LinuxGameCast Weekly EP154 – Shadow Of Hordor

Shadow of Mordor is here! Skullgirls enters closed beta, Distance goes first-person, and Battle for Wesnoth needs your halp! Then Victor Vran faces our CHAIRQUISITION! All this, plus your hate mail.

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http://store.steampowered.com/app/345180

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Special thanks to our patreons:

TNT4IT
Adam J (Primitive paypal scum)

Steam News:

Colour key: Venn Jordan Pedro Empty

Steam Guard, use it
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/steam-password-exploit-fixed/

Yes, two factor Authentication is a pain, but then you sidestep all of this nonsense
Someone at VALVe had a really bad day.
No 2-factor + getting hacked = zero sympathy

Rollin
http://www.develop-online.net/news/valve-made-more-than-730m-in-2014-report-claims/0209311

Conservative estimate indeed.
If we make the bad assumption that 1% of those were linux sales, that’s 7.3 Mil. Not something to scoff at
3 ^ (3 * 2 * 1) ≈ 730 = Half-Life 3 CONFIRMED

Morrrrrrrdorrrrrrrrrrrrr
https://store.feralinteractive.com/en/us/games/shadowofmordor/
http://store.steampowered.com/app/241930/

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Aboot fucking time
Only 6 weeks to download over my fiber connection! Woo-hoo!
It literally takes up ⅕ of my SSD #yoloraid0. Had to uninstall shite to make room!
…and it immediately noped SIGILL
- Yarp
Something something SSE4
- http://steamcommunity.com/app/241930/discussions/0/535152276592217792/
- I don’t think it’s SSE4 exactly. AMD processors don’t have SSE4, they have SSE4a. It might be SSE4.1-2 yes.
  - Also, no SSSSSSSE3
Apparently I’m not old enough to register my WBPlay account with the game in order to get some rune.
Goddamnit, this is a really good game.
I know it’s still early in the year but so far it’s LGOTY 2015.
I’m not a huge fan of George R.R. Martin so I’m not exactly up to snuff on the source material.
That said, performance is kinda meh.
It’s playable but there is hella room for improvement.

Skull closed beta
http://steamcommunity.com/app/245170/discussions/0/846962626943190654/?tscn=1438058047#c535151589894338238

Let’s talk facts for a moment.
LabZero raised $828K out of a $150K goal for a new character and this would include Linux support for their game.
LabZero later insulted the Linux gaming communities intelligence by saying the Linux port was always intended as a volunteer effort.
Now, let’s be honest. They only admitted THAT because it’s the most commented on topic in their Steam forums and it would not go away.
All the while they SOMEHOW found the wet-stinky to BACKPORT A CHARACTER TO THE FK MOTHERING XBOX 360?!!!??
- https://twitter.com/Skullgirls/status/625883914062540800
- But don’t you know, PC gamers are pirates and on consoles there is no piracy
However, some saints have stepped in and offered their porting services.
Lab Zero you are most welcome for my $30 intrest free loan but don’t think for a second I will ever back another one of your projects.
5:1 linux:mac tester ratio ←– :-D (in your face zombie steve jobs)
Hey, say what you will about their management, at least they delivered, unlike some developers whose name rhymes with shmarrowdead
- I did \>:D/
As we’ve stated previously, it’s an SDL port, so display and controllers should work out of the box. I’ve noticed that over blueteeth, the PS3 controller is right fucked. Stay tuned for results for the Dualshock 4
I think I might ask my parents to mail me one of my Saturn controllers.
These Linux users are so entitled. “Don’t use .bmp for icons” because Linux doesn’t properly support that format?!?
- That apparently pissed someone off to the point where PR got involved, good times!
They think just because they booted ARCH!!1! they are right proper l33t h4x0rz and it makes me sad.
OTOH, my bug report is awesome and makes me uncomfortable in my pants.

Cock-pit 3770
http://steamcommunity.com/app/233610/discussions/0/530646080845947820/#c541906989414320379

That… that kinda makes me want to get a new steering wheel.
- tried it, and that’s a NOPE (even with the wheel locked to 90°)
I totally spanked Empty …then we played a few rounds of Distance.
I enjoyed it very much. Distance was fun too.

