finding, is considered by many to be the most refined version of the game.
Patch 1.13c/1.13d: For most purposes, versions 1.10 to 1.13 are essentially the same, “modern” version of the game. They have the same core elements of 1.10 (including online-only features you can no longer access), but have their own class builds that make them still a good experience.
Mac OS X CD:
The newer Diablo 2 CDs come with version 1.12 installed (you can’t downgrade), and require Mac OS X, 10.3.9–10.6.8 only. Running the game under OS X causes more strain on older Macs; I’ve found that anything below a 450MHz G4 can’t really handle it (especially in multiplayer TCP/IP). The game runs extremely well in Rosetta. The best aspect of the 1.12 CDs is that they don’t require the CDs to play the game, once it’s installed onto your HD. The CD key system changed with these discs, so you must use the CD key these; the old ones won’t work.
Thankfully for older Macs, there are Classic Mac OS updates going up to 1.13d, meaning it is possible to run the same version of the game on a Power Mac G3 and an early-2011 iMac, and play multiplayer. Using the Classic Mac OS version of 1.13d, a G3 Mac can more readily handle the higher graphical demands of LoD, and 800x600 resolution.
Patch 1.14d: To everyone’s surprise, in 2016, Blizzard released 1.14, a patch with no features, which brought back OS support for Mac. A gesture of good faith, it was sadly spoiled by Apple when Catalina removed 32-bit application support, killing off D2 Mac support for good (as of this post; D2 Resurrected has no Mac version, and hasn’t been found to work properly under any virtualisation). 1.14 plays exactly like 1.13, requires no CD, and though no longer downloadable from Blizzard, can be found through archives. It runs on OS X 10.10 Yosemite through to 10.14 Mojave.
The major advantage of 1.14d is that the official Blizzard servers still operate for this version, so you can go online and play a ladder character, and get access to all the online-only LoD items (and have fun with the thousands of bots... lol). Ladder tends to reset every 6 months, I’m not sure if this has changed now that D2R is released. 1.14d will NOT work with D2R, for the record. You can buy 1.14 from Blizzard’s website, and while it only gives you a Windows download link, once you’ve got the Mac version elsewhere, it’ll all work, and the CD key will be recognised as valid.
Classic D2: It is possible to play LoD patches (e.g. 1.09, 1.13), but create Classic characters. This is again a completely different experience, as you miss the LoD features while gaining some effects of the updates. For instance, all the online-only and overpowered items of 1.10+ is not present in Classic, while synergy-based skills and mana potions from shops are. This makes 1.13d/1.14d really interesting to play with Classic characters. Also, the Whirlwind Barbarian and Static Sorceress are much more powerful in Classic, so the builds are entirely different. Even if playing Classic only, you should still install LoD, because without it, you can’t set the resolution up to 800x600. Once again, versions 1.09d and 1.13d/1.14d are the best to play.
I won’t go into greater details here about all the features of different versions, but trust me, they feel like entirely different games when you try them out and compare. Early D2 feels closer to Diablo 1, with a lot of challenge and patience required; Post-1.10 LoD feels like the inevitable power-creep, ‘big-explosions’ game that most ARPGs end up transforming into (yet still fun, since it’s built on such a strong core game); 1.09 feels like a completed masterpiece, a balance of challenge and great long-term rewards.
In conclusion, here is the hardware and software you need for different D2 patches:
1.00-1.02: Windows only.
1.03-1.11: CD version 1. PowerPC G3 Mac (or better) running OS 8.1-9.2.2. (There was also a support patch for Classic under OS X from about version 1.10, but it’s probably not worth the effort.) Graphics-wise, anything ATI is supported with RAVE; Nvidia is not, and should be run using “software” mode. For LoD (1.07+), don’t expect it to run well on anything below a 350MHz iMac G3.
1.12-1.13: 450MHz G4 Mac (or better) / Intel Mac, running OS X 10.3.9–10.6.8 (Intel using Rosetta) using version 2 CD; or use Mac OS 9 patches with CD version 1 for low-end PPC Macs.
1.14: Any Intel Mac running Mac OS X 10.10-10.14.
Feel free to contact me if you need help getting certain versions. They are all still available online, but can require a bit of digging.
