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Saints Row 2

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Revision as of 08:42, 22 November 2020 by Suicide machine (talk | contribs) (Wait a sec... it obviously will be conflicting with right stick - both are targeting the same actions. It's left stick and buttons that it should not conflict with.)
Saints Row 2
Saints Row 2 cover
Developers
Volition
Windows CD Projekt Black[1]
Linux Virtual Programming
Publishers
THQ
Deep Silver
Release dates
Windows January 5, 2009
Linux April 14, 2016[2]
Reception
Metacritic 72
IGDB 81
Saints Row 2 on HowLongToBeat
Saints Row 2 on IGDB
Saints Row 2 guide on StrategyWiki
Saints Row 2 on MobyGames
Saints Row 2 on Wikipedia

Warnings

GameSpy online services have been shut down (see Network for solutions).
Saints Row
Saints Row 2 2009
Saints Row: The Third 2011
Saints Row IV 2013
Saints Row: Gat out of Hell 2015
Saints Row: The Third Remastered 2020
Saints Row 2022

Key points

Many recommended mods add new features and fix some bugs. See Mods.
Reports indicate this title is a poor port.[3][4]
The GOG.com version contains a 30 FPS limit, which can be removed. See High frame rate.
An upcoming performance patch is planned, bringing enhancements and all DLC to the PC version.[5]

General information

GOG.com Community Discussions for game series
GOG.com Support Page
Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Linux
Amazon.com
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Windows
Linux
Gamesplanet logo.svg
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Linux
GOG.com
DRM-free
Windows
Green Man Gaming
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Linux
Humble Store
DRM-free
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Steam
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Linux
The German version of the game is heavily censored and will not work with mods and tools.[6] German copies are also not available for Linux.[7]

Downloadable content (DLC)

DLC was never released as the port developers dropped support for PC and never patched the game further.

Essential improvements

Timing related issues

Depending on the speed of your CPU, Saint's Row 2 can run at either double or triple the intended speed.
Fix timing issues (Command Prompt)
  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator
  2. Copy and paste this line: bcdedit /set useplatformclock true
  3. Restart your computer
Use Saint's Row 2 Powertools[citation needed]
  1. Extract the contents into <path-to-game>
  2. Run install.cmd as administrator
  3. Edit Powertools.ini and set speed value
  • percentage = 1.0 - default value and results in no change
  • percentage = 0.78 - game runs at 78% speed

Determining the right value

  1. Install the stopwatch test
  2. Follow the instructions in the readme file

Notes

This method is generally not recommended anymore; use only if above fix doesn't work
Powertools will only work correctly with the GOG.com and Steam versions

Mods

Gentlemen of the Row Super Mod

Gentlemen of the Row offers bonus content with over a hundred new items, music, and customization options in-game, as well as tweaks and bug fixes.
Installing Gentlemen of the Row
  1. Extract the contents of the mod into a new folder
  2. Run Create_Custom_GotR_v1.9.2.bat
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions and create a custom configuration
  4. When finished, press P in the main menu to create a patch
  5. The custom patch will be located in MY_CUSTOM_PATCH
  6. Place patch.vpp_pc, preload.tbl, and preload_anim.tbl into <path-to-game>

Notes

In order to play co-op with this mod, you both must have the exact same configuration
Back up the original files before replacing them

SuperUI

Tweaks many aspects of the user interface to be more intuitive.
Ability to purchase clothes and ammo from any crib.
Requires Gentlemen of the Row Super Mod.
SuperUI settings won't save if changed from pause menu.
Installing SuperUI
  1. Open the folder where you extracted Gentlemen of the Row
  2. Open optional_mod_stuff, then 1-MODDERS_-_PUT_YOUR_OWN_PERSONAL_MODS_HERE
  3. Extract the contents of SuperUI into this folder
  4. Open vint_lib.lua with NotePad and change settings if necessary
  5. Run Create_Custom_GotR_v1.9.2.bat and create a new patch

Recommended Settings

SUI_PLATFORM = "PC" - Change this to XBOX360 or PS3 if using a controller
SUI_MODERN_HUD_LAYOUT = false - Disables Saint's Row 3 styled HUD layout
SUI_TUTORIAL = false - Disables tutorial messages

High Quality Radio mod

PC Port of Saints Row 2 has a very poorly compressed audio with quality of 22050 Hz mono.
High Quality Radio mod replaces PC sound banks with high quality sound banks from the Xbox 360 version (32000–44100 Hz stereo).

Skip intro videos

Delete or rename video files[8]
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\Videos
  2. Delete or rename logo_thq_hd.bik and logo_volition_hd.bik

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows %LOCALAPPDATA%\THQ\Saints Row 2\
Linux $XDG_DATA_HOME/volition/saintsrow2/AppData/Saints Row 2/
This game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux.

Save game data location

System Location
Windows %LOCALAPPDATA%\THQ\Saints Row 2\
Linux $XDG_DATA_HOME/volition/saintsrow2/AppData/Saints Row 2/

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
GOG Galaxy
Steam Cloud

Video

Display settings.
Display settings.

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
For unlisted resolutions, use Saints Row 2 Resolution Editor
Multi-monitor
See the WSGF entry.
Ultra-widescreen
See the WSGF entry.
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)
Use Gentlemen of the Row Super Mod.
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Use Borderless Gaming.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Up to 16 samples.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
2x and 4x, unknown method
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS
GOG.com version is capped at 30 FPS;[9] see High frame rate. Over 30FPS, animations and cutscenes can have issues.
120+ FPS
Frame rate is capped at 100 FPS.[10]
High dynamic range display (HDR)
In-game option refers to HDR Rendering, not HDR output display.

High frame rate

The GOG.com version has a forced 30 FPS cap to fix cutscene issues.
Disable frame rate limiter[11]
  1. Go to %PROGRAMDATA%\GOG.com\Galaxy\support\1430740458\1430740458\add\NVI\.
  2. Open Nvidia Inspector and click the button next to the Driver Version.
  3. Type Saints Row 2 in the search filter, go to the bottom and select Frame Rate Limiter.
  4. Click on the rightmost button to change it to its default setting, or select PS_FRAMERATE_LIMITER_DISABLED.
  5. Click on the apply changes button.
  6. Also GOG modded the executable to cap the framerate.[12] You can disable it by downloading this patcher. Copy <path-to-game>\SR2_pc.exe to the patcher's folder, run unlock.cmd which will patch the executable to uncapped one, and copy SR2_pc.exe back to <path-to-game>. The patcher also comes with lock.cmd in case you need to revert the changes.

Input

Control settings.
Control settings.

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
However, mouse can be used on the map to place waypoints.
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Only the 360 controller is officially supported.
Full controller support
Controller remapping
Z-Axis labelled as "Button 11" and "Button 12".
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion
Controller types
XInput-compatible controllers
PlayStation controllers
Generic/other controllers
Additional information
Button prompts
For both prompts you need to use Gentlemen of the Row Super Mod
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M
Mouse conflicts with right stick.

Audio

Audio settings.
Audio settings.

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Sound Effects, Music, Voice.
Surround sound
Outputs to 5.1 speakers but is simply stereo spanned across surround speakers.[13]
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Music begins when a new song starts.

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Simplified Chinese
Czech
Danish
Dutch
French
German
Heavily censored.
Italian
Japanese
Polish
Russian
Spanish
Swedish

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
Local play
LAN play
12 Co-op, Versus
Co-op mode and two Versus modes "Death Tag" and "Cat & Mouse" are limited to 2 players. Other Versus modes are playable for up to 12 players.
Online play
12 GameSpy services have been shut down;[14] see GameSpy for workarounds.

Connection types

Issues unresolved

Multiplayer lobby for Gangsta Brawl and Strong Arm modes boot people out when others join

The network code for Saints Row 2 is extremely sensitive and, when coupled with the speed and timing issues of the game, can forcibly disconnect certain users when others join. The game's PC multiplayer is considered inherently broken with the exception of co-op.

Issues fixed

The Unofficial FAQ hosted on the game's Steam Users' Forum may be helpful in finding fixes for any issues you may be having.

Crashing on startup

Modify settings.dat[citation needed]
The settings.dat file is often the cause and can be found in your saves folder (%LOCALAPPDATA%\THQ\Saints Row 2\settings.dat).
  1. Add the following parameter on startup to force the game to start with default settings: defaults.
  2. Delete the existing settings.dat, and the game will recreate a fresh one the next time it's run. This file only contains video and audio settings like resolution, draw distance, volume, etc.
  3. Download a windowed 800x600 settings.dat here.
Change how the game launches[citation needed]
  1. Go to the installation folder.
  2. Right-click on SR2_pc.exe and choose Properties. On the Compatibility tab, run the program in compatibility mode for Windows XP.
  3. Select "disable visual themes" and "disable desktop composition" options.
  4. Uncheck the Disable all enhancements option in the speaker properties (Control Panel > Sound > Speakers > Properties > Enhancements > Disable all).
  5. Some users have reported that changing the language fixes a bug where the game crashes when a loading screen reaches 60%.
Other solutions[citation needed]
  • Verify integrity of the game cache on Steam.
  • Temporarily disable a second monitor.
  • Remove or disable all non-essential USB devices.
Sometimes the game mistakenly identifies a usb device as a controller which can cause a crash.

Crashing when loading a save

Save often to multiple slots[citation needed]
Crashing on save load is an indication of save corruption or as a result adding or removing mods. A vanilla game and savegames where mods are installed are not compatible.
  • Save manually in a new slot after every mission so the previous save is accessible in the event that the current save corrupts.
This is recommended even with the original vanilla game.

Crashing when starting a new game

Update DirectX[citation needed]
  1. Update DirectX.
  2. Start a new game in windowed mode.
Unplug any controllers[citation needed]

Scroll issue when navigating menus

Scroll Issue when navigating menus[citation needed]
Saints Row 2 has this issue with certain USB devices which are falsely identified as gamepads.
  • Unplug all USB devices except your keyboard and mouse.
  • For Saitek keyboards, temporarily disable this device in Device Manager.
Certain Saitek keyboards install their own HID-Compliant Game Controller entry in Device Manager to enable extra functionality like keystroke macros.

Stuttering

As a result of issues surrounding the original engine, some stuttering may be observed during gameplay due to streaming issues.
Run the game on a faster HDD unit.[15]

The Ronin Mission at the airport (Orange Threat Level) crashes after the middle cutscene

Use the Gentlemen of the Row Super Mod[citation needed]
Skip the cutscene[citation needed]

The Samedi mission loading the van with drugs (Riot Control) is bugged in co-op

This mission cannot be finished in co-op unless in the rare case when the mission initializes correctly at that point.
Use the Gentlemen of the Row Super Mod[citation needed]

Text in the top left of the screen

Disable Powertools OSD[citation needed]
It is likely that the OSD (On Screen Display) for Powertools was accidentally activated which contains game info helpful to modders.
  • This OSD can be toggled on and off with Scroll Lock.

Timeout when trying connect to a co-op game

Open port[citation needed]
Saints Row 2 needs to have the following port open/forwarded for both the host and client: 4200 TCP and UDP.
  • Open port 4200.
  • If there is still a time out, disable Hamachi virtual network adapter and/or open the following ports for both TCP and UDP:
    • 27900 (Master Server UDP Heartbeat)
    • 28900 (Master Server List Request)
    • 29900 (GP Connection Manager)
    • 29901 (GP Search Manager)
    • 13139 (Custom UDP Pings)
    • 6500 (Query Port)
    • 4200 (Game)
  • If it still doesn't work, host a non-password protected game.

In-game sound is in mono or only coming from one speaker

Lower hardware acceleration[citation needed]
  1. Navigate to Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Audio tab > "Advanced..." button in Sound playback section > Performance tab.
  2. Lower Hardware Acceleration to "Basic acceleration".
Dolby sound[citation needed]
  1. Navigate to sound/playback/Dolby.
  2. Make sure the checkbox is ticked.
Audio manager[citation needed]
  1. Navigate to the audio manager.
  2. Change the "default format" from 24-bit, 44kHz (studio quality) to 16-bit, 44kHz (cd quality).
  3. Ensure both L and R analog channels play back.

Objects held by characters in cutscenes are misaligned

Limit frame rate to 60 FPS or below[citation needed]
  1. Use a tool such as Nvidia Inspector for GeForce cards or RadeonPro for Radeon cards to limit the game's frame rate to 60.
  2. If the problem persists, limit it to 59, 58 or 30 frames instead.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 9
Shader Model support 3
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows
Linux

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Physics Havok
Cutscenes Bink Video
Multiplayer GameSpy

Launch Options

By using command line parameters you can force the game to use the specified language or access other features. (List was taken from Gentlemen of the Row Super Mod's Readme files)
Parameter Description
forcelang_en Set language to English
forcelang_de Set language to German
forcelang_fr Set language to French
forcelang_es Set language to Spanish
forcelang_it Set language to Italian
forcelang_nl Set language to Dutch
forcelang_se Set language to Swedish
forcelang_dk Set language to Danish
forcelang_pl Set language to Polish
forcelang_cz Set language to Czech
forcelang_ru Set language to Russian
forcelang_ch Set language to Simplified Chinese
forcelang_jp Set language to Japanese
showfps Show FPS and various debug information during gameplay
2ndmon Force the game to be displayed on the second monitor
defaults Reset settings (graphics, controls, etc)

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) XP, Vista
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium 4 Dual-Core 2.0 GHz
AMD Athlon XP Dual Core
System memory (RAM) 1 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 15 GB
Video card (GPU) Nvidia GeForce 7600
ATI Radeon X1300
128 MB of VRAM
DirectX 9.0c compatible
Shader model 3.0 support
Sound (audio device) DirectX 9.0c compatible
Linux
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) Ubuntu 14.04.3, 15.04, Linux Mint 17.1, SteamOS Brewmaster
Processor (CPU) Intel Core i5-4570T 2.9 GHz
AMD FX-4300 3.8 GHz
System memory (RAM) 4 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 7 GB
Video card (GPU) Nvidia GeForce GTX 460
AMD Radeon HD 6850
1 GB of VRAM


References