Transgaming's WineX

Section: 

Introduction
“What's this cheery singing all about?”

     Gaming under Linux used to have very few options.  Either someone compiled their game for Linux, most of the time rewriting the underlying code in the process, or you played one of the various free Linux games out there.  Think Solitare or Freecell with uglier graphics and you've got the idea.  A few companies did use the first option, most notably id Software and the late Loki.  However, 5 games doesn't make a viable alternative to Windows, just ask anyone with a Mac *rimshot*.

     So, somebody sat down at a hypothetical desk and asked, hypothetically of course, “On the exact same machine, with the exact same hardware, all PC games can run under Windows, what's it going to take to get it to run under Linux?

Here's where WineX enters. Read on ...What WineX Does
Â"Going through the motions, walking through the partÂ"

     WineX is based on Wine, which basically sits underneath a program, waiting until it asks Windows to do something.  Wine intercepts this, and does whatever the program asks in Linux instead.  Then some magic happens, possibly with elves, and presto, a Windows application runs under Linux.  WineX is specifically designed to handle Windows games, handling buzzwords like Direct3D, DirectSound and DirectPlay under Linux with all the transparency of a marketing executive.  In theory.

Point2Play
Â"And I'm the reason that you're standing stillÂ"

     When you buy a WineX subscription (more on that later), you get two pieces of software.  Point2Play and WineX.  WineX is the part discussed above that actually does the work.  WineX is called from the command line, like your grandpappy used to do.  Point2Play, however, is supposed to be a way to use WineX by clicking on pretty things, a GUI, no typing needed.  Notice the supposed, and fear it.

     Now Point2Play sounds fine in theory, I am a major advocate of pretty things to click on.  It is supposed to fill two functions; letting you install games from the CD under Linux and letting you add shortcuts to already installed games.  Then you can use the shortcuts the installer generated, or the ones you generated manually.

       Under my tests, neither worked.  At all.  It wasn't that they worked poorly, or were buggy - nothing happened.  It seems this is somewhat common, from looking at their message boards.  I was using Point2Play 1.1, and to its credit some people reportedly got it working.  Functionality is going to be expanded in future versions as well, by allowing you to run shell scripts from the icons and expanding support for generating your own shortcuts to games.  So, while in the future this may be the way to use WineX, right now I can't recommend it.


     Also, green?  Ick.

WineX
Â"The same old trips, why should we care?Â"

     At this point, you're probably thinking, Â"Gee Pyro, another Linux application that fails to live up to it's potential, that's mighty saucy. I say, I might have to remove my monocle.Â"  Well to that I'd have to point out, old bean, we've only covered half of the software included.  WineX is the command line tool and it actually works.  From the command line I used WineX to install games, run them and even patch them.  Older games, newer games, full on 3D fragfests and 2D classics.  Let's take a closer look at the results.

Successes
Â"It's magic I can tellÂ"

     One of the first things to remember about Transgaming is that they work on games based on popularity.  If the game you want to play is popular, there's a good chance it works under Linux.  BF1942, Warcraft 3, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and Half-Life all work under Transgaming's WineX.  Less popular games, however, can still work.

     My machine is running Red Hat 9, with an Nvidia Geforce 4 Ti4400, and the Nvidia Linux Graphics Drivers.  Several games on my hard drive worked perfectly with no tweaking at all, such as JediKnight I & II, Soldier of Fortune 2, Homeworld, Quake 3 (Windows version, silly), Myth: The Fallen Lords, and Grim Fandango.  

     Some games worked with issues, the most common being font related, i.e. fonts too small or too large.  Myth II v1.4 worked, but there was no cursor.  It also wouldn't support 3D acceleration because it used Direct3D instead of OpenGL for 3D acceleration.  This was a common problem among the games that worked.

     Occasionally you have to get a little down and dirty with configuring WineX to get a game to work, but instructions can be found in their forums if you are willing to look.  It may take some effort, but there are some games that won't work initially that will end up working fine.

  

Click here to view the rest of the WineX 3.1 gallery!

Failures
Â"Plus, some customers just die combustingÂ"

     That was only about half the games I tried. Some didn't work at all, such as Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield, No One Lives Forever 2, and Age of Mythology, just to name a few.  

     The upside to this though is that for any given game, you can go to the Transgaming support forums (discussed later) to see if it works.  Each game is given a Â"Working RatingÂ" from 0 to 5.  Each of the games I listed above has a rating of 0, so you know before you buy just exactly what you're getting.

