wine users - Nov 2010 - help with getting started

I have installed wine and direct x and winetricks but I still can't get any
games to run flawlessly, and I know it is possible.
I am still quite new to linux but I learn quick.
A lot of my problems are things (buildings, monsters, guns) not showing up in
game.
If this was windows, I would assume I had missed installing something.
Is there a basic list of things I should do to get things working or something
like that? I am just not sure where to look specifically.
I am not asking for the exact solution to my problems, just where to look, and
whether I've missed out installing something or configuring obvious.

first... Don't install DirectX unless someone else has tested it and says
its required... or your just testing things yourself.  Usually installing it
will actually make things break or run worse.  Wine has its own version.

Other than that, getting a game to work right in Wine is a very game by game
basis... there is no single thing to try on every game.  You need to use the
AppDB for the specific game your trying to use and troubleshoot each one on its
own.