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Latest Comments by Ehvis
The Linux beta of X4: Foundations has been running nicely, a new update is now out
24 Mar 2019 at 8:00 pm UTC

Quoting: sketch
Quoting: iiari
Quoting: sketchwhere do you get the linux installer? is it released yet? In Steam?
On Steam at least, no installer per se. Just like installing any other Steam title.
On store it is still showing only windows support...
I suppose they aren't making it visible in the store during the beta.

Google announce ‘Stadia’, their new cloud gaming service built on Linux and Vulkan
21 Mar 2019 at 5:09 pm UTC

Quoting: Mohandevir
Quoting: Ehvis
Quoting: MohandevirIs it TCP/IP, UDP or something I haven't heard of? Isn't UDP faster but prone to packet loss thus reducing the quality of the stream?
TCP includes the control mechanism to deal with packet loss (detection and resending). For UDP it is up to the application to decide whether to detect it and what to do if something is lost.
And still be faster than TCP? Or is it better to go with TCP, in that case?
UDP is faster because it does away with some of the work. But if you have large block of data that need to be complete, you'd need the work to be done anyway, so you're better off using TCP. UDP is generally used for small data fragments that expire. Like in game protocols where a single packet can update the position of your fellow players. If you miss such a packet, then resending it is not so useful as you may as well get a new updated one.

In case of video streams it depends on what you want. If you every watched digital cable on a bad day, then you know what packet loss means for a digital video stream. Either you accept that you get half a second of mess if you lose something, or you go for data integrity with a possible cost of some more lag.

Google announce ‘Stadia’, their new cloud gaming service built on Linux and Vulkan
21 Mar 2019 at 4:44 pm UTC

Quoting: MohandevirIs it TCP/IP, UDP or something I haven't heard of? Isn't UDP faster but prone to packet loss thus reducing the quality of the stream?
TCP includes the control mechanism to deal with packet loss (detection and resending). For UDP it is up to the application to decide whether to detect it and what to do if something is lost.

Google announce ‘Stadia’, their new cloud gaming service built on Linux and Vulkan
20 Mar 2019 at 5:05 pm UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: Shmerl
Quoting: EhvisI'm going to buy some bread at the supermarket. When I finished it, I can't use it anymore. It's not DRM free!
What, the store enforcers run after you and grab your bought bread away on a whim? Or the bread has a self destruct trigger attached that can be activated by the store? What kind of bread do you buy??

Hint: be careful with analogies from physical merchandise to digital goods. They are not always matching one to one. But if you are using one, at least find something close enough.
You completely missed the point. Yes, it doesn't work for physical merchandise. It could work for renting if the data that is sent to you is mangled in such a way that it is useless to you. Which is actually fair in renting since you don't pay to own it. However, if this last one doesn't apply here since nothing is mangled in any way because nothing that is transmitted needs to be protected. So all that's left is arguing that you don't like renting game time. Which is fair enough, but don't call it DRM. That only pollutes the arguments again actual problematic DRM.

I'll end this with my opinion with technical reasons. I don't think this service will provide the best experience. Since lag is a problem with any on-line game, it will also be problem here. I have no interest in paying for a service that delivers a subpar experience.

Google announce ‘Stadia’, their new cloud gaming service built on Linux and Vulkan
20 Mar 2019 at 4:42 pm UTC

Quoting: ShmerlSo it doesn't fit the definition of being DRM-free
I'm going to buy some bread at the supermarket. When I finished it, I can't use it anymore. It's not DRM free!

Yes, I know, it's completely irrelevant, just like your argument.

Google announce ‘Stadia’, their new cloud gaming service built on Linux and Vulkan
20 Mar 2019 at 4:37 pm UTC

Quoting: ShmerlThere is nothing to buy, so it doesn't fit the definition of being DRM-free, ergo it's a DRMed digital store. Not sure what's hard to understand here.
There is no store. You're paying for time on service that allows you to use something that you can't use in any other place. Everything you said so far is irrelevant.

Google announce ‘Stadia’, their new cloud gaming service built on Linux and Vulkan
20 Mar 2019 at 4:33 pm UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: ShmerlThe definition of DRM-free is "buy and don't have any restrictions placed on the purchase after you bought it".
I know you're a DRM free advocate, but that's just nonsense in this context. There is nothing to buy, so this definition does not apply.

Google announce ‘Stadia’, their new cloud gaming service built on Linux and Vulkan
20 Mar 2019 at 4:26 pm UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: Shmerl... and surely not going to use even more DRMed Stadia for same reason.
As I wrote above, Stadia is by its very design DRM free.

Google announce ‘Stadia’, their new cloud gaming service built on Linux and Vulkan
20 Mar 2019 at 2:28 pm UTC Likes: 2

I can imagine that this thing is actually entirely DRM free. I have no detailed knowledge of the system, so take it with a grain of salt. But it sounds like the games are made specifically for the google infrastructure. Since that is a trusted infrastructure, those games don't need DRM. You play the game and stream you control inputs to the server and get a picture and sound streamed back to you. No of these are sensitive to rights, so none of those streams need to be protected. It's like playing an arcade machine on a time fee instead of a per game fee. The only thing you could call DRM is the fact that you'll need an account to register payment. But that goes for GOG as well, so apparently nobody counts that as DRM. So conclusion, Stadia is entirely DRM free.

The MMO Albion Online is officially going free to play next month
20 Mar 2019 at 11:45 am UTC

I might give it a go when it's free, but I doubt I will play it for an extended period of time. It's still an MMO and with that comes all the bad stuff that is necessary to make it so that people of various levels can play together. I've never seen one that could keep me interested for more than a couple of hours.