Posted November 02, 2024
If you have a Raspi, you already know, you CAN play all the classic (original CD & GOG) Bioware/BlackIsle BG/IWD and Planescape Torment games on it 'natively' (without Box86/WINE), using GemRB (which is available for many diff platforms). Much, like you can run the 'Enhanced' Beamdog versions on your Mac and Android phones/tablets.
THE PROBLEM:
The current 64-bit Raspian OS (RPI4/400/5) though throws errors with IWD and IWD2 (older BG1 works, as is).
I spent over six hours yesterday searching for solutions and trying to make it work.
There is an incompatibility issue with the Debian/Raspian repo's older GemRB version and also older default Python 3.11. The GemRB Linux version is only available as an AppImage (incompatible with ARM/Raspi). Updating and compiling latest stable Python 3.13 did not work for compiling gemrb from source neither. The persisting bug seems to be a Unicode error. Trying to run any game (except BG) makes GemRB report a 'fatal error' and closes.
SOLUTION:
In the end, it was as simple as:
1. downloading the latest GemRB 0.9.3 source tarball version
2. copy-pasting only the new py-scripts from the GUIScripts folder to the existing older version already installed (/usr/share/gemrb). No need for header files or compiling anything.
Suddenly, all the games will start. Icewind Dale 2 on a below 10 Watt Raspi, pushing pixels to a big screen.
________
If only more games would run on ARM natively ...
Half my 2000+ PC games back catalog can run on low-power hardware. I know this, because I am pushing them on a x86-ARCH Windows/Linux MiniPC (15Watt Intel Alder-Lake-N).
I COULD run them on my RTX cards and draw 300 Watts per frame on my 'proper' Gaming PCs. The question is: why would I want to do that? "The right tool for the right task" etc, etc.
THE PROBLEM:
The current 64-bit Raspian OS (RPI4/400/5) though throws errors with IWD and IWD2 (older BG1 works, as is).
I spent over six hours yesterday searching for solutions and trying to make it work.
There is an incompatibility issue with the Debian/Raspian repo's older GemRB version and also older default Python 3.11. The GemRB Linux version is only available as an AppImage (incompatible with ARM/Raspi). Updating and compiling latest stable Python 3.13 did not work for compiling gemrb from source neither. The persisting bug seems to be a Unicode error. Trying to run any game (except BG) makes GemRB report a 'fatal error' and closes.
SOLUTION:
In the end, it was as simple as:
1. downloading the latest GemRB 0.9.3 source tarball version
2. copy-pasting only the new py-scripts from the GUIScripts folder to the existing older version already installed (/usr/share/gemrb). No need for header files or compiling anything.
Suddenly, all the games will start. Icewind Dale 2 on a below 10 Watt Raspi, pushing pixels to a big screen.
________
If only more games would run on ARM natively ...
Half my 2000+ PC games back catalog can run on low-power hardware. I know this, because I am pushing them on a x86-ARCH Windows/Linux MiniPC (15Watt Intel Alder-Lake-N).
I COULD run them on my RTX cards and draw 300 Watts per frame on my 'proper' Gaming PCs. The question is: why would I want to do that? "The right tool for the right task" etc, etc.
