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Linux Alpha Centauri Demo 86
Jacek Fedorynski writes "Loki has released a Linux demo of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. It allows for 100 turns and weighs 25 MB." Yet another game I watched others play under Windows and wished I could participate in.
Didn't ALpha Centauri run in WINE? (Score:1)
Sometimes you by Force overwhelmed are.
Finally! (Score:2)
Loki does it again (Score:2)
'wished I could participate' (Score:4)
I'm sure there'll be a lot of people who think or moderate this as a flamebait, but it irks me to hear "I wish I could have..." from OS-zealots.
Say I use Win2000. If a really cool game comes out for the Mac, and I want to play it, I am free (as in speech) to find somebody who has a Mac and wouldn't mind me trying out the game for a while. Personally, I don't think any game would be enticing enough to make me borrow a friend's Mac. But it's my choice.
Say I use Palm. If a really cool p.i.m. comes out for the PocketPC/WinCE that would make my work more productive, I am free (as in speech) to find the bucks to get a WinCE. Personally, I don't think any p.i.m. would affect productivity enough to make me switch model of alkaline-draining widget. But it's my choice.
Say I use a Ford. If a really cool dashboard accessory comes out for the Honda, ... But it's my choice.
If you're a bigo^H^H^H^H exclusive fan of a certain platform, then accept that you're shutting yourself off from nine tenths of all that is out there on other platforms. When you can, get things moved over to your platform, but don't whine about the things you choose not to use.
Re: Why you'll never see HL in Linux (Score:2)
Well, Quake runs in Linux, Half Life is based on Quake code, when will Half Life run in Linux?
Fraid not. There's maybe 1% of the original Quake code still in Half Life (the File handling mostly). And most of the Half Life developers were young developers who'd made it big working for Microsoft and then moved on to Bigger and Better things. So most of the Half Life code deeply depends on Microsoft Foundation Classes.
So, simply put, it'd be a bitch to port. MFC's don't port nicely.. Now, I can't comment on Team Fortress II. I'd like to see Valve move towards more cross-platform code, but I might just be dreaming.
Not just SMAC, but SMACX (Score:2)
Re:Didn't ALpha Centauri run in WINE? (Score:1)
That said, is it really so hard to leave a couple gigs of your hard drive as a windows partition so you can play some games occasionally? I mean seriously. If I want a good packet sniffer I KNOW I am gonna have to run it on some kind of unix. No one complains about that, and yet when people are told they will need to run windows to play games, they get all up in arms. Doesn't make sense.
Pricing vs performance (Score:2)
This will be one of THE factor for retaining Windows unless you see a 20-30% performance gain real soon now for Linux.
I saw the new performance figs for Quake3 on Linux. Great! On par is great but won't quite make for the masses (with the following price drop).
Dr Ool
API's. (Score:3)
I know it would be a long journey to build something similar to DirectX... Not as bloaty :) Picture a moduleded API, where it only loads part neccesary for the game to run. That would optimize a little better 'eh?
Oh welps, maybe I'm just dreaming
Obligatory CmdrTaco Hypocrisy Flame (Score:1)
Yet another game I watched others play under Windows and wished I could participate in.
Yeah, too bad about Diablo II, huh?
Using with the Windows version? (Score:1)
I love this game (Score:1)
Alpha Centauri is definitely one the finest games I've ever played. It's one of those games that once you start playing you'll forget to eat, sleep and work... for days! If you like Civilization (1&2, not that Activision Power crap) or Master of Orion/Magic you're going to love Alpha Centauri. It's got excellent AI, good graphics and killer gameplay. It even runs relatively well on my old P200, and it doesn't require a 3D card.
A little bit late perhaps... (Score:4)
Anyone who is into strategy games has already finished AC like 10 times, and unless you're a real Linux fanatic with lots of money to burn, no-one is gonna spend another 50$ for exactly the same game they already own.
And if AC for Linux sells a few thousand copies (perhaps even less) while the Windows version sold probably around a million, it won't give numbers you'd like to show to your investors when trying to bring them to produce a Linux port.
Just as I said, a one-year-late Linux port is probably worse than none at all...
