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Linux Software

Holiday Games For Linux 48

Posted by Hemos from the fun-with-the-penguins dept.
Mark Cappel writes "Here's a holiday guide to games for Linux, published by Linuxworld.com. Share and enjoy." The only game on there that I know some people have been playing is Tetrinet. I've been playing with SC3U quite a bit lately - I highly recommend it.
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Holiday Games For Linux More

Holiday Games For Linux

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  • It's interesting that Q3A is missing from the list, since Linux Journal readers voted it number 1 by a massive margin. I'd probably replace Heavy Gear II in the list. Your Opinion may differ. Soldier of Fortune is on the list though, and for the online gaming, it does seem to be better than Q3A, despite the older ( read Quake 2 ) technology.

    A number of people have commented that Linux could be an excellent online gaming machine. I have to disagree, and say that it already is. I've run a number of First Person Shoot-Em-Ups recently on my machine ( Deus Ex / UT / Half Life under Win98, SoF / Heavy Gear II / Quake3 under Linux ), and I'm convinced that the Linux games are smoother than their windows equivalents, and faster online.

    On top of that, an event like new email arriving in pine doesn't seem to have the same effect on my Frame rate as a new Outlook mail.

    I hope that more companies will start to migrate their games over, especially now that many are based on the same engine ( the Quake, Quake2, Unreal Tournament and Quake 3 engines are already ported) and can't be to difficult to move over


  • ... because Linux is such a kick-ass gaming environment.

    In all honesty, I think the state of Linux gaming is pathetic when compared to Windows. Unfortunately, I love Linux, but I can only play very few first person shooter games under Linux.

    ... Anyways, articles like this are kinda insignificant... just look at the number of comments in the thread.

  • Also check out the SDL game list (Score:5)

    by Mawbid ( 3993 ) on Tuesday December 19, 2000 @08:44AM (#548330)
    Here [libsdl.org] it is.

    I really enjoyed Chromium B.S.U. (screenshot [reptilelabour.com]).
    --

  • I just bought Theocracy from TuxGames (produced by UbiSoft). I am having quite a bit of fun with it. I feel that it hasn't gotten the press it deserves.

    -Dave
  • The BEST (Most addictive game for me) has got to be freeciv..
    I used to have a sexlife, but then I discovered multiplayer FreeCiv.

    Oh well, my Ex is better off without me..

  • You guys are dealers because I actually had to ask for the link.

    When I'm addicted, I'm a pusher because I encourage others.

  • Hey! Its not fair to say its that addictive and not provide a link.

  • There are plenty out there that work well.. Take for example my favourate, Half-Life - my howto here [linuxgames.com].

    I hear that Tribes 1 also runs well under wine, but im yet to try it out. More available "wine success stories for games" are available here [linuxgames.com]. Although its slightly outdated.

    Have fun with your games under linux! I know that I do!


    "Who is General Failure and why is he reading my hard disk ?"

  • Or...... you could purchase a cheap copy of Windows 98 SE (or burn one off your friends) and grab a few copies of American McGee's Alice, NHL 2001, Giants Citizen Kabuto...
  • The problem is that linux games are usually so difficult to get installed but if we had a simple interface for loading games, playing games, saving and loading states and the games were run in something like a large romfile which would be compressed tar gzipped and then when you installed it expanded but essentially run in something like a tar it would gain popularity. Of course it would have to be a standard people would have to agree on and the standard would have to be upgraded to take advantage of new hardware. Sure you wouldnt be able to take full advantage of everything but at least youd decrease your susceptability to crashes, etc and code efficency and innovation would go up as you would have to do more with less. This is why console games are so much better, it forced people to think about more creative efficent solutions rather than throwing more hardware at it.

  • So name him Jeremiah. Why bastardize it into "Jeremy"?

    Because people are stupid.

    My name is "Lawrence". It's not especially difficult.

    So, besides the British spelling, "Laurence", there are several variations that the inept routinely manage to throw at me:

    Lawerence (which was once engraved on an Employee of the Month plaque)

    Lawrance

    Lawren / Lauren

    Florence (which came on an emergency replacement Mastercard and rendered it totally useless)

    Even my last name, which, as an Anglo-Saxon four-letter combination, still manages to confound.

    So, what would happen to Jeremiah?

    Even more so, I pity all the Mikes of the world. "Micheal" is the common mis-step. And, despite the fact that it's a very common name, my roommate and best friend often sees his name as "Mikeal", "Mikel" and "Michel" (Mike isn't French).

