LINUXGAMES

As seen via the in-game Tribes 2 news, Dave ‘QIX’ Georgeson posted this:

The folks at Loki (that created the Linux version of T2) would like to add a check to the network packets that will allow them to tell how many players are running Linux clients.

If they put this detection in, it would have *NO* other effect and would not relay ANY other information to us. The detection has nothing to do with your system. It merely detects if you are using the Loki-produced Linux version of T2, or if you are using the Dynamix-produced Win32 version of T2.

If you feel strongly, either yay or nay, we would appreciate it if you would respond to this news article. Essentially, we’re seeing if you’re okay with this idea, or whether you think it’s a violation of privacy for some reason.

If you add a comment…please…be as clear about why you feel one way or the other. Thanks all.

As QIX mentions, Dynamix would like to see your opinions on this using the in-game Tribes 2 forums.

evil3D.net’s Evil Smokin’ Dudewrote in to let our readers know that the FSAA environment variable for the latestNVIDIALinux drivershas changed.

Furthermore, they’ve posted a newHOWTO for installingthe NVIDIA drivers on SuSE 7.1 systems.

Version 1.3.0 beta of Matrox Graphics’Linux driver has beenreleased; the only major change is added support for a new GUI utility:PowerDesk,whose release wasannouncedtoday:

Now, Matrox Linux users can easily configure Matrox DualHead features such as Multi-Display, Clone, and TV Output, as well as make monitor adjustments to resolution settings, pixel depths, and refresh rates. With PowerDesk for Linux, users simply load this utility along with the accompanying driver and can then point and click to enable a desired feature, avoiding the errors that can occur when configuration files are entered manually.

The README for PowerDesk can be foundhere;source for the util and the new drivers can be dowloaded from:

http://www.matrox.com/mga/support/drivers/files/linux_07.cfm

The pygame site updated to announce thatPygris, a fallingblocks puzzle game, has been released. Pygris features 320×240 high ortrue-colour graphics, keyboard and joystick support, sound, and music.

Pygris source: pygris.zip

Johann Deneux wrote in to give us anupdate on his Force-Feedback joystickdriver:

In a previous mail, I wrote that I had developed a driver handlingforce-feedback for I-Force-compliant devices.It was unfortunately not working with USB (only RS232).Only a few days after this announcement, Vojtech Pavlik (the maintainer ofthe joystick driver) told me he had added USB support.Since then, we have been working on this, and the driver is now quite nearto comletion (if any soft can ever be considered to be “near tocompletion”…)However, I still need users to tell me the vendor and product ids of theirdevices, so that I can add them to the driver.

The FF site is temporarily unavailable, but Johann assures us that it willhopefully be back soon.

UPDATE: Johann let us know that The FF site is back and functioning properly.

TeleFragged’s KungFu wrote in to pointout that The Register is running ashort Linux PS2 article: Can a GPLPlayStation2 Linux port replace low-cost PCs? The article is about the RU.nix project which is trying to convert thePS2 into a low-price desktop computer. RU.nix apparently includes a 2.4 Linuxkernel, and other work that will be released under the GPL. The RU.nix siteappears to be down right now, so more details on the project are not available.

Norman Lin sent in a release announcement for his new book:Linux 3D Graphics Programming:

Norman Lin’s primary goal is to provide the reader, who isassumed to have little or no 3D graphics experience, with a well-roundedunderstanding of the fundamental theoretical and practical conceptsinvolved in programming real-time 3D graphics applications usingfreely available tools under Linux. Topics include the X Window System,OpenGL/Mesa, 2D screen access and rasterization, hardware acceleration,and 3D vision and perception. Other chapters discuss mathematicalformulas to specify and project 3D points onto 2D planes, storingtransformations in matrices, and using 3D polygons to model individual3D objects and worlds. A tutorial explains how to create 3D models usingBlender, a 3D modeler included on the companion CD. Each chapter alsoincludes complete, executable sample programs illustrating the conceptspresented. The careful balance between theory and practice makes thisbook especially suitable for learning Linux 3D graphics programming.

A second book for advanced work is due out in about a month; you canorder acopy for $47.96 US from Wordware Publishing.

• Hampton Maxwell pointed outa petition askingNVIDIA to port their drivers toFreeBSD.

• Norbert Drage sent in a new revision ofhis proposalto Blizzard Entertainment requesting that a Linux version ofDiablo 2 be developed and released. Norbertstates:
  

  I need anyone with a technical/knowledge/general information about SDL andits usefulness in porting Windows-only games over to other operatingsystems. Once we get that, a lot of the proposal will probably get cut backand then it should be ready to post and inform Blizzard of.

  If you have suggestions, e-mail Norbert at darkwind@iqnet.net.au.

