Guide to Fallout 2 on modern Machines! (Community Edition, Windows and Mac OS)

 

Fallout 2 on Modern Machines 

    And so, with Fallout on Mac OS being visited in a prior week, now is the time for the sequel, or Fallout 2.  Set 80 years after the original Fallout in 2241, Fallout 2 picks up where the direct descendant of the Vault Dweller is living in the settlement known as Arroyo, far north of where the original Vault Dweller fought the Unity, an army of Mutants created by the Forced Evolutionary Virus or FEV.  The Chosen One's settlement of Arroyo in Post-Apocalyptic Oregon is suffering from a drought and food shortages, and needs a Macguffin known as a G.E.C.K. or Garden of Eden Creation Kit, the game kicks off with the player leaving their settlement to discover a hideous plot by a new enemy, seeking to restore the Wasteland to their own utopia.  So, how to get this game working on Windows or Mac?  That's this new guide for you right here!

 

 Getting Started

     So, in order to get started, regardless of which operating system you intend to play the old Fallout 2 game on, you need two things : The Windows Installer for the Game from GOG.com , and the launcher, or Community Edition of the game from its home website.  So what are you waiting for?  Let's get cracking!  Links are below!

 

Fallout 2 Community Edition 

 

Fallout 2 on GOG.com 

 

    After proceeding with the download of both the Community Edition patch and the GOG.com version of Fallout 2, now you have a number of means to complete the installation, first on Mac OS and also on Windows.  First, we will take a look at the Windows Method.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Windows

     So, to begin with windows, you first download the GOG.com installers from GOG.com for Fallout 2.  However, for the Community Edition patch, download the windows version from the Community Edition downloads page.  If your Windows Operating System is a 64-bit operating system, download the 64-bit patch, if not, then download the patch labeled as "Fallout2-ce.windows-x86" for windows operating systems that are not 64 bit.  After downloading, extract or unzip the Fallout 2 community edition patch.  With the patch for Fallout 2 Community Edition ready, now simply perform the installation for Fallout 2 using the GOG.com installer for Windows and locate the folder for the main game files.  The guide is available below for visual reference.

 

   

     Now, that you have installed the application through GOG.com, there's only one step left to do.  You need to go and transfer the extracted file for the Community Edition patch, entitled "fallout2-ce.exe" into the Fallout 2 folder, the Fallout 2 game folder is located at : drive_c/GOG Games/Fallout 2.  For visual reference on the location or address of the folder for Fallout 2, take a look at the diagram below:

 

 

 

Address of the Fallout 2 Game Folder after the Installation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    If you installed Fallout 2 on Windows using Steam, the game will most likely work in Windows, only try the Community Edition in Steam as a last resort if the game doesn't run on the Windows version of Steam.  The game has it's own address for the game folder, the same type of Fallout 2 Community Edition launcher for your Windows Operating System works here.  The address in Steam is as follows : drive_c/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Fallout 2 

 

Drag the Windows Fallout 2 Community Edition File all the way into the Fallout 2 folder, then go into Steam to set up how to open the game. 

 

     At this point, go to the game in Steam and select "Manage" for Fallout 2 in order to select the Fallout 2 Community Edition for the Launcher.  

 

    At this point, open Fallout 2 using the launcher file you transferred to the Fallout 2 Folder, as it is now the official file for launching the game on your PC.  Open this one instead of the original "fallout2.exe" file from now on, and now you have it!  Fallout 2 running on today's Windows Operating Systems!

 

 

 Mac OS Guide

    So, now that we're on the other line of instructions, let's take a look at how do get the job done on Mac OS!  There's going to be the most straightforward and easy way to do this manually, and the more complex ways of doing this using Terminal or Crossover.  If you are using an Apple Silicon Based Mac, which includes the M1 processor and later, then the game will most likely work fine already on Steam or through the GOG.com versions on Codeweavers Crossover!  There is a slight chance they won't.  In the event that you experience the slight chance of the game not running on Apple Silicon Based Macs or Intel Macs, then these guides will most likely get the game running!

 

 

Terminal Method

    Terminal is an application that allows for the operation of Mac OS using a Command Line Interface.  Most Operating Systems today on Personal Computers use the Graphical User Interface, in which there is a visual representation of the locations of various Applications and files on the computer, in which you can click folders as displayed graphically on your monitor.  Command Line user interfaces include DOS, Darwin, and so on, in which one must type in commands manually on a screen to access various files and applications.  Terminal is an application on Mac OS which allows for you to access the Mac OS operating systems by the Command-Line method. 

    To begin, you should have installed the Mac OS version of the Fallout 2 Community Edition launchers already.  You should have also installed the Windows Installer of the game, Fallout 2, from GOG.com.  To begin, you need to open up Terminal and take care of the following commands, with visual reference.

