LinuxGameCast Weekly 302: Osteoferocious

SEGA Classics come to Linux! Steam releases them digits, Atari VCS Specs revealed and Feral adds another game to their ridiculous radar… thingy. Then Albion Online faces the ChairQAsition!

All this, plus your hate mail!

Special tanks to:
Freso (increased pledge)

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Colour key: Venn Jordan Pedro


Steam News:

Valve time
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/valve-patches-security-bug-that-existed-in-steam-client-for-the-past-ten-years/

  • Buffer overflows are part and parcel of programming in C(++).
  • Ah malformed UDP requests.
  • Valve added ALSR a last year, which makes this sort of attack more difficult. Up until now you’d need to use some other exploit to reveal memory locations

Time of the month
https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/?platform=linux

  • 125 mil * 0.57% == 720,000 Linux humans
  • And that number right there is why every indie developer needs to at least consider a Linux port hard as they FKN can.
  • Why? Because 1% rule.
  • Yeah, realistically you’re looking at 7,200 potential sales.
  • Granted, your game can’t be complete shite because the days of buying something just because it supports Linux is LONG gone.
  • “Historically, the survey used a client-side method to ensure that systems were counted only once per year, in order to provide an accurate picture of the entire Steam user population.”
    • Oh! Is that how it works?
  • The 1060 is still king of the GPUs, because of course it is.
  • Let’s play a game. When was the last time you got a survey?
  • They have the real numbers, they just don’t release them. Why not just make the survey a dynamically updated inventory? Add being counted as part of the TOS and include an opt out.

Steam: Game Updates

RIP Beta
https://steamdb.info/app/223530/history/

  • In the far distant moon future, we’ll get left4brad on source2 when someone at valve gets bored enough to release something with it
  • Seriously, WHAR L4B2.5 on Source 2?
    • ^
  • I liked those screenshots they used to advertise Source 2.
  • Could be that they’re releasing it, that’s why the beta is now gone, but I’m far too jaded to believe that until I see it.

Lin-ux♬
https://steamcommunity.com/games/34270/announcements/detail/1674656328580811757

  • Oh, that looks neat let me yoink a cop… $29.99!??
    • 35 in Canada
  • I guess that’s not a bad deal for 59 licensed SEGA titles.
  • Multiplayer has me curious, Sonic 2 anyone?
    • That would make for a fun stream, just saying.
    • Or golden axe. That’d be fun too
      • ^
  • Sooo, do individual games have the Linux support?
  • I’m guessing the individual games are just like “on disc” DLC.
  • There’s some people who’ve had to allow the game through the Firewall, so it can check Steam to see if you own the games.
  • There’s also a bunch of people who are getting a missing executable error.
  • Works fine here, though I only have 2 which were in a Humble Bundle a fear years back.
  • By all accounts multiplayer is jacked to hell up.
  • That and it only support rando matchmaking.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar
https://store.steampowered.com/app/451020/Battle_Chasers_Nightwar/

  • THQ Nordic is pretty good about getting out Linux releases, eventually.
  • I’m pretty interested in checking this game out.
  • It’ll probably devolve straight into a grindfest, but it could be an enjoyable one
  • Looks pretty at least
  • I am really curious about this one.
  • I have been since the game originally came out and now that it’s on the Linuxes, I will certainly buy it if the devs don’t reply to email about getting us some keys.

POSTAL Redux
https://steamcommunity.com/games/401680/announcements/detail/1674656328581975533

  • Now with less pixels.
  • And you can actually see the characters in Deathmatch unlike the mess of HP bars and player names it was before.

Dying DROP #10
https://steamcommunity.com/games/239140/announcements/detail/1656641930087432490
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ6h284W6U4

  • How long until we get a battle royale mode?
  • Because let’s face it, we’re never getting Fortnite, Day-Z, or PUB-G.
  • This is a buggy skin along with a shotgun, crossbow and machete variants.

