mac or pc?

Here:
http://uberent.com/launcher/padownloads

Thanks, downloading now .. hopefully it's better then the steam version. I will report back. (I couldn't quote you because it has a URL and I guess new users can't do that ?

I seriously not sure if it's will be better or not, but worth to try.

Yes, stupid anti-spam, but nobody to fix it.

So, sadly the downloaded version is not an improvement. I looked at the FPS show in control-p and it's actually worse then I thought. It's 4FPS.

No matter what I do I can't get it to go full screen. Not sure if that would make it playable or not.

tl;dr Macs don't need OpenGL 2.1 compatibility. The very few number of models between 5 and 7 years old that are incapable of supporting OpenGL 3.3 are the most underpowered models of that era; the very bottom of the Mac line. That hardware is likely incapable of even loading the game. Nobody should reasonably expect to play PA with those machines.



Please don't blame Mac users (or machines) for OpenGL 2.1 backwards compatibility. If Win and/or Linux need 2.1 for their reasons, that's fine, but Macs are clear in this one. Macs don't need it.

I thought that notion of Macs and OpenGl 2.1 was debunked on a thread late last year. If I recall though, the evidence presented was of a more anecdotal nature. But this feels important enough for me to pursue. I've cross-referenced Apple's OpenGL compatibility matrix with Wikipedia's Mac model specifications tables to produce a list of the oldest Mac model in each line that supports OpenGL 3.3.

Why did I pick 3.3?
I'm going to make the easy assumption that the initial Uber decision to support OpenGL 2.1 was made prior to the public announcement by Apple (June 2013) that OS 10.9 would be made available at zero cost to all Macs that support it. This was a game-changing announcement in many ways; the relevance to this discussion being that it suddenly (unexpectedly) would no longer represent a financial outlay/decision/burden for any potential PA customer with a modern Mac to acquire the latest OS to benefit from the more recent OpenGL support involved. That comes free now, just by virtue of owning a modern Mac.

So what's a modern Mac?
[eliminated long and boring reasoning] Machines that can support 10.9
*note: 10.8.x and 10.9 compatibility lists are identical. If anyone wants to make the case that the list of machines stuck at 10.7.5 should still be in play, take a look at those machines. Please. I'm totally serious, please do. Those machines orphaned at 10.7 are older and less capable than every single system mentioned further down. yikes.
This (not coincidentally) is exactly the same list of machines that support OpenGL 3.3 (Core) and above. It actually became clear after the cross-referencing I did, that this is almost certainly how apple decided on their hardware compatibility list for OS 10.8/10.9. Video card support was the cutoff criteria. Correlations with any other hardware component don't line up neatly at all; correlations by video card line up perfectly.

IMO, OpenGL 2.1 support is totally unnecessary in the world of Mac hardware for any ongoing development effort. Before the "10.9 Mavericks is free" announcement, I can agree that it may have been a slightly tougher call, but conditions change. Apple has given their latest OS with all of its graphics and API support for free to all their users running back 5-7 years (depending on the line), and that means developers should feel confident in targeting those new APIs and included versions.
Note that there's no need now to target OpenGL 3.2 (from OS X 10.8), as 3.3 support is offered free to all those same machines. I suppose OpenGL 3.2 is an alternative 'safe minimum' in case anyone asserts that users who choose not to update from 10.8.5 to 10.9 should also be supported. Those folks are crazypants, though. =) From a support perspective, there is enough precedent in the industry on this topic for any developer (including Uber) to reasonably assert that customers are expected to update their OS to the latest supported and freely available version, to run their software. I don't consider that stance to be user-unfriendly, but in case anyone does, simply substitute 3.2 for 3.3 wherever I've typed it.


