LINUXGAMES

Release 0.9.35 of Wine, the free implementation of Windows on Unix, has been released. Changes in this release includes:

• Broken aRts sound driver now removed for good.
• Many fixes to the Quartz DLL sound support.
• File I/O performance improvements.
• The usual assortment of Direct3D fixes.
• Lots of bug fixes.

Download: [ Wine 0.0.35 ]

3D Element has launched; the site aimsto be a resource for game developers with over 2000 tutorials in itsdatabase, dealing with any aspect of game development.The site runs on submissions from users,allowing any visitors to post tutorials that will be added to the system.

In the midst of an interview with ExtremeTech, ATI’s Phil Rogers discusses a Linux graphics card driver slated for future release:

ExtremeTech: The Vista driver, beginning with Catalyst 7.1, contains a “re-architected” OpenGL driver component. Exactly what is “re-architected” about it?

Rogers: Everything. This is a completely new driver, written from scratch in the last three years. The new OpenGL driver does re-use the same shader compiler as the previous driver. We actually use the same shader compiler in all our drivers: Direct3D, OpenGL and CTM. It is a policy, or at least a tradition, in our software group to write a new driver for each component about every 5-7 years.

ExtremeTech: Why make the switch in the Vista driver, and not the XP one? Can XP users expect to get this new re-architected driver in the future?

Rogers: The new OpenGL driver has been designed from the ground up for Windows Vista, Windows XP and Linux and internally we are running and testing it on all three (or six if you count the 64 bit versions). As we planned the transition to the new OpenGL driver, it did not make sense to port the previous OpenGL driver to Vista. So as Vista approached, it naturally became the launch vehicle for the new driver and its highest priority. The XP and Linux versions of this new OpenGL driver will ship later this year.

Version 0.6.0 of PyChess has been released to fix some crashbugs. PyChess is a Python-based chess client.

Screenshots:[ View ] Download: [ googlepages.com ]

RuneSoft has released a patch for Ankh, a 3D adventure game released for Linux recently. Features include endearingly animated characters, classic point and click navigation, black humor, scores of items, and challenging puzzles/riddles. Ankh can be purchased from RuneSoft’s online store or from TuxGames.

Screenshots: [ View ] Patch Download: [ rune-soft.com ]

Version 6.0 of Cedega, an implementation of the Windows OS API on Linux with an emphasis on game compatibility, has been released for Linux subscribers. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Battlefield 2142, Need For Speed: Carbon, and Madden 2007 are now officially supported; additional info about changes and new features can be found here.

Also, Phoronix have posted an examination of version 6.0′s performance.

Version 2 of BallisticWeapons, a modification for UT2004 which adds an arsenal ofweaponry, was released last month. Here’s the spiel:

Fling enemies into the sky and shove them around with the Lightning Gun,annihilate opponents with 3600 RPM of pure minigun death, scorch with theflamer thrower, destroy with rockets, grenades and energy weapons, and mowdown the opposition with machineguns, shotguns and assault rifles! Explodingflamethrower tanks, mountable weapons, heat-seeking rockets, dual-wieldablehandguns, and stylish weaponry are just some of the many things that BW offersto players.

Download: [ runestorm.za.net ]

The Tremulous website was updated earlierthis month to note the one year anniversary of the stand-aloneQuake III:Arena-based game. Tremulous blends team-based first-person action withreal-time strategy elements; version 1.2 is due to drop shortly, and there’s also new maps (Flap and AncientRemains).

Moreover, there’s a glowingreview of the game at LinuxMonitor.

A new build of the Creature Zoo mod for DropTeam hasbeen released at the official forums.The mod tweaks the statistics for various vehicles and weapons; DropTeam is afuture-themed armored ground combat sim that was released for Linux last yearby TBG Software and Battlefront.com.

Download: [ johalla.de ]

Introversion has announced that their latest title, DEFCON, is now available at retail in North America courtesy of Encore Software.

DEFCON is a multiplayer (AI opponents are also available) global thermonuclear war-themed strategy game; a beta Linux build (for use with the Windows retail version) was recently released for public testing.

Download Linux Beta Demo: [ introversion.co.uk ]

The open source real-time strategy game project Globulation 2 has been updated to release 0.8.22. Changes in this release includes:

• A new system far campaigns is available.
• AIs have been improved.
• The map editor has been improved.
• Translations have been updated and new ones are included.
• In-game and end-game statistics have been improved.
• A new system for unit allocation has been implemented.

Download: [ Globulation 2 0.8.22 ]

A port of the C64 puzzle game symbolica, primary targeted to the Linux-based handhelds GP2X and N800, is now available.

