RichardHallas: I don't in any way want to sound ungrateful, as I'm always pleased when a game on GOG is made available for Mac, or updated and improved.
However, in this case I just can't see why a Wine version of Fallout is an improvement on the previous Boxer-based release. In general, Boxer-based versions are actually preferable because the Boxer interface is so polished and excellent, whereas Wine is fairly rough-and-ready. OK, if the Wine version really does run appreciably better on old Macs, or bring other advantages such as higher screen resolutions, then those are reasons to have it.
But my Mac dates from 2008, so it's hardly a very recent model, and I can see no difference in performance between the new Wine version and the old Boxer version. The differences I *do* notice, however, are:
1. The new Wine version insists on running full-screen by default, and there's no straightforward way of toggling between full-screen and windowed play.
2. Like all Wine games, it's slightly flakey in terms of returning to the desktop when you've finished, and it may also require a bit of user-level tweaking (as noted in earlier comments).
3. The previous Boxer-based version has a *much* nicer user interface and – of particular importance – supports the full-screen toggle control of OS X Lion and later, so you can easily move between full-screen and windowed play at any time. This feature alone makes it by far the better version of the two (and is something I personally consider quite important).
In other words, the new Wine release is, for me, a significant backwards step. Luckily I've kept the download of the previous Boxer version, so I can continue to use that, but that doesn't help people who haven't. I'd strongly suggest that GOG should keep the Boxer-based copy available and allow people to choose which version is best for them. For most users I'd suggest that the best version is the one that's just been deleted, unfortunately.
My other comment on this topic is: why waste time degrading a Mac release that's already been done very satisfactorily, when there are loads more games that need the Mac treatment?
For example, the entire Heroes of Might and Magic series – the best games ever written! – have STILL not been given Mac versions. These games are why I joined GOG in the first place. Heroes I and II could easily be given stand-alone Boxer-based Mac releases. Heroes III and later need Wine-based Mac versions. I do wish GOG would get on with these, rather than doing things like making Mac Fallout worse than it was before.
(Yes, I can create my own Mac Heroes installations, and have done so. But that doesn't alter my basic point that there's really no reason why GOG has not yet dealt with these unutterably superb games. They ought to have been priorities, not games to be left languishing unconverted.)
Again, sorry to be negative, because basically I love what GOG is doing.
1. Toggling between full screen and windowed is important for me too.
2. Bring on the Heroes of Might and Magic series!
3. I do not plan to update this. I like my Boxer version.
4. I basically love what GOG is doing.
