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Latest Comments by MayeulC
Looks like Mojang will be supporting the new Minecraft launcher on Linux
26 Oct 2016 at 7:41 pm UTC

Quoting: QubeUKThis is great news, since moving to Linux i have been unable to play Minecraft due to some Java / Open GL error that I have been unable to resolve. I cant wait to try a Linux launcher and be able to play again.
Well, the game is still in java/OpenGL, so I would be surprised if it worked better after this update. You may however want to consider updating your drivers.

That's great news, but the fact that this is just a new launcher is a bit of a bummer. I would have liked a total C conversion.

I still like to play the game from time to time, but there are a few things that could be improved (like full screen, for instance). It's definitely a great game to play with friends.

As for Minetest, it feels like a nice sandbox, but not really a sandbox game, that's where the problem lies for me. I would love to see a Minecraft compatibility layer (also with servers, ideally).

Mad Max released for Linux, port report and review available
23 Oct 2016 at 2:31 pm UTC

Interestingly, the game runs fine most of the time on my under-speced computer (you can check my config, but in case it changes: 4GB RAM, 6870, E5472@3GHz). The framerate seems to be locked at 30FPS, which doesn't seem to be an issue, as it looks smooth. It does however dip below sometimes, and this seems to be more and more frequent the longer I play in the same session. In those cases, I look upwards, it helps.

I have some issue with occasional freezes, which are probably due to shader compilations. I hope the Mesa shader cache will help here. Audio also becomes garbled at times, especially when using the steam overlay (For example, when I take a screenshot).

Quoting: m2mg2
Quoting: MblackwellI'm sad that you can't use the mouse and joystick at the same time via the Steam Controller. I had asked Feral and they said the Steam Controller was supported... but that's one of the major features of the controller!
I noticed this to. I can't walk and rotate the view at the same, very annoying. We'll not sure if we are talking about the same thing or not. I can't use the right touchpad while moving the left analog on the steam controller in this game.
Well, I have the same issue, and it's really annoying. I am playing with my keyboard right now.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided arrives on SteamOS & Linux on the 3rd of November
21 Oct 2016 at 10:41 am UTC Likes: 2

Shit. Now I will _really_ have to upgrade my computer sooner than I planned.

I was hoping AMD's zen would hit the shelves sooner than DX:MD :/

Keep up, feral, this looks like a big clog that just went off in a "release pipeline" :D

The latest 'Steam Client Beta Update' fixes wired Steam Controller support on Linux
21 Oct 2016 at 8:53 am UTC Likes: 5

Quoting: tmtvlNeat, it only the virtual keyboards could be ported so they could be used with various DE's, that would make my living room PC almost perfect.
There is a quite correct one in sc-controller, activate if from the steam button.

Quoting: ElectricPrism
Quoting: MblackwellThe track pad is far superior to a stick for FPS.
Wut? No seriously I would like to hear your argument? For me I'm a billion times faster and preciser on twin joysticks.

Of course I know this is probably a case of "what works for me" and "what works for you" are totally different.
The argument here is one of relative vs absolute motion. With joysticks, you specify the speed at which you want your "pointer" (can be a camera) to move, while with a mouse/trackpad, you specify where to move (by directly setting a relative motion, so the terms are a bit inadequate). This is unarguably much better, since that's what you really want (set the position to a precise location). At least in theory. You can find movement with a stick more intuitive because of practice or superior hardware. Sticks can also be more precise with defaults settings, since they often allow to fine-tune the final position at low speed. On the other hand, you could decrease the sensitivity of your mouse/trackpad for quick, finer adjustments (a "sniper button", if you prefer). This is also analogue to aiming in FPS games, so those two actions can be often bound together. Some people prefer to use a gyro for those fine adjustments (personal preference again).
Compare rapidly changing directions (180) with a mouse/trackpad and joystick. There is an obvious difference. Some early console games even had a key to speed this up (instant 180), so the problem definitely exists.

On the other hand, when it comes to controlling a setting which can be matched 1:1 to the joystick position (turning it into an absolute control), this is arguably faster, and allows finer grained controls. Think of player movement in FPS, a steering wheel, a plane joystick, or even the position of something on a screen that you can move instantly, such as an aiming direction/spaceship position for a shoot them up.

Thankfully, the trackpads can also emulate this behaviour, something that a trackball or a mouse can't. This makes them a better fit for game controllers. Since they have a clearly defined area, you can use some absolute positioning in this area to emulate the behaviour of a stick or some buttons. You can also use an "endless scroll" with a fixed movement ratio (or, more likely, one which changes with the speed) to specify an absolute movement faster than you would be able to with a stick (since you have to wait for the position, which is translated to speed at a fixed ratio, to be integrated, as in, a real integral, into an in-game position).

I hope those arguments are convincing enough. (and redeable/clear enough, I am answering from my phone, sorry).

I am still waiting on the perfect absolute input solution, with direct brain communication, but that's not for tomorrow :)

(for those interested in this last point, there are a few consumers facing prototypes, the EPOC Emotive is one of them).
Edit: wow, the price for this headset really skyrocketed these past years. It was around $300 around 6 years ago for the full headset, IIRC.

Speculation: A recent Mesa commit hints at a possible Batman: Arkham Origins Linux port (update: no it isn't)
20 Oct 2016 at 9:14 pm UTC

Haha, I actually spotted the same, did a bit of research, and figured out it was likely a wine version. Well, maybe next time? :D

Feral have released the minimum and recommend system requirements for Mad Max on Linux
18 Oct 2016 at 2:53 pm UTC

Sigh... Stuck at 4GB until I upgrade my motherboard (AMD zen in January? ).

That is, unless someone knows how to find some Intel compatible 4GB DDR2 sticks? I would *really* be interested. That is, if the price is decent.

HTC Vive VR demo on Linux used Kubuntu at SteamDevDays
14 Oct 2016 at 12:01 pm UTC

Well, to be fair, we don't even know if it's kubuntu (the tweets aren't from the computer's owner, AFAIK). It could even be that they decided to switch to KDE for their next SteamOS release, who knows?

Small update to the PC info system today, you can now get a 'forum signature image'
13 Oct 2016 at 11:38 am UTC

Pretty cool stuff.
If the trend continues, this article will have hundreds of comments with every one showing off his. Here's mine:
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