LinuxGameCast Weekly 290: Extreme Chair Trauma

Vulkan 1.1 is out! Rocket Cars hits the links, Vive Pro support comes to Linux and we’re giving away a copy of the indirect god sim Crest. All this plus your hate mail.

Special thanks:
Minijack (latest patreon)

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Colour key: Venn Jordan Pedro

Steam News:

VIVE Pro
https://steamcommunity.com/games/250820/announcements/detail/1661138371508794515

Well, now we know the critter works.
Now all we need is some VR games on linux that aren’t from Croteam!
That’s something at least…
Still waiting on the overlay game freeze patch!

Cards against Gabe
https://www.pcgamer.com/gabe-newell-hooray-valves-going-to-start-shipping-games-again/

Sadly 3 useless VR games.
That said, motherfu*ker said 3.
- Inb4 Half Life 2 – VR Edition
Don’t make me regret believing in you Gabe
Yeah, their hardware experience taught’em a lot.
I do hope that “investment for the future” means we’ll see a proper Steam Machine and not 20 dual boot Windows models.
I think it’s pretty unlikely we’re going to see a new wave a steam machines any time soon
If we spool up the booga booga drive, do you figure some OOTB VR appliance could be up their alley

Colgate (have an extra key: need away of give idea for Patreons)
http://steamcommunity.com/games/341710/announcements/detail/1649878739743317943

Another beautiful lizard emerges from it’s early access egg
also a game that is never truly finished
- Hoo boy. This doesn’t fill me with any particular amount of confidence
They made /w the keys so might as well give it a proper look.

March 27th Winter
https://twitter.com/BeamdogInc/status/972175238321520640
http://store.steampowered.com/app/704450/Neverwinter_Nights_Enhanced_Edition/

It’s coming!
Now that it supports Steamworks multiplayer (right click join and stuff) and the Steam Workshop, I’m all for seeing what kind of mods people will make with the new stuff.

Onamonapia 2
http://steamcommunity.com/app/380750/discussions/0/2549465882933299668/

The first one was rough but had hella promise.
Currently finishing a new campaign.
Better get around to finishing this one.
I wonder if they’re going to hollow knight it and drop it as free DLC

Artifact
https://www.pcgamer.com/artifact-guide/

It’s DotAstone with a focus on “lanes”.
I like the whole, steering away from pay to win.
Hearthstone has always had a bit of that and it got worse as more and more expansions were released.
I’ll certainly give it a proper bash, if it comes out for on Linux.
And VALVe will have some ‘splainin to do if it doesn’t.
They’ve pulled out the big guns too. Richard Garfield, the guy who created Magic the Gathering, is working on this game.
It also seems like it’s going to be insanely complex, an MTG nerd’s wet dream

One Fist Man
http://store.steampowered.com/app/625680/Way_of_the_Passive_Fist/

I do like me a good brawler.
The defensive mechanic is also a neat little twist to the formula.
Block and dodge roll your way to victory…
I’m down for that.

Rocket Golf
http://store.steampowered.com/app/772480/Super_Inefficient_Golf

No online multi?
- Seriously. If you’re going to crib off of rocket league, at least do it properly
- How does it make sense to release another fucky physics golf game without online multiplayer?

Not even trying
http://store.steampowered.com/app/723450/Dragon_Hunt/
http://store.steampowered.com/app/706950/Chupacabra/

Did a new game-in-a-box pack get released in the Unity store?
I guess Linux support must be new because I remember seeing Jim Sterling playing some of these last year.
If you pay 200 bucks, you double your chances of getting bought, right?

News:

LLAP 1.1
https://www.pcper.com/reviews/General-Tech/Khronos-Group-Releases-Vulkan-11-and-SPIR-V-13

Explicit multi-GPU support, bitches.
Khronos is no longer merely playing catch-up: it’s now in a position to lead GPU design and capabilities.
Vulkan 1.1 enables the use of Microsoft’s HLSL shader programs.
This makes it easier for developers to move existing Direct3D code to Vulkan.
Yeah, with HLSL support and MoltenVK, Vulkan is now the thing you should be using to develop your 3D apps. No excuses
The other nifty thing being included is multiview support, which allows rendering the same thing from different angles more efficiently. Good for VR, as it addresses a gripe that Ickybutts had
The “API to rule them all” argument actually has legs to stand on!

Fullscreen Properly for a change
https://github.com/MrAlert/sdlcl

SDLCL now has complete API coverage!.
This definitely needs some testing, but if this works hopefully some of the older sdl1.2 games will be, how we say, playable?
OG Linux native of Neverwinter Nights now has sound!!1!
And being able to Fullscreen without having to resort to KWin window rules is a bonus.

Linux on your PS4
https://github.com/valentinbreiz/PS4-Linux-Loader

Currently only works with specific models of the OG PS4
Also requires some compilation of a couple other tools. Not the most user friendly thing, but for people who are interested in running linux on a ps4 it won’t stop them

PS4 on your Linux
https://rpcs3.net/blog/2018/03/06/progress-report-february-2018/

OOH! MGSVGZ progress. Come on guys, gimme something playable!
Also introduced is a gross looking tan theme
By the time I get around to picking up some PS3 games this thing will be 100%.
Quite a few games which were playable have reverted back to “In-game” status on accounts of the major changes they made.
They promise to talk more about that on the March report.
Still, there’s only 34 games in their database which don’t even start.

