Linux Support Required - Game Development Chat Ensued

[Brune]

Although I am currently on Windows I am planning for the future and trying to only buy Linux titles. That's all that is stopping me. I want to be able to play this if I decide to go to Linux as a full desktop solution. (I've done this before and backed out because the lack of video games, no one wants urban terror all day.)

Anyways it would be great to get linux support.
Thanks.

[UbuntuIsFriendly]

+1

[droqen]

Linux support exists, but it is not yet integrated with Steam! However, it relies on AIR currently -- which I've just learned is totally not compatible with some flavours of Linux.

A friend of mine is helping me out, and we're going to get the Linux build onto Steam soon :)

[UbuntuIsFriendly]

Awesome! Thanks for the quick reply. Best of luck.

[Brune]

Originally posted by droqen:

Linux support exists, but it is not yet integrated with Steam! However, it relies on AIR currently -- which I've just learned is totally not compatible with some flavours of Linux.

A friend of mine is helping me out, and we're going to get the Linux build onto Steam soon :)

Yes, a lot of adobe products are not supported on linux. I always recommend things like SFML or even unity3D over flash or air

[Philip550c]

cool

[UbuntuIsFriendly]

Originally posted by Mr. Fishy:

Yes, a lot of adobe products are not supported on linux. I always recommend things like SFML or even unity3D over flash or air

I know very little, but why SFML over SDL?

[Brune]

Originally posted by UbuntuIsFriendly:

Originally posted by Mr. Fishy:

Yes, a lot of adobe products are not supported on linux. I always recommend things like SFML or even unity3D over flash or air

I know very little, but why SFML over SDL?

I like C++ and SFML is very geared toward being C++-like where SDL is more like C. Also unless you are doing something not for a PC platform (win,lin,mac) then SDL really doesn't have any features or portability than SFML as well SFML is far easier to understand and allows you to write a lot quicker.

So this all said I've noticed a lot of indie games become a success when their game designs are great and packed with awesome things (such as Starseed Pilgrim) instead of written with the "Best" api choice. Look at all the great games that use XNA, Flash or even Air. While you won't find any major game studio using these technologies you see a lot of indie studios use them because they are easy and provide a decent result in a smaller amount of time than it would to take writting it in say C++ using only the DirectX api.

Look at how many games on steam actually use game maker or such, there are actually a few which shocked me because they aren't the most optimal.

With all this said it's simple to me. While making games no longer requires full fledged programmers. In fact if you grabbed a copy of game maker you could probably end up with a great game by the end of the quarter, if that. If might be compatable with windows only, it might not run the smoothest on a 1 core 1GHZ machine with 1GB ram but it will run on most modern gaming computers and thats where the indie market is really at to be honest.

So I'd recommend that if you want to be a programmer, start with SFML to write a game engine from stratch. If you want to be a game programmer grab a few game engines and get to know them really well. If you want to be a game designer/creator grab the easiest thing for you. Flash, Air, Unity, Game/RPG Maker and start messing around with mechanics of a game.

Hope this helps.

[UbuntuIsFriendly]

Thanks, Mr. Fishy. That does help. I learned C++ without having learned C so if I did get into game programming, it sounds like SFML would indeed be the way to go for me. I often find myself too worried about micro-optimizing and in the end I might have made a better program if I wrote in a different language (or learning not to focus on useless optimizations). It's interesting to see which games use what. In the end, it sounds like the ideas and game design are the most important.

[Brune]

Originally posted by UbuntuIsFriendly:

Thanks, Mr. Fishy. That does help. I learned C++ without having learned C so if I did get into game programming, it sounds like SFML would indeed be the way to go for me. I often find myself too worried about micro-optimizing and in the end I might have made a better program if I wrote in a different language (or learning not to focus on useless optimizations). It's interesting to see which games use what. In the end, it sounds like the ideas and game design are the most important.

Yeah this is one of my own faults as well. I don't know game design that well. A lot of times I take board games and turn them into computer games. Which means a lot of the time I have to deal with networking. Save optimization for networking. Always.

[UbuntuIsFriendly]

Originally posted by Mr. Fishy:

Yeah this is one of my own faults as well. I don't know game design that well. A lot of times I take board games and turn them into computer games. Which means a lot of the time I have to deal with networking. Save optimization for networking. Always.

I've never had to deal with networking but that sounds like great advice. I will remember that. Thanks.