Version 0.2.8 of the 3D chess program glChess has been released; changesinclude:

• resolved a segfault problem on startup
• fixed a misbehaviour in make release
• added info on how to pull glchess via CVS
• added full “en passant” support
• fixed a bug with learn message

glChess 0.2.8 source: glchess-0.2.8.tar.gz

Version 1.28 of the Super NES emulator ZSNES has been released; changes include:

• Added option to allow multiple instances of ZSNES
• Added more keyboard shortcuts to GUI
• Implemented 128KB sram support
• Added exclusive DirectSound mode option
• Added alternate timer for people having problems with zsnes running too fast
• Combined the new header detection method with the old one, producing a much better method
• Added Trainered rom support
• bugfixes

ZSNES 1.28 source: zsnes-1.28src.tar.gz

• The Linux Game Tome mentioned somenew releases today:
  • Virtual GameBoy Advance version1.0 (notethat a 16-bit color depth is required), which is another Game Boy Advance emulator.
  • Version1.6.0 ofPenguin Command, theSDL-based Missile Command clone.
  • A Python-based RPG: Umbra0.7

• The Game Tome also received a letter announcingthe development of a Crystal Space-basedRPG project, PlaneShift. If you’re interested in helping, hittheir recruitment page.

• The venerable Freshmeat also pointed outsome new gaming-related releases this week:
  • BW-Admin1.74, a .soQuake 2/Kingpin plugin which detects client-side bot cheating.
  • gRustibus0.43,a frontend utility for xmame.
  • XBattleAI1.1.4 (note: the siteappears to be down temporarily).

Since a couple sites jumped the gun today (Blues andTribalWar notably), I figured this was worthmentioning: Mike “heimdall” Phillips let us know that theTribes 2 patchwhich was on Loki’s FTP earlier this morning (but wasnever on Loki Update)has been withdrawn. If you manually updated your copy of T2 with this patch (22859), you can nowapply a reversion patch manually or with Loki Update. NOTE: You onlyneed to apply this patch if you upgraded manually with the 22859 patch from this morning.

Ray Yeargin’snew 3D Starship Traders II client is currently in testing;instructions for participating in the test and a description of gameplay can be found at

http://librenix.com/?inode=895

Version 0.1.11a of the Scorched Earth clone xscorch has been released.The changelog details the additions and fixes included in this version.

xscorch 0.1.11a source: xscorch-0.1.11a.tar.gz

Synaptic Soup sent out a press releaseregarding Cipher, theircross-platform game engine that runs on Linux.

Synaptic Soup unlocks Cipher

London, England, 29th May 2001

UK based games and technology developer Synaptic Soup announced todaythat its one-stop development solution Cipher is now available tolicense.

Cipher offers a complete technology solution for developers working onthe current and next wave of gaming hardware. Designed specifically toaddress spiralling development times and costs, Cipher delivers anintegrated development environment that provides all of the core systemsrequired to deliver a cutting edge game in the quickest possible time andat a minimum of cost.

Cipher has already attracted some of the industries biggest names withNVidia recently choosing the Cipher powered game Crazy Car Championshipas a showcase product for the launch of their GeForce3 GPU. KevinStrange, Developer Relations Account Manager for NVIDIA commented, “Wewere very impressed by how well positioned Synaptic Soup were to takeadvantage of our leading edge technologies and how fast they were able toturn our discussions into demonstrable software with their Cipherengine.”

For further information and screenshots visit Synaptic Soup?swebsite at www.synapticsoup.com or email press@synapticsoup.com.

The full press release can be found in the SS PressSection.

Version 0.3.2a of FreeSCI, theSierra On-Line classic game engine interpreter, has been released; changesinclude:

• build fixes
• fix for MIDI initialization on pre-0.9.0b3 ALSA (alsaraw driver)
• included debian packaging files
• included RPM spec file

FreeSCI 0.3.2a downloads: freesci.linuxgames.com/download.html

In related FreeSCI news, Rune Orsval has written a Tcl/Tk-based FreeSCIconfiguration file editor. This is the first release and it can be downloadedfrom darmstadt.gmd.de.

Snapshot 20010519 of the 2D overhead deathmatch game XTux has been released. This versionincludes support for demos and bugfixes.

XTux 20010519 source: xtux-src-20010519.tar.gz

Stomped has posted two segments in a seriesentitled “Serving with Mal”, in which MalHavocexplains the basic concepts involved in running a multiplayer game server:

• Segment One – Pings And Packets
• Segment Two – Hardware Requirements for a Game Server

Futhermore, Slashdot pointed out anarticle byGrenville Armitage which examines variable ping statisticsand their effects on gameplay.

The fourthissue ofLinux Netmag contains two articles of note:a look at Linux car racinggames, and an overviewof XTux.

Neverwinter Vault has posted an extensivepreview ofBioWare’s upcoming ADRPG Neverwinter Nights. Screenshots, wallpaper,three MPEG trailers, and additional information are included.

Furthermore, Trent Oster, the game’s producer, wasinterviewedat E3 by theCastersrealm Network, where brief mentionwas made of the Linux version:

B: The server and client operates across Windows, Mac, Linux and BeOS. Which is giving the best performance?

TO: Right now that changes week to week as we play with the code. Right now though the best server version is probably linux, but the best client is the windows system.