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Gothic II

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
(Redirected from Gothic 2 Gold Edition)
Gothic II
Gothic II cover
Developers
Piranha Bytes
Publishers
2002-2011 JoWood Productions
2011-2016 Nordic Games
2016-present THQ Nordic
Retail Atari
Retail (Russia) Akella
Engines
ZenGin
Release dates
Windows November 29, 2002
Reception
Metacritic 79
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase, Expansion pack
Modes Singleplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives Third-person
Controls Direct control
Genres RPG, ARPG
Themes Fantasy
Series Gothic
Gothic II on HowLongToBeat
Gothic II on IGDB
Gothic II guide on StrategyWiki
Gothic II on MobyGames
Gothic II on Wikipedia
Gothic
Gothic 2001
Gothic II 2002
Gothic 3 2006
Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods 2008
Arcania: Gothic 4 2010
Arcania: Fall of Setarrif 2011
Gothic Playable Teaser 2019
The Chronicles of Myrtana: Archolos (unofficial mod) 2021
Gothic 1 Remake TBA

General information

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

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
CD key
SecuROM and SVK Protector DRM disc check.
Windows
Amazon.com
DRM-free
Gold Edition also available.
Windows
GamersGate
DRM-free after installation (requires an internet connection during installation)
Gold Edition also available.
Windows
Gamesplanet logo.svg
Icon overlay.png
Gold Edition.
Windows
GOG.com
DRM-free
Gold Edition.
Windows
Green Man Gaming
Icon overlay.png
Gold Edition.
Windows
Humble Store
Icon overlay.png
Gold Edition.
Windows
Steam
DRM-free after installation through Steam client (notes may include more details)
Gold Edition. Player-Kit and SystemPack (version 1.8) included since November 2021. "Classic" version (lacking "Night of the Raven") available in launcher since November 2022.[1] Doesn't require Steam after installation.
Windows
A German demo can be downloaded here. Copy the download link on the page into the browser if it does not work.

Version differences

The Gold Edition is a complete edition which includes the Night of the Raven expansion.

Monetization

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
Night of the Raven Included with the Gold Edition. Not available separately for some languages (e.g. English).
Windows

Essential improvements

Patches

The latest retail patches for the German version are Patch v1.30 for the base Gothic II and Add-on Patch 2.6 for the Night of the Raven expansion. All English versions and German digital distribution versions already include the latest patches.

Gothic II Fix (Report-Version)

Special version of executable, that allows more detailed error logs and compatibility with community mods on digital versions of the game, that are using 2.7 patch.

Player-Kit

The Player-Kit is required for playing mods.
Install Player-Kit[2]
  1. If you are using a disc version ensure you have the latest patch (see Patches).
  2. Download and install the Player-Kit from the link above.
  3. Mods can now be installed. The in-game version number is changed to 2.6.
Gothic will now show a mod selector window when launched; to have a shortcut launch the unmodded game directly, change it to point to GothicMod.exe instead of Gothic.exe.

SystemPack

Gothic ½ — SystemPack is a fan-made patch that introduces many fixes and features necessary to fix compatibility issues on modern systems. Requires Gothic II Fix (Report-Version) and Player-Kit.

Union (SystemPack 2.0)

Alternative version of the SystemPack called Union (also referred to as SystemPack 2.0) provides additional bug fixes and engine improvements, including improved performance, steam overlay support and 64-bit patch for x64 systems.

It is advised to use Union over the above SystemPack as the latter is no longer developed.
Already contains the above Gothic II Fix (Report-Version) and Player-Kit in its installation (Union Primary Universal Patch).
Install Union (SystemPack 2.0)
  1. Download and install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2010.
  2. Download and install the "Union Primary Universal Patch" from the link above.
  3. Download and install Union (SystemPack 2.0) from the link above.
  4. Launch the game.
If Union is properly installed, its version will appear on the right side of the main menu.
Alternative option for download through Steam Workshop.

GRawInput

Completely fixes the mouse by adding raw input support.

Spine Management Tool

Spine is a simple, however with the advent of Union, now outdated, modification manager that allows you to easily install the D3D11 renderer and other useful tools via a database tab, as well as pre-emptively installing the Systempack for either game and updating the games to the proper patch version.

