LinuxGameCast Weekly EP186 – Tentacles Are Expensive

Croteam opens the Sam! Game Jolt releases a native client, Vendetta returns to Steam, and Double Fine delays the Tentacle. Then Hitman GO: Definitive Edition faces the CHAIRQUISITION! All this, plus your hate mail!

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Steam News:

Colour key: Venn Jordan Pedro

Controlla updates
http://store.steampowered.com/news/20748/

Now with NVEC goodness for streaming.
IT VIBRATES!
The big picture overlay from desktop launch is nice too, because now you can reconfigure your controller in game if there is some other settings you would prefer
You can now use your steam controller alongside other controllers, which is kind of nice if you have a zillion of them, like myself
Overlay support for Vulkan games, which kills the performance on the Linuxes.

Welp, it’s out now
https://www.reddit.com/r/Vive/comments/49r0fd/valve_over_30_new_vr_titles_at_gdc/

Remember that list I never saw from last week?
Elite Dangerous would be the only one I’d be interested in. Shame that’s never coming to linux
Although I would want to try the Adventure Time one whilst on mushrooms
Thunderbird? That’s a poor name choice, right there!

Bigger picture
http://venturebeat.com/2016/03/12/valve-enables-players-to-play-non-vr-games-on-the-htc-vive/

Now you can play regular games while getting face-fkd by a toaster.
Not to mention the added weight.

Mobile AUTH
https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/49wvk1/no_smartphone_and_need_steam_authenticator_run/

If you don’t already have a Google Voice number use this to get the confirmation.
I dunno, it seems like a bit of overkill, but if you need to trade your cards or your hats, it’ll do in a pinch
I like how the argument has changed from “I don’t have a smartphone” to “That’s too much work!11!”
- It’s also coming from the same kind of people that say they’ll switch to Linux when game X comes out.
- The comfort zone is a fickle mistress!

Keys
http://blog.indiegamestand.com/featured-articles/steam-key-reselling

Bring back teh OAuth?
- I mean…yeah. As long as your steam keys are just text, people can take them and do whatever they want with them
- Binding them to a user account is really the only option, and even then it can be a stopgap
Seems the real issue is people buying keys with stolen credit cards.
Is the industry done blaming piracy for all their problems?

I’m baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack
http://store.steampowered.com/app/386280/

At least they didn’t try to change the store listing again. Valve may have caught on to that tricksy business.
It still tickles me that they’re still charging 60 for it. Gotta recoup those dev costs somehow
Now the publisher is “TopWare Interactive, ACE” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- ACE is owned by the CEO of TopWare.
- Guess they’re setting up a net in the off chance someone tries to claim those IPs.
We don’t know why it was originally pulled (we’re talking page deleted) from the Steam store.

Speaking of TopWare
http://steamcommunity.com/app/253900/discussions/0/405694115198402983/

Releasing a WINE port of a game that has a native Linux version: http://web.archive.org/web/20140223134420/http://www.linuxgamepublishing.com/info.php?id=19&
Releasing a WINE “”””port”””” of a game that has a platinum rating on WINEHQ

News:

There it is
http://www.anandtech.com/show/10117/asus-unveils-geforce-gtx-950-graphics-card-that-does-not-require-pcie-power

I guess you pick this up if you don’t already have a 750Ti?
- And only then
- But then you have to wonder, assuming it will launch at around $160-170 like the regular 950, does the extra $40-50 justify the performance gain?
- Personally, I think at that point you’re better off investing a few €$£ extra and going for the 960.
- At $200, the GTX 960 is probably the best compromise for price-performance at this point.
- The 750ti still curbs everything on [price/performance]/Watts ratio.
Still, 75W on a PCIe port is the hard limit! It literally can’t push more than that.
What happens when the card needs more power for cooling and it’s already drawing all 75W? Does it throttle itself, á lá Fury Nano?
One of the big plusses for me about the 750 TI was the fact that it had a low profile model. Pretty sure that won’t float with this boy
I still maintain the 950 was a misstep on Nvidia’s part. They really should have focused on the 750 form factor

Goold Old Security
http://www.gog.com/news/twostep_login_https_everywhere

It’s a good start GOG, but I’ll do you one better
- Two factor for every log in, integration with Yubikey or Google Authenticator. “Every once in a while” doesn’t cut it
Also, Re: HTTPS? It’s about time.
- ^

Something …is missing
http://www.gog.com/game/day_of_the_tentacle_remastered

Has DF abandoned the Penguin?
- Short answer, no.
- Long answer: http://steamcommunity.com/app/388210/discussions/0/412449508274187311/
To be fair, there’s no Mac either. I’m willing to give DF the benefit of the doubt. They’ve been good to us so far, so that buys them a little patience
“$1.60 OFF ANY FUTURE PURCHASE. You get bonus store credit (our Fair Price Package) to offset the regional pricing.”
- I thought one of the points of GOG was that there WASN’T regional pricing.
- “Here you go! Have some store credit to offset the fact we’ve bent over for whatever greedy developer/publisher that will even consider putting their games on our Store instead of just Steam.”

