S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl Guide

Discussion in 'Guides' started by booman, Jun 26, 2013.

  • by booman, Jun 26, 2013 at 6:53 PM
  • booman

    booman Grand High Exalted Mystic Emperor of Linux Gaming Staff Member

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    stalkersoc80.jpg

    S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl is a long anticipated First Person Shooter with Role Playing elements in a Sci-Fi Post Nuclear zone in Russia.

    With Graphical capabilities beyond its time S.T.A.L.K.E.R had lasted the test-of-time. Even today its still graphically beautiful with plenty of eye-candy even for mediocre hardware.

    stalkersoc91.jpg

    Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow Of Chernobyl in Linux with PlayOnLinux.

    Note: This guide applies to the GOG version of S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow Of Chernobyl. Other versions may require additional steps.

    Tips & Specs:

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

    Mint 17.3 64-bit
    PlayOnLinux: 4.2.10
    Wine: 1.8.3

    Wine Installation

    Click Tools
    Select "Manage Wine Versions"
    wine01.png

    Look for the Wine Version: 1.8.3
    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 1.8.3 is installed and you can close this window

    PlayOnLinux Setup

    Launch PlayOnLinux
    Click Install
    stalkersoc01.png

    Click "Install a non-listed program"
    stalkersoc02.png

    Click Next

    Select "Install a program in a new virtual drive"
    Click Next
    stalkersoc04.png

    Name the virtual drive: stalkersoc
    Click Next
    stalkersoc05.png

    Check all three options:
    • Use another versions of Wine
    • Configure Wine
    • Install some libraries
    Click Next
    stalkersoc06.png

    Select Wine 1.8.3
    Click Next
    stalkersoc07.png

    Select "32 bits windows installation"
    Click Next
    stalkersoc08.png

    Wine Configuration

    Application Tab
    Windows version: Windows 7
    Click Apply
    stalkersoc09.png

    Graphics Tab
    Check "Automatically capture the mouse in full-screen windows"
    Check "Emulate a virtual desktop"
    Desktop size: 1024x768
    Click OK
    stalkersoc10.png

    PlayOnLinux Packages (Components, DLL's, Libraries)

    Check all the following:
    • POL_Install_corefonts
    • POL_Install_d3dx9
    • POL_Install_tahoma
    • POL_Install_vcrun2005
    • POL_Install_vcrun2008
    Click Next
    stalkersoc11.png

    Installing STALKER Shadows of Chernobyl

    Click Browse

    Select "setup_stalker_shoc_2.1.0.7.exe"
    Click Open
    stalkersoc13.png

    Click Next again

    Select Language
    Click OK
    stalkersoc15.png

    Check "Yes, I have read and accept EULA"
    Click Options
    Uncheck "Create desktop icons"
    Click Install
    stalkersoc16.png

    Runtime Error
    Click OK
    stalkersoc17.png

    Note: The Runtime Error doesn't affect the installation

    Click Exit
    stalkersoc18.png

    PlayOnLinux Shortcut

    Select "XR_3DA.exe"
    Click Next
    stalkersoc19.png

    Name your shortcut: STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl
    Click Next
    stalkersoc20.png

    Select "I don't want to make another shortcut"
    Click Next
    stalkersoc21.png

    PlayOnLinux Configure

    Select "STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl"
    Click Configure
    stalkersoc22.png

    General Tab
    Wine version: 1.8.3
    stalkersoc23.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: Enter the amount of memory your video card/chip uses
    stalkersoc24.png

    Close Configure

    Fixing PlayOnLinux Shortcut

    When launching STALKER it will error every single time.
    The reason is because there are two XR_3DA.exe files in different directories.
    We can quickly fix the path in the shortcut

    Navigate to shortcuts
    path: /home/username/.PlayOnLinux/shortcuts
    Open STLKER SoC shortcut in Text Editor
    stalkersoc26.png

    Delete the "dedicated" path and slashes before/after
    stalkersoc27.png

    Should look like this
    Click Save
    Close the shortcut
    stalkersoc28.png

    Launching STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl

    Select "STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl"
    Click Run
    stalkersoc25.png

    Note: Click debug to see errors and bugs

    Optimization

    Click Options
    stalkersoc29.png

    Video Tab

    Adjust:
    • Render
    • Quality Settings
    • Resolution
    • Fullscreen
    Click Use
    stalkersoc30.png

