Launch CoH on Mac 13.3.1 won't launch

[SuperheroRobot]

The launcher use to open, I've played the game a lot. But after an OS update the launcher opens for a few seconds then closes. Any tips?

[Dr. Lepton]

I, too, have found that since I updated to Ventura 13.3.1 this past week the launcher no longer functions properly. I think we may need to revert to a previous version of Ventura, but I haven't done so yet.

[SauronDP]

M1 Macbook Air user running Ventura 13.3.1, I did a fresh install of the game on this OS version and it's running fine. Might want to check the permissions on the launcher to make sure they didn't get reset somehow during the OS update. Failing that, might want to delete all game data + launcher and reinstall from scratch.

[Dr. Lepton]

14 hours ago, SauronDP said:

M1 Macbook Air user running Ventura 13.3.1, I did a fresh install of the game on this OS version and it's running fine. Might want to check the permissions on the launcher to make sure they didn't get reset somehow during the OS update. Failing that, might want to delete all game data + launcher and reinstall from scratch.

Cool, thanks! I'm on a Macbook Pro M1. I uninstalled CoH to start fresh, but the launcher won't install. I downloaded both the launcher and Island Rum from here and neither work.  The error I get when trying to install the launcher says  " "Mac CoH Installer.pkg" can't be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software. This software needs to be updated. Contact the developer for more information."  The error I get when I try to install Island Rum is    " "Island Rum" is damaged and can't be opened. You should move it to the trash."

 

@Manga, any thoughts?

[SauronDP]

Do a ctrl-click on the installer package and choose Run on the pop-up menu. The error you're getting is standard for downloaded apps that don't have an ID registration from Apple. Opening it that way should automatically flag it as an exception in the security settings, and that should pass on to the launcher and game app. If that works for you, then you shouldn't need to install Island Rum. It's a pain that Apple makes it such a hassle to run apps that aren't downloaded through the app store, but it is what it is.

[Dr. Lepton]

Ok, that worked to bypass the Apple security settings and reinstall everything (thank you so much, by the way!), however I'm back at the original issue. Any other ideas, or should I just roll back the Ventura update to 13.3?

[SauronDP]

There's no reason it shouldn't be working on 13.3.1, unless I just happen to be very lucky. Check back in the security settings to make sure that the launcher has full access to everything. To do this, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Files and Folders, then select "Launch CoH". Make sure that the toggles are switched on for the three selections (Desktop Folder, Documents Folder, Downloads Folder). Also, do you have any firewall software installed? If so, there's a chance that could be interfering with the launcher as well.

[Dr. Lepton]

Nope, no firewall. And, Launch CoH doesn't appear to be in my Files And Folders, which might explain why it's not working?, However, it won't allow me to drag Launch CoH into it from either the Finder or the Dock. Google hasn't been a ton of help, but I read something about putting things in the Library if you would previously have moved them to the system folder. Being a relatively new Mac user I'm hesitant to do things without knowing what will happen first (irrational fear of breaking things).  Any thoughts? Your help is super (ba-dum ttssshhhh) appreciated!!!!!

[SauronDP]

Which installer did you use to install the game? I'm no expert on how CoH is currently configured to run on Mac, so my experience in installing the game on a Mac has been a one-time thing. It's odd that you don't have a "Launch CoH" icon anywhere. Did you try checking in Launchpad to see if it's there? Or do a Spotlight search for it?

[Dr. Lepton]

First, to answer your question, I'm using the "new" Homecoming launcher (from 2019 or 2020 or whenever that was). Second, it's not that I couldn't find Launch CoH anywhere, it just wasn't in Files and Folders, and I couldn't drag it into Files and Folders from Finder.  So, just for kicks, I tried opening the Launch CoH in Launchpad, and it once it "installed" it worked like a charm! Go figure. For safety I checked Files and Folders, and there it was! With all permissions granted.  Weird.

 

I don't quite understand what happened or why it works now, but it does, so...... long distance high five!!  Thanks for all your help, SauronDP!!!

[Solvernia]

On 4/21/2023 at 4:38 PM, Dr. Lepton said:

"Mac CoH Installer.pkg" can't be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software. This software needs to be updated. Contact the developer for more information." 

 

And this is why you don't buy a Mac. Never let anything or anyone else but you decide what software you're allowed to use.

[SauronDP]

It's pretty easy to bypass that message, it's not like Apple actually says you can't run that software. But they should make it a bit more straightforward to run it.

[Ago]

Especially with recent court decisions, major app developers bypassing the App Store to charge payments without Apple taking a cut, and homebrew development... Apple will be hard pressed to get their way on gatekeeping apps from MacOS/mobile OS platforms.

Back to the topic, yes, you're essentially doing TWO installs.  The first one for Island Rum and HC Launcher to get it on your Mac Hard drive and to put "Launch COH" in your Launchpad menu.  Finishing that step is equivalent to having HCSetup.exe downloaded and ready to run.  The second is running the app "Launch COH" and letting the HC Launcher finish setting up and then "install" on the Portable Wine volume to patch the game up.

 

Similar steps in Linux.  Only Linux has less of a permissions issue because all Wine prefixes are in "user space" only, so all the files are owned by your login name under the /home directory.  No permissions necessary.  Unlike Mac and Windows, Linux installs of a game for multiple users needs to be installed somewhere else like /usr to share the client with different logins, and then permissions come back into play just like it does on a Mac.  (Ignoring that, every player of CoH on the same Linux system is a 5GB penalty: every user space installation is a separate copy of HC Launcher and the game client.)

 

Regardless, the same reasoning for both: you're preparing the OS to run a Windows-based game using Wine.