Space Trader is a simple trading/action first person shooter where you travel from planet to planet trading goods and hunting down criminals. Interact with NCP's and discover which goods will provide the most profit accept missions to take out criminals. Every opportunity will increase your persons value and profit.



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

Note: This guide applies to the Steam version of Space Trader. Other versions may require additional steps.

Tips & Specs:

Try SteamPlay before using this guide as Valve now uses a fork of Wine called Proton and should run most Windows games.

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

Mint 17 64-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.8
Wine: 1.7.49-staging

Wine Installation

Note: Wine versions older than 2.0.2 and 2.12-staging no longer work with Steam.

Click Tools
Select "Manage Wine Versions"


Look for the Wine Version: 1.7.49-staging
Note: Try using stable Wine 1.8 and 1.8-staging

Select it
Click the arrow pointing to the right


Click Next

Downloading Wine


Extracting

Downloading Gecko


Installed


Wine 1.7.49-staging is installed and you can close this window

Downloading Steam

Go To: http://www.steampowered.com
Click Install Steam


Do not click "Install Steam Now"
It will automatically install Linux Steam
Select Windows Steam instead
click "Windows" under the green button


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: spacetrader
No spaces
Click Next


Select all three options:

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

Click Next


Select Wine 1.7.49-staging
Click Next


Select "32 bits windows installation"
Click Next


Configure Wine

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


PlayOnLinux Packages (Libraries, Components, DLL's)

Check the following libraries:

• POL_Install_corefonts
• POL_Install_d3dx9
• POL_Install_tahoma

Click Next


Note: All packages will automatically download and install

Installing Steam

Click Browse


Navigate to your desktop
Select: SteamSetup.exe
Click Open


Click Next

Click Next

Check: I accept the license...
Click Next

Click Next

Click Next

Click Install

Click Finish

Updating Steam


Steam will not have any fonts due to dwrite functionality
Click the "X" to close Steam login


PlayOnLinux Shortcut

Select Steam.exe
Click Next


Name your shortcut: Space Trader
Click Next


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


PlayOnLinux Configure

Back to PlayOnLinux
Click Configure


General Tab
Arguments: -no-dwrite
This fixes the missing font problem


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

Display Tab
Video Memory Size: Select the size of Memory your video card/chip uses


Close Configure

Launching Steam

Select Space Trader
Click Run


Note: Click debug to see errors and bugs

Click "Login to existing account"


Login


Find Space Trader: Merchant Marine
Click Install


Click Next


Make sure Shortuct options are both unchecked
Click Next


Wait for Space Trader to download
Click Finish


Click Play


Optimization

Click Settings


Click Video


Adjust:

• Resolution
• Fullscreen
• Brightness
• Vertical Sync
• Screen Size
• Texture Smoothing
• Screen Bloom

Click Apply


Space Trader is an older title from 2005 and should be able to run on any computer or laptop.

Non Steam Shortcut

If you want to skip Steam and launch Space Trader alone
Back to PlayOnLinux
Select Space Trader
Click Configure


General Tab
Select "Space Trader" shorcut with Steam icon
Click Remove

Click "Make a new shortcut from this virtual drive"


Select "SpaceTrader.exe"
Click Next


Name your shortcut: Space Trader


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


Select Space Trader
Click Run


Conclusion:
Since Space Trader: Merchant Marine is an older title, it ran perfectly without any problems on my GeForce 550 Ti. I was even able to run it independent from Steam because it was originally a Desura DRM Free title. So it does not require Steam to be running in order to play.

Gameplay Video:


Screens: