Arkanosis
Published
Crashes at startup, just after the splash screen
I've moved the movies directories, replaced the ucrtbase.dll, but it doesn't start. I assume it crashes, because a AoE2DE_s.mdmp file is generated next to the .exe everytime.
Following my previous report, I've finally managed to start and play AoE2DE.
Here's everything I've done to get it working:
- enabled Steam Play in the Linux version of Steam ;
- chosen Proton 4.11-12 as Steam Play compatibility backend ;
- installed AoE2DE in my Steam library ;
- $ mv ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/AoE2DE/resources/_common/movies ~/aoe2de__common_movies
- $ mv ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/AoE2DE/resources/en/campaign/movies ~/aoe2de_en_campaign_movies
- $ cd /tmp
- $ wget "https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/vc_redist.x64.exe"
- $ cabextract vc_redist.x64.exe
- $ cabextract a10
- $ cp ucrtbase.dll ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/813780/pfx/drive_c/windows/system32
- $ WINEPREFIX=~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/813780/pfx winetricks vcrun2017
- installed every program proposed when running the previous command
The last step (installing vcrun2017) was what was missing for me to successfuly start AoE2DE in my previous report. Before that, the game was crashing right after the splash screen.
After this, the game runs flawlessly, even in multiplayer. I get a performance score of 1282, which by looking at results available on the internet is higher than for most people on Windows, even though my GPU is not the best out there.
I'd like to thank everyone here on ProtonDB and on Proton issues at GitHub for their help: all I've done above is the result of the investigation of many others.
SKIPINTRO
New report specifically after the release of Proton 8.0:
- replacing ucrtbase.dll is still required to play online multiplayer;
- the SKIPINTRO launch option is now needed, it wasn't with Proton 7.0.
After these workarounds, the game experience is perfect.
(For more details, I keep up-to-date instructions there: https://aoe2.arkanosis.net/linux/ .)
For online multiplayer, I've replaced ucrtbase.dll with the one found in Microsoft's vcredist.
I'll keep an up-to-date list of anything one needs to know to be able to play on Linux there: https://aom.arkanosis.net/linux/ (good news is, this page is very short at the moment, and I hope that won't change).
Doesn't launch past splash screen
I'm on up-to-date Arch, and I've tried with proton 5.13-4 and 5.21-GE-1 (with all dependencies properly installed). With 5.13-4, it doesn't do anything (looking at the process in htop, it's a zombie). With 5.21-GE-1, it shows the splash screen, but it doesn't go further than that (it stays at the splash screen consuming a single CPU core at ~80%, while using around 1.5 GiB of RAM resident --- having reserved 264 GiB of virtual memory).
Black window after splash screen
Second failed attempt one month after the first one: same computer, same distro, new Linux Kernel, new proprietary Nvidia driver.
I've only tried proton 5.21-GE-1 this time, as people keep reporting they managed to play with this version, but I've removed the wine prefix's parent directory (eg. steamapps/compatdata/976310), as others have found that switching proton versions without removing the prefix doesn't work.
So, there's a small change: instead of freezing at the splash screen while consuming 80% of a single CPU core, it now opens a black window after the splash screen and keeps consuming ~25% of a single CPU core. I've waited a bit as the game is on a HDD, but seeing no I/O and no GPU activity, I've finally given up.
Not there yet!
Third month, third attempt, but this time, it works! Same computer, same distro, new Linux Kernel, new proprietary Nvidia driver, new version of the GloriousEggroll fork of Proton: this time 6.1-GE-1.
I've removed the wine prefix's parent directory (eg. steamapps/compatdata/976310), as others have found that switching Proton versions without removing the prefix doesn't work. Not sure if it is necessary, though.
I also had installed the "Steamworks Common Redistributables" tool in Steam before trying to launch the game for the first time. Again, I'm not sure if it is necessary, but the Proton-GE documentation says it is needed, so…
This time I've been able to start the game and play. So far, I've tested the training and the story modes, and it works extremely well (only ~1h of playing, and I've started the game twice, just in case --- I've seen other games randomly refusing to start but MK11 starts everytime). I've read that story mode and cinematics did not work for others (including on GloriousEggroll's release notes), but both work fine for me.
The graphics are awesome, cinematics are awesome, the music is awesome, the sound is awesome, the game is awesome. I'm a noob like in 1995, but no one cares.
I've tested a few additional things:
- playing with the keyboard is OK;
- playing with an Xbox controller is OK;
- sound with a bluetooth headset is OK (using PulseAudio + and pulseaudio-alsa --- not sure the latter is necessary).
The only thing I haven't tested yet is multiplayer (neither locally nor online), but I've high hopes now.
Works as well as native with export PROTON_USE_WINED3D=1 (without that, I only get a pink screen). Sound is crappy when the volume is set at 100 in the game, but setting it at 70 and using PulseAudio for higher volume works perfectly fine. Playing it with two players both using Xbox One S gamepads: no issue after almost one hour playing.
I'm really having fun, the game works great out of the box and as a fan of the series, I think it's the best episode since the first one.
Seems to refuse to start if I give the focus to another window (in AwesomeWM) while launching from Steam. Works all the time if I don't move my mouse while launching. I don't have this issue with other games, I don't have any issue with this game once it has finished launching.
Not an issue for a typical Windows gamer, but as an experienced Linux user, I'm surprised the game audio is not pluggable through PulseAudio (meaning I can't route the sound to my bluetooth headset, for example). I'm not sure yet if it's an issue with my configuration (it works flawlessly with Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition, among others) or with the game using ALSA directly…