Setting up Spine
  1. Download the .exe and install it in any desired place in its own folder.
  2. Start the tool, and direct it to Gothic's installation folder. Tick the Steam box to the right of the directory if using the Steam version. Spine also has a auto-detect function right below the directories.
  3. The manager will download the basic necessities for the installed games by default, like the Player-Kit and SystemPack. It also features Ninja for inter-mod compatibility and will automatically enable it if you tick mods that require it.

Notes:

You can now browse the database tab for other mods or tools and easily install them on the go.
The library tab will act as your game launcher and allow you to launch different mods without affecting the base game installation. Patches and tools you can enable/disable will appear on the right side.
You do not need to make an account unless you're interested in the community-related features that do not have a direct impact on the game.

Skip intro videos

Change playLogoVideos setting[2]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Edit gothic.ini.
  3. Change playLogoVideos=1 to playLogoVideos=0
  4. Save your changes. The game will now go directly to the main menu when launched.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\system\GOTHIC.INI[Note 1]
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/39510/pfx/[Note 2]

Save game data location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\Saves\[Note 1]
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/39510/pfx/[Note 2]

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
GOG Galaxy
Steam Cloud

Video

Video settings.
Video settings.

Widescreen resolution

Gothic II only natively supports 1280x720, 1280x768, 1280x800, and 1440x900.
The SystemPack makes the game Hor+ instead of Vert- and lists most widescreen resolutions.
Use widescreen mod (recommended method)[3]

Use SystemPack.

Notes

Characters may look fat/thin after changing the resolution. Save and load the game to correct this.
Set resolution manually (alternate method)[3]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Edit Gothic.ini
  3. Change extendedMenu=0 to extendedMenu=1
  4. Set zVidResFullscreenX= and zVidResFullscreenY= to the width (X) and height (Y) of your resolution.
  5. Save your changes and launch Gothic II.
NPCs may look fat in widescreen resolutions. Talking to an NPC will fix this until the next time you load a save.

Windowed

Task-switching may cause repeated Tab input when you return to the game (simply press Tab again to make it work normally).
Task-switching during video cutscenes will crash the game (there are only a few of these).
Change zStartupWindowed setting[2]
  1. Run the game at least once.
  2. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  3. Edit gothic.ini
  4. Change zStartupWindowed=0 to zStartupWindowed=1
  5. Change scaleVideos=1 to scaleVideos=0 (otherwise videos render in the corner of the screen).
  6. Save your changes.

Borderless fullscreen windowed

See Windowed for the limitations of this mode.
Set up borderless fullscreen windowed mode[citation needed]
  1. Install the SystemPack.
  2. Set zStartupWindowed=1 in <path-to-game>\system\Gothic.ini (see Windowed).
  3. Set your desktop resolution in-game. Gothic II should now display as a fullscreen borderless window.

Anisotropic filtering (AF)

Set zTexAnisotropicFiltering in Gothic.ini[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open Gothic.ini
  3. Change zTexAnisotropicFiltering=0 to zTexAnisotropicFiltering=1 and save your changes.
This is only an on/off setting; if it doesn't work or you want a higher setting, force it in the graphics card control panel.

Anti-aliasing (AA)

Set zVidEnableAntiAliasing in Gothic.ini[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open Gothic.ini
  3. Change zVidEnableAntiAliasing=0 to zVidEnableAntiAliasing=1 and save your changes.
This is only an on/off setting; if it doesn't work or you want a higher setting, force it in the graphics card control panel.
Forcing a higher setting in the graphics card's control panel may cause black videos (sound but no picture).

Input

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
See Mouse sensitivity.
Mouse input in menus
No cursor; buttons and wheel work but can't change settings.
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Set in Options, Game Settings, Invert camera.
Controller
Controller support
Very limited support available; see Controller support.
Full controller support
Controller remapping
Can't map camera controls or axes.
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion
Set in Options, Game Settings, Invert camera.
Controller types
XInput-compatible controllers
PlayStation controllers
Generic/other controllers
Button prompts
Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M

Mouse sensitivity

Set zMouseRotationScale in Gothic.ini[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open Gothic.ini.
  3. Change zMouseRotationScale to your desired value and save your changes.