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Re: Why you'll never see HL in Linux (Score:1)
This is silly. I heard Yahn Bernier describe the "new networking" in Half-Life at GDC, and guess what? It was the same old Quake II networking. I think many game companies have a little too much pride to say "oh, yeah, this is mostly Quake II with a modded software rendering engine and a big new bolted on scripting engine". NIH and all that.
> MFC's don't port nicely..
In the simplest case they could just use Wine, which has a very liberal license. If you actually want to port it, it's not too hard, just a lot of gruntwork. I ported 28k lines of MFC UI code in a few months.
m.
(who does not speak for his employer)
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Re:I love this game (Score:1)
Isn't it amazing how you can tell straight away when a game is made by Sid Meyer? Call to Power has all the shortcomings of CivII plus a bigger map more tedious gameplay and a general feeling of a rip off. Every time Sid comes out with a game it is always an improvement on the previous one. Only Sid could come up with "designed units" and even "designed political system". Those lamers at Activision can't hold the candle to Sid's genius.
Re:'wished I could participate' (Score:2)
I use linux and am a bigo^H^H^H^H exclusive fan of it. I feel it is the best system available if you have the know how to use it. I reccomend that my roommate use windows, which she does, because the first time she had to spend 4 hours installing an application from a tarball, she would be reduced to tears. Windows does almost everything she could want and is pretty simple (in comparison) to use. That doesn't stop her from looking over my shoulder and saying "I wish I could do X like you're doing." At the same time, if I want to play a windowsmedia stream, I have to go to my windows box and use it. I really wish I could play those files on linux. I don't whine and poo about it, but I will be very glad when a program comes out that allows me to play those files (somebody let me know if there is one and I'm just on crack and can't find it!) Untill then, I'll continue to want to be able to use my linux box to perform the things I now have to go to my windows box to perform. Hopefully someone with more graphics know-how than I have will decide to code the application. Right now it's a choice between windows media and linux. I choose linux because I would lose the ability to do a lot of things if I went back to windows, and that has nothing to do with me wanting or not wanting to play windows media streams.
Re: Why you'll never see HL in Linux (Score:1)
Seriously though, they didn't leave that much behind when they made Half Life. They started with the Quake code, worked on it for a while.. Eventually their license was extended to include the Q2 source code.
I don't know if that was before or after they decided it was time to just rewrite the whole thing.. But I'll say it again, HLINQ.
Re:'wished I could participate' (Score:3)
I will not run any of these games until they're ported to DOS 2.0 so I can run them on my PC Junior, which has the maximum 128k of RAM in it!
Grrrr! Grrrrr! Self-righteous-grrrrr!!!
(heh)
Re:Using with the Windows version? (Score:1)
MFC (Score:1)
Re:I love this game (Score:1)
I understand Alpha Centauri was actually designed by Brian Reynolds, but Sid obviously influenced the game a lot since they both work under the same Firaxis roof. Brian and Sid are supposedly working together on the new official Civilization III. Let's hope they port it to Linux a little quicker than Alpha Centauri!
As for Activision, I hear their new Civilization Call to Power II has over a hundred new units, but still uses the same game engine as the old one. Doesn't sound too promising.
Re:I love this game (Score:1)
Re:API's. (Score:3)
Try what Loki is using: SDL [libsdl.org]. It handles video, audio, and input, and has ports for Linux, Win32, MacOS, and BeOS.
As for only loading the parts you need to run... ahh, the wonders of demand paging. That is the job of the OS nowadays.
The only real problems with writing Linux games, IMO, are immature support for hardware-accelerated OpenGL, and lack of library support for weird media types.
Prices (Score:1)
This raises an interesting question. I already have the Win32 version, will I have to pay for it again for Linux? That's the kind of stupid marketing trick some companies would try.
I wonder, if this sort of thing becomes more common will companies charge the same for all platforms or will WinDoze software be cheaper because more people want it? Could they do that, or would it be discriminating against a minority (probably shouldn't say that) group?
Superb! (Score:1)
Re:IF YOU ARE A GAMER YOU WOULD PLAY THE GAME (Score:1)
A lot of people buy games, but only play them from time to time.
