If I'm playing Civ IV on my Mac, if a PC user is using steam, can we play online together? Do I also have to be on steam?
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Steam help
- Thread starter miamialley
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Assuming this is a valve title, it is entirely cross compatible game play. So as to your first question the answer should be yes, but is up to each individual developer. To play with another person unless you're playing through LAN I believe it is a requirement to be on steam. But then again I do not own this game, so don't quote me on this.
Maybe you guys can answer this. When log into Steam, I can see a list of the games I'm registered and it also shows which ones I have installed and not installed. I launched Mac Steam today for the first time and I can't find a page titled something like "My Games". Shouldn't that be there somewhere?
Ok, maybe I found it. When I clicked "Mac Games" 4 games appear and they are HL2, HL2E1, HL2E2, and Portal. Those are games that I have registered in Steam (PC). Other games that I have on regular Steam like KOTOR and Jeti Acadamey are not there, so I assume they have not been released for the Mac. Does that sound right?
Next Part: I double clicked on HL2 and I got a curious message: 4762MB Disk space required, 5862 MB available. I'm currently using a MacBookPro and when I installed Steam, I put it on an external drive with over 200 GB space available. I've not verified it yet, but if Steam plans on putting any games I install on my internal drive, I'm going to have a real problem. Is there a way to trick Steam into installing it on the external drive?
BTW, I have moved my Steam installation under Windows, no problem. I just checked the FAQ at Steam's site and I see instructions for moving Steam Installation and games for the PC, but have not found it yet for the Mac. I have posted a question at Steam about this issue, but if anyone knows the answer...
Thanks!
Ok, maybe I found it. When I clicked "Mac Games" 4 games appear and they are HL2, HL2E1, HL2E2, and Portal. Those are games that I have registered in Steam (PC). Other games that I have on regular Steam like KOTOR and Jeti Acadamey are not there, so I assume they have not been released for the Mac. Does that sound right?
Next Part: I double clicked on HL2 and I got a curious message: 4762MB Disk space required, 5862 MB available. I'm currently using a MacBookPro and when I installed Steam, I put it on an external drive with over 200 GB space available. I've not verified it yet, but if Steam plans on putting any games I install on my internal drive, I'm going to have a real problem. Is there a way to trick Steam into installing it on the external drive?
BTW, I have moved my Steam installation under Windows, no problem. I just checked the FAQ at Steam's site and I see instructions for moving Steam Installation and games for the PC, but have not found it yet for the Mac. I have posted a question at Steam about this issue, but if anyone knows the answer...
Thanks!
No bites on this question is surprising. I thought for sure this question would have come up before now. Waiting on Steam forum, Steam support answers.
I'm looking this over thanks. However, I did start a Steam Forum thread and found a link that says Valve is going to make Mac Steam so you can install games into another location besides the Document folder. Read here. At least I think that is what it says.
I'm looking this over thanks. However, I did start a Steam Forum thread and found a link that says Valve is going to make Mac Steam so you can install games into another location besides the Document folder. Read here. At least I think that is what it says.
thats the plan, when they can implement it. using the symlink workaround is probably your best bet for the time being.
A while ago I did something like this with Eudora email program. I stuck it into another folder and put a alias of it in the document area or library (somewhere there, I forget exactly now) and that worked for years. When Eudora went looking for the default folder, it saw the alias which pointed it at the real Eudora folder and worked like that. Would this work, I wonder?
EDIT: No making an alias using the MacOSX shortcut "Command L" does not work for this purpose.
As of 26June10, these instructions are out of date for fixing Mac Steam Content. See reply No.18 below or go directly to the Mac Rumors Guide.
Ok, I got it. When I get some time, I'll add it to one of the guides here at Mac Rumors. Here is a in-depth description:
This is the problem. As of 07June2010 Mac Steam insists on installing games into your documents folder in a folder called Steam Content and you don't have enough internal drive space to install games there. Here is the current work around to put these games on an external drive. This could also be done with another partition.
