TimeShift is more like Half-Life 2 than anything else, but a couple of extra twists...
For one, you can slowdown time, stop time and even reverse time because of your special suit... of course we havn't see that before... wink, wink



TimeShift runs really well in PlayOnLinux and still offers impressive game-play and intense battles with high quality graphics using the Saber 3d Engine.

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

Note: This guide applies to the Retail version of TimeShift. Other versions may require additional steps.

Tips & Specs:

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

Mint 14 32-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.1
Wine: 1.4 or 1.4-rc5-d3d_doublebuffer

Wine Install

Launch PlayOnLinux

Click "Tools"
Select "Manage Wine versions"
Navigate down the list until you find 1.4


Select 1.4
Click the top button to add Wine 1.4 to your "Installed wine Versions" list

Note: Try using stable Wine 1.8 and 1.8-staging

Wizard
Click Next


Downloading Wine


Extracting


Note: Gecko might download and install also.

When its done you should now have Wine 1.4 on your list of "Installed Wine versions"


Close Wine manager

Setting up PlayOnLinux

Launch PlayOnLinux
Click Install


Click "Install a non-listed program"


Click Next

Select "Install a program in a new virtual drive"
Click Next


Note: If you are running a 64-bit system, PlayOnLinux will prompt if you want to use a 64-bit or 32-bit virtual drive. Always select 32-bit virtual drive.

Name your virtual drive: timeshift
Click Next


Select all three options:

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

Click Next


Select Wine 1.4
Click Next


Note: If you are running a 64-bit system, PlayOnLinux will prompt if you want to use a 64-bit or 32-bit virtual drive.
Always select 32-bit virtual drive.

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"
Desktop Size: 1024x768
Click OK


Installing Windows Packages/Libraries

Check the following:

• POL_Install_corefonts
• POL_Install_dxfullsetup
• POL_Install_tahoma
• POL_Install_xact
• POL_Install_xinput

Note: All packages will automatically download and install. If you have downloaded them previously then they will only install.

Click Next


Installing TimeShift

Select CD-ROM : TimeShift
Click Next


Click Install TimeShift


Click Next

Select "I accept the terms..."
Click Next

Click Next

Click Next

Wait for installing files...

Uncheck "Yes, I would like to create a desktop shortcut"
Uncheck "Yes, I want to view the ReadMe file
Click Finish

Gamespy
Select No
Click Next

Register?
Click No

Click Exit


PlayOnLinux shortcut

Select TimeShift.exe
Click Next


Name the shortcut: TimeShift
Click Next


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


PlayOnLinux Configure

Back to PlayOnLinux
Click Configure


Select TimeShift shortcut (left side)

General Tab
Wine Version: 1.4
Note: If you have problems with very slow frame rates or crashing, use Wine 1.4-rc5-d3d_doublebuffer



Display Tab
Direct Draw Renderer: opengl
Video Memory size: The amount of memory on your video card
Offscreen rendering mode: fbo


TimeShift Patch

Go To: http://www.gamershell.com/download_21837.shtml
click Download
Save to your desktop

Back to PlayOnLinux

Miscellaneous Tab
Click "Run a .exe file in this virtual drive"


Navigate to your Desktop
Select "TimeShiftPatch_v12.exe
Click Open


Select English
Click Next

Click Next

Wait for installation

Click Finish

Wine Tab
Click Windows Reboot
Its always good to refresh Windows after installing libraries or programs


Launching TimeShift

Back to PlayOnLinux
Select TimeShift
Click Run


Note: Clicking Debug will open a window that outputs errors and bugs

On first launch you may see this warning
"TimeShift will not run optimally and may crash or freeze without the proper video drivers"
Just click Play


Shaders (UGH!)
The most annoying aspect of TimeShift is loading shaders. Any time you load the main menu or a level, shaders have to load and you can wait from 5-10 minutes depending on your computer speed.
I have an AMD Phenom II and SSD drive and still had to wait at least 5 minutes! Ridiculous!
Fortunately loading after you die doesn't load shaders again.


Optimizing TimeShift

Click Options


Click Video


Select resolution to match your Linux desktop
Keep VSync off
Material Quality and Texture Resolution depends on your video card.


High settings = More detail, lower frame rates
Low settings = Less detail, higher frame rates

Conclusion:
I originally didn't know much about TimeShift and was actually surprised. The game was pretty high quality development. Textures were super detailed, environments were detailed and interactive.
There were a lot scripted events, use of physics and destructible environments.

Screenshots: