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If these mechanisms punish players for not returning (e.g. by losing content or reducing progress) they will become PEGI 12.

Could pokémon become a pegi 12 game because of all those one time only missable distributions ?

That would be neat tbh. I'm getting sick and tired of not being able to simply restart a decade later without having to hack those things in. And i'm not sure it's possible for the switch games. I dropped them at the time, if they ever make a good one down the line and i want to go back to them... I probably won't, but it do feel like fomo at its best to retain the player base tbh.
And with the speculation over TCG that adds to it, it ain't good.

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Whether or not I use Claude is not going to change society

If you then push that code in a GitHub repository, it definitely will, as AI is trained on GitHub repositories.

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Oh, this is finally blowing up now? I actually skipped the entire section where the Mathieu glazed AI in The Linux Destination podcast. It was pretty long.

Look, I get it, people use AI. I personally don't mind if he generates codes, checks it, rewrite it into something that fits with the rest of the code in the project. Others' lines might differ, but as long as the program didn't become slop, I am willing to tolerate it.

But this:

Anyway, I was suspecting that this "issue" might come up so I've removed the Claude co-authorship from the commits a few days ago. So good luck figuring out what's generated and what is not.

Is absolutely the wrong way to handle it.

Although I do find it rather ironic that Lutris, in the same podcast, is claimed to be a platform for game preservation, and yet he uses AI, which Myrient (a game preservation site) has cited to be a reason why they're shutting down.

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Not just that but copyright becomes an issue. Who actually owns the generated code? And now it's being hidden, how can anyone tell?

For reference: https://zomglol.wtf/@jamie/116059523957674208

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I partially agree with Lutris dev that those are indeed big companies just being a**holes and developing AI tools in an unethical way, and that hatred towards AI indeed starts getting out of hand with people complaining about AI in general at this point (including less popular models not developed by huge companies and some LLMs run locally). Guys, hate companies doing evil and stupid, not the tools that are neither good nor bad, as those are JUST TOOLS that you either use or not use. If those tools are useful or not in this form, that's a separate topic :D

But there's a different problem that he did not mention: licensing. And for now determining under what license is certain code, especially the one generated by LLMs, is a mess. Trust is one thing (at least any notice would be appreciated), but the second thing is for this developer or other users of that code not to get into licensing mess.

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Liam is completely right.

But I also think, that the Lutris developer, strycore, has valid points I can absolutely relate.

Classic dilemma. We will see...

But the most important statement is the one from GlorousEggroll there:

there is no real problematic issue reported here other than opinion.

If you dont have a real problem, dont open an ISSUE on an ISSUE tracker.

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Herein lies the problem with the society. "I'm just one person using the AI, even if I stop, it won't solve the bigger problem". Now substitute "using the AI" with "littering", "eating meat", "speeding", "parking in illegal spots", "not voting", "preordering games", "buying from companies known to exploit their employees" etc. etc. you get the point. We will be our own undoing.

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"I'm doing a thing people hate, so instead of not doing that, I'll continue to do it, but hide it better"

That's a bold position to take in any project, let alone a FOSS project. And just because he can use it in non-slop manner (maybe? hopefully?) it doesn't absolve him of the ethical concerns many of us have about genAI.

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Quoting: elmapuli saw this movie before, we dont have an great track record of backward compatibility and we cant know if its fixed now, we have to wait 10 years from now and if the things made now still work, that means we have backward compatibility... for things made years ago, but current stuff might still have issues, as new libraries are used that may not have the same track record.

in any case if wine can be stable then there is some stable basis somewhere, until it doesnt because any distro can break stuff on purpose, but the ones who do would be punished by the lack of users... i mean everyone loves snaps right?

in any case, even if an game work, the mods for it may not work, if an mod rely on changing something on a binary to work, and the linux version has an different binary because its native, we cant expet this mod to work unless we run the windows version of the game on wine insted of native, so yeah, wine/proton will still be used even in a future where all the games support linux natively.

The backward compatibility issue for native Linux software has largely been solved, but not just by the modern kernel architecture. While it's true that the kernel handling DRM/KMS and memory management (instead of X11) created a vastly more stable and secure hardware baseline, older Linux software usually broke due to user-space library rot (e.g., missing outdated versions of glibc or libssl).

