LINUXGAMES

Michael Simms of Tux Games wrote in to announce that they (Tux Games) are accepting pre-orders of Loki’s latest port, Postal Plus. The price is $19.

Blue’s News is reporting that MandrakeSoft andTransGaming are teaming up to sell a Mandrake Linux Gamer Edition, which will include a port of the The Sims (at least, I’m assuming it’s a port, and not based on WINE), and a packaged version of WineX for end-users. Hopefully whatever build they include will run more titles than the CVS snapshots I’ve tried :/.

Anyway, what do you guys think? Is this a viable way to get gamers on to Linux? I’d prefer real ports, but for impatient people who’ll just get the Win32 version and dual-boot, maybe this is the best option.

A bunch of emails flew in over the past few days regarding X-Plane Flight Sim being ported to linux. The game itself is still in beta for linux, and only has a few portions of it avaliable for download. The parts that can be downloaded are:

• Airfoil-Maker
• Plane-Maker
• World-Maker
• Weather-Briefer

The game binary itself will hopefully follow soon. For now you can download the subprograms of X-Plane. Thanks to everyone who wrote in with word of this release.

Download: xsystem_linux_beta2.tar.gz

Version 0.43.b15 of the QT-based XMame launcher MAMECAT has been released; changes SINCE 0.42 include:

• first version with Qt 3.x support
• made the GUI more responsive during gamelist-refresh and preview-checking
• progress dialogs are now also displayed while the catalog, the rom status cache and “additional info” (manufacturer & year) are loaded/parsed
• new and improved about dialog that works fine with both Qt 2′s and Qt 3′s layout management
• changed the snapshot-rule from -snapXXX. to XXXX. when searching for preview images
• integrated the FAQ into the docs directory; german translation available
• new “overall” gamelist statistics counters
• fixed paragraphs in the sample text for the default font (options/fonts)
• adjusted the startup size of the options dialog (smaller now)
• added a preview toggle via menu
• bugfixes

MAMECAT 0.43.b15 downloads: www.mameworld.net/mamecat/mamecat_main.html#Downloads

Version 0.4.8 of the 3D car sim Racer has been released. I can’t seem to dig up a changelog on this version, and for that I apologize.

Racer 0.4.8 downloads: www.marketgraph.nl/gallery/racer/dl_linux.htm

Version 1.9.4 of the multiplayer turn-based strategy game Advanced Strategic Command has been released; changes include:

• fixed broken railroad object
• added missing BI import table
• maps now store archival information

ASC 1.9.4 source: asc-linux-1.9.4.tar.gz

Version 0.2.0 of the tactical war game Crimson Fields has been released; changes include:

• all new combat rules
• the beginnings of a computer-controlled player
• bugfixes

Crimson Fields 0.2.0 source: crimson-0.2.0.tar.bz2

Version 0.2.0-Tech Preview 1 of the Command & Conquer rewrite FreeCNC has been released; changes include:

• you can attack with most units and structures
• better VQA decoding
• new file-handling code
• external song lists
• minimap
• optimized video scaling algoritm
• -nosound command line option to disable sound

FreeCNC 0.2.0-TP1 source: freecnc++-tp1.tar.bz2

Jetro Lauha wrote in to announce thathe has released a Linux port of KOPS (screenshots), his freeware arcade game.

KOPS 1.1 download: kops-1.1.tar.gz

Version 3.9.39 of the game programming library Allegro has been released; changes include:

• documentation changes and additions
• several memory leaks corrected
• unicode fixes
• DGA2 driver partial rewrite
• new flush_config_file() API function
• fetch_mode_list() implemented for BeOS, DGA2, XDGA2 and SVGAlib
• corrections to the sound subsystem
• bidirectional looping and backwards
• fbcon is now a dynamic module on Unix
• clear() inlining on Watcom improved

Allegro 3.9.39 source: allegro-3.9.39.tar.gz

The site for Croteam, the makers of Serious Sam, was updatedwith a development diary. In the diary, it is revealed that the sound enginefor the upcoming Serious Sam: Second Encounter has been changed significantly -it is now using Ogg Vorbis for in-gamemusic. It was recently announcedthat Serious Sam is being ported to Linux by Ryan “icculus” Gordon, but therehas been no announcement whether or not SS:SE will be ported.

Version 0.3pre3 of the Dragonrealms front-end Warlock Front End has been released; changes since 0.2 include:

• custom string highlighting
• multiple character profile support
• font configuration
• stopping scripts is supported through the menu and the Escape key
• scripting acts more like the Wizard
• greatly improved speed
• stability slightly improved
• command history should work properly
• color palette editing
• improved scripting support
• all of warlock’s files reside in the users home directory
• installation script
• included auto-launch script for logging in through the dragonrealms webpage
• roundtime bar moved
• preliminary reverse engineering of the Simutronics Game Entrance(SGE)
• bugfixes

Warlock Front End 0.3pre3 source: warlock-0.3pre3.tar.bz2

Version 2.2.2 of the Doom source port PrBoom has been released; changes include:

• more demo sync problems for original Doom and Boom fixed
• added changeable samplerate for soundmixing
• added fullscreen/window toggle in option menu
• added double buffering
• floor rendering made more accurate
• fix endian conversion problem on Linux/PPC

PrBoom 2.2.2 source: prboom-2.2.2.tar.gz

Today I came across this press release on Yahoo which was linked to by NewsForge. It explains that Red Hat has hired some former VA Linux personnel. Another Newsforge item points to this brief at LinuxJournal that lists several persons starting work at Red Hat this week, including Rik Faith, Alan Hourihane, and Kevin Martin, all of whom have been key developers in the XFree86/DRI (Direct Rendering Infrastructure) project. So it seems as though several of the XFree86/DRI developers who were recently laid off have found new work.

