Risen Guide

Explore a volcanic Mediterranean island filled with tropical vegetation, dungeons, towns, sub-climates, catacombs and of course... deadly creatures! This is not your typical RPG. Yes you will find plenty of loot, alchemy, armor, weapons, skills & exploration but Risen is more like a simulation because of the detail put into developing your character.

Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing Risen in Linux with PlayOnLinux.

Note: This guide applies to the GOG.com version of Risen. Other versions may require additional steps.

Tips & Specs:

To learn more about PlayOnLinux and Wine configuration, see the online manual: PlayOnLinux Explained

Mint 16 64-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.2
Wine: 1.7.16

Installing Wine

Click Tools
Select "Manage Wine Versions"

Look for the Wine Version: 1.7.16
Note: Try using stable Wine 1.8 and 1.8-staging

Select it
Click the arrow pointing to the right

Click Next

Downloading Wine

Extracting

Downloading Gecko

Installed

Wine 1.7.16 is installed and you can close this window

PlayOnLinux Setup

Launch PlayOnLinux
Click Install

Click "Install a non-listed program"

Click Next

Select: Install a program in a new virtual drive
Click Next

Name your virtual drive: risen
Click Next

Check all three options:

• Use another version of Wine
• Configure Wine
• Install some libraries

Click Next

Select Wine 1.6.2
Click Next

Note: If you are running a 64-bit system, PlayOnLinux will prompt if you want to use a 64-bit or 32-bit virtual drive. Always select 32-bit virtual drive.

Wine Configuration

Applications Tab
Windows Version: Windows 7
Click Apply

Graphics Tab
Check "Automatically capture the mouse in full-screen windows
Check "Emulate a virtual desktop
Desktop size: 1024x768
Click OK

Installing Packages (Components, Libraries)

Check all of the following Packages:

• POL_Install_corefonts
• POL_Install_d3dx9
• POL_Install_gdiplus
• POL_Install_physx
• POL_Install_vcrun6

Note: All Packages will automatically download and install

Click Next

Installing Risen

Click "Select another file" or click Browse
Click Next

Navigate to your Risen GOG.com download
Select setup_risen_2.0.0.6.exe
Click Open

Click Next

Click Options

Uncheck "Create desktop icons"
Check "Yes, I have read and accept EULA"
Click Install

Installing

Error "Unable to execute file: sdbinst.exe"
Click OK

Physix Installer
Check "I accept the license agreement"
Click Next

Aborting installation (because we already installed Physx)
Click "Cancel"

Click "Exit Setup"

Interruption
Click OK

Risen was installed successfully
Do not click "Launch Game"
Click Exit

PlayOnLinux Shortcut

Select: Risen.exe
Click Next

Click Next

Select: I don't want to make another shortcut
Click Next

Configure PlayOnLinux

Back to PlayOnLinux
Click Configure

General Tab
Wine version: 1.7.16
Click the + to download other versions of Wine
Click the down-arrow to select other versions of Wine

Display Tab
Direct Draw Renderer: opengl
Video memory size: The amount of memory your video card uses
Offscreen rendering mode: fbo

Close Configure

Launching Risen

Select Risen
Click Run

Fullscreen Setup

Click Settings
Resolution: Match the height and width to your Linux desktop
Click Apply

Performance Settings:
Adjust texture, shadows, effects, range of sight, depth of field and shader quality to get a decent frame rate.

Rule of Thumb:
High settings = more detail, lower frame rates
Low settings = less detail, higher frame rates

Conclusion:
Risen runs really well on my GeForce 550 Ti with only small frame stutters at initial load or when entering a new area. Wine 1.7.16 fixed the "no spaces" problem in the dialog.

There is also a small mouse gliche where every once-in-a-while your character can't turn all the way around. Not sure why because Wine has fixed these types of window bugs 100 years ago, but all you have to do it right-click really fast and your characte will continue turning.

This is the first time I have really given Risen a chance and absolutely love it! So much detail in quests, conversations and learning. Its a pretty hard game, but beautiful visuals and a LOT of character development.

Screenshots:

 

This is a pretty good game, made by the same devs who made Gothic 1-3 (not the expansion for G3), and the overall store progression and setting is certainly very reminiscent of Gothic 2.

 

I originally played the Demo and LOVED IT! But the cost was never low enough for me to pick it up. Now I'm playing through and am having a lot of fun. I never knew character development was so involved. It easily rivals development in Morrowind. Step by step earning every experience point. Pretty stinking cool.

I'm planning on playing the entire game in PlayOnLinux. I will report any bugs here as well.

I have Gothic 3 on GOG.com and played it for a while too, but after playing Morrowind, Oblivion and Two Worlds, I was not very impressed. It was fun, but glitchy. I eventually found that enemies get stuck on certain landscapes, so I would just stand there with a bow and kill them off.

 

Gothic 3 is definitely not quite the same as the others in the series, G2 is still the best. However, I do love the fact that you can take on an entire city in G3, and the landscapes were very interesting to explore.

 

Yeah, how fun is it when you attack one guard and next thing you know the entire garrison is at your doorstep?

 

I'm totally getting this game next. Reduced on GOG to $9.99 now

 

Yeah, I couldn't resist with the $3.99 price tag at initial GOG launch.
I'm still playing it and plan to finish the whole game.