Death Flags
http://steamcommunity.com/games/320540/announcements/detail/101680118551444339

Can I just like, you know …upload my own flag?
11 new achievements for online play… that you’ll never be able to unlock because no one is playing anymore.
Case in fuck mothering point: http://steamcharts.com/app/320540
Unexceptional Mario Kart is unexceptional.
Hey, at least they’re still working on it. Gotta give props to devels who don’t just shove things out the door and say “we’re done”

7 Days To Run
http://7daystodie.com/alpha-12-4-is-out/

It’s actually manages to hit 60 FERPS ..on occasion.

Cats, silver spoons and robot girls
http://store.steampowered.com/app/361550

Big thanks to Max from Flying Cafe for sending us the keys.
I noped when the trailer hit the minecraft part

Yomi
http://store.steampowered.com/app/287960/

So… Kung Fu Poker?
Needs more hentai – WOW Wikipedia, just WOWOh
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Yukipon_SxH1.jpg
  - Oh Empty sempai
I actually own a board game that is almost exactly like this.

News:

NVidia 352.30
http://www.geforce.com/drivers/results/87650

WHAR Gimp help files!??
Moar bug fixes
Lots of VDPAU fixes, is that foreboding ShadowPlay?
Tried it. It works.

RadeonSI supports OpenGL 4.1
http://mesamatrix.net/#Version_OpenGL4.1-GLSL4.10

Now sort i965 and r600 and we’re well on the road to creating some competition for NVidia.
Performance is still abysmal but at least it’s almost at OpenGL 4.3 support.
WHAR r600?
My APU is ready

Compitition gets shite done
https://twitter.com/natosha_bard/status/626339198124060672

Remember, this has nothing to do with the 2.8 release of Unreal 4.
That’s right! Progress after two years of screaming. But can it export to windows?

Hello Kitty Island Adventure?
https://twitter.com/feralgames/status/625677713894998017

That’s Ass-Pyre grade guessing.
There was the iOS port of Bioshock awhile back… so we know there is an OpenGL version of the renderererer.
Brought to you by Virtual Programming.

Online Boxing 3D Linux version is under way
http://3dboxing.com/

3D version requires Java 1.5… 2D version requires Java 1.6… Oooooooookay.
- …wat

We rendered some shite
http://pandoralive.info/?p=5257…

Um, Brad; do you really want to do this in an age of Nintendo porting to mobile?
- This, like the PSP before it is a glorified emulator box.
- And there’s a bunch of people who can’t get through the day without playing their Sonics and their pokeymans.
There’s always gonna be a niche market for this kind of device. I say let them sit in their corner and have fun playing battle for wesnoth.
…Oh wait

Wesnoth needs HALP!!1!
http://www.wesnoth.org/

I was afraid of this.
Now that people think Steam =’s Linux gaming, several open-sauce project will suffer.
- I think there might be some correlation, but some of these projects have been running for years on minimal staff
- We’ve already seen a couple of games like this, I think the lack of interest in contributing to the project is just starting to take it’s toll
- Plus Civ and Xcom are on linux now, so the people making these games to scratch the strategy game itch now have games to play
Who needs FreeCiv when you’ve got actual Sid Meier’s Civilization 5 and Beyond Earth?
Who needs OpenXcom or UFO:AI when you’ve got actual XCOM: Enemy Unknown (and soon XCOM 2)?
Thanks, Feral and Ass-pyre!
It’s always a good idea to keep these projects going. If nothing else, than just as a learning experience.
System specs… FreeCiv will run on a calculator, Civ V… won’t.

Shadowrun: Hong Kong gets a release date (Aug 20):
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/webeharebrained/shadowrun-hong-kong/posts/1303417

check out the 6 month turnaround on Brad… if only more Kickstarters could deliver this smoothly…
- Hairbrained played it smart. They did what NWN did by creating a solid framework. Now new games just require writing new campaigns
Should be interesting. Never got around to finishing Dragonfall though
They’ve abandoned tablets as a target, so the UI should be mo’ betterer and the models more detailed since they’re targeting 4K this time around.
Still need to finish Dragonfall.

Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut gets a release date (Oct 13):
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/wasteland-2/posts/1309495

Fixed – Wasteland 2: Fallout Edition (targeting limbs, perks, and quirks)
inExile: you da real MVP… over a year after release and they are still making MAJOR UPGRADES (*cough* Unity 5) FOR FREE
I’m growing real fond of inXile. Don’t let me down, Brian Fargo!
And I’m still sitting here waiting for Torment.

