Linux Game Cast 507: Pengy Nuggies

Linux usage spikes in the latest Steam hardware survey, Microsoft 3D Movie Maker goes open-source, RDNA3 GPUs have AV1 encoding powers, Persona 4 Golden gets Steam Deck verified, and Epic puts Fortnite in a browser.

Special thanks to:
Tom (new patron)
Large Mammal (new patron)
Mir (Vampire survivors x2)
Foxy (Grand Theft Horse 2)
Basil (twitch resub)

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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
06:14 Linux reaches 1.14%
10:19 Submit your Steam Deck configs
13:48 Dungeon Reels Tactics
16:08 Balkadia
19:18 Persona 4 Golden is Steam Deck Verified
28:02 AMD AV1 encoding
30:02 New features in Mango Hud
34:02 Space Station 14 updates
36:30 3D Movie Maker goes open-source
39:30 Epic & Microsoft put Fortnite in the browser
44:10 Shattered Pixel Dungeon
54:09 Emails

Colour key: Venn Jordan Pedro

Steam: News

New Dec Who dis

Out of all the new linux users, 1.82% were using “AMD AMD Custom GPU 0405”, which is the jupiter/aerith/aeris/sephiropth’spincushion APU in the deck
Looks like “Arch Linux” is our steamOS.
Either that or “Description:Freedesktop.org 21.08.12 (Flatpak runtime) 64 bit” which got almost a 6% use out of all linux users.
- That’s the flatpak version of Steam which a lot of people were using since everyone wanted to play EAC games, but many didn’t know why they weren’t working for them.
1.14% is nothing to sneeze at.
Considering Q2 shipments are still in the process of being fulfilled.
2% of peeps managed to trigger the survey in Desktop mode.
In game mode you don’t get the survey, so everyone that’s just using the Deck isn’t getting counted.
I wonder if this is what finally gets VALVe to cut the shit with the survey numbers?

Deck configs

The framework is in place.
The idea is solid, though I fear it may need some oversight lest some well intentioned idiots start over-promising performance numbers
- #worksonmydeck
This is at least a good way to communicate how long you can expect to play a given game on the deck. Hopefully valve will integrate something similar
Still gonna need that 3d printed deck battery caddy

Steam: New Games

Dungeon Reels Tactics

Oh craps
Replace your dice rolls with slot machines.
Apparently rewards are doled out in scratchers
I’ve often said D&D is just gambling with narrative stakes and HP instead of dollars, this seems to take that sentiment to its logical extreme
It’s enough of a difference in how the RNG is delivered that I actually thought it might be interesting.
Unless you don’t like your turn-based games

Balkadia

Slavic Super Castlevania
Has a demo with the first three levels
It says it came out on the 28th but I don’t remember seeing it on the new releases list for Linux native.
Was the Linux version a late addition?
Tried the demo.
Get ready to remap the controller. It’s Unity so go figure on that one.
It launches and the tutorial lets you know what you’re getting.
Somebody’s first gaming project.

Steam: Game Updates

Persona on Deck

Well, everybody’s 200+ hour JRPG dating sim is now on it’s second handheld ever
I’m always down for more jrpgs,
Took a look and SEGA is not fkn around with getting their games on Deck.
Bayonetta and several other lesser titles are ready to go.
Yakuza 0 was alright until it turned into a realestate sim.

News:

AMD AV1?

AV1 encodes for AMD and Intel.
That would be nice.
Might explain the “get it done yesterday” hevc work being done in OBS ATM.
Nvidia is going to have to do something.
Folks seem to be hoping that hardware AV1 encode is gonna be a surprise last minute addition
Looks like Phoronix jumped the gun again and the internet took it at face value
It seems the AV1 bits came a bit later.

Fresh Mango

You can replace the percent amount with a battery icon.
Shows if the GPU is throttling because hot, low power, lack of mayo.
You can keep an eye on the battery of your controller of choice, that’s very nice!
And an FPS only mode like mode 1 on the Deck

Space Station 14 updates

They did a network stress test that capped out at about 250 concurrent players.
They have overhead, but they also had some rubberbanding issues that they’re working on
They legit added space AIDS
Grenada Penguins
Among us mode
3 new maps

3D Movie Maker

https://twitter.com/Foone/status/1521574394761383936

BRender was used for the first two Carmageddon games.
I need someone to get a Linux version of Croc going, please
I could never finish that game because there was a pretty severe bug with certain versions of the Saturn, where you just couldn’t finish the 3rd or 4th level from the end.
Good luck to the brave souls who’re gonna try and get this building on modern shit
Apparently it is very well documented

Fork Knife

As someone in the bleachers with mah popcorn yeah, I can appreciate the onefuckmanship.
Xbox streaming servers were a smoldering crater on Friday.
First realworld load test for xcloud gaming didn’t go so well.
You gotta bet some of the old guard at microsoft had big shit eating grins when this got announced
If you’re average fortnite player is used to playing with touch controls or a controller, I’m pretty sure the latency from streaming isn’t gonna affect the experience too much
Yes, you can play Fortnite on your Deck.
I still think you shouldn’t, because I refuse to touch anything Tim Sweeney does lately.
But that’s my particular hateboner.

