A few new screenshots of Parsec: There Is No Safe Distance have been released here and on the main screenshot section. Parsec is a multiplayer OpenGL space combat game that will be released as commercial-quality freeware (unrestricted non-commercial distribution) for Linux and other (insignificant ;)) platforms in the near future.
Creative Labs has released version 0.2b of their Linux drivers for SB Live! sound cards. The 60k tarball is available from ftp://ftp.soundblaster.com/pub/creative/beta/.
Christian Reiniger wrote in to announce that the Linux Game Development Center has re-launched after a short hiatus. The Linux GDC is intended to be a resource for game developers working on the Linux platform, covering SDKs, image manipulation/generation software, special documentation, programming tools, and more. If you want to join the center’s mailing list, send a null-content message to linuxgames-subscribe@sunsite.auc.dk.
A little update on the Linux Lithtech server port: Jeremy Blackman fired off a quick SITREP on his progress before heading off to see the Phantom Menace:
The server is ported and up-to-date, in that I have a libserver.a andserver.so (either of which I can use), and the other appropriatelibraries. HOWEVER, there’s a nasty bug (which has recently appeared inthe Windows version as well, which leads me to believe it’s engine-code,not port-code) in it. Dussault and I will be looking at it tomorrow andFriday… if I cannot find a ready path to fix it, I will probably do arelease. Otherwise I want to make sure it’s as clean as possible. :)
Natas has created a Civ:CTP installation guide for the linux beginners. It includes some snapshots and explains some of the common problems with the game. If you are a beginner in the linux/gamer field, I highly suggest you check this out.
Steve Flaherty, CEO of BlackHoleSun Software, wrote in to let those attending Linux Expo in North Carolina this week know that BlackHoleSun will be hosting a hospitalitysuite at the Sheraton Capital Center on Thursday the 20th from 6PM until 10PM EST. The hospitality suite is in the Governor’s Suite, Room 1529; BlackHoleSun will be showing a demo of their upcoming Linux title Millennium Madness: Roads of Destruction, screenshots of which are available here. Refreshments and sandwiches will also be available for those attending, so be sure to swing on by tomorrow and check them out.
Canux, a venture by Lazarus Engineering Corporation, has opened its doors. Canux will be selling Loki’s Civ: CTP, as well as other Linux “commercial software and hardware specifically tailored to Linux and the Canadian public”. The full press release can be read here.
id programmer John Carmack updated his .plan with the news that:
The plan right now is to have an update release next week that will have lots of bug fixes and cheat protections, but not too many new user visible features.
Carmack has also enabled SMP support in his NT code base, and notes it will “make its way to the linux port eventually”. He expects an average 40 to 80 percent speed-up for SMP systems, depending on system configuration and rendering situations.
Couple of updates for this Phantom Menace eve… Version 0.8 of Clanbomber, the Clanlib-utilizing Bomberman clone is now available; the 5-17 source snapshot can be grabbed from http://www.fischlustig.de/clanbomber/… Q2Java version 0.9.4, which allows Quake 2 mod authors to write their code in Java, has been released; the 3 main changes can be read here. Q2Java requires Quake 2 version 3.14 or higher and the Blackdown Java Development Kit version 1.1.7_v1a with native_threads add-on; the source is available in zip format at http://www.planetquake.com/dl/dl.asp?q2java/q2java094.zip.
Off-topic, if there are no updates tomorrow assume we’ve all died from the shock of Episode 1 ;)
I’ve posted an interview I conducted with Freeciv gurus Nicolas Brunel, Martin Willemoes Hansen, and Vasco Alexandre da Silva Costa here. The interview covers the recent changes in 1.8.0, current development plans, Civ: CTP thoughts, and possible future directions for Freeciv.
Just announced on Loki Entertainment Software’s main page is the three new games they will be porting to Linux: Myth II: Soulblighter by Bungie Software, Railroad Tycoon II and the expansion pak: “The Second Century” by PopTop Software and finally, Eric’s Ultimate Solitaire by Delta Tao Software.Check out the full press release for more details.
Clay wrote in to point out a statement from the Bleem! developers which indicates a willingness to produce a Linux port of their Playstation emulator:
We’ll do a port to any platform that the public demands. Linux is at the top of the list… but let me be clear: NO ports, NO support, NO updates can be done without *YOUR* support… and that means not just buying bleem!… that means support US in our fight against those who would have emulation declared illegal. Also support us on message boards and in #bleem. Help people having problems, there are WAY more of YOU than there are of US :)
If you would be willing to purchase a Linux port of Bleem, fire off a message to the Bleem sales team at sales@bleem.com.
David Koenig has written Portable NameCaddy, a Java applet which allows Linux users to easily create Q3Test “fun names”, which use different fonts and colors than the standard ASCII name set. The applet is located at http://www.rancidmeat.com/funnames/, and requires (obviously) a Java-enabled browser such as Netscape.
Daryll Strauss has released Glide drivers for the 3Dfx Voodoo Banshee and Voodoo 3 chipsets. The beta X server is available in RPM format from http://glide.xxedgexx.com/; the Rush extension libraries are also required. To run 3D software under this X server you will also need to grab Device3Dfx and the new Glide rpm. Darryl also notes that he will be out of town for Linux Expo until the 23rd, so all driver reports/issues should go to the Linux Glide newsgroup until then.He also notes that although Q3Test works for him under these drivers, they are betas and have not been extensively tested.
Gerrit Holl of the Dutch Linux Gaming page wrote in with a request for volunteers to help him with maintenance and updates. The Dutch Linux Gaming site covers linux gaming news, HOWTOs, and reviews; interested (Dutch-speaking of course) volunteers should e-mail Gerrit.
Maniac wrote in to report that Vicarious Visions has announced a Linux port for their OpenGL 3D space combat simulation Terminus. Station Terminus is reporting that Terminus is approximately 3 months away from release, and will have both a client and server port for the Linux platform.
Loki Entertainment Software has updated their main page with news of a Technical Support FAQ for their shipping Linux port of Civilization: Call to Power. The FAQ covers music, sound, network, gameplay, and X11-related issues. Loki also notes that the patch for version 1.1 will be available on their support page when complete, as well as the binaries for Alpha and PowerPC architectures.
Version 0.1.3 of the Linux AGI Interpreter, which allows classic Sierra AGI titles to be run under Linux, has been released. Changes in version 0.1.3 are:
A few more optimisations
Removed dependancy on libvgagl (now only needs libvga)
‘animate.obj’ tweaked
Fixed message boxes (now only respond to Enter/Esc)
Experimental X11 driver (non-functional)
When non-root users try ‘make install’, run ‘make install’ via su
The tarball for the latest source tree is available here.