    Click Advanced Tab

    Adjust:
    • Vision Distance
    • Objects Detail
    • Grass Density
    • Textures Detail
    • Anisotorphic Filtering
    • Antialiasing
    • Sun Shadow
    • Grass Shadow
    • Lighting Distance
    • NPC Flashlights
    • Shadows Quality
    Click Use
    stalkersoc31.png

    Rule of Thumb:
    Higher Settings = More detail, lower frame rates
    Lower Settings = Less detail, higher frame rates

    Conclusion:
    The GOG version played exactly like the Retail version but was much easier to install. The only problem I experienced was the shortcut bug. Everything else ran fine on my GeForce 9800 and GeForce 550 Ti.

    Screenshots:
    stalkersoc81.jpg

    stalkersoc84.jpg

    stalkersoc86.jpg

    stalkersoc87.jpg

    stalkersoc88.jpg

    stalkersoc93.jpg

    stalkersoc95.jpg

    stalkersoc96.jpg

    stalkersoc97.jpg
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2016
    booman, Jun 26, 2013
    #1
    • Categories:

Comments

Discussion in 'Guides' started by booman, Jun 26, 2013.

  1. booman
    High Res Screenshots:

    stalker31.png stalker32.png

    stalker33.png stalker34.png

    stalker35.png stalker40.png

    stalker41.png
    booman, Jul 11, 2013
    #2
  2. Brit
    Hey I've been trying to get it to work with the DVD version, and I've followed it to the T, but whenever it gets to the part where it asks me where my disk is mounted the only options are an asterisk (* <-That doodad) other and refresh, I tried the asterisk, as well as every directory I could think of with the other option, but it keeps on saying "Error: Unable to find CD-ROM!". Any ideas on how to fix this problem?
    Brit, Nov 15, 2013
    #3
  3. Brit
    Oh, forgot to mention I'm running the XFCE version of Arch.
    Brit, Nov 15, 2013
    #4
  4. booman
    Welcome to the forum Brit.
    I'm not all that familiar with Arch Linux, but in Mint and most distros an icon appears when you insert a DVD in the drive.
    Do you have an icon on your desktop or at least a shortcut to the drive in your Windows manager?

    You could also check in Wine Configuration. There is a Drives tab.
    If Wine doesn't show a "D" drive for your optical drive, then you can create one.

    Drives Tab:
    Wine can map a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or even a folder as a drive letter. Great for copying files from multiple CDs or DVDs and installing from a folder on a desktop.

    [​IMG]

    Add:
    Adding a new drive with a new drive letter
    B:
    D:
    E:
    F:

    [​IMG]

    Advanced:
    Path - Linux path to CD-ROM, DVD or folder
    Note: To find the patch of a mounted CD-ROM or DVD just right click the icon on the desktop.
    Type - Selects a more specific type of drive
    • Autodetect
    • local hard disk
    • Network Share
    • Floppy disk
    • CD-ROM
    Device- Normally not used
    Label - Applies a name to the drive
    Serial - Normally not used
    Show dot files - Normally not used

    [​IMG]
    booman, Nov 15, 2013
    #5
  5. booman
    Updated the STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl guide with the GOG versions
    booman, Jul 25, 2016
    #6
  6. sunshowers
    The game works great on openSUSE Leap 42.1. I did some things differently as my copy of SoC is on Steam. I would also recommend this mod to go with it - http://www.metacognix.com/files/stlkrsoc/index.html. It keeps the vanilla feel of the game but fixes many bugs and performance issues. Thanks for the guide :).
    sunshowers, Sep 19, 2016
    #7
  7. booman
    Thanks for confirming. Great to know another game works in other distros!
    booman, Sep 20, 2016
    #8
    sunshowers likes this.
  8. Bruh
    Hi there
    I successfully installed SoC from my old CD. Went fairly fine but i had to use System version of Wine instead of 1.8.3. The game opens and i can start a game just fine... But when I try to change my key bindings whatever key i press it detects as NUM_LOCK... Not a too big issue but still not very convinient, any idea ? I run ubuntu 18.04
    Bruh, May 25, 2018
    #9
    booman likes this.
  9. booman
    Great! Glad this old guide still works for old CD ROMs.
    Yeah, I bet your "system" version is a newer version of Wine.

