Steam Deck GWX SH3

Cain77 · 04-15-24, 11:22 AM

Hi all,
Recently got back into SH when I got a Steam Deck and realised you can play it pretty easily if you tinker with the controller config a bit (having the Steam magnify feature mapped to a button helps a lot!).
I wanted to share my experiences with the Steam Deck and the mods, so that it might help others as I couldn't find that much information myself.

SH3
I have the steam version which works fine as is (I use the force compatiblity to proton 8 on mine). As I said, with a bit of configuration of the various buttons and pads etc you can have a decent amount of control. You won't need the 1.4b patch that gets mentioned sometimes.

I've unsuccessfully tried a few of the supermods (but some of this might be because I'm learning the linux side of things as I go) however, I now have GWX working great. Here's what worked for me (through a lot of trial and error and note that it looks like a lot of faff but isn't actually too bad once you get into it!) -

1. Install SH3 from Steam (I put it on my SD card rather than the deck's internal HD). Check force compatiblty in Properties and select latest proton (i've tested it with 4.11 and 8 and they both seem fine). I also set the res to 1024 x 724 (I've not got into the HD res fixes or anything yet...). This assumes a clean install - you will have to find the SH3 folder and savegame folders to delete them if you've got a previous install.

2. Run SH3 once and start a sub school mission just to test (it also creates the save game folder which is in another weird linux file path)

3. Copy the GWX installer, Steam Fix & 4GB fix exes to the steam deck. I put the GWX exe in downloads folder and the other two patches went into the SH3 folder, which is, in my case, my external SD card (the path will be something like primary/steamapps/common/Silent Hunter 3/ you should be able to find it from the SH3 properties in steam or using the file browser in desktop mode) I don't know what those two patches really do but until I did this step I could never get the GWX career to start from 1st Flot/1939. It always CTD. It worked from other career start points though so maybe it was Kiel related or something? But I wanted to start a career in the little 11A so I was detirmined to fix it

4. Install Bottles and Flatseal from Discover in desktop mode. These are needed to run exes (specifically JSGME & the two patches).
5. Start Flatseal, select Bottles. Scroll down and select "All user files".
If you have a MicroSD, enter into the box right below "All user files": /run/media/mmcblk0p1.
6. Start Bottles, go to Preferences, scroll down to Integrations and select "Steam Proton Prefixes".
7. After restarting Bottles, your installed games should show up as Bottles on the "Your Bottles" page in a "Steam Proton" section.
8. Select Silent Hunter3, dismiss the "Missing runner" message, if you get that. Click the big blue button Run Executable..., navigate to Steam Fix.exe to run that file. Point it to the SH3 folder where the SH3 exe is.
9. Also in bottles, run the 4gb fix using the same procedure.

10. In Steam, add non-steam game, point it to the GWX.exe. Once added to the library, right click and force compatabilty mode to Proton 8 again.
11. Launch GWX.exe through Steam. Should run through the regular installation process, when it asks for the SH3 folder, you need to point it to your SH3 folder where the SH3.exe is.
12. Run bottles and run JSGME.exe (in that same SH3 folder you found earlier).
13. JSGME should run for the first time (you can add any of the optional GWX mods at this point should you want).
14. You are now good to run GWX, if you run SH3 from Steam it should work fine (you'll see the GWX loading screen if it all went well)

15. Using desktop mode you can copy mods to the MODS folder in the SH3 folder. Run bottles then JSGME to add or remove mods. I added bottles as a non-steam game so you can launch it from Game Mode as well as the regular desktop mode. I've been experimenting with mods and a lot of them seem to work fine. Some of the gfx ones didn't (MEP6 etc) but I've not tinkered with them much so it's not necessarily impossible to get them working.

That's as far as I've got. It's running fine and I'm loving it. One thing that I've not cracked yet is getting SH3 Commander working. I've copied it to the SH3 folder, ran it but it complains about not finding the .cfg file (which is I think because of the weird linux file path that is used for the saved games).
That's where I gave up (for now...).
If anyone knows how this obstacle can be overcome, please let us know

SH4
I've not played this quite as much but it's a bit simpler.
I've installed SH4 through steam (force compat to proton) and also ran TMO Overhauled which is working great. Other than chucking some extra music in the gramophone folder I've not done much else yet.