    I assume, from this, that you have either a very simple moniker, or you simply don't care when someone butchers it.

    I once knew a "Daugavietis". Poor guy.


  • King Jeremy, The Wicked? Did you speak in class today?

    Hey! Don't make fun. If I had a son, I'd name him Jeremy. It's a cool name. It's from the Hebrew name "Jeremiah", and it means "exalted". It's a good subliminal ego-builder.

  • There is only a handful of games on this list that either are painfuly lame or have been on windows for a year or more.

    When are you jackoffs going to give it up and just run windows? Does everything in your empty lives have to be a political statement?

  • Emulated Half-Life [sourceforge.net]

    plus

    Counter-Strike [counter-strike.net]!

    The number 1 multiplayer fps runs under Linux!

  • >Seriously, if people don't buy for-linux games, they are going to dissapear. I myself have been guilty of this, and I am going to rectify this.

    I too made that decision and that works fine for me cuz I know what I want and where I can get it, but as for getting a present, that's another matter. Before the sad news that Tribes 2 was delayed until next year I was hyping everyone I knew to get it for me. I'm probably more lucky that I'll have to buy it for myself. My wife would never go online to Loki's site and get it, and I don't know if she'd realize there's a difference from the Windows version anyway.

    Then just yesterday I got a gift certificate to Media Play and thought I'd pick of SOF or something (can't get CDs or movies thanks to the MPAA and RIAA), but they don't stock Loki games either. Even though the installed base of Linux on the desktop is higher than Mac (or so I heard on /.), they did carry a number of Mac titles. I think the difference there is that Mac users are used to spending money on software and the graphics support is a lot easier to configure. Hey, I played Quake on my Voodoo card and know the pain in the butt that was. I think X 4.0 will go a long way to help that.

    And looking through the list, I see a lot of games that could really make for some fun. I see Linux games really being a major playing in 1-2 years.
  • You wouldn't happen to work for the Complaints division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation, would you?

    --

  • I'll do my best to stay on topic here. I got some games for myself because none of my friend use linux and I'm not going to force them so I came up with something new. How about giving Linux, not force them but having that little box beside there computer would make them what to try it. Or the what about the joy of showing people what you use. What with some Dragon Linux, WinLinux 2000 or even DemoLinux making it so they can look at it then uninstall it. I want to do stuff like this so the next year I could buy them Linux games. =)

    As for me I paid for Sim City 3000 and Myth II. Myth II was at a 75% discount(that was cut down to $10!)... Linux and some free games are the only thing I'm going to get my friends for X-mas because...They are both free and I like giving this time of the year. Besides people already think you are crazy for using Linux. So giving them a copy of it is not going to make you any diffirent right? =/


    Demo Linux:
    www.demolinux.org

    WinLinux 2000:
    http://www.winlinux.net/

    DragonLinux:
    http://www.dragonlinux.org/
  • Well its not just loki that people look at to see how successful linux game are. CompUSA looks, the distributor looks, etc.

    If people think they can make money from porting over the software, they will, however, most linux people are reluctant to pay for any piece of software, and it shows w/ the lack of commercially available software. (games, apps, utilities, web sites, etc)
  • Saw this story on NewsForge earlier today, and I'm glad I checked it out.

    Tux Racer is a great game...I first tried it out a month ago and was stunned. The detailed 3D graphics add to the game though the basic game play and sound are the real winners. Tux Racer is a direct, simple, and obvious game that is a real challenge.

    I'm using it as the 'teaser' on a machine I setup for a friend's son who is an avid snow boarder.

  • Too bad they didn't include my GLtron [gltron.org] in the list. but well, I didn't release anything new for the last 8 months.

    But NOW, a new beta is available (precompiled for win32/mac) and I hope to get the new release done before christmas, of course the source is in CVS for everyone.

    - Andreas

  • X-Blast is one of the most addictive games, and one of the best games available on Linux. - The thing I hate about politics is the politics.
  • Alas, I also know the story of the magical Welshman who met his match at tetrinet. I heard he wasn't as partial to Diablo II as he was to xbl, xmodmapping the night away, and_dumping_soda_into_his_keyboard.

    (btw, this is the first time i've posted on slashdot in over a year. what am I squpposed to say again? Oh yeah, natalie portman, hot grits, first post, etc).