The idea is that by using the Mac's Terminal Application, you are going to create a new unix symbolic link in your Documents folder that points to the Steam Content folder located in another location. In my case the other location is my external drive.
Proceed at your own risk!!!
1. To start out with I wanted Mac Steam on my external drive for use with my MBP laptop, so I downloaded Mac Steam, opened the .dmg file and installed it there by simply dragging the Steam application from the .dmg file to the desired location on my external drive.
2. Launch Steam. By default it is going to automatically install the Steam Content folder in your Home>Documents Folder. Shut down Steam.
3. Locate the "Steam Content" folder in your home/Documents folder. Drag this to the new desired location, where it will be copied. Move the original Steam Content folder from your Document folder to the trash.
4. Open the Terminal application, located in your Utility folder. (In your Mac Finder along the top look for the "Go" pulldown menu> Utilities>Terminal). When you launch the Terminal a window opens that has a command line that starts with something like:
MyMac:~ jharris$ (where jharris is the user).
5. Type in this command (no quotes) "ln -s" (with a space between "ln" and "-s", followed by a space. Note the command "ln" consists of the small letters LN, not IN). Your Terminal command line should look something like this:
MyMac:~ jharris$ ln -s
6. Open the window that shows the new location of your Steam Content folder (the one you just moved). Left click on this folder and drag it to the Terminal Window then release it. This will copy the path to your Steam Content folder. Your command line should look something like this now:
MyMac:~ jharris$ ln -s /Volumes/WDMac2/Steam\ Content
(In my case "/Volumes/WDMac2/" is a partition on my external drive. The folder name is "Steam\ Content". (no quotes! The backward slash tells unix, there is a space.)
7. Open your home folder. (In your Finder along the top look for the "Go" pulldown menu> Home). There will be a "Documents" folder in your Home folder. Click on the Document's folder, drag it to the Terminal Window, and release it. The path to your Documents folder will automatically pop in with a space between it and the previous command. Your Terminal command window should now look something like this:
MyMac:~ jharris$ ln -s /Volumes/WDMac2/Steam\ Content /Users/jharris/Documents
8. On the Terminal command line you are now going to type in the name of the link that will be placed into the Documents folder (by using this Terminal command). Right after the word "Documents" type in this syntax with no space (no quotes!): "/Steam\ Content" (Put a space between "\" and "Content". The \ tells the Terminal there is a space between the words Steam and Content). Your terminal command line should now look something like this:
MyMac:~ jharris$ ln -s /Volumes/WDMac2/Steam\ Content /Users/jharris/Documents/Steam\ Content
9. Select the Terminal Window, and now hit the "Return" button. A new command line will appear that looks like:
MyMac:~ jharris$
Quit the Terminal. If you have formatted this command correctly, a new Alias of your Steam Content folder should show up in your Documents folder. Now launch Steam and see if it worked.
The easiest was to tell is when you start to download a new game, you'll get a message telling you how many MBs of space are available. This can be checked against the partition you want to install to and compare it to the available space on your internal hard drive. If things look good, start downloading games to your external hard drive!!
Ok, I got it. When I get some time, I'll add it to one of the guides here at Mac Rumors. Here is a in-depth description:
This is the problem. As of 07June2010 Mac Steam insists on installing games into your documents folder in a folder called Steam Content and you don't have enough internal drive space to install games there. Here is the current work around to put these games on an external drive. This could also be done with another partition.
The idea is that by using the Mac's Terminal Application, you are going to create a new unix symbolic link in your Documents folder that points to the Steam Content folder located in another location. In my case the other location is my external drive.
Proceed at your own risk!!!
1. To start out with I wanted Mac Steam on my external drive for use with my MBP laptop, so I downloaded Mac Steam, opened the .dmg file and installed it there by simply dragging the Steam application from the .dmg file to the desired location on my external drive.
2. Launch Steam. By default it is going to automatically install the Steam Content folder in your Home>Documents Folder. Shut down Steam.
3. Locate the "Steam Content" folder in your home/Documents folder. Drag this to the new desired location, where it will be copied. Move the original Steam Content folder from your Document folder to the trash.
