Crysis 2: Guide or no guide?

Is Crysis 2 worthy of a Guide even though it randomly crashes?

  • Total voters
    4
booman

booman

Grand High Exalted Mystic Emperor of Linux Gaming
Staff member
I was able to successfully install and run Crysis 2 in PlayOnLinux, but with a caveat...
It randomly crashes unannounced.

PlayOnLinux 4.1.2
Wine 1.7
GeForce 550 Ti
Packages: corefonts, d3dx9

I have done a little research and there isn't much on WineHQs and only a few videos on youtube, but no one really seems to have a clear fix for the crashing.
As long as you make it to the next checkpoint without crashing you can continue progressing through the game. Obviously when it crashes you have to replay the same areas over and over.

Daniel had the exact same problems along with some visual artifacts.
I don't have any artifacts but I DO have the same problems as with Crysis 1, no casting shadows.
Otherwise, its absolutely beautiful and performs very nicely!

So my question... is Crysis 2 worthy of a Guide even with random crashing?

I'll continue testing and see if it gets worse or is infrequent enough to progress.

crysis63.png crysis56.png crysis55.png
 
Hey, you didn't vote :(

Actually, I have been testing Crysis II with the Wine 1.6-rc4-d3d-doublebuffer and it didn't crash at all today... but some side affects exist:
  • Erratic mouse behavior
  • white textures
I really think the same memory leak exists and hopefully the new Wine 1.7.X will fix some of these problems.
It runs without any artifacts on 1.7, but the crashing occurs
crysis73.png crysis78.png crysis81.png
 
I have been thinking some more on it. It may depend on the standards that is used to declare a game is working. One game that I have that is working the mouse pointer will not point at exit the game. But I can exit If I click on skirmish then back out of that. Then the pointer will move onto the exit. So maybe the game is working if it is playable. You could use a disclaimer comment.
 
Good point. I have tried to make it clear that certain games "run" but may have some graphical glitches or can be slower than desirable. But they DO play.
I'm not sure what the mentality is for new and veteran Linux gamers...
To me, if I'm having fun, then it plays fine. If I'm getting frustrated with lots of crashing and graphical artifacts, then its not working.
Kinda black-n-white for me. But everyone has a different threshold of frustration. Some people won't even try installing because my guides have too many steps. They would rather buy Windows instead.
But those games that aren't "perfect" I'll remind our readers that Wine is still getting better and games will eventually play better.

What do you think of those screenshots? Minus casting shadows, its pretty beautiful!
 
Wine 1.6-rc4-d3d-doublebuffer still crashes, but a lot lot lot lot less.
I was able to play for at least an hour without crashing. Not to mention if you get to a check point the game will happily load from there if it does crash.

I'm starting to consider this a success and guide ready

crysis82.png crysis85.png
 
The screenshots look great. I also know in Windows and considering hardware features don't work there crashes etc. Though I still have fun.
 
rolandttg said:
The screenshots look great. I also know in Windows and considering hardware features don't work there crashes etc. Though I still have fun.
Click to expand...

Exactly!
I was hoping to get more feedback from the rest of the crew, but I have already got the Guide setup. Its not published yet. I'll wait a bit longer.
I made sure to be very specific in my conclusion about the crashing, shadows and graphical artifacts. So if anyone wants to troll about the guide not giving them a "perfect" game play, then they really didn't read it. I'll even make it bold.
 
As in minimum and recommended hardware requirements for the specific game?
 
What I'm finding on the PlayOnLinux forum is that people are either ignorant or don't care.
So they will just buy some AMD card and try to play games in Linux, then find out there are lots of driver issues.
One guy on the Mint forums claimed his AMD card works great and plays games just fine.

But I have found (and read) over and over that Nvidia cards work way better. A lot more success stories from Nvidia cards.
Guys that have been messing with Linux games for years also claim Nvidia cards run better.

So if anything I could write a basic hardware requirement in each guide under Tips & Specs at the top. But it will always say something like GeForce 550 Ti or better.
I have no idea if older GeForce 4XX or lightweight 5XX run well at all.
Unless I have tested these games on different Video cards, I don't really have an accurate assumption on what hardware they will run on.
All I have at home is two 550 Ti's, two 8800's and two 9800's and two 7900's.
 
First Video cards:

Sad to say when ever someone pops up saying that their AMD runs great in one Linux destro or another... someone else pops up and says
"Please show me how!"

At that point things start to crumble, what works for guy one didn't at all work for guy two or guy one just disappears... I not saying I know what's going one, I 'm just saying... Things never seem to get settled as to what works and what doesn't with AMD cards...These days...Nvidia always works and seems to always work perfectly.

As to the Cry-2 guide....Crash your way thought to what you think is the half way point...then ask your self "Am I having fun yet? Am I going to finish this game? If your answers lie in the affirmative, write you your guide and any who don't like it can just leave us alone! ":O}
 
I love your attitude Daniel.
So far it only crashes once about every 30min to an hour. I don't normally play more than an hour anyways.
I can easily make it through several checkpoints... not to mention you can't quick save anyways.
So even if you die the game starts you at the same place where the crash starts you.

I plan on testing some more because I really want to publish this guide.
 
Dude, I'm really feeling it. Give me a few more hours. If I can keep playing without too many crashes, its Good.
I have to admit, I'm having a lot of fun playing Crysis 2.
 
booman, even with those glitches the game is playable. So good enough. Maybe someone else can use your guide and build on it. Make the guide.
I don't think you need to call it "minimum requirements". Just state the major stuff such as Video Card, Sound Card, and maybe processor. I am beginning to feel that sound cards may be an issue due to my weak understanding of the POL debugger. I did learn from you all that video card (NVIDIA) makes a difference. Important enough that I went and got one.
I may write a guide soon. I think I can even reproduce the error on a reinstall. The error looked not too good. But after running the game it did not reappear.
Daniel, Radeon's video are nice but not for this. I only wish I would have listened to you all sooner.
 
Ok, I'll post it.
Thanks for the encouragement guys!

In the Windows world AMD and Nvidia are head-to-head. But it appears in the Linux world Nvidia has given us more attention.
 
I was getting a little worried about Crysis 2 last week...
I finished the Lab chapter and started the Keep chapter... of course it eventually crashed and to my surprise I couldn't load the game. I loaded several different ways and even tried restarting the Keep chapter but it would freeze every time.
So I decided to start over with the Lab chapter and it loaded fine.
I also ran Crysis 2 in Openbox windows manager to replay the Lab chapter. It played just fine and I got all the way through the Keep without crashing. Whew... that was close.
So there is a chance your game might not load, so you will have to start the chapter before or a previous save game.
 
I just read of your Triumph in the AOA forums! This is really cool! Crysis one and two running in POL!
Keep up the good work your building a library, at a certain point the world will realize that we have a valid game platform with thousands and thousands of possible titles in every gender ... then my friend the world will want to know you! ":O}
 
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