The real solution we have today is containerization and modern dependency handling. Technologies like Flatpak and the Steam Linux Runtime solve this by running applications in isolated environments that provide the exact legacy libraries they expect, preventing host system updates from breaking them. Furthermore, the ecosystem now heavily utilizes translation layers, shim libraries, and wrappers to seamlessly route deprecated API calls through modern, performant backends. For example, Xwayland translates legacy X11 calls for Wayland compositors, PipeWire provides drop-in shims for legacy PulseAudio/JACK apps, and tools like Zink or DXVK translate older OpenGL/Direct3D instructions into Vulkan. Add in user-space standardizations like SDL3, Wayland, and PipeWire, and the software stack is more robust than ever.

You are entirely right about mods, though. Because memory hooks and DLL injectors are built to target Windows binaries, highly modded games often run better using the Windows version through Proton rather than the native Linux port.

Quoting: elmapulanyway, do we still need an audio interface for professional usage? or pipewire does the job?

Regarding your audio question: PipeWire absolutely handles professional, low-latency routing (it natively implements the JACK API). However, it is a software routing daemon. You still need a physical audio interface for hardware inputs like XLR microphones or instruments.

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Stop, stop, we went sufficiently back 😄

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I think the lootboxes wouldn't be issue at all if you always get things in value of the price of opening lootbox. This is how plenty of mystery boxes are working (with exception of trading cards, as the amount of some cards is scarce by design). If you just have same amount of all the items of same rarity tier and have set value for them it would not be gambling as you will always get the value you paid for.

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Quoting: Stella

But I think we can do better with a native solution.

I hard disagree with this statement. Pretty much all existing Linux games suffer from various problems ranging from complete inplayability over control and gameplay/visual issues as well as crashes. Running games over Proton is vastly preferable to Native most of the time because the Windows API is much more stable than the Linux API. I myself have had so many issues with native ports that the Proton versions never have, that I've given up on them completely

In the end it's all a matter of support.
The fact that Proton works better is not just because of Windows API being stable, it's because Valve and the community are doing the heavy work of maintaining Proton and related programs so it keeps working well across distros and evolving versions of the ecosystem.
If Unity and game developers are being serious in supporting native Linux, they'll need to commit the same way as Valve does with Proton.

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Quoting: Linux_RocksStill not about to weep for Valve if they lose. lol

This is such a strange attitude to bring to a Linux forum. I don't get it.

I suppose if you only do native gaming, perhaps only buying on GOG and Itch, and so you don't benefit at all from Proton, and don't care about, or for, Valve as a company, that's a valid stance. Even then, you're overlooking the effects of groundswell they've created for Linux by shipping the Steam Deck and promising a Steam Machine, or pushing SteamOS. That groundswell is a big part of why indies still push out Linux builds, from which you benefit.

But I guess if you can overlook all that, AND you don't use Steam ever, then you won't care if Valve are forced to put ID verification in Steam?

But that's a lot of overlooking. And hardly a lol moment.

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Quoting: Stella

But I think we can do better with a native solution.

Pretty much all existing Linux games suffer from various problems ranging from complete inplayability over control and gameplay/visual issues as well as crashes.

I think we play very different games.

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I think the whole endgame for NYAG is not gambling, but using that a vector to enforce these draconic age checks and user monitoring onto Valve's customers through that route globally.

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Quoting: PyronickProton/Wine is an incredible tool, but a properly packaged native game running within this modern architecture is now just as stable as a Windows binary, with zero translation overhead.

i saw this movie before, we dont have an great track record of backward compatibility and we cant know if its fixed now, we have to wait 10 years from now and if the things made now still work, that means we have backward compatibility... for things made years ago, but current stuff might still have issues, as new libraries are used that may not have the same track record.

in any case if wine can be stable then there is some stable basis somewhere, until it doesnt because any distro can break stuff on purpose, but the ones who do would be punished by the lack of users... i mean everyone loves snaps right?

in any case, even if an game work, the mods for it may not work, if an mod rely on changing something on a binary to work, and the linux version has an different binary because its native, we cant expet this mod to work unless we run the windows version of the game on wine insted of native, so yeah, wine/proton will still be used even in a future where all the games support linux natively.

anyway, do we still need an audio interface for professional usage? or pipewire does the job?

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Quoting: GustyGhostI've been playing Linux native games (Unity, no less) that I had bought ten years ago without any issue. What is there left to improve?

i think the devs had to do somethings manually because the engine didnt fully support linux, or if it did the add'ons didnt, so there is that, maybe they can do something about that?

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Quoting: Stella

But I think we can do better with a native solution.