On the whole, of course you're right. The OS should be the least important part of the computer system for anyone, followed by RAM chip manufacturer and model of case. The refusal to use windows is more down to idealism, and a refusal to support a company like MS.
Re:IF YOU ARE A GAMER YOU WOULD PLAY THE GAME (Score:1)
I know. Ever notice how companies are constantly punished for being successful?
Bell is still a monopoly in Canada and I don't see Canadians complaining every day how much they suck.
Re:API's. (Score:2)
As a gaming API, it's currently unmatched IMHO...
Re:Didn't ALpha Centauri run in WINE? (Score:1)
I have. They have said since they announced TF2 nothing short of basically, "No way in the world will we port to Linux or allow anyone else to." Search around LinuxGames.com or any of the half life (.net,
Re:IF YOU ARE A GAMER YOU WOULD PLAY THE GAME (Score:1)
The real monopoly that everyone should be going against is Intel (AOL too, but thats a whole nother paragraph
And BTW, every phone company in England sucks ass, not just Bell. Paying per minute for the Internet is the norm there.
Exactly. I'm not gonna buy it twice. (Score:1)
That said, I'm not going to buy it again because I'm not exactly wealthy. If I want to play it I'll just boot up my windows partition. Sorry Loki.
There should be some way that owners of the original can get a rebate on the linux version. Loki should not have to pay royalties for those who are buying it a second time.
Re:Pricing vs performance (Score:1)
treke
Re:I love this game (Score:1)
Re:MFC (Score:1)
OnT: It seems silly to me. Valve rewriting Quake in MFC because they can't understand the original?
Sounds like they need a person named John Carmack to help them.
Re:Loki does it again (Score:2)
The very same cutting edge mentaltiy that many people think would drive gamers to Linux will in fact drive them away from it if they have to wait a year or more for the newset games to be released. They want to play new games NOW and if that means using windows then that's what will happen.
P200, try a 486.... (Score:1)
Re:Didn't ALpha Centauri run in WINE? (Score:1)
Re:MFC (Score:1)
I have played Q1, Q2, and HL extensively and if no one had told me I would not have guessed that HL is built on quake because it looks and feels so different...
Re:IF YOU ARE A GAMER YOU WOULD PLAY THE GAME (Score:1)
I have no problem with idealists but whiny idealists annoy me. "Oh boo hoo I can't play Alpha Centarui or Half Life etc.." You knew what you were getting into when you wiped your disk and stuck linux on there. Or you should have.
*Disclaimer* This ranting is not directed at the parent poster in particular but more at all the whiny idealists I know are out there somewhere :)
sid mier (Score:1)
Oh, like Quake 3 Arena??? (Score:5)
>until the games start coming out for it at the
>same time or sooner than they come out for
>windows.
Do you read John Carmack's
See, iD released the golden masters for the Linux, Macintosh, and windoze versions of Quake3 ON THE SAME DAY!!! That was Carmacks plan for many months prior to the release of Quake 3. But look closer at the
Loki and MacSoft do great work. But entire distrobution / production / retail chains they are not.
Particularly telling is the fack that Loki had the production CDs completed by their own supplier, but the company supplying the packaging was intentionally witholding, from Loki, all of the packageing materials (the box, manual, jewel case, etc.) Loki worked around this by shipping Quake 3 CDs alone to those who ordered directly from them, and sending the packageing materials later. But if you perfer to shop at a conventional store, you were SOL.
Now, an exercise for the reader:
Who, in the technoogy industry, has a vested intrest in making alternative operating systems look bad by delaying the Macintosh and Linux versions of software, as opposed to the windoze version? Who has the power to bully the distrobution chain into bending to his will? And who has shown absolutely no restraint in the abuse of that monopoly power?
john
Resistance is NOT futile!!!
Haiku:
I am not a drone.
Remove the collective if
Re:Loki does it again (Score:1)
I'm not sure where this attitute that Linux has to be the premeire OS for Gamers to be successful comes from. Perhaps the "Gamers" believe themselves to be the center of the universe?
