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xnsine

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Posts posted by xnsine

  1. Posted

    While I would definitely pledge my purchase of any/all BI games ported to Linux, and 3% if the global Linux User base were to do the same; I don't think that would be enough incentive to motivate BI or any Developer/Publisher similarly situated.

    I don't think the correct case is being made here, both technically and tactically: technically all that's being asked for is a 'port' which can include any manner of emulation and thunking layers being applied to the task of getting a DirectX game to run on Linux. Tactically, there just isn't much of an incentive that can be offered this way that is financially compelling.

    The case that does make sense both from a technical and financial perspective that does have a lot to offer all parties involved, is getting an OpenGL renderer under BI games.

    DirectX as well supported as it is with free and cheap tools, documentation, and industry acceptance is still a closed source Microsoft exclusive, that only runs on Microsoft platforms. Moreover, as inexpensive and easy as Microsoft makes it appear, it isn't any easier then OpenGL and is far from less expensive, and the way Microsoft chooses to milk the DirectX Cow can change at any time.

    OpenGL on the other hand is entirely free, open source, and runs on everything, this last point is decisive, as it offers any Developer complete platform independence and autonomy. The Sony PS platforms, Nintendo, Handhelds, Cell Phones, any flavor of *nix and hundreds of independent OS platforms support the OpenGL renderer, even Microsoft Windows and the Xbox(s) run OpenGL games.

    The incentive, is that OpenGL is the smart hedge for the long term, keeps more doors and access to more platforms open and is not licensed or controlled in a way that can effect the companies bottom line without notice or warning.

    'What if' examples of how this can play in the real market doesn't take a lot of imagination as many real examples have already happened; What if:

    · the Microsoft Platform become less popular?

    · business were actually better outside the DirectX compound?

    · Developer talent were better outside the DirectX compound?

    · a new title is released and is more popular then yours on the only platforms you support?

    · Microsoft buys and publishes a product that competes directly with yours?

    If they only venu and market you move around in is the one licensed and controlled by Microsoft, the outcome may not be pretty... It's shocking that so many Developers are walking blind through the cattle chutes of the Microsoft Hegemony, especially when the products they're offering are luxury entertainment products nobody 'needs', in an economic environment that shows no foreseeable promise of improvement.

    :butbut:

    Yeah, i agree with what youre saying, but a linux port of the BiA games would have to use openGL for rendering images anyways. So what you are calling for is just a video renderer, which would still have to run under windows, right? DirectX dependence really, like all microsoft technologies-related dependence, comes down to one thing: Windows dependence. Direct3D, which is a part of the entire DirectX technologies, is in direct competition with OpenGL. Other technologies like audio, user input, interface, etc would have to be provided, if BiA indeed allows linux clients for their games to be made, by technologies like SDL, for example. If OpenGL is going to release the BIA games from Direct3D dependence, why not try to release them from windows dependence as well?

  5. Posted

    We still haven't heard from a BI representative if/how large a community movement can open the option for reconsideration. For this to work we need to know that BI will even consider us.

    So in my opinion, the first step is to open dialogue between BI and the Linux community in this thread, or some other public interface, then we can petition.

    Well, I have talked with representatives from Bohemia Interactive before, and they have been very welcomed to open lines of dialogue. This is an on-going effort, so while we can contact them again, we'll have put together a long list of signatures as a compelling argument for them to consider. :)

  7. Posted

    Im not very acquainted with the FADE copy protection system in ArmA. So, do you need to have the CD inserted in order to paly online with the latest patched up Arma 1? Does FADE specifically need to detect windows? Since WINE only provides a compatibility layer, would runnig it under WINE trigger FADE?

    BTW, the online petition is working now! :)

  8. Posted

    Well, I'm about to sign the petition but that petition site is so f***ing slow...

    And there was someone who tried ArmA2 with wine... and it worked! :yay:

    Comment #2 (german)

    http://armed-assault.de/news/arma2-mark-released.html

    Unfortunately I can't test it myself cos I don't have ArmA2 yet...

    The petition is not available for me currently... :(

    Really? Damn, yeah, it's timing out for me right now. Hmm, it worked last night when I made it. It was very unresponsive though. Well, in the meantime, you can register and post a comment as a backup solution at the petition's site. :) It can act as some sort of verification system for the signatures.

