I am very curious as to how the Mac client has stabilized over the last few months. When the wine-based client came out, I was stuck in the state where I couldn't get the settings in to make the game playable in any configuration that I tried on my MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016). A PDF copy of the Turbine LOTRO Game Manual is included in every download (PC or Mac). The current version (Update 9) is still entitled: 'Siege of Mirkwood.' However, this 'Treasure' is 'buried' in the download! As the Mac Client is distributed as a single '.app' file, the file is 'Buried Treasure' within this single file.
| Mac Client Related Information |
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With the release of the LOTRO Mac Client (Beta Version) there are many overlapping areas of information between First time users and on-going activities. The information is split to improve readability.
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File locations:
All support files are being stored in:
- ~/Library/Application Support/com.turbine.lotroclient/
Or when using the Wine wrapper used by Steam:
- ~/Library/Application Support/com.standingstonegames.lotro/common/wineprefix/drive_c/<username>/My Documents/The Lord of the Rings Online
- lotro.keymap
- lotroclient.log
- Chat logs (Capture Chat)
- Screenshots (F11)
- Music (folder) -- ABC Music files
- Plugins (folder) -- Lua Plugins
- PluginData (folder) -- Lua Plugins Data
- ui (folder) -- Skins and Layouts
The 'UserPreferences.ini' file (as found in the Windows Client) is stored as a plist file:
- ~/Library/Preferences/com.standingstonegames.lotroclient.plist
Lotro Mac Game Client Download
And the launcher
- ~/Library/Preferences/com.turbine.lorolauncher.plist
Note that .plist files are 'binary' files which need to be read and converted into readable text. Xcode (free from the App Store for Mountain Lion users) does a fine job as do other third party text exiting programs. TextEdit cannot read or convert them. (TextWrangler - Bare Bones Software can convert them into XML form, however the resulting file contains all of the Apple plist boilerplate which tends to make the resulting file less than readable and therefore useful.)
Where are the .dat files?
Steam
- For the Steam installation of the Mac client, they are located here:
- Right click on 'The Lord of the Rings Online™.app'
- In the pop-up menu select: 'Show Package Contents'
- Select 'Contents'
- Select 'Resources'
- Right click on 'The Lord of the Rings Online™.app' (Yes this is the same name. This is the actual game-client.)
- Select 'Contents'
- Select 'Resources'
- All of the .dat files will be visible in this folder.
Happy Cloud Installation: File Locations
- NOTE: There is no longer a Happy Cloud installer available for LOTRO.
SSG
- /Users/<username>/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ -- Standard Apple location for dump files
- /Users/<username>/Library/Logs/LotroLauncher.log -- LOTRO Launcher log file (Typically contains no useful information)
- For the SSG installation of the Mac client, they are located here:
- Right click on 'The Lord of the Rings Online™.app'
- In the pop-up menu select: 'Show Package Contents'
- Select 'Contents'
- Select 'Resources'
- Right click on 'The Lord of the Rings Online™.app' (Yes this is the same name. This is the actual game-client.)
- Select 'Contents'
- Select 'Resources'
- All of the .dat files will be visible in this folder.
- Note that in both cases here, the file names are as seen from the Finder. If you use the Terminal App, the file names ARE DIFFERENT.
- See the example in Video files and transition screens below.
The Turbine LOTRO Game Manual:
A PDF copy of the Turbine LOTRO Game Manual is included in every download (PC or Mac). The current version (Update 9) is still entitled: 'Siege of Mirkwood.' However, this 'Treasure' is 'buried' in the download!
As the Mac Client is distributed as a single '.app' file, the file is 'Buried Treasure' within this single file.
To access the Game Manual via the Finder,- Navigate to where the Mac Client App is stored, typically in /Applications;
- Locate the The Lord of the Rings Release(tm).app file and right click on it.
- From the pop-up menu select, 'Show Package Contents.'