Truth is, these gamer kids spend a lot of money, but they don't give a crap about the features of a unix OS, much less any OS that hasn't been comprimised to hell for game purposes (and that includes Windows 2000). They are going to be on Wintendo until Microsoft phases it out, or the rest of the world comes to it's collective senses and switches to something else. Nobody's pandering to them, or at least they shouldn't be.
Anyway, the econ lesson is: there's not enough gamers in the world to give a game the really huge sales numbers companies hope for (Alpha Centuri, Quake III, Starcraft, etc). When a game has saturated the "gamer" market and the "casual game playing Windows user" market, it can move on to the Mac and Linux market to get even more casual users. Quake shipped simutanously because id make the correct assumption that it would be so successful that it should be developed multi-platform in the beginning. Most other companies aren't so bold.
Re:IF YOU ARE A GAMER YOU WOULD PLAY THE GAME (Score:1)
Going and stealing copy of Windows would just lower my opinion of someones ideals than if they broke down and bought a copy of Windows for the sole purpose of playing half-life. I have a windows parition on my system with only three applications. Half Life, The Realmagic DVD player, and Winzip. Why should someone be willing to bend on the principle of using Linux software if it means stealing from those who have worked on the software. It's great that people write Free Software, I release everything I write that I can, but it is still legal to sell software.
You have two choices that wouldn't compromise your position as a free software or fair competition advocate
Getting a legal copy of Windows isn't that difficult anyways, unless you built the computer yourself(a possibility) you probably already have a license for some version of Windows.
treke
Re:'wished I could participate' (Score:1)
That doesn't stop her from looking over my shoulder and saying "I wish I could do X like you're doing."
Er, just of curiosity, what "X" does she ever wish she could do that Linux does? I can't think of single thing, except maybe virtual desktops (whoop-de-doo).
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Re:'wished I could participate' (Score:1)
As for the original blurb on this topic - they *could* play SMAC if they *really* wanted to. Just buy a copy of Win 95/95 ($90), install, and then install SMAC and enjoy. Given the cost of hardware and games ($30-$50 each), $90 isn't too much extra to be able to play games they allegedly really want to play.
This wishing is a far different thing than the "I wish I could play b-ball like Michael Jordan" or "I wish my apps had no bugs so I woudn't have to reboot Win98 periodically" There's nothing I can do about either of those desires.
But anyone who is knowledgable enough to get Linux working, can certainly install windows to play a game.
Why do you love it? (Score:1)
I borrowed SMAC from a friend not long ago, and at the time he couldn't find the instructions. Regardless, I installed it and spent a night playing it. Having little idea what exactly I was doing, I pressed buttons, followed the guides, and generally pressed "Do it" when a advisor-type window popped up.
After several hours of playing, learning more how it worked, making some purposeful decisions, but generally just clicking "OK" whenever I could, I was clearly in the lead, with about 1/5 of the game time left.
At that point I quit. It just became tedious, and I felt that if I could just say OK to all the default options and be consistently in the lead of the game, then this wasn't going to be a very interesting game in the long run.
So do people really like clicking "OK" for 10 hours, or was I missing something big? Are there more challenging computer players that require you to actually make decisions (and make you play the game, instead of watching the game play itself)?
yes (Score:1)
Half-Life runs in WINE (Score:2)
-John
Re:'wished I could participate' (Score:2)
Re:GPL'ed sperm (Score:1)
I know a Big Biker Dude who is demanding to see the source of your sperm, which you of course must deliver to him since you're distributing it under the GPL.
He said he wanted to make certain moderations to your source, but I didn't ask for any details, because I'm not sure I really want to know.
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Re:Using with the Windows version? (Score:1)
_____
Re:Loki does it again (Score:1)
I agree. Up until a short while ago you had to use WINE to get some of them running. The Linux-native support for accelerated 3D is only now making progress so you can have the benefit of nifty hardware built for games.
but I already beat that game A YEAR AGO when it came out on PC!
So... either pay top-dollar for the PC version of the game or wait a little longer and pay less for the non-PC version... I know when to spend my hard-earned money -I have to w.o.r.k for it- and buy a game I really like... After my PC-oriented friends have already shown me it really is a great game.
They want to play new games NOW
Right! That is their kick and rush and my hobby is to spend money and precious time on other things and goodies.
