Ballistics has gone Gold- demo now available... [Archive]

View Full Version : Ballistics has gone Gold- demo now available...

Svartalf

05-16-2007, 11:02 PM

LinuxGames got the scoop from Michael- since it's pretty much official, I thought I would spread it elsewhere for people to go get the demo, etc. I know there's been quite a few people wanting to see this game out and available. Head on over to http://www.linuxgamepublishing.com/info.php?id=13& and get the demo.

Svartalf

05-16-2007, 11:32 PM

Oh, as an aside... LGP has quite a few things coming out soon... NICE STUFF. >:-) :D

niniendowarrior

05-17-2007, 06:33 PM

Will it run on a Geforce 2?

Congrats on another product! :D

deanjo

05-17-2007, 07:32 PM

Yay another 7 year old game.

Svartalf

05-17-2007, 10:57 PM

Yay another 7 year old game.

You know, if I had a dollar for each and every time I heard that line...

The reality is, it's not 7 years old for Linux- only for Windows. Now, if you're a Windows user, that might be a big deal, but if it plays well, looks good, who honestly cares how old it is? I'm playing it. If I wasn't one of LGP's consultants, I'd be buying it.

Heh... Try the demo, buy it if you like it. If not, it's just not your cup of tea- I'm not going to twist your arm to buy it. :D

We're going to be able to make you happier about things fairly quickly. (Yes, we've got some "newer" games in development right now- VERY "newer"... :D)

Svartalf

05-17-2007, 10:59 PM

Will it run on a Geforce 2?

Congrats on another product! :D

I'd have to drop one in one of my machines to find out. I think it will, but you're going to need more CPU muscle to make it play nicer. It runs cleanly and smoothly enough with a GeForce3 class or better GPU. I know that much. :D

joshuapurcell

05-18-2007, 12:00 AM

I bought the game yesterday, and the demo looks good. I would check out the graphics and screenshots on this game before making any judgements about the quality or age of this new Linux release. It may be an older game, but there are hardly any racing games out there for Linux at all, and this one turns out to be possibly the best looking racing game for Linux available.

On a side note: I know this isn't the stance that most hard-core gamers would take (and I don't even expect most Linux enthusiasts to take it either), but I think websites like www.linuxgamepublishing.com do alot to help Linux gaming whether or not your favorite new FPS or RPG is listed there. The reason is because they are helping to increase the total number of native Linux games as well as the number developers involved in that process. I say the bigger these companies are, the more likely we are to have a larger number and higher quality Linux games available. I've made it a point over the past year to purchase any native Linux game I like when possible, and sometimes even if I know I won't have as much time as I would like to play that particular game. This is just to support the companies who are willing to get into the Linux gaming business.

The more Linux gaming companies there are, the better we will eventually have it as Linux gamers.

joshuapurcell

05-18-2007, 12:09 AM

Svartalf

05-18-2007, 10:22 AM

Back the running the game though... I'm having problems running this game on my desktop (full details in my sig). I have a feeling it's due to the fact that my OS is 64-bit, but I'm not entirely sure and haven't looked up the messages very much yet. Here are the messages returned after attempting to start the game:joshua@desktop:~/programs/ballistics_demo$ ./ballistics_demo
X Error of failed request: BadMatch (invalid parameter attributes)
Major opcode of failed request: 142 (GLX)
Minor opcode of failed request: 5 (X_GLXMakeCurrent)
Serial number of failed request: 47
Current serial number in output stream: 47I'm able to run the game fine on my laptop (which is a Thinkpad T40 with 32-bit Ubuntu), and from the looks of the above message I have to think it's related to my 3D drivers. I'm using the Nvidia 100.14.03 driver with desktop effects disabled. I'll look into these messages later on and post if I find anything, but if anyone knows what this is it would be helpful.

