Linux Request sign up sheet

[Frogboy]

With the Vulkan work coming to an end, we are considering the port to Linux.

If you are interested in a Linux version, please sign here.

Update: 9/29/2019:
Ok we have it ported now. So good news and bad news. We have it running Debian and we presume it'll work on others. But the bad news is that the performance is just not acceptable. This is mainly due to the game being developed prior to Vulkan. It's all doable to fix but we don't have the budget to make those kinds of changes for one platform.

The difference based on the video card set up is pretty drastic too (not blaming any video card drivers here but the variance is pretty huge and would result in some unhappy people).

The good news is that Ashes II (and our other new titles) should, in theory, ship with Linux support off the bat thanks to this effort.

Those of you who are familiar with Stardock know we came from the OS/2 world back in the day so we are very much motivated to make our games work on Linux too. Just a matter of having enough resources to do it.

Thank you for your support on this. The sign up sheet helped us push through getting budget to do the initial port which should have benefits long-term for all our games not being so tied to Windows in the future.


Update: 12/28/2018:

We now have the core engine compiling under Debian Linux and running via Vulkan. We still have a long, long way to go but this is a major step. Thanks for your continued interest and support!

[Mad Scientist]

I'm game.

[x_wing]

Originally posted by Draginol:

BTW, I want to send a shout out to AMD who helped us with the Vulkan Linux support.

For curiosity: are you testing with radv, amdgpu-pro-vulkan or amdvlk?

[Frogboy]

Originally posted by x_wing:

Originally posted by Draginol:

BTW, I want to send a shout out to AMD who helped us with the Vulkan Linux support.

For curiosity: are you testing with radv, amdgpu-pro-vulkan or amdvlk?

No idea. I’ll try to find to find out. I’m a total Linux novice myself.

There is a lot of industry interest in Linux right now as a game platform. I am not at liberty to explain why but Vulkan is a real game changer.

[x_wing]

Originally posted by Draginol:

Originally posted by x_wing:

For curiosity: are you testing with radv, amdgpu-pro-vulkan or amdvlk?

No idea. I’ll try to find to find out. I’m a total Linux novice myself.

There is a lot of industry interest in Linux right now as a game platform. I am not at liberty to explain why but Vulkan is a real game changer.

radv --> open source vulkan implementation for AMD GPUs from Mesa libs (most used implementation by linux gamers and probably the most tested/recommended by other publishers)

amdgpu-pro-vulkan --> proprietary vulkan implementation for AMD GPUs made by AMD

amdvlk --> open source vulkan implementation made by AMD

If you ask me, radv is the way to go (even Valve has people working there). Anyway, I believe that there is no bad choices here, the API is one and if you follow it, most of the drivers should work (in theory).

[thetargos]

Very interesting and insightful bits of information. I deffinitely look forward playing this title natively. I really, really hope you will be able to provide crossplatform multiplayer.

Wlcome to the platform, whenever you have questions about Linux use, configuration or similar, or simply about Steam and Linux, make sure to post them over the Steam on Linux discussion, even if under a different account.

[Briggs]

Originally posted by Draginol:

There is a lot of industry interest in Linux right now as a game platform. I am not at liberty to explain why but Vulkan is a real game changer.

Good to hear! Thanks!

[boldos.cz [\\"BC]]

Originally posted by thetargos:

Wlcome to the platform, whenever you have questions about Linux use, configuration or similar, or simply about Steam and Linux, make sure to post them over the Steam on Linux discussion, even if under a different account.

Cheers to this!

[Liam]

Really happy to hear about the progress and see such open updates, thanks a lot :)

[l27]

Good enough for me. Bought the Humble Bundle and gave 100% to the devs.

[Omega]

Originally posted by Draginol:

I don't want to make any promises but...it's looking more and more like Linux will be arriving this year.

So here are some of the issues we have to deal with:

1. Performance. Vulkan on linux (driver wise) is...not very mature.

2. There are some differences in how memory management works that we're having to step through.

BTW, I want to send a shout out to AMD who helped us with the Vulkan Linux support.

But the good news is that it's compiling at least.

Whenever you mention our favorite OS/kernel the Linux community explodes, please keep doing it. We really need the attention.

