ValveSoftware / ValveSoftware/Proton

Starforce legacy game support

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#5,004 4 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

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Feature Request
Dominant language
C++
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Forks
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Description

Feature Request

I confirm:

  • that I haven't found another request for this feature.
  • that I have checked whether there are updates for my system available that
    contain this feature already.

Description

Proton should add support for installing (external) games with (legacy) 'Starforce copy protection'

Justification

Proton dev team obviously greatly relies on contributions from Codemasters, which is a game vendor, that's been using this technology in the past and should have the knowledge of how to make it work in Proton/Wine. Probably also still has helpful connections to Starforce.

Without supporting Starforce, it already has, or will become impossible, to play older, but still worthwile titles, such as 'Worms 4 Mayhem', due to EoL'd native operating system versions (e. g. Windows 98 or XP).

For the mentioned title, it's possible to install it in Wine 6.x and also the corresponding Starforce driver, but when trying to run the game, 'Worms 4 Mayhem' will repeat to ask to finishing the Starforce driver installation by 'restarting Windows'.

Since Codemasters is involved with Proton, they might also opt for a probably simpler and more sensible approach, by releasing Starforce removal patches, for legacy games in question and an option in Proton, to manually run and install executables / patches.

Risks

Might require introducing (at least in parts) malicious, trojan-like features to the Proton / Linux environment.
But then again, Steam probably also already does (VAC, data profiling).

References [optional]

Contributor guide

No contributing guide indexed for this repository

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

The issue names no source files, tests, or entry points. Start by reproducing the Worms 4 Mayhem installation and Starforce driver restart behavior described in the report, then investigate how Proton handles external legacy installers and drivers. Done would mean a defined and tested way to install and run affected Starforce-protected games without requiring obsolete Windows versions.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
operating-systems
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
20/100

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