Hello folks! I want to share how I got MapleSaga up and running on my MacBook Pro using CrossOver Mac. Prelude You may have heard of a software called wine, which allows us to run Windows application (like MapleSaga) on top of non-Windows operating system (like macOS). It is also how MapleSaga's official macOS client is packaged. This used to worked perfectly until Apple made a huge change in macOS Catalina 10.15, which dropped support for 32-bit applications on macOS, thus rendering wine unusable. CodeWeavers is a commercial company that employs programmers and engineers who maintain wine. As a commercial company, they ship a proprietary version of wine for macOS, the CrossOver Mac. It features an ability to run 32-bit applications once again on macOS post-Catalina 10.15. (note: I'm not affiliated with CodeWeavers nor wine.) Since CrossOver Mac is a commercial software, yes, you need to pay. It comes with 14 days of free trial, so you can try it out first before making the purchase. Compatibility These are the versions that I have tested to be working: On MacBook Pro 13" Early 2015, macOS Big Sur 11.1, CrossOver Version 20.0.2 (20.0.2.33166) macOS Monterey 12.2.1, CrossOver Version 21.1 (21.1.0.33869) Installation Steps Spoiler: 1. Install CrossOver Mac Grab a copy of CrossOver Mac from its official website. You can get a free copy via their "Free Trial" link. Once downloaded, unzip the file and run it. If a dialog box pops up and prompts "Move to Applications folder in your Home folder", select "Move to Applications folder". Alternatively, if you are using Homebrew, you can download and install using the command: brew install --cask crossover Spoiler: 2. Install MapleSaga Get a copy of Windows installer for MapleSaga from the official site. Start CrossOver Mac, you should see this screen: Click on "Install a Windows Application", which lands you to this screen next: We are not going to select any applications here. On the bottom left instead, Click on "Browse All Applications". Select "Unlisted application". Click "Continue" on the bottom right. After clicking "Continue", you should now see this screen: Select "Choose Installer File...". Browse to the folder that contains the MapleSaga's Windows installer that you have downloaded and select the installer file. Once you are done, click "Continue" again on the bottom right. You should now land on the final screen, where it says "CrossOver is ready to install". But, hold. Before you proceed to installation, on the tabs at the top, Click on "Select Bottle". Select "New Windows XP Bottle...". Give it a name, like "XP - MapleSaga", or anything that you want. You should have this by now: Click "Continue". Now you are ready to install: Proceed to click on "Install". The installation will start and the classic Windows-style setup prompt will appear. Follow along the setup process: After the installation is completed, uncheck "Start MapleSaga after finishing installation": When everything completes, you should see this screen on CrossOver Mac: This means MapleSaga is now installed successfully. Spoiler: 3. Adjust post-installation settings There are a few more steps before we could launch MapleSaga. First, download ws2_32.dll and ws2help.dll. (I got these links from here) After downloaded, go back to CrossOver Mac, and click on the "wine bottles icon" on the top left: On the left sidebar, secondary click on the MapleSaga bottle, and select "Open C: Drive". In macOS Finder, navigate into the folder "windows > system32". Now copy both ws2_32.dll and ws2help.dll that you have downloaded into the system32 folder. Once that's done, back to CrossOver Mac for one last final step. On the left sidebar, select the MapleSaga bottle, then click on "Wine Configuration": Under the "Windows Version" dropdown at the bottom, select "Windows 98": After selected, click "Apply", then "OK". Now double click on MapleSaga.exe on CrossOver Mac, and you are good to go! Tips Spoiler: Prevent disconnection during raids MapleSaga game client stops responding when there are many players on the same map using skills. This isn't ideal especially during raids. The solution is to @toggleanim before the raid starts. It disables skill animations from all players apart from yours. Greatly increases client stability with zero disconnection per raid run. Spoiler: Disable 'Performance Enhanced Graphics' Disabling this option may cause certain issues, e.g. game freezing after selecting character during login. Your mileage may vary. You can reduce the game client's CPU usage by disabling "Performance Enhanced Graphics". When disabled, no check mark should appear beside the option: Reduced CPU usage means increased stability for the game client. My experience with this change is a much smoother frame rate, e.g. reduced stuttering during raids. Also, when my character stands idly in FM with approximately 10 players on the same map, with performance enhanced graphics: CPU usage 30% ~ 40% in full screen mode. CPU usage 110% ~ 130% in window mode. Without performance enhanced graphics: CPU usage 5% ~ 15% in full screen mode. CPU usage 30% ~ 50% in window mode. The fans (if they exist) in your MacBook will now thank you. The CPU usage reading was retrieved from Activity Monitor on macOS. Usage reading might differ from one MacBook to another. Spoiler: Set up for multi-client Multi-client is definitely possible with CrossOver Mac on macOS. On the left sidebar, you could see there are 3 bottles. MS1, MS2, and MS3: Each bottle is an independent installation of MapleSaga game client and we can start all these clients at the same time. Does this mean you have to install MapleSaga again for each of the bottle? No, simply duplicate an existing MapleSaga bottle. To do so, secondary click on the existing bottle and select the "Duplicate" option: Start MapleSaga game client from each of the bottle, and tada! Spoiler: Extending free trial period on CrossOver Mac If you like CrossOver Mac, consider supporting their business! If you need more time to evaluate the product, you can try extending the free trial period. Check out this guide from @smexybunny. Known Issues Hitting Cloud Fox (a monster) freezes the game client. Most Pirate's skills, when used against hittable objects (including monsters), freeze the game client: First job: Flash Fist Second job: Corkscrew Blow Third job: Energy Blast For a more comprehensive list, refer to this post by @elta09876 FAQ Is this an officially supported method to run MapleSaga on macOS? No, it is a