I only buy if I really - Really - REALLY like it.
Yes, I do keep a 2G W98 partition for some things that have not yet been transmuted to Linux, and also for some programs that do not come with a good looking-working graphical interface. I admit it
I cannot stand the over-complicated commandline-driven setup procedures some packages want me to follow: Way to much typing to do and too much work for my two lazy digits I use for it.
I do not understand why anyone could be proud of the fact that he/she/it can type a 500-letter commandline, let alone commit it to memory.
[/OffTopic]
Linux IS a great O.S.
Linux IS versatile
Linux IS Greased Lightning fast
Linux IS Good
Linux IS Easy To Install (when they started adding menu-driven setup programs)
I Do Not Want To Read A Zillion Tons Of Documentation To Use My PC! I Want To Use It And Have Someone Else Handle The Technicalities Of Making It Run. Just Like I Use My Hammer And Screwdriver!
I have not yet tried to install games like Q2 on my Linux-box because I am afraid I will have to wade through a gazillion lines of readme and howto. If someone could point me to a good game (like A.C.) and assure me "This game installs and runs as easy as on a windo$ PC" [i.e. with the aid of a GUI menu] I would like to try.
{squawk} Polly wants a cookie!
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Free ?! Does that mean I can't get a Discount ?!
Re:Ow ! (Score:2)
Re:IF YOU ARE A GAMER YOU WOULD PLAY THE GAME (Score:1)
Re:A little bit late perhaps... (Score:1)
Re: Why you'll never see HL in Linux (Score:1)
Could you please explain to me why a 3d Shooter would depend on the MFC, which is a widget set and can roughly be compared to, say, GTK or QT? Maybe it depends on DirectX or a subset of it (DirectDraw, Direct3D,
nc
A few comments from the game's lead programmer (Score:5)
Hello everyone. My name is Andrew Henderson, and I have been the lead programmer on SMAC/SMACX at Loki. I've seen from many of the posts that there is some enthusiasm over the Loki port of Alpha Centauri, and I'm very glad to see it. This project has been stealing our evenings and weekends for quite some time now, and I'm glad to finally see it come to a close.
There are a few things that I think anyone interested in this port of Sid Meier's Planetary Pack should know:
1. A PPC port is very unlikely.
I'd like to apologize to all the PPC users out there. I'd love to see SMAC on the PPC platform, but there is just too much involved in moving our codebase from Intel to PPC. There are roughly 25,000 lines of Intel assembly in SMAC, making the convertion a major undertaking. SMAC has specialized asm blitters for sprites, self-modifying asm for rendering the voxel vehicle units, and a complete asm texture mapping engine for rendering the landscapes. The costs in terms of both manpower and time in doing a PPC port are very steep.
2. SMAC/SMACX will most likely run on FreeBSD.
While it is not officially supported, we have gotten beta versions of SMAC to run on a FreeBSD box that has the Linux compatibility kernel module installed. If you have a FreeBSD box and would like to try out the SMAC/SMACX demo, I encourage you to download it. There is a good possiblity it will run for you.
3. Many bugs in the Win32 version of SMAC and SMACX have been fixed in the Linux version.
Well over a hundred bugs that were in the Win32 version have been fixed in the Linux version. For those people that want justification for purchasing the Linux version if they already have the Win32 version, here it is. This leads me to my last point:
4. The Linux/*BSD communities have some of the best beta testers out there.
I have to admit that I'm very impressed with the quantity and quality of bug reports Loki has received during the beta process of porting the game. Our beta testers were very persistant in finding and reporting bugs. The beta folks were an invaluable help in porting the game, and I'd like to thank them for their incredible time and effort.
All in all, I'd judge the port of Sid Meier's Planetary Pack a success. The programmers had fun, the beta testers had fun, and I hope that whoever tries out the demo of the game will enjoy it.
After all, we're all in this for the fun, aren't we?
Andrew Henderson
Programmer
Loki Software
Re:A few comments from the game's lead programmer (Score:1)
Actually, the PPC port of Alpha Centauri exists. Yes, I know you were referring to linux on a PPC box, I just wanted to be difficult.
Though if you hate macOS, I can't see why it wouldn't run on darwin...