Controller support

Set enableJoystick in Gothic.ini[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open Gothic.ini.
  3. Change enableJoystick=0 to enableJoystick=1 and save your changes.

Notes

Some axes are not detected and some inputs cannot be set to controller axes, e.g. camera controls.

Audio

Audio settings.
Audio settings.

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
SFX and music.
Surround sound
Set Speakers to Surround.
Subtitles
Enabled by default; set in Options, Game Settings.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
EAX support
Set sound provide to Creative EAX 2. Hardware accelerated DirectSound3D and EAX2 (on compatible sound cards with restoration software like ALchemy or 3D SoundBack) isn't available until the fix is applied.
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
French
German
Italian
Audio only available on GOG.com (added on September 20, 2017)
Polish
Russian
Spanish
Available on Steam, not on GOG.
Improved fan translation by Clan Dlan, download. Also for Night of the Raven, download.

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Notes
LAN play
Online play
Use Gothic Multiplayer mod for multiplayer (requires the expansion).

Connection types

Type Native Notes
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Dedicated server software available for Windows and Linux.
Self-hosting
Direct IP
gmp:// URLs do not connect to IP addresses.

VR support

3D modes State Notes
Nvidia 3D Vision
See Helix Mod: Gothic 2 [DX11].
vorpX
G3D
Included in DGVoodoo2 Default Profile.
Note: Profile may not work with the latest wrapper, in case of issues please report to the vorpx forum.

Issues fixed (Windows)

Black videos (sound but no picture)

This is caused by forcing anti-aliasing in the video card control panel.
Disable video card anti-aliasing[citation needed]
  1. Open the graphics card control panel.
  2. Set anti-aliasing to Application-Controlled.
  3. Apply the changes.
Disable video scaling[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Edit gothic.ini
  3. Change scaleVideos=1 to scaleVideos=0
  4. Save your changes. Videos will now display centred.

Window border visible in fullscreen mode

Gothic and Gothic II show a window border in fullscreen mode on Windows 8 and later.
The GOG.com version already includes alternative fix.[4]
Apply the fix[citation needed]
  1. Install the SystemPack.
  2. Both Gothic and Gothic II will now enter display correctly in fullscreen mode (you do not need to restart your computer).
Instructions[citation needed]
  1. Use dgVoodoo 2 or DDrawCompat

Low frame rate in fullscreen mode

Gothic II has frame rate issues in fullscreen mode on Windows 8 and later.
Apply necessary fixes[citation needed]
  1. Install the SystemPack.
  2. Gothic II should now have the correct frame rate in fullscreen mode.
Instructions[citation needed]
  1. Use dgVoodoo 2 or DDrawCompat

"C: maximum texture size is lower than 32" error

This error happens if Gothic II isn't able to automatically change to 32-bit color mode.
Change zVidResFullscreenBPP setting[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Edit gothic.ini
  3. Change zVidResFullscreenBPP=16 to zVidResFullscreenBPP=32
  4. Save your changes and run Gothic II again. It should now be able to select the resolution correctly.
If it still can't detect your resolution, try setting it manually (see Widescreen resolution).
Instructions[citation needed]
  1. Use dgVoodoo 2 or DDrawCompat

Can't Alt+Tab (GOG.com)

The GOG.com version prevents task switching to avoid some potential issues (e.g. crashing during FMV cutscenes).
Remove GOG.com fix[citation needed]
  1. Open Programs and Features (appwiz.cpl).
  2. Find and remove the GOG.com Gothic 2 entry.
  3. If you are using Windows 8 or later, install the SystemPack.
  4. Gothic II will now allow you to task switch at any time.

Constant Tab input after Alt+Tab

After task switching the game may constantly repeat Tab input; press Tab again to stop this.

Mods can't find Gothic II

Some mods expect the game executable to be called Gothic2.exe.
Copy Gothic.exe to Gothic2.exe[citation needed]
  1. Go to the installation folder.
  2. Go into system
  3. Make a copy of Gothic.exe.
  4. Rename the copy to Gothic2.exe.
  5. The mod installer should now see the game correctly.

Notes

Some mods require running the game with Gothic2.exe.

