Try New Technology

Below are the basic steps:

1. In Steam use the “Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library…” to target the installer file (.exe).
2. Before launching the game, right-click on the game and select Properties.
3. Compatibility tab select “Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool” (doesn’t look like you can change this after the fact)
4. Close the Properties and run (Play) the installer. The game should fully install within Proton (D:OS2 DE had an error at the end, but still ended fine and runs).
5. Use the Properties menu again to set an icon (.png or ,tga) and name the game correctly (ie “Divinity – Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition (GoG)”)
6. Enjoy!

EXTRAS:
If you need to access the “C” drive of the Proton install of this game the folder location will be in “~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/[appid]/pfx/”

• NOTE: If you need to put any save files inside of the Documents folder, then use the “steamuser” (ie “~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/[appid]/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/”)

If you need to load something else into the games prefix (ie DLC, Patch, etc.) then you can do the following:

1. In Steam use the “Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library…” to target the installer file.
2. Before launching the game, right-click on the game and select Properties.
3. Compatibility tab select “Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool” (doesn’t look like you can change this after the fact)
4. Close the properties
5. Open Properties again and this time add the following to the “LAUNCH OPTIONS” field: STEAM_COMPAT_DATA_PATH=”~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/[appid]” %command%”
6. Close Properties (mine wouldn’t close, but I could still click the Play button and the DLC installer I was running worked fine)
7. Remove the install from your Steam Game Library list

NOTE: This was on Manjaro KDE running the latest version of Steam. I would expect it to be mostly/exactly the same on other distros.

I recently moved my main workstation over to using Solus Budgie. Well I’m loving it, but one issue I found was playing some of my Steam games that were Windows only. I installed and tried to use PlayOnLinux and Lutris to load Grim Dawn or EverQuest 2 and the WINE containers they built would never work and have different issues. So in the long-run I just used PlayOnLinux to install Steam and then from inside of that copy of Steam (ie the Mono WINE) I have been downloading/installing my Windows only games.

EverQuest 2 – I had to set it to Extreme Performance to make it play smooth, but it does play smooth.
Grim Dawn – I cranked the setting pretty much up to max (2K resolution; fullscreen) and that is also a great play.
…I’ll update this list with any other Windows-only games I try this way, but so far it looks like most/all will work.

NOTE: Not to bash on Lutris or PlayOnLinux as I think both are great, but limited by Windows-only games.

Dropping these links here so I will hopefully use them myself and maybe others that find this site will follow them to learn something (more) about Programming. I haven’t really looked into these links very far so do your own research as you start to learn.

CodeCombat – Learn how to code by playing a game – https://codecombat.com/
Games for programmings | CodinGame – http://www.codingame.com/start
Scratch – Imagine, Program, Share – http://scratch.mit.edu/
Learn to code | Codecademy – http://www.codecademy.com/
Learn | Code.org – http://code.org/learn
CS50: Introduction to Computer Science | edX – https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-computer-science-harvardx-cs50x#.VNYLwvnF_0c
List of free programming books and guides – https://github.com/vhf/free-programming-books/blob/master/free-programming-books.md
Bento | Learn to code the way professionals do – https://www.bento.io/

Last thing is I actually pledged to a Kickstarter project for the first time. I think the concept of Kickstarter is great and I figure it would only be a matter of time till well know developers would come to the community and offer to make the games they love and they know so many people love if only the fans would essential “pre-pay.” I have read time and time again how so many great game ideas never see the light of day because the Publishers and/or financial backers of a studio won’t pay for the new and untried IP. Well it seems as though Obsidian Entertainment finally did exactly what I was waiting for with adding their own Kickstarter project of Project Eternity! Please if you love Fantasy-RPG back them and help reach their $3.5 Million goal (top end goal they have right now)! Personally I took the $25 for now, but might be kicking it up to the $65 for the free digital download plus a box version! I’m big into digital downloads for games (ie Steam!), but sometimes a box copy is still awesome :) Will just have to see if I can ford the extra $40 or not…