LINUXGAMES

After we reported on the news of a possible Star Wars: Battlefront port, I tried following up with the developer and publisher to get a definitive statement on the matter. Unfortunately, Pandemic Studios stated they were unable to comment, and LucasArts remained silent on the matter.

The game shipped this week to retailers, and in this forum post a developer mentions a Linux port of the dedicated server:

- Dedicated server options ? We are working to improve the dedicated server programs for both the PS2 and PC versions. We’re currently working on a Linux port of the server code. We will then focus on options that will provide admins with greater control and flexibility.

Pandemic sounds like they have their hands full with launch day aftermath, so it may be quite some time before there’s even a statement on the status of any potential Linux client.

linuxX-gamers.net pointed out this petition requesting a Linux port of the space-combat massive multiplayer game EVE Online. Moreover, CCP’s Hellma, an EVE developer, mentioned the petition in a blog entry reposted at EVE-I:

Noticed this petition about adopting EVE to more operating systems. This topic has often been discussed here at CCP but it always boils down to were we should focus our efforts, i.e. should we port to Mac and/or Linux or concentrate on making existing platform even smoother.

Nothing would be done until after Shiva of course, I would still be interested to hear what you think.

- Hellmar

Shiva is the next major EVE content update.

Sillysoft has submitted this news item:

Sillysoft is proud to release version 4.2 of the Risk-style world domination game Lux.
New features include:

- Country names are displayed in tool tips so that you can learn geography while conquering the map.
- You can take screenshots of the current map state.
- When playing in Internet Public games all nicknames are validated to avoid impersonation.
- Optimized the drawing, providing a significant speed increase.

The new version can be downloaded by pointing your browser to:http://sillysoft.net/download/Lux-install.jar
Lux has a free 20 game trial and costs $20 US to register. More info on Lux can be found at http://sillysoft.net

Speaking of testing, BioWare’s Derek French made a forum post last week regarding the status of the Neverwinter Nights version 1.64 beta build (thanks Neverwinter Vault):

We have made significant progress on the Linux Beta 3 and are in final internal testing on it right now. Mac and Linux Beta 3s should be out next week if all goes well. We are just a little behind the curve.

Earlier this month, id Software’s Robert Duffy stated that the DOOM 3 Linux dedicated server has been completed and would be released with the next Win32 patch. Now, here’s an update on the binary more of us are interested in: Timothee “TTimo” Besset has notified us that private testing has begun for the DOOM 3 Linux client.

Chris Peterson from Heavy Melody Music recently sat down with Ophelea fromGamersinfo.net at the Austin Game Conference to talk about the progress withthe sound from A Tale in the Desert 2, the community-oriented MMORPG from eGenesis:

Chris Peterson: We also did something really fun with the moths that areneeded to produce silk. And we needed to make the flapping. How do you dothat? We can’t take a moth and take its wings and flap them back and forth -dead moth! So we went to the microphone and did this *takes his shirt andflaps it back and forth on his chest* Then we layered it, looped it and thusspoke the moths. We do a lot of Foley sound – which is taking objects tomake the sounds that you want. And that’s what we really love, it?s reallypart of the artistry of what we’re doing.

You can find the full interview here:http://www.gamersinfo.net/index.php?art/id:115

This announcement came in over the weekend:

From the passion in the operating system GNU/Linux and videogames, born PlayLINUX.net, the new web community for Italian linux gamers.

PlayLINUX.net is fully Italian in Italian language and offer news, forums on the videogames world in GNU/Linux operating systems. And soon a large games database where search and found all videogames supported by GNU/Linux operating systems.

Illwinter’s Johan K let us know that a new patch for Dominions II has been released, bringing the fantasy-themed strategy game (screenshots) to version 2.14. Changes:

• Network bug that could lock up Dominions has been fixed.
• Certain magic misc items could be used twice on the same commander for twice the effect (most notably gem and xp producing items).
• Magic duel did not work properly (favored the little guy).
• It was sometimes possible to instantly transport magic items to your lab when sieging enemy castles.
• Sometimes an enchantment was not entirely wiped when dispelled with the spell Dispel.
• Casting item unique rituals with cheat detection on crashed the game.
• Removing item unique ritual orders crashed the game.

Dominions II: The Ascension Wars 2.14 Download: [ shrapnelgames.com ]

This notice came in this evening:

The OpenGL ES 1.1 Coding Challenge begins Sept 17, 2004. It is designed to create a library of sample code and applications for hardware accelerated OpenGL ES games, demos and screensavers. With over $100,000 in prizes, multiple winners will be selected from each of three project categories: Visual FX demos, Games, and Educational demos/tutorials. OpenGL ES implementations for use in the contest are being supplied from Hybrid Graphics and Vincent (open source).

Grand Award winners will be announced at GDC San Francisco Mar05

A FAQ page for the contest can be found here.