- Navigate from 'Contents' to 'Resources,' and as with the PC client choose your language: de, en or fr. (Deutsch de, Français fr or English en)
In that directory you will also find copies of the EULA and TOS documents AND the 'LOTRO Game Manual.pdf.' The EULA and TOS documents are in html format and will display in your browser if double-clicked on. NOTE: the EULA and TOS are in their respective languages, however, the Game Manual in each directory is in English.
TIP: as this is a PDF file, you can view it in either Preview or your Browser, depending on how your system is configured. Either mechanism allows you to navigate to individual pages, and to print single pages if you wish.
TIP: Because of the complexity of accessing this manual, it is recommended that you create an alias and drag that alias to your desktop rather than printing it.(Right click on the .pdf file, and select 'Make Alias' from the pop-up menu.) The PDF file is 5.7MB in size and 42 pages in length.
Log files:
- Client:~/Library/Application Suport/com.turbine.lotroclient/lotroclient.log
This file can be clicked on and read via the Console app, however it is usually only a report of events taking place AFTER login credentials have been validated. It is overwritten at each launch.
- Launcher (Patcher):~/Library/Logs/LotroLauncher.log
This file can be clicked on and read via the Console app. It is normally quite short, as it is usually only a report of password failures and its full text can be read in the Finder preview window. (It represents the initial dialog between the Launcher(Patcher) and the GLS data center.)
- Launcher (Patcher):~/Library/Logs/com.turbine.lotroclient/PatchClient.log
This file can be clicked on and read via the Console app. It is appended to at each launch or patch session.
This log is the most useful for diagnosing patching and other issues. It records activity during the patching phase of the client, both when patches actually exist as well as for each launch when LOTRO checks the files (including .dat files). If there is any issue it usually will be indicated in this log.
However, in classic Unix fashion, this file is not normally created for you. You need to create a blank file to 'initialize' it. (Note that it is also never truncated an can therefore grow infinitely.)
You can most easily create the file from the Terminal window the 'classic' Unix way :
- $ touch ~/Library/Logs/com.turbine.lotroclient/PatchClient.log
- Yes that is a tilde, shift of the key to the left of 1 on the top row.
- $ touch ~/Library/Logs/com.turbine.lotroclient/PatchClient.log
You can also create it using Text Exit or any other text editor (such as Text Wrangler or Emacs).
New Lotro Game
- Launch Text Edit;
- Create a New document making sure it is in plain text format;
- Textedit > Format menu drop down > Make Plain Text
- NOTE: You may only have 'Make Rich Text' as option if you have chosen the Preference:'New Document - Format - Use the Format menu to choose settings for an open document. -Plain text.'
- Enter nothing, just Save with the name;
- Library/Logs/com.turbine.lotroclient/PatchClient.log
- Important Note: if you are running Mountain Lion (10.8.x), your default may be to save the document to iCloud AND you may discover that you do not have Library as a visible folder (directory)! If that is the case, you may NOT be able to save the file in this manner using Text Edit. (Apple re-defined how the 'Save/Save as' options in Mountain Lion work, as well as removing Library from the normally visible list of folders.) You will need to either use the Terminal window (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal) and the 'touch' command listed above. Or use a different Text Editor which does make your Library folder visible.
- To 'truncate' this log file, you can simply erase it (Move to Trash), in which case no further logging will take place until you re-create it. Or, again in classic Unix fashion, use the Terminal and the command:
- > cat /dev/null > ~/library/logs/com.turbine.lotroclient/PatchClient.log
- To 'truncate' this log file, you can simply erase it (Move to Trash), in which case no further logging will take place until you re-create it. Or, again in classic Unix fashion, use the Terminal and the command:
Lua plugins:
For Lua plugins, I recommend using LPC - LOTRO Plugin Compendium (Mac / Linux) - http://www.lotrointerface.com/downloads/fileinfo.php?id=689This is a Java program which allows one to easily install and update Lua Plugins.You simply point it at the directory mentioned above and it will create the Plugins Folder and generate a list of available plugins for you to 'pick and choose' -- then it will track updates to your installed plugins for you. (You simply launch it, and let it do its check prior to launching the game.)
- The Plugins folder is not created for you. You need to create the 'Plugins' folder, or allow LPC to create it.