Heh... It's the driver. Doesn't make it less of an issue, but the driver doesn't always play nice with 32-bit apps in 64-bit mode. NVidia's driver does a better job of this than AMD's right at the moment (and I've no earthly idea yet about the Intel drivers- yet...) but it still has some issues from version to version on things. Do me a favor, log the bug over at Linux Game Publishing and I'll get to checking into it in a couple of days when I can get back in front of my 64-bit machine.

deanjo

05-18-2007, 03:36 PM

You know, if I had a dollar for each and every time I heard that line...

The reality is, it's not 7 years old for Linux- only for Windows. Now, if you're a Windows user, that might be a big deal, but if it plays well, looks good, who honestly cares how old it is? I'm playing it. If I wasn't one of LGP's consultants, I'd be buying it.

Heh... Try the demo, buy it if you like it. If not, it's just not your cup of tea- I'm not going to twist your arm to buy it. :D

We're going to be able to make you happier about things fairly quickly. (Yes, we've got some "newer" games in development right now- VERY "newer"... :D)

I tried the demo it and it still looks like it did 7 years ago on my AMD K6-300 / Voodoo card running 98se.

You want to bring a game that is in dire need of a linux port... Look at NWN2. The original NWN is still probably one of the most popular native linux games.

falko

05-18-2007, 03:48 PM

Downloaded the demo last night and tried it out. Never played it before, but I like it. It may be a little older, but it was nice to play. Reminded me of a game I used to play called MegaRace.

I would love to see NWN2 on Linux, but I think Linux Game Publishing is doing a good thing with these titles, and I hope they keep up the good work. Plus with a teaser of "newer" who can argue with that!

Svartalf

05-18-2007, 06:44 PM

I tried the demo it and it still looks like it did 7 years ago on my AMD K6-300 / Voodoo card running 98se.

You want to bring a game that is in dire need of a linux port... Look at NWN2. The original NWN is still probably one of the most popular native linux games.

You know what... I'm not going to debate it with you further- it's very, very clear you've got your own ideas about things and there's not going to be any sense in discussing it with you.

joshuapurcell

05-18-2007, 07:23 PM

Heh... It's the driver. Doesn't make it less of an issue, but the driver doesn't always play nice with 32-bit apps in 64-bit mode. NVidia's driver does a better job of this than AMD's right at the moment (and I've no earthly idea yet about the Intel drivers- yet...) but it still has some issues from version to version on things. Do me a favor, log the bug over at Linux Game Publishing and I'll get to checking into it in a couple of days when I can get back in front of my 64-bit machine.I sent in a message with all the information provided here to the support address about this possible issue with the Nvidia driver. Thanks for helping out in what would be needed to correct this issue.

joshuapurcell

05-18-2007, 08:22 PM

I tried the demo it and it still looks like it did 7 years ago on my AMD K6-300 / Voodoo card running 98se.

You want to bring a game that is in dire need of a linux port... Look at NWN2. The original NWN is still probably one of the most popular native linux games.

Why would anyone find it useful to belittle any work being done on bringing native games to the Linux desktop? There are only two reasons I could see why... either you have something much better to offer other than an opinion (which it doesn't sound like it), or you're too blind to see that Linux gaming benefits from projects like this (even if it isn't your favorite game of the month).

I agree that it would be cool to have something similar to NWN2 run native on Linux, and I'm sure their are other games that are just as new and with just as many people (or more) playing them that would benefit from a Linux port -- for instance Jade Empire, Galactic Civilizations 2, or a native version of WoW. But that is a large step that obviously can't happen overnight. Companies like Linux Game Publishing can't just announce their intention to port a specific game to Linux... porting a game to Linux would have to be worked out with the company who released the game on Windows in the first place. I don't know the details of this process, but I'm sure that it could get complicated very easily and change with every company or game.