Edit – Friday Sep 17 08:14:20 2004 – A reader pointed out that although the contest is intended to promote OpenGL ES use on any mobile system, Linux applications will not be accepted for judging or prizes. I apologize for any confusion.

Edit – Friday Sep 17 13:32:37 2004 – Or not! The contest organizers sent in the following:

I saw your edit on the coding contest and what you wrote is not actually true. The 1.1 implementations were developed for Win32 and various handhelds, but Vincent is Open Source and has source so people could convert it to be a linux implementation. The OpenGL 1.0 sample implementation ( http://www.khronos.org/opengles/documentation/gles-1.0c.tgz) was actually developed for RedHat Linux version 7.3.

If someone develops a Linux implementation of OpenGL ES 1.1 (I suggest they work with Vincent) and creates demos, we will certainly allow them into the contest.

Our goal is simply to get developers doing creative things with OpenGL ES and create a library of sample code for future use.

Hope this clarifies.

The community-developed Savage Enhancement Project has been released for the RTS/FPS-hybrid Savage (thanks linuX-gamers.net). The README points out that this includes, among a great many other improvements, the necessary workaround to bypass authentication until the next Linux patch is released by S2 Games.

Savage Enhancement Project Download: [ notforidiots.com ]

Version 1.1 of the Game ServerStartup Script, a Perl script designed to help manage the operation ofvarious games’ dedicated servers, is now available(thanks Freshmeat):

GSSS waswritten because I wanted a way to start up a variety of games ina standard way. Then I also wanted to make sure the games stayed running evenafter a crash. So I wrote this perl script. It will start games and through acronjob make sure they stay running. If you have qstat installed it can alsoverifythe game is running like it is suppose to be and not in some strange statewhereno one can play. If the game is running but unresponsive, it kills it andstartsit again. You can also stop running games cleanly as well.

Support for Quake 2/3, UT2003/2004, Tribes 2, RTCW/ET, and NWN is included.

Game Server Startup Script v1.1 Download: [ innominatus.com]

The Linux Game Tome pointed outthat the Alpha 8 build of Globulation2, a real-time strategy game (screenshots),was released last Sunday.Changes:

• Improved OpenGL backend, more usable, full double buffering support in GUI
• New graphics
• New music
• New gradient subsystem, much faster on big maps
• New load/save (serialization) structure
• IRC client that connects to #glob2 on freenode while on YOG
• New eyes-candy effects on GUI
• AINumbi fixed
• AICAstor fixed
• Lots of bugs fixed

Globulation 2 v0.8.8 Download: [ ysagoon.com]

Version 1.4.0 of Neverball, a 3Dpuzzle game (screenshots), has beenreleased (thanks Linux Game Tome).Changes:

• Fixed font renderer to never exceed maximum texture size.

Neverball 1.4.0 Download: [ icculus.org ]

OSNews.com published a fairly negative opinionpiece looking at the state of gaming on the Linux platform (thanks to The_Surfer for the heads up). I take issuewith some of the points (since when is Neverwinter Nights difficult to get working?), butit is clear that there’s still a lot of work remaining to convince even casual Linux users that the platform can be gamer-friendly.

BioWare has posted a profile of the Troglodytes, a creature race slated for inclusion in the next Neverwinter Nights update.

While we’re discussing Unreal Tournament 2004, earlier this week a reader pointed out that the recently-released mod Strike Force lacked a Linux-compatible installation method. Since then, we’ve been alerted to two unofficial ones created by industrious Linux gamers:

• Vae_Victis’ installer – [ Download ]
• Loki Installers for Linux Gamers’ installer – [ Download ]

Version 1.1 of the UT2004 mod Clone Bandits has been released (thanks BeyondUnreal);two new maps have been added.

Moreover, several community members have banded together to release the Three Amigosmap pack for Clone Bandits, which contains 3 new maps.

The 20040914 build of Wine, the Win32 APIcompatibility layer, has beenreleased (thanks linuX-gamers.net);the changelog can be found here

Wine 20040914 Download: [ ibiblio.org]

Our gracious admin, Marv, has set up the LinuxGames forums. Please note that your commenting-on-the-front-page-stories account does not translate to your trolling-in-the-forums-account. In all seriousness, please keep the trolling to a minimum, and enjoy your new forums

Ryan “icculus-the-biped-not-the-website” Gordon updated his .plan with this nugget of Editor’s Choice Edition info:

The Editors’ Choice Edition has the Linux installer on disc 1. You’ll want to patch this up, too, since there were a few fixes between ECE and 3323.
All platforms just need the latest patch. You don’t need to apply each previous patch, so you can go directly from a fresh install to 3323.

Editor’s Choice is an upcoming UT2004 retail edition, with new Epic-created content (which will be made available for existing UT2004 owners), mods and other Make Something Unreal contest content.