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Loki Games for PPC

Posted by justin++ on from the multi-platform-hacking-(and-slashing) dept.

Loki Games and Terra Soft Solutions have announced a partnership where the two companies will work together in order to assure all of Loki's titles run on Linux/PPC as well as the x86-platform. The article says Loki has 8 games lined up for 1999, and some will come out before their MacOS counterparts.

30 comments

  1. Re:Alpha by nester · · Score: 1

    who are "hardcore linux people"? more alpha and sparc, etc. ports would be good. i've never used linux on an alpha, so i can't say which is more developed. as for users, i'd be very surprised if there were as many alpha users as there are ppc users. why is it a waste to port to the second most popular comsumer platform (first being x86)?

  2. Its FUN to be FIRST POST!!! by Uart · · Score: 0

    Wow, that earned me an instant -1...

    But anyway, its nice to see some more software available for alternative processors, but what ever happened to the Alpha? Come-on people, lets port to alpha...

    --

    Opinionated Law Student Strikes Again!
  3. Interesting by Giant+Robot · · Score: 2

    It will be interesting to see the performance difference when games that were written for windows are ported to Linux x86, then to Linux PPC. Games have such low level code that it will be a challenge to port.

    1. Re:Interesting by dennisp · · Score: 1

      My guess is that performance is a lot worse, considering DirectX is a lot better than SDL currently. Don't quote me though. I have only played with SDL briefly.

    2. Re:Interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, with CivCTP this is rather in dispute. Hardware rendering acceleration support is likely more important than which particular library was used.

  4. Hey, that's cool! by Bill+Currie · · Score: 1
    I'm an x86 user myself, but that doesn't stop this from being a good thing. I see no reason why other h/w (or os, really) platforms shouldn't have the same benifits.

    Go Loki and Tera Soft!

    --

    Bill - aka taniwha
    --
    Leave others their otherness. -- Aratak

    1. Re:Hey, that's cool! by EvilIdler · · Score: 1

      I'm an x86 (and compatible) user myself, but
      browsing for cheap alpha-cpus. I'd love to be
      able to still play games, should I rid myself of
      archaic intel-like hardware ;)

  5. Thank the Maker! by Vir · · Score: 2

    Finally, some real software for us, the minority of the minority, who managed to put Linux where all too few people knew it could go. Maybe I'll finally be able to spend some time playing a game under Linux that isn't minesweeper! In short, a real victory for the three of us who actually run LinuxPPC and have been holding out to be recognized by companies that we know would have to be out of their minds to support such a ridiculously unused platform. But, hey, I'm not complaining!

    p.s. Why does my sound still not work under Linux? Hmm...

  6. Linux software difficulties by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You think that having linux only on an x86 was hard to get around the amount of software there isn't, just try using one of the other platforms like PPC, SPARC, MIPS, ARM, or Alpha. It's annoying how when a program source asks what OS your using and you answer "Linux" that it then puts in x86 optimaziation flags for gcc.

    It's nice to see that one of the oddball platfroms of the oddball Linux platform is going to get support.

  7. Non-trivial? by Emil+Brink · · Score: 1

    More games on Linux machines is always nice, but I wonder how big an undertaking this really is. If you write your games in C/C++ or some other portable higher-level-than-assembly language, they should be just as portable between various Linux hardware platforms as all other software. Porting to the PowerPC might just involve writing C versions of any MMX/3Dnow!/SIMD routines used, something that should've been done anyway for compatibility. Or am I missing something here?

    --
    main(O){10<putchar(4^--O?77-(15&5128 >>4*O):10)&&main(2+O);}
    1. Re:Non-trivial? by Trepidity · · Score: 2

      Most games have a whole lot of assembly in them to optimize the speed-critical routines. Not as much as they did ten years ago, but hand-coded assembly is still as important part.

      --
      10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
    2. Re:Non-trivial? by MichaelKVance · · Score: 2

      This isn't really true. With newer 3D games, yes, you have a very few routines written in assembly, specifically for vector routines (ie, you want fast matrix inversions or something), but for 2D games and most recent 3D games, almost everything is written in C/C++.

      PPC issues are usually pretty typical: insidious endian issues affecting network gameplay, kernel/driver issues for LinuxPPC, etc.

      M. Vance
      Programmer
      Loki Entertainment

      --
      "Sebastian you're in a mess. They called you King of all the Hipsters, is it true or are you still the Queen?" -- B
  8. Now I can go buy that mac and have some fun... by cdmoyer · · Score: 1

    I've always been a die-hard anti Apple/Mac guy... until I read about LinuxPPC, now I can use a Mac, put linux on it and play my favorite games... Maybe I will go out and get one...

    Simply for the cool factor :>

    --
    /* CDM */
  9. Eight games for 1999 by SporkyTheUnforgiven · · Score: 1

    What are they?? Wine's been kickin my ass when I try to do anything fun...

    --
    -- All hamsters are mortal. Socrates was mortal. Socrates was a hamster.
  10. Alpha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Pardon my ignorance, but since when did hardcore linux ppl use PowerPC? I'd rather see ports to the alpha platform (which would be the next logical step, due to it's 64bitness). Alpha is more devleoped and has a larger userbase than LinuxPPC. It is IMHO a waste to port games just to PPC and not support the top archs first.

    1. Re:Alpha by SeanNi · · Score: 1

      > Pardon my ignorance, but since when did hardcore linux ppl use PowerPC?

      Pardon my rudeness, but who the hell cares?

      What difference does it make whether or not a person fits the description of "hardcore linux ppl"?

      If anything, the PPC should have more games ported to it than the Alpha. Remember, we're talking games here, not server software or something. If I want to run a server that needs good reliablility and on hardware that can take a pounding, I'll use an Alpha.

