Solution for "Version mismatch" error for Mac users playing with PC users

[n0_spam]

"Version mismatch" error is caused by a newer version of game, introduced in November 2019. This update was only to Mac users, and now they can't play with their PC friends. The solution to the problem is to install previous version of ALL the packages (including DLCs). This post describes how to do this.

But first, some introduction:

A) This is based on the information about how to roll over older versions of a steam game, taken from here:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1086279994

B) This is not going to work with 64 bit Mac OS, just 32 bits.

C) After downgrading you won’t be able to play with other Mac users, unless they also downgrade their game.

D) Here I assume you have all DLCs, and you need to replace all of them.


Now, lets continue with explanation on how to install downgraded version.

1. Type in your web browser
   
   steam://open/console
   
   and click on “Open link” to open console in your steam app
   
   
2. Copy-paste from here to the console the following commands to download previous version of the packages:
   
   
   download_depot 8930 34481 5711972141799136814
   
   download_depot 8930 34482 293951968877529027
   
   download_depot 8930 34483 3910588445040143320
   
   download_depot 8930 34484 9131316072741390333
   
   download_depot 8930 34485 1865183405869601470
   
   download_depot 8930 34486 6971270737631976614
   
   download_depot 8930 34487 4966216658623765073
   
   
   download_depot 8930 34490 606994205662565075
   
   download_depot 8930 34491 2047815699880579752
   
   download_depot 8930 34492 3311842813097187638
   
   download_depot 8930 34493 1148476131207894920
   
   
   download_depot 8930 34494 893561351379836699
   
   download_depot 8930 34495 576095814009008786
   
   download_depot 8930 34496 4022289502817061773
   
   download_depot 8930 34497 8892530755683233694
   
   download_depot 8930 34498 2865804471296023531
   
   
   download_depot 8930 102000 1870263936259062326
   
   download_depot 8930 102001 9221941862915432283
   
   download_depot 8930 102002 965961373928029358
   
   download_depot 8930 102003 4151764525658255518
   
   
   download_depot 8930 210450 6264361000315827028
   
   download_depot 8930 210451 2973148354856561592
   
   download_depot 8930 235582 1533069807487939850
   
   download_depot 8930 235583 7031001621577176910
   
   download_depot 8930 235587 6614670000834743471
   
   
   download_depot 8930 235588 2007573375151766257
   
   download_depot 8930 266721 929701703085505943
   
   
   This might take a while (an hour or so, depending on internet speed) to download all the packages. You can check if the downloading still going on by clicking on “Downloads” button on the bottom of the console window
   
   
3. Now you need to locate your Civ5 folder, as well as the folder where downloaded packages went to. In normal installation the game is siting here:
   
   ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Sid Meier's Civilization V
   
   and downloads are here:
   
   ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/Steam.AppBundle/Steam/Contents/MacOS/steamapps/content/app_8930
   
   but this might vary. (Here ~/ stands for home folder, like /Users/$MyUserName)
   
   
4. Now you need to copy downloaded packages to the civ5 folder. The trick is to make it correctly, keeping all package connections together. I used rsync command with X11 terminal (you can use other terminal, if you prefer)
   
   But first you need to exit civ5 and steam
   
   So, I typed:
   
   
   rsync -av ~/Library/Application\ Support/Steam/Steam.AppBundle/Steam/Contents/MacOS/steamapps/content/app_8930/dep*/Civilization\ V.app/* ~/Library/Application\ Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Sid\ Meier\'s\ Civilization\ V/Civilization\ V.app/
   
   
   
5. Just in case, to avoid new updates, you should modify appmaifest file for Civ5. In my case the file sits in
   
   ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/appmanifest_8930.acf
   
   You need to open this file in an editor and change "StateFlags" parameter to “4”.
   
   
6. Thats it! Try to run the game and enjoy playing with your PC user friends.

If you have difficulties, I can try to help you figure out the problem.

Good luck!


P.S. Fixed rsync command in step 4.

[Stefan]

Very nice, this is good enough for creating a guide with screenshots.

If you don't want to downgrade to Mojave or install Windows on your Mac, our Civ5 Mac community is open: https://s.team/chat/NqirgebG

[donald23]

Are you activate the legacy beta... then you don't have to go through some hacky process to get the n-1 version.

