Heavy Gear Assault heading to Linux

I have messaged them to clarify the Linux support, will update the article if they respond.

I did contact them prior to adding the game to the wiki and they replied this to me:

UE3 actually did support Linux but not many licensees took advantage of that. UE4 will support OpenGL and we plan to take full advantage of that with HGA!

well tbh I think its gone be browser based, if not then the other option will be UE4 supports linux (did we miss that) or they gone custom port it (not on a kickstarter budget I think)

As soon as I read Unreal Engine 4, I thought there had to be a mistake. Highly unlikely that Unreal would support a platform yet stay quiet about it (especially with the Unity devs flaunting their multi-platform prowess). I'd say there isn't enough information out in the open to warrant our trust that there will be a Linux version.

I did contact them prior to adding the game to the wiki and they replied this to me:

UE3 actually did support Linux but not many licensees took advantage of that. UE4 will support OpenGL and we plan to take full advantage of that with HGA!

I'm dubious as to the accuracy of those claims. If that were the case, why would Trendy Entertainment have gotten Ryan to port Dungeon Defenders when they could have licenced the engine itself? Also, what about all the UE3 using developers over the years who never once released a Linux client for their game (if support truly did exist and was licenceable, "not many" is actually "zero"), not to mention the Linux friendly developers using UE3 who claim that the engine doesn't support out platform.

Of course, they could be saying that Epic licenced the ability to port the engine and release it on Linux, but that in itself is kinda bizarre (paying a licence for a platform that an engine doesn't support is madness).

After the stunt that Epic pulled, I'm going to view any Unreal 4 Linux talk with a hefty amount of scepticism (and probably not buy them since I'd rather throw my money at developers making their own engines or using other middleware).

Cheese's got a point really. Although I would be the first to jump at the opportunity to play a new HG game, my funds are rather low nowadays. Until more information is available about these claims 'tis better for me to wait and see what happens.

Earlier builds of UE3 did not support Linux where as newer builds do, Tripwire told me, will post up my short convo with tuem soon.

Earlier builds of UE3 did not support Linux where as newer builds do, Tripwire told me, will post up my short convo with tuem soon.

That'll be an interesting read. I'm still going to sit on the fence until I see something from Epic or hear back from the developers I've spoken with over the past 12 months who said they didn't have any options.

A cursory pass over Epic's site did reveal this, which I don't recall seeing previously, though it isn't explicitly referring to UE3:

Unreal Engine-powered games have shipped on Xbox, PlayStation2, GameCube, DreamCast, Windows and Linux PCs, and Macs running MacOS X.

They talking UE4, not 3

You want us to trust you again Epic? Actually pay Ryan Gordon to release his UE3 port. Then maybe we can talk. Sorry, do I sound a little bit jilted? :P

You want us to trust you again Epic? Actually pay Ryan Gordon to release his UE3 port. Then maybe we can talk. Sorry, do I sound a little bit jilted? :P

Actually it was Unreal Tournament 3 not Unreal Engine 3 ;). UT3 was totally pants anyway.

Yeah, sorry, that was what I meant.

They talking UE4, not 3

Tripwire are using UE4 already?

They talking UE4, not 3

Tripwire are using UE4 already?

No Tripwire are using UE3, I think Anon was trying to say that Heavy Gear is using UE4 as we are talking about UE3.

They talking UE4, not 3

Tripwire are using UE4 already?

No Tripwire are using UE3, I think Anon was trying to say that Heavy Gear is using UE4 as we are talking about UE3.

Yeah, I suspect so. Since it was immediately following our comments on UE3, it could be either. Never hurts to ask for clarification ^_^

The Heavy Gear kickstarter won't make it. It is only trending towards 21%. So it is irrelevant for Linux gaming since it is irrelevant in general.

The Heavy Gear kickstarter won't make it. It is only trending towards 21%. So it is irrelevant for Linux gaming since it is irrelevant in general.

Kicktraq's trends are not projections, and don't take into account any of the dynamics of crowdfunding. They even state in their own blog that trends should be taken "with a grain of salt".

Their projection cones give a slightly better idea of possibility space, but since this campaign is only a couple of days old, there's not enough data to calculate those.

The Heavy Gear kickstarter won't make it. It is only trending towards 21%. So it is irrelevant for Linux gaming since it is irrelevant in general.

Kicktraq's trends are not projections, and don't take into account any of the dynamics of crowdfunding. They even state in [their own blog](http://blog.kicktraq.com/why-you-should-take-kicktraq-trends-with-a-grain-of-salt/) that trends should be taken "with a grain of salt".

Their projection cones give a slightly better idea of possibility space, but since this campaign is only a couple of days old, there's not enough data to calculate those.

Yes I know that, but it IS an early indication and I know of no example of any game that has had the required turnaround to make it after such an extremely weak start and there is nothing about the project that makes me believe otherwise. It is only at 2% of the funds gathered with almost 10% of the time passed. Somehow I don't see this project suddenly increase its pledge rate per day to the fivefold of what it is currently. 

Given the initial data, the concept involved and what we have seen with other similar Kickstarter campaigns I am more than comfortable with pronouncing doom over the Heavy Gear Assault kickstarter campaign. There is no industry heavy weight behind it, there is no real press coverage, etc

Personally I use Kicktraq as a filter for what Kickstarter projects I back. I back DRM free games with Linux support, a strong concept, (typically) people with a good track record behind it and a Kicktraq trend (or preferably projection) that gives me hope that it will make it. So far that system has served me really well.

Personally I use Kicktraq as a filter for what Kickstarter projects I back. I back DRM free games with Linux support, a strong concept, (typically) people with a good track record behind it and a Kicktraq trend (or preferably projection) that gives me hope that it will make it. So far that system has served me really well.

Whilst your other measures are great, using Kicktraq like that is probably steering you away from projects that you might otherwise be interested in supporting. Since you don't get charged for campaigns that don't reach funding, there's not really anything to lose from backing a project that you want to support which has its future in question.

It's also not a very scalable attitude - if everybody took that approach, crowdfunding wouldn't work, as it's about getting people who like an idea to say that they like it and would support it if enough other people did as well :)

While there is a still insufficient data for a projection the trend for this is actually down. Now it is at 18% instead of 21%. Hardly a cause for optimism. As for why I filter using Kicktraq? That has to do with my personality type and wanting to avoid disappointments in my life. I don't want to waste time and energy getting excited about a Kickstarter campaign and following it, reading updates, etc only for it to fail.