Running "Crusader: No Regret" (Good Old Games) on Linux Mint with Lutris & DOSBox

[ImpulsiveEye]

OS: Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon
Video Game Preservation Platform: Lutris 0.5.14 (Flatpack)
Emulator: DOSBox v0.74-3 (Debian)

Initially, I installed "Crusader: No Remorse" (GOG) and played through all of it with no issues. Then, I installed "No Regret" and it also seemed to be working, until I tried to save my game to one of the save slots. The game would throw the following error message output followed by an abrupt exit of the application.

No Pity. No Mercy. No regret.
====================================
Halted file FILE\FILE.C, line 61
Unable to create file. Error #3

After a fair amount of troubleshooting, I discovered the solution. See, the "No Remorse" (GOG) installation automatically creates a SAVEGAME folder in the game's dir. However, the "No Regret" (GOG) installation does not. So, I manually created a SAVEGAME folder in the game's dir. Problem solved.

However, through the course of my troubleshooting, I discovered something else. Either Lutris or GOG (not sure who) inserted a Lutris-specific .config file named dosboxREGRET_lutris.config and Lutris was referencing this as its "Main File". I later discovered this .config file made the game run with a slightly smaller video mode, so it was not as full-screen, 4:3 as you can get on a 16:9 aspect ratio screen. To resolve this, I discovered some proprietary DOSBOX .config files in the game's __support dir and I mimicked the way Lutris was configured for "No Remorse". I've attached a screenshot to show you what to do to fix this as well.



1. In Lutris, right-click the game and select Configure.
2. Go to the Game Options tab and make the following changes.
-Main File: /home/user/Games/gog/crusader-no-regret/__support/app/dosboxREGRET_single.conf
-Configuration File: /home/user/Games/gog/crusader-no-regret/__support/app/dosboxREGRET.conf
-Working directory: /home/user/Games/gog/crusader-no-regret/DOSBOX
3. Run the game and you should now have true full screen in the 4:3 aspect ratio.

That's it! I just wanted to share this solution with the community as I'm sure someone else, at some point, will run into this obscure problem and be scratching their head.

For anyone wanting to run Good Old Games titles using Lutris and/or DOSBox on their own Linux system, please see the following links and I suggest making your "Games" dir as follows: /home/user/Games with "Create and delete files" Folder access for Owner, Group, etc. permissions.

GOG Games on Linux Guide: https://itsfoss.com/play-gog-games-linux/
Lutris Download: https://lutris.net/downloads?ref=itsfoss.com
DOSBox (Linux) Download: https://www.maketecheasier.com/play-old-dos-games-in-linux/

 

[Keenan]

I created the Lutris scripts for the Crusader games. I believed I set those to use openglpp as the rendering to be pixel perfect sizing, but DOSBox Staging, which (previously, when I used it), recently removed the openglpp/texturepp options, so that might explain the smaller size. You can also use the "auto" version of the Lutris installer which just uses all the basic settings that GOG put into place.

I don't really like Lutris, so I don't use it anymore.

 

[ImpulsiveEye]

I created the Lutris scripts for the Crusader games. I believed I set those to use openglpp as the rendering to be pixel perfect sizing, but DOSBox Staging, which (previously, when I used it), recently removed the openglpp/texturepp options, so that might explain the smaller size. You can also use the "auto" version of the Lutris installer which just uses all the basic settings that GOG put into place.

I don't really like Lutris, so I don't use it anymore.

Great, and thank you so much! I'm relatively new to retro gaming on modern systems, especially alternative OS types, so this provides some valuable insight.

I'm not 100% on this, but you're probably right in that I installed the DOSBOX | GOG version (instead of the AUTO | GOG(Auto) version) as it would have been at the top of the installation options; and as experience has taught me, if you're not sure what to install, just go with whatever is listed first or pre-selected. Then, Next, Next, Finish, and hope for the best.

I'm curious, are you more a fan of the ScummVM approach (I'm just beginning to scratch the surface of this as well) as opposed to Lutris, or do you know of a better Video Game Preservation Platform to serve as a native "GoG Galaxy" desktop client alternative?

 

[Keenan]

I use the eXoDOS version of the game to play. (To be honest, I haven't really played Crusader in at least a decade.) What I'd personally do if that option wasn't available to me is I'd extract the files from the GOG version and set up DOSBox myself as GOG doesn't offer a Linux installer of the game. It's pretty easy to make 'portable' DOSBox that can follow you to any computer and it will always work.

 

[ImpulsiveEye]

I use the eXoDOS version of the game to play. (To be honest, I haven't really played Crusader in at least a decade.) What I'd personally do if that option wasn't available to me is I'd extract the files from the GOG version and set up DOSBox myself as GOG doesn't offer a Linux installer of the game. It's pretty easy to make 'portable' DOSBox that can follow you to any computer and it will always work.

Thanks for the tip! I'll check out eXoDOS and maybe some of the other eXo projects. Cheers and thanks for all that you do!