[Stefan]

Donald, the legacy beta doesn't work for Mac players. I never heard of a Mac player who got that working.

[donald23]

Huh, never realized/known that. The steam client for Mac doesn't use beta's?
Or does the legacy beta not contain the Mac depot (entirely possible of course).

I learn something everyday.

[Stefan]

We still get a version mismatch even with the beta activated.

[donald23]

Originally posted by Wizz_Bane:

We still get a version mismatch even with the beta activated.

You need the beta on Mac not on Windows (and this thread tells us you cannot use beta's on a Mac).
So leave the beta advice and try the thing from the OP.

Or, of course, let people know how to activate the legacy beta on Mac.
Most importantly, after activating it, please post the version number here, so we can compare it to a Windows version.

[Stefan]

Several of us activated the beta version on Mac and none made it work. Aspyr support on Discord tried it too, the only solution that was found is the one posted by n0_spam.

[Bureaucrat]

Hey, everything in this solution worked for me except for download_depot 8930 34494 893561351379836699. It said "missing license for depots 94494" and it fails the download. Any way to fix this or am I completely screwed?

When I open up the game, at the bottom of the main menu it says "1.0.3.279 (180925)". I think I bought all the DLC, as I very frequently used to play all dlc games and have played every civ.

[n0_spam]

Originally posted by Hemmingstedt:

Hey, everything in this solution worked for me except for download_depot 8930 34494 893561351379836699. It said "missing license for depots 94494" and it fails the download. Any way to fix this or am I completely screwed?

When I open up the game, at the bottom of the main menu it says "1.0.3.279 (180925)". I think I bought all the DLC, as I very frequently used to play all dlc games and have played every civ.

Hey, I just tried again myself, and I'm also getting the same error, which I think I missed before. The game is running without any problems though. Can you also run the game and play with PC users?

From what I found here , this package (Civ V Digital Deluxe Content) was available only for people who purchased special early edition of the game, and it had additional music, videos, etc. I don't think absence of this package should affect the game.

[Uvi]

For step 4, I was having some issues running the Terminal command to merge the downloaded files with the main Civ 5 package. Kept coming up with error messages saying the files were not found (despite verifying the file paths for both the destination and the downloaded files) After a bit of trial and error, I found that I could just merge the individual Contents from each depot folder with the main civ 5 package.

It was tedious as hell doing it one at a time, but hey, it worked.

Thank you so much for the guide and the list of depots.

[Bureaucrat]

It wasn't working so I tried deleting all the depots, and reinstalling all the files and moving them into the civ folder again. Sadly when I reopen steam and reopen civ I am still playing on the mac version and entering mac games. https://i.imgur.com/lNwRWfh.png

[n0_spam]

Originally posted by Hemmingstedt:

It wasn't working so I tried deleting all the depots, and reinstalling all the files and moving them into the civ folder again. Sadly when I reopen steam and reopen civ I am still playing on the mac version and entering mac games. https://i.imgur.com/lNwRWfh.png

Hi, the content of depot folders should be inside the "Civilization V" folder. The rsync command I wrote in the post is supposed to do that. In your case, if depot folders are already there, you can run something like

rsync -av depot*/ Civlization\ V

from the folder you show on the picture.

Or you can copy contents of all the depot folders inside Civilization V folder any other way you want.

[Bureaucrat]

Alright, I deleted it all and did everything again, made sure the files all downloaded, steam was closed, etc, then I imputed the command:

rsync -av ~/Library/Application\ Support/Steam/Steam.AppBundle/Steam/Contents/MacOS/steamapps/content/app_8930/* ~/Library/Application\ Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Sid\ Meier\'s\ Civilization\ V/ Civilization\ V

It ran on terminal, but there are no depot folders within the "Civilization V" folder, but I think that is because the content is being put in? Sorry, I'm no programmer. Anyways, I reopened the game and I still get the version "1.0.3.279 (180925)" under the main menu. My P.C. friend just has "1.0.3.279", so there must still be some error.

Thanks a lot for the help thus far!

[VVizard]

Where should I copy all the depot folders? The folder you are refering to didn't have them originally. It contained only Civilization V.app file. So your command just added all the depot* folders there, but the game is loading in the same version.

[Runkies]

i had to manually merge all my depots, rsync just kept either adding it to the wrong folder or still being the new version when it was finished :(

but it goes now just tedious