Crossover 21.0 Notes – Please read before upgrading from 20.0.4 to 21.0

[Tralfazz]

Today (2021-08-03), Codeweavers released v21.0 of Crossover for Mac. I have performed some testing with Crossover 21.0 and LOTRO under both MacOS 11.5.1 Big Sur and MacOS Mojave 10.14.6 on two different Intel Macs (a 2019 iMac and a 2012 Mac Mini). Everything continues to work well.

The key takeaways from my initial testing:
–If you have a license which offers a free upgrade from Crossover 20.0.4 to Crossover 21.0, and LOTRO is your only concern, there is no reason to wait to upgrade because LOTRO works just as well in 21.0 as it did in 20.0.4 (actually, slightly better, see below). So I recommend you upgrade at your earliest convenience.
–If you currently have a license for Crossover 20.0.4 but are not eligible for a free upgrade to Crossover 21.0, there is – at the moment I am writing this – no compelling reason to pay for an upgrade because the very slight performance enhancements to LOTRO (see below) aren't worth the cost. Not yet, anyway.

To quote the upgrade announcement from Codeweavers:
"One of the more exciting features of Wine 6.0 is the Vulkan backend for wined3d. This feature is on by default on macOS for 64-bit Direct3D 10/11 games if DXVK is not enabled."
I tested this by setting LOTRO to run DirectX 11 (which I always use when I play) and then disabling DXVK to try the new Vulkan backend for wined3d.

The game client ran after I hit PLAY in the LOTRO launcher application but all I got was a red screen in both Full Screen Windowed and Full Screen. The game was running, I could hear all the sound effects, I could even use key commands and use ESCAPE followed by RETURN to quit out of the client. So this did not work for either of my Macs in either Mojave or Big Sur.

The key takeaways from testing Vulkan wined3d:
–It didn't work for my Macs so I toggled my bottle's DXVK BACKEND FOR D3D11 back to checked-on. But...
–...if you have been successfully running LOTRO in Crossover but either couldn't get it to run in DirectX 11 at all or had to switch back to using DirectX 9 because DirectX 11 wasn't working well for you, I suggest you try this yourself. Different Macs have different video cards (or integrated video systems) and different built-in drivers, so my result might be different than your result. And if you can play in DirectX 11 rather than DirectX 9, you should – DirectX 9 is fine but does have a few glitches and can't display certain eye candy effects. I especially recommend that users of Apple SOC Macs (that is, "Apple Silicon" Macs such as those with M1 chips) try this.

I tested various screen modes and resolutions and graphics settings to be sure everything still worked as expected. Everything is the same in Crossover v21.0 compared to Crossover v20.0.4, with one positive exception: In Crossover 20.0.4, if playing in Full Screen mode and then switching to another desktop space or otherwise minimizing the LOTRO client application to the Dock, the game could not be recovered and had to be force-quit. In Crossover 21.0, the game can be run in Full Screen mode and the user can switch to other desktops or otherwise minimize the LOTRO client application to the Dock and the game will properly recover back to Full Screen mode when the wine64-preloader (the WINE wrapper application for the LOTRO client) is clicked in the Dock.

The key takeaway from the screen mode testing:
–This is a very nice improvement! Full Screen Windowed mode still works just fine and there's no really compelling need to switch to Full Screen mode. However, the game will run just a bit smoother/better/with higher framerates in Full Screen mode compared to Full Screen Windowed mode. So while I strongly recommend AGAINST using LOTRO in Full Screen mode under Crossover 20.0.4, it is fine – not necessary, but fine – to use Full Screen mode under Crossover 21.0.

