Dragon Age: Origins is an party-based action RPG. Choose to begin as an Elf, Human or Dwarf and train to become a Gray Warden. Interact in a detailed story as you rid the world of Darkspawn, ghosts, dragons and more.



Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing Dragon Age: Origins in Linux with PlayOnLinux.

Note: This guide applies to the Origin version of Dragon Age: Origins. Other versions may require additional steps.

Tips & Specs:

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

Mint 17.2 64-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.9
Wine: 1.7.51-staging

Wine Installation

Click Tools
Select "Manage Wine Versions"


Look for the Wine Version: 1.7.55-staging
Select it
Click the arrow pointing to the right


Click Next

Downloading Wine


Extracting

Downloading Gecko


Installed


Wine 1.7.55-staging is installed and you can close this window

Download OriginSetup.exe

Go to: download.dm.origin.com/origin/live/OriginSetup.exe
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: daorigins
Click Next


Check all three options:

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

Click Next


Select "Wine 1.7.55-staging"
Click Next


Select "32 bits windows installation"
Click Next


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"
Click OK


Installing Packages (Libraries, Components, DLL's)

Check the following packages:

• POL_Install_corefonts
• POL_Install_d3dx9
• POL_Install_physx
• POL_Install_tahoma
• POL_Install_vcrun2005
• POL_Install_vcrun2008
• POL_Install_vcrun2010
• POL_Install_vcrun2012

Click Next


Click Browse

Installing Origin Client

Navigate to your Desktop
Select OriginSetup.exe
Click Open


Click Next Again

Uncheck all options:
Click Install


Check "I have read and accept..."
Click OK

At this point the client will try to launch, but will crash

Killing Origin Process

Alt+Tab to PlayOnLinux
Click Configure


Wine Tab
Click "Kill Processes"


PlayOnLinux Shortcut

Select Origin.exe
Click Next


Name the shortcut: Dragon Age: Origins
Click Next


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


Back to Configure

General Tab
Wine version: 1.7.55-staging


Note: Click the + to download other versions of Wine. Click the down arrow to select other versions of Wine

Display Tab
GLSL: disable
Video memory size: Enter the amount of memory your video card/chip uses
Strict Draw Rendering: enable


Note: Enabling Strict Draw Rendering fixes the choppy cutscenes

Close Configure

Origin Directory Permissions

If you launch Origin it will crash every time
This is because of the In Game Overlay
We have to do this manually by renaming some files
But, the Origin folder is locked

Go to the Origin Directory
Path: /home/username/.PlayOnLinux/wineprefix/Origin/Drive_C/Program Files/
Right click
Select Properties


Click Dropdown next to "Owner"
Select "Create and delete files"
Click "Apply Permissions to Enclosed Files"
Click Close


Rename:
igoproxy.exe
igoproxy64.exe

To:
igoproxy-old.exe
igoproxy64-old.exe


Note: When Origin updates, you will need to repeat these steps

Launching Origin

Back to PlayOnLinux
Select Origin
Click Run


Note: Click Debug to see errors and bugs

Login to Origin


Note: Check "Remember password" to make launching games easier

Turn off In Game Overlay
Click Origin Menu
Go to "Application Settings"
Click "Origin In Game"
Uncheck "Enable Origin In Game"

Note: In Game Overlay causes Dragon Age to crash at launch

Installing Dragon Age: Origins

Select Dragon Age: Origins
Click Download


Uncheck "Create start menu shortcut"
Uncheck "Create desktop shortcut"
Click Continue


End User License Agreement
Check "I have read..."
Click Continue


Note: Origin may crash when Dragon Age is done downloading

Back to PlayOnLinux

Dragon Age and Config Shortcuts

Select Dragon Age: Origins
Click Configure again

General Tab
Click "Make a new shortcut in this virtual drive"
Select DAOriginsConfigure.exe


Name it: Dragon Age Configure

Select daorigins.exe
Name it: Dragon Age: Origins


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

Dragon Age Config

Select Dragon Age Config
Click Run


Adjust:

• Resolution
• Aspect Ratio
• Graphics Detail
• Anti-Aliasing
• Texture Detail - SET TO MEDIUM!
• Play in Full-Screen mode
• Verticaly Sync
• Frame-Buffer Effects
• Disable Mutiple Render targets
• Disable Aspect Ratio correction
• Disable Intro Movies

Note: Texture Quality has to be set on "Medium" to reduce Memory Leaks and artifacts

Save Settings
Click Dragon Age: Origins Menu
Click Save Settings


Launching Dragon Age: Origins

Select Dragon Age: Origins
Click Run


In Game Options
Click Options


Click Video Tab
Adjust Graphics settings
Click OK


Conclusion:
Once I figured out the Origin In Game Overlay was causing Dragon Age Origins to crash at launch, it ran perfectly fine. Performance is great on my GeForce 550 Ti.
With texture quality on high I experienced missing textures, graphical artifacts, memory leaks and super low FPS. The main solution was to set textures on Medium and all of those symptoms were fixed. Unfortunately the textures aren't as crisp and beautiful, but its better than not playing at all.

Gameplay Video:



Screenshots: