The Outward devs have clarified their position on GoD Factory: Wingmen when I queried them on the Steam Forums:

http://steamcommunity.com/app/262750/discussions/0/35221031821921844/?tscn=1429109542 [External Link]

It's a little big vague for me still. I'm not certain that backing Outward will actually result in a Linux release - it sounds like they'll aim for Windows again, then outsource the ports. Will attempt to clarify.

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Quoting: maodzedun

Quoting: scaineBut I'll bite anyway. Care to expand on what you think users won't like about the Unity Launcher? Be specific. As I say, I've been an Ubuntu user a long time and I agree that the 11.04 and 11.10 iterations were raw - I tended to revert my use of those versions back to... oh, I can't remember the name of it now... Docker? Something like that. But by 12.04, Unity Launcher was solid and since 15.04 is about to launch, that means that I've been using this Launcher for nearly 3 years and had no idea it was somehow magically "bad".

What's wrong with it?

Canonical took the worst from Windows' taskbar and OSX's dock and stuffed it into the Unity Launcher. You can't change it's position and you can't get rid of it - so much for Linux's flexibility. Also there is no Show Desktop button by default. It has no preview thumbnails and no click to minimize unless you force them (sort of) with Compiz. We're talking about basic Windows functionality, let alone comparing it to something as flexible as KDE for example. If they allowed me to get rid of the launcher for real, I'd just slap a Cairo dock or something and be a happy camper, but as it is - it's absolutely horrible.

Those are the pretty much the features that makes Unity so appealing to its target audience. I was willing to change my outlook to accommodate the Launchers way of working and it's wonderful when you do so. If you simply berate it for two of its strongest features, no wonder you'll hate it. Sounds like you're not the target audience though, so nothing is really lost, right?

For the avoidance of doubt - here's a brief breakdown.

You can't move it for many reasons. Best use of screen space, assumptions can be made about layout, fits with the phone/touch paradigm, code base is significantly simpler. With hindsight, the phone paradigm is the main winner here.

You only switch to windows and don't minimise them because there's fewer things more frustrating in Windows that clicking on the icon of a hidden but non-minimised window and waiting for it to appear, only to later realise it's now minimised. This is broken. Canonical fixed it. Hell, Gnome fixed this by doing away with the concept of minimise, didn't they? Or at least, they were going to. Have they done that yet? Fingers crossed.

Show desktop isn't a button the Launcher any more. But what's to stop you from turning it on, exactly? Settings/Appearance, Behaviour, click on "Add show desktop icon to the launcher".

Can't argue about previews - there's no option for that. I don't think even the Compiz previews add-on works properly. If that's a deal breaker, then so be it.

But yeah. Lots of hate (and not just you!) for something that is very tidily and specifically designed to be what it is. I'm not saying you should like it, really, but a lot of the complaints about it revolve around people who literally can't see past the fact that it's on the left. Just that.

But if their incredibly ambitious vision is to work, then Launcher on the left it is. Just for once, I'm willing to change to accommodate Linux, when for many years, Linux changed to accommodate me.

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Quoting: maodzedun

Quoting: KimyrielleI am actually surprised that the numbers aren't going up more noticeably compared to 1-2 years ago, since it was always thought that the lack of games would be one of the major reasons holding back Linux growth. With all the games now available, one should think this is less of a factor now - but we're still around the 1% margin we always have been at. Maybe the Steam machines will do something about it.

Overwhelmingly larger Windows catalogue (for AAA games), crap performance from AMD hardware in Linux and abysmal from Intel, inability to use a lot of software, a sheet long list of distros that will totally confuse any new commer, Unity Launcher in the most popular distribution, overall higher level of tech knowledge required to use Linux...

Well, you started off pretty strong there. Some good points. Perhaps you should have stopped before you got into murky waters of Unity-hate and blatant opinion on the ease of use of Linux or the toxicity of the user base.

But I'll bite anyway. Care to expand on what you think users won't like about the Unity Launcher? Be specific. As I say, I've been an Ubuntu user a long time and I agree that the 11.04 and 11.10 iterations were raw - I tended to revert my use of those versions back to... oh, I can't remember the name of it now... Docker? Something like that. But by 12.04, Unity Launcher was solid and since 15.04 is about to launch, that means that I've been using this Launcher for nearly 3 years and had no idea it was somehow magically "bad".

What's wrong with it?

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Quoting: masteredu

Quoting: KimyrielleI am actually surprised that the numbers aren't going up more noticeably compared to 1-2 years ago, since it was always thought that the lack of games would be one of the major reasons holding back Linux growth. With all the games now available, one should think this is less of a factor now - but we're still around the 1% margin we always have been at. Maybe the Steam machines will do something about it.

