LinuxGameCast Weekly 272: Smells Like AfterShow Bait!

Steam usage plummets! Human: Fall Flat adds multiplayer, Descent: Underground sells out, and a PS2 game is headed to Linux. Then F1 2017 faces the ChairQAsition! All this, plus your hate mail!

Special tanks:
Mr_Alert (latest patreon)
Phil (increased patreon pledge)
Steve-O (USB-C hub from our wishlist)

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Colour key: Venn Jordan Pedro

Steam News:

0.3 %
http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey

WTH is up with China?
- Windows XP is getting too old to play the new hotness?
PUBG?

Wait, that was not a thing?
https://twitter.com/Steam_Spy/status/925003488521867265

TBH, I got my steam account back when steam was new, so I had no idea this wasn’t a thing.
That certainly explains how easy it is for card bot farms to stay in business
Assuming VALVe is even doing anything about that.

F11
http://store.steampowered.com/app/515220/F1_2017/

AMD VEGA cards are not supported at time of release.
Known issues /w 387 NVIDIA driver.
Runs, and runs good.
- Runs really smooth.
- They even give you frame-timings after the benchmark and the frame variance is at most around 10ms for me.
- It’s still not ideal, but better than F1 2015!
Still has the issue of trying to use my 770.
I gotta say, an i3 + a 680 is a damn strange hardware combination
- An R5 and 1080 would like a word.
  - Eh. If it were an r3 and a 1080 i’d agree with you
Speaking of AMD, Feral, like it or not you need to slap RYZEN requirements on future games.

Serious updates
http://steamcommunity.com/games/564310/announcements/detail/1462968572657154545

Dedicated server support for modded mode is nice
They also redid their rendering engine, so custom maps will need to be rerendered and uploaded
No Vulkan or Linux specific fixes
You can reload and switch weapons while sprinting now. Useful for when you’re in the fuckbox and out of ammo on your primary weapon
They now allow you to toggle dynamic flow control which, in theory, is supposed to help multiplayer run smoother.

Riot
http://store.steampowered.com/app/342310/RIOT__Civil_Unrest/

#bothsides the game
An ambition feels game along the same lines of this war of mine
Play as both rioters and cops
Games like these really have a fine needle to thread with getting the message across while still being engaging. Hope this one can pull it off
The simulation and strategy tags had me closing down this page faster than I otherwise would’ve wanted to.

Chessaria: The Tactical Adventure
http://store.steampowered.com/app/575340/Chessaria_The_Tactical_Adventure/

So, chess?
It’s not Battle Chess but, honestly, the fantastical theme to it does actually leave me a little bit curious.
I’m one of those people that just doesn’t have patience for chess.

Tosaty
http://store.steampowered.com/app/640150/Tale_of_Toast/

Another PVP focused MMO.
Can we get Neverwinter or another less PVP focused MMO on Linux, please?
I got the MMO PVP bug out of me with Guild Wars, back in the day.
I wasn’t too bad at it either!
I just don’t like it.

Slashing
http://store.steampowered.com/app/361100/Slashers_The_Power_Battle/

I know we’re in desperate need of fighting games on Linux (WHAR Streetfighter) but not like this, not like this.
It could be a solid 2d fighter. Hope they get better art for the final game though
- - - - ^

Flat
http://steamcommunity.com/games/477160/announcements/detail/1457338531254214235

Smell that kids? That’s the smell of aftershow bait!
Make /w the downloading.
8 player jello wrestling.

News:

NVIDIA
http://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/126185/en-us

1070ti Support ahoy
Maxwell GPUS get gsync on by default if you forked out for the monitor
- G Sync with Vulkan?
- Gsync works on the panel itself. The API has no say over the panel refresh rate.
It’s a bit slower than the previous version.

Jumbo #10
https://www.humblebundle.com/jumbo-bundle-10

That’s a pile of do not want.
I wonder if they ever fixed that progression bug in epistory
While you’re there, check out the Day of the Devs bundle.
If you’ve been looking at Everything or Flinthook, or even both, that’s one you want.

Git off
https://github.com/blog/2451-game-off-our-annual-game-jam-returns-in-november

Starts up on halloween, so if you’re not already hacking away at a game, get to it! I wanna see Brick Simulator Gaiden 5: Salty Brad’s Vacation In Honolulu
SHit’ll get hosted by itch
This year’s theme is “Throwback” meaning:

Spooky Tux
http://blog.supertuxkart.net/2017/10/supertuxkart-halloween-update-released.html

Apparently they have a dev caled Hiker who’s well on their way to sorting out network multiplayer. Which is really the only thing any of us care about at this point
They’ve added some spooper tux cart tracks
New in this update is an in game footage recorder.
The lighting and graphics improvements over the past few version certainly make the game look much better.
I tried the multiplayer but there was no one playing. There’s a server browser, so I guess that’s good.
The camera still needs a bit of work because it still feels like it’s nailed to the back of the cart and doesn’t really look great

Mars (beta) Attacks
http://www.indiedb.com/games/alien-arena-2008/news/alien-arena-warriors-of-mars-beta

I started to build it from source, started.
Release on Steam is scheduled in two weeks.

Easy RPG
https://blog.easyrpg.org/2017/10/easyrpg-player-0-5-3-stimulant/

Play your old RPG maker games!
This blog also has some neat tips on how to run those old games, which don’t work with EasyRPG, with less issues with just WINE.

