Re: Anyone on this list?

[Jan Ekholm <chakie@infa.abo.fi>]

On 29 Oct 2002, Ingo Ruhnke wrote:

>Jan Ekholm <chakie@infa.abo.fi> writes:
>
>> Maybe this list reflects the general state of open source game
>> development on Linux? Many games are started and developed until 50%
>> complete, then they collapse. Is it a matter of too eager and
>> unskilled developers, unrealistic projects, lack of time, immature
>> tools, bad libraries, lousy hardware support, horribly complex
>> installation issues, or what? Why does Linux not have as healthy an
>> underground gaming scene as other platforms?
>
>GNU/Linux does lack one thing, the gamers, everything else is there,
>even so it might not be in the perfect conditions, its good enough to
>get the job done.
>
>A few weeks ago I tried (and am still trying) to find a few beta
>testers for Pingus, but well, so far I haven't found a single
>beta-tester[1], but instead I got a gfx person and a few programmers.

I would test, but I have no machine capable of running moderinish games.
No 3D and slow (although crisp and good of quality) 2D, so it's no real
games machine.

>[1] Well, the few ones I found are programmers and already involved in
>    other projects. I havn't found a single casual gamer who would
>    send in some reports on the game play and on the levels.

Maybe you are right and there are few gamers? Those that play games
maybe play commercial ones, such as RTCW, Qx, UTx and by next fall, NWN. I
don't know, I don't play Linux games, as there are no games I like. The
hardcore strategy game market is small even on Windows, so it has to be
miniscule on Linux, and thus nobody really even develops pet strategy
games on Linux. The exception is the glorious FreeCiv. :)

-- 

  That's right," he said. "We're philosophers. We think, therefore we am.
                                             -- Terry Pratchett, Small Gods