Sry to say that, but I believe its the fault of the distributions:

The top players are Linux Mint, which is community driven, Ubuntu which looks ugly, is slow and uses outdated software and represents linux for a lot of people and I believe Arch (?) which is however community driven as well.
1 year ago Ubuntu and Canonical had a very good position but nowadays I dont believe anyone really supports Ubuntu anymore with their egoistic behaviour...

Can't take you seriously after comments like that. You think Ubuntu is ugly and slow? I don't and I've been using it since 2006.

Valve don't care what we think though, either. They need the most popular distro and to stand behind it. Until that becomes SteamOS, it's Ubuntu. Everything else is irrelevant. Sure it's great that Steam works on other distros, but irrelevant.

Quoting: mastereduJust think about, if you would have friends and family, would you *really* recommend them to use Linux? Like really? I wouldn't.

Yes. Really. I would.

And I have. Got a few friends now, tired of Windows, not wanting to waste money on a new laptop they only use for web and email. One Ubuntu install later, all fixed, all happy. Not sure what your solution would be, but mine worked out okay. Of maybe 7 or 8 such installs over the past four or so years, only one bought a new laptop and that was after running Ubuntu for about two years - loved it, but needed a new laptop after battery issues with the old one. They despise Windows 8, but haven't (yet) asked me to revert it back to Ubuntu, probably because they know it takes me a couple of hours of tinkering to get all their stuff "just so". I imagine it will happen eventually though.

What's your problem with recommending Linux?

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Yeah, you're bang on with that Reassembly comparison. Looks like a cartoon version of that game...

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Pretty much one of my favourite games of all time. And free - source code available under GPL3. However, I paid £4.99 for it on Steam and had I known how many hours I would pour into this game, I'd have gladly paid three or four times that amount.

And I haven't even scratched the surface! I play on Adventure mode which gives you around 4 or 5 lives (depending on how far you get) and I've played almost exclusively Archmage. And I haven't finished the game even once. The depth is simply awesome, but unlike something like DOTA2, you're not required to have read every nuance to enjoy yourself first.

If you die in ToME, it's your fault. And I've died a lot.

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I'd not heard of this, but yeah, it looks good. Shame.

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Quoting: maodzedunEnter Unity 8. Have you tried the beta of Unity 8? That hybrid desktop/tablet interface is just awful. I'm very happy they managed to convince big time phone manufacturers like Samsung make Ununtu phones but mixing desktop and mobile interface is a disaster. At least in Windows 8 I could fix that problem with 5 bucks for Start8. Honestly - of all distros I enjoy ElementaryOS' (respectively Pantheon's) interface the most but sadly it's development cycles are so sparse Ubuntu 14.04 repos will be stone age old by the time Freya hits 1.0.

PS You're missing out on Planetside 2 - the game is almost playable with an i7, now (at least 30% of my decision to get one last month :D)

Nah, I'm staying clear of Unity 8 until 16.04, when it'll be considered more "ready". It's mostly still just a phone interface at the moment as far as I can tell. Hopefully Canonical learned their lesson with 11.04 when Unity was introduced in a half-finished state. If you're going to force change, at least make it a pleasant change, right?

I do miss Planetside 2. I was getting a little too hooked on it though, having joined a clan and gotten involved in twice weekly training sessions in my Vannu Scythe. Honestly, it was becoming a bit of an addiction. Best for everyone that I moved on, I reckon!

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Quoting: maodzedunAnd with the direction Cannonical are taking with Unity's interface ("Let's take everything people hated in Windows 8 and put it in our desktop environment" ) there will be a definite slowdown in that progress.

Nice bit of FUD to ruin a positive comment. Care to expand which features of Unity you think are "hated in Windows 8" and therefore deserved to be included? Cos I've used both and that statement might be chicken, could be horse, but I suspect it's just bull.

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Just skimmed 7 pages and it looks like the common thread is that folk dual boot for access to Windows exclusives, or older Windows-only games.

That was my experience when I dual-booted from 2006 to around mid 2012. At the end, only Planetside 2 was keeping me on Windows. After a particularly torrid week in mid 2012, where Windows 7 spent more time patching itself than I used it to play games, I decided enough was enough. Steam had been announced for Linux and I took the plunge. Never looked back.

If I had to gripe, I'd love the following games (or at least their sequels) to come to Linux:
Dishonoured, Skyrim, Tomb Raider, Fallout 3 ... eh...

Hmmm. I thought there would be more.

Certainly, looking at my Steam profile [External Link], I thought there would be more big names in my top-played list that were Windows only. Apparently not.

Wow.

[Edit: And "Driver: San Fran"! Loved that game. Miss it...]

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