Watch Dogs Guide

Discussion in 'Guides' started by booman, Aug 31, 2018.

  • by booman, Aug 31, 2018 at 1:56 PM
  • booman

    booman Grand High Exalted Mystic Emperor of Linux Gaming Staff Member

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    watchdogs102.jpg

    Watch Dogs is an open world 3rd person action hacking game where you can explore a living city full of technology and crime. Roam the streets of Chicago as Alden Pearce while hacking phones, city devices, ATMs and Vehicles to stop crime. Stealth is your closest friend

    watchdogs96.jpg

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

    Note: This guide applies to the Legacy Uplay version of Watch Dogs. Other versions may require additional steps.

    Tips & Specs:

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

    Mint 18.3 64-bit
    PlayOnLinux: 4.2.12
    Wine: 3.14 Staging 64-bit

    Wine Installation

    Click Tools
    Select "Manage Wine Versions"
    wine01.png

    Look for the Wine Version: 3.13
    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

    Also click the "Wine versions (amd64) Tab" and download 3.13 as well

    Wine 3.13 & 3.13 64-bit is installed and you can close this window

    Download the Legacy Uplay

    Go to: ubi.li/78pn4
    Save UplayInstaller.exe to your Desktop
    Note: This is the unsupported version that still works with Windows XP

    PlayOnLinux Setup

    Launch PlayOnLinux
    Click Install
    watchdogs01.png

    Click "Install a non-listed program"
    watchdogs02.png

    Select "Install a program in a new virtual drive"
    Click Next
    watchdogs03.png

    Name the virtual drive: watchdogs
    Click Next
    watchdogs04.png

    Check all three options:
    • Use another version of Wine
    • Configure Wine
    • Install some libraries
    Click Next
    watchdogs05.png

    Select Wine 3.13
    Click Next
    watchdogs06.png

    Select "64 bits windows installation"
    Click Next
    watchdogs07.png

    Wine Configuration

    Windows version: Windows XP
    Click Apply
    watchdogs08.png

    Libraries Tab
    Add the following overrides:
    • d3d10
    • d3d10_1
    • d3d10core
    • d3d11
    • dxgi
    • xaudio2_7
    Click Edit on each override and select "(Native) Windows"
    Click Apply
    watchdogs09.png

    Note: Manually typing in each override is quicker than finding them on the dropdown menu

    Graphics Tab
    Check "automatically capture the mouse in full-screen windows"
    Click OK
    watchdogs10.png

    PlayOnLinux Packages (DLLs, Components, Libraries)

    Check the following:
    • POL_Install_corefonts
    • POL_Install_d3dx10
    • POL_Install_d3dx11
    • POL_Install_d3dx9
    • POL_Install_tahoma
    • POL_Install_vcrun2008
    • POL_Install_vcrun2010
    • POL_Install_xaudio
    Click Next
    watchdogs11.png

    Note: All packages should automatically download and install

    Click Browse

    Select "UplayInstaller.exe" from your Desktop
    Click Open
    watchdogs13.png

    Click Next

    Click OK
    watchdogs15.png

    Click "I Accept"
    watchdogs16.png

    Click Install
    watchdogs17.png

    Click Next
    watchdogs18.png

    Click Finish to run Uplay
    watchdogs19.png

    Login to Uplay
    Important: Check "Remember me"
    watchdogs20.png

    Click Games
    Click Watch Dogs
    watchdogs21.png

    Click Download
    watchdogs22.png

    Select Language
    Click Continue
    watchdogs23.png

    Uncheck "Create start menu shortcut"
    Uncheck "Create desktop shortcut"
    Click Continue
    watchdogs24.png

    Note: PlayOnLinux will create the shortcuts in a later step

    Click "Accept and continue"
    watchdogs25.png

    Wait for Watch Dogs to download
    Important: Do not run Watch Dogs!
    When its finished downloading, Close Uplay

    PlayOnLinux Shortcut

    Select "Uplay.exe"
    Click Next
    watchdogs26.png

    Name the shortcut: Watch Dogs
    Click Next
    watchdogs27.png

    Select "I don't want to make another shortcut"
    Click Next
    watchdogs28.png

    Download Lutris Staging Wine

    PlayOnLinux no longer provides "staging" versions of Wine
    We'll grab one from Lutris Runners
    Go to: https://lutris.net/files/runners/
    Download "wine-staging-3.14-x86_64.tar.gz"
    Save it to your Desktop
    Extract "wine-staging-3.14-x86_64.tar.gz" to the PlayOnLinux Wine/linux-amd64 directory
    Full path:
    Code:
    /home/username/.PlayOnLinux/wine/linux-amd64/
    watchdogs30.png

    PlayOnLinux Configure

    Back to PlayOnLinux
    Select "Watch Dogs"
    Click Configure
    watchdogs31.png

    General Tab
    Click the Wine down-arrow
    Select "staging-3.14-x86_64"
    watchdogs32.png

    Display Tab
    Video memory size: enter the amount of memory your video card/chip uses
    watchdogs33.png

    Close Configure

    DXVK Setup

    Go to: https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/releases
    Download Version 0.70
    Extract it to your Desktop
    watchdogs34.png

    Open x64 directory
    Copy all dlls
    watchdogs35.png

    Paste in the Uplay/games/Watch_Dogs/bin directory
    Full path:
    Code:
    /home/username/.PlayOnLinux/wineprefix/watchdogs/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/Ubisoft/games/Watch_Dogs/bin
    watchdogs36.png