Finally, I will make some recommendations to all Crossover LOTRO users:
1- When MacOS Monterey is released, do not apply it to the boot volume you use when you play LOTRO. Until someone (probably me...) does some testing there will be no way to know if LOTRO will work with Crossover and Monterey. I already know that Crossover 20.0.4 will NOT work under Monterey, Crossover 21.0 also will NOT work under Monterey. Codeweavers is working on a minor point update to Crossover 21 which will get it working under Monterey, at some point in the future but it's not here yet.
2- Don't install the Monterey beta, either – you should never install an OS beta unless you're a developer or are being paid to perform testing. Beta OSes aren't "A special preview just for me? Yay!" They are "This thing isn't ready to be sold/released yet and we need a bunch of dummies willing to waste their time to weed out the bugs for us."
3- If for some reason you need to use MacOS Monterey the moment it comes out and can't wait for good 'ol Tral to test Crossover and LOTRO with Monterey first, at the very least do not install it over your current daily boot volume on which you do your work or play LOTRO. Leave your daily driver boot volume alone! Install Monterey into a new APFS volume or onto an external boot drive, that will allow you to play with it and test things before installing it over your primary boot volume and saying goodbye to Big Sur forever.
4- If you don't want to/can't afford to/just won't for whatever reason upgrade from Crossover 20 to Crossover 21, remember that you must then not upgrade from MacOS Big Sur 11 to MacOS Monterey 12. Crossover 20 will not – ever – work under MacOS Monterey 12 so if you want to continue to play LOTRO with Crossover 20 you need to stick to MacOS Big Sur 11. You can, of course, install Monterey onto another boot volume but you will need to boot into Big Sur to play LOTRO with Crossover 20.

edit: There is currently (2021-08-03) a special discount code from Codeweavers for Crossover Mac 21:
"Save 30% when you buy CrossOver with a one-year subscription with deal code CX3021."
This is direct from Codeweavers, no third-party retailer or naughty websites are involved.

edit: Codeweavers just (2021-08-12) released a technical note that Crossover 21.0 is working with the current MacOS 12 Monterey beta. Note that Monterey is still a BETA and is therefore subject to change. The same technical note stated that Crossover 20.0.4 is also working with the current MacOS Monterey beta – when run in Monterey, Crossover will prompt you to upgrade to v21 but v20 does, in fact, work. Please note that I do not run OS betas so I have not tested this myself, this information is from today's technical note release from Codeweavers only. If Monterey is released with no further changes that affect the ability of Crossover to run under that OS, it is very likely that Crossover 21 will run on Monterey the day it is released. It is possible that Crossover 20 will also run on Monterey, although this is less likely – I will test both versions of Crossover with LOTRO as soon as Monterey is released so check back here in the Mac Tech Support forum for that at some point in the future.

[Bothketbog]

Just upgraded to v.21 and ran LotRO without issues. Thanks, Tralf. (2019 iMac, 27", macOS Big Sur (11.5.1), Radeon Pro 575X 4GB, 24 GB RAM.)

[Gaelmegil]

My M1 MacBook is running LOTRO well on 21.0 with the Vulcan backend and running in Full Screen mode.

[Tralfazz]

Thanks for reporting in with your results, Bothketbog and Gaelmegil!

Gaelmegil, in reference to our old correspondence…
https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthr...t=#post8067789
…are you now able to run DirectX 11 using the Vulkan backend for wined3d (with DXVK BACKEND FOR D3D11 disabled in your bottle settings)?

[Gaelmegil]

Thanks for reporting in with your results, Bothketbog and Gaelmegil!

Gaelmegil, in reference to our old correspondence…
https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthr...t=#post8067789
…are you now able to run DirectX 11 using the Vulkan backend for wined3d (with DXVK BACKEND FOR D3D11 disabled in your bottle settings)?

Ah yes, I have since upgraded to an M1 from the old MacBook you originally helped me with, and from the start it ran perfectly with DirectX 11. I still have the old machine though. Would it be helpful to you if I checked out how it runs with the Vulkan backend?


Also, I may have spoken too soon about running the Vulkan backend just fine on the M1 MacBook, but I'll have to try it out a bit more. There was a weird graphics glitch I had never gotten before in years of playing, but so far it hasn't happened again. The screen kind of broke up into what looked like a cubist painting and flashed on and off...had to force quit.

[Tralfazz]

I still have the old machine though. Would it be helpful to you if I checked out how it runs with the Vulkan backend?

You probably should just play the game and enjoy it! But yes, any testing you're willing to perform will help me help other people in the future.

Also, I may have spoken too soon about running the Vulkan backend just fine on the M1 MacBook, but I'll have to try it out a bit more. There was a weird graphics glitch I had never gotten before in years of playing, but so far it hasn't happened again. The screen kind of broke up into what looked like a cubist painting and flashed on and off...had to force quit.

That should not happen, ever. If you are still playing the game with DXVK BACKEND FOR D3D11 un-checked in your bottle settings, which in Crossover 21.0 means you are using the Vulkan backend for wined3d, continue to do so as long as it is performing for you and that or some other issue does not recur. I would recommend that if you do experience that or some similar unrecoverable problem, or poorer performance, that you switch DXVK BACKEND FOR D3D11 back to checked-on in your bottle settings.

