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Transgaming's WineX 2.1 - Supports WarCraft 3

friedmud writes "WineX 2.1 is out on the street, get it at transgaming.com. It boasts, among other things, full support for Warcraft III. Other games now included are: Grand Theft Auto 3, Civilization III, and Black and White. Check the press release for further info. And, if you haven't already, go here to get an account... It is definitely worth it." I've been rebooting my laptop to WC3, so maybe I'll give this a shot. I bought a subscription originally in part due to their misleading Sims compatibility claims, but this looks like it finally is truly emulating top windows games.

14 of 447 comments (clear)

  1. WarCraft 3? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Why is this game so popular? It really isn't any different that other RTS, other than its more 3D.

    You all bitch and moan about lack of innovation in gaming, then go out and buy the exact opposite.

    And, yeah, I'm prepared to fight back against anyone that wants to argue how 'innovative' WC3 is.

    1. Re:WarCraft 3? by colmore · · Score: 3, Interesting

      For novice players, it is pretty much the same thing, only smaller armies (which is a good thing in my opinion)

      In really competitive play, it actually plays quite differently from Starcraft, C&C, WC2, or Dune 2. The hero system really rewards micromanagement, and rushes aren't quite what they've been in the past. If you sit down and try to play WC3 like Starcraft, you'll lose pretty quickly. Warcraft 3 is not paced at all like previous RTSes.

      However, these are deep, play-balance innovations. The overall format of the game is pretty much Warcraft 2 with smaller armies and stronger units.

      What I would really like to see is a RTS (and shouldn't these games be called Real Time Tactics, the scale is a bit small to really be called "strategy" in the military sense) of WWII's Pacific theater, done at about Starcraft Scale. Storm beaches, knock out gun fortifications, take over islands, clear out airstrips, etc. It could be really interesting, and it wouldn't have any of that base-building nonsense (you don't train new soldiers and research new technology on the battlefield). Or play the Japanese side and try to defend.

      --
      In Capitalist America, bank robs you!
  2. Re:Dunno by justsomebody · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Infact it's even better than that for some reasons.

    1. Graphic cards are getting faster and faster and all games can be played in emulator with normal speed
    2. You can have games separated from your system, just like a console
    3. Just checked WineX game installer. It can completely separate every game to it's own drive. No bugging, just delete game folder and that's it.

    All of this points cover most of the problems by playing games on windows. So that's a reason to support that

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    Signature Pro version 1.13.2-3 release 83.5 beta3try7 after-breakfast edition
  3. Re:Dunno by Azar · · Score: 2, Interesting

    > The only companies who will release Linux games are those that really really rely on geek support (like Id).

    I think that you misattributed Id's actions with a need to "really, really rely" on geek support. That's total baloney. Id doesn't need a Linux geek any more than any of the other video game companies. Not only are their games incredibly popular in their own right, but do you know how MUCH Id makes licensing their engines?! Try to name all of the games that licensed the Quake I, II, and III engines. We'll be here for a while.

    Here's a bit of info for you... all of Id's games since Quake have supported Unix/Linux because... That's what quake was DEVELOPED on! The original quake was developed under Unix using OpenGL. It was then ported to Windows. I'd imagine that they had similar processes for their subsequent games (Quake II, Quake III, Return to Castle Wolfenstein). So "supporting" a Linux "port" was a no-brainer.

    Don't get me wrong. I love the fact that you can buy native Linux versions of their games, but to say that they "really really need you" is a delusional fantasy.

  4. Re:Dunno by quantaman · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Actually WineX is a very good idea for supporting Linux. Even in the rare cases where linux is still on the desktop most people maintain a windows partition for gaming. Something like WoneX will allow them to move over to pure linux. This wil help spread linux, you CAN use all your M$ software still and you get all this all this great other linux stuff, you haev nothing to lose! Furthermore as more people start to use WineX and like products the game manufacturers will start to notice this market share and try to make sure their game doesn't do anything cookey (did I spell that right) that would make it unusable under WineX. As this happens linux becomes more popular and continues to grow in market share until finally companies find they can get an edge by offering native linux games instead of stuff running over a compatibility layer. Now you get you linux games, I very much believe Wine and WineX are one of the best weapons linux has to take the desktop.

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    I stole this Sig
  5. Re:Not a good open source citizen by colmore · · Score: 5, Interesting

    See, I totally disagree with this.

