Figured I'd post this as I just figured it out and it might come in handy for anybody else in the future.
This should work to get ZC working on a Steam Deck, in Gaming Mode, with working MIDI music.
--- Downloading Necessary Tools ---
Step 01: Manually download the Windows 64-bit version of 2.55. Do NOT download the Linux version. Do NOT download the Flatpak from the Discover store. Those will cause Steam to implement a set of special Launch Options, and we do not want that.
Step 02: Use the Discover store and download "QSynth". This program is going to be what handles MIDI playback.
Step 03: Go online and find a MIDI soundfont. I personally used this one: https://schristianco...generaluser.php
--- Setting Up QSynth ---
Step 04: Open QSynth, and load the soundfont you downloaded. You can do this through the "Setup" button, and selecting the "Soundfonts" tab. From here, hit "Open..." and pick the soundfont file you grabbed earlier. Don't worry if QSynth closes or appears to crash, upon opening it again, it should have the soundfont open.
Step 05: Now, click on the "Options" button. Make sure "Enable System Tray Icon" and "Start Minimized to System Tray" are both turned on. This will allow QSynth to do its magic in the background while playing quests.
--- Setting Up ZC ---
Step 06: Unzip your ZC download and go into the folder. We do NOT want to use the launcher. Instead, go to "zplayer.exe" and right-click on it. Select "Add to Steam".
Step 07: Open Steam, while still in Desktop Mode. Scroll through your library until you find "zplayer.exe". Right-click on it and open "Properties". Change the name to something natural, and then go to the "Launch Options" field. Copy/paste the following into it.:
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libcurl.so.4 flatpak run org.rncbc.qsynth & %command% ; killall -9 qsynth
This is essentially telling Steam to open QSynth FIRST, then while it runs in the background, it can open ZC. When you decide you're done playing and close ZC, it will also close QSynth. This will allow the game to work properly in Gaming Mode. (This is why we needed to use the Windows version, to ensure the Launch Options would be empty and ready to copy/paste our settings into it.)
Here are the only issues I've found. First off, you're going to need to connect a keyboard for the first time you launch any quest, so that you can input the name and pick out the file through the menu. Second, you're probably going to need to rebind the controls so that all of the buttons work properly. Using the Steam Deck's layout instead of the ZC settings will handle this easily, and even allow you to use L2/R2 for EX1/2. Just set each of the buttons to their keyboard equivalent.
If you want to play in Desktop Mode for whatever reason, such as so you can use the Steam Deck's on-screen keyboard to do the initial setup for a quest, don't forget that if you hold down the "Start" button (the one with three lines on it), it'll swap the controls from Desktop shortcuts to Gamepad controls.
If you need pictures, I got most of my information from this guide: https://steamcommuni.../?id=2809933598The guide's for getting System Shock to work, but the process is mostly the same.
Edited by kurt91, 26 March 2024 - 08:44 PM.