- An important Note about using LPC with the new Native Mac Client:
- Because the Native Mac Client is storing the Plugins in a place different from Windows, you need to make certain that you Configure LPC before you use it -- ESPECIALLY, if you have previously used it with a WINE based distribution. LPC will look for, and find, its old settings information, and store the Plugins in the wrong location. It is not known if Turbine will change the location for the Native Mac client to match the Windows location at this time. We have bugged it and asked them to change it... but nobody knows if they will or not.
| Lua Articles on LOTRO-Wiki |
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Music:
- Work-aounds for Play bugs: Mac Client - Music work-around
ABC Music files go here for use with /play (/playlist /playstart) commands.
- The 'Music' folder is not created for you. You need to create the 'Music' folder.
- See: www.thefatlute.com - No longer on-line
- http://www.thefatlute.eu new domain name for fatlute
- See: http://lotro.glenneroo.org/music.html
- See: http://lotromusic.mymiddleearth.com
- See: http://www.lotro-abc.com
UI Layouts:
This is the default location where the in-game command /ui stores its output./UI allows you to save and restore (across characters) the placement of UI (User Interface) elements on your screen.
- The 'ui' folder will only be created for you if you use the in-game command /ui. This will also create the folder 'layouts' within that folder.
Note that these files are plain text files in XML format. They also contain all of the aliases defined for a character.This provides a mechanism to also make your aliases common across all your characters. The files are visible to all characters on all servers when using a game-client accessed from the Mac. (I.e. they are not restricted by either account or server.)
- Note also: This command is currently (Update 9) broken in the Mac Client Beta Version, one needs to use the FULL PATH NAME for <filename>.
- For example, to save a layout to the same location as all other Mac Client support files use:
- /ui layout save '/Users/<userid>/Library/Application Support/com.turbine.lotroclient/ui/layouts/<layoutname>'
If you are doing this frequently, you can assign this command to a shortcut (i.e. create an alias). Replace <userid> and <layoutname> with your values:
- /shortcut xx /ui layout load '/Users/<userid>/Library/Application Support/com.turbine.lotroclient/ui/layouts/<layoutname>'
- where xx = the desired quickslot number (The version in the shortcut example loads the UI layout)
Skins:
Skins change the visual appearance of your User Interface. They go in a folder called 'skins' located inside the 'ui' folder.
- The 'ui' folder will only be created for you if you use the in-game command /ui (see 'Layouts' below).
- The 'skins' folder is not created for you. You need to create the 'skins' folder inside the 'ui' folder.
- See: [www.lotrointerface.com www.lotrointerface.com] for available skins
Video files and transition screens
The Video vignette files and the Transition screens are located inside the .app bundle. As most users are not expected to need to access these files, this information is primarily for debugging purposes.
You need to be familiar with the Terminal or adept at the Finder.
1- Navigate to wherever you have LOTRO.app installed (nominally in /applications) and select it.
2- In the Finder toolbar click on the 'Gear' to get the pull-down; then select 'show package contents' (You can get that same menu as a pop-up by right-clicking on the filename.) A 'new' finder window will appear to show the 'Contents;' you navigate down from there.
3- In terminal, simply keep CDing your way down:
At that point, you can simply select the file you want to trash, right click on it 'move to trash' or simply drag it 'up a level.'
Note that from the Finder, the top-level application name is different from that which is seen in Terminal.
Yes, you do wind up passing through two '.app' files and using the 'show package contents' twice.
This is because the Mac Client is actually two nested applications -- the launcher/patcher and the game-client itself.
FWIW, this is actually the same location as in the Windows version -- just with the Mac 'bundle' around it.All three languages tress are symmetrical.
How to find LOTRO files on a Mac
- As of Yosemite (OSX 10.10) and El Capitan (OSX 10.11) there is a new method for exposing the user's Library directory.
- How to Always Show the User Library Folder in OS X El Capitan & Yosemite the Easy Way - OSX Daily.