 

First, install homebrew, if you have not already installed it, this is done in Terminal using the command, "brew install innoextract"

 

    In this case, homebrew has already been installed, so the system will look and see if updates are available, but this is the command as it should be typed out, and then Homebrew will be installed or updated on your machine.  After that, you should locate the correct file for the GOG.com installer for Fallout 2 and install it in terminal using the following command 

"innoextract ~/Downloads/setup_fallout2_2.1.0.17.exe -I app"

    Progress will be shown in text as the command is carried out.

    As a note, the file should be typed out as "setup_fallout2_2.1.0.17.exe"

 The community edition page has an error on how the setup file is written.

    Now, that the main installation is complete, go and move the extracted mac os Fallout 2 Community

Edition launcher to the Application Folder.  The file will be entitled, "Fallout 2 Community Edition" and it

will be in the .dmg or disc image.  So, click and drag the Disc Image into the Mac OS Fallout 2 Folder in

Applications. 

    At this point, you can play the game from Fallout 2 Community Edition as your new launcher, or you can  

Go and adjust the graphics settings for the game in the f2_res.ini file shown below.  This file is a simple text  

file which can be opened with TextEdit on Mac OS. Adjust the graphics to something that stays within the same

aspect ratio to avoid further issues, such as "1280 for Width and 720 for height" you can adjust it to higher 

resolutions, but be careful when doing so, going out of the same aspect ratio tends to cut off the screen.

     Now, you are set to go using the Terminal Method.  Let's see Codeweavers Crossover and The Porting Kit!

       Crossover is a great bit of Porting Software from Codeweavers, Inc.  It runs Windows Applications on Mac OS

or Linux Operating Systems by emulating a PC with a Windows Operating System within your Computer.

I have earlier guides for emulation of Consoles with the Gamecube via Dolphin or the PS2 via PCSX2

So now, to get started with Crossover, you need to go and Make sure you downloaded the 64 bit windows launcher of 

Fallout 2 Community Edition, and the Windows version from GOG.com.  Now with Apple Silicon Macs, 

Fallout 2 may run just fine, so don't run the Community Edition unless it doesn't run on your Apple Silicon

Mac, although Intel Macs definitely need this process. 

     Now start by installing Fallout 2 in Crossover using the Windows Installer from GOG.com.  Select the

option of "Unlisted Application" as the pre-listed application CrossTie doesn't work, before proceeding.

     Set up the installation as a Windows 10, 64-bit installation, then proceed.  When the Installation is 

complete, Exit the Installer.  With the installation complete, all you need to do is go and move the 

community edition launcher into the virtual folder for Fallout 2 contained in Crossover.  To do this, 

access the virtual c drive for the Fallout 2 Bottle, as shown below, then click and drag the Windows

Launcher for Fallout 2 Community Edition into the Bottle.  Similar to with Windows, the adress of the

Fallout 2 Folder is as follows : drive_c/GOG Games/Fallout 2

     Drag the windows Fallout 2 Community Edition launcher file into the Fallout 2 Folder.  Now

that you have the game installed, set the graphics in the file of f2_res.ini with Textedit.  Within the 

file, set the resolution in file to a width and height of a widescreen ratio, which your current day

Mac has in the resolution by default.  A guide of widescreen aspect ratios is available for your reference.

     Once you have set up the graphics, now is time to make sure that you have the Fallout 2 launcher

as your default executable for starting the game.  Do this through selecting "Run Command" in the Fallout 2 bottle.  Then select the executable for Fallout 2 Community Edition, to make it an icon and a startup executable in the window for the Fallout 2 Bottle, it will then become the go to launcher from the game, the default launcher will not open.  Video reference is available below.

 

Conclusion

With all of these steps completed, you should have a great time playing Classic Fallout 2 on Codeweavers Crossover! In conclusion, I would like to invite you to check out the Forums on Codeweavers. Entries for various apps have forums and Tips for getting the Applications to work! I also have additional guides on this blog, for Steam updated for Crossover 25, along with The Elder Scrolls Games of Daggerfall, Daggerfall Unity, Morrowind, and Oblivion, along with The Fallout games of Fallout, Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, and Fallout 4. There is also a guide for the Classic Game of Escape Velocity Nova or EV Nova.  If you are available to actively test and rate the compatibility of various Applications on Codeweavers Crossover, you may want to consider becoming a Bettertester!

    As a Bettertester, you regularly test Apps and can be rewarded with Bettertester Points to buy merchandise or even extended subscriptions to Crossover, saving money you would need for renewing your subscription! You can follow additional guides for getting Windows applications running on Mac OS over here on my blog : Radio Kaos. You can also follow additional instructional video guides on my YouTubePlaylist, Kaos Tutorials. Kaos Tutorials episodes are also available

on the Rumble Channel of the same name.