Messages

Nipples: I just signed up for the beta access, so not sure what that entails but if they listen to feedback then I will provide it.  I also will be running on a MAC the entire time so I can help trouble shoot for people who have mac and want to play the beta. 

-Adventurer 007

If this hasn't been talked about yet.  I was looking at the help screens on the demo and would recommend using highlighting/color to help parts of the text stand out that are important.  If used well it can allow the text on the help screens to be easier to read.

I have attached 2 pictures that illustrate this.



-Adventurer 007

I can only imagine the havoc spell checkers have.

If you are in a British English speaking country and spell check the grammar and spelling of course its colour.  And even worse if you are a technical person needing to rely on the spell check to improve the grammar it then just works against you.

What a world.  Perhaps technology only makes us stupid faster.



Adventurer 007
-it gets even better as my MAC speaks American english and tries to auto correct for me   "color"

[DEMO read me (Information about the demo):]

I recommend a sticky with a link to demo.  If I were trying to promote a new game I would ensure that there were links to media about it in many places.  I had to dig to realize that there was a demo. This forum could benefit from having a sticky post on installation.

DEMO read me (Information about the demo):
( https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2112639455/mages-initiation-a-classic-sierra-style-adventure/posts/428693 )

PC install instructions:
For anyone who hasn't played the demo for Mages Initiation it can be downloaded here:
( http://www.himalayastudios.com/downloads/Mages_Initiation_Demo.exe )

MAC install instructions:
I have successfully run the demo on a 2011 MAC book pro with Mavericks using WineSkin.  The following instructions will step you through the 3 phases required to get the demo and later releases running on your mac.

Phase I: Installing the program WineSkin on the MAC

• Download Winetricks by clicking on the link for Wineskin Winery 1.7 (click me to download) on the main website: (http://wineskin.urgesoftware.com/tiki-index.php?page=Downloads)
• The Source Forge website should load up and the file should automatically download.
• Unzip the Wineskin Winery.app Version 1.7.zip file that was downloaded from Source Forge.
• Run Wineskin Winery.app to create a new project shell for Mages Initiiation demo.
• The Wineskin Winery window will load up.  The wine engine and wineskin wrapper components need to be downloaded next.
• Click the + to add the wine engine to wineskin. (Find the + symbol on the window under the Installed Engines area.)
• WS0Wine1.7.31 is the version that I have installed, when this is visible in the drop down dialogue click "Download and Install".
• If a download dialogue pops up click ok to download the component.
• You should now have WS9Wine1.7.31 installed in Wineskin and be back on the first window.
• Under Wrapper Version, No wrapper installed there should be a "Update" button.
• Click the Update button
• I have Wineskin-2.6.0 installed, click ok if a download dialogue pops up
• You should now have Wineskin-2.6.0 installed in Wineskin and be back on the first window.
• Now we create the new project app by clicking on "Create New Blank Wrapper".
• The create a wrapper window should open up and allow you to enter in a name for the new app.
• I named mine Mages Initiation Demo.
• Click ok. A installing process dialogue should appear.
• Wineskin asks me if I want to allow network connections.  Since I will not be playing over the internet I chose no.
• There may be other questions asked, saying yes to the components will probably be ok.
• When the Wrapper Creation Finished dialogue appears click "View wrapper in Finder".
• This should show the Mages Initiation Demo.app file in finder so we can move onto installing mages initiation demo on the mac
• As we are now down with phase I, you can close wineskin winery we will be working with Mages Initiation Demo.app from here forward (command-Q)

You should now have a file /Users/<your user folder>/Applications/Wineskin/Mages Initiation Demo.app on you mac.