CHAIRQUISITION:
– Nooope

– Not sure if want

– Check it out

– Shutupandtakemymonies

Game: Victor Vran
Webzone: http://store.steampowered.com/app/345180
Devel: Haemimont Games
Engine: Same as Tropico 5
Price: $/€ 19.99 – CDN $27.99

Wazzat: Victor Vran is the isometric action-RPG where your skill is just as essential as your character build and gear. Experience intense combat action: dodge, jump and unleash powerful skills to finish off your enemies!

Makes with the working

V-

J-

P-

Holds 100+ FerPS just about everywhere, except near the transmutator in the hub.

M-

spite-noped on me once… has run perfectly ever since

Total-

Shiny / Sounds

V-

The first few areas look hella impressive (for a Linux game)
Unfortunately the later areas/dungeons look like placeholders and the devels said “FK IT! Leave em”
Same goes for some of the baddies.
Yes, I’m looking at you Mr. Ice ball pants and you Ms. Foo Foo rocky monster.
The sound is a little bit of alright.
Splosions and thwacks are (for the most part) satisfying.
However, the voice over guy … should have been me, Brad.

J-

The levels can get kind of samey, and it’s not impossible to get lost if you mess around with the camera
The visuals are good, but not stunning
The voicework is alright

P-

Whar MSAA gone?

M-

Torchlight 2
At one point the narrator sang the “brave sir robin ran away” song from M.P. Holy Grail and i liked it

Total-

Control

V-

Keyboard and gerbil work like you expect ..after you quit bitching about WASD.
But wrap your minds around this gentlemen.
I’ve never played an aRPG that just worked™ with a controlla.
I reckon this could very well be the best adapted aRPG control scheme, in the world.

J-

I first approached this game like it was a wasd version of diablo.
This did not work all that well
You need a controller for this game. Dualshock 4 and Xbox 360 work fine out of the box.
Forced controls similarly

P-

Both the NVidia SHIELD controller and Dual Shock 2 work out of the box.
- With their own usual shortcomings.
It’s perfectly playable with the keyboard and mouse too, if you’re weird like me.

M-

I meant to try it with the keyboard and mouse, but the controller just worked too damn nice
My thumb got sore, realized you could just hold ‘X’ to keep attacking. Brilliant!
Really annoyed with the lack of ability to roll… press LB to roll. Brilliant!

Total-

FUN

V-

It’s more Action vs. RPG.
And that’s not entirely a bad thing.
You see, I’ve never been a fan of typical aRPGs because for me managing stats is something better left to my accountant.
And to be perfectly honest card systems anger and confuse me.
However Mr. Vran is extremely light in both areas so there was a chance I might possibly enjoy it.
And I did.
I spent most of my time running about collecting weapons and upgrading my special attacks.
Only later did I explore the card system and after some tinkering I became near unstoppable at lvl25.
That’s the good. Now the bad.
Anyone have the slightest idea what the story is?
It’s genuinely that forgettable.
They introduced a crafting system that’s so poorly explained it’s best left alone.
Playtime is artificially extended by collecting stars and applying mutators.
Everything after lvl20 becomes a grind-fest and multiplayer is completely unbalanced.
Mix that with a 10hr completion time for a hack and slash in aRPG clothing.
At the end of the day it’s still a better love story than Gauntlet.

J-

This game kind of reminds me of a budget bloodborne
You pick your two weapons and then you have at
The system is surprisingly deep, and the card mechanic gives you more flexibility in how you want to play the game
It can get a bit easy at time, especially with the vampiric shotgun
Still, I can sink a few hours into this game at a time. Pretty fucking fun

P-

I’d give it 4 chairs for the fun weren’t it for the fact that it tickles the completionist in me, with those side-objectives in dungeons.
“You get a chest if you don’t take damage and kill 500 spiders in 2 minutes.”
- Oh what’s that, a tiny ass spider snuck up to me and dealt 1 point of damage.
- “Better luck next time, dumbass!”
And that is the other reason I couldn’t play it for too long.
Everytime you restart the dungeon in order to try and fulfill arbitrary objective du jour, you get to listen to Vicky and the Voice being broody or attempting dark humor.
- How about you make it so the voices are only played the first time around?
That said though, pretty good game.
I’d say it’s worth the $20 admission price if you like Hack’n Slashers and want one with a slight twist on the genre.
Jump button FTW!

M-