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Space combat game 'ASTROKILL' has been patched with improved Linux support

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The developer of ASTROKILL [Steam] has been busy! The latest patch has just release and the Linux version has been improved.

Note: There is no SteamOS icon to indicate Linux support, but it is there. The developer is likely waiting for more confirmation about how it runs before properly advertising it.

The initial Linux version had problems with random freezes, resolution changing issues, problems on AMD GPUs and more. This patch should fix practically all of those problems.

The developer said that the rendering between DirectX and OpenGL should now be "almost identical". I don't have Windows installed to test, but it certainly does look good on Linux.

After testing it out, I can say that it does peform really damn nicely for me. On some of the highest settings I was getting constantly above 140FPS and it felt incredibly smooth and responsive.

The developer certainly wasn't kidding about it being inspired by Freespace 2 (one of my all time favourites), it shows for sure. For example, the targetting system and the sounds it makes seem very similair. For me it's a good thing, it's certainly not copying it, but it has a very familiar feel to it. It also has elements of Battlestar Galactica in it too (the newer version), a certain mission in an asteroid field felt very similar to an episode involving a certain Cylon Raider, your ship in this mission also somewhat resembles a Viper.

Considering how much I've missed playing a decent space shooter, ASTROKILL might just be able to plug that little hole for me.

It's not often I come off so overwhelmingly impressed by an Early Access game, but ASTROKILL feels really quite amazing. The action is intense, the controls feel like they should and it's pretty damn exciting.

I did encounter one bug, where the controls randomly inverted by themselves. I had to invert them in the settings and then undo it to fix it. Minor issue, but apart from that it seems fine.

I have to hand it to the developer, they've really put in the effort in this one, I think they're well worth supporting. You can see their full changelog for the recent update here.

Thanks to the "King in the North" for gifting me a copy.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Leopard Sep 8, 2017
There is no SteamOS+Linux sys req page and SteamOS icon.

Is it alpha or beta for Linux?
Liam Dawe Sep 8, 2017
Quoting: LeopardThere is no SteamOS+Linux sys req page and SteamOS icon.

Is it alpha or beta for Linux?
There is no SteamOS icon to indicate Linux support, but it is there. The developer is likely waiting for more confirmation about how it runs before properly advertising it.
Leopard Sep 8, 2017
Quoting: liamdawe
Quoting: LeopardThere is no SteamOS+Linux sys req page and SteamOS icon.

Is it alpha or beta for Linux?
There is no SteamOS icon to indicate Linux support, but it is there. The developer is likely waiting for more confirmation about how it runs before properly advertising it.

I see but people won't be aware of a Linux version exists for that game , unless they're not following GoL or Reddit. So that is not helpful if they want some feedbacks.
Liam Dawe Sep 8, 2017
Quoting: Leopard
Quoting: liamdawe
Quoting: LeopardThere is no SteamOS+Linux sys req page and SteamOS icon.

Is it alpha or beta for Linux?
There is no SteamOS icon to indicate Linux support, but it is there. The developer is likely waiting for more confirmation about how it runs before properly advertising it.

I see but people won't be aware of a Linux version exists for that game , unless they're not following GoL or Reddit. So that is not helpful if they want some feedbacks.
Having it fully advertised, with thousands of people buying it can overwhelm a developer with feedback, especially with a small team.
silmeth Sep 8, 2017
Quoting: liamdaweHaving it fully advertised, with thousands of people buying it can overwhelm a developer with feedback, especially with a small team.

And, to add to that, especially when the developers themselves are aware that their game has annoying problems (and from the article I gather it had before this update) – that’s cool they want first to do their own QA and eliminate the bugs they are aware of before advertising to the wider public.
iiari Sep 8, 2017
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Yeah, that's what the developer is doing. Slow roll out to the Linux community via sites like this one to squash the bugs and refine it before slapping on the Linux/SteamOS logo. The dev has a Discord channel and has been super responsive there.

It's a GREAT space combat engine. While longer term they have more work to do on things like more diverse missions and balance, for an EA title, the action is smooth, refined, hot, and heavy. LOTS of fun. It's not as deep mission-wise as, say, Freespace 2 or XWing, being more action oriented, but boy does combat feel chaotic and white knuckle... I'm not sure there's anything else on Linux quite like it.

EDIT: BTW, still amazes me we have two EA space titles within a month of each other. This and Helium Rain. I think they both use UE4, but could not be or feel more different (both in great ways).


Last edited by iiari on 8 September 2017 at 12:06 pm UTC
AlveKatt Sep 8, 2017
What I want to know is, is it a 6DOF game?
Cheeseness Sep 8, 2017
Quoting: AlveKattWhat I want to know is, is it a 6DOF game?
Sort of - as much as FS2 is. It's not Descent or Sublevel Zero or NeonXZ where 6DOF effectively means a zero gravity FPS-style experience, but you can rotate and move along all three axes.

Unlike Freespace 2 and just about every other space combat sim, AstroKill has inertia (you can turn to face a different direction from the one you're travelling in, and it takes extra thrust to counteract that if you want to change directions), and that impacts heavily on how those 6 degrees of freedom can be used.
iiari Sep 8, 2017
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[quote=Cheeseness]
Quoting: AlveKattUnlike Freespace 2 and just about every other space combat sim, AstroKill has inertia (you can turn to face a different direction from the one you're travelling in, and it takes extra thrust to counteract that if you want to change directions), and that impacts heavily on how those 6 degrees of freedom can be used.
Actually, if you press 'T,' the automatic inertial compensation goes away and you can play and thust in a completely zero-g fashion! I haven't played the game that way yet, though... Given how fast the action is, it might be tough. I'll be great in missions where you need to strafe fire on capital ships, though!


Last edited by iiari on 8 September 2017 at 1:15 pm UTC
AlveKatt Sep 8, 2017
Quoting: iiariActually, if you press 'T,' the automatic inertial compensation goes away and you can play and thust in a completely zero-g fashion! I haven't played the game that way yet, though... Given how fast the action is, it might be tough. I'll be great in missions where you need to strafe fire on capital ships, though!

That's something I really enjoy doing. It's a very viable strategy in I-war 2, but that may be because it has such an ingenious relative velocity indicator that makes it easy to see which way you are floating. It gives you a whole new freedom of manoeuvres.

Quoting: CheesenessUnlike Freespace 2 and just about every other space combat sim, AstroKill has inertia (you can turn to face a different direction from the one you're travelling in, and it takes extra thrust to counteract that if you want to change directions), and that impacts heavily on how those 6 degrees of freedom can be used.

That's how it should be. :D

Might be looking to get this one. Gonna find a gameplay video and see how it looks.
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