Other Game runs in Linux under proton, but several bugs exist

[rollhax]

The game will launch and run with no launch parameters under proton (ie. proton experimental or Glorious Eggroll), but performance is abysmal (even after 0.1.1.0 patch).

If you add certain launch parameters, you can get the performance to a pretty decent (i.e. near Windows) state. Launch parameters:

PROTON_USE_WINED3D=1 PROTON_HIDE_NVIDIA_GPU=1 PROTON_NO_ESYNC=1

However, the use of `PROTON_USE_WINED3D=1` introduces a bug where there is an semi-transparent ground layer above the runway, which planes crash into and explode when you reach a certain height off the ground.

I understand Linux is not a priority right now, but there's a decent subset of us who prefer to run Linux and would love to not have to boot into Windows to play.

For reference, protondb entry is here: https://www.protondb.com/app/954850

Edited March 17, 2023 by rollhax

[MehJeb]

but Proton is not the way linux builds are made in Unity projects (you use proton just as a workaround for running a windows native game) - Unity can build linux versions but problems on linux are sooo vast that for majority of graphicaly intense 3D games - targeting linux-kernel-based "OSes" is a very very low priority;

and "linux" is not homogenous: is it nouveau or nvidia on the target system? (huge difference in forward rendering and shaders!)? does it rely on X or Wayland for compositioning? (fullscreen\window support is drastically different) - there are systems that do not use bash and about a thousand more pecularities of "OSes" that are built around linux kernel - so expect the support for native "linux version" to be minimal for most of the titles that even attempt that for years to come.

[Davidian1024]

Everything MehJeb  said is true.

For example, I've been running KSP2 on Ubuntu 20.04 since day 1 of early access.  It only worked under Proton Experimental (at the time the version seemed to be 7.0-101).  That was with no launch parameters.  And the performance seemed as good as what people on Windows were getting with hardware similar to mine.  I also saw the same performance improvements Windows players were seeing after both patches.

Now that Valve has released Proton 8.0, I'm able to get the game running under this new Proton version, but I have to go through a convoluted process to start it because the launcher crashes.  But then I saw on protondb.com that someone had no issues running it under Pop OS under Proton 8.

Now, it's also true that Windows is not completely homogeneous.  There are different versions of Windows too.  And I think Valve can probably point the devs of the different games to their usage stats for help on what version of Linux to target.

[Ruedii]

The Launcher frequently crashes, still.  Many times when the launcher self-patches, it will crash on load every time you try to play the game. Usually the only workaround is to uninstall and reinstall the game.  Typically, this happens when the launcher patches itself wrong.

It has come to my attention that Windows users are experiencing similar issues as well, so it might not be entirely Proton related, so much as just a problematic launcher that keeps shipping bad patches to itself and getting itself stuck in an unusable state.  Sometimes said patches only affect proton users, sometimes they affect some Windows users with certain configurations as well, sometimes they affect everyone.

It really is problematic.   If Private Division can't get the launcher in working order, I really think that Intercept Games needs to find some way to either skip the launcher altogether (Private Division might not like this) or set it to run in a silent mode by default to reduce bug exposure by executing fewer functions in the launcher. (This may be their only option.)

They need to file a feature request to allow users to "not show launcher" and just have it log you into the Private Division account, if you have provided login data or your steam account is linked, and then just chain-load the game without showing anything.  Ideally it should chain-load the game first in silent mode, then log you in while the game initially loads, before passing the login token to the game and self-quitting.   Ideally it can leave a DLL loaded for functions used by the game once the game actually uses some of its functions for things like multiplayer.