Note: READ THE EDIT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST
So I've been looking around and I cant find any threads with clear instructions on how to play DarthMod on the Mac, so I'll make a basic set of instructions.
BTW, anything about making a blank text file called 'empire.exe' and editing preferences.empire_script is garbage.
1. Download Wine and Winebottler from here. These are necessary to run .exe files such as the installers and launcher. Well actually it's just wine that does that, but more on that later..
2. So you've downloaded those two^. Now just download DarthMod v8.0 and the 8.0.1 patch. Dunno why I'm even pointing this out tbh
3. Open the 8.0 platinum .exe and select 'run in..' This should open an install wizard. First you should back up your vanilla ETW game. I just copy-pasted it within my applications and named the new one 'DarthMod Empire' When selecting the directory to install into on the wizard, select mycomputer>z>applications>DarthMod Empire.app>contents>resources>Data. 'Data' contains a folder called called 'data' with a lowercase 'd'. This is the file that the installer will do most of the work on. Do the same for the patch.
4. Once everything is installed nice and comfy, open the launcher called DME_platinum.exe with wine located in Data>data>DME. Select 'run in' once again. Select your preferred settings on the launcher and click start. Press 'ok' for all the 'file not found' messages. Wait for the launcher to finish moving the relevant .pack files from Data>data>DME>packs to Data>data. I do know that if the correct startpos file for the DME early campaign is in data>campaign>main then the British and French start off with territories in mainland India.
5. You may close the launcher and select 'DME ready' once it has finished moving the DME files, but NOT ALL OF THEM. Some that aren't used in your current settings chosen in the launcher will remain in Data>data>DME>packs. Open DarthMod Empire.app and go to the advanced options page in the launcher. If the launcher doesn't show up when opening the app, try again but hold down cmd while it's opening. Type in 'mod DME_darthmod.pack; mod BSM_ON.pack;....' etc for every .pack file in the data folder. (Take note that that you may have BSM_OFF.pack or BSM_Light.pack instead depending on what setting you chose for the blood/smoke option). It is essential you do this for every .pack file.
EDIT: Some users may have to use quotation marks around each pack in the AO, perhaps it's if you have the steam version?
6. Click play.
KNOWN BUGS:The main menu screen doesn't have the DarthMod background video. I think this is because the DarthMod splash isn't a .mov file, which it probably needs to be for mac.
PS As I am a noob at modding (only having joined this forum about a month ago), I probably won't have answers to most of people's questions.. But I'll try my best xo
EDIT: To fix the unit card bug, add DME_AUM.pack and DME_UnitsPack.pack. I don't know what it does exactly, but i reccomend adding DME_SkinPack.pack, as it may have custom skins for units, such as proper redcoat uniform for british line infantry. You should also add DME_Navy.pack for the navy's less cartoonish unit cards. But the the absolute NECESSITY is to add DME_Custom.pack.
DME_Custom.pack puts into action the new load screens (contained in DME_boot.pack), the new nation flags e.g. Prussia, and the new campaign map's map (on the bottom right). It probably does more tbh.