    WineX has not taken anything away from Wine. They use their code, and Wine is no worse off for it. Your criticism of TransGaming assumes that they would have written the same software if they had used the GPL. But they wouldn't have. If you want to sell software (and not support or some other intangible) you simply can't use the GPL. The only thing you can hope for is to tack a $1 surcharge on CDs shipped to people with connections to slow to download the free package.

    Profit is a motivator for innovation, like it or not. I like and fully support the GPL, but I also like and fully support some things done by better for-profit software companies. If Transgaming had been forced to GPL their work, there would be no WineX.

    "Support" good software that you want to use, in whatever form it comes in. If there's a product out there that is filling a gap, then support whatever system that created it. Linux may or may not succeed on the desktop. Linux will not succeed on the desktop with ONLY GPLed software.

    --
    In Capitalist America, bank robs you!
  6. my subscription lapsed last week by _|()|\| · · Score: 5, Interesting
    TransGaming now Supports Over 80 PC Games
    Issued on Wednesday April 17, 2002

    Play Warcraft III on Linux with TransGaming's Release of WineX 2.1
    Issued on Thursday August 1, 2002

    TransGaming subscriptions cost $5 per month, with a minimum three months payment.

    It's been just over three months since the last major release. Coincidence?

  7. Yes, EMULATING top windows games... by dinivin · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Wine is an emulator...

    emulate

    1. To strive to equal or excel, especially through imitation: an older pupil whose accomplishments and style I emulated.
    2. To compete with successfully; approach or attain equality with.
    3. Computer Science. To imitate the function of (another system), as by modifications to hardware or software that allow the imitating system to accept the same data, execute the same programs, and achieve the same results as the imitated system.

    Just because I claim not to be a 26 year old male doesn't mean that I'm not 26 year old male. Just because WINE claims not to be an emulator doesn't mean that it's not an emulator.

  8. Re:NWN Released... by Zach978 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    That was the 2004 reference, Bioware hasn't been giving out too much info on when the linux client will be released. So now there's a bunch of linux users who bought the NWN games a month ago and are mad because they don't know when it will be released..that's why I'm waiting to buy it after the Linux version is out.

    --

    "I told you a million times not to exaggerate!"
  9. Clarification, please Rob... by wowbagger · · Score: 4, Interesting
    ...due to their misleading Sims compatibility claims....
    Rob, would you please clarify and expand upon that statement? To me, it seems just a bit inflammatory to make a statement like that without some backup as to why you feel that way.
  10. Re:What's the performance penalty? by dakoda · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "Emulators always slow things down, that's why they're best for older games"

    You're assuming wine emulates thw whole system, which it does not. it simply executes the program (same cpu => little/no translation), and wraps the windows api calls to something unix can deal with.

  11. Re:Oh BABY! by Afrosheen · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Keep in mind that when Transgaming has made enough money to cover all their development costs (through subscriptions etc.) they're merging all their new code back into the standard Wine tree. Eventually 95% of what they've done will be free and open source, excluding the Safedisc and other licensed protection schemes of course. Those generally aren't a problem anyway due to no-cd cracks and the like.

  12. Re:Does it finally work with SCSI CD-ROM drives? by joeytsai · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I have to agree with this. I bought a subscription for WineX just to play Diablo II. I have a SCSI DVD-ROM and a SCSI CD-RW. Neither drive worked. I filed bug reports, but no luck.

    Then WineX 2.0 came out, and they said try again. Didn't work. Filed bug reports again.

    Then WineX 2.01 came out, and they said try again.
    Still didn't work. Filed more bug reports. Last time I checked they were still open.

    Now I'm debating whether to get 2.1. Don't get me wrong, I think WineX is a good product, and if it works for me, I'll gladly pay. But I think the choice has already been made for me, since I don't really play Diablo II anymore. :o)

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    http://www.talknerdy.org
  13. Transgaming by pajor · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I think transgaming is pretty sleasy. Originally, they promised to release the source as soon as they got 15,000 subscribers. They claimed to release it under a license "similar to the wine license." Now this is nowhere to be seen. I signed up because I thought their business model was an interesting idea, the "Street performers protocol." Now they seem to have renigged on this, after taking many peoples money under false pretenses.

    If they can't release the code under the LGPL, how would they ever release it under a wine license? These guys are just crooks.

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    Gnuyen