OS X Mavericks & SPORE (Electronic Arts)
There seem to be two main issues with SPORE on newer machines.
First, for whatever reason, if you get glitchy (ultra-glitchy, ultra-slow, flickering weirdness) displays, launch up your Terminal and do this:
cd Library/Preferences/SPORE Preferences
pico config
and find yourself the line that says “fbobackbuffer” = “0”.
If you now go and switch it to “fbobackbuffer” = “1”, Mavericks will allow you to actually play it properly.
But the second, far more interesting issue is that of PRAM resets. As you might know, you can do a PRAM reset during the restart of your laptop or desktop, by holding down CMD-ALT-P-R. This will result in the screen going blank and the Apple chime playing full volume.
Now, I have no idea how the guy who wrote these lines came up with them, but here they are for posterity.
- Delete the whole SPORE folder form /Applications.
- Delete the Library/Preferences/SPORE Preferences -folder.
- Restart & zap the PRAM.
- Install SPORE.
- Launch SPORE.
- Click No when asked to Update.
- Quit SPORE.
- Restart & zap the PRAM.
- Launch SPORE.
- Allow SPORE to update (once).
- Quit SPORE.
- Restart & zap the PRAM.
- Launch SPORE.
- Allow SPORE to update once.
- Restart & zap the PRAM.
- Repeat the “update once, restart, zap PRAM” until all the updates have been installed.
Worked for my OS X Mavericks, and that fbobuffer thing worked for a Snow Leopard install (no PRAM resets required on an older Mac Pro). Your mileage may vary, but please do chime in if you get it to work or if you still have issues.