The symbols on the screen represent a numeric value in the order as they are displayed on the right. As you move over a symbol, it decrements to the next lower symbol or disappears. Your job is to clear the screen and move to the ‘E’ symbol.

Download: [ sourceforge.net ]

roguelike magazine has launched;as the name implies, the site features articles about the ASCII dungeoncrawler games collectively known as “roguelikes“. The initialissues will examine the aesthetics of roguelike design, such as the userinterface.

For those that have played several games in this genre on Linux, which titles(besides the ubiquitous Nethack/Vulture’s Eye)do you recommend?

Missed this earlier: there’s a video interviewat GameTrailers.com with Kai Staatsof Terra Soft Solutions aboutYellow Dog Linuxon the Sony PlayStation3. Currently there is no way to access the system’s GPU (the NVIDIA RSX) from Linux, but Staats saysthey are working to make that available so that games aren’t restricted to theframebuffer.

If you want to start programming on your PS3 in the meantime, IBM has an updated SDK and documentation available at their Cell Broadband Engine resource center.

The open Outcast project is aneffort to develop an open-source sequel to Outcast. The Crystal Space engine andopen tools like Blender are used fordevelopment; there’s also a 64-bit Linux build.

Download: [ openoutcast.org ]

After nearly 6 months of development, a new version of VDrift, an open source driving simulation that empasizes drift racing, is out. After the release, many users had problems with the Linux binary package, but this has been fixed thanks to help from the autopackage developers. Please read the Release Notes and update for more information.

Changelog:

• Game: single race mode, artificial intelligence drivers, opponent selection, optional track reversal, race results
• Display options: anisotropic filtering, full-scene antialiasing, cube-mapped lighting, cube-mapped dynamic reflections
• Heads up display: track map, laps, position, opponent lap time
• Controls: experimental force feedback support, antilock braking (ABS), traction control (TCS), button control delay, independent deadzone gain & exponent settings on every assigned analog control, tunable speed sensitive steering
• Other stuff: unlimited replay recording, menu cleanup, lots of bugfixes, major packaging improvements, 5 new tracks, 6 new cars, new documenation wiki at wiki.vdrift.net

For information on getting the source, or the autopackage with all the data, please see the Release Notes.

Screenshots [ View ] Download [ sourceforge.net ]

A demo of Beyond the Red Line, an open source Battlestar Galactica-inspired space combat sim, is now available. Features:

• Powered by the revamped Freespace 2 engine
• Entirely stand-alone, Freespace 2 not required
• Accurately detailed high-resolution ship models
• High quality, originally engineered audio
• Authentic, original in-game soundtrack, in addition to pieces by Bear McCreary and Richard Gibbs
• Original characters and voice acting
• A three mission single player campaign depicting never-before-seen events, interwoven with and true to the series’ storyline
• Head online and go head-to-head with your friends—and foes—in intense multiplayer missions including Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and others
• Exciting Viper combat with authentic weaponry and flight controls

The soundtrack for the demo is also available separately.

As a derivative work of existing intellectual property, I guess it’s possible for the BSG showrunners to kill the project someday. However, other mods based on commercial licenses (Star Wars mods for UT2004 for instance) have flown under the radar in the past.

Screenshots: [ View ] Download: [ game-warden.com ]

Phoronix have previewed the next release of Cedega, the Wine-based utility for running Windows games on Linux:

While id Software and Epic Games are among the few major companies that are Linux gaming patrons, if you’ve been wanting to play such games as Battlefield 2142 or Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, you will now be able to do so starting April 14! Next week Transgaming will be introducing Cedega 6.0 “Swordfish”. Among the features are increased performance, usability improvements, and a horde of new games support. Phoronix was fortunate enough to receive an advanced media release copy of Cedega 6.0 and today we will be just hitting the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all of the changes that make up this release.

id Software have released a new betapatch for Quake 4. Version 1.4.1 hasa plethora ofupdates, such as gameplay tweaks, netcode fixes, and 15 newcommunity-developed maps.

Please note that v1.4.1 is not compatible with clients, demos, savegames, or servers from previous versions of the game.

Download: [ idsoftware.com ]

Another ioquake3-based stand-alone gamethat was once a Q3A mod is World of Padman, a colorfully-themedmultiplayer deathmatch shooter. Features:

• 12 maps
• New gametypes, player models, and “crazy” weapons
• Bot support

There’s also music by dieselkopf andGreen Sun.

Screenshots: [ View ]Download: [ myexp.de ]