    --
    odds of being killed by lighning and
  • My biggest pet peeve these days is that many fashionable games today need the CD in the CD ROM in order for the game to even start. If there is no option to install the game in its entirety- I don't want it [I hate flipping through CD's on my desk, looking for the game I want to play and find it is the one that was recently used as a hot plate or lost or something]! However, it is impossible to find out if CD in CD-ROM is a requirement until you install and try playing... Could people point me to Linux games with (or without) this requirement so that I can know which games to avoid. I know that the windows version of Sim City 3000 needs the cd but is it the same way with the linux version?
    What about Heavy Gear 2 or the upcoming Alpha Centauri?

    ocoNOnnorcjo@SPAMyahoo.com (ignore the no spam)
  • I know that this game is not released yet, but i think that it is worth mentioning.

    Jumpgate

    There was no sucht game after Elite & Privateer, and even it is online multiplayer game :)

    Great job Netdevil.

    Alex9er
  • parsec [parsec.org] runs on not 2, but 3 operating systems: GNU/Linux, Mac, and Win32. It's still under developement, but looks pretty sweet. Plus, it's free as in beer.

    garc
  • http://www.tuxracer.com/ [tuxracer.com].
    'nuf said.
    ------------------------------------------- ------
  • Nobody cares about speed all that much. Go and buy a faster CPU. Need even faster? Add $10 or watever and get another 100mhz on top of that. Still not enough? get more cheap memory and a GeForce2, and you are set.

    Now is the tricky question: How can you say 'boost speed by at least 30% compared to windows' That's a bloat. Yes, you can make things run faster than in Windows, but most of your games will find that memory bandwidth for your videocard is the bottleneck, and no matter what you do, even if you rewrite the whole game in 100% pure assembler, with not a single extra NOP anywhere, you are still gonna gain a few microseconds here, a few more clock ticks there... but not a 30% improvement :(

    What's really big though is giving developers a stable, easy to use, documented platform and a set of tools, so it is a breeze to develop, not a painful nightmare.
    -------------------------------------- -----------
  • Its about using the best tool for the job. If the job is playing games, the best tool by far is windows. Using linux because being a geek gives you a hardon is just dumb. You're not accomplishing anything by it unless you are trying to avoid good recent games.

    Look, linux has it's place, but that place isn't on the desktop and it certainly isn't in game playing.

    This revolution you speak ok looks like the express train to bankruptcy to me. None of the public linux companies make money and have no plans to anytime soon. I will be developing on windows long after the linux bubble bursts.

    The whole revolution thing is exactly what I'm talking about. Making technical decisions on polital grounds is always doomed to failure. Ask the OS/2 guys...

  • I've been playing since 2 this afternoon and can't stop. I have 2 finals tomorrow... must... stop...

    -antipop

  • Software mode only.

    If you want a REAL way to play Counter-Strike under linux, you are best to do it with OpenGL. Look at my post furthur down, for the link to THE linux Half-Life site: http://lhl.linuxgames.com [linuxgames.com]. HOWTO is made for OpenGL users, and theres also a forum there to avoid my inbox filling with questoins :-).


    "Who is General Failure and why is he reading my hard disk ?"

  • tetrinet.org [tetrinet.org]. it is more addictive than crack.
    -antipop
  • How much would you pay for a game that ran faster on Linux than on any other platform? Is a box and a CD important to you, or would you be happy to download it and unlock it by buying a license online with a credit card?

    -Don

    This isn't a hypothetical question -- I'm really interested in hearing what people think.

  • I know that the windows version of Sim City 3000 needs the cd but is it the same way with the linux version?

    The Unix version of SC3U can be installed on disk completely, and will play perfectly without the CD. I should know, it's kept me from going to bed in time quite a few times.

    Stefan.
    It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit-

  • It would be a contribution to make a donation to the FSF, [fsf.org] or to make a donation to Debian [debian.org] or to Software in the Public Interest. [spi-inc.org] Or XFree86. [xfree86.org] It would be a contribution to sponsor something on the Free Software Bazaar. [csustan.edu]

    In contrast, it is not a "contribution" to buy a copy of Civ:CTP, however nice the folks at Loki are.

    The thing that is most irritating about the whole "commercial games" thing is that there are so many middlecritters in between you and the producer of the game. If you pay $40 for a game, it is unlikely that Loki sees much more than $10, which makes this a pretty inefficient way of getting funding to them.

    I've bought games (well, one game) from them, so it would be pretty hypocritical to argue that it's dramatically evil to spend your money that way.

    It's just a bit silly to regard this as a "contribution" when it's largely likely to be a contribution to the bottom line of the retailer rather than the producers...

