I’m switching over my business PC to Linux because I’ve had it with Microsoft. But I’m maintaining my Windows gaming box (for now at least till Valve releases Steam OS for PC’S).
So anyone had any luck with AOE4 and Mint?
Using steam with proton I can play most games in my library. There are some issues with desync in multiplayer though. It was enough for me to play it exclusively on windows. Singleplayer had no issues though.
Desync is an issue even on Windows
Linux desyncs consistently within the first 15 minutes of any multiplayer match, no matter the conditions.
I’ve had 3 total desyncs on windows in the last year.
It’s nowhere near the same issue.
Edit:
Let me break down why it is an issue.
Multiplayer works using microsoft visual c++ dlls as a backbone. It requires that you set these up for it to work. Windows has these by default, they are microsoft products. Linux can be configured to work with them.
The steam deck runs on linux. Every time the steam deck os updates you have to redo the entire process to set it up correctly again. That was my experience with this issue.
It is possible, but requires a significant level of effort, and even then can generate unpredictable errors.
The desync error occurs when information fails to pass between clients in a multiplayer match. This happens with linux because it does not (by default) have the required files to pass the handshake.
You can learn more about how to set it up here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/128vwuf/how_to_fix_age_of_empires_4_multiplayer_desync/
Sidenote: they have been patching issues with linux functionality, recent patch notes mentioned fixing a desync bug seen on steam deck. I still run into it on linux, so I’m not sure what it was they fixed (patch notes tend to be nebulous)
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Have the desync issue got better after 3 months? I don’t play aoe4 but do play aoede, I guess the desync issues are the same between all those aoe games.
What I observed is that if I don’t change anything, just steam with proton and install aoede, then it goes out of sync in about 15 minutes. It’s not like the cases on the internet that the game goes out of sync very soon after start. Your post is the first one I saw which mentioned the 15 minutes.
Is it be all good after you putting in those windows dlls? Thanks.
After following the steps listed in that reddit post I didn’t experience desyncs in AoE 4. I can’t speak to the other titles, it was a little experiment I wanted to try on my steam deck, but it’s worth a shot!
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