ArmA available for linux ?

[M@Nu-SoLo 0]

Hi all,

I would like to know if AA will be able to run on linux or only on windows.

Thanks.

M@Nu

[Metal Heart 0]

Unfortunately, OFP (and thus ArmA, as far as I know) uses DirectX for gfx, sound and input so Linux version is quite unlikely. You might have some luck with emulators, at least I've heard someone's been able to get OFP running on Linux.

[GBee 0]

It would be great if before/after release BIS could work with the WineX or Cedega projects to enable those emulators to run Arma.

Cedega run by Transgaming is the dedicated gaming emulator. A large number of games will run under linux using Cedega with only occassional bugs/glitches. In fact every game I've run under emulation on Linux ran much faster than on Windows. Support by BIS would mean much faster availability of a compatible version

As I've said before, many people I know are switching to linux. It would benefit developers like BIS to take notice of this trend. I haven't run Windows on any of my four machines in three years! If Arma wasn't able to run under emulation then I would have to install Windows

[franze 196]

Wouldn't ArmA come with OpenGL availible by default by now?

Given that OFP will support Glide, it seems like for ArmA they'd have the capability to support OpenGL.

[Metal Heart 0]

Glide has pretty much nothing to do with OpenGL, it's the programming interface for the legendary 3Dfx Voodoo cards, while OpenGL is an Open Graphics Library that works on almost every card, programming language and on most operating systems.

I don't see any reason why they'd include OpenGL, it's not just a quick hack like allowOpenGL="Yay!"; you know. While including Glide support might've been a good idea when they started making OFP (because 3dfx cards were so common back then), I'd say adding OpenGL support to ArmA doesn't seem like such a good move now. Unless of course, they're actually going to make a Linux version, then I'm just talking out my ass here.

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

I dont think they will

Most gamers are using windows as their playing platform. Maybe gamers are hoping for linux support, but that doesnt change the fact that allmost every1 (especially those who are interested in games) is using windows. There - windows is the way to go, if you are interested in making money

[FRidh 0]

A native version for linux would be very unlikely as ArmA is using DirectX. It would however be very nice if the developers would help with making ArmA working under Linux using Wine or Cedega.

Some games running under Cedega work great. Sometimes, as someone mentioned before, even better than running the game with Windows.

I've tried to play OFP like many others under Linux with Wine and Cedega. Install works just fine, however when I try to play it with Cedega, there aren't any textures and so it's all black.

I think this wouldn't be so hard to fix as I've read before that with an older version of Cedega, I thought WineX3.1, it worked well.

So if the developers would help the people over at Wine or Cedega, I'm sure many Linux gamers would really appreciate it. Otherwise I am afraid I need to use Windows again, just for ArmA.

[HotShot 0]

Most gamers are using windows as their playing platform. Maybe gamers are hoping for linux support, but that doesnt change the fact that allmost every1 (especially those who are interested in games) is using windows. There - windows is the way to go, if you are interested in making money

Someone's gotta buck the trend though and maybe people with Linux would buy AA if it were Linux compatible just because they can play a game on it??

[GBee 0]

IMost gamers are using windows as their playing platform. Maybe gamers are hoping for linux support, but that doesnt change the fact that allmost every1 (especially those who are interested in games) is using windows. There - windows is the way to go, if you are interested in making money

There is some twisted logic there. Most gamers use Windows as their gaming platform because most games are Windows only! If all games were linux/mac only, most gamers would run linux/mac for games!

No-one would suggest that BIS released a game for linux only, but they could provide both a Windows and linux client if they weren't so dependant on DirectX.

ID Software and others have in the past released both a Windows and Linux client. They obviously thought there was good reason to spend time and effort on doing so. Linux has come of age in the last 2 years. More and more people are trying it and most of them decide to use it fulltime, in place of Windows.

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

IMost gamers are using windows as their playing platform. Maybe gamers are hoping for linux support, but that doesnt change the fact that allmost every1 (especially those who are interested in games) is using windows. There - windows is the way to go, if you are interested in making money

There is some twisted logic there. Most gamers use Windows as their gaming platform because most games are Windows only! If all games were linux/mac only, most gamers would run linux/mac for games!

No-one would suggest that BIS released a game for linux only, but they could provide both a Windows and linux client if they weren't so dependant on DirectX.

ID Software and others have in the past released both a Windows and Linux client. They obviously thought there was good reason to spend time and effort on doing so. Linux has come of age in the last 2 years. More and more people are trying it and most of them decide to use it fulltime, in place of Windows.

exactly... Why use development time when your target-group is capable of using directx?

[Metal Heart 0]

They should've gone OpenGL from the very beginning and we might not be having this conversation. Hell, maybe we'd be merrily playing ArmA on Linux-Box instead of OFP:E on X-Box.

[GBee 0]

Having a windows CD as your coffee coaster doesn't really imply that you are DirectX capable.

Just because I'm a gamer doesn't mean that I'm prepared to pay Å150 for Windows or even re-install an old version just to play a game. Why should I waste HDD space and why would I want the hassle of constantly patching and securing an OS I would almost never use?

