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I'll be honest, I'm not too bothered about Project Contingency [Official Site] deciding not to support Linux because I've only just heard of it, it's still in the early stages and Installation 01 [Official Site] will support Linux.

I'm highlighting this, due to what the developers of Project Contingency said in a recent news post about why they aren't going to support Linux.

There are a few issues with Linux. For one, there are an absurdly small amount of people that actually game on Linux. Because of this, the amount of work that we would need to put into developing for Linux would not be worth it.

The amount of people actually using Linux for gaming is always a difficult topic to address. If you're comparing it with Windows, sure, Linux gaming is a lot smaller. I don't think there's a real reliable way to actually check how many people are gaming on Linux. I just don't think it's worth arguing over and considering this is a fan-made project done in their spare time—fair enough.

But there are other issues as well. Writing a reliable anti-cheat for Linux is not easy and cannot be enforced. What with Linux being open sourced, it's extremely difficult to write an anti-cheat for that platform because anybody can make any changes they want to the OS. That means easily tricking an anti-cheat into thinking it's working when it's actually just counting time and taking up memory.

This is one I'm personally not too sure about. I've read a lot of mixed feelings about anti-cheat on Linux, I'm sure plenty of you will be able to clear that up in the comments with your thoughts. It might be harder, it might not be, I think it all comes down to how well you know the system, like everything else doesn't it? BattlEye came out with Linux support, so it can't be impossible to do.

Aside from anti-cheat, there aren't any clear options for a graphics API. Windows has support for both DX12 and Vulkan. To my knowledge, at this time, neither of the developers for those API's have released official implementations for either and using unofficial wrappers, emulators, etc.. could end up leading to weird and unfortunate bugs that we wouldn't have any control over.

This is the bit that really got me. To me, this shows their inexperience with graphical APIs and it really sounds like they don't quite understand what they're talking about. Not that I claim to understand all that goes into making games, however I feel like I have a reasonable grasp on things now to at least say this: Unreal Engine 4 supports OpenGL and Vulkan on Linux (they didn't even mention OpenGL at all), it has issues for sure that we've seen, but it is getting better and there's a few good games out there using UE4 on Linux that work reasonably well like: Everspace, Helium Rain, Astrokill, All Walls Must Fall, >observer_ and more. The way they've written that is very strange indeed.

As far as I'm concerned, nothing to see here, moving along!

Thanks for the tip Sasa.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Editorial, FPS
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ElectricPrism Feb 4, 2018
I feel bad for whoever wrote that article as it really just screams inexperience and lacking basic intel about graphics APIs and Linux.

A community project that doesn't support a community OS is absurd -- assuming it doesn't become vaporware in the near future.

When they grow up they will become enlightened and change their minds as both the graphics API and Engine are Linux First Class.

Until then I'm sure someone will get Installation 01 running native or Halo Online running in wine which is basically just Halo 3 for PC.


Last edited by ElectricPrism on 4 February 2018 at 9:02 pm UTC
heidi.wenger Feb 4, 2018
QuoteProject Contingency was created under Microsoft's "Game Content Usage Rules" using assets from Halo. It's not endorsed by Microsoft and does not reflect the views or opinions of Microsoft or anyone officially involved in producing or managing Halo.

Yes, yes..
D34VA_ Feb 4, 2018
Quoting: heidi.wenger
QuoteProject Contingency was created under Microsoft's "Game Content Usage Rules" using assets from Halo. It's not endorsed by Microsoft and does not reflect the views or opinions of Microsoft or anyone officially involved in producing or managing Halo.

Yes, yes..

The game content usage rules state that fan-projects may not use ripped assets. The assets themselves can be as close as the artist wants, so long as they did it themselves.
qptain Nemo Feb 4, 2018
Quoting: heidi.wenger
QuoteProject Contingency was created under Microsoft's "Game Content Usage Rules" using assets from Halo. It's not endorsed by Microsoft and does not reflect the views or opinions of Microsoft or anyone officially involved in producing or managing Halo.

Yes, yes..
Well well well, apparently it does reflect after all. :D
GustyGhost Feb 4, 2018
QuoteWindows has support for both DX12 and Vulkan.

While Vulkan has support for both Windows and Linux. Develop for one API, runs multiple platforms > Develop for multiple APIs, runs only one platform.


These devs have played perfectly into the worm-on-a-hook tactic employed by DirectX *hand rubbing intensifies*
PublicNuisance Feb 4, 2018
If these developers can't even spend the time to learn about what APIs and engines are supported on Linux then I am not surprised they don't want to port the game. At best they are grasping at straws trying to come up with a reason other than they don't understand or like Linux, at worst they truly have so little experience making games that I know more about APIs than they do.
tonR Feb 4, 2018
Sounds like they already got "that funding". Wait till they make the "that U-thingy" and make it as only can buy on "that exclusive pseudo-open platform".

It is same old "F-antastic" stories people, don't y'all smells it?
razing32 Feb 4, 2018
Never been a Halo fan.
Would have been curios of a fan re-write.
Oh well , like Liam pointed out there is Installation 01.
And yeah these devs seem kinda inept going by that statement , or they have a VERY flimsy excuse.
Dunc Feb 4, 2018
Quoting: GuestWow, they basically just put out a post saying that they don't know what they're doing.
Yeah, I think we're better off without this one, to be honest. I'm not saying I wouldn't like a fan-made Halo remake, but it's hardly GTA or Skyrim, and you can see where this would lead. Their Linux support would be terrible, the community would get angry, the developers would become disillusioned, and ultimately the bad publicity would stick to the Linux community, not them, simply because there are more people not using Linux - who'll be receptive to their side of the story - than are.
Scoopta Feb 4, 2018
This is my biggest problem with all the premade easy engine's like Unity and Unreal. How can you be so ill informed about graphics APIs and develop a game?
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