AA programs for Mac

[LuckyDay]

Rather than ask a question here and there about Mac compatible software for AA games and then have someone jump into the PC vs Mac debate, here is an opportunity to place info for AA games and software that works for Macs and to help mac users with the software.

Let’s try and keep it to helpful info about what actually works for Macs, and avoid the un-needed drivel.  (yeah, if you’re thinking it, it’s probably you I’m talking to.)

[LuckyDay]

Couple of the ones I’ve seen recently:

abattlemap:
  this is a handy little program that allows you a virtual gameboard, with moveable pieces that can be used via forum or email or whatnot to display your moves per turn for your opponents.
  Unfortunetly, at this time, I have not been able to find a Mac native version.  So if you want to utilize this, you will either need a windows emulation program (ie, softwindows, parrallels, vmware, crossover, or similar) or option B is to dual boot your Mac with windows.  Either way you can run abattlemap pretty fluidly.

install directions and links can be found here:  thanks HolKann
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=12873.0

additional maps for BOTB DDAY & GDCL can be found here:
http://www.axisandallies.us/

[LuckyDay]

triplea
   -this is more than a map, but a clone of AA that contains pretty much everything you would need to play a game on your computer and even online live with others or via email.
pretty much everything is available here via their homepage.  Long live Sourceforge!
http://triplea.sourceforge.net

At this point, triplea is the ONLY one of these types of programs that I know of that is native to the mac and works online fine with other versions.  While macs can be setup to run the other programs out there through emulation or dual-boot (both something that can’t be said vice versa for the pc side), triplea is the only one that you can run natively, so the extra configuration will be needed.

[Jennifer]

Dunno if there is a “mac” usable version of Battlemap, but any computer that can run a DOS program can run Battlemap.  It’s a DOS program.  I can even open it on my Pentium 386 running MS DOS 6.22 that does not have any flavor of windows installed.

Not sure if Macs are unable to create “shells” like Novel and Windows can, but I suspect that even the MAC OS is able to run shell programs to simulate different OS environments, so it would just be a matter of getting a shell to simulate a DOS environment.

Also, have you tried Mapview?  Extremely slower program, shows much less of the game board, and I personally think it’s a POS, but some people like it because you can leave notes for your opponents.  Not sure if it will work for MAC either though, that one I am almost positive only works on Windows Machines.

[LuckyDay]

mapview-

mapview looks to be a pbem program for AA, with a number of different modules available even beyond AA.   mapview still looks to be in-development so new versions could be in the works.
   For a mac, your best bet appears to to be an emulation program like earlier ones mentioned, or a dual boot.  The powerful ability of the mac to create and run various competing models programs is again found to a wonderful thing.
   mapview can be found here:
MotCreations.com

for the linux box people–,here’s a link to the forums about using it too:
http://motcreationsgamingcommunity.yuku.com/topic/392/t/Mapview-on-a-linux-box.html

for the battlemap question, the earlier post about abattlemap answers the question about mac usability for it.  Because macs can emulate the windows or dos world, (though not vice versa from those worlds) there are two options mentioned above to get abattlemap to work on a mac.  I suppose a third is if you have access to an old paperweight pc you can run it there and transfer info to a mac to forward on, but this is really side-stepping the mac, which one would be trying to utilize.

[murraymoto]

@Cmdr:

Also, have you tried Mapview?  Extremely slower program, shows much less of the game board, and I personally think it’s a POS, but some people like it because you can leave notes for your opponents.  Not sure if it will work for MAC either though, that one I am almost positive only works on Windows Machines.

that’s great!  the point of the thread is to give helpful advise, and you point out a program that you believe is junk, smaller number of features and runs slow on a pc compared to ones that do work on a mac already pointed out…  “Hey, this is junk on my pc, maybe you should try it on your macs!”
that’s pricelessly ignorant!

[Jennifer]

@murraymoto:

@Cmdr:

Also, have you tried Mapview?  Extremely slower program, shows much less of the game board, and I personally think it’s a POS, but some people like it because you can leave notes for your opponents.  Not sure if it will work for MAC either though, that one I am almost positive only works on Windows Machines.

that’s great!  the point of the thread is to give helpful advise, and you point out a program that you believe is junk, smaller number of features and runs slow on a pc compared to ones that do work on a mac already pointed out…  “Hey, this is junk on my pc, maybe you should try it on your macs!”
that’s pricelessly ignorant!

Just because I, personally, think it is a junk program does not mean there are not many other players who prefer that program to others.

I just brought it up to make sure that all three major programs for Axis and Allies online play were mentioned.  I don’t personally like TripleA either, but that’s an interface issue more than anything else.

[murraymoto]

hey, i believe ya, i’m not in love with it either, just thought if something was referred to as a POS, that it’s probably not worth the time to mention.

me, i’m fine running battlemap on either my mac or pc.

[I like Ike]

I’m playing on tripleA, I think it’s works great and I can always get a game.