Wild World West
https://steamcommunity.com/games/530020/announcements/detail/1675782228464300344

  • Well, they certainly have been busy
  • Lots of performance improvements have been made and a bunch of map and geometry bugs have been fixed
  • However, we had a lot of issues with controls back when we took a crack at it.
  • I wonder if dualshocks work with the game now.
  • Now in moon Portuguese!

Steam: New Games

So you wanna build a
https://store.steampowered.com/app/742170/Dr_Franks_Build_a_Boyfriend/

  • Well, now that porny games aren’t being targeted, here’s a rocky horror prequel
  • Frankenstein? More like Donk-enstein.
    • …Right?
  • Build your own boyfriend dating sim… We haven’t hit peak dating sim yet, but we’re getting there.

Die for Valhalla
https://store.steampowered.com/app/606000/Die_for_Valhalla/

  • Vikingthulhu themed side scrolling beat em up
  • They have a regular and roguelike mode
  • Local multiplayer only. Come on guys. The steam couch experience isn’t usually one you have friends over for. Or maybe nobody wants to hang out with us

Super Dashmatch
https://store.steampowered.com/app/750420/Super_Dashmatch/

  • Ram your opponents off a rubix cube: the game
  • Prepare for any multiplayer victories in this game to be punctuated by people screaming “circle gets the square”

MachiaVillain (RTheren)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/555510/MachiaVillain/

  • Spooky Prison Architect.

News:

Atari specs revealed
https://wccftech.com/atari-vcs-specs-bristol-ridge-radeon-r7/

  • Bristol Ridge APU.
  • 4GB RAM.
  • The regular unit is $200.
  • You can pay $100 more for ‘exclusivity’ and some wood stuck to the front.
  • Looks like they’re trying to make an x86 based nvidia shield
  • Specs are decent enough to play most of the couchy games on linux.
  • How do you think they’ll handle distribution though? Ataristore?
  • And remember kids, it’s on IndieGoGo because Kickstarter requires you to actually have a functioning prototype.
  • This FKR only exists as renders and unicorn farts.
  • Something tells me even a year from now, it will be not much closer to a proper release than it is now.

TDM 2.06
https://www.moddb.com/mods/the-dark-mod/news/the-dark-mod-206-is-here
http://www.thedarkmod.com/download-the-mod/

  • Runs, has that going for it.
  • Noticeably faster but that’s not saying a whole lot since it previously ran like poop.
  • It can now hold a solid 60+ @ 1080.
  • YAY performance!
  • And eating food restores health properly!

Cryptic Feral Bullsh*t
https://www.feralinteractive.com/en/upcoming/

  • Yeah, I’m over this so hard it burns.
  • BTW, it’s Hellblade.
  • Ha! Just kidding or am i
  • Probably dome Total Snore business or something from the Squeenix backlog that’s not FF.
  • Hellblade would be cool. I really hope it isn’t that crappy Dante’s inferno game
  • I wonder who in marketing insists this is a good idea?

Unity gets Feral
https://twitter.com/mdiluz

  • Interesting move.
  • Makes sense if his passion is Linux game development.
    • Yeah, plus working directly on an engine is probably a lot more satisfying than trying to kitbash things into working under mac and linux
  • Still wish ROTT was in better shape before his departure.
  • So does this mean Vulkan on unity is going to get better or worse?

Compile (foxy)
https://github.com/dpt/The-Great-Escape
https://github.com/dpt/The-Great-Escape-in-C

  • Dude decompiled it and ported it to C.
  • Builds for Win / MAC.
  • CLang builds are linked against a stub of the main() function, so that won’t run on Linux.

CHAIRQASITION:
CHAIR– Nooope

CHAIRCHAIR– Not sure if want

CHAIRCHAIRCHAIR– Check it out

CHAIRCHAIRCHAIRCHAIR– Shutupandtakemymonies


Game: Albion Online
Webzone: Albion_Online
Devel: Sandbox Interactive GmbH
Engine: Unity
Price: £21.95 / US$29.95 / CA$40.95 (Talk about regional pricing!)

