Tutorial Mac (Catalina) Support

[shinra...]

oop no nevermind I got it. So would this same process work with other RPGM games?

 

[Rain01]

oop no nevermind I got it. So would this same process work with other RPGM games?

Most RPGM games, yeah. Other solutions are if you enter the folders and go to MacOS you can see if it's a file that'll open in your terminal or a text file (terminal = computer screen, text = white square). NWJS works on most that have a text file there, but in my experience there are a couple that you'll want the terminal there to work for. If it's the terminal type file then you can double click it to open the game in terminal which can fix the problem. I usually take this route with Nano Control and a couple other generally Western games.

 

[Ungaa]

I've worked out a MKDIR error /save/ read only solution if people needed: now in the OP.
Also update for RPGM MZ

 

[Obito-chwuanchan]

I'm using the latest one so 1.6.2. .

If you're using the rpgm file from: https://f95zone.to/threads/rpg-maker-mv-engine-all-versions.32358/ you don't need to put any commands in terminal. (Only need to do this if it says game can't be opened). I'm using the unarchiver to open the zip:

You must be registered to see the links

Usually that error means not all the appropriate files are in the directory in the game. When you are duplicating the www folder and changing it to app.nw -> are you then merging it with the app.nw folder in the rpgmaker engine game directory or just copying it in? - should be merging

Then you get out -> move the game to the applications folder and start it up from there until you can save -> save -> close the game -> delete it to the bin then move it back to the folder of your choice.

I've just re-tested this with karryn 0.5g its working on my side. Let me know if its still not working?
I can't make a video but I've screen capped what I do if it makes it more helpful:
After this I just drag to app folder and it works.

*also my mac is Catalina 10.15.4

works like a charm thank yoiu

 

[Dharak]

Hi, can you help to get swf game to be playable on mac?

 

[mrlie]

Hi, can you help to get swf game to be playable on mac?

You must be registered to see the links

should work

 

[Majere40]

Hi, I'm trying to follow your method in order to play Karryn's Prison, but the RPG Maker doesn't seem to have an app.nw folder to replace. What am I doing wrong?

 

[dikau]

Hi, I'm trying to follow your method in order to play Karryn's Prison, but the RPG Maker doesn't seem to have an app.nw folder to replace. What am I doing wrong?

From your screenshot, I'm assuming you download from the NWJS website?

You just need to download and extract the Windows version of the game you want to play, copy the www folder from that Windows source to that folder on your second screenshot and rename it to app.nw
so www -> app.nw

 

[Majere40]

From your screenshot, I'm assuming you download from the NWJS website?

You just need to download and extract the Windows version of the game you want to play, copy the www folder from that Windows source to that folder on your second screenshot and rename it to app.nw
so www -> app.nw

It works! Thanks, mate.

 

[SaintLaurent233]

hey guys so im playing the new demon deals update where there is a Mac version(RPGM) and when i try to open the game it just give me no screen at all. The app icon is open at the bar below and i can freely click around the mac but no screen at all. Ive tried all variants with the chmod and the right click method but that doesnt work as well. This issue has been active since version 0.4 i could play 0.3 without any issues so i would hope any of you could give me any help

 

[dikau]

hey guys so im playing the new demon deals update where there is a Mac version(RPGM) and when i try to open the game it just give me no screen at all. The app icon is open at the bar below and i can freely click around the mac but no screen at all. Ive tried all variants with the chmod and the right click method but that doesnt work as well. This issue has been active since version 0.4 i could play 0.3 without any issues so i would hope any of you could give me any help

Tried downloading the game from the thread, its f-up... all permission and symlinks on the chromium frameworks are borked!

So, anyway, if you still have the working v0.3, duplicate it, and move the "app.nw" folder from the v0.4 to that duplicated v0.3.
If you don't have that v0.3 anymore, there's a way to fix that 0.4, but I recommends you just to

You must be registered to see the links

and also move the "app.nw" from the 0.4 to that newly downloaded nwjs.

btw, to find "app.nw" folder: Right-click the game/nwjs app on Finder and choose "Show Package Contents" and navigate to "Contents" > "Resources" folders.

 

[robertweed]

Hi the games are working fine for me,except it doesn'e let me save

 

[dikau]

Hi the games are working fine for me,except it doesn'e let me save

It's probably your system Gate keeper. Try removing the quarantine for that game app:
Open Terminal app and type this: "xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine " (without quotes, and there's a space at the end), and drag the game app to that Terminal and press enter.
After that, run the game and try saving again.

