Quoting: ShmerlAnyone who doesn't accept DRM. As simple as that. And it's a lot of Linux user for your reference. I'm simply not going to use Steam while they have any bit of DRM involved.

Well, I can agree with that. ;)

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: ShmerlWhich is rather silly and is caused by the lack of any packaging system on Windows. On Linux they have no need to package DosBox and ScummVM for each DOS game - it's pointless, they can use distro's emualtors and ship only config files.

It is not silly, it makes the games much easier to maintain for GoG and run on a much wider range of systems. Tying a commercial application into a variety of distribution's package management systems is a pain in the ass, and is not worth the effort for something which is not a dynamic free software project which are easier to package and allow the distributions themselves to do most of the work. Dosbox and ScummVM may be free, but the GoG products and modifications are not, and they should be treated just the same as any other proprietary application. 

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting:  BumadarI don't see this obsession to have games installed via rpm/deb, many of the humble bundle games use the .bin installer and that one works just fine, GoG could easily make a standard installer for their games using those as a basis. Its just another excuse as many said here.

They DO have their own custom standard installer already for their Mac and Windows games. And the guy who believes that distributing commercial games on Linux is so difficult because of dependency and administration issues is prattling on about a problem which has been solved since Loki. Besides, GoG games do not tie into one central Dosbox install when they sell their games anyway, but ship with a custom configured executable with each game purchase. Can you imagine the trouble that would cause if it did? Just because Linux has a packaging system does not mean you need to do that level of dependent insanity.

View this comment - View article - View full comments

The trend from shareware to demos about twelve to fifteen years ago is what killed the entire concept, probably. There is a distinction, and I think the original shareware model might be better for indies than a demo system is. That being said, while I did play some after I stated using Desura, I really have not spent much time with demos recently. Most games I have bought within the past few years have been because they surprised me in a bundle or a sale, in which case you just grab them without thinking about it too much. And I must say I have not had all that much trouble getting my games running, so that really has not been a big part of my purchasing consideration.

View this comment - View article - View full comments

I know next to nothing about NWN, but why not try the liflg installers? These guys are so awesome they are actually updating games professionally now: http://liflg.org/?catid=6&gameid=65 [External Link]

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: KristianAny recommendations as far as the modder friendly + cross platform combo goes?

The Modder friendly part is actually the tricky part, as engines like Unity are fairly terrible for it (probably because the engine itself is in many ways a giant mod tool). But I could probably spend a whole lifetime playing through the Lugaru custom campaigns. :P

View this comment - View article - View full comments

This one I am definitely going to keep watching, especially since it mentions Prey as an inspiration.

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: n30p1r4t3And you guys have to know: I grew up with the XBOX (Halo, etc.). So that's the type of video games that I enjoy (AAA).

Alright, that is fair enough. But I grew up playing games like Doom, which means I enjoy games that do not require an internet activation, are cross-platform, and are modder and gamer friendly. That is what shareware games offered then and Indie games offer today, something which is lacking from most modern AAA offerings.

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: s_dNonetheless, you someday may find yourself getting those games to work properly in Linux as well ... When you do, you may be in a position to contribute the Wine settings and tweaks you used to get those old games in top-shape on your main machine.

Umm, I have ran most of the games I have been playing on the laptop on my main machine running Linux. The only game I played which does not work with WINE to some degree is Dark Forces II. I have contributed AppDB entries for the games which did work in WINE, namely Blood II and AoE II. So I do not quite get the point of this little lecture here.

Quoting: s_dI feel that is Wine's best place in the world;  to be DOSBox for the next generation of fun old games

Yes, I agree. And that is what I use WINE for, while supporting modern DRM free Linux games with my time and wallet.

View this comment - View article - View full comments

I like the assumption that some people have here that if Deep Silver does eventually port to their titles to Linux it absolves Humble Bundle from turning their backs on their principles and promoting platform-locked and DRMed content, even though it severely damages the whole case that the bundles were trying to make in the first place. I know a large group of people here only got upset about the bundle because it did not support Linux, but I will not contribute to a bundle unless it is fully cross-platform (including supporting Mac and Windows) and offers DRM free versions (vital to me since I refuse to play DRMed content). It is quite disheartening to see people turning their backs on people and things they previously fought for just because it is not longer directly beneficial to them. Solidarity is not just a slogan, you know.

As for the other argument raging here, I do use Linux almost exclusively. Before I graduated I did my schoolwork from Linux, even though I had to use the FirstClass groupware client they used through WINE (it does have a native version, but it was nigh on unusable as it was never properly maintained). To WINEs credit, it managed to run it all basically perfectly. I play my games on Linux, I only buy DRM free Linux titles, and do everything else from checking my email to running my HTPC television on Linux. The only exception is for the past two months or so I have been playing some of my old games on Windows XP as the old laptop I am stuck on until my RMAd drive finally shows up has on an old XP partition on it. That being said, if it did not have the XP install I never would have touched Windows outside of my Diploma exams. So no, not everyone dual boots, and WIndows is far from necessary for everyone. That is not a condemnation of those that do, but just a statement of fact.

View this comment - View article - View full comments