Wazzat: Albion Online is a fantasy sandbox MMORPG featuring a player-driven economy, classless combat system, and intense PvP battles. Explore a vast open world full of danger and opportunity. Grow your wealth, forge alliances, and leave your mark on the world of Albion.

Mandatory Disclosure: Pennywise bought us copies


Makes with the working

Venn- CHAIR

Jordan-CHAIRCHAIR

  • I ran into the exact same issue Venn did. The “solution” of using the patched client didn’t work.
  • However, there is a flatpak version that does
  • I checked, the steam version and the paid version have different licenses.
  • There isn’t a way to transfer accounts from steam to standalone and vice versa
  • So I went and spent 40 bucks for the base game.
  • Cuz I’m mildy attached to you guys.

Pedro-CHAIRCHAIRCHAIRCHAIR

  • Worked out of the box here.
  • Holds 60 at UHD.
  • The Steam version also picked up on my old beta account and gave me access to my character from then.

Total-CHAIRCHAIR


Shiny / Sounds

Venn-CHAIRN/A

Jordan-CHAIRCHAIR

  • These are some mid-2000s ass sprites
  • Everything looks distinct enough, I guess. I can tell different types of trees apart. John Cleese would be proud
  • There is some music. I’d be hard pressed to tell you what I thought about it as it sort of drifted into the background of my fugue state

Pedro-CHAIRCHAIRCHAIR

  • Low poly cell shaded graphics.
  • The music is sparse and non intrusive.
  • If I had to pick at the nits I’d say it’s hard to tell things apart.
  • All the stores are some combination of brown and grey.
  • You will lose track of your character regardless.
  • Enemies run up to you until they’re occupying the same physical space as your character.
  • All in all, it’s not terrible.

Total-CHAIRCHAIR


Control

Venn-CHAIRN/A

Jordan-CHAIRCHAIRCHAIR

  • Pathfinding in this game can eabod
  • I’m with pedro. I too’d like to see a rotating camera.

Pedro-CHAIRCHAIRCHAIRCHAIR

  • The only complaint I have in controls is the lack of a rotating camera.
  • But, and this is a really nice plump butt, the game takes the fixed position camera and makes it really easy to keep track of where you came from and where you need to go.
  • It’s not a pointless gimmicky limitation, it’s a design choice.

Total-CHAIRCHAIR


FUN

Venn-CHAIRN/A

Jordan-CHAIRCHAIR

  • I never really got into runescape back in the day.
  • I had a lot of friends who played it, and they seemed to like it, but I couldn’t really grok it
  • Age hasn’t given me the ability to appreciate these sorts of games
  • You run around, gather resources, kill villagers, fulfil quotas to unlock gear in order to fulfil more quotas to unlock better gear
  • I’m down for a grindfest, but this has to be the right kind of grinding. Like diving through horrible dungeon after dungeon or making cute monsters fight for my amusement
  • This does neither. Select an thing, and wait. Sometimes you press a button or click on other things. There’s not really all that much getting me invested here

Pedro- CHAIRCHAIRCHAIR

  • It’s an MMO.
  • It’s an MMO from the Runescape school of MMOs.
  • But unlike the inspiration it wears on its sleeve, it’s not boring as all fuck
  • Quite the opposite.
  • Now, don’t get me wrong. This isn’t the best MMO out there, imnsho.
  • That’s still Neverwinter Online.
  • But if it weren’t for the over-reliance in the crafting and basically ensuring you fucking have to do menial fucking chores to get better loot, this would actually be a very good MMO.
  • As it is, it’s still good. But there’s enough grinding going on here to make the average night club look like it respects your personal space.

Total-CHAIR


Final –CHAIR


Hate Mail:

Nepe
https://linuxgamecast.com/bradley/?cUU2izw
https://store.steampowered.com/app/789570/Nepenthe/

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