550 Days Later, UT3 Linux Appears Dead

[deanjo]

OpenGL based games can run very fast with wine, even before the Doom 3 Linux binary was out wine was able to run it - and not even slow. But games like UT3 don't have go a OpenGL renderer anymore - if it would have got one, it could run MUCH faster than using the D3D renderer using wine. To port a game without OpenGL render path is certainly more demanding than when it is already there. Not sure if they needed that already for a PS3 port, if so they could add it to an update too...

IIRC, when it came to the OGL renderers in the UT series it always has been a "add-on" and marked as experimental and unsupported. It's too bad because their OGL renderer was often better then the officially supported D3D renderer, of course that was when OGL stayed in competition with DX and before it decided to take it's long ass break in development allowing DX to strengthen it's position with supporting the latest hardware capabilities.

[Kano]

OpenGL based games can run very fast with wine, even before the Doom 3 Linux binary was out wine was able to run it - and not even slow. But games like UT3 don't have go a OpenGL renderer anymore - if it would have got one, it could run MUCH faster than using the D3D renderer using wine. To port a game without OpenGL render path is certainly more demanding than when it is already there. Not sure if they needed that already for a PS3 port, if so they could add it to an update too...

[oneman]

I don't really want to add insult to injury but the only thing stupid about that was you guys buying this before Linux support was confirmed to be working. I wanted to buy UT3 and even pre-ordered it but when I heard they would ship the Linux support as a "patch" afterwards I cancelled and it seems that would have been the right thing to do. I'm still very fond of that whole "someone is paying them to keep it back" conspiracy theory. It works on several consoles and there was even a running build showed off by the dev so what's the problem other than someone doesn't want it to come out. Someone ask icculus about it ... if he doesn't rip your head off maybe we get another excuse to help ourselves over the months until the next article of this kind is posted on phoronix.

Yeap, I bought it in good faith there would be a linux version since there track record was fine. Its prolly a shit game, from what I've seen of it anyway. The powers that be not even saying anything official about the linux version are really a bunch of dicks. If you have created a community of some kind you should at least respond to it a little. Icculus, bless his little heart, is just a mercenary for hire. He seems to enjoy his work, and is quite good at it. He is either unable (the only reason could be profit here), or unwilling to comment on these work in progress things. So it just comes off as a whole go away and fuck yourself, well let you know when we have something to say.

Also phoronix fills a niche that no other web site has been competent to fill as of yet, I wouldn't mind seeing some competition to it. Of course there are slow news days and weeks so they fill it up with non-stories like this one. I really don't even mind so much because when there is news in the linux-gaming/graphics front they cover it fairly well. However the guy is obviously trying to make a living here and the more flame bait stories he does like this get more people coming to the forums and linking to the site and clicking on ads. Wham, bam, thank you ma`am.

I do like phoronix and will continue to frequent it, however I doubt anyone gives a crap about solaris or gtk combobox benchmarks, I do cringe when I see these 9 page stories about 75% of which is menial benchmark graphs that arn't doing anyone any good that isn't a developer.

cheers

[L33F3R]

Solution: Buy Cedega, end of problem

Dont mind me voicing my opinion but that is some of the most stupid shit i have ever heard (please mind the harsh language). Cedega, when it rarely ever works builds its foundation on wine code and doesn't support back. I have not even bothered to look at the wine licence (i belive it was MIT at the time) but from a morality point of view the cedega team needs a good beating.

I dont often advocate the theft of software and for cedega i dont either, infact i recommend no one use it.

If Linux isn't a gaming platform then I suppose windows is? I believe the Xbox3Shitty and Playnation3 are considered "gaming platforms" but please correct me.

[unix_epoch]

@ all the new Linux users reading this: check the Cedega forums first and decide then if it is worth your money.

I think it is safe to say that is a general rule. I never ever saw a performance increase with a wide variety of games. Feel free to prove me wrong though.

As someone else suggested, the Windows version of Quake 2 ran much faster in Wine (IIRC ~20fps faster), back when I had a 3dfx Voodoo 3. It even ran faster than the native Linux version on my PC.

[dammarin]

UT3 is great and it's a shame if it never makes it to Linux.

However, what might really make a difference would be someone with money and influence (think Mark Shuttleworth) lobbying a few big game developers/publishers to make or get someone to make (like LGP) Linux ports of some big games. Blizzard with WoW would be great, Bethesda with Fallout/Elder Scrolls would be cool as well. Not to mention Valve with Steam and Source.

This would propel the creation of stable and usable game-making tools on Linux (easier porting - remember what the guy who made Braid said about Linux and it seems he really tried), as well as establish a certain credibility for the platform.

LGP have been wasting their time with games few will want to play; they really should be given the chance to work (preferably alongside the development of the Windows version) on some really blockbuster games, I think.

[r1348]

Try to poke it with a stick.

[ronoverdrive]

Is that a general rule, that there is a performance drop?

I think I have seen benchmarks that show sometimes the game is a few frames faster on Linux?

The only game from my experience to have a better experience under WINE in Linux then in Windows is World of Warcraft. My latency has always been extremely better under linux (no joke its a 200ms difference for me) and frame rate has always been even with Windows until a recent patch (3.0.9) that (according to the WINE appDB) removed the -opengl option.

[r0ck]

I don't understand the hype about games for Linux. So what if ONE game is ported to Linux. That doesn't change anything. Linux will not be a gaming platform, as long as Windows is installed on 90% of all desktops, and the GPU drivers are optimized for Windows.

Solution: Buy Cedega, end of problem

There's not exactly a "hype" only customers that really want to see games on their native platform. If ONE game is ported really successfully to Linux that doesn't change anything rightaway but sets a nice signal for those who want to explore new markets and/or make some more money. Linux won't be a gaming platform not because Windows is installed everywhere but because developers refuse to make games work on it. Imagine you could give someone a free operating system that runs all major games ... Windows would be royally screwed in many places.

Your "solution" is a workaround for desperate people at best. I tried running several games with Cedega and it blows. Wine does a better job most of the time and I won't pay AGAIN to play the games I already own just to find out they won't work properly. Also the performance drop and other problems is just not worth it. Cedega is not a solution. In fact it makes the problem worse ... it gives developers an excuse for not developing "for" Linux and still shipping Linux versions. EVE Online had a so called "Linux client" until a few months ago which was little more than the Windows game packaged together with a version of cedega. It wouldn't even run. That's what I call a lazy solution. I'm still looking forward to seeing the Source engine on Linux hopefully later this year (has been personally confirmed to me) and we'll see how many will install a pirated copy of Windows just to play the Orange Box when any Linux derivative would just work as well.

[MaestroMaus]

I have bought Cedega just to be able to play Hurrican. Screenshots at:

http://www.poke53280.de/gallery/index.php?showcat=1

The game is free, and is the best game I have ever played. It is a remake of Turrican 2.

It isn't listed as working, but it works.

hehe. On the old winehq.com had they some benchmarks, I think it was with Quake 2, where it was faster on Linux.

But then again, Quake 2 is a loooong time ago Now everybody is playing www.QuakeLive.com, and before you ask.

Yes, id Software is working on a Linux and MAC version See buttom of frontpage.

WHY?!

Why don't you use Wine for it? It's free, better then Cedega in my experience and opensource.