- http://osxdaily.com/2014/12/16/show-user-library-folder-os-x-yosemite/
Apple in their infinite wisdom decided back about Lion, that the User never needed to visit the Library directory (folder) and hid it from from the Finder. -- However at the same time 'The Apple Way' promulgated to Developers advocated that all application program support functions be placed in '~/Library/Application Support' -- which the user can't see! Duh!
Let me describe the two situations as relating to the LOTRO Mac Client.
1- Note also that there are TWO libraries -- /Library (slash Library), the System Library and ~/Library (tilde Library) the User's Library. Needless to say both Libraries have 'Application Support' directories.
It is easiest visit them via the Terminal window, but that requires Unix (OSX) command line expertise.
To access them via the Finder, use the 'Go' drop-down menu. Pressing the Command (alt) key while that menu is down, will add 'Library' to the list. That entry will take you directly to the User's Library.
Alternately, you can use the 'Go to Folder' option (Apple-Shift-G). This will generate a pop-up 'Go to Folder' which ill be automatically filled in with '~/Library'... the User's Library.
Once there, you are 'halfway' there... 'Application Support' will contain 'com.turbine.lotroclient' -- this is where your screenshots are stored, and where you create the 'Plugins' folder for Luas, or 'Music' folder for ABC files, etc.
Note that it is also possible to make the Library directory permanently visible again. In terminal, issue the command: chflags nohidden ~/Library
2- Again in their advocating of the 'The Apple Way' to developers, primarily so that Applications can be distributed through the 'App Store,' all Application programs are 'bundled.'
In 'Finder Preferences,' 'Advanced,' if you have 'Show all filename extensions' checked, you will see the extension '.app' at the end of each application in '/Applications.' (Note that while there are again TWO -- '/Applications' and '~/Applications.' The User's ~/Applications directory is rarely used by third-party developers.)
Once in /Applications, select 'The Lord of the Rings Online™.app' and Right-Click, select 'Show Package Contents.'You are now 'inside' the 'application bundle' of the 'Launcher' for the LOTRO Mac Client.
This top level folder 'Contents,' contains a number of other folders: 'Resources' being the one of interest.Inside the 'Resources' folder, you will find ANOTHER 'The Lord of the Rings Online™.app' -- this is the actual game client.
Another Right-click and 'Show Package Contents' and you will find another set of folder including another 'Resources.'
Inside this second 'Resources' folder you will find all of the Game's data files, and the file : 'DownloadFilesList.xml'.
Stopping the constant downloading of the Transition Screens
15.3
As of 15.3 - 30 March 2015:
- The OSX Launcher will no longer download all the splash screens every time you start it. It does make an HTTP request for each splash screen to see if you have the most recent one on disk each time.
- 20 December 2014 - NOTE: These instructions no longer work. Turbine has changed the way the screens are downloaded and as yet a way to prevent the 30 screen download has not been found.
- The Mac Client constantly downloads the 'Transition' screens every time it is launched, if they have been changed or not!
To stop that behavior and dramatically shorten launch time, follow the instructions below.
- This set of commands is for a STEAM installation. The 'standard' installation location is slightly different. (see below)
Note that this is a single line for use in the Terminal window. Each ' ' represents and 'escaped' space. There is a single space after 'Rings'.
- ls -als ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Lord of the Rings Online/LotroLauncher.app/Contents/Resources/lotroclient.app/Contents/Resources/DownloadFilesList.xml
This is a list command: which will return something like:
- 12 -rw-r--r-- 1 User staff 8703 Feb 22 13:51 /Users/User/Library/Application Support/Steam/ ...
If you get 'No such file or directory' you most likely have one of the escaped spaces wrong.
Once you have verified that you have the ls command 'spelled correctly' and gotten the list response back, change the command to:
- cd ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Lord of the Rings Online/LotroLauncher.app/Contents/Resources/lotroclient.app/Contents/Resources
This will Change your Directory to 'Resources' where a simple 'ls -l' command will return something like,
- If you examine the contents of the file: 'DownloadFilesList.xml,' you will discover that all of the file names are in 'Windows' format, with ' instead of '/' as the path separator. Consequently, the launcher cannot find them, and assumes that they must be downloaded again.
