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What do first-person shooters
Heretic II and Soldier of Fortune have in common? Aside from
being developed by Raven Software, they both run on multiple
operating systems. That's right; gamers get the choice to run
these top-notch games on either Windows or Linux. So what did everyone think? Unfortunately, due to the excessive number of e-mails we received, we could not post everyone's comments; however, we did try to show a broad spectrum of what was sent in. Below, you can read what our readers thought on the subject. We left all the comments as they were, and we placed them in the order they were received.. Reader thought's are in italics, while our staff replies are in red. Matt-Windu writes: "They should include the Linux version in the box." Simple, quick, and to-the-point. William Lauf writes: "No, I do not believe that Jedi Knight II should be made for Linux, because what happened to LucasArts supporting Mac? The last Mac LucasArts game was Racer and us Mac fans would like it if JKII was made for Mac." So I guess you didn't purchase Escape from Monkey Island? In the past, many LucasArts projects have been ported to the Mac. I'm willing to bet JKII will be as well. Jedi_Bubba_Fatt of JediNights.com writes: "Linux has become more widespread and used throughout the computing industry, so why make Jedi Knight II only for Windows? Hopefully RavenSoft will not be prejudice to other OS and make the fantastic looking sequal to Jedi Knight available for all users." While we agree it would be great to have JKII featued on multiple OS's, I doubt Raven is being "prejudice" if they don't port the game. Mitch Allmond writes: "The more games that are available to linux, the more seriously it will be taken as a viable platform. In fact, that goes for any commercial product. The linux community may not be huge but it's growing and it takes products such as games, etc... for it to grow even more. Another reason to port the game is for servers. If there is a server only port, linux users like myself will not be run a server. The servers will only be run by isps which rarely have the best servers due to the lack of good mods, maps, etc... The isp servers are rather dull most of the time. However, if there is a client and server port, users like myself will be more willing to run good dedicated servers that have more attention payed to them. Besides, what linux dork can resist a starwars game? None of us. :)" So you think it would be worth LucasArts/Raven's time to release a port to a growing community? Paul Kiela writes: "Honestly, it would be nice to see a major player like LucasArts embrace the Linux community. Moreover, it would be a nice break from the regular fare of first person shooters available today. Quake3, Unreal Tourney, and Tribes2 all have their place, but I can't seem to get msyelf into any of these games as much as I imagine I would JK2. In any event, I probably won't go out of my way to purchase the Windows version -- that not being a threat, but a fact -- and I imagine that many other Linux enthusiasts would agree. Depending on how well Tribes 2 sells, it may be an incentive to show LucasArts that there is yet a (mostly) untapped and un-monopolized profit resource in Linux gamers. Of course it isn't all fun. If such a port should appear, I imagine I'd never be able to gain access to my machine again, as my wife would probably be at the game for the next while.. There goes any hope of productivity :)" Heh, I think many people would fall in that same situation ;) PJ_Hooker writes: "A server for Linux would be great, but I'd really like to see a client as well. Linux is growing at a rapid pace and is quickly becoming a loyal gaming market. Many tools are already created by Loki for free use such as SDL, smpeg, the GUI installer, and the GUI AutoUpdate tool. Also, other games have already been ported to Linux with excellent performance and stability. Of note are Quake III Arena and Unreal Tournament which offer crucial gaming engines already ported successfully to Linux. Linux has a strong, techinical user base which has proven repeatedly to help significantly with beta testing and support. The Linux community is practiced in troubleshooting and setting up its own support structures. Surely, this is of benefit to any company considering a port. Linux is certainly an excellent operating system. However, for it to become more successful, it is crucial to have the support of large software developers and hardware manufacturers. By porting software to Linux, the developer can participate in the Linux community and create a loyal market share that will not only purchase the current project, but will also look forward to the purchase of future products." Some great points; a game utilizing the Star Wars license could have great effects on an OS like Linux. wrhodes writes: "We desparately need a Linux port of Jedi Knight II. Why? So we can run servers, of course! Another reason why? So those of us who don't run Win32 OSes can run the actual game. The first Tribes was hugely popular. It was a good game, and had a very long run. But it wasn't as popular as any in the Quake series. I believe this is because of Quake's popularity, but I also believe that this was due to the lack of a Linux client/server for Tribes (and the availability of a Linux port for Quake I/II/III). If there had been a Linux Tribes port, people would still be playing it (witness the recent port of SiN, which I'm going to buy tomorrow). But the first Tribes is gone forever now. In the wake of Tribes comes Tribes2, and this time Linux users on both the client and server ends of the equation are getting in on the action. I play T2 on a remotely located T2 server I run. Both machines run Linux. Running Linux as the server platform has more advantages over Windows than I care to list. Remote administration, greater configurability, better uptimes/performance, and better security are all among them. Using Linux as a desktop OS has all those advantages and more (chiefly free apps). If you have a copy of Tribes2, look through the server browser list for a bit. Notice all the penguins in that list. I haven't counted, but it's a large percentage (especially for a "non-mainstream" OS like Linux). Ask the folks who run linuxgames.com for anonymous traffic stats. There are a lot of Linux gamers out there. The Linux client forum in Tribes2 is active as well. The DRI mailing