  • And all of the other character based games, the rouguelikes etc.
  • If you love Tux racer but don't run Linux, you have other options. Tuxracer.com [tuxracer.com] has the source of Tux Racer, not to mention the game for Windows and the Macintosh platform. As long as I delete the game before finals week, I'll be fine - it is such a great game!
    --
    "Stop it, Ford," he said. "You're turning into a penguin."
  • StarCraft -- best game ever. Everything else is moot.
  • Saw this story on NewsForge earlier today, and I'm glad I checked it out. I kept hearing people talk about TuxRacer, but I was never inspired enough to go check out the website before seeing the screenshot (another reason screenshots are important). After seeing it being played, I'm going to have to rethink my strategy of having UT as my only game on linux. If anyone out there can give their thoughts on the game, I'd appreciate it.

  • have studying to do..

    ..must resist the pretty blocks
  • Holiday games, eh? Like pin the tail on the reindeer? Bobbing for yule logs? Elf bowling is still kinda cool, but really needs a linux port.

    Oh well, its the post lunch blahs - this has been our feeble attempt at humor. enjoy.

    p.s. - are there any Santa Q2/Q3 mods out there...? I'd like to kick some rebellious elven butt.

  • I couldn't load the site to see if it was on the list (slashdotted maybe), but this linux/mac game looked pretty cool: Parsec [cnet.com]

  • No Santa mods.... but planetquake had a cool link to a Grinch model for q3.

    Check it out, the skinning was well done & the sounds are FUNNY.

  • One of the better games I have played in a while. I play it on Win2K. I love the ability to add courses (via bitmaps). I have set up a site to store TuxRacer courses. [penguin.nu] Not much there yet. If you have any courses, email me on the site.
  • Buying a linux game is not only a sweet gift to someone who really deserves one [for running linux in the first place], but also an oppurtunity to support linux applications in the marketplace.

    It's pretty rare when buying a gift for someone you care about can have a significant external benefit!

    Seriously, if people don't buy for-linux games, they are going to dissapear. I myself have been guilty of this, and I am going to rectify this.


    ---
    man sig

  • Don't forget the classic game (Score:3)

    by Flounder ( 42112 ) on Tuesday December 19, 2000 @08:40AM (#548372)
    Reconfiguring your system!

    It's every Linux fan's favorite pasttime. Fun for boys and girls!

  • What about gnuchess?

    Maybe chess is not strictly a Linux game, but people will still play it in 1000 years...

    and it's quite low-bandwidth.

  • Resist the urge! (Score:5)

    by technos ( 73414 ) on Tuesday December 19, 2000 @08:28AM (#548374) Homepage Journal
    Please! Do not play Tetrinet! We're losing people right and left to this awful addiction! It ruins your life in ways EverCrack never could!

    It is even begun to creep into the Slashdot Community!! Our very own CmdrTaco (#62 and falling) started playing, and the number of reposts on Slashdot jumped by a factor of three that very day. Rumour has it he has since quit cold-turkey, but the effects will linger for years!

    Closer to home, a freind of mine from Wales has had Tetrinet ruin his sex life, he has gained ten pounds from between match snacking, and when he rarely gets sleep (usually collapsing on the floor next to his computer, quivering from the caffeine that drove him through the last fifteen matches) he has nightmares of Baal himself coming to punish him for the dust gathering on his Diablo II CDs.

    Please! Do not give in to Tetrinet!!
  • A little over a year ago I installed Linux on my old PII 300mhz computer just for grins. I became somewhat familiar with how the OS was operated, etc... but I never enjoyed using it because there was just not enough software to support my wants and needs in a computer. I have pretty much gotten out of gaming and reverted back to somewhat of a basic internet existence - AIM, IRC, Napster, web browsing. All of which can be done using Linux.

    This article points out some incredible games, and I think I'll download them and give them a shot just to get my own personal opinion on a few of them and to see how they compare with the Windows games I've played, but I don't expect myself to switch to Linux anytime soon. (At least, not until I start running my own server.) Perhaps some of you have similar opinions, or would even go so far as to recommend some software/games for Linux that I might enjoy, given the above information?

    And to wrap this up, Pingus looks like it would be one of my favorite games! I've always loved Lemmings, even being an old and simple game. I also liked Sim City at one point, but found that it was too time consuming. FPSs are my personal favorite, but again, I've just moved on in my life and don't want to spend loads of time on gaming, so I don't think I'll be giving Soldier of Fortune any serious run... Card games are decent ... for extreme boredom, such as when Internet lines are down! :-)

    Either way, thanks for posting this article, Mark. You've opened my eyes to Linux just a bit...

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