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Neverwinter Nights Update
nyquil superstar writes "Just thought everyone might like to know, there are a whole bunch of updates at Bioware's NWN Linux Client Page. Includes goodies like the timing of future releases and betas, how to install the Linux client and future(!) expansions, and updates on the movies and sound issues. The quick version: sound is in and they will release a Linux client before they integrate a movie player. Oh, and you'll need to download the game's resource data or use a Windows install, the CD is only good for the reg. key and Windows install. Good news though, because it sounds like it's getting close."
As a Windows user, I can't wait for the Linux Client to come out for NWN. I want the added people out there, scripting modules, writing content and playing the game. God knows I'm sick of a bunch of little 733T hacker brats on there. Some games are fun, but I've been waiting for the chance to go up against some other people. Hopefully that isn't flameworthy, but if you've played it online, you know what I mean.
This game is the one that will actually get Linux Gaming off the ground. It removes the need for an emulator or middle-run to get it working, and is one of the biggest games in recent memory. If we saw some of the other big guns, like Blizzard and EA doing this, there would be a lot more solid development on the gaming front.
Since Bioware already will have the linux base installed, and the NWN engine is the core of their future RPG games, this looks well for the Linux community. Now if only they would start releasing the stuff out of box like this...
I can only say that if the Linux users are missing the movies until they get that part included, they aren't missing much. I didn't find the movies very necessary for the storyline. They pretty much only tell what happens as a consequence of the previous Chapter you completed, which isn't hard to figure out by yourself. Also, the movies consists of still pictures that fade in/out, are zoomed into, etc. You aren't exactly missing any movies of "Blizzard quality". This was kind of an anticlimax to me since the *intro* movie is decent, but the inter-chapter movies are of a very different quality. :-/
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
A battle.net hosted d2 world (even with the occasional cheating bugs, which I don't persue at least), is far more challenging. Running a hardcore character that you have had for months and gone through hell with (puns intended) just has far more of a rush and satisfaction (for me at least). If my character dies, it's permanent, and I've suffered a real loss. Death has meaning, and death sucks. It's great!
That must be it, because why else do I waste so much time on an aging game, running the same quests and acts over and over and over again... I don't get it personally, and I guess neither did those two Asians that dropped dead after playing D2 non-stop for more than a day.
(At least I understand my condition well enough to stay away from worlds where I have to pay to play, like Evercrack. If battle.net charged, that would finally cure me....)
I'm not a programmer, but this seems like such an easy task. They have the engine, the art, and the interfaces. The engine should be good to go.
What makes you think the engine is good to go?
Eventhough bioware used OpenGL to render their graphics, they also used DirectSound, DirectInput and DirectPlay. All which would need ported to linux alternatives. Also, they wrote some opengl extensions for various effects like their (kinda cool btw) shadowing system. Who are to say if they are completely multiplatform.
The movies should be re-encoded into another format that plays natively in Windows and Linux. The interface should use wrappers..
A. I have a feeling that its not the encoding of fileformats thats holding back port.
B. Im a little confused about what you mean when you say "interfaces. If you mean the in-game interfaces, then they are most likely rendered by the engine(probertly by OpenGL, since they use a directx version without directdraw). If its the in-game interfaces youre talking about, they wont be a problem when the engine is ported.
Hell, even the wankers using WineX have been running NWN for a while.
I fail to see your point here, i've seen varoius of PC games under wine. Most of which arent being ported at all.
What does the fact that people can run the windows binaries under emulation have to do with the development of the linux binaries?
This should be a lesson for future projects. Don't try and bolt on functionality that was never intended. Either do it right (cross platform) from the start, or not at all.
How should this truely crossplatform development work then? DirectSound, DirectInput and DirectPlay are standard compontents in most games today, which crossplatform APIs should replace them? SDL is nice, but is just as its name implies a "Simple DirectMedia Layer". And is simply not as feature rich as its DirectX counterpart(especially in the sound area).
I think its important for us linux users to realise that currently, windows OWNS the PC gaming sector. They deliver what the gamecompaies want, a simple method of defining requirements for their game. The companies use DirectX and simply write on their box that you need a direct3d compatible gfx card, a directsound compatible soundcard etc etc. Also the windows/directx platform offers WAAAAAY more potential customers AND the option of porting very easily to the xbox.
I think we should be glad that some companies do ports, since linux has pretty much nothing to offer to gamedeveloping companies execpt alot problems for a very little marked (in gaming terms).
*sigh* people really should try reading the links in the stories before posting.
i've been following the linux client since that page was put up, and i think that bioware has done a fantastic job of updating the community on what's going on with development. most companies just say it's done when it's done, stop bothering us. go back and read the page. there are updates almost every week.
if you knew anything about linux development, you would know that there are a LOT more configurations you have to cater to compared to windows where worst case you have a rouge driver that needs updating. also, they didn't know there was a linux version of the sound engine they used which admittedly sounds like a huge fuck up. i'm not quite sure where the blame for that lies.
bioware is setting a great example for other large development houses. they listen to their community, ignore the whining, tell us what's going on, and get shit done. we should all be thankful.
good job bioware