LINUXGAMES

zakk let us know that he has released a port of Orbital Sniper (screenshot collage). It is a top-view assassin game. From the readme.txt:

Welcome to utopia.
The year is 2174, and you have been ordered to function as anorbital sniper. In your world there’s just three kinds of people:VIPs, dissidents and normal citizens. VIPs run the world: they mustnot come to harm. Dissidents must die. If a commoner or two getswasted in progress, it’ll count against you when your post ends.

Orbital Sniper downloads: timedoctor.org/files

As you have probably seen, Jeff “Judecca” Mrochuk has joined the LinuxGames staff to help with posting news. Hopefully this will give me some extra time to work on some of the other updates that LG so desperately needs. So, it is my privilege to extend the laurel and hearty handshake to our new… Canuck.

Michael Simms from Tux Games wrote in saying they are now selling Unreal 1. It runs as an expansion to the Unreal Tournament port from Loki and Epic.

It has been a while since we had many new Linux games, so to bridge thegap until LGP releasestheir new titles, Tux Games is now shipping copies of Unreal 1. Youwill need to have UnrealTournament installed for Unreal 1 to work.

Special thanks go to Chunkyfor the installer.

Version 0.0.10 of the Defender clone Defendguin has been released. Changes and or fixes include:

• Fixed bug where not all aliens would be killed by smartbomb when near the ‘seam’ of the scrolling map. (Oohara Yuuma)
• Fixed non-transparent color in one of the ships-flame animation images.
• Option screen allows adjusting volume for sound effects and music
• Volume options now saved-to and loaded-from ~/.defendguinrc

Download: defendguin-0.0.10.tar.gz

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

• improved mouse handling
• intermission demo sync bug fixed
• framebuffer update fixes (solves flicker on fbcon)
• -forceoldbsp allowed in non-GL version, and saved in demos
• fix player colours in multiplayer demos
• apply workarounds for buggy pwads even during demo playback
• fix numpad 5 key
• allow compilation on systems where SDL is built without joystick support
• fix comp_skymap
• using anisotropic filtering when the OpenGL extension is available
• using paletted textures when the OpenGL extension is available
• added gl_use_paletted_texture option to glboom configuration file
• using shared texture palette when the OpenGL extension is available
• added gl_use_shared_texture_palette option to glboom configuration file

Download: http://prboom.sourceforge.net

Linux Game Publishing wrote in with the following announcement:

We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for beta testers for the new release of Mindrover 1.07b.

Anyone interested in becoming a beta tester should go to betas.linuxgamepublishing.com and create a beta testers account. Anyone accepted will be notified by email when the test opens.

Version 1.1.0 of the 3D racing sim TORCS (screenshots) has been released; changes include:

• lights, smoke and skid marks
• enhanced shadows
• new aerodynamics model for the ground effect
• support of game-pads and mouse to drive the cars
• new track format allowing kerbs and side walls
• new cars
• bugfixes

TORCS 1.1.0 downloads: @ sf.net

Chronic Logic (non-flash site) sent in the following press release regarding the release of Triptych, a commercial puzzle game, for Linux:

Chronic Logic Announces Release of Triptych for PC,Linux, and Mac

Chronic Logic announces the release of Triptych, a new fast-paced puzzle game from the creators of the bridge building game Pontifex.

Triptych takes classic puzzle game elements and incorporates a dynamic physics engine to give an experience that differs from the standard puzzle game. Blocks are pulled down by gravity as you move them around and give them rotational velocity to align them properly. Touch three blocks of the same color together and they become energized and now have the ability to energize other blocks of the same color. This can cause huge chain reactions that will build up your bonus so that you can rack up points. Smash blocks together to get them to bounce off each other and make them go where you want them (or in some cases, where you don’t want them). The game board is a living body of blocks that moves on its own, and your ability to manipulate it will be the key to success. As you go up levels by keeping the blocks below the end line, you will have less time to place the blocks, so you’ll have to think fast to survive. Triptych offers levels of difficulty suited for all types of gamers.

Triptych costs $14.95 and can be purchased at www.chroniclogic.com. To sample Triptych, please visit the site to download the free trial version. Triptych uses OpenGL and SDL.