The best solution would be for companies like Blizzard, Bioware, Atari, NCSoft, etc. to see that there are many Linux gamers who will buy games for their chosen OS, and then these companies would factor a Linux version into the cost upfront (and possibly limit the total cost of development). While we wait for that to happen for all major developers (not just iD, Epic, etc.), Linux Game Publishing and other similar developers help to increase the size of the Linux gaming population with ports of the best games they can find at this time. This makes it more likely that your next must-buy title will have a Linux port.

If you are even remotely interested in Linux gaming then there is no way this could be seen as anything but positive. If you are frustrated at the slow pace at which the newest and most advanced games are making it to Linux, then direct your griping to the companies who are releasing those Windows-only games... not towards one of the few companies that are trying to do something about it.

smp-freak

05-18-2007, 09:22 PM

Why would anyone find it useful to belittle any work being done on bringing native games to the Linux desktop? There are only two reasons I could see why... either you have something much better to offer other than an opinion (which it doesn't sound like it), or you're too blind to see that Linux gaming benefits from projects like this (even if it isn't your favorite game of the month).

I agree that it would be cool to have something similar to NWN2 run native on Linux, and I'm sure their are other games that are just as new and with just as many people (or more) playing them that would benefit from a Linux port -- for instance Jade Empire, Galactic Civilizations 2, or a native version of WoW. But that is a large step that obviously can't happen overnight. Companies like Linux Game Publishing can't just announce their intention to port a specific game to Linux... porting a game to Linux would have to be worked out with the company who released the game on Windows in the first place. I don't know the details of this process, but I'm sure that it could get complicated very easily and change with every company or game.

The best solution would be for companies like Blizzard, Bioware, Atari, NCSoft, etc. to see that there are many Linux gamers who will buy games for their chosen OS, and then these companies would factor a Linux version into the cost upfront (and possibly limit the total cost of development). While we wait for that to happen for all major developers (not just iD, Epic, etc.), Linux Game Publishing and other similar developers help to increase the size of the Linux gaming population with ports of the best games they can find at this time. This makes it more likely that your next must-buy title will have a Linux port.

If you are even remotely interested in Linux gaming then there is no way this could be seen as anything but positive. If you are frustrated at the slow pace at which the newest and most advanced games are making it to Linux, then direct your griping to the companies who are releasing those Windows-only games... not towards one of the few companies that are trying to do something about it.

Well Said man! I could not have said it better myself.

My stance is I will not buy a game unless there is a Linux Port to it

niniendowarrior

05-18-2007, 09:44 PM

I'd have to drop one in one of my machines to find out. I think it will, but you're going to need more CPU muscle to make it play nicer. It runs cleanly and smoothly enough with a GeForce3 class or better GPU. I know that much. :D

I've had some of the recent LGP demos not work at all with my Geforce 2 in the past... but Cold War just kept freezing my Radeon Linux box. So, I'm just going to keep using this nice old nVidia hardware. Please do tell me if it works.

Keep the great stuff coming in! Linux needs something. :D

niniendowarrior

05-18-2007, 09:46 PM

We're going to be able to make you happier about things fairly quickly. (Yes, we've got some "newer" games in development right now- VERY "newer"... :D)

Hehe... Svartalf doing all the teasing here... I hope it does not disappoint! :D

niniendowarrior

05-18-2007, 09:51 PM

Svartalf

05-19-2007, 12:06 PM

I've had some of the recent LGP demos not work at all with my Geforce 2 in the past... but Cold War just kept freezing my Radeon Linux box. So, I'm just going to keep using this nice old nVidia hardware. Please do tell me if it works.

Keep the great stuff coming in! Linux needs something. :D

Hm... I'd love to get a list of those demos- technically, the GeForce2 is missing some of the things that several of our titles need, but that should be caught unless the driver's mis-reporting features (It's happened with both NVidia and AMD's drivers (when they were ATI...) in the past- I'm sure it still happens from time to time. Regression testing sometimes lets things slip past...). As for your Radeon box, what model Radeon would this be?