Next backup (Copy) the file: 'DownloadFilesList.xml'
- cp DownloadFilesList.xml backup.xml
Then run the following SED command:
- sed -i .bak -e's////g' DownloadFilesList.xml
Yes, this does create a backup file: DownloadFilesList.xml. -- belt and suspenders :)
- For the standard installation in /Applications, the process is identical, just the initial path is somewhat simpler.
Start off with ~/library again, but leaving out the 'Steam Parts' :
- ls -als ~/Library/Application Support/LotroLauncher.app/Contents/Resources/lotroclient.app/Contents/Resources/DownloadFilesList.xml
- cd ~/Library/Application Support/LotroLauncher.app/Contents/Resources/lotroclient.app/Contents/Resources/
and continue as above.
Misc Notes
Capturing Screen Shots on the Mac OUTSIDE of the game
This can be used to capture a particular window on your Mac.
- The resulting file will be placed on your desktop as 'Screenshot <date>
- Position the cursor over the window you wish to record. (The cursor does not appear in the screenshot.)
- Hold down the APPLE [Command] and SHIFT keys
- Press 4 to get 'Crosshairs' so you can select just the section of the screen you want in your screenshot.
- You can drag the crosshairs around the object you wish to capture.
- Note that you only get one try to select an area. As soon you release the mouse, the screenshot is taken.
Alternately:
- Press the space bar after you press 4 to automatically size the screenshot so that it matches the window the cursor is over.
- After you press the space bar, the window under the cursor window is highlighted, and a camera icon should appear.
- Click the mouse to take the screenshot.
You can also easily capture the entire screen:
Lotro Mac Game Client Downloads
- Hold down the APPLE [Command] and SHIFT keys
- Press 3 for a screen shot of the entire screen
Mac lovers cheer! Wait, do Mac users actually cheer? Is there such a thing as an ironic cheer?
While researching something or another*, I came across an interesting piece of not-really-DDO-but-possibly-related news: Turbine is releasing a native Mac OS client for Lord of the Rings Online.
* Stop snickering. Yes, I do actual research, sometimes, except when it is easier to just make stuff up.
While the release of the Mac client is news (it is happening this week), the existence of the client is not; further research (yes research) quickly finds mentions of the Mac client as far back as August.
Ah, Macintosh, once my preferred platform of choice but sadly left in my past when it was the 90’s and no one would pay me to work on it. My first reaction to this news was “wow I hope they are working on a Mac DDO too!”. But then the questions started popping into my brain:
- Does this mean it will work on Linux too?
- What about older Macs, pre-Intel chip days?
- I wonder how much code differs between the Mac and Windows versions?
- At least the graphics stuff has to be different, yes?
- There is no DirectX for Mac is there?
- How often will code changes have to be applied to both code bases, differently?
- Doesn’t this mean that testing now and forevermore will have to take place on (at least) two platforms?
- Won’t that slow down the release of new content and bugfixes, forever?
And finally,
- How much better is a native client versus Bootcamp emulation?
Shrug.
Lotro Game Store
I don’t get it. What is the strategic advantage to enjoining this much effort? For a game with a seven-year-old engine? I am all for making these games inclusive, it is part of why I recently argued for better PvP. But this does not include anyone new, it is already possible to play LotRO, and for that matter DDO, on a Mac.
Unless this is an incremental step towards porting Turbine games to run on iOS, I just don’t get it.
Maybe (probably?) there is some aspect to this that I am missing, one that will cause it all to make perfect, glorious sense. But right now this just seems like something Turbine did because they could, and I hope it is not something they are planning on bringing to DDO.
I sound all Grinch-y don’t I? Shaking my blog fist at all the whippersnapper operating systems cavorting about on my lawn. Macintosh! Get off my lawn!
But still. At the risk of sounding like just another grumpy forum user, I vote Yes on new ways to play, Yes on new content, and Yes on less bugs. I vote No on more operating systems.
🙂 😀 🙂