HOMUGUH
https://github.com/Croteam-official/Serious-Engine.git

Croteam…guys…stop making me want to fly to croatia to kill you on the mouth
Mind you, this is just the windows code, but I’m sure we’ll see an Vulkan/linux version in short order
- So Icclebutts is trying to decouple his linux code from their code base and that brought up this commit:
  - https://github.com/id-Software/Quake-III-Arena/blob/master/code/unix/Makefile#L80
SS:TSE is honestly one of my favourite games, so I’m just unreasonably excited by this
Croteam: Doing it right since 2002

Desura 2?
http://gamejolt.com/client

Had to break out the chmod +x
I’m having Desura flashbacks #triggered
Tried one WebGL game ..it worked
The native DL game (hack something) never launched.
It is Open Sauce
Why don’t they get in touch with the itch.io folks and make this their “official” client?

Evol Online – Aurora1 Released
http://www.evolonline.org/25-aurora1-released-the-future-arrives

Neat idea. An open source MMO that users can contribute to

ScummVM 1.8.0 “Lost with Sherlock”
http://www.scummvm.org/news/20160304/

Now /w Raspberry Pi goodness.
They’re supporting 10 new games as well, including two Zorks
They also have platform specific emulation now

CHAIRQUISITION:
– Nooope

– Not sure if want

– Check it out

– Shutupandtakemymonies

Game: Hitman GO: Definitive Edition
Webzone: http://store.steampowered.com/app/427820/
Devel: Square Enix Montreal
Engine: Unity
Price: 7.99

Wazzat: Hitman GO is a simple to play, but difficult to master turn-based strategy game set in a stunning interpretation of the Hitman universe.

Mandatory US Disclosure: They sent us keys

Makes with the working

V-

Sound, music, VSync.
Yeah, welcome to the config menu, Neo.
I’ve seen some lazy ports but that’s just… damn.
Granted you can disable sound/music but WHAR sliders?
No options for resolution and more importantly, windowed mode.
Ya loosin a chair for that.

J-

P-

Saying it has an options menu is a stretch!
But, to be fair, it runs great even on the Steam Box.
It came out for Android in 2014, but good on Square Enix on releasing it for the Linuxes at the same time they brought it to the consoles.

Total –

Shiny / Sounds

V-

It’s a mobile port so don’t expect much.
The “playas” are nondescript plastic things only distinguished by their jacket colour.
The dioramas are well done albeit a little flat.
What I’m saying is this, it looks alright… for a iPhone game, on a 28’ display, at UHD.
Sound? FK sound! I never once thought to put on my headset.

J-

I mean, for a digital board game it looks about as good as it’s going to
Not deserving of four chairs, but it does do what it sets out to

P-

It’s a sliding block puzzle with a Hitman theme.
The graphics are heavily stylized but all that means is the game will hold up for a long long time.
The music… Well, when that lady starts singing Ave Maria with a really annoying pitch my ears just want to coil in on themselves.

Total –

Control

V-

Grab a controlla and sit back.
99% of the time the D-pad works flawlessly.
1% of the time it will miss register the input and send you flying right into nopesville.
You can adjust the overhead view from faux isometric to overhead.
Unfortunately you can only temporally pan the camera about 30 degrees at any time.

J-

Click and drag and click some more!

P-

A Unity game with proper controller support, well I’ll be!

Total –

FUN

V-

Lads, I think this is the first mobile port (with possible exception of Sky Force Anniversary) that did not completely suck donkey testicles
This critter starts off hella simple but gradually ramps up to “Oh, FK this level!”
First there are trap-doors, then jackets, and now sniper rifles.
Admittedly I’m only on the third boxen but it’s genuinely using my brain-organ.
And if we’re being honest, I really didn’t want to like this game.
Turns out… I did.
That said this has exactly FK and ALL to do with the Hitman franchise.

J-

It’s a single player board game. Angry birds hitman edition
I mean, it’s alright, but it’s not really my thing.
When it comes to turn based movement games, I prefer mine in the flavour of Xcom or Shadowrun Returns
As far as android ports go, it’s not horrible, but it’s not fantastic either. I give it a meh

P-

It’s an Android game through and through.
You can get through missions anywhere between 30 seconds and 10 minutes.
It’s well done and the only reason I can’t give it 4 chairs for the fun is because the desktop/Steam Machine medium doesn’t lend itself well to this kind of game.
If I’m slouched on the couch or sitting in this admittedly very expensive chair, I want a proper engaging experience.
Hitman GO is much better when you’re sitting on the toilet with your tablet.
- Especially if you had a lot of fiber in the last few days and it may take you a good few minutes to get it all out.
Every time I started the game, 10 minutes later I would have finished a few missions and I was satisfied with it and decided, since I was sprawled on the couch, might as well play some GRID Autosport or The Binding of Isaac.
Also, I’m not sure $8 is the right price point for an Android game… Oh wait, this is a Square Enix game. Nevermind!

Total –

Final –

Hate Mail:

Fire
http://slexy.org/view/s20rwoIUYm

But we’ve already played our 2016 Walking Simulator.
I did send them an email about it but they never got back to me.
But you’re right, we tend to prioritize games when developers/publishers send us keys.
I have no objections to reviewing it, but as mentioned earlier, it would help if they’ve made with the keys
The biggest thing I have against it is that it’s a “story” vs. a proper game e.g. Layers of Fear.