Quoting: kaimanAlso, please note that I do very much like GOG, for their stance on DRM, and their effort of preserving classic games. But that doesn't mean I won't criticize them in areas where they could do better.

I collided two trains of thought in that post. Above --- was my reply to your comment; below --- were my general thoughts on the relationship between GOG and Linux gamers, and my wishing it could be better (which, for a start, requires better communication on the part of both parties). Apologies for not making the separation clearer.

I do agree with you, GOG is deserving of criticism where warranted, but some of this is outside of GOG's control.

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Quoting: kaiman...I guess that might be due to GOGs Linux-shenanigans as much as due to the developer's fault...

If this were the case, I would expect the Linux versions of fellow October releases Xeno Crisis (released yesterday), AI War 2, Pine, Indivisible, and Pilgrims to be missing from GOG.com as well, yet they are not.

---
While a Linux build of Crossroads Inn seems belated rather than permanently unavailable for GOG.com, I wish GOG had better communication with customers as regards Linux ports. I understand the desire on GOG sp. z o.o.'s part to be tactful and not burn bridges with publishers as attempts at relationship building are ever ongoing, but GOG does itself no favors with Linux gamers by its silence when Linux ports available elsewhere are absent from GOG.com. The most I've seen a staff member willing to state publicly is (paraphrasing on my part here) "it's complicated". I'm not particularly broken up about Galaxy for Linux failing to materialize. It would be nice to have that as an option, but it is hardly a deal-breaker. However, GOG Games Missing Linux Ports is a bitter pill to swallow.

As many are aware, GOG getting the short end of the stick isn't just Linux-specific. For example, certain games on GOG lack a multiplayer mode, yet the Steam versions of those games have a multiplayer mode (I assume this is because the games at issue incorporated Steamworks [External Link] for multiplayer, but that is speculation on my part). Furthermore, some new games have staggered release schedules set by their publishers (that is to say that the games arrive on GOG.com a month or a few months behind Steam). Also, sometimes DLC available elsewhere isn't made available on GOG.com, or DLC arrives noticeably later to GOG.com.

I've seen animosity from some Linux gamers towards GOG both here and in the GOG.com forum, amongst other places. Some of that acrimony is deserved (e.g. Galaxy "soon for Linux" [External Link] and some of it is misdirected. Perhaps speaking publicly would only stoke the flames, but I really wish GOG would be more forthcoming about the absence of Linux ports (where existent). I see that "too much work" was cited as the reason given by the publishers of Age of Wonders 3 and Expeditions: Conquistador (I suspect you will hear a similar sentiment expressed about "too much work" or "not worth the support cost" from those publishers who put their games on Stadia but don't provide Linux versions on Steam; granted, most won't provide a reason at all).

Perhaps someone could interview a representative from GOG about the situation, if GOG would be willing to go on record.

Edit: Crossroads Inn does have Linux and macOS support center options [External Link] on GOG.com, so those builds seem to be incoming (compared to Metro: Last Light Redux [External Link], Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition [External Link], Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords [External Link], and other titles missing Linux ports on GOG.com).

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Quoting: apocalyptech

Quoting: chancho_zombieI don't see google as a negative monopoly in this case it is a positive monopoly if they were that evil, they would work with the Chinese government to control everything because that would be their wet dream right?

Heh, I'm veering wildly offtopic here, but, er: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/02/google-working-on-censored-search-engine-for-china [External Link]

If they used Linux servers, and the censored search engine could be accessed by Linux users in China, wouldn't that be worth the trade-off?

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Quoting: elmapuli'm worried about DRM and censorship too, but lets take it easy for now.

It is not my intent to offend, I am not singling you out, just addressing the expressed sentiment, as it is eerily similar to what many people I talked with said when microtransactions were gaining a foothold (i.e. "wait and see"). I felt the writing on the wall was clear then, and I feel, in this instance, the writing on the wall is clear now.

Given consumer passivity, I believe streaming will become the norm in time (a few decades), although it seems unlikely to me that it will become pervasive with Google Stadia v1. And I do believe this is driven more by consumer passivity than by untapped consumer demand. That's not to say that I can't see the appeal of services like Stadia in certain situations, but I feel this is less about meeting untapped demand and more about transitioning (i.e. herding) an existing market in a way that further lessens consumer self-administration. The hype I see surrounding this (much like with "games as a service") is primarily coming from corporations telling consumers that they should want this and that it is in their best interests (convenience, savings, life cycle, connectivity, potential, etc), rather than most consumers salivating at the idea.