Svartalf

05-19-2007, 12:19 PM

Hehe... Svartalf doing all the teasing here... I hope it does not disappoint! :D

Well, what I'm about to work on is an award winner and was fairly popular (I went out of my way to buy it for eval (Only Windows title in 5-7 years...) and suggesting to Michael that he talk with the publisher and studio about it- only to find out that he'd already been one step ahead of me during my sabbatical from LGP work whilst I worked for one of the GPU vendors on contract...). It's not the cool thing, though... (Though what I'm about to start work on won't be a slouch and we're pretty sure we're going to secure rights to it's sequel- which will be one of the cool things...)

If he secures what he's finalizing the deals on you'll all be tickled.

And, yes, I'm teasing here, but it's about to look a lot better and while I doubt NWN2 will be done (Ugh... It's a performance pig as best as I can tell from what glimpses I saw from the DX9 driver team's analysis of the game. I can only hope the gameplay's better than the hatchet job Obsidian did with SW:KOTOR2... Had to test it against a new driver design for my past client- god, what were they thinking when they shipped it?) better titles than it ARE on the way. NWN2's only selling point is the module design tools to allow consumer made modules.

niniendowarrior

05-19-2007, 08:27 PM

Hm... I'd love to get a list of those demos- technically, the GeForce2 is missing some of the things that several of our titles need, but that should be caught unless the driver's mis-reporting features (It's happened with both NVidia and AMD's drivers (when they were ATI...) in the past- I'm sure it still happens from time to time. Regression testing sometimes lets things slip past...). As for your Radeon box, what model Radeon would this be?

Well, I didn't make a list. The only two demos I got working from the LGP sites were Gorky and Soul Ride. I think Cold War didn't run on GeForce 2.

My Radeon is x800 Pro 256 mb, just in case you're wondering.

niniendowarrior

05-19-2007, 08:33 PM

Well, what I'm about to work on is an award winner and was fairly popular (I went out of my way to buy it for eval (Only Windows title in 5-7 years...) and suggesting to Michael that he talk with the publisher and studio about it- only to find out that he'd already been one step ahead of me during my sabbatical from LGP work whilst I worked for one of the GPU vendors on contract...). It's not the cool thing, though... (Though what I'm about to start work on won't be a slouch and we're pretty sure we're going to secure rights to it's sequel- which will be one of the cool things...)

If he secures what he's finalizing the deals on you'll all be tickled.

I like what I hear... hopefully it's my cup of tea.

And, yes, I'm teasing here, but it's about to look a lot better and while I doubt NWN2 will be done (Ugh... It's a performance pig as best as I can tell from what glimpses I saw from the DX9 driver team's analysis of the game. I can only hope the gameplay's better than the hatchet job Obsidian did with SW:KOTOR2... Had to test it against a new driver design for my past client- god, what were they thinking when they shipped it?) better titles than it ARE on the way. NWN2's only selling point is the module design tools to allow consumer made modules.

What can you expect out of Obsidian? I have doubts NWN 2 Linux be ever conceieved, much less be released. I would think though that if KotOR had a Mac release, a Linux port isn't outside the realm of reality...

I guess I'll have to wait until I see the nice cool stuff get unveiled. :D

Svartalf

05-20-2007, 11:50 AM

What can you expect out of Obsidian? I have doubts NWN 2 Linux be ever conceieved, much less be released. I would think though that if KotOR had a Mac release, a Linux port isn't outside the realm of reality..

Considering that KotOR for the Mac is not KotOR2, but the original Bioware version... By the by, KotOR for Linux is doable- it's all OpenGL based, etc. But I don't think LucasArts is willing to license it- or if they were, it'd be for some silly-stupid high amount.

With regards to NWN2... IF Atari were to come to Ryan, myself, or one of the other consultants for doing this sort of thing, with a sweet deal I suspect it MIGHT get ported. Otherwise, with the way Atari, Obsidian, and to a small extent, Bioware, acted throughout development, I don't think anyone is actually interested in doing the project unless they're practically giving it all away to the publisher for the Linux version.