Here are the oldest OpenGL 3.3 supported machines from each Mac line. To find a Mac that doesn't support OpenGL 3.3, you have to go even farther back than these:

Macbook: Early 2009 model with Nvidia GeForce 9400M. Supports OpenGL 3.3
*note this model is over 5 years old

MacBook Pro: Mid 2007 model with Geforce 8600M. Supports OpenGL 3.3

iMac: Mid 2007 model with Radeon HD 2400 XT. Supports OpenGL 3.3
*note this has 128 MB vram - PA would be terrible on this, but it supports 3.3 in case anyone feels overly compelled to try it

Mac Mini: Early 2009 with NvidiaGeForce 9400M. Supports OpenGL 3.3
*note, the mac mini was not updated for 19 months prior! Folks who purchased the prior model during 2008 knew when they were buying it, that it was an outdated machine. The mini was feared as possibly abandoned by apple at the time. Take a look at that predecessor machine and shed a few tears for anyone desperate enough to try to run PA on it.

Mac Pro: Early 2008 with ATIRadeonHD 2600 XT (and other optional cards). All cards support OpenGL 3.3


The only Macs stuck at 2.1 are so old as to be incapable of running PA anyway. We're talking machines 5-7 years old, mostly with integrated graphics and in some cases with shared memory (remember those days?!). Apple recently surprised those of us with more recent Macs that are likely capable of running PA though, and giving 10.9 away for free means OpenGL 3.3 should be the new baseline. The new floor. Maybe not for some categories of software, but for a medium-to-high performance intensive game? absolutely. The list of machines that can't support 3.3 is just too old already. And the arrow of time moves in one direction only.

Thanks to anyone who read through that. And if you're an Uber Dev, double thanks.

sources: Wikipedia for Mac model specifics, Apple for OpenGL/video card support matrix
https://developer.apple.com/graphicsimaging/opengl/capabilities/index.html
(you can toggle Legacy vs Core, and OS version at the top of the table)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacBook
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacBook_Pro
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_(Intel-based)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Mini
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Pro

Im not picking on anyone here but, im pc all the way.

Macs are way to over priced and i still dont like the fact that "you can only do what apple wants you to do with there stuff.

As far as macs being virus free, i havent had a virus in 7 years of building windows pc's. Just my opinion nothing more.

mac or pc has nothing to do with software.

Interesting. And what advantages should this version offer against the Steam version?

So, as usually I do when things are not entirely clear to me, I'm downloading it. Of course.

The non-steam version has better performance.

I'm have very limited feedback on Mac version, so I can't be 100% sure that it's affected at all.

Usually Steam overlay create some overhead, but it's really different depends on drivers.
In Windows version Steam also add some CPU overhead so even if overlay disabled game still working different.

And only now you all tell me?!

All right, I'll run the clean version, then. Thanks all!

ps. If you would like me to make some test or benchmark, feel free to ask.

lol

There's frequent threads talking about it.

In fact, one was posted just yesterday.

It's even covered in the stickied performance thread in the bugs subforum and is linked to in the FAQ.

When Uber/Valve investigate performance drop with Steam version I'm asked players who agree to make simple test. Here is how-to for that.

First prepare benchmark planet:

1. Set all settings to High.
   On Mac some options like HDR not work so keep it in mind. If resolution scaling work on Mac you can push it too, but make sure all textures loading fine with such settings.
2. Make some extra large experimental planet in system editor.
   Your goal it's to make planet that drop your FPS below 30.
   Earth or Lava biomes are heavier to it's better to choose them.
3. Now when you sure FPS low enough save your system and exit game.

Here is methodology of testing:

1. Run game, in menu enable FPS monitor.
2. Load benchmark system.
3. Now press "Preview All" button and wait.
4. When planet generation finished check FPS first time and save result e.g "After gen: 15-17FPS".
   
5. Now click on planet and press "Edit planet" button so camera move to planet surface.
   Check FPS again and save it.
6. Now place your cursor not on planet and use mouse wheel to zoom to planet surface.
   If you place cursor on planet it's most likely displace camera view.
   When zoom is maximal check FPS again.

So for each test you need check FPS 3 times. You can as well make some screenshot each time you check FPS to be sure position of camera was exactly the same.

Now tests:

1. Steam version with overlay enabled.
2. Steam version with overlay disabled.
   
3. Non-Steam version.

All testing will take just something like 10-15 minutes.