Quoting: metaldazza

Quoting: BeamboomI don't understand how different compilers can expose different bugs in the same(?) code. I mean, a bug is a bug isn't it? Or is it because the use of different libraries expose bugs caused by those particular libraries/APIs? If so, how will the code run smoother on a different set of libraries if the bug is related to that other library?

I don't get this?

This is a good question: At a very basic level different compilers warn about different things. Although the C/C++ standard defines what is an error very clearly different compilers will warn about different things. Often this isn't that important and isn't going to save your bacon but a good developer listens to their compiler. There is a reason the compiler isn't happy and it can reveal false assumptions and you'll find yourself saying "I have no idea how that ever ran".

Different compilers do have different standard libraries though and they can be more of less forgiving. Visual C++ STL (Standard Template Library) has extensive debugging output in debug builds that catch errors quickly and precisely at the expense of debug builds being very slow. This also has the effect of using more memory and changed memory usage can also hide or expose different kinds of bugs. So macOS and Linux not having these is "good" as in different and in the case difference is good but not better or worse (I am not saying one compiler is better than another, just different).

Another big difference between standard libraries is the way they allocate memory within the application heap. So the OS gives your application a chunk of memory that only it can use called a heap and the application allocate's and frees blocks within that heap. Each standard library has different algorithms for how allocate and free work and you can even replace them with your own if you are brave/foolish/clever/stupid/genius. So when you allocate a piece of memory, use it, free it and then illegally use this piece of freed memory you get different behaviour. Annecdotally on Windows you get away with this a lot more often than on UNIX where you will more often (but not always) crash almost instantly making it easier to track down the problem. On embedded platforms (consoles for example) where memory is tighter you also get different behaviour as the OS vendor will tweak the memory allocator to be more aggressive about recycling memory than on a desktop where "memory is limitless".

Hope that helps and vaguely makes sense?

Matches 100% my experience from 30+ years of coding. Especially fun with the "change of memory regions" is when the code crashes reliably but when you add some simple "printf ()":s to write out some values just before the crash happens then it stops to crash :)

And I'd say that the single most important thing that happened to me when I switched from Windows to Linux back in the day was getting access to Valgrind. That is one very very good tool!

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Quoting: MaxPower

Quoting: x_wingIt's a little ambiguous, but in the paragraph it talks about "...transmitted over the Internet or other network to end user devices", so it shouldn't affect steam links as is not steam the one that is streaming but the user to himself. In other words, the full paragraph refers to what distributors can do, but not what end users can.

If it does not apply to Steam link, what about twitch ?

Twitch players are users of the game and have not entered into any license deal with Unity so they should not be included either, IANAL however so don't take it as 100% certain but it would be strange if a license between a developer and Unity would spill over to the end user.

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Quoting: g000h

Quoting: F.Ultra

Quoting: Guest

Quoting: F.UltraIt only shows Windows and macOS now?! Was just going to purchase it when I noticed that the steamOS icon was gone.

I have installed it native for Linux right now.

From Steam? That is where it's only Windows and macOS right now (seams like I forgot to mention that it was on Steam that I saw it).

I'm not sure what happened to the SteamOS (Linux) icon in the Steam client for this game. From the sounds of this post it appeared, and then you are reporting that it isn't there. I can confirm that "right now, while writing this" the SteamOS icon is not present.

BUT, the game is in my library, and I am performing a native Linux install on it right now. Not Steam Play / Proton / running a Windows game on Linux.

I think this is a game that the developers have released as Linux native, but they aren't happy to fully support Linux so they are suppressing the SteamOS icon. (Like Facepunch did with Rust, quite recently. But that doesn't stop Rust running fine on Linux - I play that regularly, and get all the updates... on native Linux.)

Now.. to launch The Silent Age, and have a little play... It comes up with a nice little graphics settings config screen, and I'm choosing 3840x2160 resolution, non-windowed, Best settings.

Played it for 45 minutes. All running fine. Hope this info helps.

Thanks, yes that looks like the case. Just bought and installed it and Steam never complained that it wasn't native like it does with SteamPlay/Proton so it's probably just like you wrote.

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Quoting: Guest

Quoting: F.UltraIt only shows Windows and macOS now?! Was just going to purchase it when I noticed that the steamOS icon was gone.

I have installed it native for Linux right now.

From Steam? That is where it's only Windows and macOS right now (seams like I forgot to mention that it was on Steam that I saw it).

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I don't think that there will ever be a HL3 since it would to stand out from all other games in such a fashion that I don't think games can do any more (unless Death Stranding really will be a revolution) that it will get green lit by Gabe. Remember that any attempt to release HL3 now regardless of story (and I don't fancy the epistle 3 story very much) will just be another FPS and that is not what any one wants even though people some times claims that.

