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A small update on the status of BATTLETECH for Linux

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We've had a number of users get in touch about BATTLETECH [Official Site] and we have a small update for you in regards to the Linux version.

Back in June, Harebrained Schemes stated that they were making "good progress" with the Linux version. However, we haven't really heard from them since then and so it seems Linux gamers were starting to get a little worried.

We did reach out to the developer last week and they've now replied, here's what they said:

We are still working on Linux but it's proving to be more difficult than we expected. We should have another update on when we're targeting the release soon.

It's another game using the Unity game engine and it seems yet another developer having difficulty.

Hopefully it won't be much longer.

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Beamboom Aug 14, 2018
In these cases it would always be interesting to hear why it's proven more difficult than expected. Make it an automated reply, Liam :)

But a core component of Unity is it being cross platform. Had this been just about any other engine I'd just file it under just another of them hassles that a new platform can provide, but Unity... It's more or less their entire business idea, isn't it?

So, the cause for this, and all other similar cases, would be interesting to know! Not to point fingers, but simply out of curiosity. Also it would work as a current state of affair in regards to how platform independent Untity really is at this stage.
fryk Aug 14, 2018
This makes me also worry about the coming 7 days to die alpha 17 ... didn't the fun pimps switch to the new version of unity too? Does it help when we send feral-marc-now-at-unity some love in form of cookies? :D


Last edited by fryk on 14 August 2018 at 12:34 pm UTC
Althorion Aug 14, 2018
Thanks for the update.

And yeah, Beamboom is right. It’s hard to make Unity games perform right on any OS (BattleTech for example drops to single digit fps every time something explodes) and if the engine is not as easy to make multiplatform games with… Why bother? There are other free game engines out there.
Beamboom Aug 14, 2018
Quoting: AlthorionAnd yeah, Beamboom is right. It’s hard to make Unity games perform right on any OS

I didn't draw that conclution though :) I just ask because it's interesting to know. There could be other reasons, 3rd party middleware is one major suspect.

Quoting: AlthorionThere are other free game engines out there.

With comparable complexity of development suite, ecosystem, and the same level of potential visual quality - who compiles to the same amount of platforms, including VR? Not that I know of...

I wouldn't really hold it against them if multiplat development in Unity still requires some competence in multiplat development in order to work properly. I'm just curious as to exactly what the challenges they meet are... Are they mundane, type "mouse behaves differently" type of annoyance, or are they more complex?


Last edited by Beamboom on 14 August 2018 at 12:55 pm UTC
Faattori Aug 14, 2018
Quoting: BeamboomI'm just curious as to exactly what the challenges they meet are...

99% sure it's some middleware plugin that's causing their problems.

Would be easy enough to check if someone owned the thing and therefore could check what additional software it uses.
Feist Aug 14, 2018
A bit dissapointing to hear. You´d think these issues that many developers have, would be reported back to the "unity team" and at some point the engine would be patched to adress the majority of problems. Unless, of course, the game engine is just something to blame while the real problems can be found elsewhere.

On that note, I wonder what´s taking "Life Is Strange: BtS" so long. I´d expect that game shouldn´t be much different from the original title, which is already ported.
Cyril Aug 14, 2018
QuoteWe are still working on Linux but it's proving to be more difficult than we expected.

God... Again and again. (We need a Facepalm smiley Liam!)
And soon: "The Linux release is cancelled because of too many difficulties... Sorry guys but thanks for your money!"

All of their previous games are released on Linux except their last one "Necropolis" and it's made with Unity too...
I mean their 5 games are all on Unity, they should know these problems now.
If BATTLETECH won't have a Linux version, I think they won't be Linux friendly anymore.
But I hope Necropolis was an exception...
Mountain Man Aug 14, 2018
I wonder what the difficulty is, exactly? Is it the Unity Engine itself, or did they use some proprietary middleware that is poorly/not supported for Linux?
Enverex Aug 14, 2018
You'd think that if it isn't really Unity causing problems and it's actually the middleware, Unity would step in because in reality it's pretty bad press for the Unity engine.
Purple Library Guy Aug 14, 2018
Thinking of reaching out, it's starting to seem like maybe somebody should be reaching out to the Unity people to find out what their plan is for improving the cross-platform usability of the engine, which seems to have been declining lately.
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