I've read a couple of threads saying that the rMB can't game at all, but people really didn't say what was happening. Do the games not even load, or do they just start to get sluggish? Has anyone successfully played anything on this machine like Diablo or Bioshock? And lastly has anyone ran a Firestrike on it?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
rMB and Gamez
- Thread starter Cuniac
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
System Shock 2 runs beautifully on my 1.2 rMB, although the game harks from circa 1999, the version I play has many upgrades/mods that vastly improve the graphics over the original release, while retaining the deep and at times terrifying gameplay. My MacBook runs it perfectly; frame rates are solid, temperatures are reasonable (1440x900) the audio is awesome for such a small system. After some experimentation with mods & config files System Shock 2 not only runs well (OS X & WineSkin), it looks fantastic for a game that is now 16 years old thanks to a very healthy fan community. I also used Intel`s Power Gadget 3 to help setup up the game on the MacBook by monitoring/logging the CPU/GPU behaviour to prevent the SOC from thermal throttling and killing the game experience.
Doom 3 plays at 1440x900 (OS X Store Version) however the Retina MacBook gets very hot, fast and frame rates could be better, likely I will drop some of the settings or resolution. It`s not so much the frame rate is too slow, it`s more that it can stutter I observed the same in System Shock 2 if I "amp`d" things up too much.
It may be possible to play some newer titles, however you would want a lot of control of the game parameters. I can get more out of System Shock 2, than Doom 3 as there is simply far more options to play with, Doom 3 I only have what`s presented in the game menu.
n.b. I tend to raise the rear of my rMB for ergonomics, playing with the Notebook on a pillow etc will significantly reduce the passive cooling efficiency, likely result in throttling, reduced frame rates etc. A powered cooler allowed the Macbook to maintain a solid 2GHz which is an option, however you need to place the fan directly under the centre rear of the base to be of any useful effect.
Q-6
Doom 3 plays at 1440x900 (OS X Store Version) however the Retina MacBook gets very hot, fast and frame rates could be better, likely I will drop some of the settings or resolution. It`s not so much the frame rate is too slow, it`s more that it can stutter I observed the same in System Shock 2 if I "amp`d" things up too much.
It may be possible to play some newer titles, however you would want a lot of control of the game parameters. I can get more out of System Shock 2, than Doom 3 as there is simply far more options to play with, Doom 3 I only have what`s presented in the game menu.
n.b. I tend to raise the rear of my rMB for ergonomics, playing with the Notebook on a pillow etc will significantly reduce the passive cooling efficiency, likely result in throttling, reduced frame rates etc. A powered cooler allowed the Macbook to maintain a solid 2GHz which is an option, however you need to place the fan directly under the centre rear of the base to be of any useful effect.
Q-6
Last edited:
If I was looking to game on this thing I would consider other options at similar price point. I don't have the macbook yet. But I can tell you that this is not meant for gaming. This is strictly a portability product. There are other notebooks (rMBP 13" or Razer Blade) with similar looks that have way better gaming ability at about double the thickness
Some of us want that portability for work but the odd game shouldn't be out of the question and to be honest the odd game I play runs just fine so it shouldn't be a definitive no!
I meant it should be a not if OP is buying to game on.
OP need to define gaming. If he wants a casual play on bf4 this would be a no. If he wants to play online chess sure this is great. Considering he put diablo on here and bioshock I would say no. Diablo maybe.. bioshock doubtful.
Everyone has their own playable frame rates as well.
I found some stellar sites which helped me a lot;
https://www.gog.com/forum/system_shock_2#1437078386
https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?board=2.0
https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?topic=4447.0
http://chriscamaro.hubpages.com/hub...f-System-Shock-2-Installation-Mods-and-Setup#
On the Retina MacBook you can get away with a fair number of mod`s without any significant loss of frame rate, you also need to know how to edit the config files as this can help significantly with the look of the game and performance. Biggest issue for the Mac is that you have to merge the folders for the mod`s manually, and the order is important. On the first link the forum has post with a lot of info on how to accomplish this, equally it`s not overly complex. I used the recommended mods from SS2 modding guide (above) and edited the cam_ext.cfg config file, which also has a lot of help built into it.
I wanted to bring the graphics & audio more up to date, without affecting the game play, which I have now archived
Q-6
Last edited:
Cool, thanks I'll check it out. I just remembered that gog did a mod spotlight too:
http://www.gog.com/news/mod_spotlight_system_shock_2
Yeah, if you fish about it`s not too difficult. As all the mods are contained in one folder it`s very easy to swap it in and out without killing the game, and allows to experiment.
You will need to update to 2.43 or 2.44 (below) to be able to Mod the game. I also believe it`s possible to incorporate the SS2Tool into the SS2 Wine Wrapper, however I have not had time to try and I have the game running how I like
https://www.gog.com/forum/system_sh...ystem_shock_2_is_available_for_download/page3
Q-6