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How to bring games to Linux:


Darkelve
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It has been stated that one of the greatest barriers to lx adoption is the shortage of quality, full-featured and professional vg. But while we wait for this to change (or contribute toward this goal), there is a gap to be filled.

 

I propose the following simple, effective and legal way of immediately filling this gap, making use of the following components:

 

- wine, which is available for free on all Linux distro's and under an acceptable license

- abandonware, which is plentiful, available for free and unencumbered by licenses or market forces (at least, I presume it is). Also a lot of good games lie unplayed and forgotten. Why not make use of this situation?

 

Also, most older games do not have the 'problem' of DirectX

 

- bounties, which give programmers an incentive on working on the titles.

 

You probably already have seen coming what I am hinting at, but if not, here is the process I propose:

 

1. Look for interesting Abandonware titles on Abandonware sites (e.g. Home of the Underdogs has a HUGE collection, with complete information including licensing information)

2. (Optional) Create a longlist of games and have people vote on them

3. Ask people with Wine experience on the feasablity and the difficulty of making the game work

4. Create a shortlist of games to be worked on

5. Set a bounty for each of the games, depending on their difficulty rating.

6. Programmer starts trying to make the game work. Useful contributions are added to the main Wine project

7. Package the game with the proper wine version and/or settings

8. Ask distros to include the games or offer them on a website for download, with instructions

 

Repeat process for other games

 

For example, a few interesting games:

- The 3 "discworld" games

- Betrayal at Krondor

 

Edit: oh yeah, and in order to gain some more visibility, have a sort of download counter in order to be able to measure popularity and show it to the gaming companies.

 

 

So, what do you think? Could this work?

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I doubt it. Gaming companies are in it for the money and as long as they don't get a decent return on their investment they won't bother with Linux. The only thing that helps is enough people buying games. When Linux becomes more popular we will see more games.

 

Devries, this is about Abandonware... generally that means games old enough (or not profitable anymore) to have been released into the public domain. That does not necessarily mean crappy graphics... E.g. discworld Noir has great graphics.

 

So any person can download and play it if they want. Now the missing step is someone getting it to work on Linux. Which is where the bounty system comes in, to get someone to make it work with Wine.

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Even so I doubt it :). There is a reason why these ganes are abandonware: they are not popular. Maybe the games have a small group of loyal followers but these people are already playing the game. New players are not interested and the fans have no need for the game to run on Linux (well maybe some fans do, but this would be a very small group. The bounty will never be big enough to entice developers)..

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<snip> New players are not interested and the fans have no need for the game to run on Linux (well maybe some fans do, but this would be a very small group. The bounty will never be big enough to entice developers)..

 

Some people on the SuSe forums, after playing Beneath a Steel Sky and/or Flight of the Amazon Queen (included in the box, works with ScummVM) have already asked if there were other games like that for Linux. Answer is: No. So there are people interested. Games can also be not popular because they are not promoted enough or because the market moves on, or... does not mean they are less fun. I *love* discworld I, it is very fun to play, despite its not so good graphics.

 

And some games are probably quite easy to get to work, if only someone sets his mind to it. The bounty is the incentive for doing that. Also, there are people in less developed parts in the world that program quite well and were e.g. $100 could be the wage of half a month... (well, it would be worth a LOT).

 

I know that Gnome uses a bounty system for some things as well and it works quite well.

 

Of course this would be a transitional phase until the gaming corps 'catch up'.

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Dos box for Linux is your answer to your prayers ;) Especially for old games like 'Sword of Aragon' (great SSI game), Giana sisters and alike.

 

But there is some good strategy games and adventure/rpg for linux but they aren't free as in free beer and in free speech.

 

Devils Whiskey got awesome graphic (cost $25 and 230 mb download) www.devilwhiskey.com/main.html It's like Bard Tales

 

Dominions 2 One of the best Fantasy Strategy games I ever played ( cost $49, they are sending a CD with a thick manual) www.illwinter.com

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Dos box for Linux is your answer to your prayers ;) Especially for old games like 'Sword of Aragon' (great SSI game), Giana sisters and alike.

 

But there is some good strategy games and adventure/rpg for linux but they aren't free as in free beer and in free speech.

 

Devils Whiskey got awesome graphic (cost $25 and 230 mb download) www.devilwhiskey.com/main.html It's like Bard Tales

 

Dominions 2 One of the best Fantasy Strategy games I ever played ( cost $49, they are sending a CD with a thick manual) www.illwinter.com

 

Thanks, AI! :)

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I doubt it. Gaming companies are in it for the money and as long as they don't get a decent return on their investment they won't bother with Linux. The only thing that helps is enough people buying games. When Linux becomes more popular we will see more games.

 

curiously , and i think it was EA Games who said it, is that most game development is actually done ON Linux.

 

That's why the Linux client of Enemy Territory suddenly appeared.

 

What's preventing more Linux games is as devries says - the return on investment - NOT the technical obstacles to producing games on Linux.

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Thanks, AI! :)

 

No problem, I'm actually gonna write a review of Dom2 and DW on this board when I find the time. It would be cool if other do the same with Linux game here on MUSB, like reviews of other distro *hint* *hint* :deal:

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If you have any trouble PM me or post at the Dom2 board. The demo is limited for 40 turns and the magic research tree is limited to level 4.

 

Dom2 is hard to learn because of all the possibilities in the game, first after my 10 game of dom2 I got a understanding of it (but that could tell more of me than the game :P )

 

Yet better you can build your own mod and adding them to dom2. It's dead easy!

 

The script goes like this on a txt file:

 

 

 

From a mod I'm working on

#modname "Draconians"
#description "The Draconians mod adds a new race called 'Draconians' and replaces"

#Icon "BIcon"
#version 0.10
#Domversion 2.12

#Newweapon 600
#Name "Arcane Staff"
#dmg 3
#att 0
#def 2
#len 3
#magic
#sound 12
#end

#Newweapon 601
#Name "Wooden Dragon Staff"
#dmg 4
#att 1
#def 4
#len 3
#magic
#sound 12
#end

#Newmonster 1500
#name "Mystic Changeling"
#Descr "test"

#Selectnation 15
#Name "Draco Kingdom"
#brief "The Draco Kingdom."
#descr "This is a betatest"
#Summary "Test test"
#end

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Here's another game for linux:

 

EXILE 3

 

 

Screenshots

 

It's like the ultima 4-5 and 6 just more advance. There's a demo around. For full game cost $25 downloadable or CD (cost more if CD)

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Here's another game for linux:

 

EXILE 3

 

 

Screenshots

 

It's like the ultima 4-5 and 6 just more advance. There's a demo around. For full game cost $25 downloadable or CD (cost more if CD)

 

Thank you, but I'd like the graphics to be at least a *little* better... DominionsII graphics were nice I think, music was very good also.

 

Do you know of any 'Classic' Adventure Games for Linux (except Hopkins FBI?)

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Not really, I usually use emulators like Cedega, Xover-office(enhanced wine) and dosbox for classics, though I prefer native if possible.

 

But I found this page but they are new games: http://www.demo-files.com/linuxlist.php3

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