SH5
Not tried but watch this space....

Rebel · 04-16-24, 09:50 AM

Aktungbby · 04-16-24, 10:52 AM

Cain77!

a very Ably written first post!

Tigershark624 · 04-25-24, 02:01 PM

Have you tried to run SH3 Commander with Linux? I have SH3 and GWX installed on my Linux system via Steam. When I run SH3 Commander it asks for the SH3.exe folder (even when installed in the Steam SH3 folder). My Steam is installed in a .steam folder and for whatever reason SH3 Commander can't see any folder with a . before it. I tried copying the SH3.exe from the Steam folder into the SH3 Commander folder but then the game won't launch. If anyone knows a workaround for this I'd truly appreciate some insight.

Hooston · 04-26-24, 12:37 AM

I run the CD issue from Fedora Linux using Wine. No issues with anything, including mods and SH3 commander. It is a pain installing mods and SH3 commander because you have to run patching tools and the like via wine and keep switching between Linux and Windows / and \.

I think there's a Linux howto for the Steam version on the Steam silent hunter III discussion page somewhere.
From memory you have to copy EVERYTHING to do with SH3 out of the .steam folder and run it from a new location on your virtual C drive. I would think somewhere like ~/.wine/drive_c/Program\ Files\ \(x86\)/SH3. Unlike real modern windows Wine does not have a security issue using Program Files (x86) .

You can put SH3 commander where you want under ~/.wine/drive_c , it will ask where sh3.exe is and you have to tell it where in the Wine file structure, e.g. 'c:\Program Files (x86)\SH3'. Don;t forget to modify the sh3 data files as required by SH3 commander.

...I think. Look at the Steam discussions!

blackswan40 · 04-26-24, 02:55 AM

Hi Cain77 ive sent you a PM this may help you get SH3 and SH3 Commander mod installed on your steamdeck
to reply to my PM look under you name on the top right of screen click on Private Messages and reply.

Kind Regards blackswan40

Cain77 · 04-26-24, 10:41 AM

@blackswan40 replied thanks!

@Tigershark624 yeah that sounds like the issue I've encountered with trying to get SH3 commander working on the steam deck
@Hooston thanks for the guidance, I will look into that (I've not touched Wine so that'll be my first step).

Re:SH3 Commander, if I'm correct, I think it'll be possible to run it fine on the steam deck (using the 'non-steam' install approach). However, a possible spanner (from a personal point of view at least) is that running a non-steam game on the steam deck might mean that I can't use the steam deck controller configuration feature. I hope I am wrong though as having to hook up a mouse and keyboard would ruin the experience for me.
One of the things I'm liking about SH3 on the steam deck is the portability (I have gotten into the habit of taking the steam deck to bed, putting it on tc1, and falling asleep listening to the sounds of the waves, atmosphere and gramophone music as I travel from Kiel or throwing it in my bag and checking in on things on the commute to work etc) so hopefully I can find a way to keep all the controller mappings working. If I need to use a keyboard, I may as well just play it on my pc tbh.

But I let you know my findings, I just have to find some time to look at it, I'm having too much fun just playing it at the moment (patrol 7 now, early 1940, still in a type II)

Tigershark624 · 05-14-24, 10:10 AM

Update: I've reinstalled SH3 via Steam to a different folder and now, mysteriously, I'm not getting any visuals. Steam says the game is running and I hear the intro music but no picture. This is plain SH3 with no mods. I've tried running under Proton 9, 8 and 7. I even tried Proton 6 but it couldn't initialize the 3D engine. Any thoughts or ideas? Running Linux Mint 21.3. The odd thing is, it worked the first time I ran it but now, kaput.

Cain77 · 07-08-24, 03:54 PM

Update:

Got completely sidetracked in my first career (now sadly ended by DCs in Jan 42 on my 20th patrol). Now embarking on a new patrol with full manual ship ID'ing and targetting (and plotting etc.) as I ended up leaning on the WO a bit too much during my first career to the point where it wasn't feeling quite as satisfying scoring torp hits (also my tonnage was a bit OTT though that was helped by sinking HMS Hood in Scarpa Flow and a Revenge class in open waters).
Anyway, some further things to add regarding steam deck usage.

