claude-home/gaming/troubleshooting.md

Gaming Troubleshooting Guide

Quick Fixes by Issue Type

Game Won't Launch

1. Check Proton Version: Try GE-Proton10-11 or Proton 8.0-5
2. Verify Paths: Ensure CUSTOMCMD points to correct executable
3. Disable STL: Test with vanilla Proton first
4. Check Dependencies: Ensure required libraries are installed

Performance Issues

1. Enable GameMode: USEGAMEMODERUN="1"
2. Check DXVK Settings: Ensure ESYNC/FSYNC are enabled
3. Monitor GPU Usage: Use MangoHUD to identify bottlenecks
4. Adjust GameScope: Try different scaling options

Audio Problems

1. Increase Latency: STL_PULSE_LATENCY_MSEC="120"
2. PipeWire Fix: PIPEWIRE_LATENCY="256/48000"
3. Disable Audio Acceleration: In game settings
4. Check Audio Device: Ensure correct output selected

Display Issues

1. GameScope Resolution: Match native monitor resolution
2. Fullscreen Toggle: Try Alt+Enter in-game
3. Disable Compositing: Temporarily for testing
4. Check Graphics Drivers: Ensure latest NVIDIA drivers

Ready or Not Specific Issues

Menu Freeze / Mods Menu

Symptoms: Game freezes when accessing mods or certain menus Solution:

# Add to environment variables
PROTON_SET_GAME_DRIVE="1"

EasyAntiCheat Issues

Symptoms: Game won't start or kicks you from servers Solution:

# Add to game arguments
GAMEARGS="-noeac"

Note: This disables EAC and prevents online play

Black Screen on Launch

Symptoms: Game launches but shows black screen Solutions:

1. NVIDIA Driver Issue:

   # Try forcing NVIDIA GPU
   __NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD=1
   __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia
   

2. GameScope Issue:

   # Disable GameScope temporarily
   USEGAMESCOPE="0"
   

Performance Stuttering

Symptoms: Frequent frame drops or stuttering Solutions:

1. Enable DXVK Async:

   DXVK_ASYNC="1"
   

2. Force Large Address Aware:

   PROTON_FORCE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE="1"
   

3. Limit Frame Rate:

   # In GameScope args
   GAMESCOPE_ARGS="-W 3440 -H 1440 -r 240 -f --immediate-flips --rt --fps-limit-method=2 --"
   

NVIDIA-Specific Troubleshooting

GPU Not Detected

1. Check Driver Installation:

   nvidia-smi
   lspci | grep -i nvidia
   

2. Verify Vulkan Support:

   vulkaninfo | grep deviceName
   

3. Force NVIDIA in STL:

   USEPRIMERUN="1"  # If on hybrid graphics
   

DLSS Issues

Enable DLSS Support:

PROTON_ENABLE_NVAPI="1"
USEDLSS="1"
PROTON_HIDE_NVIDIA_GPU="0"  # Don't hide GPU from game

Ray Tracing Problems

Enable Ray Tracing:

USERAYTRACING="1"
STL_VKD3D_CONFIG="dxr11"

Configuration File Locations

Steam Tinker Launch

• Global Config: ~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/global.conf
• Game Configs: ~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/gamecfgs/1144200.conf
• Logs: ~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/logs/

Proton/Steam

• Compatdata: ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1144200/
• Game Install: ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Ready Or Not/

Emergency Recovery

Reset Game Configuration

# Backup current config
cp ~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/gamecfgs/1144200.conf ~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/gamecfgs/1144200.conf.backup

# Reset to minimal config
cat > ~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/gamecfgs/1144200.conf << 'EOF'
USEGAMEMODERUN="1"
USEPROTON="GE-Proton10-11"
GAMEARGS="-noeac"
EOF

Clean Proton Prefix

# Remove compatdata (Steam will recreate)
rm -rf ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1144200/
# Launch game to regenerate prefix

Verify Game Files

1. Open Steam
2. Right-click Ready or Not
3. Properties → Local Files → Verify integrity

Testing Methodology

Systematic Testing

1. Vanilla Test: Disable all STL settings
2. Minimal STL: Add only essential settings
3. Incremental: Add one setting at a time
4. Document: Record what works/doesn't work

Performance Testing

1. Baseline: Test without any modifications
2. With STL: Test with recommended settings
3. Compare: Use MangoHUD to compare frame rates
4. Optimize: Adjust settings based on results

Common Error Messages

Error	Cause	Solution
"Failed to initialize graphics"	Driver/GPU issue	Update NVIDIA drivers
"EasyAntiCheat timeout"	EAC conflict	Add -noeac argument
"Access violation"	Memory issue	Enable PROTON_FORCE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE
"Vulkan initialization failed"	DXVK issue	Try PROTON_USE_WINED3D="1"

Hardware-Specific Notes

High Refresh Rate Monitors

• Ensure GameScope refresh rate matches monitor
• May need to limit frame rate for stability
• Test with vsync on/off

Multiple Monitors

• Specify primary display in GameScope
• May need to disable secondary monitors during play
• Check for focus issues

HDR Displays

• Enable DXVK_HDR="1" if supported
• Verify game supports HDR output
• May conflict with GameScope HDR

Useful Commands

Check Running Game Process

# See game processes and GPU usage
nvidia-smi
ps aux | grep -i "ready\|proton"

Monitor Performance

# Real-time GPU monitoring
watch -n 1 nvidia-smi

# STL logs
tail -f ~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/logs/steamtinkerlaunch.log

GameScope Debug

# Launch with GameScope debug
gamescope --debug -- steam steam://rungameid/1144200