LINUXGAMES

If you sent me e-mail over the last 2 days, please resend it, as most of the messages I had on the mail server vanished into the ether during an OS reinstall on my box. I apologize for the inconvenience, and thanks.

Loki Software has released a patch for their Linux port of Tribes 2. This applies to the recently released dedicated server package; changes include:

• Fixed ambient sound angle attenuation
• Added preliminary voice over IP support (Linux <-> Linux only)
• Fixed lots of crash bugs
• No longer minimize the window when launching a URL in windowed mode
• NVidia 0.9-769 drivers rock! Definitely upgrade your drivers! :)

Further information can be found in the documentation.

Tribes 2 22002 Patch Download:
[ 3D Downloads | Loki FTP ]

Tonight’s Indrema developer chat discussed Linux Game Programming, with it’s author, The Infamous Mark ‘Nurgle’ Collins, and various guests.
We have a log of the chat available, thanks to Alkini for formatting it properly, and dorix for providing it in the first place.

Loki‘s Sam Latinga (SDL author, game porter, et cetera…) let us know that Loki’s internal Tribes 2 builds have operational VOIP using a free GSM codec. No comment yet on Win32 compatibility, however.

Version 0.97.0 of the graphical adventure RPG Crossfire has been released; changesinclude:

• All known server crashing bugs fixed.
• Various fixes to exit code. All exits should now work properly.

Crossfire 0.97.0 source: crossfire-client-0.97.0.tar.gz

Version 0.1.1 of the QT Universal Emulator Frontend has been released. This version fixes a bug that causedjoysticks to always be disabled in Snes9x.

QUEF 0.1.1 source: quef-0.1.1.tar.gz

Version 1.0.0 of the AI-driven robot programming game BattleBots has been released;changes since 0.4.1 include:

• bugfixes
• additions to debugwindow
• skinning
• new instructions
• UI fixes

BattleBots 1.0.0 source: battlebots-1.0.0.tar.gz

Version 0.0.6 of the multiplayer tunnel deathmatch-style game Hover Carnage has been released;changes include:

• greatly improved hovercraft controls: keyboard and mouse
• chase camera now more closely follows movement and tilt of hovercraft
• rocket extension and retraction works correctly
• fixed segment texture alignment problems
• improved lighting

Hover Carnage 0.0.6 source: hover-0.0.6.tar.gz

Version 0.5.3 of the electronic boardgame front-end Q Universal Boardgame has beenreleased; changesinclude:

• more stable
• fixed huge memory leak
• added lots of things to the game component Editor dialog
• usage of the default template is now togglable
• UI layout changes
• Default object class selection list added

QUB 0.5.3 source: qub-0.5.3.tar.gz

Version 1.3.4 of the SDL-based Asteroids clone SDLRoids has beenreleased; changes include:

• Added Ctrl-z (iconify) and Ctrl-g (grab/release) key bindings.
• Fixed a bug which caused a crash when using DGA rendering.

SDLRoids 1.3.4 source: sdlroids-1.3.4.tar.bz2

Anthony Rumble sent in an e-mailtoday stating thatEverythingLinux.com.au, anonline Australian Linux retailer, is now shipping bothShogo:Mobile Armor Division and JaggedAlliance 2. Both are available for $59.00 (Australian dollars) each.

The Infamous Mark “Nurgle” Collins let us know that the book he co-wrote withBen Campbell, Steve Baker, and Martin Donlon is now available for orderingfrom PrimaGameDev.com.Linux Game Programmingis an extensive resource for aspiring Linux game developers, covering bothAPI’s and programming techniques applicable to game design. Congratulations to all involvedon getting this tome published!

As Tribes 2 is nearingrelease,Loki Software has releaseda Linux dedicated server for the teamplay-oriented shooterfrom Dynamix. Please notethat this is intended for use with the Win32 retail CD so server adminswho play on Windows can also run a Linux server. If you intend to play on Linux,you will have to purchase the Linux retail CD (which includes the dedicatedserver) fromLoki. In other words, this is not likethe Q3A situation; general Linux client binarieswill not be made available for download. More info can be found in theREADME.

Tribes 2 Dedicated Server Download:
ftp://ftp.lokigames.com/pub/extras/tribes2/

Again, I cannot stress this enough, if you want to support Linux as a gaming platform, please purchase the Linux Tribes 2 box when it becomes available.

A new Synaptic Soupdev diaryis up at Voodoo Extreme, in whichRik Heywood discusses howCrazy Car Championshipperforms on the new GeForce3card.

Linux Tribes’Bad_CRC fired in thisgood news:

Mystro from Linux Tribes got word from Sam Lantinga (head developer of the Tribes 2 project for Linux)that VOiP, thespeech communication option previously listed as the only feature not going to be included in the Linux version ofTribes 2 will now be added in an upcoming patch.

There goes your last excuse not to buy the Linux version of Tribes 2.

Christoph Hessof linux4fun.de sent in thefollowing:

The German software publisher CDV wrote me an eMail saying they have noplans to publish the linux version of The Nomads (only PC and XBox).Besides that: they did not even know about an linux version and did notknow about the Nebula Device being developed cross-platform.

I’m now waiting for a reply on the question: What’ll happen to the linuxversion of Alcatraz?

NOMADS, a 3D multi-genregame created with the open-sourceNebula Device engine, wasdeveloped by Radon Labs, who havestated in the pastthat the game was also running on Linux.The other title mentioned, Escapefrom Alcatraz, was created by Philos Labs,who ported their RTSTheocracy to Linux.

Tux Games sent in the following note:

Tux Games would like to announce that we are now shipping Quake III Team Arena.

Keep in mind that the current release (1.27g) of Linux Quake 3: Arena, which is required to use Team Arena, is still considered a beta build.

• Version 1.5 of Rocket Arena Q3Ahas been released by David “crt” Wright; changes include an enemy player model cvar,in-match map voting, ip logging, stats, cheating countermeasures, an IRC client, newmaps,and other fixes/improvements.
  RA3 1.5 Download

• A new patch forUTInfiltrationis now available; changes in version 2.85.3 were made to fix round issues andlarge log files.
  Infiltration 2.85.3 Download
• The Q3F dev team has updated theirsite with a few screenshots of the newplayer class models and skins that will be made available in Beta 2.

For those of you still using the 2.2.x series, version 2.2.19of the Linux kernelhas been released. No word on changes yet, but you can download the full sourcetree or a patch against the 2.2.18 source from

ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.2/

Version 1.2.0 of Sam Lantiga’s cross-platform multimedia library Simple DirectMedia Layer has been released; changes include:

• Added OpenGL support as a native 3D API
• Added YUV video display with hardware acceleration
• More complete thread synchronization primitives
• Added support for gamma ramp manipulation
• Much improved alpha blending blit semantics

SDL 1.2.0 downloads: libsdl.org/download-1.2.html