  9. Posted

    Sure:

    http://www.armedassault.eu/

    http://armed-assault.de/

    http://ofpec.com/

    http://www.armedassault.info/

    http://www.armaholic.com/

    http://www.arma-fr.net/

    http://www.arma2base.de/

    (No particular order.)

    As soon as it works again, you might want to check this, there should be more news pages: http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Category:ArmA_2:_Community But if some new pages have it, the others will probably see it as well. ;)

    Thanks! And, whew, after a long delay, I finally managed to write the online petition. You can review and sign it here:

    http://www.petitiononline.com/saf3509/petition.html

    "But online petitions are rarely taken seriously." Some may say. That's why I'm doing things a little different for this petition. First, it will mostly be an effort to reach as high as it's possible the scope of the ArmA/Operation Flashpoint playing community from the sites you posted. And second, I made a forum specially for this effort, where anyone interested can post ideas, suggestions, comments, and such. The boards are located here:

    http://gameslinux.proboards.com/

    All your input is welcomed, and thanks to everyone again! :)

  10. Posted · Edited by xnsine

    Just start the petition! :) Don't forget to inform the most important ArmA news pages. I'd love to play the BIS titles under debian... maybe a reason to reinstall OFP and A1... :)

    (Note: I'm saying this as private person, in no way as BI official.)

    Actually, that's a great idea. I'll do it. Lets see the amount of response it gets. :) Can you please tell

    me which are the most imporetmat ArmA/OpF BiS news games sites?

    What about helping BI to port only the dedicated server?

    Sounds more like a doable and realistic goal?

    That's very very true :)
    Well, it's good only for windows users who want to have a Linux dedicated server and don't want to wait any more to have it. :)

    I didn't know there wasn't a linux dedicated server yet for ArmA. Maybe that could be a start. But the idea is to eventually have a native linux client for the BiS games, so they can run in debian, ubuntu, zenwalk, etc.

  11. Posted

    I am a Linux user, and it saddens me that there are no Linux ports of BI-titles.
    I personally would like to see OFP, ArmA and ArmA 2 ported to linux myself. I feel that that would tear away one more chain holding me to windoze.

    Well, maybe if enough community members show here their interest, we could start a formal petition to BiS here to ask for their approval in allowing Operation Flashpoint and ArmA to be ported to linux. The talent and expertise needed is there. LGP would do all the work. BiS only has to give the approval.

  12. Posted

    I just use VMWare when i want to test something under Linux.

    Once 3dhardware gets decent virtualisation, i think the OS will matter less and less, as people will start using all sorts of OS's on the same PC.

    For instance i have win98,win2k,winxp, winxp64, debian,Ubuntu in vmwares that run on my VistaX64 pc.

    Great for testing,toying around and programming.

    Once 3dhardware gets the same level of virtualisation as pretty much all other hardware nowadays, there will be absolutely no stopping you from "launching windows" inside the main OS just to play a game.

    Of even better, launch my "virtual game console stripped of all other shit" yay application virtualisation - loading my game.

    My point is the more virtualisation kicks in, the freer you become of OS ties and the less relevant porting of applications becomes.

    Yes, but virtualisation is just a patch, it's not a good solution. VmWare is still a windows application that need to run under windows to emulate. Having native linux and other platform games would truly remove the requirement for players to have windows installed in their computers to play their games, to effectively avoid paying the "windows tax" they pay when wanting to play their games. WINE is more or less the same, it doesn't address the situation of truly multiplatform games.

  14. Posted

    I just opened this account to post here. I was surprised to find a thread about this on the bistudio boards, while looking for info on ArmA 2. I'm the one who contacted BiS on behalf of Svartalf from Linux Game Publishing, and regular board member at phoronix.com, for a possible business partnership to get ArmA ported to Linux. We were all excited when BiS actually replied to my email saying that they were going to bring this to their dev. team to see. After a short pause of about 6 weeks, they finally replied with a standard "We're not interested." Took them a month and a half to say no. Wow, that's considerate. It was such a letdown. But, it's k, such is the gaming industry, it has its caveats. LGP has so far closed a deal with another popular game called Caster, and now is working on more porting candidates. Operation Flashpoint would have to be talked about with Codemasters, since they own the rights to that game.

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