DECEIVER demo
https://linuxgameconsortium.com/linux-gaming-news/deceiver-shooter-now-kickstarter-demo-linux-64254/

I need to log in with a Itch account to play the demo?
Oh, you can FK right off.

CHAIRQUISITION:
– Nooope

– Not sure if want

– Check it out

– Shutupandtakemymonies

Game: Figment
Webzone: http://store.steampowered.com/app/493540/Figment/
Devel: Bedtime Digital Games
Engine: Unity
Price: £14.99 / US$19.99 / CA$21.99

Wazzat: Figment is an action-adventure game that invites you to explore a unique surreal universe filled with music, humor and multi layered narrative. Join Dusty and his ever-optimistic friend, Piper, on an adventure through the different sides of the mind seeking to restore the courage that’s been lost.

Mandatory Disclosure: Devs sent us keys through Curator Connect

Makes with the working

Venn-

Not going to blow it up for creating a MyGames folder.
Not the first Unity title to do it.

Jordan-

I don’t think I’ve ever had to work this hard to make a unity game work
2 stack traces and 30 minutes later tell me that

They don’t ship this game with a steam_appid.txt, which suppresses error messages
This game can’t deal with case insensitive file systems. Having two folders, ~/games and ~/Games will cause it to fail because it’ll only look for capitalized “Games” despite the fact it’s installed in lower case “games”. A symlink fixed that, but it’s a really stupid issue nobody should ever deal with

Pedro-

It creates a “My Games” folder on your home directory because fuck you and your non-English locale
Which is pretty ironic considering the game does support other languages, including Portuguese.
But even though it defaulted to Portuguese, the “press a key” screen was in Italian.
So much for coherence!
If I refuse to keep Snap packages installed because of that stupid folder it creates in my home directory, what makes you think I’m going to keep Figment installed?
Won’t keep it installed on the desktop, but if you have a Steam Box and you never see the home directory… I will allow it, in that scenario.

Total-

Shiny / Sounds

Venn-

It’s got musical numbers… that don’t completely suck.
Environments are nice colourful and bizzare.
Animation rigging for some characters is downright bad.
You never feel like you are in the environment, more like on it.
- Think Mario overworld map.

Jordan-

The spider villain dude is a bit Wiseau-esque in his performance
I kinda dig the boss musical numbers
The art design has a nice surreal tone to it as well

Pedro-

Even the bad voice acting seems fitting given the setting
If I had to give an example of a game with simple aesthetics which have plenty of charm to them, Figment would be it.
I also like how the music “changes” if you walk closer to one of the instrument plants.
It’s those rare occasions when the sound coming from the plant lines up with the background tune just right, that do it for me.

Total-

Control

Venn-

It’s spray-and-pray button layout that just happens to work well on the Steam Controlla.
Move, roll, boop all seem to work but nothing to get excited about.
However movement is a bit clunky and sticks to invisible rails.
Combat is a bit shite.
No impact attacks.

Jordan-

Everything works on the shiny new dualshock controller of shiny
The movement and rolling is pretty clunky though, and there are a few traps enemies can get you in

Pedro-

Can’t rebind the movement keys but the directional arrows on the keyboard work out of the box.
The 8Bitdo Controller worked out of the boxl.
And the Steam Controller worked out of the box, as well.
Not letting people rebind the movement keys would ding it a chair, but as it stands it seems to cater to control sticklers like myself by allowing all the different methods.

Total-

FUN

Venn-

Around the 70min mark the puzzles got a bit obtuse for me.
Something tells me this game gets hella dark later on.
I’m not ever going to find out because the puzzles have the added advantage of being hella repetitive.
Also, this game makes me angry.
If this game was in EA /w an estimated 2019 release I would be a bit excited.
Lot’s of promise in need of lots of polish.
Like onomatopoeia grapes of huge manatees this is a hard one to recommend at the price.

Jordan-

I didn’t hate this game
It’s got a cute surreal art direction and a passable attempt at humour and hints at something more sinister
However the gameplay is where this game falls apart
The puzzles are a tiny bit obtuse, but once you figure out that you basically need to recycle every item you pick up and have handy, it’s not as bad
This game could also severely benefit from a a map. Everything is linear and loops back in on itself, but after a while everything starts looking the same.

Pedro-

It’s by no means the worst puzzle game we’ve played.
The puzzles get a bit obtuse, yes.
Especially as you go into Clockwork Town but they’re not Talos Principle level obtuse.
They didn’t get me to quit the game out of frustration from knowing what I need to do but not being assed to do it.
Think of it as a game you would give a child.
Yes, there is the whole “family had a car accident” bit at the start, and the implication you may or may not be playing in one of the parents’ subconscious, but that’s gonna be a background thing as you play.
In fact, it’s the dark undertones and topical humor – yes, I caught the vaccine full of autism bit – that push the story in Figment to the point where I care.
I’ve talked about Narrative, Aesthetics & Mechanics thing but this game seems to be a solid split of good between all of them.
Good but not great.
And fuck that stupid monkey folder in its stupid monkey folder ass.

Total-

Final –

Hate Mail:

WINE
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https://wine-staging.com/news/2018-02-17-future-wine-staging.html