 

[guts28]

Hi I keep getting the read only file system error on the game even though I've tried everything ("xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine", and also the method from OP). The game is Milfs Villa in case it helps.
I had to do all the steps in OP just to even get the game working so it just may not be compatible at all.

 

[dikau]

Hi I keep getting the read only file system error on the game even though I've tried everything ("xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine", and also the method from OP). The game is Milfs Villa in case it helps.
I had to do all the steps in OP just to even get the game working so it just may not be compatible at all. View attachment 2272409

Edit the rpg_managers.js file inside js folder with your favorite text editor.

Find these lines of code:

StorageManager.localFileDirectoryPath = function() {
    var path = window.location.pathname.replace(/(\/www|)\/[^\/]*$/, '/save/');
    if (path.match(/^\/([A-Z]\:)/)) {
        path = path.slice(1);
    }
    return decodeURIComponent(path);
};

Change it to this:

StorageManager.localFileDirectoryPath = function() {
    var path = require('path');
    var base = path.dirname(process.mainModule.filename);
    return path.join(base, 'save/');
};

 

[guts28]

Edit the rpg_managers.js file inside js folder with your favorite text editor.

Find these lines of code:

StorageManager.localFileDirectoryPath = function() {
    var path = window.location.pathname.replace(/(\/www|)\/[^\/]*$/, '/save/');
    if (path.match(/^\/([A-Z]\:)/)) {
        path = path.slice(1);
    }
    return decodeURIComponent(path);
};

Change it to this:

StorageManager.localFileDirectoryPath = function() {
    var path = require('path');
    var base = path.dirname(process.mainModule.filename);
    return path.join(base, 'save/');
};

Yup that worked, thanks!

 

[KOlikop]

MacOS (+ Catalina Help)

I thought I'd be a little helpful to our fellow mac users (particularly to fellow mac users who have upgraded to catalina or later whom no longer get wine support).

This will be a long post on getting games to work (from a non-IT guy)

====What doesn't work====

Can filter your search on Latest updates to take out:
ADRIFT
JAVA
QSP
RAGS
Tads
Unreal Engine
WebGL
Wolf RPG

(or just tick the remaining ones): I will discuss the playable engines

------------------------------------------------------------

====HTML5 Games====

Not a fan of them but all of them are suppose to work on Mac -> just open the html file and you're good. (its also the reason other languages have been dropped from support. I've been told its a cleaner language, but seems to mean less dirty games...)

------------------------------------------------------------

====RENPY GAMES====

All renpy games are generally playable on a mac (usually can also just download the PC version).
2 scenarios:
First scenario: Most games will just download with the single app (with the snake lady icon). Just click and play

Second scenario: When you download the game and it comes in a renpy folder: (usually with the mac app and the windows app all in the same folder)
- the error you'll find is that you click mac app -> it may display as opening but then nothing happens

The are 3 ways around this issue:
1. Play the game through terminal: Open terminal -> drag the game.sh file into terminal and press enter: game will play

2. Play the game through the Renpy launcher:
Make a folder called "Projects folder" and drag your renpy game's folder into it
Download the latest version of renpy (free online) -> Open the Renpy Launcher -> click on preferences (its just below the launch project button) -> change projects directory to the "Projects folder" -> return -> refresh your projects -> game should appear -> Launch project and you should be able to play the game

3. If you can do method number 2. There is a way of just making a mac app from the PC folder. (this is convenient for games that update their mac version slower)
Open the renpy launcher and highlight the game you want to convert. Then click build distributions (should be under the actions tab). Go to Build packages and only have the macintosh option selected then click build. It will make you a zip file that contains a single mac app.
Sometimes the issue is in the version of renpy you're running. Usually fixed by making your renpy up to date.

If your game "can't be opened" and its a single app: solution same as UNITY solution below.

