Path of Exile Guide

RPG's have really come a long way...
Starting with text adventures to isometric Diablo hack-n-slash, then FPS Medieval fantasies to third person sci-fi role playing and now simple facebook games where you build farms, level up and help your friends to tower defense in a massive arena where heroes battle amongst minions.

Path of Exile is another online hack-n-slash that introduces some new elements while utilizing popular skills/loot/leveling to bring you a fresh epic RPG experience.

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

Note: This guide applies to the online version of Path of Exile . Other versions may require additional steps.

Tips & Specs:

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

Mint 17 64-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.12
Wine: 1.7.19-WGL_WINE_surface2

Note: Now tested with newer versions of Wine 2.9-staging with decent performance.

Wine Installation

Click Tools
Select "Manage Wine Versions"

Look for the Wine Version: 1.7.19-WGL_WINE_surface2
Select it
Click the arrow pointing to the right

Click Next

Downloading Wine

Extracting

Downloading Gecko

Installed

Wine 1.7.19-WGL_WINE_surface2 is installed and you can close this window

Downloading the Client

Go To: http://www.pathofexile.com
Click "Play Free Now!"

Register and then login
Click "Download Now!"

Save the PathOfExileInstaller.msi to your desktop

Setup PlayOnLinux

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: pathofexile
Click Next

Check all three options:

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

Click Next

Select Wine: 1.7.19-WGL_WINE_surface2
Click Next

Select "32 bits windows installation"
click Next

Configuring 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

Installing Libraries

Check all of the following:

• POL_Install_corefonts
• POL_Install_d3dx9
• POL_Install_d3dcompiler_43
• POL_Install_msvc100
• POL_Install_Registeredfonts
• POL_Install_riched20
• POL_Install_Tahoma
• POL_Install_vcrun2010

Note: PlayOnLinux will automatically download each library and install them.
Click Next

Installing Client

Click Browse

Navigate to your desktop
Select PathOfExileInstaller.msi
Click Open

Click Next

Path of Exile Setup Wizard
Click Next

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

Install Path
Click Next

Click Install

Click Finish

PlayOnLinux Shortcut

Select: Client.exe
Click Next

Name your shortcut: Path of Exile
Click Next

Click Next

Configure PlayOnLinux

Click Configure

General Tab
Wine version: 1.7.19-WGL_WINE_surface2

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

Display Tab
GLSL Support: disabled
Video memory size: the amount of memory on your video card

Close Configure

Launching Path of Exile

Select "Path of Exile"
Click Run

Note: The client should launch and start updating the full game 7.5 Gigabytes

Be patient as it loads the login screen

Optimization

Click Graphical Options
Open the Options
Click the Graphics tab
Select Fullscreen
Select Resolution
Adjust Shadows, Antialiasing, Textures, Postprocessing & Screen Shake

Note: disable Engine Multi-threading to reduce flicker

Click "Apply display settings"
Click Save

Rule of Thumb:
High settings = More detail, lower frame rates
Low settings = Less detail, higher frame rates

Fullscreen bug - Not necessary with newer versions of Wine

If Path of Exile refuses to launch or won't go fullscreen
Note: Path of Exile has to be launched at least once

Navigate to: /home/username/My Games/Path of Exile
Note: Username is where you put your login

Open production_Config.ini with Text Editor

Change:
fullscreen=false
to
fullscreen=true

Click Save

Conclusion:
Path of Exile ran even better with Wine 1.7.19-WGE_WINE_surface2. The graphics are amazing and rival modern-day engines with all the eye-candy your heart desires. Even up close the details are amazing. I've recently tested with newer versions of Wine like 2.9-staging and for the most part, performance is good. There is a bit of stutter here and there, but its definitely playable with settings on high.

Also, if you noticed any flickering problems, disable Engine Multi-threading

I was most impressed with the web of skills. There are so many non-linear option to what path you want to take for increasing your characters abilities.

Video Gameplay:

Screenshots:

 

Hi,

First thank you for your tutorial. I discovered this website searching for info concerning ARC software (to install STO), and then I discovered this page.

I installed Path of exile, using POL, but the game suffers of font glitches. It's a known bug, apparently, regarding the wine appdb page :

http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=25078&iTestingId=78043

The guy on wine appdb seems to have found a workaround, but I don't understand it...

On your screenshots you don't seem to have these font glitches, did you find a solution (or understood the wine appdb workaround solution...lol) ?


thank you !

 

Thank for commenting.
I never had any font glitches at all. He is basically saying to backup your Path of Exile game files and start over with a new install.
Then instead of downloading the whole game again, just copy paste the game files to the same place.

What version of Wine are you using?
Did you install all the libraries?

 

Hi,

I installed POE with POL automatic installer. It's using wine 1.5.28. I guess all libraries are installed with it. I also installed POE with wine 1.6, without POL.

I also disable gsgl because it caused big frame drops. Compared to the windows version, the performance is playable but not as good, I'd say about 15-20fps less. But I feel that processor speed is important in Wine, and mine is not that good (amd athlon 64x2 dual core 2.2ghz, I'll upgrade to 3ghz version asap).

I tried to copy/paste the game files in diferent ways (creating a new POL disk, or with bare version of wine), with no succes. I'm a bit lost concerning this workaround. I understand I should copu/paste the game folder somewhere, but I don't see how it will fix the problem.

I think I will first try to reinstall the game following your tutorial perfectly, and see if it fixes the problem. I'll come back then. It will be very long, since the installer take ages to install the game (even if I'v got a decent 1.5mo dl speed).


Thank you

 

You won't need to mess with stand-alone Wine, just PlayOnLinux.
Feel free to try newer versions of Wine like 1.6-rc4 and Wine 1.7 in PlayOnLinux too.
I got really decent frame rates at any moment in the game. I'm running an AMD Phantom II 3-core and an Nvidia GeForce 550 Ti.

