Space Trader is a simple trading/action first person shooter where you travel from planet to planet trading goods and hunting down criminals. Interact with NCP's and discover which goods will provide the most profit accept missions to take out criminals. Every opportunity will increase your persons value and profit.
Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing Space Trader in Linux with PlayOnLinux.
Note: This guide applies to the Steam version of Space Trader. Other versions may require additional steps.
Tips & Specs:
Try SteamPlay before using this guide as Valve now uses a fork of Wine called Proton and should run most Windows games.
To learn more about PlayOnLinux and Wine configuration, see the online manual: PlayOnLinux Explained
Mint 17 64-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.8
Wine: 1.7.49-staging
Wine Installation
Note: Wine versions older than 2.0.2 and 2.12-staging no longer work with Steam.
Click Tools
Select "Manage Wine Versions"
Look for the Wine Version: 1.7.49-staging
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 1.7.49-staging is installed and you can close this window
Downloading Steam
Go To: http://www.steampowered.com
Click Install Steam
Do not click "Install Steam Now"
It will automatically install Linux Steam
Select Windows Steam instead
click "Windows" under the green button
Navigate to your desktop
Click Save
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: spacetrader
No spaces
Click Next
Select all three options:
- Use another version of Wine
- Configure Wine
- Install some libraries
Select Wine 1.7.49-staging
Click Next
Select "32 bits windows installation"
Click Next
Configure Wine
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
PlayOnLinux Packages (Libraries, Components, DLL's)
Check the following libraries:
- POL_Install_corefonts
- POL_Install_d3dx9
- POL_Install_tahoma
Note: All packages will automatically download and install
Installing Steam
Click Browse
Navigate to your desktop
Select: SteamSetup.exe
Click Open
Click Next
Click Next
Check: I accept the license...
Click Next
Click Next
Click Next
Click Install
Click Finish
Updating Steam
Steam will not have any fonts due to dwrite functionality
Click the "X" to close Steam login
PlayOnLinux Shortcut
Select Steam.exe
Click Next
Name your shortcut: Space Trader
Click Next
Select "I don't want to make another shortcut"
Click Next
PlayOnLinux Configure
Back to PlayOnLinux
Click Configure
General Tab
Arguments: -no-dwrite
This fixes the missing font problem
Note: Click the + to download other versions of Wine. Click the down-arrow to select other versions of wine
Display Tab
Video Memory Size: Select the size of Memory your video card/chip uses
Close Configure
Launching Steam
Select Space Trader
Click Run
Note: Click debug to see errors and bugs
Click "Login to existing account"
Login
Find Space Trader: Merchant Marine
Click Install
Click Next
Make sure Shortuct options are both unchecked
Click Next
Wait for Space Trader to download
Click Finish
Click Play
Optimization
Click Settings
Click Video
Adjust:
- Resolution
- Fullscreen
- Brightness
- Vertical Sync
- Screen Size
- Texture Smoothing
- Screen Bloom
Space Trader is an older title from 2005 and should be able to run on any computer or laptop.
Non Steam Shortcut
If you want to skip Steam and launch Space Trader alone
Back to PlayOnLinux
Select Space Trader
Click Configure
General Tab
Select "Space Trader" shorcut with Steam icon
Click Remove
Click "Make a new shortcut from this virtual drive"
Select "SpaceTrader.exe"
Click Next
Name your shortcut: Space Trader
Click "I don't want to make another shortcut"
Click Next
Select Space Trader
Click Run
Conclusion:
Since Space Trader: Merchant Marine is an older title, it ran perfectly without any problems on my GeForce 550 Ti. I was even able to run it independent from Steam because it was originally a Desura DRM Free title. So it does not require Steam to be running in order to play.
Gameplay Video:
Screens:
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