Linux comptibility does influence purchasing.

I long ago gave up playing any games which won't run on linux. I've not even played OFP since I ditched Windows (I did buy OFP:E). Arma is just about the only game I would consider installing Windows to play, but only as a last resort if it won't run under emulation.

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

Having a windows CD as your coffee coaster doesn't really imply that you are DirectX capable.

Just because I'm a gamer doesn't mean that I'm prepared to pay Å150 for Windows or even re-install an old version just to play a game. Why should I waste HDD space and why would I want the hassle of constantly patching and securing an OS I would almost never use?

Linux comptibility does influence purchasing.

I long ago gave up playing any games which won't run on linux. I've not even played OFP since I ditched Windows (I did buy OFP:E). Arma is just about the only game I would consider installing Windows to play, but only as a last resort if it won't run under emulation.

You are a minority then. What great newer games/sims does really play on linux other than the arcadish quake/doom/half-life (if it does that)?

[GBee 0]

The greater, newer games all work under emulation to an extent.

I may well be in a minority, it isn't a small minority though

Your argument is that no games should be written for linux because everyone is free to install windows. It's like to saying that no music should have been released on CD because every had an LP player etc

[bensu 2]

Having a windows CD as your coffee coaster doesn't really imply that you are DirectX capable.

Just because I'm a gamer doesn't mean that I'm prepared to pay Å150 for Windows or even re-install an old version just to play a game. Why should I waste HDD space and why would I want the hassle of constantly patching and securing an OS I would almost never use?

Linux comptibility does influence purchasing.

I long ago gave up playing any games which won't run on linux. I've not even played OFP since I ditched Windows (I did buy OFP:E). Arma is just about the only game I would consider installing Windows to play, but only as a last resort if it won't run under emulation.

You are a minority then. What great newer games/sims does really play on linux other than the arcadish quake/doom/half-life (if it does that)?

well, i don't think he's the only linuxgamer out there...(i use linux for gaming too )

and that minority isn't that small everybody thinks of.

[dmakatra 1]

If there's someone BIS should care about it is the minorities. I don't know if you've noticed but OFP isn't exactly the average gamer's cup of tea.

[franze 196]

Quote[/b] ]

If there's someone BIS should care about it is the minorities. I don't know if you've noticed but OFP isn't exactly the average gamer's cup of tea.

Then what's up with BIS doing OFP:E?

If BIS intends to continue their market success, then they'll have to cater to the majority - whether it's Linux, Windows or some form of console. Presently, you have to admit that the majority of PCs use Windows as a OS; granted, that could easily change in the next few years, but that's the nature of the beast, isn't it?

I'm all for multiple platforms, but it's all a matter of money - development costs vs. expected returns.

[M@Nu-SoLo 0]

I'm not he only one who run linux on his pc and be a gamer too. I use Cedega for be able to  play some  game only developped on Windows.

Maybe when Armed will be released, transgaming will be able to make cedega supporting the game. And so BIS won't have to do something special...

You are a minority then. What great newer games/sims does really play on linux other than the arcadish quake/doom/half-life (if it does that)?

You took this arcadish games as example and think  we are only a minority to play on linux. These games are for me more commercials games that only arcadish. And if they decided to make them avaible to run on linux, maybe it means that more and more people are using linux.

For this game you have to buy the game made for windows and download binary for run them on linux. It could be a solution for make Arma run on linux. Sure, I  dunno how long and what work is needed to make this binary.

I  know a game not just an arcade one played by a lot of players who played OFP since a long time and play this one waiting that ArmA will be released. And this game is possible to be played under all  OS (win, linux and Mac OS) and it's a free one: America's Army...

[bensu 2]

perhaps someone could start a petition or something like that...

so we could at least see how many people would be interessed in a linux version

[R3MF 0]

it would have been appreciated if BIS had created ArmA and Games 2 under OpenGL and OpenAL, because then we linux users would have a much easier time using WINE/Cerdega to emulate the windows disk.

[=jps=sgtrock 4]

Having a windows CD as your coffee coaster doesn't really imply that you are DirectX capable.

Just because I'm a gamer doesn't mean that I'm prepared to pay Å150 for Windows or even re-install an old version just to play a game. Why should I waste HDD space and why would I want the hassle of constantly patching and securing an OS I would almost never use?

Linux comptibility does influence purchasing.

I long ago gave up playing any games which won't run on linux. I've not even played OFP since I ditched Windows (I did buy OFP:E). Arma is just about the only game I would consider installing Windows to play, but only as a last resort if it won't run under emulation.

You are a minority then. What great newer games/sims does really play on linux other than the arcadish quake/doom/half-life (if it does that)?

In answer to your question, I've compiled the following (incomplete) list of games that I know run natively under both Windows and Linux, or are scheduled for release soon. Many also run under Mac OSX:

<ul>Unreal Tournament, 2003, 2004, 2007. That includes native support for mods like Red Orchestra.

