STALKER: Clear Sky Guide

Discussion in 'Guides' started by booman, Dec 19, 2014.

  • by booman, Dec 19, 2014 at 12:35 PM
  • booman

    booman Grand High Exalted Mystic Emperor of Linux Gaming Staff Member

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    One year before S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, the Zone has opened up due to massive emissions. Explore Red Forest, Limansk, Pripyat and more as another STALKER who finds himself trapped in an adventure of survival. Team up with NCP's, kill mutated minions and factions, explore the Zone, loot and complete quests.

    clearsky81.png

    clearsky87.png

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

    Note: This guide applies to the GOG version of STALKER Clear Sky. Other versions may require additional steps.

    Tips & Specs:

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

    Mint 17 64-bit
    PlayOnLinux: 4.2.5
    Wine: 1.6.2

    Wine Installation

    Click Tools
    Select "Manage Wine Versions"
    wine01.png

    Look for the Wine Version: 1.6.2
    Note: Try using stable Wine 1.8 and 1.8-staging

    Select it
    Click the arrow pointing to the right
    wine02.png

    Click Next

    Downloading Wine
    wine04.png

    Extracting

    Downloading Gecko
    wine05.png

    Installed
    wine06.png

    Wine 1.6.2 is installed and you can close this window

    PlayOnLinux Setup

    Launch PlayOnLinux
    Click Install
    clearsky01.png

    Click "Install a non-listed program"
    clearsky02.png

    Click Next

    Select "Install a program in a new virtual drive"
    Click Next
    clearsky04.png

    Name your virtual drive: stalkercs
    Click Next
    clearsky05.png

    Check all three options:
    • Use another version of Wine
    • configure Wine
    • Install some libraries

    Click Next
    clearsky06.png

    Select Wine 1.6.2
    Click Next
    clearsky07.png

    Select "32 bits windows installation"
    Click Next
    clearsky09.png

    Wine Configuration

    Applications Tab
    Windows version: Windows 7
    Click Apply
    clearsky10.png

    Graphics Tab
    Check "automatically capture the mouse in full-screen windows"
    Check "Emulate a virtual desktop"
    Desktop size: 1024x768
    Click OK
    clearsky11.png

    PlayOnLinx Components (Packages, Libraries, DLL's)

    Check the following:
    • POL_Install_corefonts
    • POL_Install_d3dx9
    • POL_Install_gdiplus
    • POL_Install_tahoma

    Click Next
    clearsky12.png

    Note: All components will automatically download and install

    Installing STALKER Clear Sky

    Click Browse
    clearsky14.png

    Select "setup_stalker_cs_2.0.0.8.exe"
    Click Open
    clearsky15.png

    Click Next again...

    Check "Yes, I have read and accept EULA"
    Click Options
    Uncheck "Create desktop icons"
    Click Install
    clearsky17.png

    When installation is successfully
    Click Exit
    clearsky19.png

    PlayOnLinux Shortcut

    Select "Settings.exe"
    Click Next
    clearsky20.png

    Name your shortcut: S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Clear Sky
    Click Next
    clearsky21.png

    Click Next again

    PlayOnLinux Configure

    Back to PlayOnLinux
    Select S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Clear sky
    Click Configure
    clearsky23.png

    General Tab
    Wine Version: 1.6.2
    clearsky24.png

    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 amount of memory your video card/chip uses
    clearsky25.png

    Close Configure

    Launching S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Clear Sky

    Back to PlayOnLinux
    Select S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Clear Sky
    Click Run
    clearsky26.png

    Enter a new User name
    Select Language
    Click "Save and Launch"
    clearsky27.png

    Optimization

    Click Options
    clearsky28.png

    Select a Quality preset
    Select a resolution that matches your Linux desktop
    Click "Use"
    clearsky29.png

    Click Advanced for access to more Video settings
    • Adjust all of the following:
    • Vision distance
    • Object detail
    • Texture detail
    • Anisotropic filtering
    • Grass detail
    • Sun shadow
    • Lighting distance
    • Shadow Quality
    • Detail textures
    • Detail bump
    • Steep parallax
    • Sun rays
    • SSAO
    • Soft water
    • Soft particles
    • Depth of field
    • Volumetric light
    • Wet surfaces
    • Volumetric smoke
    • Vertical sync
    Frequency 60Hz
    clearsky30.png


    Note: Leave DX10.1 unchecked because Wine is not fully compatible with direct x 10 yet.

    Rule of Thumb:
    High settings = More detail, lower frame rates
    Low settings = Less detail, higher frame rates

    Conclusion:
    There are a lot of video settings in Stalker, as you can see. I suggest experiementing with the presets first, then manually increase the advanced settings if the game is running smoothly. I was able to crank almost everything to High with my GeForce 550 ti. Clear Sky ran very smooth without any crashing or stutter. Even when I saw the "loading icon" at the bottom of the screen, there was no frame stuttering.

    Gameplay video:


    Screenshots:
    clearsky82.png

    clearsky83.png

    clearsky84.png

    clearsky87.png

    clearsky89.png

    clearsky97.png

    clearsky103.png

    clearsky88.png
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2016
    booman, Dec 19, 2014
    #1
    notsure likes this.
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Comments

Discussion in 'Guides' started by booman, Dec 19, 2014.