----------------------------------------------------------------

====UNITY Games====
(no general rule for this: it just depends whether the game designer made a mac version)

For mac compatible games usually only one error issue that arises:
- the error message is usually: File cannot be opened

There are 2 fixes for this issue:
1. Right click -> show package contents -> Contents -> MacOs. In this folder you should see a file with the name of game (Usually will display in doc format).
You need to make this file an executable file: you can do this by opening terminal. Type the function
chmod +x Filepathofthefileinthemacosfolder
press enter then it will change to a unix executable -> go back to game base and press play: should start working. (easiest way to put in the File path of the file in the macos folder is to just drag and drop the file it into terminal)

2. If you can re-download the game or you still have the zip file: use unarchiver to unzip the compressed file instead of archive utility (archive utility tends to disable the executable files when unzipping meaning you have to do the above steps again.

Just note: some games in the category "other" are actually unity games but I haven't found a good way to filter a way through.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

====Flash games====
(Some unfortunately won't continue to work as flash no longer supported)

2 attempted work arounds I have found:
1. First is fixing the the game.app -> same issue highlighted in the UNITY section: need to make the core an executable file.

2. Second would be trying to find the SWF alternative. (if your download comes in SWF: then the most reliable way to play it would be downloading the mac version of the flash player projector by adobe here:

You must be registered to see the links

and opening the swf file through there.
- If your download does not come in swf format there is a firefox method if the game is available to be played online:

- Use a firefox browser to play the online flash game: Right click the background -> view page info -> media. Then find the SWF file and save it. Should be able to play it now offline with the SWF file.
(Sometimes the entire game data is not just in the SWF file: basically you'll have to: download all the required game data/images/supporting swfs; re-structure a folder network for the game with each data file into their respective folders for the SWF to load all the data correctly into the game).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

=====RPGM Games====

It's almost a 50/50 whether you can play these games. Purely based on whether or not they were made through RPGM MV or not. (unfortunately there is no filter to tell you which one has or which one has not: Generally speaking: Almost all RPGM games with an android port are made on RPGM MV - so you can filter "mobile game" tag but this will miss most J RPGM games whom don't tend to make android ports).

Now for RPGM MV games there are 2 scenarios:
1. There is a mac version
2. There is not

For the mac version: You may encounter an error like with the renpy games where it says file can't be opened.
- The issue once again is that many of the internal files have not been made executable in the unpackaging process.

There are 2 methods to fix this
1. Just reopen the zip file with unarchiver instead of archive utility. (Saves you so much time instead of going through internally)
2. If you really want to chmod +x everything (there would surely be better way if I knew how to actually use terminal)
Files to chmod +x
- Contents -> MacOS -> nwjs
- Contents -> Versions -> Folder -> "show package contents"nwjs helper -> contents -> macos -> nwjs helper
- Contents -> Versions -> Folder -> nwjs Framework.framework -> nwjs framework
- Contents -> Versions -> Folder -> nwjs Framework.framework -> crashpad handler
- Contents -> Versions -> Folder -> nwjs Framework.framework -> "show package contents"appmode loader -> contents -> macos -> app_mode_loader

If that is not enough: you can chmod +x the files in versions folder with the same names (but through anecdotal trial and error it appears only need to chmod +x the ones above for most games)

For the second scenario where there is not a mac version:
Only way to find out if it is rpgm mv or not is by downloading (I'll write a list below from the first 3 pages of rpgm latest and most viewed which have worked for me)

The way to recognise if it is an RPGM MV game is that it will contain a "www" folder. If it does not: it is made by a different RPGMaker that is not compatible with MacOs so just delete the file and put an ignore to the game's thread.

If your game has a www folder -> it is made by RPGM MV so we can move to the next step:

Now there has been a good method written by Garnet X (Btw thanks Garnet X -> helped a computer illiterate like me get things working)
https://f95zone.to/threads/ways-to-run-rpgm-games-on-mac.6056/

However I will re-word this more to focus around catalina.
What you will need to do first is to download RPGM_Maker version 1.6.2 (this is the one that is catalina compatible) (Credit to pk2000)
https://f95zone.to/threads/rpg-maker-mv-engine-all-versions.32358/

Once downloaded: make sure you keep the zip file (Very important)
Unpackage the disk image with unarchiver and you will get a folder with: credits.html and game.
Rename this folder of the title of the game you are going to convert.

Right click game and show package contents:
Then Contents -> Resources.
In this folder you will see an app.nw folder.

Now open a new finder window and go to the PC version of the RPGM game you downloaded -> Duplicate the www folder and rename your duplicate: app.nw
Hold option and drag this newly named app.nw folder to your resources folder (from above) and drop. The option should come up asking what to do -> click merge.