Ah yes, I have since upgraded to an M1 from the old MacBook you originally helped me with, and from the start it ran perfectly with DirectX 11.

It's great the DirectX 11 worked for you on your M1 Mac in Crossover 20 using DXVK BACKEND FOR D3D11 checked on! Many folks with M1 Macs have also experienced perfect success and great performance with DirectX 11. The funny thing is that many either can't get the game to run with DirectX 11 at all or after a few minutes they begin to experience weird graphics glitches or straight-up crashes and have to go back to and stick with DirectX 9. And I can't determine any common factor among the group that experiences success and the group that experiences failure, it seems very random. It is possible that it is related to the 7-core vs 8- GPUs but I haven't been gathering that level of detail on M1 Mac users of Crossover and LOTRO.

[Gaelmegil]

You probably should just play the game and enjoy it! But yes, any testing you're willing to perform will help me help other people in the future.

Okay, on my old MacBook with the base Intel Iris graphics, trying DX11 with the Vulkan backend I get further along through the title screens (before it would start and then black screen) and even manage to login, but then it then sticks on a loading screen. I can hear the music and sound effects, and it sounds like I can run around and use skills...it's just all blocked by the loading screen. It's closer than before, but not quite!

Back to DX9 on that machine.

[Tralfazz]

Okay, on my old MacBook with the base Intel Iris graphics, trying DX11 with the Vulkan backend I get further along through the title screens (before it would start and then black screen) and even manage to login, but then it then sticks on a loading screen. I can hear the music and sound effects, and it sounds like I can run around and use skills...it's just all blocked by the loading screen. It's closer than before, but not quite!

Back to DX9 on that machine.

Thank you very much for taking the time to perform that test and report your results here.

The behavior you experienced is identical to the behavior I experienced with my 2019 21.5" iMac (which has 555X graphics with 2GB of VRAM): With the DXVK for D3D11 disabled (and therefore with the Vulkan backend for wined3d active), the LOTRO launcher application runs perfectly but the client runs just as you described although I get a bland red screen rather than a stuck loading screen. The difference is that my iMac with its discrete graphics card – compared to the integrated graphics of your older MacBook – runs DirectX 11 perfectly using Crossover's DXVK for D3D11 enabled.

I hope other people will test the Vulkan backend for wined3d because your old MacBook and my iMac are the only two data points I have on it so far.

What about your current M1 Mac? Have you been playing LOTRO using DirectX 11 with that machine? Have you experienced that glitch with the Vulkan backend for wined3d, and have you tried playing with DirectX 11 with DXVK for D3D11 enabled in the bottle settings to compare the performance and stability of the two backend systems?

Also, I may have spoken too soon about running the Vulkan backend just fine on the M1 MacBook, but I'll have to try it out a bit more. There was a weird graphics glitch I had never gotten before in years of playing, but so far it hasn't happened again. The screen kind of broke up into what looked like a cubist painting and flashed on and off...had to force quit.

[Gaelmegil]

What about your current M1 Mac? Have you been playing LOTRO using DirectX 11 with that machine? Have you experienced that glitch with the Vulkan backend for wined3d, and have you tried playing with DirectX 11 with DXVK for D3D11 enabled in the bottle settings to compare the performance and stability of the two backend systems?

I've been playing with DirectX on the Vulkan backend on my M1 MacBook, and it's been smooth sailing. If there are differences with or without DXVK for D3D11 enabled, I'm not able to notice them readily.

[Tralfazz]

I've been playing with DirectX on the Vulkan backend on my M1 MacBook, and it's been smooth sailing. If there are differences with or without DXVK for D3D11 enabled, I'm not able to notice them readily.

So that odd issue occurred only one time? Great! I'm glad it's working well for you. And I very much appreciate the information which will be helpful to other folks in the future.

[Tood_Duggins]

Tralfrazz, any idea why LOTRO on Crossover(21.0.0.33720) would simply start crashing after login when the pre-loader launches? It has been working just dandy until this morning. I have no idea what I did. I've tried changing some of the INI settings but I could use some advice.

Here's a snippet form my UserPreferences64.ini :

ForceFakeFullScreen=False
FullScreen=True
RefreshRate=Auto
Resolution=1152x720
ScreenMode=FullScreen
SyncToRefresh=False
TripleBuffering=False
WindowedResolution=1152720
[Graphics]

To clarify, the wine-64 preloader flickers for a sec trying to launch but then nothing happens. I assume it's a screen setting issue but I can't fix it. I'm running os 11.5.2.