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Re:I am pissed (Score:2)
Instead of making yourself look like a flaming idiot, why don't you organize your post and come up with a smarter way of saying what you want?
I understand Windows is 'the' gaming platform now. What is Linux? Is it the 'office' platform? Is it the 'development' platform? Or is it the 'waste' platform? What is mac's aim? Sound and video? A lot of the Linux developers are aimed at making Linux the 'ultimate' platform. That's normal for advocates. I'm sure there are people who feel the same way for FreeBSD and Atheos (sp?)...
Why should we get Windows if we want to play a game? Why is it soo hard to make a port for multiple platforms instead of one silly unstable platform? It's about time people migrate to a different solution instead of what Microsoft brainwashed is right. I know Taco is hypocritcal when it comes to games. He posts Diablo 2 and how he's purchased it after it's been out for .0005 seconds, yet when it comes to Alpha Centauri he 'wishes' he could participate in.
Please rethink your posts before you smack submit.
Re:IF YOU ARE A GAMER YOU WOULD PLAY THE GAME (Score:1)
treke
Re:'wished I could participate' (Score:2)
What if the headline came along "koules ported to MS windows -- Wow finally I can participate in this great network game!"
The response would be somewhat different - something to the effect of "why didnt you just get linux?"
What is especially ironic is how CT was spooging over the Diablo II release for *ahem* windows. I am seriously starting to question
~GoRK
Re:alpha centauri (Score:1)
Call to Power may have a better user interface (far superior graphics, at least... not sure about the sound yet, since I've only played the beta of SMAC). But as a strategy game I have to say that SMAC is much better.
actually, i'd rather play good ol civ2 over either one of em
There are a lot of people who agree with that. ;-)
Re:'wished I could participate' (Score:2)
Just buy a copy of Win 95/95 ($90)
Win95/98 only costs $90 if you're upgrading from an older version of Windows. If you're buying a version of Windows 95 or 98 that you can actually install (as opposed to upgrading to) then it's twice that.
Oh, and don't forget that you need to buy a DOS. Of course, you can get that for free these days (I haven't tried installing Windows 3.1 on top of FreeDOS yet, but I've done it on top of Caldera's DR-DOS).
But anyone who is knowledgable enough to get Linux working, can certainly install windows to play a game.
A non-networked game, at least. Installing and configuring networking software on Windows is potentially very painful. Especially compared to Linux. (On the other hand, if I knew as much about Windows as I did about Linux, it might not have been so hard. But for me at least, it was extremely frustrating. I couldn't imagine my parents getting it to work at all.)
Re:Pricing vs performance (Score:2)
unless you see a 20-30% performance gain real soon now for Linux.
I don't think the performance ratings are terribly important for a turn-based strategy game like SMAC. ;-)
However, the Linux port of SMAC fixes some (I don't know how many) of the bugs in the Windows version. So you are getting better value from the Linux port of SMAC than you get from the Windows port of SMAC. Whether that's worth the extra money you have to pay in your locale, only you can decide.
Re:Why do you love it? (Score:1)
SMAC has about 7 different difficulty settings. You were probably on the easiest one. You'd have to try to lose on that setting.
Next time you try the game, play on one of the middle-ish settings. That'll give you some challenge.
Re:ofcourse no ppc demo (Score:1)
where is the ppc demo, if I might ask?
Ports to non-x86 platforms will probably be severely delayed (if they're done at all). Sam Lantinga says there are 25000 lines of inline assembly in SMAC, so porting to non-x86 architectures will be painful to say the least.
Re:'wished I could participate' (Score:1)
huh? You don't need to buy DOS separately. Win95 and 98 full install do just that - full install. I had forgotten that the $90 was upgrade. Full I think is ~$130. Nonetheless, given the total system cost and games over a period of time, it's not outlandish. People spend that much for a N64 or PS1 just to be able to spend $50-$60 per game to play them.
As for networking windows - Using an average retail kit, I was able to setup simple 2 PC LAN in a couple of hours, with no major headaches. It was really quite easy. I have no doubt that it could have been a nightmare, but it wasn't. And from I've read, installing Linux can be easy and can be a nightmare. Again - if you can install Linux, I have little doubt you could install win98, and even network it.