[Briggs]

Originally posted by Nevertheless:

Originally posted by Draginol:

There is a lot of industry interest in Linux right now as a game platform. I am not at liberty to explain why but Vulkan is a real game changer.

You mean Linux as in desktop Linux (if permitted)?

I'm guessing the gaming industry as a whole isn't happy with the direction Microsoft is going and are looking for a way to put pressure on them. This is probably doubly true for PC-only or PC-almost-only game companies like Star Dock and Paradox. . .and ValvE (they might make console games, but the bulk of their revenue is from Steam).

Honestly, I doubt there is an initiative to bring about the promised Linux Destop Revolution, or even make Linux a major gaming platform. This is about strategic investments.

For what its worth, both Nintendo Switch and PS4 run on BSDs. OS X is a BSD too, and I'm guessing the reason for not targeting Mac is that (1) Apple is hard to work with and is always pulling stupid propriety/walled garden ♥♥♥♥ and (2) they are so damned expensive with terrible hardware you aren't going to get people to switch to Mac.

[Cxpher]

Originally posted by Krovoc:

Originally posted by Nevertheless:

You mean Linux as in desktop Linux (if permitted)?

I'm guessing the gaming industry as a whole isn't happy with the direction Microsoft is going and are looking for a way to put pressure on them. This is probably doubly true for PC-only or PC-almost-only game companies like Star Dock and Paradox. . .and ValvE (they might make console games, but the bulk of their revenue is from Steam).

Honestly, I doubt there is an initiative to bring about the promised Linux Destop Revolution, or even make Linux a major gaming platform. This is about strategic investments.

For what its worth, both Nintendo Switch and PS4 run on BSDs. OS X is a BSD too, and I'm guessing the reason for not targeting Mac is that (1) Apple is hard to work with and is always pulling stupid propriety/walled garden ♥♥♥♥ and (2) they are so damned expensive with terrible hardware you aren't going to get people to switch to Mac.

The only reason those companies use BSD is because of licensing. You don't need to ship your source code together.

It's not purely for technical reasons.

Going from one walled garden to another only serves to compound the problem. Not resolve it.

If you ask me, Microsoft is still a lesser evil than Apple.

[Briggs]

Originally posted by Cxpher:

Originally posted by Krovoc:

I'm guessing the gaming industry as a whole isn't happy with the direction Microsoft is going and are looking for a way to put pressure on them. This is probably doubly true for PC-only or PC-almost-only game companies like Star Dock and Paradox. . .and ValvE (they might make console games, but the bulk of their revenue is from Steam).

Honestly, I doubt there is an initiative to bring about the promised Linux Destop Revolution, or even make Linux a major gaming platform. This is about strategic investments.

For what its worth, both Nintendo Switch and PS4 run on BSDs. OS X is a BSD too, and I'm guessing the reason for not targeting Mac is that (1) Apple is hard to work with and is always pulling stupid propriety/walled garden ♥♥♥♥ and (2) they are so damned expensive with terrible hardware you aren't going to get people to switch to Mac.

Going from one walled garden to another only serves to compound the problem. Not resolve it.

If you ask me, Microsoft is still a lesser evil than Apple.

Which is what I said; hence why #1 was that apple is hard to work with and has their own issues. Also, I agree they are worse than MS.

I merely brought up BSD due to it also being a Unix-like OS, and also to point out why they WON'T choose Apple. The reason we're seeing games coming out for Linux without an accompanying OS X port is due to Apple having their heads so far up their asses.

The fact that two of the three consoles us a *nix system is a positive for me. Seems like it should reduce the issues of porting.

[thetargos]

Pedant correction: BSD is Unix. Only a different codebase to System V (sold bt Bell Labs), given to the University of California Berkely (hence Berkely Software Distribution). At any rate, the reason for going BSD, as pointed out, is license. The BSD does not require the source or modifications to be bundled.

[Briggs]

Originally posted by thetargos:

Pedant correction: BSD is Unix. Only a different codebase to System V (sold bt Bell Labs), given to the University of California Berkely (hence Berkely Software Distribution). At any rate, the reason for going BSD, as pointed out, is license. The BSD does not require the source or modifications to be bundled.

I don't know why people keep feeling the need to point that out. I never argued against it, nor said anything counter to that. Of course the reason to use a BSD is licencing.

Pedant Correction: BSD Unix is Unix. All others are Unix clones.