    DXVK Full Guide
    http://www.gamersonlinux.com/forum/threads/dxvk-guide.2540/
    Follow this guide for all the detailed steps to run DXVK in PlayOnLinux

    Run Watch Dogs

    Select Watch Dogs
    Click Run
    watchdogs37.png

    Note: Click Debug to see bugs and errors

    Uplay should automatically login and run
    Click Games
    Click Watch Dogs
    Click Play
    watchdogs38.png

    The first launch will try to install dependencies like Direct X, Visual C & DOT Net Framework 3.5
    Since we previously installed all of them but Dot Net it will hang on Dot Net
    DOT Net Framework 3.5 doesn't even install in a 64-bit prefix
    watchdogs39.png

    Go to your System Monitor
    Find Setup.exe
    End Process

    The game launch should continue
    If not, end close it and run it again.
    Eventually the Dot Net installation will skip and run the game

    Optmization

    Click options
    watchdogs40.png

    Click Display
    watchdogs41.png

    Adjust:
    • Resolution
    • Refresh Rate
    • Aspect Ratio
    • Window Mode
    • VSync
    • GPU Max Buffered Frames
    • Textures
    • Anti-Aliasing
    • Widescreen Letterbox
    Click Apply
    watchdogs42.png

    Note: The first time Watch Dogs launched the resolution was 800x600 and I could change it in-game, but you need to move the mouse to the right-edge of the screen to see the "Apply" button

    Click Graphics Quality
    Adjust:
    • Overall Quality
    • Level of Detail
    • Shadows
    • Reflections
    • Ambient Occlusion
    • Motion Blur
    • Depth of Field
    • Water
    • Shader
    Click Apply
    watchdogs43.png

    You can manually adjust the game settings in the GamerProfile.xml
    1. Go to Documents
    2. My Games
    3. Watch Dogs
    4. hexadecimal directory
    5. Open GamerProfile.xml
    watchdogs44.png

    Manually adjust game resolution and other settings here
    watchdogs45.png

    Conclusion:
    Watch Dogs needs a lot of workarounds and extra hacks not provided by PlayOnLinux, but it runs GREAT!
    The main issues I had was trying to make the first launch skip the Dot Net installation. I don't even know why it requires Dot Net??? The other problem was at first launch the resolution was 800x600 and I was trying to adjust it in-game, but the apply button was not in the screen. Then it would eventually crash and I had to kill it from TTY shell. But later I found that all I have to do is slide the mouse to the right side of the screen and there is the "Apply" button.
    DXVK has made all the difference in playing these Direct X 10/11 games in Wine.

    Gameplay Video:


    Screenshots:
    watchdogs88.jpg
    booman, Aug 31, 2018
    #1
    • Categories:

Comments

Discussion in 'Guides' started by booman, Aug 31, 2018.

Page 2 of 2
  1. booman
    booman, Nov 5, 2020
    #21
  2. batmanm0b1e
    @booman

    I'm using lutris? how do i get xaudio2_7 i do not see it in there winetricks

    Uplay isn't being used tho I'm not sure if it will be anymore. because ubisoft connect gets installed over it. there's no point in having it because it updates to that. even when you launch Uplay. Why have 3 launchers. I first Downloaded and installed the game with epic then it went to Uplay then updated to ubisoft connect WOW i just want the game LOL
    batmanm0b1e, Nov 5, 2020
    #22
  3. booman
    That figures, so the Uplay updates and installs "connect"
    Oh well, it was worth a try.
    I don't use Lutris, but look for Wine Configuration
    Once you launch that go to the Libraries tab and type in xaudio2_7
    booman, Nov 5, 2020
    #23
  4. batmanm0b1e
    @booman

    How do i install the DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) in playonlinux i get a ERROR in lutris trying to run the.exe
    batmanm0b1e, Nov 6, 2020
    #24
    booman likes this.
  5. booman
    The error might result because of the Windows version. Try going back to Wine Configuration then setting Windows version to Windows XP

    Install the DirectX Runtime June 2010, then set it back to Windows 7 or Windows 10

    Don't forget that the download is a compressed file. It will act like its installing, but its not, it will extract to the directory of your choice in the wineprefix.
    I used C:\
    Then you have to go to the folder that extracted and run the DXSETUP.exe

    If you are using PlayOnLinux, then you can go to Configure, then Miscellaneous Tab and "run an .exe in this virtual drive" and run DXSETUP.exe

    I suggest sticking with Lutris since you already have it running. You might want to ask someone in the Lutris forums or on https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming about it. There are a lot of helpful gamers there.
    booman, Nov 6, 2020
    #25
  6. batmanm0b1e
    @booman

    DirectX Runtime June 2010, its an .exe file its not compressed. not sure what you mean.

    I got it working with custom proton i forgot to install something needed if on Arch so proton works. I may do guide here becuase uplay+ is going away to ubisoft+ connect now.
    batmanm0b1e, Nov 6, 2020
    #26
    booman likes this.
  7. booman
    Oh cool, I didn't realize you were missing something for Proton to work. I read that Proton installs the necessary libraries for it to run properly... then again there is all kinds of different hardware, audio, video, etc.
    booman, Nov 6, 2020
    #27
  8. batmanm0b1e
    DirectX Runtime June 2010, its an .exe file its not compressed. not sure what you mean.

    yeah for Arch users for proton to work in lutris need selinux-python and dxvk-bin or it wont launch at all
    batmanm0b1e, Nov 7, 2020
    #28
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