All in all, needing Win98 to play games is not a significant obstacle if you've already got an intel/amd-based PC.
Re:Why do you love it? (Score:1)
Railroad Tycoon II (Score:1)
Re:A little bit late perhaps... (Score:2)
I disagree. These are all just baby steps in the right direction. Otherwise we're stuck with the chicken/egg problem:
Besides, I kind of like some of these old games.
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i smell bullshit (Score:1)
Okay, I'm sure this has been said a hundred times in this story by now, but: cut the crap, Rob. We all know that you have a Windows box, and if it can run Diablo II, it can run Alpha Centauri. As I've said before, these comments that are meant to insinuate that you never use any Microsoft products are childish and are not doing anything postive for the perception of GNU/Linux, OSS, or yourself. They also do nothing to harm the "evil empire". The immature tone in some of your recent stories has led me to believe that your UID really has been cracked. Honestly, what was your motivation for saying that? Did you think it was "interesting" or "insightful"? Or, like so many moronic teenagers on this site, did you feel a need to say something, anything, but didn't have anything meaningful to contribute? Even a solemn "Schweet." would have been better. There's no need to push it down our throats that you prefer GNU/Linux to Windows, and making comments like that is silly because, once again, we all know you play other Windows games. Diablo II, Everquest, older Quakes... cut the crap.
HTH!
(Tip to moderators: reasonable moderation for this comment would be either "Flamebait" or "Troll". HTH too!!)
---------///----------
All generalizations are false.
APIs -- Such a Thing Already Exists (Score:3)
Re:A few comments from the game's lead programmer (Score:3)
You left out "What networking protocol does it use for multiplay?" I don't suppose it's compatible with either DirectPlay (Win) or NetSprockets (Mac)?
There are roughly 25,000 lines of Intel assembly in SMAC, making the convertion [to PPC] a major undertaking.This conversion has already been done, by Brad Oliver [deja.com] at Westlake Interactive [westlakeinteractive.com]. I realize there would still be technical hassles converting from Mac APIs, not to mention licensing and payment issues. But don't say that it's just too hard to do.
Re:IF YOU ARE A GAMER YOU WOULD PLAY THE GAME (Score:1)
I disagree - my adsl connection has been great with very little downtime. As long as you don't have to talk to tech support (where do they find those people anyways??) I certainly can't complain. Besides, I believe they are/have upgraded the connection speeds to 2meg down/ 512 or so up. (Can't remember where I saw that, on some US gaming site I believe...) After upgrading to win2k from 98 my connection speed has gone through the roof (much better tcp/ip stack). Wish I could convince my better half to go with linux though...
Come on Man (Score:1)
Re:Oh, like Quake 3 Arena??? (Score:1)
I hate to ask for "more!" after the pioneering work by the Id crew, but if we let the game industry treat Linux users like second-class citizens, we'll never get any respect. I think Id should put their foot down and say, "Look, you'll release the Linux version at the same time as the Windows version, or we'll give the deal to any one of the many other publishers who'd love to have our games on any terms."
No, it wasn't. (Score:1)
Re:Loki does it again (Score:1)
Is it so difficult to understand?
If I buy a hammer I buy it so I can ram some nails in a piece of wood. I do not want a fat manual telling me how to cut ['n'paste] down a tree, how to grep with a chisel the form of the stem, how to process chemicals and stuff to make the grip, how to fsck raw iron ore into steel, how to make the steel into a head in a lot of different forms, how to mount the head to the stem etc, etc, etc
All I want is for some genius to hand me an easy understandable form of (preferrably Graphic)
- USER
Interface in the form of menu's or whatever so I can focus on the decision wether I do or do not want a specific feature.I concur Linux is not a screwdriver (l.i.n.a.s (now there is an acronym for an OS)) and there are many vital decisions to make before it runs at all (processor, graphics card, nic, ad infinitum). I d.i.d read a lot of FAQ's and HowTo's before I even started building my [beloved, cherised] Linux box. I did so because I want to know what goes on inside. Now I realise this is a bit of a parrotdox/H/H/H paradox because to know you have to learn and go deeper than a few menu-driven choices.