community contribution. Does it run MapleSaga HD (1280x720) game client? No. How does it compare to running MapleSaga in a Windows virtual machine on Mac? CrossOver Mac offers a smoother gameplay and is less taxing on your Mac's hardware. It is stable for everyday gameplay, grinding, multi-client, party quests, events, boss raids, and of course, to hoe. You have to live with the known issues though. If an issue is blocking you from collecting certain in-game items, you can run a virtual machine temporarily just for collecting them. I started the game client and logged into my account successfully. But, after selecting my character, the game client froze. If you have disabled 'Performance Enhanced Graphics' according to one of the tips, enable it back. It might solve the issue. I have followed through all the steps but the game client still couldn't start (icon showing on dock / black screen on game client). Double check and perform the installation again, you might have missed out a step somewhere. Try quiting all the apps running on your Mac and then start the game client again. Try restarting your Mac. Wrapping up I hope the setup plays out well on your end. Let me know if any of the steps require more elaboration. Cheers! Changelog [01 Jan 2021] - Add version of CrossOver Mac used [14 Jan 2021] - Add tips on preventing DC, reducing CPU usage, and setting up multi-client [17 Jan 2021] - Wording: Reword tips on reducing CPU usage [24 Jan 2021] - Wording: Be more explicit on how to duplicate bottle [26 Jan 2021] - Formatting: Group section content with spoiler tag [02 Feb 2021] - Use original image for CrossOver Mac interface in section 1 [26 Feb 2021] - Insert disclaimer in disabling Performance Enhanced Graphics [28 Mar 2021] - Note down known issue on Flash Fist skill, adjust heading numbers [02 Apr 2021] - Add tips on extending free trial period on CrossOver Mac [22 Jul 2021] - Remove client performance notes under Prevent DC during raid [22 Jul 2021] - Add more known issues that cause the client to freeze [12 Mar 2022] - Rework wording and grouping, refresh screenshots, add compatibility and FAQ section [12 Mar 2022] - Note known issue on Energy Blast skill [10 May 2022] - Link to more comprehensive list of Pirate skills that freeze the game client
Thank you so much it works on my Apple M1 Silicon. Also a link for cross overcrack version: https://macdownload.org/app/crossover-19-0-0-32154-beta-1/
You're most welcome @Nina Marie ! And for us who are using this setup, feel free to post any questions / issues encountered, either during the setup process, or during in-game. I'm actively using this setup as well, so am interested to learn where it falls short (if there are any) and how could we resolve them.
Great guide! One suggestion - for "Tips: Set up for multi-client" section, it might be helpful to point out that one can create additional bottles by doing a secondary click on an existing bottle and selecting the 'Duplicate "<bottle name>"' option. Seems obvious but doesn't hurt to be more explicit. On a different note, I was not able to successfully run MapleSaga. When I open MapleSaga.exe, I just get stuck on a black screen. Anyone else have this issue and was able to find a solution?
Thank you for your note. I have rephrased them to be more explicit. Hmm I haven't encountered a case on black screen yet. When I just started trying out this setup, I wasn't setting the compatibility to Windows 98. Soon when I launched MapleSaga, no windows appeared, nor a black screen, but I could see a MapleSaga icon on the Dock.
I experienced the same issue as well. I am able to see the MapleSaga icon on the dock, but there's no windows nor a black screen appear. Need some help please.
Run through and double check the steps under Section 3, adjusting for post installation settings. If you are experiencing this same issue, one of the steps could be missed out accidentally.
thanks!! i can finally delete my bootcamp partition! btw: is there a way to run other maplestory servers this way that you're aware of? i play a few and it didn't work on one that wasnt using an installer sadly, i suspect i might have to do some work on my end to make it work. I tried with one that was already unpacked but it didnt seem to work.
I have tried the setup only with MapleSaga. For other servers, mileage will vary, perhaps some trials around different compatibility settings might help. And congrats on getting back at least 35GB on your precious storage!! I had previously setup a bootcamp as well just for Saga. That quickly depleted the storage for the MBP that I own. :')
I followed your instructions strictly and got MapleSaga running. I'm new and created my first character, but when I try to select the character, the game just freeze. The only thing I can do is force-quit. How could this happen? I also tried different VPN settings but the problem persists.
Thank you for trying out the steps @peachr . If the game could start successfully, this guide has well served its purpose. For the issue that you are facing, it could be some other issues, either game or network (VPN) related. The closest issue that I could find, which is similar to your case, is one titled "MapleSaga character select freeze, under the Technical Issues subsection in this forum. Not linking directly to that thread here, since it is a 4-years old thread, and might not be relevant anymore.
Thank you so much for this again! Here are my thoughts so far, so I’ve been using Crossover to run Saga for about a month now... 1. Quality is phenomenal (compared to when I used Bootcamp) 2. Don’t really D/C in raids 3. Can open until multiple clients without lagging 4. Plus it’s running on Catalina, so I didn’t have to downgrade my MAC OSX system A problem that I encountered recently was trying to LPQ and MCPQ. Right when I entered the PQ with my party, I would automatically D/C. I tried to enter at least 3x with my party and my game would freeze and I would have to force quit this. Currently running Bootcamp to MCPQ. Note: CPU usage reduced and GFX turned on the lowest setting, also not sure if @toggleanim would help (as suggested above) in PQ Other graphic issues would be when the game is on full screen, the screen shakes for some reason (this is with screen shake turned off in game settings) But this isn’t really a big deal since I do play in Window Mode, just something I have noticed (just in case others would like to play in full screen). I would greatly appreciate some suggestions or tips! Happy Mapling