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Linux.com Chats with BioWare Regarding "Neverwinter Nights"
I lurked in the recent Linux.com Live! IRC chat with the folks from BioWare (creators of the Baldur's Gate series) regarding their development of Neverwinter Nights. The game looks awesome, and will have a Linux client. Rock. Good discussion, and the perspective of commericial companies on porting is always good.
Tribes 2 will be coming out shortly for Linux, and if we don't support it, other companies will hesitate on making that investment.
linux tribes
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Just as I kick one habit (Diablo2, baulders Gate) here they go getting me all stoked for a new game!
Will D&D forever curse me? In the 70's it got my ass kicked, in the 80's prevented me from getting a girlfriend and in the 90's has caused me to stare at computer screens for endless hours!
Remember it, write it down, take a picture, I dont give a fsck!
What is a defination of a port? The non-MS versions will be coming out at the same time, not exactly like they area releasing them six months after the release of the MS version (that is what I define as a port).
Indeed they mentioned the fact that the Linux version is the one they started on first.
And hey, what about Creatures? Really gave a good insight into the fact that developers would like to make software for other platforms, but they need to convince the publishers that its worthwhile.
So, please if you are interested in splicing genes on artifical life, go to www.learningcompany.com and mail them asking for a Linux version. Get enough and they will publish. Its already pretty much made...
Planescape: Torment was not a product of BioWare, it just used the Infinity Engine that was originally used in Baldur's Gate. Planescape:Torment was from Black Isle Software, the same people who brought you Fallout and Fallout 2.
I don't know about you guys, but I remember back in the day(joke) that the only reason I upgraded my 386 was so I could stop playing Wolfenstien and move on up to the world of Doom. After that, I moved up to a 486 so I could play DoomII and so I could play Falcon 2.0. It seems pretty obvious to me that the most important thing for those out there who want GNU/Linux to be a true contender for the desktop to do is to pour loads of resources into getting the top games onto the platform. Not just that, but to have competitive prices and simultaneous release dates. Get them out to Best Buy, Wal-Mart etc. Not just distributing the titles via stores that quite frankly, aren't all that widespread. If you want to appease the masses, you have to get to them. No one is going to come. You have to go. I look forward to playing this on my GNU/Linux box, and on my roomate's Windows box. Fact is, although we may not like what is out there, we have to live with the fact that it is not going to go away easily. We also need to stop biting our nails whenever some exec spouts off. We need to start coding and stop whining. Those who can't code, run PR for us, beta test for us, write documentation for us! Have fun etc... Remember, you can change the world by yourself, but you can't make it livable alone.
I wish I could get excited over a new game on Linux, but that's why I have an N64. For the rare PC game that is worthwhile, I have a Windows box.
Do many people actually use a Linux box as their sole gaming platform? Am I a freak for using my Linux boxes as servers and development platforms?
I wouldn't edit text with the Gimp, and I don't use a machine whose primary imput devices are mice and keyboards as my main gaming platform. Again, it's all about the right tool for the right job...
Ita erat quando hic adveni.
There's still some work it needs for complete Linux support as you can read here but it's a lot less than developing your own framework.
ZooLib requires very little in the way of system graphics support so it wouldn't be too hard to port it to the framebuffer if you prefer doing that to running your game under X.
Because ZooLib uses the MIT License (also known as the X11 License) it is appropriate for use in both proprietary and Free Software programs.
If ZooLib doesn't suit your needs, have a look at the GUI Toolkit, Framework page.
Mike
-- Could you use my software consulting serv
And at this point, I'd like to plug the project I enjoy being a member of, Neverwinter Nights Online. NWNO is devoted to reproducing the Forgotten Realms' forest nation of Cormyr on a dedicated 24/7/365 NWN server with a T1 link. A lot of other projects plan to use a network of volunteers with DSL and cable to run world "modules" that will be linked via "portals." While we at NWNO applaud and cooperate with all persistent world efforts, the senior DM (and server owner) decided that this approach is subject to too many avenues for abuse, inconsistency, and preferred more control over the platform... and the environment. We hope to retake the definition of Roleplaying from EQ, AC and the other munchkinlands, and restore its original meaning.
I can see the fnords!
Will there be a Mac/Linux/BeOs version? We are planning a simultaneous PC / Macintosh / Linux release for Neverwinter, with all three versions to be included in a single box. BeOS users will be happy to know that we are also developing a BeOS version in parallel to our other platforms. It's been going very smoothly so far and, if all goes well, we hope to include it as part of our standard release. On the PC, Neverwinter Nights will run under Win95/98, as well as NT 4 (using service pack 6), which is our favored development OS at present. The game also works quite well on Windows 2000 and we hope to continue support up to release.
They stuck me in an institution, said it was the only solution, to...protect me from the enemy, myself