Latest 30 Comments

Quoting: TechnopeasantGame is still listed on GOG. I assume they are also getting the update?

Yeap! As it should be.
[https://www.gogdb.org/product/1761114940#changelog](https://www.gogdb.org/product/1761114940#changelog)

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What the...

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I'm looking forward to Valves next project... Electron.. err Neutron?
Whatever the name is, I'd love to see a counterpart to Proton, allowing devs to natively target Linux but still let their games run on Windows via a compatibility layer

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I have a million old games that I still have to play. Wake me up when the bubble has burst!

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we are so screwed…

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The module is already built so anyone on Fedora can load it (which is what this proposal wants to do by default), that's what I do on Kinoite.

Reference for anyone who wants to do it:

One time load
sudo modprobe ntsync

Load on boot
echo ntsync | sudo tee /etc/modules-load.d/ntsync.conf

Check if module is loaded
lsmod | grep ntsync

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Quoting: vertigop.s: HL1 first -> HL1 expansions if you really dug the original -> HL2 -> Episodes -> Alyx -> Black Mesa

How do OpFor and Blue Sphere work into this?

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I guess we'll have to wait and see. They haven't even updated the publisher to MicroProse yet.

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7 years? Now that's planning ahead.

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Will the tool run in Chrome-based Android browsers?

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Quoting: fractilegamesIt's nice to see the huge size decrease but it makes me wonder why the hell did they ship it with the duplicated data in the first place. Is it some kind of HDD read speed optimization they used to do on old consoles..

They believed they were doing HDD optimizations, but they figured out the optimizations had no effect because loading speed was not I/O bottlenecked. So they chopped off all duplications. A lot of them apparently.

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Quoting: The_Real_BittermanMaaan glad Linux has CoW file systems. Well doesn't help with downloading but at least storing these chunky games is better.

it was useless in this case, because it couldnt auto detect those file duplications and save space, nor ir would be usefull in an HDD where you really needed those duplications.

Quoting: PiwixI've always thought many of these 100gb+ games were absurdly bloated. Seems in the modern era increased performance and storage has led to less optimization and efficiency.

optimization can mean better performance or less resource usage, since games are an application that need to be executed "in real time", using more storage is preferable over having stuttering, load times or lower fps.
its a shame the games couldnt auto detect you are on an SSD and delete the extra bloat...
or detect you are on an HDD and duplicate the data after you downloaded it instead of spending your internet downloading a lot of duplicate data.


i put the quotes because its not real time in the computer definition of real time, that means predictable time.


speaking of that, sony already said this was going to happen on their consoles, and indeed it happened firs there (this game was already smaller there)
its turns out that this optimization , while was also possible on pc, was delayed because most people still used HDD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSmWIR-D6ro

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More developers should do this!

Making the 4K textures/graphics an optional package is also an excellent idea. Who knows, it might even help them reduce their minimum system requirements.

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I'm dubious about HL Legacy, I'm not sure what it's value prop is. From what I can see the biggest benefits are workshop support and achievements. Workshop support is a relatively minor benefit [since RTSL exists](https://www.runthinkshootlive.com/hl/) and installing mods is so easy.

If it used Xash3D-fwgs and was kept up to date then it would be much more interesting to me. In any case, I'll check it out when it drops and see what's up.

p.s: HL1 first -> HL1 expansions if you really dug the original -> HL2 -> Episodes -> Alyx -> Black Mesa

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this will be usefull especially for steam deck 64GB users...
i wonder how many games can do something like this but still havent done nothing.

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I'm pretty keen for this. POSTAL: Brain Damaged is absolutely fantastic so I'm not adverse to spin offs (even if it's by a different dev). I've also played a decent amount of [Vampire Hunters](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2206270/Vampire_Hunters/) and have enjoyed that quite a bit so I know the FPS bullet heaven genre can work.

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This is totally unacceptable. There needs to be accountability toward the claimant to prevent this happening.

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It's nice to see the huge size decrease but it makes me wonder why the hell did they ship it with the duplicated data in the first place. Is it some kind of HDD read speed optimization they used to do on old consoles..

