LINUXGAMES

The Freeciv project has released version 2.1.6 of their empire-building strategy game with bugfixes for custom ruleset and scenario games.

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

The website for Spring, an open source real-time strategy engine project inspired by Total Annihilation, had a refresh recently. Be sure to start with the Setup Guide before checking out the various games and mods.

Reader m3metix sent in the following:

Just wanted to let everyone know about a new site and online game distribution service called Good Old Games. I got into the public beta a couple weeks ago and have purchased a couple of games (Sacrifice and Giants: Citizen Kabuto) and checked out their very good community forums. They are selling classic PC games (from about 1995-2005) as downloads patched to run on Windows XP/Vista with any DRM removed. Currently all the games in their catalogue were either published by Interplay or Codemasters. This includes such classics as: Fallout 1 & 2, Freespace 1 & 2, MDK 1 & 2, Colin McRae Rally 2005, Operation Flashpoint, Shogo: Mobile Armour Division, the aforementioned Sacrifice and Giants, and many more.

Why would a Linux site care about windows games? Well since they are all older games a very high percentage of them run in Wine flawlessly or are playable with only a few small issues. Both the games I bought ran without any issues and there is a thread in the forums called “GOG Games that are working fine with Linux…”, which they featured on their front page news. The site design is very nice and the games just download as single file (with separate downloads for manuals, desktops, even soundtracks!), and there is also a very active and awesome user community. Aside from the great games, user-friendly service and lack of DRM, it is the price of the games that is extremely appealing. All games cost either $5.99 or $9.99 with the majority of them falling into the former category (only a couple of the newer Codemasters titles are $9.99). Unfortunately sign-ups for the public beta is closed (and I don’t know when it is ending), but for anyone interested in some older, high-quality PC games check out the site and keep your eyes open for it going live.

Good Old Games is operated by CD Projekt, the publisher who released the Windows game The Witcher semi-recently.

SGI has changed their Free Software License B in version 2.0 to resemble the MIT/X11 licence, as the previous version did not meet the requirements of an open source licence. SGI has released the GLX API and implementation on September 19 with this new licence as well that used the GLX Public License previously which was not approved as an open source licence by the FSF or OSI either.
If nothing else, this closes a five year old bug report in Debian.

From the Press Release:

Previous SGI contributions to the free and open source community are now available under the new license. These contributions include the SGI® OpenGL® Sample Implementation, the GLX™ API and other GLX extensions. GLX provides the glue connecting OpenGL and the X Window System™ and is required by any OpenGL implementation using X. GLX is vital to a range of free and commercial software, including all major Linux distributions.

SGI first released the software under a licensing model in 1999. But now SGI is pleased to release an updated version of the license that meets the free and open source software community’s widely accepted definition of “free.”

A day later, the stable version 7.2 of the free OpenGL implementation Mesa has been released with the licence change in the SGI header files. Other changes since version 7.0 are:

• The dependencies with the X server have been reduced.
• GLSL and the G41 chipset are now supported in the i965 driver.
• The ATI R500 series is now supported with the r300 driver
• GL_EXT_texture_from_pixmap is now available for Xlib.
• Lotsa other improvements and bug fixes.

The DRI2 prototype from development version 7.1 has been removed and the GEM memory manager is only available in the git master branch.

Development build 1.1.5 of Wine, the open source implementation of the Windows API has been released. It has the following new features:

• Substantial JavaScript implementation.
• Partial support for layered windows.
• Support for Unicode file export in Regedit.
• Proper exception handling in widl-generated code.
• Asynchronous requests and cookies support in WinHTTP.
• Various bug fixes.

Download: [ sourceforge.net ]

COR Entertainment has released eight new screenshots and a tech demo video showing the new renderer for Alien Arena 2008:

http://icculus.org/alienarena/rpa/media.html

Version 7.20 of the open source first-person shooter is due for release in October of 2008.

After a lengthy hiatus, Ryan “icculus” Gordon updated his .plan with a screenshot of Unreal Tournament 3, Epic Games’ latest multiplayer-oriented first-person shooter, running in Linux:

Seriously, there’s no conspiracy.

…so stop sending me email suggesting that Microsoft is paying to block this.

AMD has released their monthly Linux ATI Catalyst display driver package for their graphics cards; the requisite release notes delineate the bugfixes in this build.

Download: [ amd.com ]

We received the following notice from Iván Vodopiviz, a developer for the upcoming game Atmosphir:

Atmosphir is a 3D platform game with a twist: Players can make their own levels with the easy to use built-in editor and then share their creations with the world by uploading them to the game servers.

Of course, the players can also download and play other’s levels with just one click or even edit them and create variations.

We’re currently about to launch our closed beta test stage, and since we want to support the GNU/Linux platform (despite what the website videos might say), all GNU/Linux gamers are invited to join by signing up at: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pqDlNP4Y84Ep-1GpKG8eIEQ

It would be ideal if applicants could specify which distribution are they using, of course.

The public release is expected by the end of the year, but don’t take my word for it, I’m not in charge of that.