I hard disagree with this statement. Pretty much all existing Linux games suffer from various problems ranging from complete inplayability over control and gameplay/visual issues as well as crashes. Running games over Proton is vastly preferable to Native most of the time because the Windows API is much more stable than the Linux API. I myself have had so many issues with native ports that the Proton versions never have, that I've given up on them completely

You are completely right about the historical mess of native ports, but the "unstable Linux API" (or rather, [ABI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_binary_interface)) argument is based on an outdated architecture. Twenty-five to ten years ago, the ecosystem tried and failed to unify around the "[Linux Standard Base](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_Standard_Base)," which never actually provided a stable target for developers as it shifted goalposts continually. The Linux kernel itself has always been fiercely stable (adhering to the strict "we never break userspace" rule from Linus Torvalds himself), but what broke games in the past was the chaos of fragmented userspace dependencies, such as the glibc mess with conflicting "GNU-isms" across versions, and competing multimedia servers across different distributions.

Today, modern native Linux gaming bypasses that problem entirely through a completely new approach. First, the Steam Linux Runtime ensures games no longer rely on your host operating system's libraries. Instead, they run inside a frozen, containerized environment, completely bypassing the software rot that used to plague Linux ports. Second, hardware translation has finally been standardized. The universal adoption of PipeWire has permanently fixed the decade-long multimedia nightmare, elegantly replacing the deeply fragmented ALSA (ugh), PulseAudio, and JACK stacks with a single, unified audio and video pipeline. Combined with the newly stable SDL3, even older native games are retroactively forced to play nicely with modern Wayland desktop environments without the original developer having to update a single line of code. Proton/Wine is an incredible tool, but a properly packaged native game running within this modern architecture is now just as stable as a Windows binary, with zero translation overhead.

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Quoting: voytrekkI think the only thing that Valve should be punished on is the fact that you cannot use another marketplace to trade items. It locks users into a single marketplace that Valve just happens to collect a fee on each transaction. Either take away the fee or allow other marketplaces to compete with Valve.

Except you can? Those exist. Pages like Markerplace.tf or Scrap.tf just involve the normal trading system, without any money going to Valve.

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Linux native builds issues:
1) Distro/library fragmentation makes testing impossible
2) GPU drivers lagged behind Windows
3) Tiny market share, low QA investment
4) 32-bit and glibc compatibility issues
5) Anti-cheat and middleware lacking Linux support
6) Proton killed native port investment
7) Developer tooling gaps or bugs during conversion

Unity SDK support should help with items 1) 4) and 7). It won't be a silver bullet but will help a huge amount to standardize the output of the builds. If the native builds are more similar across games, it will be easy to support on each distro.

They are targeting SteamOS too which narrows the scope and makes it easier

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Does anyone know if the "voice acting" is gibberish, or if there is a semblance of language there? To my tone-deaf ears, it sounds a bit Nordic.

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Quoting: CatKiller=
Of course, back then, OpenGL support was about the same on Windows, Mac and Linux, so you could avoid duplication of work. Vulkan support on Windows isn't that great, and it's non-existent on Mac, so there'll be more platform-specific duplication of work this time around.

true, except that the apis are similiar because you cant change much once you get so close to the hardware

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opt in for SteamOS as a whole and not specifically for the Steam Deck

Better yet, any Linux, not just SteamOS. In any case, I wonder if they will be on top of properly flagging the games that have stupid Steam Deck-only hacks to get Verified, instead of blindly listing them as Verified for Steam Machine.

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Quoting: EWG"Mystery boxes" IRL have become popular over the years. They can range from limited selections of snacks, to beauty or hygiene items, to books, and so on.

Guess who else is selling mystery boxes? Framework! 60USD for any mainboard + 3 random items

https://frame.work/products/framework-mystery-boxes/?v=FRANHR0005

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Now, about Valve's lootboxes.

First off, I, by happenstance, do not play games with lootboxes. So, I have no experience first hand. That said, I do have a brain. lol

With a package of random unknown items, if they are digital and purely cosmetic. Well, that's the way it should be done.

If other games/companies are selling lootboxes where it may lead to a power advantage or time savings then it's not fair and I would not play those games. I don't think others should either and should urge those behind it to change the system.

Don't blame the "genre" as a whole just because there are some out there being greedy and manipulative. Let other people be free to enjoy a "mechanic" when it is incorporated fairly.

If anything, there should be a temporary law restricting "pay to play". It should be specific and have guidelines for fair ways to provide an income for the devs/artists/publishers that reward players on an even field. Not this type of overreach.

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"Mystery boxes" IRL have become popular over the years. They can range from limited selections of snacks, to beauty or hygiene items, to books, and so on. There's usually a set minimum amount of a selected boxes worth and it averages out to be profitable for the seller and the buyer knows he or she is going to get a specific type of item.