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Followup to above: PC gamers are so concerned with kernel-level anticheat, but yet nobody seems to care that they are already wearing the ultimate digital handcuffs in the form of hardware rootkits from yours truly Intel and AMD. Think like ring -10.

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Quoting: 3zekielPoor x86, why so much hate ?

It is justified. The x86 duopoly have universally deployed what I would consider to be rogue silicon in the form of Intel ME and AMD Platform "Security" Processor, effectively extinguishing owner control and true device ownership under x86.

It used to be that you could have stuck with AMD, but then they followed suit and did their own "Intel ME".

It was once within reach to use me_cleaner script but Intel have continually pushed the feasibility of this out of sight.

Remaining on old, pre-ME/PSP CPUs was viable for high end gaming only a few years beyond the implementation of these anti-features.

Intel bought out VIA, eliminating any hope of real competition. VIA's last foray into performant x86 died with Isaiah II.

It is as though some force is railroading everyone into computers which ultimately answer to somebody other than the user.

A savior couldn't come soon enough. I'd lived on Open POWER for several years and am dabbling in the emerging RISC-V gear. The real shame is that projects like FEX and Hangover (who once supported truly free ISAs such as POWER) had dropped ppc64 support and currently no support for RISC-V.

The interim "solution" is to take a leap of faith that BIOS vendors of AMD boards are being honest in their PSP disable switches actually doing what they claim to do. Just a "trust us, bro. Communication with the PSP has been severed". And ARM is no panacea as they have their own "Trust"Zone rogue silicon. It is truly a dismal situation.

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These can probably be adapted into privoxy filters to sidestep the need for in-browser/in-client extensions.

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Throwback to my childhood, when I wandered multiplayer maps in Half-Life and AvP2 alone, because I had no internet. Always wanted to play them online. Seemed fun. And damn: Some of these maps were just scary because "What just made that sound?! I am alone ... right?"

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Quoting: ExplosiveDiarrheaGood, x86 has to go away.

Poor x86, why so much hate ?

Jokes aside, I think that having choice is very good, and I am all for translation layers being well funded / developed (it's also magical to be able to dev for ARM/RV32 from my workstation with just a container).
X86 does have its nice sides when you have to go down to ASM though. I am "fluent" in rv32 too, but x86 is just well... better, easier to write, and more importantly, to read. I know not many of us have to go that low, but for those who have to, x86 is nice.
For pure perf/efficiency, there is really not much difference on the ISA. x86 has a bit of crust, but it is very well designed, so the decoder is really not bad. CISC decoding made some insane progress since the 80's. And the N-wide issue engine, with reordering and friends takes wayyy more space (and timing depth) anyway.
ARM m1 and co dominate more because they have integrated the memory on die. x86 can do it too (Intel did it on last gen).
And x86 could also do in-order if needed, albeit for embedded indeed, the CISC decoder tax might become relevant again (if you have a dual issue, in-order core, yeah the decoder might hurt a bit).

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Quoting: The_Real_BittermanHm, Steam Deck 2 might be ARM based I guess. 🤔

I wouldn't count on it. Valve has a very good relationship with AMD and I don't see another vendor provide an ARM chip with similar gaming performance. But maybe for a Steam Deck 3?

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I started with HL2, I found it easy to get into, the narrative is excellent, supports the action well and keeps things moving along. After that you have the two episodes that give you more of that world.

HL1 was harder for me to get immersed in, I haven't gone back and finished it yet. Technically there are no issues, Valve is still maintaining it well.

But you could also start with the original, and skip ahead to HL2 if the original doesn't work for you.

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I’ll add it to my wishlist for a while just to help with visibility, even though I’m not personally interested in the game. Fuck current copyright laws.

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I've always thought many of these 100gb+ games were absurdly bloated. Seems in the modern era increased performance and storage has led to less optimization and efficiency.

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Hm, Steam Deck 2 might be ARM based I guess. 🤔

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Started and funded 7 years ago ?

They're two steps ahead.

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Good, x86 has to go away.

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