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Latest Comments by Mountain Man
X-Plane 12 flight sim is officially out now
26 Dec 2022 at 4:17 pm UTC

Another amazing flight simulator from Laminar Research. They are somehow able to repeatedly raise the bar with every release. Microsoft Flight Simulator might arguably have prettier ground textures, but X-Plane is vastly superior in literally every other way, especially the physics and flight modeling, which is by far the most important part in a flight simulator.

We may get a Steam Controller 2, plus fun updates coming to Steam Deck
15 Dec 2022 at 10:30 pm UTC

I still rate the Steam Controller as the best controller ever make, and I would love to see an update.

Epic Games are killing off a bunch of classics like Unreal Tournament
14 Dec 2022 at 10:51 pm UTC Likes: 2

I remember when Unreal Tournament 2004 was released with a picture of Tux in the list of supported operating systems. For some time, UT2004 was the game to play on Linux.

Ah, the good ol' days.

Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard hits a bump as FTC seeks to block it
13 Dec 2022 at 2:24 pm UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: tfkOn YouTube 90 percent of the comments seem to be in vavour of the acquisition... weird but true.
YouTube is full of paid shills.

Unciv the open source remake of Civilization V is heading to Steam
8 Dec 2022 at 8:15 pm UTC Likes: 1

Pretty ballsy. I wonder if Firaxis is going to protest?

Dwarf Fortress arrives on Steam, works on Linux desktop and Steam Deck
7 Dec 2022 at 2:51 am UTC

Quoting: WorMzyI got gifted a copy by an ex-coworker who knows how much I love Dwarf Fortress. I'm playing the tutorial for shits and giggles and while I know it's really dumbed down for newbies, it seems a little too dumbed down. Maybe the help guides fill in the gaps, but there's no explanation of how to "prepare carefully", how to manage dwarf labours, how to check your stockpiles, how the health/military systems work, how to raise, butcher and process animals and use their by-products, how and why to avoid carp*, how to create and manage burrows, the importance of booze, etc.
Yeah, finished the tutorial, and was like, "Now what?"

Looks like I have some reading to.

System76 tease the new Launch Heavy keyboard
2 Dec 2022 at 8:39 pm UTC

[quote=mattaraxia][quote=Mountain Man]
Quoting: mattaraxia
Quoting: TuxeeI have yet to understand the usefulness of lighting with opaque keycaps...

(Apart from that I wouldn't like the cursor keys arrangement and the lack of a proper ins/del/home/end/pgup/pgdown block.)
Quoting: Mountain Man
Quoting: mattaraxia
Quoting: TuxeeI have yet to understand the usefulness of lighting with opaque keycaps...

(Apart from that I wouldn't like the cursor keys arrangement and the lack of a proper ins/del/home/end/pgup/pgdown block.)
It's actually really great. When you hit either function key to activate another layer, just the keys active in that layer light up, with a different color for each layer.

(I have the first gen launch, and love it so much I registered just to answer that question.)
The complaint is not about the RGB lightning but that the keycaps are not shine through, so you can't see the legends in the dark. The key caps also appear to be a non-standard size, so you can't replace them with something off the shelf.
No I get that, that's the point. I'm not sure how to put this that doesn't sound a bit snarky, but I thought it was implied -- people who need to see the keys to type aren't exactly this keyboard's target audience. I interpreted Tuxee's point as, given that, why bother with lighting?

It's a really niche device. It's ok if it's not for you. I can hit the key I want just as well blindfolded (it does have old school little ridges to help you find the home row) but it is sometimes nice to visually see what layer I'm on.
There are reasons to look at a keyboard other than not being a proficient typist.

Unreal Engine 5.1 rolled out with plenty of Linux improvements
30 Nov 2022 at 4:26 am UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: Mountain ManThere's already a large number of Linux gamers on PC, but that hasn't compelled a critical mass of publishers to start paying for native Linux builds
No there isn't. We've been at ~1% on Steam. Literally a rounding error.

Quoting: Mountain Man, and I doubt the Steam Deck is going to change that even if it sells Nintendo Switch numbers.
I disagree with you. At numbers like that, Linux would no longer be a rounding error, it would be a sizable and fairly high profile platform. Despite the impact of Proton, I think that would prompt serious consideration of Linux as a native target.

Quoting: Mountain ManProton has been both a blessing and a curse in that respect. It's made games on Linux more accessible than ever before while eliminating the need for developers to focus on Linux because they get access to that market for free. Notice that porting houses like Feral and Aspyr essentially closed up shop after the introduction of Proton. That's just the reality of the situation.
That effect does exist, I'm not going to claim otherwise. But it's not the only effect happening. Whether it's the actual increase in numbers, the impression that numbers will go up further, or just the buzz and higher profile, the fact is that despite the Steam Deck's general reliance on Proton, some developers seem to have targeted Linux natively in part because of the Steam Deck.
Small and indie developers have always had a soft spot for Linux. I just have my doubts that major studios will ever support Linux directly no matter how many Steam Decks are sold when Proton gives them zero-effort access to the Linux and Steam Deck market.

Unreal Engine 5.1 rolled out with plenty of Linux improvements
30 Nov 2022 at 2:44 am UTC

Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: Mountain Man
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: pete910
Quoting: CorbenNow we "just" need the slow transition of devs actually doing native Linux build with it
Yea, Not going to happen. We will still be reliant on Proton. The days of the big publishers doing native builds just ain't coming.
Depends how many more Steam Decks get sold.
Since developers already get Steam Deck support for free with Proton, what incentive do they have to release native Linux versions?
More control, potentially better performance, good PR.

And I mean, some developers are already specifically releasing native Linux builds for the Steam Deck. I've seen a few articles right here on GoL about games doing exactly that. So whatever their incentives might be, there clearly are some. Not big developers at this point, but if the current number of Steam Decks is enough for some smaller developers to go native, many more Steam Decks would presumably be enough for larger developers to try it.

So as I said, depends how many more Steam Decks get sold.
There's already a large number of Linux gamers on PC, but that hasn't compelled a critical mass of publishers to start paying for native Linux builds, and I doubt the Steam Deck is going to change that even if it sells Nintendo Switch numbers. Proton has been both a blessing and a curse in that respect. It's made games on Linux more accessible than ever before while eliminating the need for developers to focus on Linux because they get access to that market for free. Notice that porting houses like Feral and Aspyr essentially closed up shop after the introduction of Proton. That's just the reality of the situation.