bug found on the GOG.com version for Mac OS X

[WeMustConsentAI]

Just purchased a new MacBook from eBay (cost me $136), here are the specs...

Operating System: Mac OS X 10.14 (Mojave)
Screen Size: 13 inches, Aluminum-coated [1280 pixels wide by 800 pixels high]
Year: late 2008 (I would've been in 4th grade, so 10 years old, then.)
Hard Disk Drive Space: 160 GB
RAM: 4 GB, 1067 MHz DDR3
CPU: 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Graphics: 256 MB Video RAM, NVIDIA Geforce 9400M
Condition: Refurbished/Useable
Supported Removable Media Formats: CDs, DVDs and USB Drives

I was about to plug away with some good old Alpha Centauri too. However, that's when I discovered another bug. Every time I make a selection, my cursor disappears. If I press a unit-related hotkey however, it shows up again. On the other hand, this only works if I'm focusing on the map exclusively. The cursor will disappear again as soon as I bring up any of the menus. Therefore, I can't tell what I'm trying to select unless it's highlighted. This makes navigating the menus aggravating; forcing me to use the old way of Command+Q in order to exit the game. Trust me. There's no way that I'm actually going to start a game with this problem. I was merely trying to disable and enable the preferences the way that I liked it. It's totally impossible now (or at least close to it) for me to navigate preferences with a ton of options for them. For example, I can neither adjust the sound volumes; nor the warning preferences. However, I can goof around with other settings; though it's much harder: and I avert Windows due to the infamous Win32 protocol. Help, please?!

[bvanevery]

Are there 2 versions that you get from GOG ?  Like a standalone installer and then also a GOG Galaxy version.  I seem to remember someone having trouble installing a mod on the Mac, where they had to use one rather than the other.  Otherwise they couldn't get modded *.txt files to actually be picked up by the game.  Anyways try the other version that GOG gives you, if such exists.

[WeMustConsentAI]

Are there 2 versions that you get from GOG ?  Like a standalone installer and then also a GOG Galaxy version.  I seem to remember someone having trouble installing a mod on the Mac, where they had to use one rather than the other.  Otherwise they couldn't get modded *.txt files to actually be picked up by the game.  Anyways try the other version that GOG gives you, if such exists.

There are 2 installers for both the Windows and Mac versions. I've tried both Mac installers. I've tried moving the updated Wineskin resources for the GOG Galaxy version to the offline one. Nothing's worked. I haven't installed any mods on the Apple version (yet); but was planning to, should it solve this issue.

[bvanevery]

Do you have other stuff on this old Mac that works fine?  Have you handled the basics of updating drivers, updating firmware?  Basically I'm asking whether it's proven that this is a SMAC specific problem.

[WeMustConsentAI]

Do you have other stuff on this old Mac that works fine?  Have you handled the basics of updating drivers, updating firmware?  Basically I'm asking whether it's proven that this is a SMAC specific problem.

Update: this is truly an Alpha Centauri specific problem; no joke. I just included "DirectDraw=0" in the .ini file for the game ["Alpha Centauri" section]. Once the game registered the change, the issue subsided.

[bvanevery]

I had no idea that DirectDraw=0 would have relevance on a Mac.  Windows of course has a DirectDraw API.  If you want fullscreen resolution on modern displays, you include DirectDraw=0.  I would call that either some serious lateral thinking or tremendous luck on your part, to have tried that, and for it to have worked.