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Saints Row 2

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Revision as of 03:17, 15 February 2018 by Garrbot (talk | contribs) (→‎top: updated GOG.com support ID)
Template:Infobox game/row/winporterTemplate:Infobox game/row/linporter
Saints Row 2
Saints Row 2 cover
Developers
Volition
Publishers
THQ
Deep Silver
Release dates
Windows January 5, 2009
Linux April 14, 2016[1]
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Saints Row 2 guide on StrategyWiki
Saints Row 2 on Wikipedia
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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.[2][3]
GameSpy online server browser has stopped working on May 31, 2014 due to GameSpy services being shut down.[4]
The GOG.com version contains a 30 FPS limit, which can be removed. See High frame rate.

General information

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

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
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Windows
Linux
Amazon.com
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Windows
Linux
GamersGate
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Windows
Linux
GOG.com
DRM-free
Windows
Green Man Gaming
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Windows
Linux
Humble Store
DRM-free
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Windows
Steam
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Windows
Linux
No DLC was released for PC. Developers dropped support for the platform and never patched the game further.
The German version of the game is heavily censored and will not work with mods and tools.[5] German copies are also not available for Linux.[6]

Essential improvements

Skip intro videos

Delete or rename video files[7]
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\Videos
  2. Delete or rename logo_thq_hd.bik and logo_volition_hd.bik

Mods

Gentlemen of the Row Super Mod

The Gentlemen of the Row Super Mod offers bonus content with over a hundred new items, music, and customization options in-game, as well as tweaks and bug fixes.

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).

Game data

Configuration file and save game data location

Template:Game data/rowTemplate:Game data/row
System Location
This game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux.

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
GOG Galaxy
Steam Cloud

Video settings

Display settings.
Display settings.

Template:Video settings

High frame rate

The GOG.com version has a forced 30 FPS cap to fix cutscene issues.
Disable frame rate limiter[8]
  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.[9] You can disable it by downloading this patcher. Run it from game executable folder, click "Patch it", and get uncapped executable along with backup in case you need to go back.

Input settings

Control settings.
Control settings.

Template:Input settings

Audio settings

Audio settings.
Audio settings.

Template:Audio settings

Localizations

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

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
Local play
LAN play
2
Online play
2 GameSpy services have been shut down;[10] see GameSpy for workarounds.

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.[11]

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.

Saints Row 2 running too fast at 1.5x speed

Powertools[citation needed]
Saints Row 2 runs poorly with CPUs running at different frequencies.
Powertools will only work correctly with the GOG.com and Steam versions.
  1. Download the archive from here.
  2. Extract the contents into your Saints Row 2 installation folder where the SR2_PC.exe resides.
  3. Right click on install.cmd and Run as Administrator to install it.
  4. Edit the Powertools.ini and set your speed value at the end of the file.
  • percentage = 1.0 is the default and results in no change
  • percentage = 0.78 would be running the game at 78% the speed
See the fix below to determine the right slowdown value to use.
Determine the right slowdown value to use for Powertools[citation needed]
Every CPU is different, and is influenced by many factors like overclocking, speed-step, etc, so there is no easy answer regarding a value to use. There is a stopwatch test to tweak the value however which will let you get as close as possible.
  1. Install the stopwatch test.
  2. Follow the instructions in the readme file.

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

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		 Intel Pentium 4 Dual-Core 3.2 GHz
AMD Athlon XP Dual-Core
System memory (RAM) 1 GB 2 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		 Nvidia GeForce 8800
ATI Radeon HD 3850
256 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		 Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4 GHz
AMD FX-8370 4.0 GHz
System memory (RAM) 4 GB 8 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 7 GB
Video card (GPU) Nvidia GeForce GTX 460
AMD Radeon HD 6850
1 GB of VRAM 		Nvidia GeForce GTX 760
AMD Radeon R9 285
2 GB of VRAM

References