- a lot of mods work fine (some of the environment ones were acting strange, MEP6, for instance). I've been using a modsoup of modified h.sieGUI/EDE/GUC/MFM/FM new int v1/FM30 updown/Dfa Flags&Pens not to mention a lot of small gameplay mods.

- the only mod that I can't get working correctly that I wanted was Aces Super Pens. For some reason it all worked apart from the shells of the sub pens were invisible(!). All the other details and models were there though. Tried just installing that mod alone and no dice so it doesn't seem to be a conflict with any other mod.

- the advanced controller configuration for the steam deck is great for SH3. You can do really handy things like have one button cycle through different key commands. So I have one of the back button things cycle between closing and opening torpedo tube doors. Another button cycles through each of the station views, etc. It also works with combo keys too (so raising and lowering fully a periscope for instance). Really worth spending the time to set it all up to your liking so you can rely less on the icons and mouse control aspects.

-steam deck sleep mode is robust. Rather than save midpatrol, I just put the deck to sleep when I've finished a session. It only crashed once in 20 (long) patrols. I've even left it on unattended x1 TC for long periods with no issues (only early war in low-risk areas).

- mod-related, I found WinMerge worked fine in the steam desktop mode when executed via Bottles. Really handy for tweaking configs/merging small mods etc.

-SH3 Commander, still not given up on this but didn't try installing during my career as I didn't want to mess it all up. And now I couldn't resist starting a new career so it might be a while before I try it again. Thinking after this career, I will do a SH4 career then SH5 then maybe see if WAC supermod works on steam deck and do one of them. Eventually I'd like to get SH3 Commander up and running though one day...

-other supermods (Onealex, LSH3, NYGM...) basically any of them that have a built-in widescreen mod didn't work (either incorrectly displayed or more commonly the 3d error dialog box). I think this is to do with needing to get Linux to use the DX.dll file that comes with the mod rather than the default one. I think it's possible but have not sussed it out yet (probably some launch option command is needed?). I think this is the only obstacle to getting them working (apart from ones that also need SH3 Commander!).

@Tigershark624: I'm not much use (not very Linux-savvy) I'm afraid. The 3d engine error is the same as I had when trying the widescreen supermods. It basically happens with me if the steam deck tries to launch SH3 in any screen res other than the default one (1024x768 or something like that?).
As yours was working fine before I can only think that there's some leftover file or setting causing it. Full wipe of the install might be required to be sure? (is there a Linux equivalent of registry cleaning?) Sorry I can't be more helpful and hope you get up and running again soon (if not already!).

Hooston · 07-08-24, 04:53 PM

I've been running SH3 with old versions of GWX and NYGM and SH3 commander for a few years using Wine on Fedora Linux at various resolutions. I've also had OneAlex running briefly but I do not own a PC that's fast enough to get anything better than a slideshow.
Windows used to automatically default to using any dll files in the same directory as the executable over the system dll's. Wine does not do this by default. This feature is used by some mods such as widescreens. To get widescreen mods working in Wine you have to run winecfg, select the Libraries tab and tell Wine to override d3d9 to (native, builtin).

If the display resolution and refreshrate settings in <SH3 directory>/d3d9.ini are not supported by your display you will get the dreaded "cannot initialize 3d" error. You may need to tweak this file. Refreshrate=false turns off the refreshrate check, which can help greatly.

I think SH3 commander also needs you to override msvcp71 and msvcr71.

Not sure what the Proton equivalent of all this is.