4. Open the Terminal application, located in your Utility folder. (In your Mac Finder along the top look for the "Go" pulldown menu> Utilities>Terminal). When you launch the Terminal a window opens that has a command line that starts with something like:
MyMac:~ jharris$ (where jharris is the user).
5. Type in this command (no quotes) "ln -s" (with a space between "ln" and "-s", followed by a space. Note the command "ln" consists of the small letters LN, not IN). Your Terminal command line should look something like this:
MyMac:~ jharris$ ln -s
6. Open the window that shows the new location of your Steam Content folder (the one you just moved). Left click on this folder and drag it to the Terminal Window then release it. This will copy the path to your Steam Content folder. Your command line should look something like this now:
MyMac:~ jharris$ ln -s /Volumes/WDMac2/Steam\ Content
(In my case "/Volumes/WDMac2/" is a partition on my external drive. The folder name is "Steam\ Content". (no quotes! The backward slash tells unix, there is a space.)
7. Open your home folder. (In your Finder along the top look for the "Go" pulldown menu> Home). There will be a "Documents" folder in your Home folder. Click on the Document's folder, drag it to the Terminal Window, and release it. The path to your Documents folder will automatically pop in with a space between it and the previous command. Your Terminal command window should now look something like this:
MyMac:~ jharris$ ln -s /Volumes/WDMac2/Steam\ Content /Users/jharris/Documents
8. On the Terminal command line you are now going to type in the name of the link that will be placed into the Documents folder (by using this Terminal command). Right after the word "Documents" type in this syntax with no space (no quotes!): "/Steam\ Content" (Put a space between "\" and "Content". The \ tells the Terminal there is a space between the words Steam and Content). Your terminal command line should now look something like this:
MyMac:~ jharris$ ln -s /Volumes/WDMac2/Steam\ Content /Users/jharris/Documents/Steam\ Content
9. Select the Terminal Window, and now hit the "Return" button. A new command line will appear that looks like:
MyMac:~ jharris$
Quit the Terminal. If you have formatted this command correctly, a new Alias of your Steam Content folder should show up in your Documents folder. Now launch Steam and see if it worked.
The easiest was to tell is when you start to download a new game, you'll get a message telling you how many MBs of space are available. This can be checked against the partition you want to install to and compare it to the available space on your internal hard drive. If things look good, start downloading games to your external hard drive!!
I have placed the Terminal Instruction for creating a symbolic link into a MacRumor's Terminal guide. See it in MacRumor guides>Software All>Terminal and CLI Applications>Symbolic Link (Fixing Steam Content). That link also points you at a nifty little application which takes all the work out of accomplishing this.
Here is a direct link to the Steam Content Helper Application. This link downloads the application in a zip file.
Here is a direct link to the Steam Content Helper Application. This link downloads the application in a zip file.
Thanks for this guide! I have been planning on waiting for Valve's fix but my Dad really wants to play HL2...so I might give this one a try.
Blair, the Steam Content Helper app makes it pretty easy to accomplish. Some serious sh*t can happen in the Terminal if you are not familiar and mess it up so I'd try the helper app first. At the same time, typing in Terminal commands is not that hard. How's that for waffling?
Just remember when you start the Terminal commands there should be no "Steam Content" folder in your Documents folder and when you finish there should be an alias of a folder called "Steam Content". I all ready had HL2 registered in my PC Steam account and for Mac Steam downloaded it to my external drive last night Good luck!
Some serious sh*t can happen in the Terminal if you are not familiar and mess it up so I'd try the helper app first. At the same time, typing in Terminal commands is not that hard. How's that for waffling? Just remember when you start the Terminal commands there should be no "Steam Content" folder in your Documents folder and when you finish there should be an alias of a folder called "Steam Content". I all ready had HL2 registered in my PC Steam account and for Mac Steam downloaded it to my external drive last night Good luck!