America's Army

Neverwinter Nights. D&D RPG with comprehensive editing tools.

Quake, 2, 3, 4. HUGE mod community with all kinds of gameplay. Anyone remember Quake Rally? Quake Chess? Weapons Factory?

Enemy Territory. Mods include ET:Team Fortress and True Combat.

Doom, Doom ][, Doom 3

Savage 2. Interesting Commander/RTS combined with FPS style play in a very unusual multi-sapient species world.

X2:The Threat. Open ended RPG set in space.

Civilization: Call to Power.

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri

Shogo:Mobile Armor Division. Odd anime style play.

Tribal Trouble. Silly little rts.

Darwinia. ??

Rune. ??

Dominions II:The Ascension Wars ??

NingPo MahJong

Majesty Gold -- Set goals for your heros and let them wander around. Neat little god game concept.

X-Plane -- Highly regarded flight simulator. There's a HUGE 7 DVD set of data files for sale for it that covers 80% of the world. Lots of other free and for purchase add-ons like plane files, weather effects, etc.

The following is a sampling of good games that I haven't seen on Windows. That doesn't mean that they aren't there, just that I haven't actively looked for them:

<ul>Battle of Wesnoth -- Fantasy RTS

lgeneral -- Panzer General clone that plays extremely well.

freeciv -- Civ I style of play

Frozen Bubble -- Addictive little game.

bzflag -- arcadish style CTF play

armagetron -- Remember the movie TRON? This is the light cycle in first person view.

Tux Racer -- penguin racer.

A fair number of older titles, granted. A fair number of copies of Windows games. A fair number of just plain odd games, too.

However, I think it's safe to say that native Linux gaming is far from dead. There's a broad range of games covering a lot of different genres. I've also observed over the past 5 or 6 years that more and more game companies are following id software's lead in writing games that are portable across multiple platforms.

I think the driving reason for doing so is because they want a chance to pick up some sales on the roughly 4%-8% of desktops that tend to be owned by more knowledgeable people. They know that people using Linux and/or Mac OSX are a self selecting group that includes people who are more likely to experiment with their platforms (and frequently, with more money than brains. Note I say this as a dedicated 4 year Gentoo user, and a Mandrake/Red Hat user before that. ) They know that frequently, those kinds of people tend to be opinion leaders for their friends and relatives when it comes to computers. There is a very real possibility that sales to these people can lead to sales of the same games on Windows due to word of mouth advertising.

Besides, code that is consciously written to be portable is generally code that is clean code. That means fewer bugs, greater stability, and therefore, a better reputation. That means lower support costs, and over time, more sales as people come to trust your software.

[franze 196]

In answer to your question, I've compiled the following (incomplete) list of games that I know run natively under both Windows and Linux, or are scheduled for release soon. Many also run under Mac OSX:

Add one other (and mostly unknown) game to that list, Heavy Gear 2.

But how do these titles compare to the hundreds of other titles out there - in the same age line as the ones you've chosen - availible for Windows?

How can you say Linux has as large a buyer base as Windows PCs do?

By all means, if ArmA can be ran on as many OS's as possible, let's do it. But the development costs for doing as such need to be covered by the expected consumer base. You can't compare the majority of the games mentioned with OFP, and I suspect most people used to the style of play such as in UT or DOOM would become easily frustrated with OFP.

[=jps=sgtrock 4]

Oh, I didn't mean to imply that I thought Linux/Mac gaming options were anywhere near as broad as Windows are. Yet. I was simply responding to the skepticism that there was no real choice at all for Linux gaming.

What I find intriguing is that there is definitely a trend developing. 6-7 years ago, it was only id software producing commercial games for Linux. Then Epic Games released UT with a Linux binary on the disks, then Neverwinter Nights came out, then...

It's by far from common yet. I don't think we'll see most game vendors taking that market seriously until the combined desktop population of Macs and Linux reaches 10% of the total world installed base. We're still a fair ways off from that. However, until then I'll keep supporting game companies who support my gaming habit on my preferred platform.

[Kode 0]

Well, where did you get that 10% from, from microsoft's site?

It's impossible to tell how many linux-users there are, as it's free, and downloadable from many places, there are no records. Microsoft knows how many licenses it sold...

According to http://counter.li.org/estimates.php there are 29 million linux users. Let's say 10% of them use it constantly including for gaming. that would be 2.9 million potential linux-Arma players.

yep indeed million instead of billion, typo

[=jps=sgtrock 4]

I based my estimate on the known number of Mac OS/X installations (approx. 3%) and the range of where IDC, Gartner, and Forrester Research think Linux is currently. All three consulting houses think desktop Linux use is growing and will continue to grow. IDC is most aggressive with their estimates. They think Linux has already surpassed MacOS/X. The others aren't that confident, but even Gartner put Linux desktops at 1% already. Not bad, considering all three thought Linux had no real market on the desktop beyond the hobbyist 3 years ago.

BTW, your math needs work. 10% of 29,000,000 is NOT 2,900,000,000.