Some of these services are backed by expansive megacorporations, so pushback is difficult (they have louder megaphones, more of them, and your megaphones may be provided by them, and if so, they may opt to reduce the volume of your megaphones), but pushback is not necessarily impossible. However, it becomes nearly Sisyphean if waiting to address the negatives until these services are already entrenched (e.g. by the time certain games become exclusive to streaming platforms). The one possible wrench in the works is if we experience another video game industry crash (not likely, but not impossible), but that would probably only serve as a delay. (Note: Let me be clear that I do not want a video game industry crash.)

I love technological progress and I love the idea of making gaming more accessible, but I see this as having less to do with technology and accessibility and more having to do with consumer engineering. Because of the former, I can't reject it in concept, but because of the latter I can't endorse it or consider it a good thing in its present form.

As an aside, I feel infinitely less wary of Shadow, as Blade SAS is not an 800-pound gorilla.

Quoting: elmapulbe the future an utopy or an distopy, there is NOTHING we can do about it.

I disagree. I think something could be done about it, but won't be.

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If Stadia ends up like YouTube, it will be both ubiquitous and shitty.

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Quoting: GuestWhat an unexpected news.

+1 for use of sarcasm online without a corresponding tag.

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Quoting: Shmerl

Quoting: vectorIf you've enjoyed anything by Cyanide, Deck13 Interactive GmbH, The Farm 51, or Frogwares, then you might like some of Spiders' games as well.

I haven't heard of any of the above. These names are totally new to me. Looking at the style though, they remind me works by Piranha Bytes.

There are over 2,000 reviews of Mars: War Logs on Steam, so I only glanced through the first few, but the user reviews I am probably most in agreement with are:

GOG user reviews
lordcabrito's review @ https://www.gog.com/game/mars_war_logs [External Link]

Steam user reviews
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198077817772/recommended/232750/ [External Link]
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198072094217/recommended/232750/ [External Link]
https://steamcommunity.com/id/penuthed/recommended/232750/ [External Link]
https://steamcommunity.com/id/flave_229/recommended/232750/ [External Link]
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197972904637/recommended/232750/ [External Link]
https://steamcommunity.com/id/SpaceCouncil/recommended/232750/ [External Link]
https://steamcommunity.com/id/flashzeny/recommended/232750/ [External Link]

Several people have compared this to Risen in terms of quality. I think that is a reasonably fair comparison. Like ELEX or Vendetta: Curse of Raven's Cry, Mars: War Logs is very much a low-expectations, guilty-pleasure type of game; it's not going to win any awards. By guilty pleasure, I mean something like the film Krull; i.e. it's not something that is going to redefine the genre or have crossover appeal to people who typically don't enjoy the genre, but it has niche appeal within the genre.

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Quoting: ShmerlFrom what I understood, Technomancer is actually a sequel to Mars: War Logs, and some comment that the first game is more interesting.

Yes, The Technomancer is a sequel. I've played Mars: Wars Logs (the soundtrack is available for free at http://www.mars-thegame.com/?rub=news#43 [External Link]; The Techomancer is buried in my backlog, but I'm looking forward to it since I enjoyed Mars: War Logs. My understanding is that The Technomancer is only loosely connected to Mars: War Logs (different protagonist and different guild).

Admittedly, Spiders' games are an acquired taste (they are not masterpieces, but in a world of hollow live services and avaricious monetization out the wazoo, they are oases); I've played Of Orcs and Men, Mars: War Logs, and Bound by Flame; The Technomancer and Greedfall are still on my to-do list. Of Orcs and Men was co-developed by Spiders and Cyanide SA; Styx: Master of Shadows and Styx: Shards of Darkness were solely developed by Cyanide.

If you've enjoyed anything by Cyanide, Deck13 Interactive GmbH, The Farm 51, or Frogwares, then you might like some of Spiders' games as well. Cyanide and Spiders (as well as Big Bad Wolf and Kylotonn) are fairly recent acquisitions of Bigben Interactive, so future games from them will be published by Bigben and not Focus Home Interactive. Frogwares and Focus Home went their separate ways as well.

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Well, I hope the new library turns out better than the publisher homepages did on Steam.

E.g.
https://store.steampowered.com/search/?publisher=Kalypso%20Media%20Digital [External Link]

is more useful to me than

https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/kalypso/ [External Link]

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