lists are very busy. Loki has done fairly well for itself. More Linux gamers exist than one would otherwise suspect. Many of them dual boot, and many of them don't like to. Now that other apps are coming into theirown, users can finally remove Windows and use Linux as a full-time desktop OS. I've been Windows-free for months, and I can't tell you how refreshing it has been. Online FPS games are highly server dependant. The folks running those servers tend to gravitate towards a "server OS" like Linux. It's a natural fit. So for an online game to last, the servers must be around for as long as possible. This means Linux. T2 will be around for a long time indeed. I believe this is because of the Linux port. Your chances of Jedi Knight II having a long life are greatly increased as long as a Linux port is in the works. A port would be very welcome." Games like Tribes2 and Half-life do have a significant amount of their servers running on Linux. From personal gaming experience, I usually find the linux servers to be more stable simply for the fact that you know it will be a dedicated machine (i.e. Half-Life.) James Monroe of Raven Software writes: "When using the quake3 engine, it is very easy to keep Linux compatibility. Raven doesn't port the games themselves (Heretic 2 was done by Loki), but they did release the Linux dedicated server for Elite Force. Even then, a fan actually built the binary since Raven doesn't do Linux. So, if one were to extrapolate to Jedi Knight II base on Elite Force, there will be a Windows version, a Mac port, and a Linux dedicated server." ----------------- Disclaimer: These are my thoughts alone. Any attempt to extrapolate them to any other entity immediately renders them void and will then probably explode. James Monroe ----------------- So unless Raven lets Loki do a JKII port, it looks likes we may already have our answer. Jon Ratcliff writes: "Linux game performance -has- caught up with Windows, I don't care what anyone says; Quake3 and Unreal Tournament actually run better and are more stable (a big factor) on my Linux system than they are on my Windows system. The reason a lot of people still run Windows is simply because there are so few games out there that run in Linux. Any other applications I need, from word processors to development tools (I'm a programmer by trade), are all readily available and of good quality in Linux. However, I also like to play games in my freetime and there are just so few high-quality games for Linux and it is truly the only reason I maintain a Windows system. This is also true of every one of my friends who also use Linux; I can't tell you how many times I've heard (and said myself), "If they had more games for Linux, I would be running Linux exclusively." Anyway, I believe the game performance is there and since JKII is based upon the Quake3 Engine, or so I've read, I definately see it performing well under Linux because Quake3 flies for me (and I have a lowly p2-450 and other outdated hardware). The more big titles like this one that have ports to Linux, the more we'll see other people, who are afraid to test the waters, follow suit." If you ever want to benchmark your results for us, we'd love to post 'em. Frank Earl, Utah-GLX 3D driver project developer, writes: "It would be an excellent thing, in my opinion. In fact, it'd allow me to play the game on my preferred OS. I, largely speaking, do not purchase programs for Windows- let alone games for it. I will buy any game, fairly priced, that is worth bothering with if it's ported to/written for Linux. JK II looks like it might fall under that category if the reviews are right and the company that does the port prices it somewhere near what the Windows version sells for right now." We got so many e-mails like this... Erik Nordström writes: "Linux gaming really suffers from the fact that single player games are ported to Linux long after the windows version was released. I would pick the Linux version instead of the Windows version any day if available on the shelf from day one of the release. Jedi Knight II would be such a title. Games like Deus Ex, Rune, SoF, Heretic II and Heavy Metal FAKK 2 are all good games and I would have bought the Linux version if I hadn't already played the Windows version. Those Linux ports weren't even announced when the Windows version came, so there was no reason to hold back and wait for a Linux release. The sooner a JKII Linux port is announced, the better!" That is yet another problem companies face when shipping multiple versions. I personally would love to have a Linux copy of Jedi Knight II, but I know that I wouldn't wait an extra week if the Windows version was already in stores. Stephen Anthony writes: "To Raven Software: I recently bought Soldier of Fortune and Heretic 2 for Linux, even though I had the Windows version of Soldier of Fortune already. Then I finally nuked my Windows partition :) Thats how much I liked the game, I went out and bought another copy. Not to mention the fact that SOF runs smoother (at higher resolutions) than the Windows versions under Linux. I plan to support Raven and Loki and will buy every title that they release for Linux (that interests me). To LucasArts: I have bought many games from you over the years (when I used Windows), including Monkey Island 1,2,3, Star Wars: Racer, etc. I finally got sick of Windows crashing all the time, so I ditched it. The hardest part was giving up some of your games. If they are released for Linux, I will definitely by them :)" Hehe, here's one loyal customer. John Bloom writes: "If they port JK2 to Linux I would sell my blood and/or kidneys, liver, lung etc to get money to buy it. I want to play the game that much. The Original Jedi Knight game was the biggest reason I avoided switching fully to Linux from a dualboot setup for as long as I did. In my mind JK1 is still the fps that I am most nostalgic for and also the one with the best online play. So to keep it short I *will* buy JK2 if it is realeased on Linux, but not if its released only on Windows. haunting whispery voice: If you port it, they will buy..." Thanks for the imagery ;) That whispery voice should be today's motto. Jon Warren writes: "I won't buy the game unless I can play it on Linux. My last Windows game is Everquest. anything else must run on Linux to get my money." So basically your way or no way, *whip crackling in the background*
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