The Vendetta Online news page has an update about the space combat MMO’s upcoming features, such as border defenses:

The universe-redux work has been a little delayed by a few architecture issues that had to be addressed here and there. This has all been happening in the background, and I’ve been making extensive use of the new dynamic object editor to bring you new addons and ships and thing in the meantime.

[...]

To reiterate, I am shooting to have many of the above mentioned topics, visible within the game before the end of the month (some within the week, perhaps). So, you can expect some significant changes in the near future.

Screenshots: [ View ] Download: [ Trial client ]

Laminar Research has announced the release of X-Plane version 9.20 for Linux; changes include a new scenery loader and additional instruments.

News regarding add-on packages and plugins is posted at X-Plane.org; additional discussion can be found in their official Linux support forum; the FAA-certified flight simulator from can be ordered online for $39 US for a limited time.

Demo Download: [ x-plane.com ]

Version 0.8 of Wormux, an open-source multiplayer strategy game inspired by Worms, has been released:

• Game mode editor for local game (allows you to choose some game options)
• Team editor for local game (allows you to personalize characters names)
• Better menus: tabs, basic keyboard control, more options,…
• All characters redrawn: better graphisms, new positions, new clothes,…
• 2 new skins: Pidgin and Suse
• New maps: Lonely island and Oktopus
• New waters: add lava, dirty water,…
• Better minimap
• New weapon: slap
• Some sounds added (thanks a lot to wesnoth project)
• A lot of bug fixes
• A lot of improvements (code and graphism)
• Translations updates

If you’re interested in contributing to the project, there’s documentation for developers at their Wiki.

Screenshots: [ View ] Download: [ wormux.org ]

The Blender Game Engine team has released a tech demo for their Blender-derived open-source game, Yo Frankie!:

Being this the first Blender Game Engine demo we publish, it will only focus on the technical side, so don’t expect big gameplay experience, in this demo we provide a small level with a few platforms and some characters running around, so you can test if the blenderplayer runs on your computer and we can have nice feedback from that.

Download: [ yofrankie.org ]

FreedroidRPG, an isometric 3D RPG set on a world run by robots, has reached version 0.11. Besides engine and level editor updates, here’s what’s new:

• added a secret research center level
• modified the endgame scenario and started integrating the Hell Fortress
• changed town to make it seem more alive and easier to navigate
• modified start level to improve richness of content
• added and rebalanced weapons. There now are a few melee weapons, projectile pistols and rifles, and futuristic energy weapons.
• changed and rebalanced programs, added a new default skill to help tux from overheating. Made a “programmer” character a possible and interesting alternative.
• added new music tracks

Screenshots: [ View ] Download: [ sourceforge.net ]

Caravel Games has released a new game in their Deadly Rooms of Death series, DROD RPG: Tendry’s Tale, which adds role-playing elements to the adventure/dungeon-crawling franchise. Features include:

• 13 interlocking puzzle levels with over 350 rooms.
• 25 swords, shields and special items.
• Dozens of monster types and boss enemies.
• Campaign editor.

Download: [ Demo | Order ]

Tech Source from Bohol has posted a list of Linux real-time strategy games that are open source:

StarCraft and Red Alert are two of my favorite real-time strategy (RTS) games. Though these games are closed-source, they are still playable in Linux through Wine. Recently, I have tried a few free and open-source RTS games and was really impressed with some of them. The best thing is that I can play them instantly on my Linux box without the need for Wine and without having to spend a single dime.

LordHavoc has released a new build of his Quake-derived DarkPlaces engine, which fixes a specular lighting issue. DarkPlaces is also utilized by the Nexuiz project.

Download: [ icculus.org ]

Game Informer has a new interview up with id Software’s Todd Hollenshead and Tim Willits about their upcoming title Rage:

Hollenshead: The way the game works out is it’s not sectioned off. It’s not like you’re going to do this in this level or in this area, you do this one thing, and then once you’re done with that you go back to first person and then you do something else for a while. It’s more of a first-person game that has these other elements in that you have to do in order to complete the game, but they’re built into the whole fiction.

id Software’s lead programmer John Carmack has previously stated that a Rage Linux port is likely, but it will probably not be ready when the Windows version ships.

Time Invaders Games sent in the following announcement:

We want to introduce our latest game, “The Attack of Mutant Fruits from Outer Space”, an old school shooter game.

ABOUT THE GAME

When Human Beings have been destroyed themselves … who will replace them?. Trying to avoid the disaster, The Earth Alliance sent to another planets the main fruits and vegatables seeds to have an ecological reserve, but maybe … is late. The Earth have a new enemy, from outer space, The Mutant Fruits are crossing the galaxy to conquest our world.

FEATURES:

• 10 worlds.
• 8 melodies
• 12 enemies
• 3 weapons and a laser shield
• Keyboard and Joystick support. (Ready for arcade cabinets)

Download: [ timeinvaders.com ]

Two user-developed projects for the DOOM series have new goodies:

• Fragging Free is a single-player modification for Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil which has new maps (over 10), monsters (with enhanced AI), weapons, power-ups, and a soundtrack.
• PrBoom+, a classic DOOM source port, has new visual effects and bugfixes.