CHAIRQUISITION:
– Nooope
– Not sure if want
– Check it out
– Shutupandtakemymonies

Game: Shattered Pixel Dungeon
Webzone: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1769170/Shattered_Pixel_Dungeon/
Devel: Shattered Pixel
Engine: libGDX

Price: £7.19 / $9.99 / $11.49

Wazzat: Shattered Pixel Dungeon is a traditional roguelike dungeon crawler that’s simple to start but hard to master! Every game is a unique challenge, with four different heroes, randomized levels and enemies, and hundreds of items to collect and use.

Mandatory Disclosure: Dev sent us keys / Open Sauce

Venn:

Launch/Looks/Sounds/Control

Launches OOTB.
3060 was able to handle this graphical juggernaut at 2160p.
Windowed and fullscreen but windowed mode is choose your own adventure.
Options for UI scaling.
Makes a few beeps and boops anlong with a serviceable soundtrack.

Fun?

What can I say about Shattered Pixel Dungeon?
It’s based on the source code of Pixel Dungeon, by Watabou.
In fact, if you have played the original Pixel Dungeon you have played Shattered Pixel Dungeon.
It’s a traditional roguelike game with pixel-art graphics and simple interface designed for mobile devices.
It’s even available on Steam for $4.99.
It’s rather difficult and the game straight up tell you that at the beginning.
I died a lot but that’s normal.
Yeah, agree with Jordan, it’s nethack with a hipster-pixel makeover.
That’s not a bad thing if you’re into that kind of gameplay but it’s not my jam.
I tried this on mah tablet and I could see how a bit of idle fun could be extracted from it.
Has a lot going on for a mobile game.
On the desktop I have bigger and better distractions.
That, and I’m not a fan of the genre and this did nothing to change that.
Pick it up for $9 if it’s your jam and you want to support the continued development.

Jordan:

Launch/Looks/Sounds/Control

Launches OOTB
Holds 60@ “Fullscreen”
No resolution options for windowed mode, but you can drag your window size
- And then the game seizes hilariously as it tries to reset it’s resolution
The sprites are all clear and visible, no sense of character blindness
The soundtrack is just ok

Fun?

It’s nethack
Nothing wrong with nethack, but this game exists in a billion forms
So the question then becomes: Is this person’s version of nethack worth your ten bucks when Vulture’s Eye/Claw exists
It’s not lazily done. Each of the four classes have their own gimmick, although I’m not a fan of having to unlock them by throwing stuff, upgrading stuff or shooting stuff
The Mage is about managing charge, the thief can turn invisible and the archer can shooty shoot-shoot. And then there’s the fighter. He smack Nothing too groundbreaking
If you really like rogue or nethack and just love playing different ones, I’d say maybe give this a look. But if you’re hoping for something mindblowing its just not gonna do ya
If this is your first roguelike, that’s it. That’s the game
Unrelated to the quality of the game, it’s cool that Evan open sourced it. Makes sure that it’ll stay alive long after he does

Pedro:

Launch/Looks/Sounds/Control

Launches out of the box
Holds 144 at 2560×1440 and vsyncs correctly to whatever refresh rate you set the Deck to.
Controller support is kinda meh, right analog stick for the mouse cursor and start to mimic the escape button with the usual movement arrangement
You really want a mouse or, more appropriately, a touchscreen for this.
Yes, this game was available on Android for a long time before it came out on Steam.
That’s actually where I played most of it.
The graphics are passable
But I do like the music, something about the music just sounds appropriately roguelike-ish.

Fun?

And yes, it is a roguelike.
It is possibly the most Rogue-like of the current breed of roguelikes which have been coming lately.
And I like this particular genre, even if I’m not very good at it.
Pixel Dungeon falls very much into the pool of derivative works which improve on the original without expanding or jumping off it in any significant way.
Some would describe that as uninspired, but I think there is merit to be had when taking something you liked but could very much see its flaws and improve on it.
And Pixel Dungeon takes what Rogue did and improves it without changing anything in any overt way.

Verdict:

Venn:
Jordan:
Pedro:

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