I have watched Linux grow from a commandline/makefile driven (nearly) Guru-level toy/OS/sandbox to it's present glory. It has taken Linux this many years to mature [like good single highland malt] and now is the time it is ready for the general public.
Remember when only experts could Windo$ so it would run with any hope of efficiency/speed ? Nowadays any half-wit can install it just by thinking a little about what they want and making a few simple choices.
Like windo$ I want to be able to use Linux 'Out Of The Box' with a minimum amount of hassle and have it run a few office-related programs (like Star Office).
Unlike windo$ I want to be able to dive into the [let's call it] expert-mode and tweak and fiddle with the software just to see if I understand it at all or to squeeze a bit more speed/power from my hardware.
To get back to the screwdriver analogy; I like to use it with the same level of incompetent/level-zero/thoughtless/user attitude that is really common in today's offices when it comes to computers/copiers/faxes in general. I also like to dive in deeper when something is of interest/use to me.
Some like to just drive a car, others want to know how to check tire-pressure, oil-level, etc. and there are others that want to know how to fix that rattle in the engine and with a car you pick yopur own level of sophistication. With Linux you already need to know a lot more and yes... to drive a car you have to take lessons and an exam... and yes to use a computer/xerox/fax you have to read at least two pages of the manual.
Why does everybody have to make belief that computers are/should/stay a really complex piece of
- equipment
that you have to go back to school before you can even remotely hope to reach te level of knowledge where it does not only take more time to do a job than you could save with it ???When games get ported to Linux it is a good thing because:
A. with Linux you have a s.t.a.b.l.e machine
B. with Linux you have the opportunity to even enhance the game-experience/joy because it runs as well or better than it does on windo$
C. with linux you have the opportunity to change anything you think needs improvement
D. with Linux
The games ported to Linux are those that rise above the crop. It will get interest from them that really enjoy a good game.
Linux advocacy is all in the mind of the recipient: If you like a particular brand of chocolate and only buy that brand... Then when you taste another brand you have ignored until now and find you like it better... Would you stick with your previous choice ?
Same with an OS I think
{squawk} Polly wants a cookie !
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Free ?! Does that mean I can't get a Discount ?!
No it wasn't (Score:1)
I recall this very distinctly. Is what something Id was actually unhappy about.
They did purposely delay the release of the Windows->Linux conversion patches until well after the Linux version hit the stores. This was to try to get people to hold off on buying the Windows version and simply wait for the Linux version to show up.
Re:IF YOU ARE A GAMER YOU WOULD PLAY THE GAME (Score:1)
treke
I wonder... (Score:1)
But, now that I have both Alpha Centauri and the Alien Crossfire expansion pack for Windows, I don't think that I will shell out the money a second time for a Linux version (I assume that it won't be free). It would be nice to be able to get a port of a game you already own for free, or for a nominal fee.. like the cost of CD and shipping.
I wonder, is any company doing that, or has ever done this before? I don't buy (or play) games very often, so I'm kind of ignorant when it comes to those issues.
Re:I wonder... (Score:1)
Re:A little bit late perhaps... (Score:1)
Re:A little bit late perhaps... (Score:1)
Personally, I've bought Civ:CTP, RR2 (both from EBX, of all places!) and I've bought Q3 and Myth 2 straight from Loki. I fully support the commercial games market for Linux, and feel that only by buying these products will we ever have any chance of seeing more and original quality games for the platform.
...Paul
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If it's not important, you can probably find it in...
Re:A little bit late perhaps... (Score:2)
I agree. And I have also purchased some titles from Loki, as well as commercial software from other companies.
I for one don't mind paying for my entertainment. (Don't even get me started on the mp3 thing!) And I don't mind paying for quality software if it meets my needs.
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Re:'wished I could participate' (Score:1)
Furthermore a couple hours is way to long to install a couple of ethernet cards. With there is no need to reboot(other than the one time to actually stick the card in) and I've done it in about 5minutes. Win98 is significant, because it sucks to dual boot. And you should at least get a seperate hard drive for it. Plus you have to bang your head on it because it take 2+ hours to get ethernet to work.