      If I want a desktop machine that will run games, and such, I'll go for the (cheaper and) more widespread option of either 80x86 or PowerPC.

      The Alpha is precisely the wrong platform to port games to first.

      (Disclaimer as such: I run x86, so I have no real stake in any decision that's made.)
      --
      - Sean

      --
      It's a fine line between trolling and karma-whoring... and I think I just crossed it.
      - Sean
    2. Re:Alpha by be-fan · · Score: 0

      So you are saying that it is better to port to YOUR platform than a platform that will advance computing in general? Besides, the PowerPC is a weaker chip in floating point(AKA game code) than even Intel and all a port to it does is give the LinuxPPC people something to play with. If the port was to Alpha, it might make some inroads into the market, especially since upgrading from K7 to Alpha will be so easy.

      --
      A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
    3. Re:Alpha by keete · · Score: 1

      Rrrgh.

      Why make distinctions? (Full disclosure: I use LinuxPPC and could almost weep as I see commercial milestone after milestone pass for X86 - "Linux taken seriously by major firms!" "WordPerfect 8 for Linux!" "IBM this!" "Oracle that!" - while 'Linux the multi-platform OS' is left puttering along with the significantly smaller number of frills, toys and enterprise-friendly Useful Tools which are available in open source form or from progressive vendors).

      The more companies port, to the more platforms, the better for everyone involved. Alpha too, my other computer is an alpha.

      If one of the advantages of Linux is that it runs on many different machines- increasing the OS's utility/ flexibility/ deployment possibilities and ( * sigh of happiness * ) breathing new life into NON-STANDARD platforms and configurations- then we as a community can't focus exclusively on one racehorse; the other horses in the Linux stable are supposed to be useful too. Depending on your POV, we may have some Clydesdales and even a zebra or two on our hands: basically anatomically similar to the racehorse, some different features, some unexpected advantages (how would your racehorse fare on the Serengeti) and each should be pushed to the utmost outer limits of its ability. ( BLOCK that extended metaphor.) If someone wants to feed lumps of sugar to one of the other horses for a change, great, let's make it a wider trend.

      KR

      ...And hey- to address what sounds like a grudge in the post above- if the PPC is basically a toy computer, isn't it perfectly appropriate to port games to it? :)

      Joking only. Please don't any PPC-serious people get on my case.

      --
      keete
    4. Re:Alpha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      oy

    5. Re:Alpha by Arkham · · Score: 1

      Just because LinuxPPC is not the platform that YOU use does not make it a waste to port. There are many LinuxPPC users (myself included) that would be more likely to use Linux full-time if we didn't have to go back to MacOS for games.

      Besides, everyone knows that each time you port, the code gets more portable. It's likely that a port to Alpha (or SPARC or some other processor) would be easier after the PowerPC port is completed.

      --
      - Vincit qui patitur.
    6. Re:Alpha by BlackWine · · Score: 1

      Is really alpha more widespread cpu than ppc on desktops? I doubt it. And you rather dont want to play games on server, believe me ;)

  11. Puh-leeeze.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    pleasepleasepleaaasseeee let one of Loki's new titles be Ultima IX!!! It's been a dream of mine to play it under Linux (either native or through Wine..preferably native...)

    I'm sure Loki must get a lot of email with requests for ports...do they have an email address for requests? How do they decide what to port?


    --an anonymous Frobozz

  12. Loki been doin' real good by Ethelred+Unraed · · Score: 3

    I already have a copy of Civilization: Call to Power for LinuxPPC, and it runs great. (You can read a review of it that I wrote at http://linux.macn ews.de/articles/29061999.loki.shtml?lang=english.) Even the sound works, and it was a thrill to see movies in the thing that actually both looked nice and worked. ('Course, I cheated a little and went through and looked at all the movies on the CD. Damn, they're cool.)

    The game was a little slowish at times, but on the other hand I have yet to get 100% real genuine accelerated X going (on a beige G3), so it's probably more my fault than anything. :-/

    It's especially ironic that Mac users who want to play Civ:CTP have to install Linux to do it. :-)

    Can't wait for Myth II...

    Ethelred

    --
    Everyone wants to be Ethelred. Even I want to be Ethelred.
  13. SVGAlib by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    svgalib causes many problems on platforms that have only had fbcon drivers. there then just tends to only be a port to X11 as a result.

  14. Mac port problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What? iMac _actually_ uses the flawed CMD 646 IDE controller? No wonder why Apple tried to withold the specs from public. :)

  15. Petition Blizzard! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Every Starcraft/Diablo fan in here needs to email Blizzard to have Loki port their games to Linux! No doubt, a LinuxPPC port would be released faster than their own Mac version (which usually takes half a year to be released by Blizzard).

  16. Porting to other Arch by Tsk · · Score: 1

    The problem is tahta some part of the linux kernel are x86 oriented (like the MMU design see : http://www.cs.nmt.edu/~cort/papers/ linuxppc-mm/)
    and so are the drivers - that is because the hardware on those card contains x86 code :( so if you don't have a x86 machine the card won't initialise itself ....

    --
    none Yet.
  17. LinuxPPC Sound by CynicX32 · · Score: 1

    For me, sound doesn't work if I double-click BootX from the Finder, but does work if I choose Linux at system start up.

    Worth a try, no? And I'm the fourth running LinuxPPC. :)

    ryan

  18. whoa... PI! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    thats really really weird... but it needs a . after the 3 =)

  19. Re:Alpha userbase by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    what if the userbase is larger ? I don't know anyone with an Alpha technology computer at home, so what if Alpha technology has advantages to PowerPC ? People do not buy Alpha over PowerPC that much and even if they know 64-bit and know about Alpha, who is selling Alpha to the next guy in a package in the price range of an iMac with the friendliness of the Mac OS?