04-15-24, 11:22 AM	#1
Cain77 Nub Join Date: Apr 2024 Location: UK Posts: 3 Downloads: 131 Uploads: 0	Steam Deck GWX SH3 Hi all, Recently got back into SH when I got a Steam Deck and realised you can play it pretty easily if you tinker with the controller config a bit (having the Steam magnify feature mapped to a button helps a lot!). I wanted to share my experiences with the Steam Deck and the mods, so that it might help others as I couldn't find that much information myself. SH3 I have the steam version which works fine as is (I use the force compatiblity to proton 8 on mine). As I said, with a bit of configuration of the various buttons and pads etc you can have a decent amount of control. You won't need the 1.4b patch that gets mentioned sometimes. I've unsuccessfully tried a few of the supermods (but some of this might be because I'm learning the linux side of things as I go) however, I now have GWX working great. Here's what worked for me (through a lot of trial and error and note that it looks like a lot of faff but isn't actually too bad once you get into it!) - 1. Install SH3 from Steam (I put it on my SD card rather than the deck's internal HD). Check force compatiblty in Properties and select latest proton (i've tested it with 4.11 and 8 and they both seem fine). I also set the res to 1024 x 724 (I've not got into the HD res fixes or anything yet...). This assumes a clean install - you will have to find the SH3 folder and savegame folders to delete them if you've got a previous install. 2. Run SH3 once and start a sub school mission just to test (it also creates the save game folder which is in another weird linux file path) 3. Copy the GWX installer, Steam Fix & 4GB fix exes to the steam deck. I put the GWX exe in downloads folder and the other two patches went into the SH3 folder, which is, in my case, my external SD card (the path will be something like primary/steamapps/common/Silent Hunter 3/ you should be able to find it from the SH3 properties in steam or using the file browser in desktop mode) I don't know what those two patches really do but until I did this step I could never get the GWX career to start from 1st Flot/1939. It always CTD. It worked from other career start points though so maybe it was Kiel related or something? But I wanted to start a career in the little 11A so I was detirmined to fix it 4. Install Bottles and Flatseal from Discover in desktop mode. These are needed to run exes (specifically JSGME & the two patches). 5. Start Flatseal, select Bottles. Scroll down and select "All user files". If you have a MicroSD, enter into the box right below "All user files": /run/media/mmcblk0p1. 6. Start Bottles, go to Preferences, scroll down to Integrations and select "Steam Proton Prefixes". 7. After restarting Bottles, your installed games should show up as Bottles on the "Your Bottles" page in a "Steam Proton" section. 8. Select Silent Hunter3, dismiss the "Missing runner" message, if you get that. Click the big blue button Run Executable..., navigate to Steam Fix.exe to run that file. Point it to the SH3 folder where the SH3 exe is. 9. Also in bottles, run the 4gb fix using the same procedure. 10. In Steam, add non-steam game, point it to the GWX.exe. Once added to the library, right click and force compatabilty mode to Proton 8 again. 11. Launch GWX.exe through Steam. Should run through the regular installation process, when it asks for the SH3 folder, you need to point it to your SH3 folder where the SH3.exe is. 12. Run bottles and run JSGME.exe (in that same SH3 folder you found earlier). 13. JSGME should run for the first time (you can add any of the optional GWX mods at this point should you want). 14. You are now good to run GWX, if you run SH3 from Steam it should work fine (you'll see the GWX loading screen if it all went well) 15. Using desktop mode you can copy mods to the MODS folder in the SH3 folder. Run bottles then JSGME to add or remove mods. I added bottles as a non-steam game so you can launch it from Game Mode as well as the regular desktop mode. I've been experimenting with mods and a lot of them seem to work fine. Some of the gfx ones didn't (MEP6 etc) but I've not tinkered with them much so it's not necessarily impossible to get them working. That's as far as I've got. It's running fine and I'm loving it. One thing that I've not cracked yet is getting SH3 Commander working. I've copied it to the SH3 folder, ran it but it complains about not finding the .cfg file (which is I think because of the weird linux file path that is used for the saved games). That's where I gave up (for now...). If anyone knows how this obstacle can be overcome, please let us know SH4 I've not played this quite as much but it's a bit simpler. I've installed SH4 through steam (force compat to proton) and also ran TMO Overhauled which is working great. Other than chucking some extra music in the gramophone folder I've not done much else yet. SH5 Not tried but watch this space....