Guidelines for Success
Â"And why you come to be with me, I think I finally knowÂ"

     There are a few guidelines I have found that will help you predict whether or not your game will be supported.  First, if the game is popular there's a much better chance that it works with WineX, because of the voting system explained below.  Second, if the game uses OpenGL or software mode, you will have a much better chance of getting it working than if it uses Direct3D.  OpenGL can be used natively under Linux, as can 2D software modes, whereas Direct3D has to be translated to OpenGL before it can be used.  Third, if your game uses the same engine as several other games that helps too.  All of the Quake 3 engine games I tested worked flawlessly.  Finally, and most important, check the forums.  If you really want to play a game under Linux, check the forums on Transgaming's website and see if it works.  You can tell almost immediately whether or not you're going to be able to get it working.

Support
Â"What can't we face if we're together?Â"

          One of the best parts of the Transgaming subscription is the support.  You can get on their support forums and see if the issue you're currently having has been resolved.  Unless your game just came out, or was just patched, there's a very good chance your question has already been asked.  Usually the issue will have a fix or workaround suggested by someone in the forums.  Sometimes you learn that it just won't work, but at least you know so that you don't spend hours on end smacking the keyboard, hoping and praying something will randomly make the game work.

     My only problem with their forums is the lack of a search feature. It would be a simple addition that would expand the usefulness of the forums tenfold.

     Another part of the WineX subscription is the voting process.  You can vote on what games get worked on by the development team next, so a game that is very popular becomes useable under Linux much faster than obscure games, as was already mentioned.

Pricing/Subscriptions
Â"So what do you say, why don't we dance awhile?Â"

     Transgaming isn't free, mainly because it includes proprietary software such as CD copy protection software SafeDisc.  Instead of charging you for the software, they charge you for a subscription.  With the subscription you get the software to download but you also get support from the development team, and the ability to vote on games to get the development team to work on them.  Free upgrades to the software are also included.  A subscription is $5 a month, with a minimum three month commitment.  

Conclusions
Â"Say you're happy now, once more with feelingÂ"

     Right now, WineX is the best solution for gaming under Linux.  It has the largest library of games to choose from and only has room to grow.  As the WineX software gets better, the library will only get larger.  Anything you buy for Windows now may be supported by it in the future as well, so you don't have to buy new games for it.  It isn't perfect, by any means, but it's the best shot there is and works for most popular games.  Don't expect everything to work - occasionally a little elbow grease will be required - but if you are using Linux and want to play games, it is definitely worth a look.  If you've been hanging onto Windows to cling to your Battlefield 1942 matches, WineX is something you need.  It isn't reason enough by itself to switch to Linux but if you want to switch for other reasons, it will fill some of your gaming cravings without rebooting into Windows.  It's definitely a start.

- Pyroman[FO]

Comments

Great article Pyro! I was planning to fall asleep about half-way through the review like I do with most Linux-related things but I found it both interesting and entertaining.

You get TWO loaves of bread this month for your hard work, I'll even see if I can convince Elysium to ease up on your daily beatings.

Very cool article, Pyro. I'm only using Linux on an old laptop that was pretty much too weak to run Win98. However, lack of game support was always preventing me from switching over on my big desktop. And I've never really been into the multiple personality computer where you have to switch between operating systems depending on what you felt like doing next. Thanks for the review!

Wow...their website really hates my I.E 6.0

Stupid Linux users...

I try Linux everytime a big Distro comes out.. I'm ready to give Mandrake yet another shot..most of the time I last about 2-3 weeks before I get frustrated and re-install XP.

It's not that I don't enjoy sticking it to the man...because..I do. But with real life causing so many headaches on a daily basis the last thing I need is computer headaches and I seem to get them more with Linux than XP.

But I try every now and then..hopefully one day It will stick.  This app would help...does it really work with BF1942?

Yes, from what I understand WineX 3.1 fully supports BF1942 now, and is quite popular under Linux with it.

Hmm... nice! Now how about some thin for the Mac...

heh, I didn't notice at first, but all your subtitles are lines from the Buffy episode "Once More With Feeling" . . . nice touch

Pyro:

The SEARCH feature you asked for already exists.  You need to look at the top of the website in the right corner.  There is even a check box to search each section such as Forums, Games, FAQ, and News.

Hope this helps you in some way.

Cheers,

-p0z3r