    You can also download newer version by follow the Wine Manager steps at the beginning. Try downloading Wine 3.0 or 2.21-staging. Even Wine 3.8 might work better
    booman, May 25, 2018
    #10
  10. Bruh
    Hell yeah ! works with 3.8, thanks mate i love your tutorials (and im amazed you still reply this quick on such old posts ! <3 )
    Bruh, May 25, 2018
    #11
    booman likes this.
  11. booman
    Thank you!
    Wine 3.0 and newer have been amazing!
    Almost anything runs in it!!!

    Too bad it would take hundreds of hours to retest all of our games in newer versions of Wine. I would love to update them.
    booman, May 25, 2018
    #12
  12. notsure
    Hi guys,
    Such an old post but I'm trying my luck.

    I'm looking desesperatly to run SoC on Linux.

    Well, first of all I should used another version of wine, the 1.8.3 isn't working for me, so with another such as 2.21-staging or 3.8 its well-working.

    Second I couldn't find the shorcuts reportory for run another path of XR_3DA.exe so I just create it with using Browse in make a new shorcut.

    But finally I just can't run it and I get this on debug log:
    Hope somebody will see that ^^

    Linux: Mint 19.1 Cinnamon 4.0.10
    Playonlinux: 4.2.12
    notsure, Jun 23, 2019
    #13
    booman likes this.
  13. booman
    Welcome to the forum!
    Yes this guide is a bit old, but the steps should still work with a few minor changes.
    First, make sure to update PlayOnLinux to 4.3.4
    Any older version of PlayOnLinux doesn't get the newer versions of Wine.
    Next, definitely try Wine 4.0 and even staging versions.... in fact you might want to give DXVK a try as well.
    I haven't tested any of the STALKER games with DXVK, but they are Direct X 10/11 compatible, so you might get better frame rates and more detailed features.
    Here is a basic guide for setting it up with Nvidia and Mint:
    DXVK System Setup

    If you need specific steps on how to add it with a game, check out our Darksiders Warmastered and Bioshock Remastered or Metro guides! They all include DXVK and GOG installers.

    What video card/chip are you using?
    Also, what version of proprietary drivers are you using?
    booman, Jun 24, 2019
    #14
    notsure likes this.
  14. notsure
    Hi Booman,
    Thanks for the reply :)

    Well, I up to date POL to 4.3.4.

    I've try to configure DXVK without success. I cannot get the Nvidia 415.25 option, even atfer used the command, in driver manager. Insteed of I got a nvidia 304.137 option.

    But the fact is, now any version of POL feels work, I mean the configuration of wine get stuck, just appear in bellow task bar but the window doesnt open, I cannot configure it. The another alternative I tried, was to launch in 64 bits, but after that I cannont launch the gog installer, it gets stuck aswell for whatever reason.

    I just don't understand, something seems be wrong with my POL app.

    I'm new on Linux, this OS is quite amazing except for games I feel xD.

    NotSure.

    Video card: GeForce GT 540M 2GB
    Driver: Nvidia 390.116
    notsure, Jun 27, 2019
    #15
  15. booman
    Hmm, I'm not sure if Nvidia 390 supports Vulkan. Unfortunately your video card might be tool old to play direct X 10/11 compatible games.

    Since you are having issues with PlayOnLinux, I would remove it completely. Look up your Distro and how to remove applications and purge them.

    Then make sure stable Wine is installed first, then install PlayOnLinux 4.3.4 again.
    It should be more stable after that.

    Normally when I do a fresh install of Linux I will setup PlayOnLinux as follows:
    1. Install 32-bit Libraries
    2. Use Package Manager to install Wine
    3. Download PlayOnLinux newest version
    4. Install PlayOnLinux (may request xterm)
    5. Use PlayOnLinux Wine Manager to Install Wine 32-bit & 64-bit
    Now you are ready to start manually installing games
    booman, Jun 27, 2019
    #16
    notsure likes this.
  16. notsure
    Finally!

    Ok, I've followed your steps.

    After purged POL from my distro, the thing that I felt really fixed my issue was to install a stable wine version with the terminal (thing I've not done before). So my question is: before install POL do we need to install wine? if yes, I missed that step.

    And after that everything was alright, even installing a mod (the complete mod).

    Thank you very much, I'm really grateful!
    notsure, Jun 29, 2019
    #17

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