[Brune]

Originally posted by UbuntuIsFriendly:

Originally posted by Mr. Fishy:

Yeah this is one of my own faults as well. I don't know game design that well. A lot of times I take board games and turn them into computer games. Which means a lot of the time I have to deal with networking. Save optimization for networking. Always.

I've never had to deal with networking but that sounds like great advice. I will remember that. Thanks.

Well it sounds like you are getting more into SFML a basic SFML game I wrote is on github at https://github.com/MJBrune/diggy

If you are going to get started on SFML I recommend a nightly pre-compiled build http://sfml.my-gate.net/nightly/ as sfml 2.0 RC is about a year old and sfml 2.0 is about to fully release within the month. This way if you want to shift over to the newest full release then it won't be too painful but you could still use the RC if you would like. (don't use 1.6 whatever you do.)

Also some documentation to help you out:

A basic game engine is a great outline for what you want a simple read of it while on the bus really helpped me a lot https://github.com/LaurentGomila/SFML/wiki/Tutorial%3A-Basic-Game-Engine

Also http://www.sfml-dev.org/documentation/2.0/ the official sfml 2.0 documentation for reference.

Let me know if you have any questions.

[danly]

Originally posted by Mr. Fishy:

Although I am currently on Windows I am planning for the future and trying to only buy Linux titles.

+1

This is the strategy I've undertaken. With over a thousand games purchased legitimately I needed an arbitrary metric by which I could limit the in-flow and thus focus closely on enjoying those which I already own.

This had the fantastic side-effect that I've begun gaming a whole lot more, by virtue of installing Steam on my laptops (which only run Linux)! So much enjoyment has been had in SPAZ and others... I had no idea what I was neglecting.

[danly]

Originally posted by Mr. Fishy:

Yes, a lot of adobe products are not supported on linux. I always recommend things like SFML or even unity3D over flash or air

I prefer Allegro, which has improved immensely since it underwent a total rewrite for the 5.0 release.

Unlike SFML it's pure C, making it a dream to bind with other languages, and unlike SDL2 it provides just a wee bit higher level functionality that let's you get to making content faster. It provides this without sacrificing functionality, at any point you can gain access to the low-level data and manipulate it as you would without utilizing Allegro.

Sweet bliss.

Oh, and I'm biased, having first written games with it back when I was still writing code in DOS Edit and building with DJGPP. ;)

[UbuntuIsFriendly]

Originally posted by Mr. Fishy:

Originally posted by UbuntuIsFriendly:

I've never had to deal with networking but that sounds like great advice. I will remember that. Thanks.

Well it sounds like you are getting more into SFML a basic SFML game I wrote is on github at https://github.com/MJBrune/diggy

If you are going to get started on SFML I recommend a nightly pre-compiled build http://sfml.my-gate.net/nightly/ as sfml 2.0 RC is about a year old and sfml 2.0 is about to fully release within the month. This way if you want to shift over to the newest full release then it won't be too painful but you could still use the RC if you would like. (don't use 1.6 whatever you do.)

Also some documentation to help you out:

A basic game engine is a great outline for what you want a simple read of it while on the bus really helpped me a lot https://github.com/LaurentGomila/SFML/wiki/Tutorial%3A-Basic-Game-Engine

Also http://www.sfml-dev.org/documentation/2.0/ the official sfml 2.0 documentation for reference.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks Mr. Fishy, it would be a while before I'm able to get to this. But it would be nice one day to give it a shot. I appreciate the help and explanations.

[Brune]

Originally posted by danly:

Originally posted by Mr. Fishy:

Yes, a lot of adobe products are not supported on linux. I always recommend things like SFML or even unity3D over flash or air

I prefer Allegro, which has improved immensely since it underwent a total rewrite for the 5.0 release.

Unlike SFML it's pure C, making it a dream to bind with other languages, and unlike SDL2 it provides just a wee bit higher level functionality that let's you get to making content faster. It provides this without sacrificing functionality, at any point you can gain access to the low-level data and manipulate it as you would without utilizing Allegro.

Sweet bliss.

Oh, and I'm biased, having first written games with it back when I was still writing code in DOS Edit and building with DJGPP. ;)

I haven't tried Allegro but how is the documentation? any great jumping off points?

Originally posted by UbuntuIsFriendly:

Originally posted by Mr. Fishy:

snip.

Thanks Mr. Fishy, it would be a while before I'm able to get to this. But it would be nice one day to give it a shot. I appreciate the help and explanations.

Not a problem I wish I could help more.