[Tralfazz]

Hi, Tood! I'm sorry to hear you started to experience an issue. I'm sure this is something we can repair. But let's take this to a new thread because your issue isn't really related to the topic of this thread.

Come here:
https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthr...here&p=8088260

[JohnDalamar]

Hi Trafalzz.

If I change the line on UserPreferences.ini to GameClientType=3 the game won't load past the login screen (the login screen disappears, the game I guess tries to launch but never happens). Having the value back to 1 actually launches the game and it's possible to play, but at something like 3-4 fps (for all purposes, unplayable). This is on a Mac mini M1 with crossover 21. I followed all your instructions on post #17 on the crossover 20 thread.

Having read folks with M1 Macs getting something about 60 fps makes me think I might be missing something. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

[Tralfazz]

If I change the line on UserPreferences.ini to GameClientType=3 the game won't load past the login screen (the login screen disappears, the game I guess tries to launch but never happens). Having the value back to 1 actually launches the game and it's possible to play, but at something like 3-4 fps (for all purposes, unplayable). This is on a Mac mini M1 with crossover 21. I followed all your instructions on post #17 on the crossover 20 thread.

Having read folks with M1 Macs getting something about 60 fps makes me think I might be missing something. Any ideas?

The LOTRO launcher application and the 32-bit executable read their settings from UserPreferences.ini. The 64-bit executable reads its settings from UserPreferences64.ini. The first time you attempt to run the 64-bit executable, the game is supposed to create a UserPreferences64.ini file based on what you have in UserPreferences.ini for the 32-bit executable – however, what is supposed to happen often does not happen. And so you get the same "first run" issues related to resolution and screen mode.

Fortunately, the fix is extremely easy if you have a known-good working UserPreferences.ini file:
1- Be sure the game is not running, neither the LOTRO launcher application nor the client. It's OK if Crossover is running.
2- Go to ~/Documents/The Lord of the Rings Online and look for the file UserPreference64.ini. If it exists in that folder, delete it.
3- Within ~/Documents/The Lord of the Rings Online you will see the file UserPreferences.ini. Duplicate that file.
4- Rename the duplicate file:
UserPreferences64.ini
5- Open UserPreferences.ini with TextEdit. Look for the line...
GameClientType=X
...and change the value of X to 3. If it is already 3, that's fine: Leave it alone.
6- Save the file, quit out of TextEdit.
7- Attempt to run LOTRO. If successful, HOORAY! Go play and have fun, then report back here with your results. You're done!
8- If unsuccessful, BOO! If the 64-bit executable still refuses to launch or you experience some other issue, please start a new thread and I will help you there because this issue is not related to the topic of this thread.

[JohnDalamar]

The LOTRO launcher application and the 32-bit executable read their settings from UserPreferences.ini. The 64-bit executable reads its settings from UserPreferences64.ini. The first time you attempt to run the 64-bit executable, the game is supposed to create a UserPreferences64.ini file based on what you have in UserPreferences.ini for the 32-bit executable – however, what is supposed to happen often does not happen. And so you get the same "first run" issues related to resolution and screen mode.

Fortunately, the fix is extremely easy if you have a known-good working UserPreferences.ini file:
1- Be sure the game is not running, neither the LOTRO launcher application nor the client. It's OK if Crossover is running.
2- Go to ~/Documents/The Lord of the Rings Online and look for the file UserPreference64.ini. If it exists in that folder, delete it.
3- Within ~/Documents/The Lord of the Rings Online you will see the file UserPreferences.ini. Duplicate that file.
4- Rename the duplicate file:
UserPreferences64.ini
5- Open UserPreferences.ini with TextEdit. Look for the line...
GameClientType=X
...and change the value of X to 3. If it is already 3, that's fine: Leave it alone.
6- Save the file, quit out of TextEdit.
7- Attempt to run LOTRO. If successful, HOORAY! Go play and have fun, then report back here with your results. You're done!
8- If unsuccessful, BOO! If the 64-bit executable still refuses to launch or you experience some other issue, please start a new thread and I will help you there because this issue is not related to the topic of this thread.

Boy, do I feel dumb! Yep that did the trick, now it's running buttery smooth.

By the way, I found a code for crossover, CX30 (which weirdly yields a 35% discount) I know it's off topic but I thought I might as well leave it here just in case.

Thanks a lot!!