I didn't have any problems with GSGL and used my standard Display settings... OpenGL, 2048 RAM & fbo

Just make sure these libraries are installed:

• POL_Install_corefonts
• POL_Install_d3dx9
• POL_Install_d3dcompiler_43
• POL_Install_Registeredfonts
• POL_Install_riched20
• POL_Install_Tahoma
• POL_Install_vcrun2005

The only reason you need to copy paste is to reduce the downloading time since its such a large download. You should be able to cut-n-paste the downloaded game files to your desktop and then start installing again in a new virtual drive. Right after the downloader starts, kill it and restore the files from your desktop. Then when the client tries to update, it will find that all the files are there.
I can't remember exactly which folders to back up... I'll have to check.

 

Thank you for your help. Now I see how I can copy/paste the game. I didn't understood how I could do that.

I'll try this tommorow. off topic, Tonight I played Psychonauts so I didn't made any progress on POE font problem. Really great native game, especially with xbox360 controller.

Concerning Path of exile performance, it's really playable on my system (nvidia gtx650 ti), about 30-50fps (depanding the zone), with graphics almost maxed. A really good canditate for linux gaming, definitly. Just this annoying font bug I have.

Concerning GSGL, if enabled it drops the framerate when a new monster appears (or any interactive item).


I'll keep you informed.

 

No problem!
Psychonauts is an awesome game! I actually have a guide for the Windows version, but havn't posted it since the Linux version is so easy to install.

Maybe if you post the debug output for Path of Exile it will tell us what the problem is with the fonts. with GsGL off... do you have any lighting problems in the game?

 

Hi,


Yes pyschonauts is one of the best modern plateform games I played for ages. The last one I had so much fun is Rayman, I believe.

Concerning POE, I don't have lighting problems in the game. The only problems are :

- GSGL (once disabled, problem is fixed), wich is a known problem, according to wine appdb.
- fonts : apparently, a known problem too.

I don't know how to create a debug output ?


By the way, I'm currently trying to reinstall the game, following your last advises. But POL asks me something not presented in the guide : "wich type of virtual drive do you want to create" (I translate from french) and I can choose :

32 bit windows installation
64 bit windows installation


What should I choose ?

Then I 'll try to reinstall the game using your trick :

. You should be able to cut-n-paste the downloaded game files to your desktop and then start installing again in a new virtual drive. Right after the downloader starts, kill it and restore the files from your desktop. Then when the client tries to update, it will find that all the files are there.

thanks

 

Always select 32-bit because almost all game are 32-bit compatible anyways.
The reason PlayOnLinux is asking, because you are running a 64-bit operating system.
Not to mention its glad to know that you are having success on a 64-bit Linux operating system. I am running 32-bit so I never get that pop-up.

Debug Output:

1. Launch PlayOnLinux
2. Select your game
3. Click Debug (on the right side)
4. A command line will appear and start outputting errors
5. Copy and paste into a reply.
6. Make sure to use the "code" tags so it formats nicely

 

I'll do that tonight, and come back with results. Then, I'll try to reinstall the game following your tips.


thanks

 

Hi,

I reinstalled the game (I broke it trying to fix my font problem...Still not fixed, by the way), with wine 1.7.1, and same guide settings (+gsgl disabled as always on my hardware).

The game freeze at the lobby (the 1st village where your character appears).


I tried to change the settings (disabling opengl, enabling GSGL), still freezing.


edit : OUPS probably nothing related to wine 1.7.1...I changed it to 1.6.4 (the same the guide advised) and the game stills freeze when the game starts (in the room where you can trade items or weapons with NPC, etc...)

 

There has been two updates since last week. One was almost 2 Gigs of data, the second was about 500 MB.
So those updates can fix or break your game.
Mine still worked just fine.

 

I don't know what I did wrong, but the game cannot work anymore. It even crashed my whole system (at least, as far as I know).

Strange. I'm not brave enough to reinstall it again. It took the whole afternoon and a part of the evening.

 

Debug Debug Debug.
Re-installing is probably the best thing you can do. If you think the virtual drive is corrupted, then I recommend downloading it all over again.
I still don't understand the font problem. If you decide to install again and still have the font problem or crashing.... you can post it on PlayonLinux forum.

 

I posted on POL forum concerning this font problem. No new answers comparing what I readed on wine appdb concerning this problem.

The game can be played even with this glitches, but 20fps less + font glitches + install I missed 3 straight times, I believe next time I'll play it will be probably on the secondary windows drive...

No big deal since I've got plenty of native games to play on linux

 

So strange because mine plays almost flawlessly. Some slowness while starting a level, but otherwise, smooth and fun.
I'll post a video!

 

Mine plays also quite well, and perfectly playable, but still be slower (verified with showfps graph ingame function). But when I made the tests, I didn't change the processor already, so maybe it is diferent now.

But first I have to make the game working to verify.

 

Keep updating us if you try to install again.

 

No problem, I'll try it. I just have to find enough motivation

 

Just in case it helps anyone else trying to install this game.....

I was getting "failed resetting direct3d device" just before login screen and then it would close.
I had to change my production_Config.ini file to full screen and set it to match my screen resolution. That file is located in the virtual drive at /home/user/My Games/Path of Exile
Mine looks like this
[DISPLAY]
adapter_name=Intel(R) Sandybridge Mobile
antialias_mode=0
borderless_windowed_fullscreen=false
fullscreen=true
post_processing=false
resolution_height=768
resolution_width=1366
screen_shake=true
shadow_type=hardware_3_samples
texture_filtering=2
texture_quality=1
vsync=true

Runs great now.