When asked about this news, one DRI developer responded:

Yes, they picked up some of the graphics people. Who exactly is sort ofup in the air at the moment. A few people have decided to do differentthings.

Further, as the Red Hat press release specifically mentions this move as adding “Open Source graphic engineering and consulting” to their business, this strengthens the possibility that the current 3D drivers will be maintained and that drivers could be developed for newer cards, like the recently released ATI Radeon 7500/8500.

The Threewave team releasedversion 1.0 of their “CTF Unification Project,” an add-on to Quake 3. The project includes ClassicCTF game mode, new maps, a new game mode: CaptureStrike, voting on the nextgame’s map and style, and mini-games between maps/games.

Threewave CTF 1.0 mirrors: www.threewave.com/mirrors.html

Linux Game Publishing fired in the following notice:

London, England. Linux Game Publishing announces the launch of its newservice to provide publishing facilities for Linux games. Along withthe corporate launch Linux Game Publishing is happy to announce thesigning of two major titles to be ported to the Linux platform. Thetitles of these new releases to be announced over the next followingweeks.

Linux Game Publishing is also pleased to announce the launch of thenew company web site, at http://www.linuxgamepublishing.com.

About Linux Game Publishing LTD
Founded in 2001, Linux Game Publishing was formed to help companiesbring their games to market. Combining extensive Linux knowledge witha solid business foundation, Linux Game Publishing is partnering witha number of other companies to bring to Linux both ports of games fromother platforms and original titles.

As soon as we receive word on what game ports are in the works, we’ll post it here.

Bill Kendrick threatened me with bodily harm if I didn’t mention that he has released a new version of Agendaroids, an X Windows clone of Asteroids for the Agenda VR3 PDA. Changes include:

• More documentation
• Thrust controls now work! You can fly around!
• High score
• Pause implemented
• Paused game and high score saved when you quit
• Extra lives (every 10,000 points)

Agendaroids is available from http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/agendaroids/.

Loki Software fired in the following:

Tucson, AZ – Proving again that good taste is no substitute for goodgameplay, outrageous developer Running With Scissors dropped anot-so-dainty-sized turd into Martha Stewart’s videogame punchbowl byannouncing they will join forces with Loki Software to bring thelong-awaited Linux version of POSTAL PLUS(TM) to Windows-wearygameplayers, everywhere.

“There’s something just plain sick and wrong about Linux users,” saidVince Desi, Running With Scissors’ tetanus-tempered edge. “That’swhy we’re so excited to be able to bring these gaming misfits a Linuxversion of POSTAL PLUS – They’re our kind of people!”

“Why did we do it?” said Scott Draeker, President of Loki Software,Inc. “Two words: First Amendment. Besides, it’s nice to playsomething with all the gore of Quake but none of the nausea. Loki,the Norse god of mischief and our namesake, would definitely haveapproved”.

Having hurdled both legislative and litigious obstacles since firstinviting gamers to go POSTAL(TM) back in 1997, Desi has good reasonto brag on the hard-won success of the POSTAL franchise.

Running With Scissors holds a string of international licensingagreements that have made POSTAL a part of the game culture of sucheconomic giants as Japan, Korea and Canada. Desi is equallyconfident that the Linux version of the ever-popular game will onlyincrease its presence in the world marketplace.

“Industry insiders call it ‘having achieved cult status’,” laughedDesi. “We like to call it ‘business as usual.’ No matter what youcall it, though, there’s simply no denying the power of POSTAL – It’ssort of like the ‘power of cheese’ but with a lot more blood andscreaming.”

Running With Scissors develops outrageous entertainment software justfor the hell of it. Contact Vince Desi at: 520 577 0321, or e-mailVince at: vince@gopostal.comor visit us at: http://www.gopostal.com

Loki Software, Inc. works with rockin’ publishers and developers toport their best-selling PC products to Linux. Visithttp://www.lokigames.com for the full deal.

You can hit the new Loki Postal Plus site athttp://www.lokigames.com/products/postal/.

Quick rant here.

Back in the dark days of dual-booting (1997), I used to play a submarine warfare sim called 688(i), which was released by EA under the Jane’s label way back when. Recent events have reminded me that it’s been a considerable length of time since I last played a naval sim of any kind, so I picked up a budget Naval Warfare Collection EA put out last year of various Jane’s games. These titles (688i, Fleet Command, and F/A-18) each seem to use Diret3D 3 or 6, depending on their individual date of release, and none of them appear run in Wine (if anyone has had any luck with these titles, feel free to e-mail me or comment below), including the WineX fork. There’s also a new EA sub sim, but as it’s a D3D8 title I doubt it’ll run in Wine either. I’ve looked around for an open source naval warfare sim project, to no avail (again, if anyone knows of one, e-mail or comment).

The old Linux adage is “if you have an itch, scratch it”, but neither you nor I want me anywhere near gcc ;) (it’s been probably 5 years since I’ve even attempted to code anything). However, I guess if worse comes to worse and no one knows of any working Win32 sim or a native open source one, I guess I’ll end up trying to pick up coding again, grab an editor, and attempt to forge one, so to speak.

Thanks for putting up with this aside.

Version 0.6.4 of the 3D arcade game MangoQuest has been released; changes include:

• change color of shmolluxes when player can eat them
• added a “Restart map” option in the in-game menu
• new and additional sounds
• added music playing/pause/resume/stop
• bugfixes

MangoQuest 0.6.4 source: mangoquest-0.6.4.tar.bz2