Svartalf

05-20-2007, 11:53 AM

Well, I didn't make a list. The only two demos I got working from the LGP sites were Gorky and Soul Ride. I think Cold War didn't run on GeForce 2.

My Radeon is x800 Pro 256 mb, just in case you're wondering.

Using the production closed drivers, right? I'll check into it. Gorky doesn't do 3D and Soul Ride is a very well-behaved rendering engine that should work with most everything out there. Cold War probably asks a BUNCH of a card and I doubt it'd pass go with a GeForce2, being that it's missing a bunch of the support for the needed ARB extensions used in it's engine.

niniendowarrior

05-20-2007, 08:03 PM

Using the production closed drivers, right? I'll check into it. Gorky doesn't do 3D and Soul Ride is a very well-behaved rendering engine that should work with most everything out there. Cold War probably asks a BUNCH of a card and I doubt it'd pass go with a GeForce2, being that it's missing a bunch of the support for the needed ARB extensions used in it's engine.

Yes, production closed drivers. Cold War had problems with ARB extensions on Geforce 2, I believe... now that you've mentioned it. And yes, it locked up on my x800.

I think X2 didn't run too, but I don't quite remember.

niniendowarrior

05-20-2007, 08:11 PM

Considering that KotOR for the Mac is not KotOR2, but the original Bioware version... By the by, KotOR for Linux is doable- it's all OpenGL based, etc. But I don't think LucasArts is willing to license it- or if they were, it'd be for some silly-stupid high amount.

I would expect that it's doable judging from what I've seen. I would think that as the years pass by, they might drop the price... but that's wishful thinking.

With regards to NWN2... IF Atari were to come to Ryan, myself, or one of the other consultants for doing this sort of thing, with a sweet deal I suspect it MIGHT get ported. Otherwise, with the way Atari, Obsidian, and to a small extent, Bioware, acted throughout development, I don't think anyone is actually interested in doing the project unless they're practically giving it all away to the publisher for the Linux version.

Atari will never... ever... license out a Linux port. Did you see the insanely long thread in Atari's forum on a Mac/Linux port? Nobody is doing anything about it, so well, it's probably never going to happen. Of course, I have an impression that Atari doesn't really check their own forums based on what I've observed so that petition thing won't really work.

Besides, with the Windows product making a pile of dough, I'm sure they wouldn't really care.

Svartalf

05-21-2007, 11:16 AM

I would expect that it's doable judging from what I've seen. I would think that as the years pass by, they might drop the price... but that's wishful thinking.

Atari will never... ever... license out a Linux port. Did you see the insanely long thread in Atari's forum on a Mac/Linux port? Nobody is doing anything about it, so well, it's probably never going to happen. Of course, I have an impression that Atari doesn't really check their own forums based on what I've observed so that petition thing won't really work.

Besides, with the Windows product making a pile of dough, I'm sure they wouldn't really care.

Heh... Not only did I see the thread, I participated in it at length from time to time. It's why I roll my eyes when I see someone go and mention the prospects of NWN2 on Linux. That one's a closed chapter folks... We can only look forward- and there's quite a bit of coolness to look forward to, all things being considered.

joshuapurcell

05-21-2007, 09:58 PM

Heh... It's the driver. Doesn't make it less of an issue, but the driver doesn't always play nice with 32-bit apps in 64-bit mode. NVidia's driver does a better job of this than AMD's right at the moment (and I've no earthly idea yet about the Intel drivers- yet...) but it still has some issues from version to version on things. Do me a favor, log the bug over at Linux Game Publishing and I'll get to checking into it in a couple of days when I can get back in front of my 64-bit machine.
Looks like my problem is resolved after geting a new version of the demo from LGP and upgrading to the new Nvidia beta driver release (NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-100.14.06-pkg2.run). Thanks for the help on this issue.