Game playing as well as game modding

[xav1r]

Has anyone considered this aspect too, when it comes to gaming natively in linux? Companies like id, and epic until recently, released linux native clients of their games. So far, the most "recent" game for linux is ETQW, by SD, with supervision from id. However, the ETQW sdk is only available for windows. In the SD forums, the board admin justified this decision, saying that the sdk used components native to windows, like the MFC foundations, or something close to that (im not a programmer, so i wouldnt know exactly). This opens an interesting discussion. Why is there a native linux client but no native linux SDK? Do these companies not know that linux users also would like to make mods for their games, besides playing them? Why bother making a linux binary and making at the same time the SDK so dependent on windows only components?

What do you guys think?

[Svartalf]

Why bother making a linux binary and making at the same time the SDK so dependent on windows only components?

What do you guys think?

This is because they don't get that there's vastly better UI toolkits that're cross-platform and easy to use- it's the hammer as your only tool problem. If all you have is a hammer around, everything starts looking like a nail. In this case, they're so used to using Windows that MS is the only framework they reach for- as much because it's integrated into their toolchains as much as anything else, never once realizing that the marketspace HAS changed and there's VASTLY better UI toolchains than Microsoft's Effed-Up "Classes".

[Thetargos]

Ironically, the MIA UT3 client was going (or still is?) to be the first title of this kind to also support the SDK tools natively through wxWidgets...

At any rate, you complaint is completely legit and one that I also had for the longest time. I wonder when will there be more game genres commercially available for Linux besides Action and some Adventure titles, but also RTS (I'd love to see some good RTS commercially available)

[xav1r]

Really? That makes the delay of the ut3 linux client even more of a bummer. As far as RTS go, the only one I know of is a game callled Dominions 3, by shrapel games. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/Illwinter/Dom3/1.htm. They have a native linux client. Dont know about SDK, nonetheless.

[Thetargos]

Yes, it had been long since announced, and had at one point been confirmed by Ryan Gordon and Marc Reign... But given their latest attitude towards Linux...

[deanjo]

This is because they don't get that there's vastly better UI toolkits that're cross-platform and easy to use- it's the hammer as your only tool problem. If all you have is a hammer around, everything starts looking like a nail. In this case, they're so used to using Windows that MS is the only framework they reach for- as much because it's integrated into their toolchains as much as anything else, never once realizing that the marketspace HAS changed and there's VASTLY better UI toolchains than Microsoft's Effed-Up "Classes".

There is also the fact that alot of people seem to forget, is that most game developing schools concentrate on DX and MS products for game development. openGL and other frameworks are given little or no attention at these schools resulting in developers using the tools they have been taught with. It's the reason today why I, when developing in windows (not games but glamerous stuff like a application for a Dry Cleaner business ), use Borlands suites instead of MS's. That's what I was taught on and that's where my comfort zone is. It works for what I need and I have little reason to switch.