Camera spins uncontrollably

Disable display scaling[5]

Disable display scaling on high DPI settings.

Game reverts back to Miles Fast even after EAX restoration software is installed

Gothic II doesn't see dsound.dll wrapper from EAX restoration software.
Create pre.load file, which orders game to load dsound.dll wrapper[6]
  1. Open Notepad.
  2. Write exactly dsound.dll to document.
  3. Save the document exactly as pre.load to <path-to-game>\System\
  4. Launch game as Administrator, change sound provider to Creative EAX 2 and quit. Launch game again and check if sound provider is still the same.

Notes

Users with SystemPack installed have to change FixMss=1 to FixMss=0 in SystemPack.ini configuration file. SystemPack uses own implementation of restoring surround sound, which is purely software and because of that EAX restoration software won't make effect if FixMss is set to 1.

Black screen on startup

Restart computer instead of shutting it down (fast startup related issue).[citation needed]

The game does not start

Analyse wait chain
  1. Open Task Manager.
  2. Find Gothic2.exe on the list and expand it.
  3. Right-click on every child object that belongs to the process and click on "Go to details".
  4. In the Details tab, right-click on the highlighted element and click on "Analyse Wait Chain".
  5. If there are elements on the list, select them and kill the process.

Notes:

Most common programs causing issues are logitechg_discord.exe (Discord applet for Logitech Gaming Software),Setpoint.exe (program of Logitech) and nvcontainer.exe (part of Nvidia Experience).
If you do not want to do this process every time you start the game, you must simply deactivate the conflicting process or uninstall the program from the conflicting process.

Crash on launch on Intel iGPUs (12th Gen CPU and later)

Use Gothic LegacyAltRenderer
Compared with D3D11 Renderer below, it's DX9 renderer providing better performance than stock renderer, and it's more friendly for low-end configurations - without more demanding graphic effects like in DX11 renderer.

Issues fixed (Linux)

No music (Steam version)

Install dmusic
  1. Install protontricks according to your distribution
  2. Open terminal
  3. Run: protontricks 39510 dmusic

FMV playing but not shown (Steam version)

Easiest fix is to run Gothic2.exe directly form the file system with vanilla Wine and not though Proton
Install dgVoodoo2
  1. Download the latest release of dgVoodoo2
  2. Extract the archive
  3. Copy all DLLs from within <dgVoodoo2 archive>/MS/x86/ into <SteamLibrary>/steamapps/common/Gothic II/system/
  4. Add as Steam launch options: WINEDLLOVERRIDES="d3d8,d3d9,d3dimm,ddraw=n" %command%
This will port the game from Direct3D 7 to Direct3D 11 and allow Proton to use DXVK with the game which then fixes the presentation of all cut scenes

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 7 Fan-made D3D11 renderer available here.
Shader Model support 1 Shader Model 5 requires fan-made D3D11 renderer available here.
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Audio Miles Sound System 6.5e
Cutscenes Bink Video 1.5v

D3D11 Renderer

D3D11 Renderer replaces Gothic II's old DX7 API with a new DX11 one that improves compatibility on new systems and provides additional features e.g. higher quality shadows.

Install D3D11 Renderer
  1. Download and install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2022.
  2. Download D3D11 Renderer from the link above.
  3. Extract contents of downloaded archive into <path-to-game>\system\ folder.
  4. Launch the game.
D3D11 Renderer's configuration menu can be accessed in-game by pressing F11.
Alternative option for download through Steam Workshop.

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 98
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium II 400 MHz
Intel Pentium III 700 MHz (Steam)
System memory (RAM) 256 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 2.6 GB
5 GB (Steam)
Video card (GPU) 32 MB of VRAM
DirectX 8.1 compatible


Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).
  2. 2.0 2.1 File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data (use Wine regedit to access Windows registry paths). Games with Steam Cloud support may store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/39510/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (39510) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.

References

  1. Happy Anniversary, Gothic 2! - last accessed on 2022-11-29
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Verified by User:Suicide machine on August 13, 2016
  3. 3.0 3.1 Gothic II | WSGF
  4. gog.com - last accessed on May 2023
  5. Gothic 2 (classic) Camera spins uncontrollably
  6. SystemPack thread