04-16-24, 09:50 AM	#2
Rebel Machinist's Mate Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 126 Downloads: 77 Uploads: 0	wow that is __________________

04-16-24, 10:52 AM	#3
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 28,594 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	Welcome aboard! Cain77! a very Ably written first post! __________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe"

04-26-24, 12:37 AM	#5
Hooston Planesman Join Date: Jun 2020 Posts: 190 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	Complicated but it all works I run the CD issue from Fedora Linux using Wine. No issues with anything, including mods and SH3 commander. It is a pain installing mods and SH3 commander because you have to run patching tools and the like via wine and keep switching between Linux and Windows / and \. I think there's a Linux howto for the Steam version on the Steam silent hunter III discussion page somewhere. From memory you have to copy EVERYTHING to do with SH3 out of the .steam folder and run it from a new location on your virtual C drive. I would think somewhere like ~/.wine/drive_c/Program\ Files\ \(x86\)/SH3. Unlike real modern windows Wine does not have a security issue using Program Files (x86) . You can put SH3 commander where you want under ~/.wine/drive_c , it will ask where sh3.exe is and you have to tell it where in the Wine file structure, e.g. 'c:\Program Files (x86)\SH3'. Don;t forget to modify the sh3 data files as required by SH3 commander. ...I think. Look at the Steam discussions!

04-26-24, 02:55 AM	#6
blackswan40 LSH-2022 Liaison Officer Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: IN THE STEEL SHARKS VIRTUAL OCEAN Posts: 2,578 Downloads: 594 Uploads: 30	Hi Cain77 ive sent you a PM this may help you get SH3 and SH3 Commander mod installed on your steamdeck to reply to my PM look under you name on the top right of screen click on Private Messages and reply. Kind Regards blackswan40 __________________ LSH3 DOWNLOAD - LSH3 VIDEOS YOUTUBE - TUTORIALS by THEBERBSTER

04-25-24, 02:01 PM	#4
Tigershark624 A-ganger Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 75 Downloads: 139 Uploads: 0	Have you tried to run SH3 Commander with Linux? I have SH3 and GWX installed on my Linux system via Steam. When I run SH3 Commander it asks for the SH3.exe folder (even when installed in the Steam SH3 folder). My Steam is installed in a .steam folder and for whatever reason SH3 Commander can't see any folder with a . before it. I tried copying the SH3.exe from the Steam folder into the SH3 Commander folder but then the game won't launch. If anyone knows a workaround for this I'd truly appreciate some insight.

04-26-24, 10:41 AM	#7
Cain77 Nub Join Date: Apr 2024 Location: UK Posts: 3 Downloads: 131 Uploads: 0	@blackswan40 replied thanks! @Tigershark624 yeah that sounds like the issue I've encountered with trying to get SH3 commander working on the steam deck @Hooston thanks for the guidance, I will look into that (I've not touched Wine so that'll be my first step). Re:SH3 Commander, if I'm correct, I think it'll be possible to run it fine on the steam deck (using the 'non-steam' install approach). However, a possible spanner (from a personal point of view at least) is that running a non-steam game on the steam deck might mean that I can't use the steam deck controller configuration feature. I hope I am wrong though as having to hook up a mouse and keyboard would ruin the experience for me. One of the things I'm liking about SH3 on the steam deck is the portability (I have gotten into the habit of taking the steam deck to bed, putting it on tc1, and falling asleep listening to the sounds of the waves, atmosphere and gramophone music as I travel from Kiel or throwing it in my bag and checking in on things on the commute to work etc) so hopefully I can find a way to keep all the controller mappings working. If I need to use a keyboard, I may as well just play it on my pc tbh. But I let you know my findings, I just have to find some time to look at it, I'm having too much fun just playing it at the moment (patrol 7 now, early 1940, still in a type II)

05-14-24, 10:10 AM	#8
Tigershark624 A-ganger Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 75 Downloads: 139 Uploads: 0	Update: I've reinstalled SH3 via Steam to a different folder and now, mysteriously, I'm not getting any visuals. Steam says the game is running and I hear the intro music but no picture. This is plain SH3 with no mods. I've tried running under Proton 9, 8 and 7. I even tried Proton 6 but it couldn't initialize the 3D engine. Any thoughts or ideas? Running Linux Mint 21.3. The odd thing is, it worked the first time I ran it but now, kaput.