Version 0.18 of the space adventure/combat game Epiar (screenshots) has been released; changes include:

• new nav map showing more information on your selected destination
• new trading screen (you can make cash and trade on planets)
• new communications system
• bugfixes

Epiar 0.18 downloads: epiar.net/downloads.php

Ratchet wrote in with the following update regarding Kritter Kreator, an OpenSource real-time strategy game project and Age of Freedom, a RTS mod of Freeciv:

Kritter Kreator, the Java RTS game, now has Server Alpha Build 5 and Client Build 4. We are currently working on getting 3D working so no gameplay is available yet. Hopefully it will be ready soon, and a map editor too. (Go to http://kreator.sf.net )

Age of Freedom, a RTS mod of Freeciv, will probably be releasing its first alpha version soon. It will be in Java as well, so it will be as multiplatform as Kritter Kreator. (Go to http://ageofreedom.sf.net )

Bernd Ritter from Holarse wrote in to announce some new articles they have up on the site:

• Ultima 1 : A Legend is Reborn
• Triptych (full version)

Bill Kendrick of NBS wrote in to announce the a new release of Tux Paint. Highlighted changes, fixes and new features for this release include:

• Added Sparkle and Fade “Magic” tools.
• Added option for simple Shape tool (no rotation mode) (–simpleshapes)
• Added key controls for “Open” dialog.
• Installs man page into /usr/share/man by default now.
• Added initial help display (“–help”)
• Installs PNG icon (for use by GNOME, KDE, etc.)
• Installs launcher into GNOME and KDE menus (under “Graphics”)
• Fixed SDL surface manipulation calls (now locks/unlocks, etc.)
• Fixed “Open” dialog cursor movement bug when scrolling up.

Download: http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/tuxpaint/

David Hedbor wrote in to announce that version 1.8.3 of the RTS war game for the Qtopia environment Strategic Assault (screenshots) has been released; changes include:

• support for Compaq (HP?) iPAQ 38xx series PDA’s
• fixes for some issues with certain iPAQ Linux installations

For Sharp Zaurus owners, this release will be of no noticeable benefit

Strategic Assault 1.8.3 downloads: http://eongames.com/games/sa/download.html

Version 0.3.31 of the X-COM: UFO Defense remake UFO2000 (screenshot) has been released; changes since 0.3.11 include:

• added save/load ability (F2 and F3 keys)
• fixed some memory leaks in the source
• fixed network game synchronization bug with soldiers walking across stairs
• disabled close window button (in previous version after hitting this button the window disappeared but the process remained in memory)
• now client can’t change map in planner for hotseat game
• added a new flag to ufo2000.ini (F_FILECHECK) which selects if the program checks data files presence and integrity

UFO2000 0.3.31 source: ufo2000-0.3.31.tar.bz2

Version 1.32b5 of the enhanced Doom source port Doom Legacy has been released; changes include:

• a temporary fix for 3d-fog in OpenGL mode
• fix with 3d-sound
• new math functions for FS (cos, sin, acos, asin, tan, atan, exp, log, pow, sqrt)
• 3d-floors savegame fixed
• object shoudn’t fall through 3d-floors anymore
• some other fixes for 3d-floors
• no more known crash with the new features

Doom Legacy 1.32b5 downloads: legacy_132beta5_linux.tar.gz

Version 4.0.2 of the game programming library Allegro has been released; changes include:

• clarifications in the docs
• updated the Swedish translation
• added a Canada (French) keyboard mapping
• bugfixes

Allegro 4.0.2 downloads: @ sf.net

In today’s it’s-taken-me-forever-to-post-this news: a pre-alpha version of Cosmos of Methos (screenshots) has been released. From the mail we received:

Do you wish to live in a world of mythology? Of mortal combats between godlike-heroes and monsters? Do you want simple to sail off for new lands? Pirate as Skythian? Trade as Pheonecian? or expand as Hellenas? Then come to see my first (pre-alpha) release of Cosmos of Methos.

Cosmos of Methos 0.1.0 download: methos.tar.bz2

Version 0.2.6R3 of the Gameboy Advance emulator BoyCott Advance/SDL has been released; changes include:

• added Reverse Sound option as switch and in configfile
• added emu GBA Overclocker
• added filter options (2xSAI, TV Mode, etc) as switches
• added multiple joystick selection support as switch and in configfile
• added GBA bios file selection as switch and in configfile
• added LargeEEPROM (64K) selectable option as switch and in configfile
• disabled scanline modes in OpenGL (because of new code)
• new SDL Soundcode (thanks to Sam Latinga!)
• bugfixes

BoyCott Advance/SDL 0.2.6R3 download: BoycottAdvance-SDL-0.2.6R3.custom-i386-linux.tar.bz2

Version 0.0.8 of the ncurses-based Space Invaders clone nInvaders (screenshots: 1 | 2 | 3) has been released; changes include:

• bugfixes
• more levels
• new alien races
• lives

nInvaders 0.0.8 source: nInvaders0.0.8.tar.gz

Version 1.3.0 of the graphical adventure RPG Crossfire (screenshots) has been released; changes include:

• bugfixes
• improved item handling code

Crossfire 1.3.0 downloads: @ sf.net