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It only shows Windows and macOS now?! Was just going to purchase it when I noticed that the steamOS icon was gone.

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Quoting: Nevertheless

Quoting: iiari

Quoting: NeverthelessWhy not purchase games cheaper on Epic? It will not defeat Steam, but it can hurt it.

Unless I've missed something, absolutely no one in this coming Store War has claimed Epic offerings will be cheaper for the *consumer*. Increased $ for the devs, yes, but no one has even made any symbolic lip service as to how the consumer benefits here. And usually, with exclusives, that implies higher prices too...

I would offer a little cheaper on Epic if were a developer, because I'd get more money of games sold there.
Edit: Of course, exclusives are always cheapest on the only store they are sold. ;-)

Such a move however could risk upsetting your potential buyers on Steam (or the other platforms) forcing you to lower your prices there as well.

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Quoting: Purple Library Guy

Quoting: F.Ultra

Quoting: Purple Library Guy

Quoting: ecosvaldoEven IF their store supported Linux, it still will not get me to use their platform. Why? One word... Tencent. They ALMOST have controlling interest in Epic Games (around 48 - 49%)!

Ehhh, for practical purposes that's controlling unless there are no small shareholders at all. I know, in theory you need 50%+1, but in practice you need more votes than will be cast against you, and there will always be a fair number of shareholders who don't get the memos or aren't interested and don't vote their shares. So 48% is plenty to win any plausible vote. You can often have control with 30% or so!

Epic is however a private company and not a public one so the other 51.6% is most likely owned by the founders or some other investors, but more important for the question at hand is that it's owned by a small circle of people so there will not bee a situation where some shareholders don't get the memo or aren't interested.

For public companies it's quite often (for the big ones) to have several share classes where the one listed on an exchange have either no or very little voting rights. One example is Google where Page and Brin owns 59.16% of the votes due to them owning a lot of the B class shares (their A class gives 1 vote, B class gives 10 votes and C class gives zero votes where only the A and C classes are publicly traded).

All very true. And of course they could also form some sort of alliance with one member of such a small circle of shareholders. So really it's very hard to tell from the outside just who has control. But I think we can suspect that Tencent wouldn't have accumulated that much of an interest in one company if they didn't have some hope of controlling it . . . so I guess we really don't know if they have control or not, but we can be pretty sure they were giving it a try, whether they succeeded or failed.

Edited to add: If the info Kristian cites is correct, they don't . . . or didn't at that time, anyhow. Or, Sweeney could be kidding himself. The emphasis on seven firms seems a bit off, makes it sound like oh, Tencent is just one small player among many . . . but they can't all have bought a 40% stake! One way or another, it's interesting information. Nobody's going in big like that without anticipation of payoff. Presumably a big deal like that was put together in anticipation of some major move by Epic which would cost a lot of money but have big profit potential . . . such as, say, creating a game store that could really grab some market share from Steam.

Perhaps a pity we have little choice but to be agin' it.

Well they also got two board members in the deal so they have _some_ control over Epic that is not just seen in the voting rights, this is the problem with private companies that the insight is close to zero.

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Quoting: Purple Library Guy

Quoting: ecosvaldoEven IF their store supported Linux, it still will not get me to use their platform. Why? One word... Tencent. They ALMOST have controlling interest in Epic Games (around 48 - 49%)!

Ehhh, for practical purposes that's controlling unless there are no small shareholders at all. I know, in theory you need 50%+1, but in practice you need more votes than will be cast against you, and there will always be a fair number of shareholders who don't get the memos or aren't interested and don't vote their shares. So 48% is plenty to win any plausible vote. You can often have control with 30% or so!

Epic is however a private company and not a public one so the other 51.6% is most likely owned by the founders or some other investors, but more important for the question at hand is that it's owned by a small circle of people so there will not bee a situation where some shareholders don't get the memo or aren't interested.

For public companies it's quite often (for the big ones) to have several share classes where the one listed on an exchange have either no or very little voting rights. One example is Google where Page and Brin owns 59.16% of the votes due to them owning a lot of the B class shares (their A class gives 1 vote, B class gives 10 votes and C class gives zero votes where only the A and C classes are publicly traded).

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Quoting: pbI recommend trying out LEGO City Undercover. It worked since the initial release of proton but the sound was glitched (background effects were at full volume without the way to change it). Since proton 3.16-5 the sound is fixed and the game is perfectly playable, my kids are 65h in, with 95% completion. It crashes occasionally but judging by the reviews, it's typical to Windows as well, maybe even more so.

That is one good game right there. Have it on my Wii U since it came out and me and the kids have spent houndreds of hours playing it together and just messing around those years ago. The Lego version of GTA.

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