07-08-24, 03:54 PM	#9
Cain77 Nub Join Date: Apr 2024 Location: UK Posts: 3 Downloads: 131 Uploads: 0	Update: Got completely sidetracked in my first career (now sadly ended by DCs in Jan 42 on my 20th patrol). Now embarking on a new patrol with full manual ship ID'ing and targetting (and plotting etc.) as I ended up leaning on the WO a bit too much during my first career to the point where it wasn't feeling quite as satisfying scoring torp hits (also my tonnage was a bit OTT though that was helped by sinking HMS Hood in Scarpa Flow and a Revenge class in open waters). Anyway, some further things to add regarding steam deck usage. - a lot of mods work fine (some of the environment ones were acting strange, MEP6, for instance). I've been using a modsoup of modified h.sieGUI/EDE/GUC/MFM/FM new int v1/FM30 updown/Dfa Flags&Pens not to mention a lot of small gameplay mods. - the only mod that I can't get working correctly that I wanted was Aces Super Pens. For some reason it all worked apart from the shells of the sub pens were invisible(!). All the other details and models were there though. Tried just installing that mod alone and no dice so it doesn't seem to be a conflict with any other mod. - the advanced controller configuration for the steam deck is great for SH3. You can do really handy things like have one button cycle through different key commands. So I have one of the back button things cycle between closing and opening torpedo tube doors. Another button cycles through each of the station views, etc. It also works with combo keys too (so raising and lowering fully a periscope for instance). Really worth spending the time to set it all up to your liking so you can rely less on the icons and mouse control aspects. -steam deck sleep mode is robust. Rather than save midpatrol, I just put the deck to sleep when I've finished a session. It only crashed once in 20 (long) patrols. I've even left it on unattended x1 TC for long periods with no issues (only early war in low-risk areas). - mod-related, I found WinMerge worked fine in the steam desktop mode when executed via Bottles. Really handy for tweaking configs/merging small mods etc. -SH3 Commander, still not given up on this but didn't try installing during my career as I didn't want to mess it all up. And now I couldn't resist starting a new career so it might be a while before I try it again. Thinking after this career, I will do a SH4 career then SH5 then maybe see if WAC supermod works on steam deck and do one of them. Eventually I'd like to get SH3 Commander up and running though one day... -other supermods (Onealex, LSH3, NYGM...) basically any of them that have a built-in widescreen mod didn't work (either incorrectly displayed or more commonly the 3d error dialog box). I think this is to do with needing to get Linux to use the DX.dll file that comes with the mod rather than the default one. I think it's possible but have not sussed it out yet (probably some launch option command is needed?). I think this is the only obstacle to getting them working (apart from ones that also need SH3 Commander!). @Tigershark624: I'm not much use (not very Linux-savvy) I'm afraid. The 3d engine error is the same as I had when trying the widescreen supermods. It basically happens with me if the steam deck tries to launch SH3 in any screen res other than the default one (1024x768 or something like that?). As yours was working fine before I can only think that there's some leftover file or setting causing it. Full wipe of the install might be required to be sure? (is there a Linux equivalent of registry cleaning?) Sorry I can't be more helpful and hope you get up and running again soon (if not already!).

07-08-24, 04:53 PM	#10
Hooston Planesman Join Date: Jun 2020 Posts: 190 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	incantations for widescreen and SH3 commander I've been running SH3 with old versions of GWX and NYGM and SH3 commander for a few years using Wine on Fedora Linux at various resolutions. I've also had OneAlex running briefly but I do not own a PC that's fast enough to get anything better than a slideshow. Windows used to automatically default to using any dll files in the same directory as the executable over the system dll's. Wine does not do this by default. This feature is used by some mods such as widescreens. To get widescreen mods working in Wine you have to run winecfg, select the Libraries tab and tell Wine to override d3d9 to (native, builtin). If the display resolution and refreshrate settings in <SH3 directory>/d3d9.ini are not supported by your display you will get the dreaded "cannot initialize 3d" error. You may need to tweak this file. Refreshrate=false turns off the refreshrate check, which can help greatly. I think SH3 commander also needs you to override msvcp71 and msvcr71. Not sure what the Proton equivalent of all this is.