Phase II: Installing the .EXE pc demo into the Mages Initiation Demo.app project wrapper

• Download the PC executable for the demo here: ( http://www.himalayastudios.com/downloads/Mages_Initiation_Demo.exe )
• Right click on the Mages Initiation Demo.app and choose "Show Package Contents".
• Run the Wineskin.app program you see there.
• Click on "Install Software". This installation process will be similar to installing the demo on Windows 7.
• Click "Choose Setup Executable" and choose the Mages_Initiation_Demo.exe file you just downloaded.
• A busy dialogue should appear and then the windows installer should kick in.
• Click "Next >" on the windows installer.
• Click "Next >" to accept the terms and conditions
• Click "Next >" to install the demo to C:\Program Files\Himalaya Studios\Mage's Initiation Demo. This installs the game to the Mages Initiation Demo.app folder structure.
• Click "Next >" to create a Himalaya Studios\Mage's Initiation Demo shortcut.
• Click "Next >" to skip creating a desktop icon as there is no desktop in wineskin.
• Click Install to install the demo.
• An installation progress dialogue should appear.
• Uncheck "Launch Mage's Initiation demo" and click "Finish". We will no be running the demo just yet.
• Click ok to save the applications executable location. /Program Files/Himalaya Studios/Mage's Initiation Demo/Mages Demo.exe

At this point you should have a file called Mages Initiation Demo.app with the demo installed to it.

Phase III: Configuration and tweaking of wineskin to ensure that the demo runs well

• If you closed out of wineskin when you finished up phase II just reopen it so we can tweak the system.
• /REPEAT/ Right click on the Mages Initiation Demo.app and choose "Show Package Contents".
• /REPEAT/ Run the Wineskin.app program you see there.
• Click Advanced. We will now be tweaking the wineskin environment to ensure drivers are available for the demo.
• Click the "Tools" tab. The configuration is a utility called winetricks.
• Click "Winetricks" under Utilities column.
• Under DLL check d3dx9_43.
• Under Settings check macdriver=mac.
• Click run.
• Allow the file to download (may take a little while)
• We will now run the windows config file just as if we were in windows and setup the program.
• Under the "Configuration" tab settings to the far right of "Windows EXE:" click the "Browse" button.
• Browse to /Program Files/Himalaya Studios/Mage's Initiation Demo/winsetup.exe and click "Choose" to select the windows configuration program.
• Click "Test Run" on the lower right to run the executable.
• The windows configuration tool should now be loaded and you can change any settings needed to ensure the demo runs.
• Here are the settings that worked for me.
• - Checked "Run in a window instead of full-screen"
• - Graphics Driver: DirectDraw 5
• - Graphics Filter: 2x nearest-neighbour filter giving a resolution of 1280x960
• - ADVANCED MENU>> - Maximum size: 100mb. I have 1GB of graphics so I just max this out.
• When you are ready with the settings you feel comfortable with click "Save and Run".
• At this point it should either give you an error message or the game should play.
• If the game runs as expected click on the red (x) to close the game window.  If it does not there will be a configuration combination between winetricks and winsetup.exe that will run.  Most of the error messages at this point will be misleading as it is the connection program (winetricks) that is not working your MAC and the pc demo are fine.
• /DEMO WORKING/ Click Save if you haven't already on the windows configuration.
• Click "View" to view the wineskin log files as they can help with debugging a problem with the configuration or cancel to ignore them.
• Click "Browse" again to set the default executable to be the mages demo file instead of the configuration file it is set to now.
• Browse to /Program Files/Himalaya Studios/Mage's Initiation Demo/Mages Demo.exe and click "Choose".
• Click "Test Run" again to validate that the demo will run. If it doesn't go back and run the windows configuration file to ensure you settings were saved.
• Quit Wineskin. (command-Q)

At this point you should have a playable demo in a MAC .app file that you can run any time you like. This same process should work for other windows games and the mages initiation beta.

Join the BETA!
Although the kick starter is over you can still get in on the beta at the $70 contribute level here:

• Pay: ( http://www.himalayastudios.com/games/mages/#pay-pal )
• If your using mobile Pay: ( http://www.himalayastudios.com/games/mages/paypal_m.html )

There should be no reason why a person with a MAC cannot also play the BETA using Wineskin.  Try these instructions on it as well.  If I can find a good file share to upload the .app to I can upload this for people who want to play a demo on the mac.


- Adventurer 007