st0nefish/stl-game-config

STL Game Config Skill

Configure Steam games for optimal performance on Linux using SteamTinkerLaunch with automated system detection.

System Hardware

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (8C/16T)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (32GB VRAM)
• Display: 2560x1440 @ 240Hz OLED with HDR (KDE Wayland)

Configuration File Locations

| File | Purpose | |------|---------| | ~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/global.conf | Global settings | | ~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/default_template.conf | Template for new games | | ~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/gamecfgs/id/{APPID}.conf | Per-game config | | ~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/gamecfgs/customvars/{APPID}.conf | Per-game environment vars |

Workflow

Tools by step:

• System Detection: Bash (system-info.sh script)
• Game Research: Agent (dispatch a research subagent — see Step 3; the parent does not fetch web pages directly)
• Template Generation: Bash (generate-stl-config.sh script)
• Verification: Bash (file checks), Read (logs)

Step 1: Get Game Info

Ask for game name. Note any specific issues (won't launch, crashes, poor performance).

Step 2: Detect System

Run the system-info.sh script to gather system capabilities:

bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/system-info.sh

Parse the JSON output to determine:

• GPU vendor (nvidia/amd/intel)
• Compositor (kde/gnome/other)
• KDE HDR enabled status

Step 3: Research Game (agentic — delegate, don't fetch inline)

Do this research in a subagent, not the parent session. ProtonDB and PCGamingWiki pages are long and noisy; fetching them inline floods the main context with content you don't need. Dispatch a research subagent via the Agent tool, have it do all the web work, and have it return only the structured findings below — never the raw page text.

Dispatch: Agent tool with subagent_type: research (read-only; falls back to general-purpose if research is unavailable). For a single game one agent is enough; if researching several games at once, dispatch one agent per game in a single message so they run in parallel.

The agent's prompt MUST include the game name, the data points to collect, the source URLs, and an explicit instruction: "Report only the structured summary below. Do not paste raw page content, comment threads, or full review text into your reply — distill to the key details only."

Data points the agent collects:

| Data | Primary Source | Fallback | |------|----------------|----------| | Steam App ID | Steam store URL, SteamDB | WebSearch | | Graphics API | PCGamingWiki "API" section | ProtonDB comments | | RT/DLSS/HDR | PCGamingWiki "Features" | In-game settings | | Linux issues | ProtonDB reports | - | | Existing config | personal game-notes KB (if any) | Create new |

Research workflow the agent follows:

1. Find App ID: Extract from Steam store URL or search SteamDB
2. ProtonDB (https://www.protondb.com/app/{APPID}):
   • Rating (Platinum/Gold/Silver/Bronze/Borked)
   • Top 3 reported issues from recent reviews
   • Recommended Proton version if mentioned
3. PCGamingWiki (https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/{Game_Name}):
   • Exact graphics API (look for "API" row in specs table)
   • Ray tracing support and type
   • Known Linux/Proton issues
4. Knowledge base (optional): if you keep game notes, glob your KB for *{game-name}*.md
5. Anti-cheat: if ProtonDB mentions EAC/BattlEye issues, check areweanticheatyet.com — some games require developer opt-in for Linux support.

What the agent returns to the parent — just the filled-in findings block (App ID, graphics API, RT/DLSS/HDR support, ProtonDB rating, top issues, recommended Proton version, anti-cheat status). The parent uses that summary for Steps 4–5; it should never need to read a fetched page itself.

Step 4: Present Findings

## {Game Name} - Feature Analysis

**Steam App ID**: {APPID}
**Graphics API**: {API}

| Feature | Supported | Notes |
|---------|-----------|-------|
| Ray Tracing | Yes/No | {type} |
| DLSS | Yes/No | |
| HDR | Yes/No | |

**ProtonDB Rating**: {rating}
**Known Issues**: {summary}

Ask: "I'll enable all supported features. Any you want to skip?"

Step 5: Generate Config

Generate per-game config using the template system:

SYSTEM_INFO=$(bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/system-info.sh)
bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/generate-stl-config.sh "$SYSTEM_INFO" "$GAME_API" "$GAME_HDR" "$APPID" "$GAME_NAME"

This outputs a complete config with:

• Base safe defaults (GameMode, MangoHud, etc.)
• GPU-specific settings (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel)
• API-specific settings (DX12-RT, DX12, DX11, DX9)
• HDR settings (only if KDE HDR detected AND game supports it)

Step 6: Write Configuration

Write to ~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/gamecfgs/id/{APPID}.conf

Step 7: Verify Configuration

1. Confirm config exists:

   ls ~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/gamecfgs/id/{APPID}.conf
   

2. Test launch - Watch for STL loading message in terminal

3. MangoHud verification (once in-game):

   • API: VKD3D = DX12 mode active (VKD3D-Proton translating)
   • API: VK = DX11/Vulkan mode (DXVK translating)
   • GPU name visible = NVAPI working

4. If issues: consult the SteamTinkerLaunch wiki or your own troubleshooting notes

Step 8: Provide Summary

After configuration:

1. Summary - What was configured and why
2. Expected behavior - What the user should see
3. Fallback options - Reference relevant troubleshooting docs if issues occur

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Templates Reference

Base Template (base.conf)

Always safe defaults for all games:

PROTON_ENABLE_NVAPI="1"
PROTON_HIDE_NVIDIA_GPU="0"
DXVK_ASYNC="1"
USEGAMEMODERUN="1"
USEMANGOHUD="1"

GPU Template (gpu.conf)

Uncomment section based on your GPU vendor:

| GPU | Settings | |-----|----------| | NVIDIA | PROTON_ENABLE_NVAPI, NVAPI, GPU filtering, VKD3D shader cache | | AMD | GPU filtering, VKD3D shader cache | | Intel | GPU filtering |

API Template (api.conf)

Uncomment section based on game's graphics API:

| Game Type | Settings | |-----------|----------| | DX12 + RT | STL_VKD3D_CONFIG="dxr", USERAYTRACING="1", USEDLSS="1" | | DX12 (no RT) | STL_VKD3D_CONFIG="none", USERAYTRACING="0", USEDLSS="1" | | DX11 | STL_VKD3D_CONFIG="none", USERAYTRACING="0", DXVK_HDR="1" | | DX9 | taskset, WINE_CPU_TOPOLOGY, DXVK_FRAME_RATE |

Critical notes:

• VKD3D_CONFIG="dxr" is required for DX12 RT detection
• USERAYTRACING=1 on DX11/Vulkan causes launch failures

HDR Template (hdr.conf)

Uncomment when KDE HDR is enabled AND game supports HDR:

| Game Type | Settings | |-----------|----------| | DX12 | PROTON_ENABLE_HDR="1", ENABLE_HDR_WSI="1" | | DX11 | PROTON_ENABLE_HDR="1", ENABLE_HDR_WSI="1", DXVK_HDR="1" |

Prerequisites:

1. Install vk-hdr-layer: paru -S vk-hdr-layer-kwin6-git
2. Enable KDE HDR: System Settings → Display → Enable HDR
3. Calibrate peak brightness to match monitor spec

Custom Variables Template (customvars.conf)

For env vars not in STL: GPU filtering, VKD3D shader cache, retro settings

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External Resources

• SteamTinkerLaunch Wiki
• VKD3D-Proton Environment Variables
• DXVK Configuration
• ProtonDB