Parallel Angrylion
https://www.libretro.com/index.php/parallel-n64-with-multithreaded-angrylion-released/

This is apparently a purely software renderer that is directx/opengl/vulkan agnostic
Apparently they’re not fans of GCC as there is a significant performance dip on non windows systems with their new multithreading

Nordic Mummy
https://www.thqnordic.com/article/sphinx-and-cursed-mummy-coming-pcmaclinux

Damn. This is some vintage PS2 Shit
Apparently this is openGL 3 all around, which gives us some hope that this’ll be a native port
Beyond that this is a riff on the old ratchet and clank/jak and dakster formula. Would be nice to have that sort of game on linux.
- I guess Yooka-Laylee kinda counts, but the reception on that was pretty meh
A random PC release for a relatively unknown title.
- I actually played the demo for this back in the day
- I think this game was in one of the tonne of Demo CDs I had for the PS2.
And it looks like a PS2 game, which I guess is fine so long as the game itself plays fine.

Descent into Orbit
https://descendentstudios.com/community/blog/31/entry-445-our-big-announcement/

Little Orbit bought them out and managed to convince the original devs they would maintain creative control.
Expected to ship in Q4 2018.
Still completely uncool to put the latest game development activity behind a paywall.

CHAIRQUISITION: We’re doing the quality assurance… that should have been done in the first place. This is the CHAIRQUISITION!
– Nooope

– Not sure if want

– Check it out

– Shutupandtakemymonies

Game: F1 2017
Webzone: https://store.feralinteractive.com/en/mac-linux-games/f12017/
Devel: Codemasters Birmingham / Feral Interactive
Engine: EGO
Price: £44.99 / US$59.99 / CA$66.49

Wazzat: F1 2017 gives the player unprecedented access to not only the on-track excitement of F1, but also the off-track dealings and vehicle development that goes along with it. Along with some stunning new locations and compelling characters to interact with, these enhancements all combine to provide the most complete experience in the world of F1 yet.

Mandatory Disclosure: Feral sent us keys

Makes with the working

V-

Aside from having to manually set my video card on every, single, start, no issues.
Holding a solid 60 (with the occasional 50) @ 1080p with EVERYTHING on 11.
Low to mid 50’s @ 1440p
It’s full-metal 30s ville @ 2160p.
Does seem to have the slightest bit of Vulkan herky-jerk.

J-

Got it to crash. Run it on 1080P ultra on a laptop
Still a little borky on laptop hardware

P-

Total-

Shiny / Sounds

V-

The human models in this game are horrifying.
Also, anything that is not on the track looks like it was textured and rigged by an intern.
That said it look a lot like F1 2015.
Everything has that slightly plastic look.
Nothing wrong with that but they could really stand to up the visual realism.
But at the end of the day (and what you’re here for) I did not notice a single graphical glitch during playtesting.

J-

I’m pretty sure they settled on one audience model and have just been reusing it for the past however many f1 games
That said, the stuff you do care about IE: Tracks and cars look great

P-

I can finally play the game on turbo graphics and hold over 60 for the most part.

Total–

Control

V-

Worked fine OOTB with the Steam controlla.
I, guess it controls like a F1 car driven with a joystick?

J-

Right trigger accelerate, left trigger reverse. Pretty much all you need

P-

Total-

FUN

V-

Before you spool up your ReEEEEeeEEeE drives hear me out.
I’m not a fan of simulation games plain and simple.
City building, driving, dictating, you name it.
Why? It feels like I’m doing work and if I’m working I want to accomplish something.
Also, I don’t have a racing setup and a good one would cost as much as the new studio.
That said.
I SUCK at this game.
Seriously, 2+ hours doing laps in space-australia and the game is still telling me to get good.
I tried a few one off races with predictable results.
Even in the most extreme training wheels mode F1 2017 will skull FK you for blinking at the wrong time.
Some people get a raging clue when presented with this level of realism, me? Not so much.
I don’t follow F1 (I get it, just don’t follow it) so the career mode didn’t really add anything. BTW this season is almost over.
With driving games (Distance, Mad Max, Rocket Cars) I require the ability to dick around because I find that fun.
So if you are into the F1 you have already left a comment stating how WRONG I am but for the rest of you, hear this.
If you are looking for a “”sim”” to dip your toe-organ in pick up Dirt Rally.

J-

Predictable, amirite?
The fact remains, that I’ve never really seen the appealof f1 aside from as an excuse to get trashed with your friends
I have no friends, and getting trashed makes me play even worse at this game, so you just lost two points there brad
Once again, this seems to be a game purely targeted at f1 enthusiasts and people with driving wheels into simulations
It’s like trying to peddle McNuggets to an anorexia meet. You’re marketing at the wrong people

P-

F1 2017 is better than F1 2015 but it still isn’t the F1 game that changed my mind about racing sims
Much like Venn, I suck all manner of dangly bits at this game, which isn’t really something that affects my enjoyment of a game.
It’s just that I can’t seem to enjoy F1 games at all.
That said, I don’t think this is a bad game at all.
The fact it uses Vulkan all the time and it shows by how smooth everything is, helps me recognize how good it is on a technical level.
I just don’t find it fun.

Total-

Final –

Hate Mail:

Vulkan
https://linuxgamecast.com/bradley/?cTCVUT9

Neigh
https://twitter.com/wyrm1115/status/926157855492751361