Now your game is a copy of the RPGM game (except can by played on mac) so go back to the titled game folder and you can open the game now. Sometimes there are saving issues which are usually fixed by dragging your new game into the applications folder and opening it from there. Save at the first point you can -> close the game -> then you can move it elswhere outside your applications folder by holding command when you drag and drop.

Another common error is that your www may have already included a package.json. The package.json that comes from your rpgm mv zip file should work fine but if you've replaced it with the one from the pc version of the game:
Open package.json in a text editor and edit these lines:
"main": "www/index.html", to "main": "index.html",
"icon": "www/icon/icon.png" to "icon": "icon/icon.png"

Credit to Garnet X again for this last point

Now once you've gotten use to making RPGM MV. You can try porting the game over to RPGM MZ which for the most part will run smoother due to a more updated nwjs. You can download the latest normal mac version here

You must be registered to see the links

Unfortunately the file doesn't already have an app.nw location for you: but the folder is meant to go into Contents/Resources. If you have a game already working on RPGM MV -> you can just copy the app.nw folder across. And now you have an RPGM MZ game. Just keep in mind: if try to directly move the app.nw from a pc version straight into thee RPGM MZ folder: you need to ensure the package.json and index.html are in the app.nw correctly (with the proper text in package.json mentioned above)

==MKDIR Error /save/ read only==

I'm no IT guy so I don't know the specific programming. But from what I understand: The /save/ talked about in this error is a core directory for your computer which is read only. So the solution I worked out was to make your RPGM game similar to the others without the MKDIR error.
The code for where the game decides save files are stored is in app.nw/js/rpg_managers.js
You will need a code program -> I use CotEditor.
Whats worked for me is:
1. Open the rpg_managers.js in the game with the MKDIR error and find the section titled StorageManager (This is the section of code determining where the save files will go)
2. Now open the rpg_manager.js in a game where the saves are working fine and find the same section.
3. Replace the section titled StorageManager section in the rpg_managers.js of the game with the MKDIR error with the one StorageManager section of the working one.
Save and close and you should be good to go.

Stay safe

ps. if people have other RPGM games they have managed to get working: please list them below.
It looks like hopefully a platform tag is in the works: https://f95zone.to/threads/planned-tags.51333/
Unfortunately: Does not appear to have an RPGM specific tag (to find MV or MZ). No update on this on the V4.0 alpha so far

Edit on 10/07/2021
- Cleaner RPGM MV/MZ porting explanation
- Fix for MKDIR error /save/ being read-only issue.
- Removed game recommended list

Dude you helped me out when i thought everything was loss. You are solid <removed>, have a wonderful life!!

 

[legallemons]

Hi, I'm trying to play Detective Girl of the Steam City, but nwjs isn't letting me save. I can play the game, but everytime I go into save option... it just doesn't work, this same issue is happening with Karryn's prison. so far I've tried something that worked with another game, lethargic angel, and put the name of the folder in the Json file, it didn't work. I've also tried editing the storage manager in the JS folder but the edits were already there?

I don't know what to do please help
I'm using mac sonoma
(edit: I should note that the first screenshot I show is saying that there's a save file somewhere in app.nw, there is none, it's displaying a phantom folder)

 

[Rain01]

Hi, I'm trying to play Detective Girl of the Steam City, but nwjs isn't letting me save. I can play the game, but everytime I go into save option... it just doesn't work, this same issue is happening with Karryn's prison. so far I've tried something that worked with another game, lethargic angel, and put the name of the folder in the Json file, it didn't work. I've also tried editing the storage manager in the JS folder but the edits were already there?

I don't know what to do please help
I'm using mac sonoma
(edit: I should note that the first screenshot I show is saying that there's a save file somewhere in app.nw, there is none, it's displaying a phantom folder)

The issue there is it can't access saving. Generally most Mac rpgm games I have to go to the resources folder -> mac and open it by the executable file there that opens in terminal. The original post also recommends something that generally works with going to terminal and typing: chmod +(drag and drop the game's folder here to automatically add the filepath).

I haven't had luck with windows games though since iirc with version 12 they stopped Wine from working which was my go-to and I didn't feel like paying for something like Parallels and most prior alternative methods became unusable with the new M2 chip.

 

[juicy-kisses]

Thank you so much for this!

I'm far from tech-savvy so this is infinitely helpful.