There an companies out there where a very large portion of their business is packing up and sending out whatever is in stock, at random.

It's not too dissimilar from going to the grocery store with the intention of buying marked down items and walking home with an unexpected assortment of produce. A person goes with a certain budget and seeks out whatever fruits and vegetables are on sale. It's a complete mystery until the shopper arrives and the person is well aware.

Personally, I enjoy the variety. I know I am getting something of X item(s) and it costs me more or less what I am paying and I will make use of whatever shows up. It's a great way to promote smaller brands and for retailers not to be dependant on one brand. Especially good for books, CDs, DVDs/Blu-Rays if you ask me. Worst case is I give it to someone I know or donate to a thrift store.

I think these mystery box type items actually teach a good lesson. Be open minded and resourceful. Try new things and don't be fixated on getting something specific immediately; have patience.

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I am fine with such things if the option to play vanilla is offered on startup, not removed or hidden in a menu. Otherwise it is not preservation. As I have said before, Nightdive doesn't preserve anything, they simply port them to modern Windows and consoles. And like ports of old, they change a bunch. People need to know it is not an accurate experience.

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Quoting: GustyGhostI've been playing Linux native games (Unity, no less) that I had bought ten years ago without any issue. What is there left to improve?

Apparently, the quality of unity's opengl and vulkan support.

Source: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/08/heart-of-the-machine-from-arcen-games-dropping-native-linux-for-proton/

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Quoting: Talon1024I think issues like that can be helped by targeting the Steam Linux Runtime instead of a specific Linux distribution. [...]

Sorry to only quote part of your comment, but I wanted to voice my vehement agreement here. This is why the Steam Linux Runtime exists, and in fact, any problematic ports I've had that have broken with updates or that needed extra packages (which eventually became unavailable), using the Steam Linux Runtime fixed those problematic ports.

• To the Moon
- Its Native Linux port was borked for a while, crashing on startup, but the Steam Linux Runtime 1.0 fixed those crashes. Note that this game got a 16:9 Unity remake by SerenityForge that only supports Windows and macOS, iirc the Native build still exists but is still using RPGMaker. This improved support from Unity could encourage a Native Linux port!

• Half-Life
- A long while back, Half-Life relied on I believe some old version of libpng which was no longer available. At the time, the Steam Linux Runtime didn't exist to my knowledge, but eventually when it did exist and I was still hitting that issue, the Steam Linux Runtime 1.0 yet again fixed it.

• Borderlands 2
- Yes, this port has parity issues that the Steam Linux Runtime can't fix, but it did fix an issue with some cryptography library if memory serves me correctly that otherwise needed to be installed manually, in a similar vein to Half-Life.

• APICO
- This game had issues for a while on Non-Ubuntu distributions, and the Steam Linux Runtime fixed it. There were a couple of threads around launch talking about this on the Steam Discussions.

This is not to say needing to target and run in a containerized environment is not without issues, and I'm not sure how this may impact parity (e.g. if developers wanted to integrate certain SDKs), not to mention the Steam Linux Runtime was historically notorious for causing issues with programs needing to detect a running game (though unsure if there are known workarounds or if this is a non-issue anymore, iirc it gave people headaches with some American Truck Simulator multiplayer software?). But purely in terms of fixing older, buggy ports and in terms of giving developers a stable platform to target, the Steam Linux Runtime is the way to go.

The only thing I have found the Steam Linux Runtime to not really fix is parity issues with those older ports or with abandoned ports, but I think more support from engine developers will reduce friction with supporting Linux and thus make it less likely that we get those abandoned or second-class ports.

As a little aside, too, while this article is about Steam specifically and so we're talking about the Steam Linux Runtime, it is available to use outside of Steam, so Unity game ports to GOG could be ran with the Steam Linux Runtime without needing to be added to Steam. Granted, I'm not sure if any launcher can integrate with it out of the box (iirc Heroic may be able to if it finds it installed from Steam, Lutris may do the same?), but it isn't necessarily a walled solution only for Steam; Linux ports targetting the Steam Linux Runtime will not necessarily only benefit ports coming to Steam but also those released standalone and/or through GOG.

That's my take on the whole thing.

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Quoting: Caldathras

Quoting: g000hAs soon as Californians are no longer able to legally run Linux, their own citizens will go after this law and end the moronic political overreach.

This assumes that the majority of Californians are Linux users.

They are. Linux runs virtually everything that's not a PC. What types of devices will fall under each law's purview? Smart watches? Routers? CCTV systems? Car entertainment systems? The farther it reaches, the more it hurts people's convenience and risks overcoming their complacency.

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