Will be installing a 120GB SSD tomorrow, so have been looking into this as I plan on getting a caddy for my current 500GB HDD to use as an external. Problem is I can't locate a Steam Contents folder in Documents, yet my games are installed in Steam and run fine. Any ideas why that folder isn't there?
You are talking about Steam for Mac? And you are looking in the Document folder under your user?
Do a search for it. It (your Steam game content) must be there somewhere.26June Edit: See Reply No. 18 for update.
Alert!!
For those of you who used the instructions in this thread to create a symbolic link (for the purpose of moving Steam Content out of the Documents folder), it looks like one of the recent Steam updates renamed the SteamContent folder, the "SteamApps" folder and moved it to the Library>ApplicationSupport>Steam folder.
I created a symbolic link using the instructions in this thread and in the Mac Rumors Guide before this Steam update and now I find there is a Steam folder in my Library>Application Support Folder. And inside the Steam folder is the Steam Apps folder, HOWEVER, in my case this is an alias and it points to the Steam Content folder that I previously moved to my external hard drive. So if you previously created a link using the instructions, your Steam should still work. It appears that the MacRumors Guide Symbolic Link, Fixing Steam Content is now out of date and I'll see what needs to be done to fix it.
If you have not played around with moving Steam Content, but want to move it outside of your Library>Application Support>Steam folder into an external drive or a different partition, you'll have to make a symbolic link as described in this thread using the terminal, but you'll be naming the new folder SteamApps. See Reply No. 18 for updated instructions.
For those of you who used the instructions in this thread to create a symbolic link (for the purpose of moving Steam Content out of the Documents folder), it looks like one of the recent Steam updates renamed the SteamContent folder, the "SteamApps" folder and moved it to the Library>ApplicationSupport>Steam folder.
I created a symbolic link using the instructions in this thread and in the Mac Rumors Guide before this Steam update and now I find there is a Steam folder in my Library>Application Support Folder. And inside the Steam folder is the Steam Apps folder, HOWEVER, in my case this is an alias and it points to the Steam Content folder that I previously moved to my external hard drive. So if you previously created a link using the instructions, your Steam should still work. It appears that the MacRumors Guide Symbolic Link, Fixing Steam Content is now out of date and I'll see what needs to be done to fix it.
If you have not played around with moving Steam Content, but want to move it outside of your Library>Application Support>Steam folder into an external drive or a different partition, you'll have to make a symbolic link as described in this thread using the terminal, but you'll be naming the new folder SteamApps. See Reply No. 18 for updated instructions.
Roliath, thanks much for the heads up!
Alert No.2!!
The MacRumors Fixing Steam Content Guide has been updated to reflect the latest changes to Mac Steam. If you see any blatant errors please PM me. Thanks!
Steam and NVidia graphic Chips- 18Jun10.
While working on updating the Mac Rumors Symbolic link guide, I stumbled across this at Steam Support regrding NVidia graphic chips.
While working on updating the Mac Rumors Symbolic link guide, I stumbled across this at Steam Support regrding NVidia graphic chips.
yeah that was posted back on the MR front page:
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/06/2...ith-nvidia-graphics-cards-on-mac-os-x-10-6-4/
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/06/2...ith-nvidia-graphics-cards-on-mac-os-x-10-6-4/
The Symbolic Link Guide for relocating Mac Steam Game content has been updated and I have removed references to the Steam Content Helper app that used to be mentioned. If and when the author updates this application, I'll post another notice and add it back into the guide. For now, unless of you know of another program designed to create a symbolic link, you'll have to use the Terminal as described in the link above.
The author of Steam Content fixer (MarkDouma.com) has created a new app called Source Fingaler that works correctly with the new Steam setup. You can use it to create a symbolic link for moving your Steam game content out of the Steam Folder.
The Symbolic Link Guide has been updated and you can see it here.
You can download the Source Finagler here. (immediate download).
The Symbolic Link Guide has been updated and you can see it here.
You can download the Source Finagler here. (immediate download).
In the guide, I've also removed language that inferred that Mac Steam would run on a PPC Mac. It won't.