  1. allenskd
    Nice to see you got a breakthrough with the launching problems :)
    allenskd, Dec 19, 2014
    #2
  2. booman
    actually GOG provided a launcher. If you try to create a shortcut to the xengine.exe it will crash every time.
    booman, Dec 19, 2014
    #3
  3. booman
    Ooh, I'll have to try a 60fps recording as well. I'm not sure if my CPU can handle it.
    booman, Dec 20, 2014
    #4
  4. booman
    Ah, I am really seeing the benefits, specially when you do a lot of gameplay videos.
    I wonder if a second Nvidia card could act as a NVENC?
    booman, Dec 22, 2014
    #5
  5. mrdeathjr28
    I dont know (SLI dont think works on linux for now)

    In your case maybe is better sell your GTX 550Ti and buy 750Ti or GTX 760 if your budget allow it

    In my case with previous hard drive (2TB 5900rpm) capture at 3500kbps (for more accurate fps machine performance) and now with new hard drive (2TB 7200rpm) up to 4500kbps

    :)
    mrdeathjr28, Dec 22, 2014
    #6
  6. booman
    I have no idea either. I do have a computer at home with two GeForce 9800 GS's
    But never investigated SLI in Linux. I've read comments about it not working so well, but never tried.
    I prefer to keep my system fairly simple. Window$ handles SLI just fine, but not all games will. Morrowind for example will only utilize one video card even if the drivers support SLI.
    booman, Dec 22, 2014
    #7
  7. Kowalsky
    For me it work fine with wine 1.7.8 on mint 17 via steam,just remember to disabled overley
    Kowalsky, Jan 3, 2015
    #8
  8. booman
    Awesome! I have a feeling it Clear Sky will work with any wine version newer than 1.6.2. I only test with it because its "stable"
    Once Stable 1.8 comes out I'll test with it.
    booman, Jan 3, 2015
    #9
  9. infinity8x3
    Thank you, I was able to get my GOG version of clear sky to install with this guide. I was not able to install my GOG version of COP. I wonder why there are no official installers for GOG stalker games.
    infinity8x3, Mar 17, 2016
    #10
  10. booman
    Do you mean PlayOnLinux installers?
    You should be able to install Call of Pripyat with these same steps. Also try using Wine 1.8-staging or Wine 1.8

    Where did the installer get hung up?
    booman, Mar 17, 2016
    #11
  11. infinity8x3
    Yeah I'm new to playonlinux and wine, So by official i mean playonlinux installers that are inside the program. There is a lot of other GOG installers.

    The installer hangs when a gray blank window pops up with "ok" "cancel" "abort" "restart or retry" its cut off.
    infinity8x3, Mar 17, 2016
    #12
  12. booman
    No problem, I can still help you...
    Are you doing a "manual installation" just like the guide above?
    You may want to download the GOG installer for COP again. Maybe it was corrupted during the download?
    booman, Mar 18, 2016
    #13
  13. infinity8x3
    Hi, This may be long winded, but here goes. I have the game installed on a windows partition it runs just fine in windows. But I want to go full linux asap and games is the ONLY thing holding me back. And stalker is one of the bests, especially CoP. I manually install CoP with the GOG installer like in this guide. About 90% through the install a gray box with the above description pops up and is unresponsive.

    I can only cancel the install at that point but the virtual drive is created now if I run the installer again in the same drive and select overwrite the game installs. I use the same shortcut like in this CS guide.

    Once I launch the game an error comes up and says "fsgame.ltx" has duplicate entries" I have maunally fixed them and i have copied over a known working copy of fsgame.ltx from my windows install. They both worked. And the game launches.

    But. If I change the dynamic lighting from any thing but static after relaunch I get a xray engine crash every time I try to start the game. I can't remember the exact details of the crash off the top of my head right now. But I'm sure I will reproduce the error again and update.
    infinity8x3, Mar 19, 2016
    #14
  14. booman
    I know the feeling... I have 6 computers in a gaming LAN at home and still run windows on them. There are a few games that won't run so great in PlayOnLinux/Wine and are holding me back. Not to mention drivers as well.
    When playing games by myself I only use Linux these days.

    Where exactly is the 90% spot when the installer crashes? You mean the GOG installer correct? I've seen this happen many times with GOG games and PlayOnLinux/Wine.
    Did you install the packaged gdiplus?
    That might fix it...

    Did you re download the installer?
    I noticed some of GOG's older installers have some crashing issues.

    I've seen many GOG games error at the end and it doesn't affect the installation at all... like this:
    risentwo17.png

    If your installer is extra stubborn Start over with a clean virtual drive like this:
    1. Launch PlayOnLinux
    2. Click Configure
    3. Click New (bottom left)
    4. Follow instructions for a new virtual drive
    5. Remember to select 32-bit virtual drive
    6. Wine 1.8
    7. Components Tab
    8. Install d3dx9, corefonts, gdiplus, tahoma
    9. Wine Tab
    10. Configure Wine
    11. Set virtual desktop
    12. Copy GOG installer to new virtual drive
    13. Paste in drive_c or Program Files
    14. General Tab
    15. Create shortcut to GOG installer
    16. Name it: CoP Installer
    17. Select new shortcut (left side)
    18. Arguments: -nogui
    19. Close Configure
    20. Run Cop Installer
    This time it should install without using the GOG graphical user interface. It might install completely without any errors.
    Then you can go back to General Tab and create a new shortcut to the CoP exe

    This is just a different "manual" way to install games, specially stubborn installers. I almost never have to do this, but I've read this -nogui helps when using Wine alone.
    booman, Mar 20, 2016
    #15

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